Happy Isles in Yosemite was the site of a massive rock slide in 1996. Today you can see the remains of the rockfall in boulders, broken trees, and disrupted landscape. One trunk, still standing but broken and hollowed, reminded me of “Spire”, Andy Goldsworthy’s artwork in San Francisco’s Presidio. Spire is a carefully constructed tapered...Read More
In 1769 Spanish explorers mapped a small island at the entrance to San Francisco Bay, and called it Alcatraces after the abundant seabirds sighted there. By 1850, the island sported a defensive fortress, and the Bay’s first lighthouse. As the US military arrived and settled, the birds left, sensing they were no longer welcome. It...Read More
Last month I signed up for the 103rd Bay to Breakers, and yesterday I walked it. It was my first time entering this historic San Francisco event, and it didn’t disappoint. The “Bay to Breakers” is a 7.46 mile (12K) course from the Embarcadero (the Bay) to the Great Highway (the Breakers) and is known...Read More
San Francisco Airport sits on the western shore of the south bay, south of San Francisco, and east of the Coastal Mountains From the airport, a traveler can just make out the shape of a solid structure on the crest of the mountains, part of a Nike Missile site erected during the cold war. That...Read More
Last month I visited Yosemite again. Spring is a wonderful time of year …early for tourists but not for wildflowers, blooming dogwood, or cascading waterfalls. This time I visited the Yosemite Indian Museum and walked through the replica village located behind the museum. The displays and interpretive boards tell of various native customs and...Read More
I was driving on Stevens Canyon Road in Cupertino last week when an unusual sight caught my eye. I was already past the white bicycle when I decided to turn around and take a closer look. What I found surprised me and offered me a glimpse at a new kind of monument. The item...Read More
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