Postcards from California

Amy and I visitted our friends Jen and Farooq in Santa Cruz and had a wonderful time. Here are some postcards. Saturday A nice hike in Big Basin State Park featuring big trees, big slugs, and lots of rain. A soggy but great time was had by all. Sunday Tourist day! We did the standard tourist things in San Francisco then escaped north of the Golden Gate Bridge to the wonderful Marin Headlands and played around in the old WWII fortifications at Point Bonita. Dinner back in SF after a walk through Chinatown and Little Italy. Monday Visitted Santa Cruz and Natural Bridges State Park. Then drove south to the Monterey Bay Aquarium where the jellyfish, tuna, and sea otters were particularly interesting. Tuesday Drove south through Big Sur and saw the amazing sea-scapes. Hiked most of the way up Mount Manuel in Los Padres NF. Arrived on a summit (though not the main one) just in time for a spectacular rainbow and brief rainstorm. Descended at sunset and drove back in the dark. Wednesday A short day of climbing at Castle Rock State Park. It's like climbing a giant popcorn kernel!

The Wilderness Journal

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