Finding The Stretch of Purple Sand at Pfeiffer Beach, Big Sur, CA

Dusk @ Pfeiffer Beach, Big Sur, CA

Big Sur is one of our favorite nature escapes in California. We had been to this place for a relaxing vacation for about three times now, however, our last vacation was our first time at Pfeiffer Beach. 

Purple Sand at Pfeiffer Beach

Though located at the heart of Big Sur, yet Pfeiffer Beach is not that easy to find. It is probably the favorite beach of the locals, but oftentimes missed by tourists, just like us before. Thankfully, before coming to Big Sur this 3rd time, I did some local search of Big Sur's interesting places to explore and hike. I found Pfeiffer Beach at the top of the list, described as " every photographers dream".

Bumpass Hell, Lassen Volcanic National Park

Bumpass Hell Basin, Lassen Volcanic National Park, California

Bumpass Hell contains the largest concentration of geothermal features in Lassen Volcanic National Park. The hike is 3 miles round trip to the start of the boardwalk with 300 ft change in elevation, but add another 0.5 mile if you plan to explore the whole Bumpass Hell basin. Usually, the trail opens July 1st, so I did not expect we could take this trail because we were there on the first and second day of summer, June 21st and June 22nd. However, at the time we were there, the trail just opened, we're lucky!

Colors of Spring

California hills, valleys and mountains are ablaze in colors right now. It seems I just can't have enough of the colors of spring. Here are some pictures of spring colors from recently.

 Whenever I see trail lined with flowers, my heart is filled with glee.

If only I can bring these wildflowers home. :)

Colors near and far.

Multi colored hills from a mix of wildflowers: California poppies, lupines, and purple phacelias.

A carpet of purple phacelia.

Sulphur Works, Lassen Volcanic National Park

Geothermal Action at Sulphur Works

Unlike Bumpass Hell which can only be seen after a good work-out (hiking), Sulphur Works on the other hand is one of the geothermal feature in Lassen Volcanic National Park that can be seen by visitors right from the road. However, compared to Bumpass Hell, Sulphur Works is very small in area. Though small in area, but it features fumaroles, mudpots, hot steam, boiling water, stinky hydrogen sulfide gas and other geothermal features.

Hiking Mt Woodson

Mt Woodson is another local hike in San Diego that is easily accessible, yet hiking its trail feels like an escape from civilization.

Potato Chip Rock, Mt Woodson

It is littered by giant boulder outcrops, and from the summit, one can enjoy the ocean-to-mountain views. Near the summit is the now famous Potato Chip Rock, which is the result of exfoliation and weathering. There are many ways to reach Potato Chip rock or the summit of Mt Woodson. The three different trailheads for this hike is what I will be sharing in this post. source: Afoot and Afield: San Diego County: A Comprehensive Hiking Guide

Best Time to Hike:  During the cooler months, November to May. If hiking in the summer, start early of the day, or choose the cooler days of summer, because most part of the hike is on exposed trail.

Option 1: Mt. Woodson from Lake Poway

Lake Poway from Mt. Woodson Trail

Mileage: approximately 7.2 miles roundtrip

Change in Elevation: 2300 ft gain and loss

Parking: Lake Poway Recreation Area Parking, there is parking fee of $5.00 for non-Poway residents during the peak months April- October.

Bridalveil Fall, Yosemite National Park

Bridalveil Fall from Hwy 120

Coming into Yosemite National Park from the west, the first waterfall that comes into sight is Bridalveil Fall. The scenery above is a roadside beauty that could be seen after emerging from the tunnel in Hwy 120. There is a viewpoint right after the tunnel with wide enough parking for people driving in to stop and take in their first glimpse of Yosemite Valley. There is no sign before the tunnel that there is a scenic vista right after, but if one follows the speed limit inside the tunnel, they would not miss for sure the scenic vista that follows right after emerging from the tunnel. But of course, for those who are speeding, am sure, this vista is missed. Here are two more pictures from the vista right after the tunnel in Hwy 120.

 Bridalveil Fall from Hwy 120 ( a closer look )

Bridalveil Fall from Hwy 120 ( let's get closer )

At Home With The Redwoods

In my previous posts, I shared some of the trails within the majestic ancient redwood forest and the gigantic redwood trees.

Redwood Highway ( parallel to the coast)

But Redwood National and State Parks is not all about the redwoods, despite the main attraction of course are these ancient tall trees. Right next to the redwood forest is the Pacific Ocean, and there is an amazing diversity of life that exists here.

Wildflowers Along Del Norte Coast, Redwood National Park

The diverse ecosystem here is recognized as both a World Heritage site and an International Biosphere Reserve. These designations reflects worldwide awareness of the parks' resources as irreplaceable, and as such they must be safeguarded. One may complain that the ocean here seldom reflects the blue color from the sky. Especially during the summer, the ocean here is as gray as it can be. The greyness is due to the dense coastal fogs.

My Big Sur Favorites

Me @ Big Sur, CA

One of the places in California that we frequent for a vacation yet never get tired of is Big Sur. What I love most about Big Sur is that it combines two of the Earth's features that I love, the mountains and the ocean. Though between two California big cities, Los Angeles to the South and San Francisco to the North, yet this strip of Pacific Coast appears as wild as it can be. 

The Wild Pacific Coast @ Big Sur, CA

Cactus Monday- Borrego Palm Canyon Nature Trail

Anza Borrego Desert State Park, San Diego County, CA

The hike:

     from the visitor center: 5.5 miles round trip, 600 ft elevation gain (no fee to park at visitor center)

     from Borrego Palm Campgrond: 3 miles round trip, 600 ft elevation gain ( there is $8.00 day use fee to enter campground )

This is the most popular trail probably in Anza Borrego Desert State Park, and is also good for beginners because the ascent is very gradual, and the trail is well maintained. Though some parts of the trail would require some boulder hopping, because of the big rocks that litter the ground. Most parts of the trails are rocky, but very manageable. 

Desert Nature Trail, Visitor Center

The peak visitation to this park is during winter and spring when the temperature is cooler. In the summer, because of the intense desert heat, the trail is more isolated. Though at other times of the year, the hike here can be drab for some, because there is nothing but sun-blasted vegetation. But during spring, March and April, this park can turn into a rainbow of colors.

Blooming Beavertail and Brittlebush

Anacapa island

Inspiration Point, Anacapa Island, Channel Islands National Park

Best Time to Visit: Spring to Early Summer, by summer, the island becomes dry and less colorful, and the sea gulls have left the island, you are left with only the left-over smell of the gulls.

Closest Major City: Los Angeles, CA. The drive to Oxnard Harbor from Los Angeles is about an hour, and the ferry ride to Anacapa Island is about 45 minutes, plus or minus depending on the conditions.

Sea Arch, Anacapa Island, Channel Islands National Park

The pictures here I am attaching are not really the best of Anacapa, since when we visited the island, it was already late of June, and the wildflowers were mostly gone :( and most of the gulls that nested on the island probably had gone back to the mainland already. 

Gulls on a Bed of Wildlfowers, Anacapa Island, Channel Islands National Park

Desert Road Trip Thanksgiving Week 2009

The desert has its many interesting features, showing a deep beauty that has survived the harshest tests of time. However, aside from the inspiring beauty of the desert, it is the extreme peacefulness and serenity that invites us to explore it whenever we get the chance. Though we had thousands of pictures, but I decided to post 2 pictures a day from our trip.

Day 1 @ Death Valley National Park, CA

Badlands Creatively Carved by Nature, Zabriskie Point

Little Boy Enjoying His ATV, Dumont Dunes

( this is not part of Death Valley National Park, we just saw this recreational park on our way to Death Valley )

Day 2 @ Death Valley National Park, CA

Mesquite Sand Dunes, Early Morning

Dante's View

Day 3 @ Zion National Park and Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park, Utah

Hiking @ Hidden Canyon, Zion National Park

Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park, Utah

(the desert is more than just sands and cactus, this picture shows the immense pine forest next to the sand dunes)

Day 4 @ North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park and Page, Arizona

Tourists Sitting on the Cliff Enjoying the View of Grand Canyon 

Glen Canyon Dam, Page, Arizona

Whale Watching At Monterey Bay

Whale Watching Monterey Bay

In the morning of the second day of our "Into the Pacific Wild Big Sur and Monterey Bay Vacation", we took a whale watching tour with Monterey Bay Whale Watch. Before the tour, I only had one wish, to see a whale breach in front of me. Well, as you can see from the pictures above ( some of my favorite pictures from the trip), sadly, my wish was not granted! :( There is just no way we could control nature. But nevertheless, it was still a very awesome experience for us. We were that very close to humpback whales, and we saw not just one, not just one dozen, but several dozens. We saw whale sprouts almost every where, that it could be overwhelming where to point the camera. 

Though I took several whale watching tours from San Diego and Alaska, but I never had experienced to be that up close with whales that we could hear their sprouts! Even if my wish of seeing a breaching whale up close was not granted, but I still could say this experience is one of the most fascinating I had with nature. Call me crazy, but for some reason, I am thinking of another Big Sur and Monterey Bay vacation again, haha! I guess, I am not giving up on capturing a breaching whale. But who knows, I may experience them in San Diego.

Going back to Big Sur and Monterey Bay, there are just so much wildlife to experience. Up to now, I still am dreaming of the extremely graceful jelly fish dancing in the waters of Monterey Bay, of sea otters, of sea lions, of mola mola, and many more. I really had a wonderful time seeing wonderful aquatic life not from aquarium, but from the wild waters of the Monterey Bay and the Pacific Ocean. I will share the other wildlife in my later post that we encountered during our afternoon walk at Monterey Bay. Meantime, here are more pictures from our whale watching.

 HUMPBACK WHALE AND BIRD

INTO THE PACIFIC WILD

 Some wild snapshots of the wildlife in Big Sur and Monterey Bay, CA
 ( wildlife except the lady in pink jacket above )

So thankful to have a short 5 day vacation into the Pacific wild coast, in Big Sur and Monterey Bay. We left San Diego early morning Saturday, and came back very late in the evening of Wednesday, just in time for Thanksgiving. As usual, a Big Sur vacation does not disappoint. I have been here many times ( this actually is my favorite vacation destination in California), but I feel like I don't have enough, and could always go back for another vacation. Ahhhh, anyway, I will let the video below and the two picture collages speak about our Pacific Wild memories for now.  

WILDLIFE AND SCENERY FROM THE WILD PACIFIC COAST
( every pictures and video were taken in the wild coast of Big Sur and Monterey Bay, not in any indoor facilities such as aquarium or zoos )

I chose the music "How Great Is Our God" by Kimberly and Alberto Rivera because that is one of the songs that best represents my gratefulness to our Great GOD, feeling HIS GREAT LOVE for all life in this Earth. 

Yosemite Valley Floor Loop Hike

Kids Enjoying the Meadow, Yosemite Valley Floor

Yosemite National Park abounds with more than 800 miles of trails, from very easy to extremely strenuous. Though most hikers would usually recommend staying away from the valley because for them it is too crowded, but actually, the Yosemite Valley Floor Hike is one of the more peaceful and silent hike in Yosemite. There may be some sections where it is overly crowded to experience a oneness with nature, such as at the trail to the base of Yosemite Falls, 

Yosemite Falls from the trail

and in Bridalveil Falls.

Kayak Dreaming in Autumn at the Sierras

I was browsing my old pictures, when I saw the picture of this guy peacefully relaxing in the middle of autumn colors.

Floating in Autumn Colors

The picture right away brought me to dreamland, of comfortable kayak seats and of the beautiful Sierra Nevada mountains. 

North Lake, Bishop Creek Canyon, Eastern Sierra Nevada, CA

Am just so glad for these pictures, for whenever I need nature therapy, all I need is to browse my picture files in my computer. I am reminded of the joyful times we spent there when looking at the pictures. It's like feeling again the magic and wonders of the place. 

Fern Canyon

Fern Canyon, Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park, CA

Fern Canyon, in Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park, still within the boundaries of Redwoods National and State Parks is one of the beautiful natural wonders in the area. If you noticed in most of my redwood pictures, there are a lot of ferns lining up the trail and also covering the ground. What is special about Fern Canyon is that some of the ferns clinging to the steep cliffs are ancient species whose ancestry can be tracked 325 million years ago. 

Experiencing the canyon felt like going back in time. I was not surprised to learn later that this canyon was used as location for The Lost World: Jurassic Park and BBC's Walking With Dinosaurs because of the pre-historic feel when we were traversing its trail.

The hike to Fern Canyon is on an easy almost flat trail, with very little change in elevation. It passes through a moss filled forest, though devoid of redwoods trees, but pretty on its own.

Hiker @ Fern Canyon Trail

Lake Helen, Lassen Volcanic National Park

Frozen Lake Helen with Turquoise Melting Snow and Lassen Peak, early summer

After the steaming beauty of Bumpass Hell, and the beautiful and peaceful Manzanita Lake, another feature in Lassen Volcanic National Park is Lake Helen. Lake Helen is a glacial lake which is located to the South of the Lassen Peak and west of Bumpass Mountain in the Shasta Cascades region of Northern California. Because Lake Helen is at high elevation, at over 8000 ft, it is covered with snow for most of the year. Ice in this lake usually stays until July- August, and forms again October. The lake would probably look prettier when most of the water has melted, showing a deep blue color and reflections of the mountains. The deep blue color is due to the minerals present in it and its depth which reaches 110 ft.

Face of Lassen Peak, early summer

The Lassen Peak in the background is the most dominant feature of the park and it is also the largest plug dome volcano in the world, which erupted in 1914. Lassen Volcanic is one of the few areas in the world where all four types of volcanoes ( cinder cone, plug dome, shield, and strato) can be found.  But Lassen Volcanic National Park is not just about volcanoes, mudpots, hot spring, hissing fumaroles and other volcanic geology, the park also boasts a rich diversity of plant and animal life. The great biodiversity here is due to 2 factors: its geographic location and the abundance of its habitats. Lassen Volcanic lies at the crossroads of three great biological provinces: the Cascade range to the North, the Sierra Nevada Mountains to the South and the Great Basin Desert to the East. 

Here are two more pictures of Lake Helen with the other mountains surrounding it. 

Lake Helen and Broke Off Mountain, early summer

Turquoise Melted Snow @ Lake Helen, early summer

Death Valley National Park to Los Angeles (part 1 of 2)

This is day 3 of the 6-days Las Vegas - Los Angeles - San Diego - Las Vegas Road Trip via Death Valley National Park and Palm Springs. You can see day 1, which is flying to Las Vegas, and then, day 2- leaving Las Vegas for Death Valley National Park in my introductory post of the 6-days Las Vegas - Los Angeles - San Diego road trip.

Las Vegas and Death Valley National Park

Brief summary of itinerary:

Day 1- arrival at Las Vegas ( arrival airport)

Day 2- Las Vegas to Death Valley National Park

Day 3- Death Valley National Park to Los Angeles

Day 4- Los Angeles to San Diego

Day 5- San Diego to Palm Springs

Day 6- Palm Springs to Las Vegas ( depart later of the day, or extend one night and depart Las Vegas next day)

Here's first part of Day 3: 

From the heart of Death Valley, you will start driving West towards Los Angeles on road that is surrounded by stark mountains of different colors due to the varying composition of minerals in it. Death Valley strongly sends the message that Earth does not always have to be fully clothed with lush green vegetation to be beautiful. In its starkness and nakedness, one will see the contours of the Earth that though may be shaped by harshest conditions, but ended up so masterfully carved and uniquely painted. The awe and wonder, serenity and peacefulness that sets in me in seeing the out of this world beauty of Death Valley National Park, is beyond words for me to describe.  Death Valley is such a huge National Park, that after one hour of driving from Furnace Creek Inn, you still are in Death Valley National Park, at Panamint Springs. West of Hwy 190, there is one beautiful view point you should not miss, Father Crowley  Point.

 view from Father Crowley Point, Death Valley National Park

Father Crowley Point is one of the must see non-hiking stops in Death Valley. It is named in memory of Father Crowley, a Catholic priest who ministered in the area in the 1930s, and who was said to make frequent stops at this overlook. It encompasses views of the Panamint Valley, Rainbow Canyon, the Panamint Mountain Range, and Telescope Peak. This view, aside from inspiring reverence in an important religious leader, also demonstrates the beautiful complexity and rugged balance of this surreal desert landscape.

views from Father Crowley Point

( what the plaque at top left of the photo says: "Father Crowley Point, in Memory of the Priest of the Desert, 1891-1940. From the snowy heights of the Sierras to the deep shadows of Death Valley, beloved and trusted by people of all faiths. He led them towards life's wider horizons. ")