Map California
California revisited. We travelled from north down the coast then made our way east from San Francisco.
This is where the ancient giant redwood trees grow up to dizzy heights in excess of 300 feet. The tallest trees in the world.
My 50 feet long truck & RV parked just behind this tree give an idea of their size.
Of course when you get tourists you also get vendors.
An interesting carving in front of the truck.
Chris and Lyn pose in front of this 346 ft high tree.
We took plenty of pics but nothing can capture the size of these trees as they disappear through the tree top canopy into the sky.
These monsters can grow up to 370 feet and live for 2000 years.
Eventually they die and fall over.
This tree named Dyerville Giant fell in a storm in 1991. We were told the crash was heard in a town 10 miles away. It measures 400 feet including the root cluster.
Lyn strolling next to Dyerville Giant.
A couple pose for a pic on a giant burl.
San Francisco
San Francisco Bay from the bridge overlook.
Golden Gate Bridge
Chris, Lyn & Ian.
The road The Embarcadero is where all the wharfs are located. This is the hub of the waterfront and has dozens of attractions.
Pier 39 attracts most of the tourists.
Giant copper crab guards the entrance to Pier 39.
Pier 39 boardwalk.
Lyn & Ian in the underwater tunnel.
The school of thousands of bait fish are mesmerizing to watch. They all turn in sequence like they are being directed.
Myself & Chris.
The jelly fish exhibits were beautiful.
A huge tropical fish tank.
I liked the sunlight hitting the fountain as these children played.
An Asian gentleman feeds the ducks.
Street scenes. These advertising posts are all around the city.
Clever use of a angular street intersection.
Chris dreaming.
A street rapper.
Retro streetcars are a part of San Francisco's ambiance.
We rode across the city on a crowded car and Chris & I stood on the running board all the way.
We had to breathe in when an oncoming truck or cable car approached.
One of the steep streets. The brakeman had white knuckles holding the car on the cable.
Note Alcatraz Island in the distance.
Ian & I fooling around.
End of the line and the car needs to be turned.
Lombard Street has earned the distinction of being the crookedest (most winding) street in the world.
Many will remember seeing the street in various films. Eg. the car chase scene in Magnum Force.
Photograph looking up Lombard Street.
Alcatraz Island
We were told the approach to
Alcatraz Island is often blanketed in a cold ocean fog.
This day was no exception.
The approach to the dock.
The welcome sign still bears the words painted by Indians during their occupation of the island.
Many will remember the guards towers filmed in some of the movies made on the island.
The Officers Club.
One of the rows of cells.
Photographs of some famous prisoners.
Alphonse "Scarface" Capone, George "Machine Gun" Kelly, Arthur "Doc" Barker, Alvin "Creepy Karpis" Karpavicz, Robert "The Birdman" Stroud, Ellsworth "Bumpy" Johnson, Meyer "Mickey" Cohen.
This is one of the cells where one of the only 3 prisoners successfully escaped.
The 3 prisoners create paper mache heads to fool the guards.
Wardens House.
The Main Cellhouse from the Recreation Yard.
Calico Ghost Town
Calico is an old West mining town that was established during the largest silver strike in California.
Circa 1881
One of the original mining trains now carries tourists.
Ian misbehaving as usual.
The diner is decorated with old memorabilia and has a great gift shop filled with interesting things.
Mojave Desert
Photograph from Google search.
So that's where they went.
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