My last blog entry was posted from Arizona. I may have mentioned we were California bound. I had fully intended to stay on top of our daily events...like our drive through the desert at 32 degrees C.
The landscape changed so quickly from mountains and desert like landscape with large saguaro cacti to very sandy areas with sparse vegetation, to desert...just sand, sand, and more sand.
Just as quickly as the desert appeared, it changed to huge piles of rock; boulders really. Mountainous piles of boulder...so amazing!
It seemed that before we finished marvelling over the "rocky mountains" we were headed into the lush San Diego vegetation.
We did a city tour which was very enjoyable...we hit many of the city hi-lights and even though we only touched the tip of the ice berg, we did get a real feel for the city. Definitely a place to return too.
Orchid garden at Balboa Park.
First time seeing dates while they were still growing...not quite what I expected.
Sea lions on the beach at La Jolla (pronounced la Hoya) .
Standing just off the greens of the famous Torrey Pines golf course on extremely high cliffs over looking the beautiful beach below. ( to give you an idea of just how high up we are, if you enlarge this pic, the little specks along the beach below are people)
Onward to San Francisco. So, so much to see. Miles of beautiful beach, spectacular coastline, splendid vegetation, the Golden Gate bridge, Alcatraz Island(prison), the Victorian Painted Ladies (7 Sisters), the famous San Francisco cable cars; all of it entertaining, fun and special, but nothing compared to the Giants I walked among today. Picture Jurassic Park, minus the dinosaurs...thats what it felt like. The giant California Redwoods...pictures just don't do them justice(not mine anyways!)
Imagine(if you can) a tree you can't see the top of, and that 10 people joining hands can't circle...trees you can drive your car through. A forest so huge, and the undergrowth covered in a thick, lush, emerald green moss...ferns as tall as you are!
Trees over 2000 years old...it is a humbling, almost spiritual experience that my description or photos just cannot capture. The only way I can describe it, is to say...Today I walked among giants.
“The redwoods, once seen, leave a mark or create a vision that stays with you always. No one has ever successfully painted or photographed a redwood tree. The feeling they produce is not transferable. From them comes silence and awe. It's not only their unbelievable stature, nor the color which seems to shift and vary under your eyes, no, they are not like any trees we know, they are ambassadors from another time.”
― John Steinbeck, Travels with Charley: In Search of America
Wow, such trees! And I love the beach scene with the purple flowers at the top. Quite amazing to be passing all those different landscapes!
ReplyDeleteWe drove up the Pacific Coast Highway when we moved to Alaska. It was an incredible drive! I have to say that the Redwoods were probably the most spectacular nature experience that I have ever had. When you stand among them, they are so huge and old that they really have a "presence" if you know what I mean.
ReplyDeleteAs usual Mom, great photos and I'll say it again, your writing makes me actually feel like I'm there too.
ReplyDeleteI know exactly what you mean about being amongst the Giants. I felt the same when I first approached the Rockies from the east. It's an amazing feeling & puts things into perspective. Enjoying the journey with you....any new "quilty" stuff to show?
ReplyDeleteSue
Wow, amazing! The trees, the cliffs, all of it. Thank you for sharing and adding to the travel to one day list.
ReplyDelete