Photography Honorable Mention: Point Lobos State Reserve {Catch-Up}

Weston Beach is Picture Perfect

trazzler.com contest deadline of March 28, 2012

Honorable Mention: Glacier Point, Yosemite National Park {Catch-Up}

Half Dome through a rose-colored lens

trazzler.com contest deadline of March 14, 2012

This received honorable mention for both photography and writing.

Half Dome is the quinessential Yosemite icon. It's hard to miss. Hikers volley for permits to ascend the dome and reservations are snatched up within minutes. I've taken long shots of the dome from Inspiration Point, I've taken shots off the top after climbing up the backside of the beast, but my favorite view of this geological enigma is from Glacier Point. At sunset. It's almost as if the setting sun shines a spotlight on Half Dome; it's the last thing illuminated in the valley before the sun completely disappears for the day. And even when it's beyond the horizon, you can still sit and watch the sky turn an entire painter's palette worth of colors—from rosy pink to deepest indigo.

Writing Honorable Mention: Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens {Catch-Up}

Gray mist meets vibrant blooms

trazzler.com contest deadline of February 29, 2012

The Mendocino Botanical Gardens's logo is perfect: waves and flowers. That's what you get at this oceanfront wonder. Hiking trails wind through canyons whose walls are carpeted with ferns of all kinds; rocky cliffs form the border of the property where the land meets the sea. Depending on the season you might encounter giant airy rhododendron or petal-rich camellias in expertly manicured gardens. We happened through the garden when the fuchsias were flaunting their vibrant blossoms—ruffly, hanging flowers in every shade of pink and red—everything a feast for the eyes.

Photography Honorable Mention: Montana de Oro State Park {Catch-Up}

Around the Bend

trazzler.com contest deadline of February 29, 2012

A wide stream flowed into the ocean, skirting the edge of the rocks. And though the waves crashed wildly - and loudly - against the stepped cliffs facing the open ocean, our littlest ones just walked around the bend for some smoother, calmer water where they could splash themselves and others more safely. The different kinds of rocks glimmered in the sunlight and had them hunting and sorting rocks for hours. But they always kept their eyes on the bigger water where the bigger kids were able to play.

Writing Honorable Mention: Jacks Peak County Park {Catch-Up}

Honorable Mention in Writing

trazzler.com contest deadline of February 15, 2012

Pristine Stand of Pinus Radiata
Perched at the highest point on the Monterey Peninsula, Jacks Peak County Park offers sweeping vistas from Moss Landing to Carmel, fossils from the Miocene, and one of the last remaining natural stands of Monterey pines in the continental United States. The Skyline Nature Trail, at less than a mile, is a nice way to stretch your legs and get a glimpse at the local flora. But for the more ambitious choose a longer trail, grab your camera, fill a water bottle, and take a Claritin because if you hit the trails on a windy day, you will leave dusted with yellow pollen from those towering pines.

Photography 1st Place: Pinnacles National Monument {Catch-Up}

Congratulations! You won 1st Place Photography in the Weekly Worldwide Contest.

trazzler.com contest deadline of February 15, 2012

What Remains...

The Pinnacles National Monument is nestled in the Gabilan Mountains of Central California and is what remains of an ancient volcano. As the volcano eroded, what remained were towering spires, sheer rock faces, and narrow talus caves formed by tumbling boulders. As a release site for the endangered California condors, you'll often see those majestic birds gliding along the ridges, riding the thermoclines. And, during certain times of the year, the talus caves will be closed as they are home to a colony of Townsend's big-eared bats.

With this win, I received a commission to shoot three places of my choosing. I chose...

(1) The Cheese Shop, Carmel, CA

Are you a caseophile? Does the mention of a cheese you've never tried send shivers of excitement up your spine? If so, stop by the Cheese Shop in Carmel, where rounds, wedges, slivers, and tubs of cheese are piled along one wall and in a refrigerated case. You are invited to amble up to the counter and sample various cheeses as the knowledgeable staff gauge your preferences through friendly conversation. This time around I was introduced to three different cheeses I'd never had: gjetost, a brown goat's milk cheese from Norway that looks and tastes like caramel; a bleu cheese from Oregon's Rogue River valley that is wrapped in pear-brandy soaked grape leaves; and an aged gouda from the Netherlands that tasted vaguely like coffee--walking out with pieces of those as well as some family favorites.

(2) Parker-Lusseau Pastries, Monterey, CA

Yann Lusseau and Anne Parker, husband and wife pastry chefs extraordinnaires, have three stores in their sweets empire; this location, which opened in 2002, is housed in the Fremont Adobe in downtown Monterey. Though the building is clearly labeled with an earthquake warning, the treats are the worth the risk. From the traditional canelés, a distinctively shaped thick custard with a caramelized crust to the Kouign-amann, layers and layers of buttery dough that opens like petals of a flower, everything is made with care and quailty ingredients.

(3) Monterey State Historic Parks' Pacific House Museum, Monterey, CA

We strolled up to the Pacific House Museum, as we have many times in the past, only to be faced with a piece of paper taped on the inside of the glass door: "Due to state budget cuts, the adobes are now closed. Please enjoy the gardens in the rear." No more exploring the Native American exhibit on the second floor that highlights the local tribes in the area; no more looking at the different leather brands from the ranches up and down the coast. What a travesty! Instead, we did as instructed, making our way to the Memory Garden behind the Pacific House Museum. A mossy raised fish pond teeming with water lily pads and barren, gnarled arms of wisteria cling to exposed beams all add to the sense that you are stepping back into time. Just not too far back because the garden used to be the site of bull-bear fights.

Writing Honorable Mention {Catch-Up}: Picchetti Winery

Honorable Mention in Writing at trazzler.com - for their February 1, 2012 deadline.

You do not happen upon Picchetti Winery by chance. You drive there with purpose—and with direction—winding up into the rolling hills above Cupertino, curve after curve. Once you get there, you don't want to leave. Rustic barn doors reveal a tasting room full of wood—wooden tables, wooden barrels, a wooden bar—and warmth. Grab a bottle, or two, and picnic on the lawn, or uncork their '08 zin and take a stroll on the Zinfandel Trail.

Trazzler Honorable Mention: Fremont Peak State Park {Catch-Up}

I began submitting images to trazzler.com earlier in the year - for their weekly photo contests - and thought I should play catch-up and let you know how I've been doing. This image received an honorable mention...

Fremont Peak, San Juan Bautista, California

(trazzler.com deadline of February 1, 2012) 

ABOVE THE CLOUDS

A drive up to Fremont Peak State Park feels other-worldly. On many of the trails you look down on the clouds that muffle the noise of the roads below. It feels peaceful, serene, and remote despite the relative ease of your journey there. On certain nights, there are guided star-gazing tours led by knowledgeable volunteers. And you really feel like you're in heaven then, with the stars seemingly right at your fingertips.