There are an endless number of beautiful views in Sonoma County. I tend to gravitate toward the ocean and the coastline, which I’m sure comes as no surprise. This shot was taken from the beach along the Central Coast. We were on our way down to Avila, one of our favorite spots in California, and we came across a beach full of elephant seals. It was sunset, my favorite time to be out on the coast, and the weather was fantastic.
I recently chatted with a friend about Morro Bay. He and his wife were there for a week last month, and it made me think back to our trip down last Thanksgiving. Jake and I went through Morro Bay on our way to Avila Beach, and it really was beautiful.
After parking near Morro Rock, we started walking along the beach. In the midst of the rocks and small waves inching up the sand, we saw a flock of seagulls dancing around. This particular bird didn’t seem to mind my presence, so naturally, I snapped a few shots.
The beauties of Sonoma Mountain at sunset….from Meg’s point of view.
A horse trailer on the side of the road, with a sunset view of the valley down below.
Sonoma Mountain Road at sunset.
I took this photo with my Olympus E-PL1 using the sepia setting. The river below is just on the north side of Peter Skene Ogden Park, in central Oregon. In a way, it made me feel like I was exploring the Wild West.
With Mum visiting for a few days from Kansas City, I wanted to show her some of my favorite places to run and hike. Helen Putnam Regional Park is one of those places. On a beautiful Saturday morning, we parked the Jeep and headed out with our cameras.
Looking through the trees at the trails beyond, Mum thought this trail looked like an old path for the wagons venturing into the west during the California Gold Rush.
This was such a funky tree. Its branches dipped all the way down to the ground, and its knotty trunk had a whole family of geckos. Such an interesting site.
This is a great shot of the trails at HP. I love running here, or walking with the kids, or just going up and taking in the views. It is such an amazing treasure here in Petaluma. One of the many reasons I love living in beautiful California.
The trails of Helen Putnam Park are among my favorite places to explore. This beautiful space is on the west side of Petaluma, about 15 minutes across town from our house. There are over 200 acres of hills, trees, meadows and trails.
While Mum was visiting last weekend, we took a walk along Panorama Trail, which then meets up with the Savannah Trail. I love these shots. The trees are beautiful, with grass and wildflowers aplenty.
There are many differences, both cultural and aesthetic, between the east and west sides of Petaluma. This is one of the things I love about the east side. A five-minute walk from my front door and I’m enjoying a beautiful sunrise in the country.
Glad Mum was here to enjoy this beautiful view with me this weekend. We went for an early morning walk to take pictures of the sunrise. With such an amazing walking path along the edge of the east side of Petaluma, it’s hard not to want to get out and enjoy the views!
Shifting the Balance 