Friday, February 8, 2013

CALIFORNIA, part one

This is a big state; third largest after Alaska and Texas.  Both the highest and lowest points in the lower forty eight are located in this state.  A text book I had in high school said that California was the only place in the world where you could melt, freeze and drown in the same spot on the same day!

Over a two day period we’ll start at the southern end of the state and work our way north.


San Diego Bay is a natural harbor and deepwater port located in San Diego County, near the 
US-Mexico border. It is 12 miles long and 1 to 3 miles wide.  It is considered to be one of 
the best natural harbors on the west coast of North America.




Malibu is an affluent beachfront city in northwestern Los Angeles County. The community is 
famous for its warm, sandy beaches, and for being the home of many Hollywood movie stars 
and others associated with the entertainment industry.




Antelope Valley is located in northern Los Angeles County, California.  The valley gets its 
name from its history of pronghorn grazing in large numbers.




Springtime in the desert!  The City of Palm Desert, California is centered in the heart of the Coachella Valley.  It is ringed by three magnificent mountain ranges, and so Palm Desert is sheltered from coastal air pollution and inclement weather. With 350 days of sunshine a year, there is seldom reason to postpone outdoor fun. 




Mojave National Preserve is located in the Mojave Desert of San Bernardino County, California. 
The preserve was established October 31, 1994 with the passage of the California Desert Protection 
Act by the US Congress.  Impressive Joshua Tree forests cover parts of the preserve.  
Summer temperatures average 90 °F with highs exceeding 105 °F.




Sailing stones, sliding rocks, and moving rocks all refer to a geological phenomenon where rocks 
move along a smooth valley floor without human or animal intervention.  The force behind their 
movement is not confirmed and is the subject of research.  The stones here in Death Valley move 
only every two or three years and most tracks develop over three or four years.




In school we learn that Death Valley is the lowest place in the U.S.  Less than 100 miles away, 
as the crow flies, is Mt Whitney, the highest point in the lower 48, at 14,505 feet.  The summit of 
Whitney is on the Sierra Crest and near many of the highest peaks of the Sierra Nevada.




A bit farther north June Lake in the Sierra Nevada mountains has been attracting people 
such as fishermen, hunters, and hikers since the 19th century.




Solvang (Danish for 'sunny field') is a beautiful little city nestled in the Santa Ynez Valley near the 
Pacific ocean. It was founded in 1911 by a small group of Danish teachers, and has fine restaurants, 
lovely shops and outstanding activities. There are Danish festivals, quiet tree lined streets, horse 
drawn wagons, Hans Christian Andersen Park, windmills, Danish pastries and dozens of 
quaint shops to explore.  Yes, this is the Danish city of California.




Morro Rock is a 581-foot volcanic plug located just offshore from Morro Bay, California, 
at the entrance to Morro Bay Harbor.




Hearst Castle is a National and California Historical Landmark mansion located 
on the Central Coast of California inland from Morro Bay. It was designed by architect 
Julia Morgan between 1919 and 1947 for newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst.




In 1957, the Hearst Corporation donated the property to the state of California. Since that time 
it has been maintained as a state historic park where the estate, and its considerable collection of
 art and antiques, is open for public tours.  The site attracts about one million visitors per year.


Humor --

WHY, WHY, WHY?

~~ Why does someone believe you when you say there are four billion stars, but check when you 
      say the paint is wet?

~~ Why doesn't Tarzan have a beard?

~~ Why does Superman stop bullets with his chest, but ducks when you throw a revolver at him?

~~ Whose idea was it to put an "S" in the word "lisp"?

~~ Is there ever a day that mattresses are not on sale?



1 comment:

  1. Peregrine falcons are very territorial, but on Morro Rock two pairs have learned to coexist: one flies only to one side of it, the other pair dominates everything on the other side of it, and never do they cross paths but rather leave each other alone in respectful peace as they raise their young.

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