ramblings of a Seattle travel, food and photography hound
Often described as one of the most beautiful falls in the world, 129-foot Burney Falls is accessible in a state park far removed from a major thoroughfare. Continuing northward along Highway 89 in California, we wanted to make the falls a stopping point. Meltwater from Burney Mountain makes its way down through the porous volcanic... Continue Reading →
Not far from the junction of Highways 44 and 89 above Old Station is an interesting volcanic attraction that you can walk through. It is a lava tube about 1,300 feet long that was created less than 20,000 years ago when lava flowed over this area. Tubes are formed when the top part of the... Continue Reading →
If it hadn't been for a comment made by my son-in-law, I might never have considered going to this national park in Northern California. He said that it was underrated and that it deserved to be visited by more people. I can understand his opinion because as a geologist, the park is a showcase for... Continue Reading →
A giant replica of a martini olive sits on the corner of South Avenue and Hall Road in Corning, California. It isn't someone's idea of a practical joke but a symbol of the fruit's importance to this part of the Sacramento Valley in California that produces olives and olive oil. A visit to Lucero Olive... Continue Reading →
The small town of Elk, CA, population of just over 200, can boast that it has one of the most spectacular collection of sea stacks offshore. To the north on California Highway 1, there is a turnout high above the ocean that offers as dramatic a coastal view as you'll ever see anywhere. Some of the... Continue Reading →
In the middle of the vast redwood empire where the tallest living things on Earth live, a small section of Van Damme State Park just south of Mendocino features a pygmy forest. The trees are so small that their trunks can be only 1/4" in diameter yet be almost a hundred years old. The forest... Continue Reading →
We had hoped to time our arrival to Brookings when the Easter lily fields would be in bloom. At least, that was what we were expecting after reading about the farms. Left to their own devices, they would naturally bloom in July. You're probably wondering like I did, isn't Easter-time their time to flower? It... Continue Reading →
One of the most thrilling shows along the Oregon coast is the Devil's Churn, part of the Cape Perpetua Scenic Area. At high tide, or better yet when there is a windstorm, waves of water come crashing through a narrow chasm fractured out of the basalt. As you can imagine, under "ideal" conditions, great plumes... Continue Reading →
The morning was foggy when we drove past Yachats, not unusual for the coastlines of Oregon and northern California. We stopped at Heceta Head Lighthouse State Scenic Viewpoint to admire the lighthouse, one of nine along the Oregon coast. From the parking area, we could see it perched on Heceta Head, shrouded in fog. Despite... Continue Reading →
Back in 2009, Newport appeared on our culinary radar when we ate a remarkable cioppino at Sharks Seafood Bar. It would be enough of a reason to come back again (and again). Aside from its many seafood restaurants, this town of 10,000 residents has several other attractions. The most obvious physical presence in the city... Continue Reading →
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