Lucia Falls, Lewis River - Washington State

Columbia River Gorge - Horsetail Falls

One more.

Columbia River Gorge - Multnomah Falls

The Disneyland of Columbia River Gorge falls!

Columbia River Gorge - Wahkeena Falls

Springtime brings the raging waters to the Columbia River Gorge.

Purple Sky

Columbia River Gorge - Women's Forum Scenic Viewpoint

The weather's been PERFECT and beautiful. So everyone in SW Washington and Northern Oregon is heading outside. Kudos.

Horsetail Falls, Columbia River Gorge, OR

Blossoms

It's Spring

I just love this photo. Source: Getty.

Last Golden Gate Park post for a while

The M.H. de Young Museum with those trees that always get hacked back every year, then grow thousands of sucker branches that have to be hacked again. San Francisco's City Hall is rife with them as well. What are these trees? Someone help me out here. Oh, and a palm tree.

Tree Ferns - Golden Gate Park, San Francisco

These tree ferns always look like dinosaur-age fauna to me. They thrive on a short walk through Golden Gate Park, across from the distinct Conservatory of Flowers building. The newly rebuilt de Young Museum has incorporated some in the building's design. The tree ferns are growing in a sort of "cracked fissure" between building structures and you can see them inside the museum through wall-sized windows. Kind of a giant, expensive terrarium. In a controversial building design (most of my friends hate it and call it the Death Star), the tree ferns are my favorite part of the museum.

St. Vincent de Paul Memorial Grotto - Marin County, CA

The McElroy memorial grotto at St. Vincent de Paul's, north of San Rafael, California. Always weird to see my name in print, even if it's not a relation to me (that I know of).

Obama signs public lands bill - Oregon appreciates it

Last week President Obama signed off on a bill that will protect thousands of acres of wilderness across the nation, including 200,000 acres in Oregon. That means no more logging or mechanized recreational vehicles in these areas, people. Just sky, earth, plants, animals and water.

Roaring River Wilderness

Source: OregonLive
Video by Matthew Preusch

Marin County, California

A street lined with Eucalyptus trees; a green field dottted with California Oaks; wild flowers; a perfect Spring day in an undisclosed location in Marin County.

Tarzan's Treehouse - Disneyland

Formerly known as The Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse. Whither Swiss Family Robinson? This has something like 90 stairs to climb so I've never been in it and probably never will. I don't see the payoff in the end. But it's nice to see a treehouse in the middle of Disneyland and I'm glad they've kept it going all these years.