THE WEEKENDER-ANOTHER WONDER

AMAZING

     Full disclosure here-I am a lover of Yosemite National Park and believe it is one of the truly amazing places on this planet.

     We are fascinated and thrilled by every visit. I wish everyone could spend time in this cathedral of nature.

      In the meantime, they provide marvelous videos that inform and provide their own wonder.  Enjoy this seasonal offering

      See you down the trail.

AS GOOD AS IT GETS

YOSEMITE

A MATTER OF VIEW

     With vacation travel season upon us and the visit of friends, the magnetic draw of Yosemite is building.

     See you down the trail.

HOW DO YOU WANT TO LIVE & IS THAT WHAT I THINK IT IS?

EARTH NEWS

     A service of this blog is the link, just to the right, to the Scientific American blog, an incredible source of real news and valued information.  Mainstream and social media are buzzing today with "news" that last year was the hottest on record.  Scientific American has been on, into and all over the facts for several months.  They posted earlier.  Do yourself a favor and keep an eye on their site.

       Now what are we going to do about the climate and the implications of continued change?

WHAT DO YOU THINK? 

      Have you followed the proposed changes at one of this planet's treasures, Yosemite National Park? 

      To help protect the wild nature of the Merced River and environs, the park plans to eliminate a 1920's skating rink, bike and river raft rental, while rerouting some roads, using more shuttle buses and constructing a pedestrian underpass to connect the lodge with the falls.  

      The plan has been years in developing.  Public comment is accepted until mid April.

     Visiting Yosemite, and nearby Sequoia National Park is a profound experience.

HEARST GRAZING

      A drive on the scenic Pacific Coast Highway (Highway 1)
is even more amusing when the Hearst zebra are grazing.

     Spotting zebra in a heard of cattle prompts tourists to brake suddenly.  Did I really see that?  Is that what I think it is?

     The Hearst Castle, built by Julia Morgan for William Randolph Hearst sits atop a mountain on the 80 thousand acre San Simeon-Piedras Blancas ranch.  It's an impressive stretch of California central coast.

Photo Courtesy of Creative Commons

    The zebra are a vestige of the old man's penchant for wild animals.  Thru the years, the heard has grown and often grazes along side the Hearst grass fed beef.

  Hearst zebras were the center of a shooting incident almost two years.

    A commercial talks about California cows being contented.  Must be true for California zebras too, don't you think?  Fewer predators than Africa and a great ocean view.

    See you down the trail.     

HIGH DRAMA

HUMAN KIND AND NATURE

Take 2

     There is chilling new information since yesterday's post about the great white shark taking a bite out of kayak just off Cambria's Moonstone Beach.  The Cambrian and San Luis Obispo Tribune reporter Kathe Tanner has details.

Link here to read the kayakers dramatic account.

IF YOU LIKE THESE

YOU CAN SEE IT LIVE

Magnificent Yosemite

    You may recall previous blogs where in I profess my passionate love for the majesty of Yosemite National Park,

one of the wonders of the world.  If you would like to see the park from your screen, you can visit live.

Link here to see live webcam shots, courtesy of the National Park Service. 

You have your choice of six cameras.

See you down the trail.

MAGNIFICENT YOSEMITE

AS GOOD AS IT GETS

        My friend Maura is planning a California jaunt for her Irish cousins and I've been helping with logistics.  Yosemite is a center piece of their visit.

       In 1851 an ongoing battle between gold miners and the native inhabitants, American Indians, reached a point where the famous Mariposa Battalion was sent in.  Probably from the moment the Battalion saw the place, word about it's beauty began to spread.

          On June 30, 1864 President Abraham Lincoln set aside a grove of sequoias in the valley.  That marked the creation of the first state park in the US.  Naturalist John Muir, who explored this wilderness, campaigned for federal park status.  It took 26 years and in 1890 Yosemite became a national park.

       Two rivers, the Merced and the Tuolumne flow through the park.  There are 196 miles of road and 800 miles of trails. 

        The waterfalls are a signature, always spectacular, and even more so after a winter with lots of snow.

 Do you see the sprite or spirit dancing out of this falls in this frame?

      The land is described as "colossal."  Indeed it is.  It ranges from 2,000 feet to 13,000 and most of it is true wilderness.

I wish every American could see Yosemite.  It is more than sheer beauty,

it is an attitude and sense of being.  We have made repeated visits and will 

continue to do so.


THERE IS AN INCREDIBLE DRAMA PLAYING OUT AT YOSEMITE AS THEY TRY TO BLAST AWAY 17 FEET OF SNOW BLOCKING THE FAMED TIOGA PASS. LINK HERE FOR A GREAT PIECE BY MIKE ANTON IN THE LA TIMES.

See you down the trail.