The summer is HOT and my hibiscus is blooming. It’s a treat every morning to look out and see how many new blooms I have. If we close our eyes for just a moment we can pretend we are somewhere more tropical with a Mai Tai in hand! Cheers.
Its been hot in the Valley so a visit to the lovely rose garden at McKinley Park in Sacramento was in order early in the morning. It was also best considering social distancing guidelines and not particularly wanting to be close to people at this time. Well, the kiddo and I enjoyed our visit. He smelled every rose declaring which ones smelled good and which ones were inferior. He also spent the better part of two hours picking up wayward petals throwing them in the garbage can which is his favorite pastime. We have a budding Gardener on our hands friends. Stay cool and Stop and Smell those roses.
This lovely and large flower farm is nestled in the Plymouth Gold Country area and is the perfect place to either shop for plants or have a family friendly picnic surrounded by a botanical garden. It is also a great break for those who grow weary of too much wine tasting in one day.
May my flower photos bring you a tiny respite from the strange world we are in these days.
Cheers.
The Plymouth area, in Amador County, is another Gold Country gem located in the Northern California Gold Country area. Albeit this particular area has changed a lot over the years. This once cattle and agriculture area is now primarily vineyards and businesses which support the those vineyards. It is a much shorter drive from the Sacramento area than to our precious Napa and is less frequented which = less traffic!
Stay tuned for an accidental visit to the Amador Flower Farm which is like Christmas Day for these two day tripping photographers.
Cheers!
Enjoy friends. More flowers and wineries to follow from this day of fresh air and space. Happy Thursday Doors.
Be well everyone.
With quarantine and social distancing still in full affect here in Northern California it was high time for a drive. Rest assured I stayed in my car and didn’t come within miles of other people.
Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park in Coloma, California is a family tradition. Gold was discovered at this site which ultimatly launched the California Gold Rush. I panned for gold here dozens of times as a kid. My mother and Aunts took all of us kids here a lot as children as it isn’t far from where they all grew up in Gold Country. The site is a lovely place for a picnic on the river.
The historic park is typically full of cars, field trippers, hikers, picnickers, etc. It was pretty sad to see it totally quiet and absent of people with doors shuttered. As a travelor I always lament scores of people and hate crowds. But, I wish they were back as it would be a sign of everyone’s health, the economy, normalcy, and everyone’s general mental well being.
Where is the first place you are going to travel when we can safely do so? What have you learned while isolating? What have you come to appreciate that perhaps you once took for granted? I hope all of you are well and I can’t wait to read about your travels as soon as it is safe to do so again.
I am healthy and so far my family is healthy. I am lucky enough to have a job. I am lucky enough to be working from home. For these things I am grateful. Having said that I am restless as are many of you. After not having left the house for a month except for grocery runs and trips to work it was time to take a drive. Along the way to my destination I saw a few parked cars at the side of the road and a well travelled equestrian path I had never noticed before in the Auburn State Recreational Area. Equipped with my mask and miles of social distancing space I took a short morning walk which refreshed me completely.
I share this wondering how all of you traveler’s are holding up? How are you recharging while safely quarantining? I hope all of you are well and your families are well and you are travelling in your minds. I appreciate the freedoms we had up until just recently and I look forward to being able to plan safe travels soon. I also look forward more than ever to hear all about your upcoming safe travels. Until then stay well and travel in your dreams.
Welcome to my favorite California State Park, MacKerricher State Park , located north of Mendocino, California. I can’t say enough about this gorgeous beachside park. Seals, tide pools, rock arches, beaches, whales if you are lucky, seasonal mushrooms, trails, fresh water lake, camping, what more can one ask for?
Do you have a park or location you just keep coming back to? This is one for us. Something about this place draws us in and I never tire of visiting.
***On another note: I hope everyone is hanging in there during this time of isolation and uncertainty. These photos were taken from a recent trip prior to the California-wide shelter-in-place restrictions. I hope in sharing them I can help make you smile for even a moment. Take good care everyone.
I’ve driven by this bridge what feels like hundreds of times and always wanted to stop. This time we had the time and thought it looked like a fun place for our son to play in the sand. Homeless people aside it is a gorgeous spot with the river spilling into the ocean and walkers crossing the high bridge. I definitely plan on coming back and spending more time in this great spot. I’ll just try and ignore the tsunami zone signs around and keep my fingers crossed the big one won’t hit!
***On another note: I hope everyone is hanging in there during this time of isolation and uncertainty. These photos were taken from a recent trip prior to the California-wide shelter-in-place restrictions. I hope in sharing them I can help make you smile for even a moment. Take good care everyone.
Located in downtown Fort Bragg, this beach used to be the historic garbage dump. Years of crashing waves has taken away the trash and left behind tiny soft round glass pieces colorfully glistening on the beach.
I’m conflicted about Glass Beach. It’s a cool place to visit but now officials have understandably cordoned off the beach and no longer allow people to take any glass so it’s really no fun any more.
It’s a great irony. Trash turned to treasure. So as cool and interesting a spot as it is one can no longer experience it in a meaningful way so I would recommend just passing on it when in town. Instead take a walk on the wonderful trail which goes for miles and miles paralleling the ocean and just enjoy the view!
***On another note: I hope everyone is hanging in there during this time of isolation and uncertainty. These photos were taken from a recent trip prior to the California-wide shelter-in-place restrictions. I hope in sharing them I can help make you smile for even a moment. Take good care everyone.
Bulldog Travels / Photos By Jenny 