My Northern California Trip - April 2013
The Sideshow
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I got home late Monday night from an 8-day trip to California. It was a blast! I'm sharing some photos. (started a new thread so it won't clutter things up)
I left Portland, Oregon at 7:45a.m. on the 15th and arrived in San Luis Obispo, California about 13 hours and one speeding ticket later. I wanted to get half the driving out of the way on the first day, then work my way northward in small increments. It worked out quite well.
The drive south through Oregon was rainy
I was surprised to see the Siskiyou Pass was still snowy in mid-April
BP Dunny kept me company and enjoyed the sun as we passed Mt. Shasta and drove farther south into California
By sunset, I was getting pretty tired of driving
The day after arriving in San Luis Obispo, my son and I saw Jello Biafra and his new band, The Guantanamo Bay School of Medicine. I hadn't seen him live since a Dead Kennedys concert in 1982. He's still just as political as ever. I loved every minute of his show!
Sadly, my phone died after taking only this one grainy photo
While my son was in class, I went to Avila Beach and also took a side trip to Morro Bay and The Los Osos shoreline.
Avila Beach (Just to the left, out of the frame, is the Diablo Canyon nuke plant, 15 minutes upwind of my son's college. I sure hope he graduates and moves away before "the big one")
Morro Bay
CMR's Meltdown Dunny made the trip too, and enjoyed a spot of sunshine in a eucalyptus forest on the way to Los Osos
Los Osos shore at the Pacific Ocean (FYI, Los Osos is the home of Ryan & Diane of Suspected Shadiness fame, but aside from looking for them while I was in a grocery store, I didn't waste my time)
Los Osos shore
After San Luis Obispo, I headed to the San Francisco Peninsula to visit my mom and the rest of my family. Mom wanted to see the local rhododendron garden, so I tagged along. She's doing pretty good for 82. Apparently, 80 is the new 60
The next day, I helped my mom set-up for her bonsai club's annual show. She's very proud that a tree my dad tended for many years is the club's signature tree and is on permanent display at the Golden State Bonsai Club's public bonsai garden at Lake Merit in Oakland, California. Her club borrowed it for their show and displayed it prominently
At my sister's house, I saw some of the Santas that were carved and painted by my dad
On Saturday, I continued my northward journey and stopped in San Francisco. There, I met Cassie & Ernie (doubleparlour). We went to a Japanese restaurant for a delicious sushi lunch, then they gave me a tour of their studio/residence. I tremendously enjoyed meeting and getting to know them! I took dozens of photos of their space and their art, but unfortunately, I neglected to get a photo of them. Doh!
Before leaving the city, I walked around for a while, and stumbled onto the 420 celebration at Dolores Park. You can barely see the pyramid building in the background, past the wafting smoke (jk)
As Saturday evening approached, it was time to move on, but not before stopping at the Marin Headlands for some cliche Golden Gate Bridge photos, lol
On Sunday I visited the Stornetta Public lands just south of Point Arena. It includes 1200 acres and several miles of shoreline that were donated to the public in 2004. Quite spectacular
Stornetta's tidepools were amazing!
No trip to the Northern California Coast would be complete without stopping at Trees of Mystery, so I stopped there when I headed north on Sunday
I wore my Doktor A tee shirt
I was there to support Babe the Blue Ox
On Sunday night, stayed at the Requa Inn in Klamath, California.
The view from the Inn is serene and beautiful
The innkeeper told me about the hidden trail to the sandbar between the Klamath River and the Pacific Ocean. This is a view of it from the trail. It was incredible! No other people were there. It was just the surf, lots of seagulls and some very curious seals that kept a constant eye on me.
The mouth of the Klamath River
Pacific Ocean at the Klamath sandbar
I collected some cool stones and a piece of driftwood with it's own hand of support
The last stop before heading back inland for the drive up I-5 was The Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park to see the magnificent coastal redwood trees.
A living redwood burl
Another living burl. It might want a kiss.
The trilliums were in bloom too
Did you notice the minivan in this photo? Click this link to see a larger version of this photo and get a better idea of just how massive these trees are. http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8406/8681767854_de62bf57ef_k.jpg
If you got this far, thanks! I hope you enjoyed my photos. It was a great trip!!!
I left Portland, Oregon at 7:45a.m. on the 15th and arrived in San Luis Obispo, California about 13 hours and one speeding ticket later. I wanted to get half the driving out of the way on the first day, then work my way northward in small increments. It worked out quite well.
The drive south through Oregon was rainy
I was surprised to see the Siskiyou Pass was still snowy in mid-April
BP Dunny kept me company and enjoyed the sun as we passed Mt. Shasta and drove farther south into California
By sunset, I was getting pretty tired of driving
The day after arriving in San Luis Obispo, my son and I saw Jello Biafra and his new band, The Guantanamo Bay School of Medicine. I hadn't seen him live since a Dead Kennedys concert in 1982. He's still just as political as ever. I loved every minute of his show!
Sadly, my phone died after taking only this one grainy photo
While my son was in class, I went to Avila Beach and also took a side trip to Morro Bay and The Los Osos shoreline.
Avila Beach (Just to the left, out of the frame, is the Diablo Canyon nuke plant, 15 minutes upwind of my son's college. I sure hope he graduates and moves away before "the big one")
Morro Bay
CMR's Meltdown Dunny made the trip too, and enjoyed a spot of sunshine in a eucalyptus forest on the way to Los Osos
Los Osos shore at the Pacific Ocean (FYI, Los Osos is the home of Ryan & Diane of Suspected Shadiness fame, but aside from looking for them while I was in a grocery store, I didn't waste my time)
Los Osos shore
After San Luis Obispo, I headed to the San Francisco Peninsula to visit my mom and the rest of my family. Mom wanted to see the local rhododendron garden, so I tagged along. She's doing pretty good for 82. Apparently, 80 is the new 60
The next day, I helped my mom set-up for her bonsai club's annual show. She's very proud that a tree my dad tended for many years is the club's signature tree and is on permanent display at the Golden State Bonsai Club's public bonsai garden at Lake Merit in Oakland, California. Her club borrowed it for their show and displayed it prominently
At my sister's house, I saw some of the Santas that were carved and painted by my dad
On Saturday, I continued my northward journey and stopped in San Francisco. There, I met Cassie & Ernie (doubleparlour). We went to a Japanese restaurant for a delicious sushi lunch, then they gave me a tour of their studio/residence. I tremendously enjoyed meeting and getting to know them! I took dozens of photos of their space and their art, but unfortunately, I neglected to get a photo of them. Doh!
Before leaving the city, I walked around for a while, and stumbled onto the 420 celebration at Dolores Park. You can barely see the pyramid building in the background, past the wafting smoke (jk)
As Saturday evening approached, it was time to move on, but not before stopping at the Marin Headlands for some cliche Golden Gate Bridge photos, lol
On Sunday I visited the Stornetta Public lands just south of Point Arena. It includes 1200 acres and several miles of shoreline that were donated to the public in 2004. Quite spectacular
Stornetta's tidepools were amazing!
No trip to the Northern California Coast would be complete without stopping at Trees of Mystery, so I stopped there when I headed north on Sunday
I wore my Doktor A tee shirt
I was there to support Babe the Blue Ox
On Sunday night, stayed at the Requa Inn in Klamath, California.
The view from the Inn is serene and beautiful
The innkeeper told me about the hidden trail to the sandbar between the Klamath River and the Pacific Ocean. This is a view of it from the trail. It was incredible! No other people were there. It was just the surf, lots of seagulls and some very curious seals that kept a constant eye on me.
The mouth of the Klamath River
Pacific Ocean at the Klamath sandbar
I collected some cool stones and a piece of driftwood with it's own hand of support
The last stop before heading back inland for the drive up I-5 was The Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park to see the magnificent coastal redwood trees.
A living redwood burl
Another living burl. It might want a kiss.
The trilliums were in bloom too
Did you notice the minivan in this photo? Click this link to see a larger version of this photo and get a better idea of just how massive these trees are. http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8406/8681767854_de62bf57ef_k.jpg
If you got this far, thanks! I hope you enjoyed my photos. It was a great trip!!!
Thu Apr 25, 2013 3:55 pm Last edited by leroidecoeur on Thu Apr 25, 2013 10:32 pm, edited 2 times in total.
beautiful pictures, man! making me want to take a roadtrip up and down the coast
I love that drive. I've been considering doing it this fall when I'm in San Diego. I may take the train up the coast and back to Chicago.
Toy Collection and other crap on Flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/thotfulspot/
Great pics Rich,
looks like fun, all that driving just for the 420 celebration huh?
looks like fun, all that driving just for the 420 celebration huh?
Thanks for taking us on your trip, Rich. Man, you make me miss the ocean, so beautiful.
Fantastic pictures, looks like you had a great time!
Thanks for sharing your trip with us Rich. Looks like you had a great time and the pics are awesome too.
That's also cool that you got to meet the dynamic duo Doubleparlour on your trip and to see their studio too.
I remember going to Sequoia National Park a few years ago and those redwoods definitely are something to see in person.
That's also cool that you got to meet the dynamic duo Doubleparlour on your trip and to see their studio too.
I remember going to Sequoia National Park a few years ago and those redwoods definitely are something to see in person.
Awesome pics! Makes me wish I had a car that would make a drive like that without breaking down! Jealous!
Great photos! I saw some of them on Instagram 
Fun taking your Dunnys along travelling.
Those trees are massive! It would have been quite a sight in person looking up at them and standing beside them.
Fun taking your Dunnys along travelling.Those trees are massive! It would have been quite a sight in person looking up at them and standing beside them.
Doesn't everybody travel with toys?
Toy Collection and other crap on Flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/thotfulspot/
Thank you for all the nice comments!
That bonzai tree is amazing. Great photos, but terrible for me to view on a Friday. I may not get much work done this afternoon.
Dang, hope to one day go on a trip half as awesome as yours. Those redwoods are so beautiful.
The Sideshow
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