One of the attractions at La Brea Tar Pits is the Observation Pit which gives visitors an idea of what scientists see before specimens are removed and cleaned up. The Observation Pit reopened in 2014 after being closed for 20 years.
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The San Gorgonio Pass wind farm is one of three major wind farms in California, the other two being at Altamont Pass (near San Francisco) and at Tehachapi (near Bakersfield). Wikipedia says there were 3,218 wind turbines at San Gorgonio Pass in 2008, generating 615 MW of power. Currently there are over 13,000 wind turbines in our state. This pic was taken from the observation deck at the upper terminus of the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway.
This bust of James Dean is in front of Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles on the right (west) side as you face the building. Both the interior and exterior of the Observatory were featured in his most famous movie, 1955’s Rebel Without a Cause, and was the first time a planetarium theater was used in a movie. The work is by artist Kenneth Kendall and a duplicate bust is in the James Dean Memorial Park in the actor’s hometown of Fairmount, Indiana. On a clear day you can take a picture of the statue with the Hollywood sign in the background.
Links: GO previous related post
This statue, which is outside the entrance to the Autry Museum of the America West in Griffith Park in Los Angeles, depicts the Pony Express ride carrying the news of President Abraham Lincoln’s election. The ride began in St. Joseph, Missouri and ended in Sacramento, California, and was the fastest ride in the history of the Pony Express. The artist is Douglas Van Howd.
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Here’s another great Ricardo Breceda statue of a stagecoach and team of horses to brighten up your morning. This sculpture is located at Mr. Breceda’s “showroom” which is along Highway 79 near Vail Lake. Stop by and take a look at the many statues for sale and maybe take one home!
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The Big Bear Solar Observatory is operated by the New Jersey Institute of Technology. Their newest solar telescope has a 1.6 meter clear aperture and is the largest aperture solar telescope in the world. Tours are offered from 2-3pm on the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays of the month. I love the stark whiteness of the building against the blue and green of its surroundings.
Links: BBSO (tour info, webcams, latest images)
This beautiful teahouse was designed by architect Whitney Smith and built in 1966. The distinctive blue roof tiles were imported from Japan. The entire Japanese Garden section of Descanso Gardens (in La Canada Flintridge/Glendale) imparts a real feeling of tranquility .
This pic was taken from Highway 243 heading up the mountain toward Idyllwild, looking back down on the town of Banning with Mt. San Gorgonio in clouds in the background. Mt. San Gorgonio, also known as “Old Greyback”, is the highest mountain in Southern California at 11,502 ft. Banning was named for Phineas Banning, stagecoach line owner and the “Father of the Port of Los Angeles”.
This pic shows the ranger check-in station on Mt. San Jacinto, behind the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway terminal station, where long distance hikers headed to area trails register their trips before embarking. I just stopped by to chat with the ranger on duty, which is always fun and informative.
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Here’s a pic of the Carlsbad Flower Fields to add a little color to your day! This shot was taken from the walking paths on Armada Drive near the Museum of Making Music.
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