California

Cruising under the Golden Gate Bridge

Posted on by AdventureDavid

goldengate

If you take a cruise that stops in San Francisco then you will most likely pass under the Golden Gate Bridge, one of the city’s most iconic landmarks.  The bridge opened for traffic in 1937 after four and a half years of construction.  Its 4,200-foot long suspension span was the longest in the world when constructed and is still the 9th longest.  The term Golden Gate refers to the Golden Gate Strait which is the entrance to San Francisco Bay from the Pacific Ocean.

Links:       Bridge Facts

Grauman’s Chinese Theatre Handprints

Posted on by AdventureDavid

SteveMcQueen

Over 200 celebrities have had their handprints and footprints immortalized in the forecourt of Grauman’s Chinese Theatre (also known as Mann’s Chinese Theatre and now officially TCL Chinese Theatre) which is on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.  This pic shows Steve McQueen’s imprints from March 21, 1967, which was three days before his 37th birthday.

Links:      imprint archive

 

 

Pismo State Beach

Posted on by AdventureDavid

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Pismo State Beach is the only place in Central and Southern California where you can legally drive on the beach.  The main entrance is at the Oceano Beach Access on Pier Avenue in Oceano, but there is also another entrance at Grover Beach.  Heading south on the beach takes you to Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area (SVRA) where you can camp on the beach and explore in your 4×4, dune buggy, ATV, dirt bike, etc.

Links:     CA Parks          List of driving beaches in CA

 

 

California – A Birding Paradise

Posted on by AdventureDavid

Salt10

California is a fantastic place for birding as the state boasts 662 species in the latest CA Bird List, while San Diego County alone has 517 species on its checklist.  The little guy in this pic is a burrowing owl which we encountered on a dirt road just south of the Salton Sea.  Burrowing owls generally live underground in the abandoned burrows of mammals.

Links:      CA bird list     San Diego County bird list

Balboa Park Museums

Posted on by AdventureDavid

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I love the Spanish Colonial-Revival architecture in Balboa Park in San Diego.  This pic shows the San Diego Museum of Man, one of 17 museums in this beautiful 1200-acre park.

Links:      Balboa Park       Museum of Man

Eastern Columbia Building

Posted on by AdventureDavid

EasternBldg

The 13-story Eastern Columbia Building in downtown Los Angeles is considered one of the best surviving examples of Art Deco architecture in LA.  Designed by Claud Beelman and costing $1.25 million, it opened on September 12, 1930.  Its award winning renovation in 2006 turned the building into 147 live/work lofts.

Pershing Square

Posted on by AdventureDavid

PershingSquare

Pershing Square is in the heart of downtown Los Angeles and was originally named La Plaza Abaja when dedicated in 1866, but was renamed in 1918 in honor of the World War I general.  This pic captures one of two large architectural balls and the waterfall fountain.

Links:        LAParks

Japanese Gardens at The Huntington

Posted on by AdventureDavid

Huntington1

The Botanic Gardens at The Huntington in Pasadena offer 12 different gardens, one being the Japanese Garden, which includes a drum bridge, Japanese house, walled Zen garden, a bonsai court, and a ceremonial teahouse and tea garden.

Links:        The Huntington

Ronald Reagan Presidential Library

Posted on by AdventureDavid

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Built on a hilltop near Simi Valley, the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library offers dramatic views of the surrounding countryside.  It was opened on November 4, 1991 with five US Presidents and six First Ladies in attendance.  Following his death in 2004, approximately 105,000 people viewed his casket as it lay in repose in the library lobby.  Former First Lady Nancy Reagan, who died on March 6th, will be laid to rest next to her husband.

Links:     Reagan Foundation

Santa Barbara Mission

Posted on by AdventureDavid

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The Santa Barbara Mission was the tenth of twenty-one California Missions founded by the Spanish Franciscans, and was established on the Feast of Saint Barbara, December 4, 1786.  The present building was dedicated in 1820 and still functions as a church today.

Links:      Old Mission Santa Barbara