Trip to Montesano, Washington - 2016

Not going to lie...today has been a hard day.  My oldest brother, Robert (or Bob as he's known in Washington) had to have emergency surgery for a burst appendix and he isn't doing well today.  I went up to see him just after his birthday last year (that is so weird to say as it's just after New Year's) so, in his honor, and out of my love for him, I'm going to post the photos from that trip.

As usual, I crammed a LOT into a very brief trip.  12-14 hour drive each way, a blown-up phone, and 2 1/2 days of family time.  

So here is day one - The Drive:

I wanted to start very early in the night/morning, but due to the health problems I've been 'enjoying' since March of 2016, it didn't happen.  However, I did get to the Sutter Buttes just in time for sunrise!

Next stop:  Weed Airport rest area, home of a thousand blackbirds.

Talk about an angry bird!

Due to the numerous forest fires burning, Mount Shasta and Black Butte were shrouded in haze.  

Notice all the mounds at the bottom of the picture...it's such a fascinating geological area! 

Here's another view of the ones to the northwest of the mountain. 

Next stop was the Medford LDS Temple, which: Newsflash!  Is not actually in Medford, Oregon!

It's a pretty building, but it didn't have the grandiose look that I usually expect from LDS temples.  /shallow 

 There was also a really cool abandoned-looking ranch just down the road that I couldn't resist!

Such a beautiful day!

Next I made a quick detour to drive by Table Mountain.  I will go to hike this place next summer!

Looking south was an awesome view of Mt. Mcloughlin. 

Time was really dragging for reasons I will not go into here.  So I tried to not stop until I got to the Portland LDS temple.  

This is an absolutely stunning temple; one of the most gorgeous in my opinion.  And it's surrounded by beautiful woods and gardens.  So I took a lot of pictures (including some for others as it turns out) in this gorgeous and spiritual setting.

I'm going to do a more in-depth post about LDS temples that I've visited so I won't post all my photos here.  Just a few to illustrate it's beauty.

One last photo of a beautiful flower...

...and then I had to hit the road!!

I was hours late with a dead phone.  And then to compound matters, I got a little lost! Booo!  And couldn't call anyone.  I finally made it about 3 hours behind schedule with a very anxious niece and daughter waiting for word of me!  

But I made it into the arms of my loving family, safe and sound.  

xoxo

Nikon D3300

Travelogue: Marin Headlands - Rodeo Beach & Lagoon

There are no shortages of brilliant things to see and do if you visit the Marin Headlands just north of San Francisco.  We covered just one of the places that would interest the history buffs out there, and now we head on down the road (literally) back to sea level to explore beautiful Rodeo Beach and Lagoon. 

Rodeo Beach  is a beautiful dark-sand beach with a LOT to see and do.  I'm not going to lie...I only did like 1% of what is available at this awesome location.  For more complete coverage, please check out the National Park Service website for Fort Cronkhite.

The 1% I did involved walking along the beach and part way along the trail around the gorgeous Rodeo Lagoon.  And taking photos of course!  

You can surf.  Or watch surfers (like I did)!

Between the beach and the lagoon is a cool bridge which leads onto the natural "land bridge" created by the beach between the Pacific Ocean and the Rodeo Lagoon.  I was so happy that some of the fog was lingering as it gave my photos a little extra mystery. 

What a beautiful spot!

This next photo is not black and white, but it may as well be.  

The lagoon was mostly smooth as a mirror, but when I was trying to get a shot of this Cormorant perched on an underwater fence post, a slight breeze picked up and then ripples it created formed a stunning background!

There is a lovely fence that separates the beach from the lagoon.  With the residual fog, it made for a really cool photo as it meanders down the beach. 

Any place with water is my happy place, but even better when it's the ocean!

The surf was pretty good for the surfers that were out!  Waves were about 4-5 feet.

Did you know there are many different types of Sea Gulls?  This lovely is called a Herring Gull. 

In the next few photos, you can see that the beach has patches of beautifully colored pebbles, some looking like agates.  Gorgeous!

Next time, I will be doing more things to report on, such as visiting the Raptor Center and Marine Mammal Center.  Plus there was a very intriguing hike that a LOT of folks were embarking on.  I will be back and spending at least the whole day in the headlands!  

Definitely a wonderful place to spend some time if you're visiting the San Francisco Bay Area. 

xoxo

Nikon D3300