Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest, California

If you appreciate truly ancient, bizarrely beautiful trees, make a point of visiting the Bristlecone Pine Forest in the White Mountain range of the Eastern Sierras. These dense, tough trees can live thousands of years. The oldest recorded tree nearby is over 5,000 years old. That's one tree; 5,000+ years old. Some are only 4,000+ years old and there's plenty of middle-aged centuries-old trees as well. Our trip covered more in full, here.

Devil's Postpile and Rainbow Falls - Mammoth Lakes, California

Be sure to visit these two natural wonders. Rainbow Falls contains an actual rainbow within its waters. Devil's Postpile National Monument is one of the largest columnar basalt formation in the world. More about this trip, including bristlecone pines—the oldest living organisms on the planet—on the blog, here. (Bristlecone pine post coming soon.)

Lassen Volcanic National Park - Lakes and Sky

A couple shots of some of the lakes you can drive and hike to in Lassen Park.

Shadow Lake (a couple hundred steps away from Terrace Lake)

Summit Lake in the rain - you can drive right up to it

The Cafe at Mineral Lodge in tiny Mineral, California

Nice people, good eats, vintage pinball

Mt. Diablo State Park - Summit Trail

poison oak and stones
never hindered us on our
accidental hike


Poem #14 - NaPoWriMo

Driving by Oregon's Tiny Towns

We drove by Merrill,
  missing the potato festival
not knowing it's the birthplace
  of Scrooge McDuck

We drove by Chiloquin
  home of the longest miniature
railway system in the world
  with trains to straddle and ride

We drove by Butteville
  now considered a ghost town
though it once had a ferry
  and nearly 300 people live there

We drove by Rivergrove
  which we didn't realize
was a town, with its subtle signage
  and unfinished subdivision


Poem #8 - NaPoWriMo

Multnomah Falls, Columbia River Gorge, Oregon

Falling water
hurtles down
like weighty wind
shooshing and
vooming
sending weather
all around
It is happening
always happening
It is happening
right now

Poem #6 - NaPoWriMo

Northwest for Spring Break

We're heading north to see some fabulous nature and visit cities and family as well. Tomorrow begins National Poetry Month for April, so I thought I'd try for a poem a day. There's a group called NaPoWriMo, based on the novel-writer's group (write a novel in 30 days, in November), that encourages the practice of daily poetry. I think NaPoWriMo is perhaps the least poetic name ever created, but the idea behind it is not bad. What if we all wrote a poem a day? Yes, there would be some very bad poems, but also some surprisingly good ones. And writing every day is not a bad plan overall.

Here we are heading toward Mt. Shasta. Mt. Lassen was visible on this drive as well, but it is off the beaten path and tends to be the forgotten mountain of the Cascade Range. Maybe a poem would help.

I'm on a different computer without Photoshop, so bear with me as I attempt to manage some photography on the road. Craggy peaks. Keith knows the name of this formation (update: it's Castle Crags, everyone). I'll check in with him on that and get back to you.

Mt. Shasta barely visible in this image in the bright north sky. The white sports car is a Tesla—my first sighting of a solar-powered car. A young, breezy guy was driving. A young, breezy guy with decent cash-flow. Oh, that's not very poetic. Tomorrow for poetry...

Berkeley Marina provides natural air conditioning

I've been very housebound with a bad flu that is finally on the wane. Yesterday we escaped the 90-degree heat by visiting the Berkeley Marina, where it is often windy and cool by the open San Francisco Bay. As you walk along the cove where UC Berkeley has its kayak/boat house, it's so sheltered that the temperature is noticeably higher and the wind nonexistent. The inner meteorologist in me enjoys this phenomenon very much.

This is how you know you've entered Berkeley.

Tahoe

Truckee River-walk, Reno, Mt. Rose Highway, Lake Tahoe, Donner Lake for Thanksgiving.










Donner Lake is a lonesome place in the late afternoon in November, but beautiful.

Japanese Tea Garden, San Francisco

The Japanese Tea Garden in Golden Gate Park is a little hilly space nestled beside the hulking new de Young Museum building. It's been there for seemingly ever and used to be 50 cents to get in. Now it's seven dollars (unless you're a resident--$5, or you visit between 9 and 10 a.m.--those are retro-priced free hours).

This day was clear and sunny so I thought I'd revisit this small artificially created world. Looks good! Not as expansive and meditative as the Portland Japanese Garden, but still quite nice to stroll through, weaving around tourists with baby strollers. You can purchase relatively inexpensive tea service too. I got a mochi cake for $2.50. That's crazy high-priced, but I had to have that green mochi cake. Most places I visit don't carry it.

My favorite tree there. Artfully pruned and shaped over the decades.

I always thought the tall red pagoda was over-done. You're not really in Japan, Golden Gate Park! Kind of Disneylandish to my eye, so I obscured it with shrubbery.
This giant Buddha has always impressed me. Unfortunately, I didn't hold up a pencil or pose someone in front of it to give it scale. So just enjoy the lovely bamboo growing alongside.