Point Reyes National Seashore

Before I jump into things, I want to apologize about the lack of entries recently.  I mostly credit my laziness, but I wouldn't want you to think that Amanda and I lead boring lives.  We don't, I promise!  So here's a little something I found to be blog-worthy: Point Reyes National Seashore.

This massive national park preserve is located about an hour north of San Francisco, just off of the beautiful Highway 1.  The park is packed with hiking trails, campgrounds, rocky bluffs overlooking the Pacific, whale-watching, and beaches galore!  The hike that Edel and I trekked was about 8 miles altogether with a peaceful lake at the halfway mark that we used for a nice swimming break.

We started our hike by walking through a grove of towering eucalyptus trees.  I, for one, think that these trees are just awesome, so I had to snap a quick pic.

 The trail was occasionally dotted with picturesque seasonal ponds in between the mountainside trails, the coastal views, and the woodsy areas.  This place had EVERYTHING.

Halfway to the waterfall, we took a picnic break at Bass Lake, a nice little fresh water lake along the way.  There was a nice small crowd of twenty-somethings, drinking beer and floating on rafts enjoying the summer sun.  We are already planning a return trip to copy their brilliant idea.

After the lake, we hiked a couple more miles to Alamere Falls, a rather breathtaking waterfall that drops 150 feet off a cliff almost directly into the ocean.  The views were pretty decent, if I do say so myself.

Obligatory "couple" photo.  He is absolutely wonderful.

 We attempted to climb down the cliffs to get a picture of the waterfall from the base, but eventually the descent got too steep (and crumbly) for comfort, so we settled for some pictures of the cascades near the top.

These falls were small compared to Alamere Falls, but they sure make Edel look rather minuscule.

This picture was the result of Edel leaning over the cliff on his belly and randomly aiming the camera at the huge fall from the top.  It made me a little nervous, so I made myself busy exploring the surrounding area while he played photographer.

Me having conquered the baby waterfall!  It really was an excellent day, and well worth the two hour drive.  We will definitely be back!

Punkport in Cali (Pt. 3)

Alright, this is the last one, I promise (or at least until Kendall visits again)!  Kendall generously contributed some of these pictures, seeing as I had a bad habit of forgetting my camera on more than one occasion.  I'll keep it brief and let the pictures do most of the talking.

  

First up: Uvas Canyon.  I've visited this park before in a previous entry, but I felt that the waterfalls were pretty enough for an encore.  To the left, I'm attempting to showcase one of the stranger trees we stumbled upon on our trek.  Below, Kendall enjoys the canyon vista.

The was a plethora of waterfalls to document, and Kendall's camera didn't disappoint.  Can you make her out at the top of this one on the right?  She's wearing blue.  Below, I'm enjoying a cute little cascade. 

       

 

On the day of her departure, Kendall and I spent the afternoon exploring Haight-Ashbury and Golden Gate Park.  It was rainy to the point of being impressive, so we passed the time perusing the many unique boutiques in the colorful neighborhood.

 

We were pretty soaked by the time we returned to the car to take her to the airport, but she was a good sport about it overall.  Above, she is posing with the famous "Painted Ladies" with the cityscape in the  background.  Thanks for visiting Kendall!  Amanda and I had an awesome time, and we hope you come back soon!!

Punkport in Cali (Pt. 2)

Kendall has come and gone, but her visit remains fresh in my mind, if only for the fact that my computer yells at me to upload pictures every time I open it.  Thus, I give you part two of what will most likely end up being a blogging trilogy.  One of my favorite things to do here in California (if you hadn't already picked up on it) is hiking.  I mean, how can one be surrounded by mountains and nature and beauty and not take full advantage of it every free chance they get?  So, Kendall and I picked one of the nicer days while she was here (there weren't that many of them, unfortunately) and explored the neighboring Santa Cruz Mountains.

 First up, my favorite hiking spot: Castle Rock State Park.  Sadly, this park is set to be shut down due to state budget cuts, but its popularity with rock climbers and hikers alike will hopefully help to maintain the trails after the park rangers leave.  Anyways, my favorite trail walks along a summit, offering fantastic views, like this one, from our lunch spot.  

 We had a little bit too much fun playing on this mossy tree.  But really, you can't walk past something like this and NOT climb it, am I right? Below is just a sample of the views we had while hiking.  If you look closely, there is a bay in the distance...possibly Half Moon Bay, but I'm not really sure on that one. (*edit: I have since been told that it is Monterey Bay!)

   Our next stop was Big Basin Redwoods State Park, which is conveniently right next door to Castle Rock.  Basically, this park is exactly what it sounds like: Redwoods, redwoods, and then some more redwoods for good measure.  Pictures can't really do the sheer magnitude of these trees justice, even when I throw Kendall in there for a scale reference.  Fun facts time: redwoods are actually taller than sequoias.  The first, second, third, and sixth tallest known trees are all redwoods that live within a mile of each other on this stretch of the California coastline.  Oh the things you learn!  Since we went on a weekday, the park was virtually deserted, making for a rather pleasant stroll through the forest.


 

Tiny Kendall, big tree.

And last but not least, a great little pull off from the winding mountain road (and a break for the exhausted driver, yours truly) with a fantastic view. 

Uvas Canyon

Another day off, another hike down.  This time, I decided that I wanted to see waterfalls.  After a little bit of research, I found a nice secluded county park about 30 miles from our apartment.  Even though our rainy season has been anything but rainy, there was still a plethora of picturesque falls and cascades to admire.  Along with moss. Lots of moss. 

These were the only people I saw all day.

Moss and ferns galore.

The trail followed this little creek/constant cascade up the canyon walls.

I'd really like to come back when the waterfalls are bigger.

There's a creek in those rocks somewhere.

The trail also had some nice peekaboo views of the surrounding canyon walls

Bendy trees.

Spectacular lunch spot.

I huffed and puffed my way up a rather large hill to get to this "waterfall." Disappointed? Slightly. Regretful? Absolutely not.