I was recently at Morro Bay on the central coast of California. In addition to wanting to get away for a few days and try out my newly carved two-piece Greenland paddle, I wanted to take some pictures. Morro Bay was in rare summer form with sunny comfortable days devoid…

Sometimes it’s sunny. Being a California beach, more often the day starts overcast and cool. Surf City (north) is a busy place. From Santa Cruz’s boardwalk with its arcades and carnival rides to the main surf attraction, Cowell’s and Steamer Lane, opportunities in this California beach town are as vast…

A sea port in San Jose? Your kidding, right?  Alviso was established in 1852 is at the south end of San Francisco Bay and early in the American era became the port of entry for goods and passengers coming to San Jose. And why not? The Spanish established San Jose…

Thar, she blows! I don’t care if I’m on the dock or in a kayak, and I’ll even pay to see whales in the beautiful Pacific Ocean. I call them the paparazzi boats. Like the photographers who chase stars for the supermarket tabloids, I arm myself with my best equipment,…

Cinnabar, quicksilver or mercury, it is all the same element. The hills to the south of San Jose used to contain a lot it, whatever you decide to call it. Most of the mercury, used to separate gold from the surrounding rock, was mined and sold during the California gold…

It starts at about San Luis Obispo. The desert that meets the Pacific in Southern California and the O.C. gives way to taller trees, the coast line gets tall and hilly, and the fog is blocked by the coastal range; the water gets cooler and the mammals change. By Big…

Joseph Grant was a legislator and person of importance in the 1920’s. He purchased a ranch just outside of San Jose over the hill. The ranch has a pond to irrigate the property and keep the cattle well-watered. For today’s trip I decided to stay off the ranch house and…