Local Escapes: Crystal Cove State Park

I love exploring places close to home, I feel that I am fortunate to live in an area that boasts both majestic mountains and serene ocean scenes. On the coast of Southern California nestled between Laguna Beach and Newport Beach lies Crystal Cove, a state park and beach. I was excited about visiting the legendary tidepools, a magical place where many kinds of sea life abound.

Leaving My Heart In San Francisco (Again)

It seems that every time I visit San Francisco, I fall in love all over again. I once was fortunate enough to live in the city (as it is affectionately called) for seven years, and it still retains a special place in my heart. I'm not sure what I love more-- each neighborhood with its own unique personality or the open-minded attitude of many of its residents-- San Francisco is high on my list of towns I would love to live in again.

During the time I lived here I moved all over the city-- from the Outer Mission to Twin Peaks, then on to the Panhandle, crisscrossing across the city to South of Market, and finally up to Potrero Hill. And during that time I had never visited Lincoln Park, a beautiful piece of land on the northwestern corner of the city that was dedicated to President Abraham Lincoln in 1909. I was interested to discover that the land on which it stands was a cemetery in use in the 1860s, and in 1902 it was turned into a golf course. There was certainly no denying an eerie feeling as the sounds of fog horns filled the air, and I imagined this serene setting transformed into a graveyard filled with fog.

But the day was too beautiful and the sky too blue to linger on these thoughts for too long-- I was eager to explore this place I'd never visited before. Lincoln Park is located next to the Legion of Honor, and I was thrilled by the numerous views of the city. On one side was the Golden Gate Bridge, and on the other you could view downtown and City Hall. Even though I haven't left yet, I am already missing this magical city, this place that never ceases to amaze me. I promise myself that I will be back, that I will not wait so long this time. San Francisco is singing her siren's song, and I am listening.

Honoring the Legion of Honor

Also known as the California Palace of the Legion of Honor, this San Francisco monument and museum of fine arts conjures of images of Greek and Roman times. It was actually a gift from Alma de Bretteville Spreckels to the city of San Francisco. Located in Lincoln Park where the Pacific Ocean spills into San Francisco Bay, this majestic building is one of the city's greatest treasures. And even though I had previously lived in San Francisco for over seven years, I had never once visited the Legion of Honor. So I took the opportunity to capture some of its beauty.

Let's Talk About Talkeetna

I would have to say that in all of the places we traveled through or visited in Alaska, Talkeetna was my hands-down favorite. Maybe it was because I had read that it is a community where a lot of artists gather, or perhaps it was the laid-back, friendly attitude of the locals, but Talkeetna was appealing in every way. The day before we had discovered the Talkeetna River Guides, a rafting service that guides you down the rivers that intersect the town. Talkeetna is located near Denali National Park, and where many attempt to summit Mt. McKinley. We decided to cruise down the river, our cameras in hand, seeking wildlife in any form.

With our rafting guide Cara, who has been leading tours in various parts of the country for over twelve years

Taking off down the river

On to Anchorage!

We have now been in Anchorage for two days, and it has rained most of the time. When we arrived in town yesterday, we headed to Kincaid Park, in South Anchorage. This park boasts 43 miles of trails which wind through 1,400 acres of mixed spruce and birch forest. It is also home to a sizable moose population, and we did encounter one on the side of the road as we were exiting the park. We stopped the car and I jumped out, camera in hand, as he nonchalantly munched on grass. As I crept closer for the perfect shot, also prepared to turn and run if he decided that he'd had enough of this human encroaching on his space, he finished up his meal and sauntered away.

Kenai Peninsula

I am writing this post from Anchorage, but wanted to share a bit more about Seward and the gorgeous Kenai Peninsula before moving on. After a beautiful day cruising around the fjords, the next day was cold and rainy so it greatly limited our ability to explore the town. Nevertheless we did visit the Exit Glacier just outside of Seward. Exit Glacier is the most accessible part of the Harding Icefield. This mass of ice caps the Kenai Mountains, covering more than 1,100 square miles, and it oozes more than 40 glaciers from its edges and down the mountainsides. Unfortunately because of the rain I wasn't able to take any photos.

After visiting the Exit Glacier, we moved on to the Alaska SeaLife Center, which houses massive cold-water tanks and outdoor viewing decks as well as interactive displays of cold-water fish, seabirds, and marine mammals, including harbor seals and a 2,000-pound sea lion. A research center as well as visitor center, it also rehabilitates injured marine wildlife and provides educational experiences for the general public. We first found out about this place the evening before, when our server at Resurrection Roadhouse mentioned that she is also a marine biologist and works with the sea lions there. I loved watching these massive creatures and also enjoyed the interactive exhibits where you could touch all kinds of sea life including starfish, sea cucumbers, and hermit crabs. But my favorite was the stingray, who looked like a little man dancing inside his tank.

Mr. Stingray, a typical Seward local with a smile on his face



View of Mt. Marathon across the road from the Seward Windsong Lodge
 

Sunset over Resurrection Bay

 

After leaving Seward, we journeyed about 120 miles back up the Seward Highway to Anchorage. Along the way we enjoyed beautiful views of various landscapes. It was another rainy day so we didn't have many photo opps, although I did capture the below shot along the highway.

Along the Seward Highway

First Stop: Seward

My first full day in Alaska and I am in love. We flew into Anchorage yesterday, and then immediately drove about two hours to Seward. Seward is a small fishing town located in south central Alaska on the Kenai Peninsula, with a population of about 3,000. Surrounded on all sides by Kenai Fjords National Park, Chugach National Forest, and Resurrection Bay, it is devastatingly beautiful.

I have been blown away by the friendliness of the locals who seem to greet everyone with a smile on their faces. As soon as we arrived we headed into town for a bite to eat and were immediately offered unsolicited advice as to the best (and least expensive) places to dine. I was also pleased to see that in such a small town the library was quite large and that it also included a museum inside.



Kenai Fjords

We took a six hour tour of the Kenai Fjords by boat today, and saw wildlife of all kinds, including killer whales, porpoises, sea lions, mountain goats, and puffins. I was in photography heaven, along with most of my fellow passengers, as we scrambled from one side of the boat to the other for the best views. I would have to say that my favorite were the killer whales-- having grown up visiting Shamu at Sea World, it was so nice to see them in the wild. At some points we were surrounded by as many as five or six in a pod, and I couldn't hide my excitement as I scanned the ocean for signs of black fins.

We also visited the Aialik Glacier, which was enormous and enchanting in its appearance. But what surprised me more was the sight and sound of the ice "calving," or breaking off from the glacier's face, plunging dramatically into the sea.


Aialik Glacier

More views of Kenai Fjords National Park



Heading back to Seward