While at the coast, we visited several lighthouses. The first (southernmost) was Battery Point Lighthouse in Crescent City.
It is interesting in that you can only get to it (without a boat) at low tide. At high tide it is an island, but at low tide you can walk across to it.
We enjoyed a couple of drives along the Avenue of the Giants in Humboldt Redwoods State Park. Firstly heading north from Meyers Flat:
We stopped at the visitor center, with quite a character volunteer, super-fascinated by Jenn’s passport stamp book:
A wooden log RV:
A nice walk through the Gould Grove Nature Loop Trail:
Bridge in Rio Dell:
We had lunch at Scotia Lodge in Rio Dell:
The next morning we went to the local coffee shop, The Daily Grind… a cute shop, but unfortunately undrinkably bitter coffee:
Then a drive south along the Avenue of the Giants:
We hiked in Muir Woods National Monument in California.
A map; we did the Bridge 4 two-mile loop, returning via Hillside Trail:
Gift shop:
Pressed penny machine:
Woodpecker:
Sign:
Hearst Castle is an iconic mansion about midway between Los Angeles and San Francisco.
They offer a number of tours, from the basic Grand Rooms Tour, which we did 22 years ago when we first moved to the US, to a more exclusive Julia Morgan Tour, about twice as long, limited to just eight visitors, and gets to go places not seen by other tours. We opted for the latter this time; a very worthwhile experience.
The experiences starts and ends at the visitor center:
The visitor center includes food, a gift store, and exhibits:
Everyone takes a bus up the hill to the castle:
The tour started with the outdoor pool; we were on a side of the pool where the other tours can’t go:
Castle:
Exploring one of the guest cottages:
View:
Another cottage:
The castle:
Dining room:
Another room:
Game room:
Theater:
Another room:
Julia Morgan’s room:
Kitchen:
Stairs:
Bedroom:
Stairs:
Ceiling:
Library:
Back of cottage:
Underneath a large patio are some old hidden steps, that were built then covered up as Hearst changed his mind:
Indoor pool:
I recorded a timelapse video of the tour with my new 360 camera as an experiment. Unfortunately, the timelapse is designed for static subjects, morphing any movement, which isn’t great with motion. I really should have done a hyperlapse instead, but this is still interesting:
The view looking down the hill, including the winding road to castle:
Hearst Castle sign:
Photo:
We visited the world-famous San Diego Zoo. It was definitely the nicest and largest zoo we’ve ever been to.
Enjoy the animal pics! Just 15% of the pictures I took; there was a lot to see.
Some scenes around San Diego, Balboa Park, and the coast.
Organ pavilion:
Statue:
Museum of Us:
Globe Theater:
Alcazar Garden:
UN houses:
Coronado Bridge:
Hotel Del Coronado:
We visited the Japanese Friendship Garden in San Diego, California.
Jenn and a friendly feral feline:
Bonsai:
Model:
Tea and Eats:
We visited Cabrillo National Monument at the coast in California.
The visitor center:
“What am I looking at?” Fog:
Exhibits:
Was Cabrillo Spanish or Portuguese?
Fog lifting:
Lighthouse:
Whale viewpoint:
Other lighthouse:
View:
The big gun:
Gun placements:
Coast:
Pelicans:
GIF:
Video:
Lighthouse:
Another afternoon visit to Joshua Tree National Park.
Jenn gave me an Insta360 X3 camera as an early birthday present, so I tried it out on this visit:
My first video, holding the invisible selfie stick out the truck window:
Barker Dam Nature Trail hike:
Video:
Videos:
Video:
Joshua tree bloom:
Video:
Petroglyphs:
Video:
Videos:
We had a picnic dinner at Hidden Valley:
Another visit to Joshua Tree National Park, this time in the evening, going in the south entrance. Like most of the popular parks, this one is very busy during the day, but much less so in the evening.
Cholla Cactus Garden:
Arch Rock Nature Trail:
Picnic dinner:
We have some bamboo cutlery in our picnic bag, which was useful:
Skull Rock; this is one of the most popular areas of the park, impossible to get parking during the day, but easy in the evening:
Split Rock:
Sunset:
