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Dean & Deluca
Napa, California
Today’s random desktop image of the day comes not from Japan but from a trip to Napa we took early last year. The displays of candy, chocolates, desserts, and other things designed to put a few pounds on a consumer were mere eye candy for me.
San Francisco from the bay
Today’s photo comes from our trip to a forest of California Redwoods about eight months ago.
Laguna Beach blue hour
Ellie (all 6′ 1″ of her) showing that the California Tunnel Tree opening is over 9 feet high
There were once three tunnel trees in Mariposa Grove. One was natural and still exists (the Clothespin Tree). The Fallen Tunnel Tree (AKA The Wawona Tunnel Tree) is the most famous and was the first carved by humans, but it fell in 1969. The California Tunnel Tree (AKA Pioneer Cabin) was carved by humans in 1895 and still stands today*. Getting there involves a short hike from the parking area. You can no longer drive through it like you could a hundred years ago.
When we arrived at 9:30 a.m. there were only about a dozen cars in the Mariposa Grove parking lot and the grove was peaceful. By the time we left at about 11 there were tons of tourists in the grove and a line of cars waiting for parking spaces.
Yosemite sunset
I purchased The Photographer’s Guide to Yosemite by Michael Frye as a reference on my recent trip to Yosemite. I’m sure this would be a fantastic guide if you are going to Yosemite by yourself or with other photographers, but none of the suggestions really work if you are with a family–especially with kids. The book primarily tells you when to photograph the key spots in Yosemite. Those times, of course, break down to morning and evening for best lighting conditions.
What those traveling with families quickly find out, however, is that families want to be sleeping and/or eating during sunrises and sunsets–not setting up the perfect photo. We stayed at Tenaya Lodge which was actually about an hour away from the Yosemite Valley so I couldn’t just hop in the car and drive to the valley for sunrise or sunset photos while the family slept or ate, or they would have been stranded without a car.
Today’s photo came just before sunset as we were heading back to Tenaya Lodge to eat. It was the closest I came to a sunset or sunrise photo during our three days in Yosemite. The Yosemite Valley was actually behind me (several miles, no view from here) to the right when I took this.