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Travelling Photographer

Photos and commentary from my travels around the globe

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California

Poppies and Cactus

Six weeks after knee replacement and a bad case of cabin fever I headed out on my own to view the  years spectacular wildflower bloom and the beginnings of cactus flowering season. First I headed to San Francisquito Canyon Rd in Angeles National Forest  an area where I previously viewed California Poppies and then on to Antelope Valley Poppy Reserve the star area in northeast Los Angeles for the orange blooms. Unfortunately there were so many visitors I didn’t even attempt to enter he reserve but toured around the peripheral fields – the views were still specular.  Leaving the reserve I headed further north to Arthur B. Ripley Desert Woodland State Park – The park protects mature stands of Joshua trees and California juniper trees in their western Mojave Desert habitat. It was a several mile slog through sandy trails but very rewarding.

California Poppies

 

Arthur B. Ripley Desert Woodland State Park

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Route 66 – Early Start

Planning to head back to Florida in mid-May by car again. As you know we eschew the interstates and head out on the red and blue roads. This time I’m looking into following route 66 — also known as the Will Rogers Highway, the Main Street of America or the Mother Road. Last weekend I started the trip by heading west from Los Angeles on Sunset Blvd. and Santa Monica Blvd. to the “End of the Trail” sign on the Santa Monica Pier. The road trip took me through Beverly Hills and a walk along the bluffs of Santa Monica looking down at the Pier. Looking forward to tripping from Los Angeles to San Bernadino before we leave for real.

Beverly Hills

 

Santa Monica

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Crystal Lake & Lewis Falls Trail

A Friday morning trip high up into the San Gabriel Mountains (5500+) confirmed we are nearing draught conditions again. Crystal Lake was almost non-existent and  the surrounding mountains were snow-less. There is an effortless 1.33 mile trail to and around the lake which provides excellent views of the surrounding mountains and forest which has bounced back after the 2002 Curve Fire. The trailhead is 24 miles of winding road from Azusa along rt. 39. Leaving the lake I headed to the Lewis Falls trailhead about five miles back down the mountain about 2 miles before the Rincon ranger station. The trailhead is unmarked but its on a bend with a wide shoulder and one car parking areas just before and after.

The trail to Lewis Falls along Soldier Creek is a very short trail – one mile round trip – but this is no stroll through the woods. The last tenth of a mile is a completely unmaintained scramble and boulder-hop along the creek bed, and takes about as much time to traverse as the first 0.4 miles.

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Looking SE to San Bernardino Mts.
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Crystal Lake
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Snow-less mountains
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Cascade along Lewis Trail
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Lewis Falls
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Lewis Falls
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Lewis Falls
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Start of Boulder hopping
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San Gabriel Dam
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2018 Pasadena Rose Parade – New Years Day

After many years of watching the parade by standing on Colorado Blvd. or from my office building on Lake Ave. we “roughed it”. Well not really we rented a table at a local restaurant along the parade route – enjoyed brunch, watched and photographed.

Members of Pasadena’s Valley Hunt Club first staged the parade in 1890. Since then the parade has been held in Pasadena every New Year’s Day, except when January 1 falls on a Sunday. In that case, it is held on the subsequent Monday, January 2. This exception was instituted in 1893, as organizers did not wish to disturb horses hitched outside Sunday church services.

For more info on the Parade see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rose_Parade

Earth, Wind & Fire
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Starting Fresh in 2018

After too long of a hiatus my 2018 resolution is to revive this blog and my website:  (PeterSKucmaPhotography. com). To do so I will look back and post on events of 2017 as well as staying current in 2018. Please share this blog with your family and friends – the more feedback I get the better the blog will become. For my Pasadena friends I will continue to add Framed Photography to my Pasadena Assistance League Craft Fair Inventory – you can view them and all the fine work of other crafters @  820 East California Blvd. Pasadena, California 91106.

New Years Eve

Walking Orange Grove Avenue as the parade floats begin to cue. At the stroke of midnight all you could here is the sound of fireworks led by Los Angles and followed by most of the surrounding communities (or lit up revellers). A lot calmer walking Colorado Blvd. no couches, fires, grills this year – also void of street vendors – security very tight. Home to bed for a little sleep and an early morning to see the parade.

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Carmel by the Sea

A weekend trip to the Monterey Peninsula for a  visit with family started with a late afternoon stroll through downtown Carmel and along Carmel Bay.  It is known for the museums and library of the historic Carmel Mission, and the fairytale cottages and galleries of the village-like center. The Scenic Bluff Path runs along Carmel Beach. Continue reading “Carmel by the Sea” →

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