Kay's Photo Journal - April 2017
4/25/2017 Hemet Maze, Hemet, CA - There are double perimeter chain link fences to protect the Maze. I am glad that someone protecting it, at the same time I was sad/upset that no way to take photos, the fences are too high even I climb up to the rock, still I can’t get a good photos. The Maze is large in size, about 2ft x 2ft.
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4/25/2017 Mockingbird Canyon Pictographs, Riverside, CA - Pictographs are located east end of the wildness area. Its under the tunnel like rock structure arrangement. Not many pictographs, I saw more graffiti in this wildness area than pictographs.
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4/25/2017 Thich Ca Thien Vien, Riverside, CA - Sakyamuni Buddhist Meditation Association which is the Vietnamese temple. It is located quiet foothill area, and still expanding. I took photos inside the buildings with permission.
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4/25/2017 Tio’s Tacos, Riverside, CA - This is a Mexican restaurant, where Tio is the owner. He made/is making funky fork art with all recycle material from the restaurant. He let me in and show me around his art works with Spanish language, he is an idea man. Crazy? Yes. Interesting? Yes. Fun? Yes.
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4/25/2017 Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Chino Hills, CA - This is a beautiful Hindu Temple. There are construction going on, everything detail oriented. Inside the temple we can walk-in without shoes and no photos. There are many signs and 'Drones Are Prohibited' got my attention, I never see this sign any place before.
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4/24/2017 Huntington Library, San Marino, CA (3 miles) - Its called library, but there are more, few museums, botanical gardens that include Japanese garden, Chinese garden, rose garden and more, total 207 acres of property, we can spend days in this place. 700,000 visitors that last year alone, and about 2,000 employees/volunteers to take care this place. It is overwhelming.
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4/24/2017 M*A*S*H Site, Malibu Creek State Park, CA (5.5 miles) - M*A*S*H (Mobile Army Surgical Hospital) is the TV series from 72 to 83, which was one of the highest rated shows in US TV history. Currently some left there but not lot by the Malibu Creek. This park is popular place for film makers, hundreds of films were made from this park.
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4/23/2017 Malibu Temple, Calabasas, CA - This is a Hindu temple, we can walk-in inside the temple without shoes, but no photos. Very detail oriented for all buildings, it is small scale but beautiful temple.
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4/23/2017 Chumash Painted Cave State Historical Park, CA - The road is paved, narrow, steep and winding road to get there. The cave is closed by mesh like but heavy metal door with couple small diamond shape openings that enough to put camera lens and take inside photos. It is amazing pictographs in there with red and black colors.
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4/23/2017 El Camino Real, CA - El Camino Real means The Royal Road or The King’s Highway, this particular place was highway #101 by the central Coast. It is overlook of the Pacific Ocean from the high on the cliff, I didn’t see the sand beach below. Nice to see the ocean view.
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4/23/2017 Spring Fest, Lompoc, CA - Local people enjoy the spring festival in the park. There are Art & Craft corner, Food vendors, Amusement park, motorcycle show and local kids perform on the stage. When I got there, it was little early and everyone busy for preparing to open the business.
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4/23/2017 Flower Farmer, Lompoc, CA - One large field is full of flowers, seem to one kind Snapdragon flower with variety of colors. It is beautiful to see it. However I came back and checked the Internet, there are many more fields with many more different kind flowers that I missed at this time.
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4/22/2017 Painted Rock, Carrizo Plain National Monument, CA - Only guided tour to see this Painted Rock, where winter is another story. The pictographs are very bad shape, can’t figured out what looks like, top pic is recreation of this 40 ft pictographs by Campbell Grant.
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4/21/2017 Caliente Ridge, Carrizo Plain National Monument, CA - The road is heading to TH of the Caliente Mountain. The view from the ridge was spectacular since flowers are super blooming. One mile west from the TH, there were so many flowers both sides of the road, breathtaking to be in the so many beautiful flowers.
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4/20/2017 West Kern Oil Museum, Raft, CA - This is outdoor oil museum, tall wooden oil tower is still standing beautifully. There are many oil drilling related tools in the property. They have indoor museum that more like history museum rather than oil museum.
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4/20/2017 Mountain Spirit Center, near Tehachapi, CA - This is a Korean Temple, and located deep inside the mountain, indeed very spiritual place. The bell building is very colorful and detail oriented building. I saw many Chinese character banners outside of the buildings.
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4/20/2017 Mojave Air and Space Port, Mojave, CA - This place is one of the aircraft graveyards. There is no tour available to see the airplane graveyard nor close enough to see it. All I can do was outside of the restaurant to take some photos. I got some airplane photos from posters inside the building.
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4/18/2017 Bickel Camp, CA - The official name of this place is 'Walt Bickel’s Depression Era Mining Camp and Open Air Museum'. It was closed, gate was closed, that I didn’t know it because I was visited from back of mountain/hill to came down. They never throw-a-way anything, kept everything, that I felt. There are so many items in the property.
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4/18/2017 Bonanza Trail, CA - There are few signs to tell the history of the Bonanza Trail. Also there are few remaining cabins to support the signs. I have visited the Bonanza Post Office, Sear’s Cabin, Jon and Jac Cabin and no name cabin. Maybe there are some more cabins, but that for some other time. Some cabins are someone takes care of it, very nice.
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4/15/2017 Centennial Upper Canyon, Coso Wildness, CA - There are many petroglyphs but different type of petroglyphs than the Centennial Springs. Mainly the Petroglyphs are located higher side of just below the top cliff. It was nice view in this area.
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4/15/2017 Centennial Springs, Coso Wildness, CA - Use to a ranch was here, saw some remaining, and water is still running from the springs. There are many petroglyphs, Coso Style, mainly bighorn sheep figures. One of the master piece was located at the middle of the cliff slope, hike up to get to see it.
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4/15/2017 Centennial Canyon Loop, Coso Wildness, CA (7.5 miles) - It was very nice canyon hike especially till to the upper canyon, after that on the road hike but Upper Centennial Flat area has wonderful Joshua Tree forest. This canyon hike started from the Astro Artz Cabin, Centennial Springs, Upper Canyon, and many petroglyphs to enjoy it.
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4/14/2017 Astro Artz cabin, Coso Wildness, CA - Three men’s stuff were occupied in and out of the cabin but let me take some photos, where I was expected no-one around here. The cabin is small in size but enough to fit a bed, fireplace and kitchen. After the Centennial Canyon Loop hike, I have stop by to take some more photos.
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4/9/2017 The Circle of Land and Sky, Palm Desert, CA - The mirror poles are not totally circle, there is an opening in the south side. Total 300 mirror poles with 10 degree angle in the sandy land, created by Phillip K Smith III. Everyone enjoy taking photos.
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4/8/2017 Black Rabbit Petroglyphs Site, Santa Rosa and Santa Jacinto Mountains National Monument, CA - Foothill near the Rabbit Peak is a huge area, I didn’t know where to look, but I tried anyway. I was happy to find it, but when came back and checked the Internet, someone is posting different place, a means there are some more petroglyphs sites in this area. I have to go back again to find some more.
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4/8/2017 Painted Canyon, near Mecca, CA - Amazing rock formation and colors. Hiking trail starts at the end of the road/parking lot. Both sides of the canyon is large tall walls. There are few ladders on the narrow trail loop. There were many people enjoy hiking in this canyon and parking lot was full.
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4/7/2017 Fish Trap Archaeological Site, Santa Rosa and Santa Jacinto Mountains National Monument, CA - Usually archaeological site and rock art are associated with, so that I thought I can find some petroglyphs or pictographs, but not at this time. A local said, people destroyed the fish trap, that the why I didn’t see any. Disappointed but I enjoyed hiking with wildflowers.
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4/6/2017 Blue Sun Cave, Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, CA - I learned that this cave is located the Indian Hill, but that not true, it is located south side of Indian Hill, let’s called the Indian Hill South. Actual location is south side of the Indian Hill South. The cave is small in size but behind the cave is large living area that not visible from the outside.
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4/5/2017 Indian Hill, Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, CA - The old road trail is leading to the short cut to the Goat Canyon Wooden Trestle, if I know this trail before, I saved 4-5 miles on 3/26/17 hike. I saw some old mine structures. The Indian Hill is covered medium to large size rocks all over.
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4/4/2017 Cabez Benchmark, Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, CA - It is located little south from the water tower in the Dos Cabezas, just before the two railroads merge. It is noticeable because there are few small rocks surrounding the benchmark. Drinking water is provided for illegal immigrants who walked long distance from Mexico to get here to not die by dehydration. The water is in the flagged container.
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4/4/17 Salton Sea Beach, CA - It is largest lake in California. It is sad to see the abandoned lake beach. The lake water is strong salt water and highly toxicated by runoff water from near by farmlands. The surface is more than 235ft lower than sea level. Odor is very strong at time to time by direction of the wind caused by rot or decompose fishes.
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4/3/2017 Robbers Roost, near Ridgecrest, CA - This place is a National Register of Historic Place. Actually bandits use to stayed for while and called the Bandit Rock. The big sign is telling that its 'Birds of Prey Nesting Area' closed between Feb 1st till Jul 1st. Oh well...some other time.
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4/1/2017 Poppy Reserve, Antelope Valley, CA - There are so many cars parked both side of the road for least a mile. There are many poppies but I don’t know which is more poppies or people. California Poppy (Eschscholzia California) and California Goldfield (Lasthenia California) fields are here and there. It was just in time to enjoy those beautiful wildflowers.
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