Lake Tahoe is an amazing place. The vistas are gorgeous in any direction one looks. Squaw Valley, and this view particularly, has always been one of my favorites. Sometimes, like I did today, I just drive down to see it, hop out, take a photo, wave, and then continue on to my destination. It just makes me happy. The snow here is making everyone in California hopeful for a drought-less summer this year. (We will need a whole lot more than this.) I hope the view brings you some joy as well.
Fall in Mendocino means mushrooms. Mendocino is surrounded by ocean, redwoods, and hills therefore the fall colors do not blaze as brightly here as they do on the drive through the wine country to get there from Sacramento.
Mushroom hunting
My husband and I dream of owning property here one day. But, in the meantime it really does not get any better than camping at MacKerricher State Park. It is $35 per night and one is surrounded by Redwoods, ocean, Cleone Lake, mushrooms, curious seals, deer, wine cork stealing bunnies, and even a Giant Whale Skeleton on display for kids.
She is smart enough to sniff and walk away!
Looking for seals or wayward sailors
After realizing she looks a lot like a seal with legs
MacKerricher is my favorite campsite in California located in one of the prettiest areas of California. MacKerricher sits just north of Fort Bragg. Fort Bragg is a tough old logging town which is finding its footing with breweries, shops, and tourism. Fort Bragg has newly renovated its famed Glass Beach formed from years of waves crashing against an old garbage site. My favorite place to visit in Fort Bragg is the Mendocino Botanical Gardens. It is and will remain my happy place.
Just a hop, skip, and a jump down the road is the village of Mendocino. This iconic village is where Eric and I got married five years ago! (Happy Anniversary to us!) We relived the big day by having dinner at our favorite restaurant 955 Ukiah Street Restaurant. The next day we picked up a baguette from Cafe Beaujolais and picnicked on the ocean.
Just north of MacKericher is a beach near Pacific Star Winery where the tide pooling is stellar. A nice little blue grab game out to assert his domain.
Mr. Blue Crab
Not that you can tell with the iPhone but those are seals out there lounging in the sunshine
Low tide allows for shenanigans like this
The amazing part about the Pacific Ocean is that we left weather in the 40’s and found clear weather in the 60’s on the ocean. The weather is typically the opposite of what is happening in the Sacramento Valley.
Happy Fall everyone. I am trying to hang on to the last bit of it before winter takes hold. Is it cold and wintery where you are already?
Remnants of an old dock at MacKerricher
For further Mendocino and Mushroom adventures click here.
Don’t look down!
My cousins and their Egyptian foreign exchange student came to visit San Francisco for business/pleasure from Phoenix. Deciding not to plan ahead my cousins and I , both San Francisco tourist veterans in our own right, set to decide what important sites their new “daughter” must see. The conversation went like this, “What do you think she should see?” “I don’t know, what do you think she should see? All I know is I am hungry.” “Anything you want to do that you have never done before?” “Ah, no. I feel like I have done everything.” Then my cousin asked me if I had ever walked over the iconic Golden Gate Bridge? Well, heck. I never had. I guess I just never wanted to deal with the wind and the crowds. So we set out…
The parking Gods were with us. Someone pulled out right in front of us. Parking was only $5! Parking is NEVER only $5 in San Francisco.
It turns out there is a lovely gift shop at the bridge. I don’t know why this comes as a surprise to me but it does. Near the gift shop there is a cool representation of what it takes to build this magnificent bridge. Did you know that those gigantic orange cables holding up that thing is made of thousands of of smaller cables? There are a few interactive toys/models to show folks the engineering behind the bridge too.
And then there is the bridge! Just walk on out there. Put earthquakes out of your mind. Put tsunamis from the Rock’s new movie out of your mind. Pay no attention to the police officer yelling at someone doing something they aren’t supposed to over the intercom. Take some fun little selfies. And then behold the beauty that is the Marin Headlands in one direction and the most beautiful city in the United States in the other. (Reference some of my favorite lesser known spots in SF: Botanical gardens, ChinaTown, Japanese Tea Garden, Coit Tower…) You have a birdseye view of Alcatraz and Angel islands. You can see the new span of the Bay Bridge and all its glory connected by Treasure island. You can see Berkeley and Oakland. You can see seals frolicking in the water below. Wait, don’t look down! You can see sailboats at 90 degree angles. You can feel the vibration of the bridge moving by both natural forces and the hundreds of cars zooming by. It is loud, very loud and the wind is whipping up in your ears making it seem even louder. You dodge runners and bicyclists as well as other tourists walking with their cameras up not paying attention to anyone or anything around them. We turn around 3/4 of the way over the bridge because it is a long darn bridge and the loudness and the wind is getting to us all.
It never fails to surprise me that every time I go to the City I have a good time and can experience something new. I know it will be this way for the rest of my life.
Photo doesn’t do this view justice
It’s hard not to stare at this view
Do you think there is anyone out there that doesn’t recognize this bridge?
Such a beautiful city and the Golden Gate only makes her that much prettier
Used to have toll takers now what do you do if you don’t have a fastpass?
Cousins everywhere! I never thought I would have an Egyptian cousin or a cousin from Pacific Grove and look at these two lovely ladies!
Try your hand at how much tension is required to raise a bridge
To read about my other San Francisco exploits click here!
Calistoga, in the beautiful Napa Valley, is a glorious place to visit any time of the year. But I cannot wipe the smile off of my face after travelling through the greater Napa valley again this fall. The grape leaves and tree leaves were vibrant and magnificent this year in their yellow, orange, and red hues. Even Amelia, who puts the Bulldog in Bulldogtravels, enjoyed her fall adventure this year.
I was fortunate enough to attend a Safari West Photography Expedition Workshop. I am pretty sure you could see the smile plastered on my face from space. I spent last weekend with full access to all of the glorious animals lovingly cared for at the 400 acre Safari West Zoo in Santa Rosa, California.
The program was an instructional workshop on wildlife photography. We were taken out all over the huge property for viewings of all of the animal specimens they have on site. We were provided up close and personal access to the smaller animals and birds even able to enter in to some enclosures.
I spent the night in an awesome tent cabin which enabled me to listen to all sorts of “whoop whoop,” growls, beeps, and bumps in the night. The cabins were incredibly comfortable and can be rented allowing visitors overnight access to the facility.
“Base Camp” provided a wonderful BBQ style dinner and lunch for overnight visitors. And believe it or not they have spectacular collections of wine and craft beers. (They even provide a beer tasting safari tour for groups! Sign up now!)
Visitors can walk amongst the animals while waiting for their scheduled three hour jeep tour. On the tour or on foot one can enjoy Flamingoes, Cheetah, Giraffe, Rhino, Zebra, Ostrich, Antelope, Crane, Guinea Fowl, Hornbill, Ibis, Malayan Great Argus Pheasant, Spoonbill, Tortoise, Hyenas, Blue Duiker, Bongo, Cape Buffalo, Gazelle, Kudu, Impala, Hogs, Watusi Cattle, Wildebeest, Macaw, Colobus Monkey, and Lemurs. (Say that three times fast!) And those are just some of the animals I saw!
I can only hope that you get a fraction of the enjoyment from these photos as I had in taking them. What a spectacular treat it was to be so close to these animals and to observe how magnificent they really are. Kudos to Safari West for taking such fantastic care of the animals and for sharing them with the rest of us in a top notch way.
I mean seriously? Look at this bird?
Is this not the prettiest little face?
Flamingo from a different angle
Giraffe are the sweetest most awkward creatures
The Rhino were running around like they were on a sugar high while I was there. What a treat it was to see them active.
This ostrich was trying to tell me something? What do you think she was trying to say?
Sweet little moment between mama and baby Zebra
Gloriously beautiful Cheetah
This guy just looks smart doesn’t he?
back side of a pheasant showing his colors.
Hyena but he wasn’t laughing
Look at the colors on this guy’s face!
The color on this Ibis is spectacular
Woah. Nice Bill.
This bird looks like the back of a bald old man.
For more information on Safari West please click here.
For more posts on other Zoos or animals I have visited or photographed I would be honored if you would click here…
The great blog Where’s My Backpack came up with a fun and unusual Travel Theme of Feet! One could go all over the place with this theme…my feet, animal feet, statute feet, furniture feet, feats of strength…this gives me an excuse to display some of the random photos I have taken while trekking around…
One thing is for sure. Apparently, I have nothing better to do than to take photos of my feet while wandering through the world! I suppose these photos tell a story of their own separate from those that were taken directly of the attraction I was visiting. 🙂
Relaxing in Mendocino
Spring Flower Hiking in the California Sierras
Resting at the top of one of the temples of Tikal
Cooling off in Phoenix
Boonie Crashing at the Arch of Labna in the Yucatan
Searching for Water in California
Hot Chili and Cool Cars in Rocklin, California
Mendocino Mushroom Festival
Hiking in El Dorado National Forest
Standard Beach apparel – Doran Beach
Giant’s Causeway, Northern Ireland
I rarely visit San Francisco without visiting Golden Gate Park. My favorite place to visit within the park is the Botanic Gardens. Now charging a small fee for entry I often think I don’t need to visit having been there multiple times before. However, every time I go I am left recharged and looking forward to my next visit back.
The park is broken down by continent and type of tree or bush or plant. One can even experience a garden for the blind which boasts hundreds of odorific plants.
The park is an oasis in the hustle and bustle that is the City by the Bay and is hands down my favorite location in the city.
I would be honored if you would view another of my fun posts on the Japanese Tea Garden in Golden Gate Park by clicking here!
Golden Gate Park, in my book should be every bit as popular and well known as Central Park and for some unknown reason it’s not. It is a virtual oasis in The City.
One of many reasons is the Japanese Tea Garden. For a few dollars you can be transported to another place in time. It is peaceful and joyous and well cared for. Because of the small entry fee it is busy but not overrun with crowds.
So take a picnic and enjoy a first rate garden in the middle of the City by the Bay.
Check out Annie Heart’s heartbreaking love story inspired by my post on the Tea Garden by clicking here!
I recently took my parents on a trip to Ireland. My Mom was concerned about such a long flight from California so we decided to take a layover on the way there and the way back. We were somewhat at the liberty of the airlines on where we could go but we settled on Chicago because my parents had never been there and I love that town!
Despite a few ridiculously strange taxi and Uber rides we had a wonderful time. We went downtown and walked along the riverfront. We ate dinner at Gino’s East and stopped by Wrigley Field for a peak at our beloved Cubs.
Have you ever taken a fun layover? Would you recommend going straight through and just getting there or enjoying yourself along the way like we did?
You’ll never guess where our layover on the way back was…stay tuned.
If any of you have been reading my blog for a while you will notice from time to time I post photos of old cars. My husband is a unapologetic car guy and takes me to auto shows all the time. I keep myself occupied by photographing the beauty that is easily found in these old vintage vehicles.
Hot August Nights has been a car lover’s institution in the Reno and Lake Tahoe area for some time now. We took the opportunity to check it out since the weather was cool for a change. The show lasts about a week and culminates in to the final car show, drag races, auctions, and parades last weekend.
We also took in the National Auto Museum founded with cars from Harrah’s private collection. It’s a great museum for anyone who enjoyed vintage cars and cars with history behind them or famous owners.
And lastly we enjoyed the Barrett Jackson Auto Auction. It was a ton of fun to see the cars ready for auction and even more fun to see what prices they sold for. (Some HIGH and some low.) See if you can spot me on TV!
Bulldog Travels / Photos By Jenny 
