California Dreamin

Our son's wedding took us to CA to negotiate the 16 lane freeways and cloverleafs.  Still a little time for this around the happy event:

Sleepy and with definite aroma, these sea lions at La Jolla  put up with the tourists close on the rocks.  The cormorants guano provided the most distinction.  A photographer with 3m lens told us they had sprayed the guano that morning to appease the inhabitants and tourists.

Variety at the famous San Diego Zoo.

Some mighty colourful lizarrds and snakes peered back through the glass at the zoo.

Simple Soledad Mission, one of many within a day's ride of each other  right up California

.  This one off the beaten track in the middle of the market garden region, all labour was Hispanic.

Loved this tin Ford Tri Motor at the San Diego Air and Space Museum at  Balboa Park.  Something  I imagine Indiana Jones or Tin Tin would fly in.

This defended the gates of Fort Hunter Liggett.  An Army base well off the freeway.

Bronze of 'The Top Men' hauling in the sheets at Dana Point, adjacent to a well restored whaler 'Boston' smelling of tar and garnered in 100's of miles of ropes.

One of Rodin's Thinkers, this one at Stanford University, Palo Alto - among 90 of his other works.  I was surprised he was a turn of the century guy.  Really early.

California Dream'in

California weather is legendary and didn't disappoint.  Still, sunny blue skied.  This my second attempt at Pasadena City Hall - a combo of Mediterranean and Spanish Colonial styles.

 

 

My first attempt a year earlier:



 

Caltech graduation (1 year earlier) - or rather 'commencement' as it is called there. We had asked, 'what contingency do you have if it rains? (the seating is all out doors) - the reply was 'we don't need to plan a contingency'.

 

 

 



 

Piper Pawnee ex crop duster which towed our glider up on the edge of the Mojave Desert, just south of Edwards Air Force Base.  Land of praying Joshua Trees and Dust Devils just over the San Gabriels from Pasadena.

Glider acrobatics had us at 3G then weightless, then turning on a wing.  You could feel the thermals bumping on your backside without looking at the 500ft/min rising gauge.

 

Chevy's at Oaji.  The space in the middle was filled by a wonderful Chev saloon with teeth, but was disappointingly driven away by the mechanic, just before I got to it.



 

Venice Canal

 

 



 

San Buenaventura Mission, Ventura

 

Ynez Valley, an old presumably Model T advertising the Vineyard behind.

 

Union Station - downtown LA, with wonderful Art Deco interior.  A film crew was casing the joint.

 



An earlier sketch at Santa Barbara.  This time we spent a full day taking a para gliding lesson.  The highlight being the solos at the end of the day.  Just like the old Janet and John books, 'we arrived home, tired but happy'.

The wonderful crisp, geometric, white Getty.  14 levels of underground car park, a train to the top, a few to die for, and all free.  Half of Europe's famous artworks must be there.

Seemingly during our absence from NZ we had missed out on the earthquake, wind and fire (well maybe not the fire bit).
It is always good to go away, and good to return home.