April and May are wildflower time in the Monterey area. One of the things I like best about the central coast is that calla lilies grow wild, and it is possible to have these exotic flowers growing in your front yard or growing wild in empty lots. Memorial Day weekend this year is forecast toContinue reading “Wildflower Time”
Category Archives: California
Tourists in San Francisco
We decided to be tourists for a few days and went up to San Francisco. We stayed at the Argonaut Hotel, across from Fisherman’s Wharf and next to Fort Mason, a large park. Visiting San Francisco confirms that I want to wait on European travel until next year. Our hotel is right by the cableContinue reading “Tourists in San Francisco”
We could live in Pacifica
We decided to go to San Francisco as tourists for a few days. Neither of us has been there on vacation, though we both visited more than once to attend professional meetings. We took most of the day to drive north along Route 1 along the sea side of the peninsula that is home toContinue reading “We could live in Pacifica”
Unassuming places for excellent walks
We have been in the Monterey area just over six months, longer than we’ve lived anywhere since 2014. As the months go by, we look for new places to explore, new parks to visit, new neighborhoods to walk around. The results are always intriguing. Hatton Canyon is a broad trail through a forested area, yetContinue reading “Unassuming places for excellent walks”
2021 Post-Covid Travel Begins
For more than a year, we’ve been wondering when we could start traveling again. You may already have raised eyebrows if you follow LlywindaTravels, and have roved around the US with us month after month. During the height of the pandemic we moved from Chicago to Ohio, then across the country to Oregon and downContinue reading “2021 Post-Covid Travel Begins”
Big Sur 2021
It’s been a tough year for Big Sur. The Dolan Fire burned almost 125,000 acres of the region between August and December 2020. After that it rained, and the rainfall on fresh fire scars was feared to cause mudslides, and it did. On Thurs. Jan. 28, 2020, a debris flow crossed Highway 1 and collapsedContinue reading “Big Sur 2021”
Meanwhile, Back in Sand City
I poked a lot of limp sea creatures this week. It turns out that pieces of jellyfish that wash up on the shore look a lot like beach glass. Some bits of jellyfish are perfectly transparent and shimmer like crystal under the sun, while others are cloudy and frosted-looking, like nicely rounded beach glass. MyContinue reading “Meanwhile, Back in Sand City”
Keys to Exploring California
If you’re going to explore, you need maps. The map on your phone is indispensable, but it’s not enough. There are places both inland and along the coast of California where cell phone signals disappear, but there’s a solution for that: Paper resources. Two in particular have helped us out, the DeLorme Atlas and GazetteerContinue reading “Keys to Exploring California”
If you’re gonna make a mistake…
Go Big or Go Home! That’s one way to look at it. In our case, the error wasn’t intentional, just a momentary lack of judgement that turned out really, really badly. It rained for two solid days this past week, and when the sun came out on Friday, we wanted to go somewhere interesting. WeContinue reading “If you’re gonna make a mistake…”
Ode to Birdwatching
It’s been a long year, and bird watching has helps us get through the months of isolation. On January 13, 2021, we went to Jacks Peak county park to look around. Walking through the woodland of pine and oak reminded me of birding in Brunswick Heads, NSW, Australia. We found the group through our delightfulContinue reading “Ode to Birdwatching”
