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| Wooden Gate - Monterey County 2025 |
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| Door with Windows - Monterey County 2025 |
After returning from the Big Sur area I took a short rest at the motel, then drove down to the Monterey Plaza area for some photos with the Nikon Z7II and a 24-200mm zoom lens.
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| Pelican Taking Off - Point Lobos 2025 |
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| Three Pelicans - Point Lobos 2025 |
I've actually never seen pelicans in these quantities before! Quite interesting.
I was carrying a Nikon Z7II with a 24-200mm zoom lens, and in my daypack an Olympus E-M1II with a 75-300mm zoom lens. I used the greater reach of the Olympus lens for these photos.
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| Pelicans on Rock - Point Lobos 2025 |
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| Coastal Mountains - Monterey County 2025 |
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| Coastal Mountains, Clouds - Monterey County 2025 |
As I drove south I was noticing - not for the first time - the coastal mountains just east of highway one.
"Monterey County features several distinct coastal mountain ranges, primarily the Santa Lucia Range, known for the dramatic, rugged Big Sur coastline where the mountains meet the Pacific Ocean." (Google AI).
I backpacked here quite a long time ago - maybe in the 1980s, but nothing since then.
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| Redwoods (Pfeiffer Big Sur) - Monterey County 2025 |
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| Tree Trunks, Boulder (Pfeiffer Big Sur) - Monterey County 2025 |
I visited this park last year, but in winter. Then I was able to wander through vacant campgrounds, but this time there was lots of camping activity. I made it past numerous tents for these photos, then hiked back to the car.
Yup, pretty warm!
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| Oaks (Pfeiffer Big Sur) - Monterey County 2025 |
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| Big Sur River (Pfeiffer Big Sur) - Monterey County 2025 |
My entrance fee for Point Lobos also covered the fee for Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park. I've been there before, but it was still early, so I drove down the coast to the Big Sur area.
Most of the parking lots were empty, in sharp contrast to Point Lobos. Also, kind of getting a little warmish.
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| Carmel Bay View - Point Lobos 2025 |
Did I say that photo conditions weren't that favorable? Huh. This one turned out OK. Taken with a Nikon Z7II.
After this shot I decided to exit the park, as it was starting to get crowded. As I left I was kind of amazed that by 9:45 the park was closed: all parking lots were full. (Yes, this was in August, but on a weekday and after area schools were back in session.)
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| Park Closed to Vehicles - Point Lobos 2025 |
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| Cypresses - Point Lobos 2025 |
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| Cypresses - Point Lobos 2025 |
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| Carmel Valley Coffee - Monterey County 2025 |
My second visit of the year! Tasty as always!
I had scheduled my morning coffee visit to allow enough time to get to Point Lobos before the 8 AM opening. When I arrived I was surprised to find that I was maybe the 10th car in line, with more cars joining the line in back of me.
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| Pelicans - Point Lobos 2025 |
Cypress trunks in the background . . . for context see photo below.
There were lots of pelicans! Some were coming around the far cliff, straightening out, then coming towards me (above) and passing overhead.
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| Cypresses, Cliffs, Ocean - Point Lobos 2025 |
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| California Buckwheat - Monterey County 2025 |
After taking some cemetery photos, Mike drove along the coast, parking at a pull out and going for a little walk. This was at Asilomar State Beach . . . nice firm trails with pretty ocean views. (Plant ID using Apple iPhone.)
Alas, the edge of the trail wasn't so firm: Mike stepped onto the edge and tumbled over! Yikes! Quickly got up, looked around to see if anyone had noticed. They hadn't. Whew.
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| Mike's Tumble Spot - Monterey County 2025 |
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| Cemetery (Pacific Grove) - Monterey County 2025 |
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| Cemetery (Pacific Grove) - Monterey County 2025 |
El Carmelo Cemetery. More information in this 2023 post.
Top photo taken with an iPhone 13 Pro Max, next one with a Sony RX100(7).
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| Altar (Carmel Mission) - Monterey County 2025 |
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| Baby Jesus, Apparition (Carmel Mission) - Monterey County 2025 |
Religious stuff, shot with an iPhone 13 Pro Max.
It was fun wandering around the mission grounds! I'd like to view them again when it's foggy or overcast.
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| Red Valerian (Carmel Mission) - Monterey County 2025 |
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| Plants, Wall, Tiles (Carmel Mission) - Monterey County 2025 |
During this mission visit I was using an iPhone 13 Pro Max and, for these photos, a Sony RX100(7).
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| Statue (Carmel Mission) - Monterey County 2025 |
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| Yuccas (Carmel Mission) - Monterey County 2025 |
"Mission San Carlos Borromeo del RÃo Carmelo (English: The Mission of Saint Charles Borromeo of the Carmel River), first built in 1797, is one of the most authentically restored Catholic mission churches in California. Located at the mouth of Carmel Valley, California, it is on the National Register of Historic Places and is a National Historic Landmark."
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| Carmel Mission - Monterey County 2025 |
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| Bougainvillea (Carmel Mission) - Monterey County 2025 |
In the past I've always driven by here before the mission grounds were open. So, a lot of photos taken around the outside perimeter . . . some not half bad!
This time viewing the mission interior was one of my goals . . . my main one, actually. Got in for the $12.00 senior price. Then had to assure the clerk that I wasn't planning on selling any of the photos that I was going to take with the Sony RX100.
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| Dog - Monterey County 2025 |
I drove down Highway 1 past Monterey towards Carmel, then parked in the shade at The Barnyard. Ate my Whole Foods sandwich, then went for a walk around the property.
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| 19th Avenue - San Francisco 2025 |
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| 85C Pastry, Peets Coffee - San Francisco 2025 |
The start of a recent short trip I took down to Monterey. I drove south down 19th Avenue, stopping at the Stonestown Mall for a breakfast pastry and coffee, then continued on to Monterey.
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| Landmark Building C - San Francisco 2009 |
Actually, pretty neat shot. Came across it recently while randomly scrolling through some older photos. (Older digital photos, that is.) Landmark Building C is located in Fort Mason, San Francisco.
The photo was taken using an Olympus C8080 digital camera.
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| Agave (Sausalito) - Marin County 2025 |
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| Boat (Sausalito) - Marin County 2025 |
Top photo taken in July, bottom one in August.
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| Dumpsters (Sausalito) - Marin County 2025 |
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| Orange Cones, Skyline (Sausalito) - Marin County 2025 |
Top photo taken in July, bottom one in August.
Speaking of orange cones . . . we saw some really cool illuminated ones in Japan in 2017
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| San Francisco Bay (Sausalito) - Marin County 2025 |
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| San Francisco Bay (Sausalito) - Marin County 2025 |
Top photo taken in July, bottom one in August.
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| JH Madden Sr (Sausalito) - Marin County 2025 |
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| JH Madden Sr (Sausalito) - Marin County 2025 |
Top photo taken in July, bottom one in August (with Mt. Tamalpais in the background.
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| Coyote (Fairfax) - Marin County 2025 |
I was taking an early morning walk up our street when I noticed this individual on the same route. He ("In the vast majority of cases, a lone coyote is a young male that has left its birth pack to find a new territory or mate" --Google AI) soon realized that he was being tailed by another predator (me).
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| Coyote (Fairfax) - Marin County 2025 |
He kept turning around to make sure that I was still there. Up at the end of the street he decided that enough was enough and vanished up into the hills.
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| Coyote (Fairfax) - Marin County 2025 |
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| Cloud (Fairfax) - Marin County 2025 |
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| Tree (Fairfax) - Marin County 2025 |
Not a storm cloud! Just . . . a cloud. Interesting little oak tree seen in both photos.
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