Last Updated: 24-AUG-2018
All photos were taken with a Cannon PowerShot S90 10MP camera. Any Video was shot with a Cannon PowerShot S90 camera and converted to AVI with AWS Video Converter 6
Point Reyes National Seashore
Point Reyes is the windiest place on the Pacific Coast and the second foggiest place on the North American continent. Weeks of fog, especially during the summer months, frequently reduce visibility to hundreds of feet. The Point Reyes Headlands, which jut 10 miles out to sea, pose a threat to each ship entering or leaving San Francisco Bay. The historic Point Reyes Lighthouse warned mariners of danger for more than a hundred years.
The San Andreas Fault Zone is present at Point Reyes National Seashore and separates the Pacific plate from the slowing moving North American plate. The Pacific plate is estimated to creep northwestward about two inches a year but the most dramatic displacement of this fault occurred in 1906 when the Point Reyes Peninsula leapt 20 feet northwestward. The most accessible location within Point Reyes National Seashore to view the San Andreas Fault Zone is from the Earthquake Trail.
This fence was continuous in 1906 before the earthquake. The blue post marks the San Andreas Fault Zone.
Bay Model at Sausalito. This is where we had our class--a pretty location right on the bay
Four Points Sheraton at San Rafael is my hotel. Not bad, nice breakfast and quiet...
In 1849, the Boudin family struck culinary gold. Wild yeasts in the San Francisco air had imparted a unique tang to their traditional French bread, giving rise to "San Francisco sourdough French bread."
Coit Tower, also known as the Lillian Coit Memorial Tower, is a 210-foot (64 m) tower in the Telegraph Hill neighborhood of San Francisco, California. The tower, in the city's Pioneer Park, was built in 1933 using Lillie Hitchcock Coit's bequest to beautify the city of San Francisco; at her death in 1929 Coit left one-third of her estate to the city for civic beautification. The tower was proposed in 1931 as an appropriate use of Coit's gift. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on January 29, 2008.
Lombard Street is best known for the one-way section on Russian Hill between Hyde and Leavenworth Streets, in which the roadway has eight sharp turns that have earned the street the distinction of being the crookedest street in the world. The switchback's design was born out of necessity in order to reduce the hill's natural 27 degree (51%) grade, which was too steep for most vehicles.
Muir Woods
When John Muir learned that William and Elizabeth Kent were naming a redwood forest near San Francisco in his honor, he declared, "This is the best tree-lovers monument that could possibly be found in all the forests of the world."
Bay Model at Sausalito
Golden Gate Park
Japanese Tea Garden at Golden Gate Park
We were disappointed in this attraction because it was $7 per person admission and we were out of there in less than an hour.
Pacific Ocean from Golden Gate Park
Overlook north of Golden Gate Bridge
The Golden Gate Strait is the entrance to the San Francisco Bay from the Pacific Ocean. The strait is approximately three-miles long by one-mile wide with currents ranging from 4.5 to 7.5 knots. It is generally accepted that the strait was named "Chrysopylae", or Golden Gate, by John C. Fremont, Captain, topographical Engineers of the U.S. Army circa 1846. It reminded him of a harbor in stanbul named Chrysoceras or Golden Horn.
Viansa Winery
I decided to head to Sonoma and Napa Valleys on my last morning before heading to the airport. Amazed at how beautiful it is. Viansa sits majestically upon a hilltop, providing breathtaking views of Sonoma Valley, vineyards, olive groves and wetlands.
Roses are more susceptible to the same type of fungal disease (e.g., powdery mildew, downy mildew) as the grapevine. The roses in the vineyard serve as an early warning sign to the vineyard manager that action needs to be taken soon, or the grapevines will be infected next. Roses also welcome desirable insects that prey upon insects that are harmful to the vineyard.
Etude Winery
Nearly twenty Pinot Noir clones, including 10 preciously low yielding heirloom varieties, have been planted in Etude's Estate Vineyard. As the grapes approach harvest, they are protected from hungry starlings by a falconer and a team of trained falcons. This novel, low impact method of crop protection is yet another example of Etude's commitment to natural and sustainable winegrowing methods.
A quick drive through Napa. The combination of Mediterranean climate, geography and geology of the region are conducive to growing quality wine grapes. Several mesoclimates exist within the area due to various weather and geographical influences. The open southern end of the valley floor is cooler during the growing season due to the proximity of San Pablo Bay while the sheltered, closed northern end is often much warmer. The eastern side of the valley tends to be more arid because winter storms tend to drop much more precipitation on the western mountains and hills.
Buena Vista Winery
Before there were vineyards in every valley north of San Francisco, before Napa and Sonoma were household names, before there was a California wine world at all, there was Buena Vista. Founded in 1857, Buena Vista is California's first premium winery, and its history is as colorful as it is proud. In 1849, the Boudin family struck culinary gold. Wild yeasts in the San Francisco air had imparted a unique tang to their traditional French bread, giving rise to "San Francisco sourdough French bread."
Nestled on a historic, organically-farmed estate just a few blocks east of Sonoma's plaza is Bartholomew Park Winery. It is adjacent to Buena Vista winery.
