Monarch Butterfly in Pacific Grove

Its November and time for going Butterfly Watching! Well, Monarch butterfly watching in Monterey, California! I am posting the pictures of butterflies which I took in the past years! You can get much info about this most familiar North American butterfly in Wiki. But, the amazing thing is that these tiny delicate living beings migrate from Canada to Mexico to escape harsh winter! Do they live that long??!!

Modern Architecture- Mary Avenue Foot Bridge

I have a fascination to shoot bridges at night! I have taken too much of risk to be all alone in pitch dark near the water getting bit by millions of mosquitoes. But, still I do take pictures of these modern architecture masterpieces. 

This is Mary Avenue footbridge  with a span of 325ft across 10-lanes of interstate 280 connecting Cupertino and Sunnyvale in California. It is the first cable-stayed foot-bicycle bridge across a highway in California. At night the bridge is lit up and is a beautiful sight!

Flying home ...

One pic from archives ... My trip to American SouthWest last October. I was at Salton Sea, California, the last pit stop of the trip. Very interesting place starting from its creation, formations and birds. Beautiful bird huh?

Moaning Cavrens- An amazing vertical cave!

When I lived in California I had been to many hidden gems of this golden state. California is much more than amusement parks around Los Angeles, Golden Gate bridge, Lake Tahoe and Yosemite national park. It extends to badlands, high Sierras, wonderful waterfalls, forests studded with brown bears, sky kissing coastal redwoods, beautiful shorelines, caves, lakes and great cities! One such small hidden gem is Moaning Cavern in Calaveras County. ! It is a vertical cave chamber where one can go rappelling 165 ft down! 

I visited this place and few other very interesting nearby places sometime last year which I am posting now! I have been to many caverns but Moaning cavern is amazing because of the rappelling experience.  Those rock-mushrooms on the walls as you descend! To add to that in this trip, I camped at Calaveras Big Trees State Park and visited Natural Bridges where I swam across the cave, Columbia State Historic Park and drove all those 61 miles on Ebbetts Pass Scenic Byway where the elvation ranges between 4,000 to 8,7000ft! This area is surrounded by the Gold Rush towns, mountains and alpine valleys!

Natural Wonder- Salton Sea, an accidental lake!

Largest lake in California or call it strangest backwaters, Salton Sea is a shallow rift lake located right on the San Andreas fault. This terminal lake with saline water is considered as a crown jewel of biodiversity! It is a major resting stop on the Pacific Flyway. The sea/lake was accidentally created by the flooding Colorado river when an irrigation canal broke. The current surface of the lake is 227ft below the sea level! Within 150-miles from popular cities Los Angeles and San Diego, Salton Sea is one of the lowest points on Earth!

Modern Architecture- Sea Ranch Chapel, California

Can you guess what is this bird like structure? Well, even I would have thought! Long time ago I read about a chapel on California's Sonoma coast, in a small town called Sea Ranch. I thought of visiting it when I drove north. Not very difficult to find, it is right there east-side of the Highway-1 in Sea Ranch. 

Colorful Skies- Stormy sky along Highway-1

Pacific Coast Highway or California State Route-1 is popular for running through some of the most beautiful coastlines in USA. It is a scenic route with numerous attractions such as state parks, waterfalls and wildlife viewing areas. Some day I will post on all the attractions along this Shoreline Highway!

Colorful Skies- Foggy sky along Pacific Coast Highway

Pacific Coast Highway or California State Route-1 is popular for running through some of the most beautiful coastlines in USA. It is a scenic route with numerous attractions such as state parks, waterfalls and wildlife viewing areas. 

Mysterious Caves- Crystal Caves

Caverns are one of the amazing creations of nature. It seems treasure is burried deep under the crust of Mother Earth. These caverns too take us to the visual treasure deep within. These underground cavities open up like a wonderland. Each chamber has a different natural art to talk about. The mysterious crisscrossing passages are fascinating. I totally love exploring caves.

National Parks- Redwood, Trees that kiss the skies!

Tall stately trees, mist mixed with sunshine, fern covered cliffs, slow moving streams, cool air are enough to tell about Redwood National and State Parks. Home for tallest and oldest trees on earth, this place also protects 40-miles of coastline and other wildlife. Located in the northern California the park is a wonderland of Ents :)

Natural Wonder- Fall Colors in Eastern Sierras

Fall color is one of the wonderful things I have seen in California- Eastern Sierras. One weekend I thought of driving up to the Mono County and check out what I see in the pictures of fall colors is really a truth. And I found out it was amazing, just like in the pictures!

Colorful skies- Blue at Santa Catalina

Santa Catalina is one of the rocky islands of Channel Islands of California archipelago which is about 22-miles south-west of Los Angeles. Known as Island of Romance the island has much to offer to the visitor. Many fun festivals, night life and also fun water sports could be enjoyed here. 

Colorful Skies- Clouds over Joshua Tree National Park

Joshua Tree National Park is one of its kind. Though not so popular like other national parks in California it has a beautiful desert landscape. The blue sky and the cotton-y clouds in the afternoon make make the place spectacular.

Birds- Flamingoes from SeaWorld San Diego

SeaWorld in San Diego is one popular amusement park with some breathtakingly amazing shows and intense rides. It also has a large collection of marine creatures and aquatic birds on display. One beautiful sight was a flock of American Flamingoes.

Amusement Parks- Universal Studios, Hollywood

The same way I love National Parks I have a craze for Amusement Parks! Especially the ones with those craziest rides! It was my third trip the Universal Studios and I wasn't bored of those noisy rides. I watch movies and I was really interested in knowing the tricks and the setups used to make those action filled movies.

Amusement Parks- The Shamu show at SeaWorld, San Diego

Well, one of the most popular attraction in Southern California, The SeaWorld in San Diego is definitely a must see. I am not a big fan of confining and training wild animals for human entertainment. Still I am amazed by the power of humans to tame and teach these massive creatures to perform to the perfection. 

The Bloom- Antelope Valley California Poppy Revserve

Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve is one of the amazing things I have seen. The state flower of California- Poppy blooms on the sloppy grasslands in Mohave Desert. In good weather conditions the rolling hills are draped with fields of wild orange poppy blooms.

National Parks- Joshua Tree, A desert park

One of the lesser known and less visited national parks of the west, Joshua Tree national park is one seemingly barren desert yet beautiful place with its own desert vegetation and wildlife! When people tour west coast the priority goes to Yosemite, Tahoe or Disneyland. Even some of my friends who were born and brought up in California had not heard of this place! I was surprised when they asked me 'Where is it?'. Well, it is a scenic showpiece at the confluence of Mohave and Sonoran deserts. 

Wildlife- Ladybug, A Bug Photogenic!

Ever since I bought a Macbook Pro I wanted to shoot a Ladybug! Now, what a Ladybug has to do with a Mac!? Well, my Macbook Pro has a default background image of a ladybug. It is so very beautiful that it made me go searching for ladybugs in every damp forest!

Amusement Parks- Disneyland Resort, Cartoons do exist!

I don't think I need to elaborately write anything about Disneyland Resort, Anaheim! But, it is difficult not to talk about it! Last October I visited Disneyland with my family. It was a second trip for me! With family it was so fun though I went on very few rides, I did more of talking and laughing! When I visited Disneyland for the first time I was all alone! It felt so funny to wander around alone in an amusement park! But, I could go for most of the rides because there was no distraction! The experience is so fresh in my mind though noticeably I didn't have so much fun as I did with family!