A Grand Little Adventure Part 2: My State Is More Beautiful Than Yours

Okay, so thems could be fightin' words for some of you. But I have photographic evidence that California is stunning, incredible, awesome, majestic and beautiful. I love my state.

After the mission, I decided to hop on Highway 1 to drive along the coast for a bit. California's coastline is undeniably spectacular. The beaches are great, yes, but it's the rocky, wild part of the coastline I love most, where the Pacific shows just how powerful it is. I needed an ocean fix today, so as I winded and twisted my way along Highway 1, I was anxious for a glimpse. Finally, there it was--the massive, incredible Pacific, stretching out forever before me.

Muir Beach was impossible--no parking--so I headed up (literally) to the Muir Beach Overlook. I've been here before, about five or six years ago, but I was happy to stop and take some pictures.

Looking North...gorgeous.

Stunning...

Cali Swimmy is so impressed...but he doesn't swim in the Pacific. He's
just a wee duck.

Wild and unruly.

Does the sun shine like this anywhere else in the world? I think not.

Looking South--the San Francisco Bay isn't too far off.

Wide open ocean.

The obligatory duck-on-head shot. Flyaway hair.

From here, I continued North on Highway 1, towards Stinson Beach and Point Reyes. I stopped at a turnout to get some pictures of a marshy area. I love the egrets and the ducks.

The colors! The crispness!

Reason #1,473 I love my new Canon--this was taken using EXTREME
zoom.

So was this one.

I found myself, eventually, in a tiny town called Inverness. I knew there was an Inverness, California, but I had never been. It's very small, but I stopped because I saw some photo-worthy subjects.

This old boat was a draw for lots of us with cameras out.

Loved the name of this boat.

From Inverness, I drove through Point Reyes Station, back towards a road that would take me back to San Rafael. Along the way, I stopped at a turnout to take some pictures of Nicasio Resevoir and the surrounding scenery, which was green and gorgeous and amazing. A few minutes later, I drove through the blink-and-you'll-miss-it town of Nicasio, and ground to an immediate halt for pictures when I saw the most perfect little church surrounded by green and cows and blue sky. My argument that California is the most beautiful state ever continues to grow.

I love California in the Springtime. In a few months, this will be yellow.

A little glimpse of Rosie Pro, my trusty steed.

Perfect little church is perfect.

After this, I started the long process of heading home to the Sacramento Valley...which involved a lot of stops...so there's one more post coming.