Yosemite National Park, 2....

Castle Cliffs at sunrise - click

...What could be more majestic than the sights in this park?
a full sunny day, large mountains and water light the dark,
sights of every size and description waiting for you,
if you have the chance, make the trip, go where there's a view.

If you don't care for mountains there is water too,
birds of every description, and animals too,
Seven thousand kinds of plants,
and hiking trails where you'll need two pairs of pants.

Upper Yosemite Falls - click

Tioga Pass - click

The start of winter - click

Yosemite National Park.....

El Capitan - click

...it's a giant of a park, over 3.7 millions visitors each year....
...are fortunate to see the grandeur that is here.
Most people see the "valley", but this park is very large,
to go in to the 'back country' someone must be in charge.

Animals and plant life to many to count thrive,
and one single visit, makes you glad that you're alive.
If opportunity knocks please answer the door,
you can stand in wonder in the valley floor.

Yosemite Chapel, a wedding site. Notice the "rock wall" behind. - click

Mirror Lake - click

Mammoth Peak - click

Whiskeytown National Recreation Area...

Sunrise on Trinity Lake

...up here by Mount Shasta in the mountains and the lakes,
rugged camping and hiking, if you've got what it takes,
I'll just look at pictures that other people took,
because I can't climb the mountain, or even bait a hook.

Having driven through this area and hitchhiked it too,
and I have flown over, it's really quite a view;
there are some parts you can access with a car,
and the views are worth the trip, if you want to go that far.

The Lower Tow-click

A hiking trail, hilly, very hilly

What a view!-click

Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks....

Part of Kings Canyon-click

...California, we could spend time, shooting the breeze,
but it would be better spent, looking at some trees,
no ordinary trees, these are big ones here, and old;
General Sherman is 400, or so I've been told.

The setting is magnificent, probably quite rare,
add to that some sunshine and healthy mountain air;
a little running water, the tinkle or a brook,
so, take a few pictures, or even write a book!

A grove of Sequoia trees-click

Babb's Creek full of melting snow-click

Sequoias in the snow-click

Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area....

Fog in from the Pacific Ocean - click

...California, a surprise for some, to find this so close to the big city,
Los Angeles must be proud, to have this close and pretty;
for hiking or walking, maybe camping out,
this is the place, give it a shout.

Rescued I'm sure from the development craze,
this is a place to spend summer days,
walking the trails, there are other things too,
for those of us who want other things to do.

There is a section right on the coast - click

The Hiking Grotto, Circle X Ranch (the original owners)

Paramount Ranch - former movie lot for Paramount Studios - click
this part is separate from the main park by only a few miles

Rosie the Riveter National Memorial....

Representing all of the "Rosies"

..Richmond, California, you can talk about icons whenever you will,
but each or any of these ladies would fill the bill;
called up to duty as a World War waged on,
they filled the jobs of the men who were gone.

A lot of them worked here on San Francisco Bay,
working long hours for minimal pay,
we owe our thanks to them every one, they're the best,
all through the country from east to west.

Two Rosie's in an aircraft plant

Rosie the Riveter Memorial Sculpture



SS Red Oak Victory, a Rosie the Riveter floating Museum, it was
recently painted, after this photo was taken



Redwood National and State Parks 2....

Rhododendrons in the wood, wild and beautiful-click

...California, this park is worth two days,
besides there's so much fog and haze;
there's so much to see, so much land to roam,
we'd have no thoughts of going home.

Today is wildflowers, hope you don't mind,
as we go looking around for some different kind,
daisies, lupine rhododendrons in store,
so..let's get going and find some more.

..first take a road out to the fields-click

Some lupine along the river-click

Daisies and Sea Stacks-click

Redwood National and State Parks....

Fog in the woods-click

...California, almost at the Oregon border, and on the coast,
trees big enough to build a whole house, quite a boast,
some of these trees are downright old,
being saved for the future we're surely told.

Logging goes on in this part of the world,
very selective, it may stop, the rumors are hurled,
people that like to work in the woods,
are sometimes scorned, and call no goods.

There are some things that must be understood,
families count, in places, on wood;
environmentalist need to know, they can't have it all,
but the "battles" go on, spring, winter, summer and fall.

(I took time for a little preaching this morning)



Hidden Beach-click



Pacific dogwood, spring has arrived-click

Point Reyes National Seashore....

Point Reyes Headlands-click

...California, Oh! My! Goodness!, What a find we've made;
beauty in the weather, equals, made even in the shade.
A wonderful spot north of San Francisco Bay,
almost leaves me speechless, what else can I say.

If you ever get the chance, I was close and wish I had...
we've got to see this place, there is nothing bad.
Room to wander, up and down, sights you see just once;
stay for sunset, spend the day, it only adds more punch.


Yellow Lupine!-click



Point Reyes Light

Sunset at McClure's Beach

Manzanar National Historic Site....

Manzanar in 1943

...California, sometimes we need to be reminded, and it's today,
this became home to 110,000 people, it's was a shame, what can I say;
put behind wire to wait out a war, Japanese Americas who lost it all,
because of their ancestry, their property seized, FDR made the call.

So here we are out in the desert sand,
just to remember what once was on this land,
a huge mistake that America made, it was a bad day,
when American citizens were locked away.


A scale model of the camp



A guard post




A shrine at the cemetery



Muir Woods National Monument....

A trail through the woods

If you like trees, magnificent and tall,
come on over here, you can't count them all;
redwoods are among the largest on earth,
some are so old they were growing at Moses birth.

Huge, yet graceful on their way to the sky,
and here they are, to be seen by you and I,
what a glorious way to spend your day,
just walking along, there's no need to play.


Click on this, for sheer size




A sunny day



More of a trail

Golden Gate National Recreation Area....

Flowers of the Golden Gate, click to enlarge

....California, home of the bridge of course,
or Golden Gate park, where I once rode a horse;
but there's a lot more for you to see,
Muir Woods, tomorrow, and of course the sea.

It's a large are south and north of the span,
all laid out in some natural plan,
too much to see in just one day,
so let's get started.  What do you say?


The Bridge, this is the north end




Point Bonita Light, also on the north end



In the Muir Woods, more tomorrow

Some of these are"clickable"

Devils Postpile National Monument....

One pile is exposed

....California, these hills are about 60 feet high,
stacks of pencils on end aim at the sky,
columnar basalt in an unusual formation,
one of a kind in this great nation.

Conditions must have been just right,
with moisture, ice and abundant light,
to form these oddities up here in the hills,
where they peel off, just look at the spills.

What a pile looks like on top

Rainbow falls, a 100 foot drop



another view