Yosemite!(to be continued... more photos to follow..)
Sunday, December 30, 2007
Friday, December 28, 2007
Bays and beaches - Santa Cruz, Monterey, Point Lobos
Wake up people! Time to go south! (and sleep there!)
Santa Cruz - everybody knows Boardwalk, Mystery Spot and even municipal Wharf (right next to Boardwalk). But the whole coastline west of Boardwalk has several beaches and state parks and running trails overlooking the sea - fantastic views and a great drive.
That's how you get to Natural Bridges State Beach. Beach itself is very small, but... you can see for yourself - a naturally made bridge like structure and a great view of the ocean.
Apart from the scenery, it is also known for something else - Monarch butterflies who come south for the winter and stay in the Monarch grove (Eucalyptus tress?) right next to this beach.
Going south on 1 takes you to Seaside sand dunes, Monterey, Carmel (yes, the city for which Clint Eastwood was the Mayor), and then on to Big Sur.
Monterey Bay Aquarium and 17 mile drive (pebble beach) are the "default" destinations for bay area visitors, but I usually skip 17 mile drive; Once in a while I visit Monterey Bay Aquarium, if for nothing else, just to see these beautiful Jelly fish displays!
...and Otters having fun...
Of course, the view from the Aquarium is stunning too..
While I skip pebble beach, I don't miss out on Point Lobos state park (just another 5 miles down Highway 1 towards Big Sur). Unbelievable views of the ocean, the "barking" of the sea lions from the sea lion rocks, bird island, and if you are in the mood and able, you can do scuba diving here from the coves below.
No wonder it is called "greatest meeting of the land and water"!
Santa Cruz - everybody knows Boardwalk, Mystery Spot and even municipal Wharf (right next to Boardwalk). But the whole coastline west of Boardwalk has several beaches and state parks and running trails overlooking the sea - fantastic views and a great drive.
That's how you get to Natural Bridges State Beach. Beach itself is very small, but... you can see for yourself - a naturally made bridge like structure and a great view of the ocean.
Apart from the scenery, it is also known for something else - Monarch butterflies who come south for the winter and stay in the Monarch grove (Eucalyptus tress?) right next to this beach.
Going south on 1 takes you to Seaside sand dunes, Monterey, Carmel (yes, the city for which Clint Eastwood was the Mayor), and then on to Big Sur.
Monterey Bay Aquarium and 17 mile drive (pebble beach) are the "default" destinations for bay area visitors, but I usually skip 17 mile drive; Once in a while I visit Monterey Bay Aquarium, if for nothing else, just to see these beautiful Jelly fish displays!
...and Otters having fun...
Of course, the view from the Aquarium is stunning too..
While I skip pebble beach, I don't miss out on Point Lobos state park (just another 5 miles down Highway 1 towards Big Sur). Unbelievable views of the ocean, the "barking" of the sea lions from the sea lion rocks, bird island, and if you are in the mood and able, you can do scuba diving here from the coves below.
No wonder it is called "greatest meeting of the land and water"!
Thursday, December 27, 2007
Bay Area - Muir Woods/SFO
Well, no visit to Bay area can be complete without the required Golden Gate Bridge trip.
A typical run through of SFO for me, whenever a visitor comes from out of town goes like this:
Take 101, Van Ness, Lombard Street (the Crooked Street) and continue on to Coit Tower on the Telegraph Hill, go down to the Fishermens Wharf and then drive down to Golden Gate bridge.
Here is a view of Coit tower from the base of Crooked Street... (and pretty houses on the telegraph hill)
and a view of Golden Gate Bridge from Coit Tower (Hello Coit Tower guys, please clean the glass windows at the top!)
Muir Woods is just another 45 minutes drive from Golden Gate on the scenic highway 1. Depending on how much you have at your disposal, can spend a few hours in Muir woods, trekking through some of the trails..
Highway 1 leads on to Stinson Beach, a small but quaint beach, and then on to Point Reyes (Lighthouse at Point Reyes is another photo favorite of many).
Is this an entrance to the Muir Woods heaven? or one more "near death experience"? A tunnel on 101 on the way back from Muir Woods near Golden Gate Bridge..
A typical run through of SFO for me, whenever a visitor comes from out of town goes like this:Take 101, Van Ness, Lombard Street (the Crooked Street) and continue on to Coit Tower on the Telegraph Hill, go down to the Fishermens Wharf and then drive down to Golden Gate bridge.
Here is a view of Coit tower from the base of Crooked Street... (and pretty houses on the telegraph hill)
and a view of Golden Gate Bridge from Coit Tower (Hello Coit Tower guys, please clean the glass windows at the top!)
Muir Woods is just another 45 minutes drive from Golden Gate on the scenic highway 1. Depending on how much you have at your disposal, can spend a few hours in Muir woods, trekking through some of the trails..
Highway 1 leads on to Stinson Beach, a small but quaint beach, and then on to Point Reyes (Lighthouse at Point Reyes is another photo favorite of many).
Is this an entrance to the Muir Woods heaven? or one more "near death experience"? A tunnel on 101 on the way back from Muir Woods near Golden Gate Bridge..
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