Category: tourism

After the Storm

Yesterday at 3:25 PM an email appeared in my inbox with the subject “Late notification: Paddle tomorrow…” Outside my window a heavy rain was pounding the house, and I was not of a mind to go outside. The weather prediction was for the weather to clear up, and looking at my calendar, paddling looked like a possibility. I decided to wait until morning to see if the weather, and my body, still in recovery from knee surgery were up for paddling.

I awoke to clearing clouds and a rainbow. I put my boat on top of the car and headed to Ferry Point. Part of my motivation was the possibility of some photo opportunities paddling on calm waters with blue sky and dramatic clouds. At 10:30 seven of us launched our boats and paddled out to the end of the breakwater and then made a turn to the south to paddle around Brooks Island.

At noon we landed at Barbara and Jay Vincent Park in Richmond where we broke out our lunches. After lunch we were back in the boats at 12:45 to continue our circumnavigation, staying close to the Richmond shore.

We were back at our launch site at 1:40, having logged a little over six miles on a glorious paddle. More photos are available in an online gallery.

Redwoods in the Bay Area: Visiting Muir Woods

Peter, my Cornish “cousin” spent a couple of day with us on his recent visit. I mentioned Peter in a previous post. One of Peter’s requests while visiting was to see redwoods. What better place to see redwoods in the Bay Area than Muir Woods National Monument? This can be a very busy location, and you must book parking ahead of time to ensure you can access the park if you are driving. There is also a shuttle run by Marin Transit.

Here you can see Peter and me standing in front of a grove of trees. Looking up these trees are truly awe inspiring, raising their limbs high above the forest floor. The tallest tree in the park is 786 years old give or take a few years, standing at over 250 feet. This tree sprouted at about the time of the last Crusades. Redwood trees can live as long as 2500 years and grow up to 380 feet tall. The oldest tree in the park is at least 1,200 years old.

We walked the main trail along the east side of the creek as far as the Fourth Bridge, which was out of service and being repaired. We then backtracked and crossed the creek at the Third Bridge, returning on the west side of the creek. I was pleased to be able to walk the 2.5 miles given my recent knee surgery. The fact that the trail is quite flat was a welcome benefit given my gimpy knee.

Explore USS Hornet: A Hidden WWII Gem

Not quite on the radar as a main tourist attraction, the USS Hornet is well worth a visit. It’s of particular interest for those interested in the history of World War II and aviation. She was launched in 1941, served in World War II and also served in the recovery of the Apollo 11 and 12 space capsules. The onboard exhibits include an Apollo space capsule and one of the trailers used to quarantine the astronauts once they had returned to earth.

While in service she was instrumental in shooting down 668 Japanese airplanes and in sinking quite a number of ships. She had quite a colorful history.

The Aircraft Carrier Hornet Foundation preserves the legacy of USS Hornet as a national historic landmark. We visited the Hornet on a Monday afternoon arriving about 2:00 pm. Admission was $15 for seniors. Once onboard we found the docents very knowledgeable and friendly. There were not many visitors that afternoon, so we felt like we had the whole ship to ourselves. Onboard are a variety of aircraft and exhibits, with something for all ages to enjoy. You can even climb into the cockpit of a fighter jet.

We spent about an hour and a half touring the exhibits which gave us a taste for the history. One could easily spend hours here if you wanted to take in the exhibits in more depth. There are also docent led tours to various parts of the ship that are not open for self-guided tours.

The ship was designed for a crew consisting of 86 officers and 1280 men and an air complement consisting of 141 officers and 710 men. I came away from the tour with a greater appreciation for the role of the ship and of the various aircraft that would have flown off the deck of the carrier.

Drakes Estero

14 of us, all BASK members, were ready to get on the water shortly before 10:00 am. With tide being low we dallied a bit, getting on the water at 10:20. You can see the muddy footprints in the photo. The tide prediction for Drakes Bay indicated 3.0 feet of water at 11:00, and we were hoping that by the time we reached the sand bars near the beach we would have enough water to paddle, assuming we could find the channel.

Our course took us south along the west edge of the estero until we ran aground. At that point we paddled east inside the sand bar and eventually found a channel that would take us to the beach. We landed just shy of the point at which the incoming current threatened to send us in the wrong direction. Along the way we saw a group of river otters, pelicans and bat rays.

After lunch we were back in our boats, paddling back along the eastern edge of the estero, and turning into Home Bay.

Paddling along the shore we found the airplane propeller, the remains of a It seems hard to imagine P-39 Airacobras. I wrote about this in a previous blog a few years ago. We also found a few Leopard Sharks and Bat Rays.

We logged 10.4 miles over the course of the day, paddling into a slight current and wind on the way to the beach and taking advantage of the same current and wind on the return. A perfect day to be on the water at Drakes Estero. More photos are available in an online gallery.

Photographing the Peter Iredale Shipwreck at Fort Stevens

After leaving Whidbey Island on July 12, we headed to Fort Stevens on the northwest tip of Oregon. My motivation to visit this location was based on photos I had seen of a shipwreck on the beach. This is the wreck of the Peter Iredale, a four masted square rigger that ran aground in 1906. One of the rangers told us that this is the most photographed shipwreck in the country. I had envisioned a photo of the wreck against a glorious sunset.

Alas, we had fog. This put the wreck in a whole new light and offered some opportunities that I had not anticipated. I had my Nikon D850 and tripod as well as my trusty iPhone 14 and my Sony RX100. I put all these devices to use.

I had an idea to capture the scene as a long exposure to blur out the surf while keeping the wreck in sharp focus. That’s the first variation you see here.

For the second variation I wanted to use the soft light of the overcast to bring out the rusty color. This being a popular location, some patience was required to find an opportunity when people were not swarming over the wreck. Then as people were exploring the wreck I thought it might be interesting to employ some Intentional Camera Motion (ICM) to create a blurry image. This turns out to be my favorite images from this photo session. The blur and the people seem to add a sense of mystery. In the morning the sun came out and that created a whole new feeling to the scene.

In addition to the wreck, some of the old military installations make for fascinating subject matter for photography. Here are several images I captured at West Battery which seemed to lend themselves to a black and white presentation.

Hiking Hobbit Trail and Visiting Cannon Beach

On July 4 we left Bullards Beach to continue our journey up the Oregon coast. I broke out my stars and stripes cowboy hat as part of my Independence Day regalia.

One of the recommended stops was the Hobbit Trail. This was a short 1.2-mile hike through a mossy fanciful wood to the beach. We kept our eyes open for any diminutive inhabitants. The trail emerges at a beautiful and secluded sandy beach where we broke out our lunch. Our next stop was Heceta Head Lighthouse.

Our destination for the day was Cannon Beach where we spent two nights. I was intent on photographing Haystack Rock. When we were planning our trip, we could not find any available camping. Everything was booked. The Oregon coast is a popular place in the summer. We made reservations to stay at The Studio at the Harrison Inn. This suited us well, since it was a short walk to the beach. Cannon Beach is a delightful place to visit, even with the Fourth of July crowds.

From Cannon Beach we headed inland to join our kids and their families for two nights at Seaquest State Park. Here it was time to fire up the Dutch Oven. We cooked Enchilada Casserole for dinner and Mushroom and Brie Breakfast Strada for breakfast.

And of course, no camping trip is complete without roasting marshmallows. You can view more photos in an online gallery.

Exploring Oregon Coast: A Family Road Trip Adventure

On July 1 we pointed our rig north for a road trip up the Oregon coast with the destination of Whidbey Island, where we would join family for a reunion. We had marked out 17 days to give us time to explore part of the Oregon coast and time to visit with family and to have a leisurely return drive.

For our first night we had reservations for Abalone Campground at Sue-Meg State Park, site 40. We arrived shortly before 6 pm, logging 295 miles over six hours.

The next morning, we woke up to fog and overcast and took our time getting started. We had reservations for Fern Canyon, a popular hike, just a short drive from our camp. The drive out to Fern Canyon is a one lane dirt road for the most part, and not a road I’d want to drive with much traffic, since passing oncoming traffic can be an issue in some places.

The hike up Fern Canyon is well worth the effort. The canyon walls are graced with ferns. We were advised to wear water shoes, since you are walking up the creek and likely to get your feet wet. We wore our regular walking shoes and carried our water shoes. There were plenty of boards to walk on and rocks to hop and we managed the hike without getting our feet wet. We logged 1.4 miles. Not bad for my gimpy knees. In hindsight I would have gotten an earlier start. The trail gets quite busy in the late morning which means that getting photos of the canyon without people is a challenge, and the light is a bit softer earlier in the morning. I carried my iPhone 14 and my Sony RX100 with a tripod. I was anticipating long exposures in the confines of the canyon. The canyon opens at 9:00 am.

Following two nights at Sue-Meg, on July 3 we were off to Bullards Beach State Park on the Oregon Coast, a well-established campground. From our camp we walked out to the beach to watch the sunset. It was very windy on the beach, so we took refuge in a makeshift driftwood shelter somebody had made.

The next day we explored the Coquille River Lighthouse and took a short walk on the beach. The wind and blowing sand discouraged us from spending much time on the beach. Bullards Beach State Park has over 100 camp sites and caters to equestrians and bicyclists. More photos from this trip are available in an online gallery.

Irving Penn: A Journey Through Seven Decades

I’m trying to keep my posts in chronological order, and while we visited this exhibit in June at the de Young Museum, it’s now mid-September. It’s been a busy summer and while this exhibit closed on July 24, it’s still worth noting.

Irving Penn’s work spanned seven decades, and this exhibit includes about 175 pieces that cover his entire career. It includes early documentary scenes, portraits of cultural figures, travel work, fashion studies, still life photography, and personal projects. It also includes photographs made during Penn’s 1967 trip to San Francisco.

To quote Nadja Sayej There is no photographer in history quite like Irving Penn. He built a bridge between commercial photography and fine art photography. He helped define the Vogue aesthetic and overwrote popular ideas about beauty with his trailblazing fashion photography. And he shot everything, from celebrities to still lifes, with the same thoughtful intensity. He’s arguably one of the top artists of the 20th Century, and his work is as relevant as ever.

From still lifes to hippies, to Hells Angels to Celebrities and even the natives of New Guinea, Penn’s ability to connect with his subjects and to create compelling images is extraordinary.

Our visit to the museum started with lunch in the cafeteria before moving on to the exhibit.

While Penn’s photos are well represented in various media, I decided to try to capture the feeling of the exhibit with some intentional camera movement (ICM).

Napo Wildlife Center

Arriving on May 6 we spent four days at the Napo Wildlife Center deep in the Amazon jungle. The center is owned and managed by the Kichwa Añangu Community providing a community-based tourism project. It is located in the Yasuni National Park which is arguably the most biologically diverse spot on Earth.

Getting to the center is an adventure in itself. From Quito we flew over the Andes and into the Amazon rainforest landing in the small city of Coca. From there we climbed into a motorized canoe for a two-hour ride down the river to the community center.

There we transferred to human powered canoes for a two hour ride up Añangu Creek to the lodge. We did have a bit of a delay. About halfway up the creek we encountered a tree that had fallen across the waterway blocking our progress. We waited while a couple of villagers arrived by canoe with a chain saw and they quickly cleared the way.

It was amazing to see this lodge with luxury amenities in such a remote place. Even more amazing were the excursions we had going out in canoes and on foot to explore the environment.

One of our adventures took us by canoe and then on foot to a viewing tower. We climbed a 120 foot tall tower to arrive at a viewing platform in the top of a kapok tree overlooking the rain forest. What a view! While we were on the platform the clouds thickened and our guides broke out ponchos to keep us dry.

I guess one has to expect rain in a rain forest, but the rain did put a damper on our bird watching.

On another outing we traveled by canoe back down the creek to the community center where we were introduced to some of the native culture. Here’s a photo of our guide Juan instructing Joann in the use of a blow gun. Amazingly enough she hit the target on the first try!

The women offered us a welcome dance, demonstrated some of their musical instruments and offered us tea and other native foods including roasted palm grubs, which were actually quite tasty.

And of course, the wildlife. On one of our outings, we spent quite some time watching a sloth slowly making its way up a tree while stopping to munch on the vegetation. We also saw at least four species of monkeys, and a variety of birds.

We visited two clay licks where birds are known to visit. I invite you to visit my online gallery for more photos of our trip to the Napo Wildlife Center.

Galapagos: Day 8

May 4. We are up before sunrise. At 6:00 AM we board the pangas for a wet landing on Isla Mosquera, a small island just north of Isla Seymour. Here we find some very curious young sea lions that come to check us out.

One of the young sea lions came right up to my toe. There were also a number of mother sea lions with pups.

Then it’s time to say goodbye to the Galapagos. One week seems like too short a time. Our days were packed with activities from dawn to dusk, and yet there is so much to see. At 10:00 We’re on the plane to Quito.