CALIFORNIA

Inspired by Galen Rowell’s Book California the Beautiful, this photography and travel blog hopes to share the diverse beauty that are found in California. From the ocean,

Anacapa Island, Channel Islands National Park, CA

to the mountains,

Kings Canyon National Park, CA

to the desert,

Sand Dunes, Death Valley National Park, CA

California offers a remarkable diversity, a wonderful gift for those who love to marvel in nature’s great works of artistry! California, may be the land of innovation and opportunity,

Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco, CA

but its exquisite natural beauty is also a reality that is worth seeing and experiencing. Water, wind, fire,

Bridalveil Falls, Yosemite National Park, CA

ice, tectonic forces, all of these contribute to what is now California!

Tunnel View, Yosemite National Park, CA

California is bordered by the Pacific Ocean to the West, Oregon to the North, Nevada and Arizona to the East, and Mexico to the South. It is the 3rd largest state in size, next to Alaska and Texas. If California were a country, by size, it would be 59th largest in the world. Economically, California has the largest gross state product in the US, responsible for 13% of US gross domestic product (GDP). If it were a country, economically, it would have the 9th largest GDP in the world.

The climate of California is often misunderstood, probably linking it only to one particular region. California has a microclimate weather, varying from Mediterranean to Subarctic. Much of the state has Mediterranean weather, with cool, rainy winters and dry summer. The cool ocean breeze often creates summer fog near the coast.

The Greatest Meeting of the Mountains and the Sea, Big Sur, CA

Further inland, California encounters colder winters and hotter summers.

North Lake, Bishop, CA

California’s rugged beauty is due to its tremendous geographical diversity. It has over than 1200 miles of coastline,

McWay Falls, Julia Pffeifer Burns State Park, Big Sur, CA

two of America’s most protected bays, San Francisco

San Francisco Bay

and San Diego.

San Diego Bay

California is home to numerous mountain ranges, such as the Sierra Nevada, Spanish for “Snowy Range”.

Summer at Eastern Sierra, CA

The Sierra contains the highest peak in the contiguous 48 States, Mt. Whitney, which rises to 14, 505 ft.

Mt. Whitney, CA (the highest point in the lower 48 states)

Twist of nature, Mt. Whitney, the highest point in the contiguous 48 states, and Badwater in Death Valley, the lowest point in North America and 2nd lowest point in the Western Hemisphere are less than 200 miles from each other.

Badwater, Death Valley National Park, CA (the lowest point in North America and 2nd lowest in Western Hemisphere)

The Sierra Nevada falls to Arctic temperatures in winter, and has several dozen small glaciers still present, including the Palisade Glaciers, the Southernmost glacier in the US.

Palisades Glacier, CA

About 35% of the state is covered by forests, its forestland is exceeded only by that of Alaska. California’s species of pine is unmatched by any other states. California’s Sequoia National Park has several of the largest trees in the world.

Giant Sequoias, Sequoia National Park, CA

California deserts make up about 25% of the state’s area. The Mojave Desert occupies a huge area of Southeastern California.

Joshua Tree @ Joshua Tree National Park, CA (Mojave Desert)

Mojave Desert is a transition between the Great Basin and Sonoran Desert.

Font’s Point, Anza Borrego Desert State Park, CA ( Sonoran Desert).

Whereas along the California coast are three of the major metropolitan areas in the country,

Los Angeles,

San Diego,

and San Francisco.

Come, visit this blog often, as we explore the natural, cultural and historical sites of California, the Golden State.

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