Carmel and Monterey

One of my most favorite areas on the California coast is the Carmel and Monterey area. The first time I remember going to that part of the coast, and didn’t go shopping, was in college during a botany class field trip. We took a day long stroll through the forest, meadow and out to the beach on a quest to discover and admire the coastal flora and fauna. It was incredible. I promised myself I would come back again and again. I kept that promise to myself and it turns out it’s like going somewhere new every time because the coast is always changing with the tide and storms that pound its shores throughout the year.

This visit was THE perfect weekend to go. It was a beautiful, sunny, 72 degree day. There was a nice breeze and HUGE waves that boomed against the cliffs and rocks. You could feel the sounds waves travel through your body. I couldn’t help but let out an “Oooh!” and “Ahhh!” at the sound and show the ocean was putting on for us. Certainly, only the brave or insane risked their lives while they stood on the rock formations along the shore as the enormous walls of water crashed upon and then swallowed entire mountainous outcroppings that peppered the edge of the shore.

After an afternoon of beach combing and photo taking, we stopped at a monastery directly across from Point Lobos and then cruised up to visit the Carmel Mission. Both had amazing buildings in beautiful settings. The mission was especially spectacular as far as the size, structures, history and age. It certainly brought back memories of my Catholic school days going to the old Saint Joseph’s church in down town San Jose.

We ended the day with dinner and dessert at Cannery Row. I didn’t get any pictures of that…Sunday evenings are very quiet there. I will definitely do that again. No crowds. I should have taken some photos there. I’ll do it next time!

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China Town

I went to San Francisco's China Town last week.

I took my 14 year old son and his 16 year old best friend. I hadn’t been to China Town in 20+ years. My motivation for going was to get my son out of the house, out into the fresh air. My self-indulgent and hidden agenda was to look at buildings, do a little window shopping, and take some photos... Guess what theirs was?

.....trying to convince me to let them buy knives, throwing stars, grappling hooks and smoke bombs….

I prefer the lanterns.

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In Aptos of all places!

Here are a few pictures of a bamboo farm in Aptos, CA I visited. I am in no way, shape, or form an expert about where and in what conditions bamboo grows best but I was shocked to see it growing in such variety and height at this place. It was a momentary step into another world. Quite beautiful!

 

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When I was a kid...

I am mostly English, German and Irish with a little French and Portuguese thrown in there for fun. When I was a kid in school, it seemed like once a year we were asked to do some sort of a project involving something to do with our family heritage such as a traditional food, some sort of clothing, a holiday ritual, etc. I went to school in downtown San Jose in a community of people most of who were relatively new to the U.S. and brought with them very strong cultural traditions from their previous homelands. Even the kids whose families had been here for several generations had a strong singular lineage that was an integral part of their daily lives.


I was a mutt and it bummed me out. Sure, we had our “family traditions” but they were in no way a part of our cultural heritage. Our traditions were built around birthdays, holidays and vacations mostly. With that being as it was, I came to the conclusion that what my family had decided to do with their culture was just let it fade away. They chose to become “Americans.” What did that mean to me? Didn’t they didn’t care about where they had come from? Were cultural traditions really not that important?

It wasn’t until recently that I came to understand that my family had been in the U.S. for quite a lot longer than I had assumed. They came here almost 400 years ago. I wasn’t raised with strong cultural ties to another country’s heritage because this country is my heritage. My ancestors settled on the east coast in 1632. Eventually, they pulled up roots and ventured out to the densely forested wilderness of Northern California’s coastal mountains. My great great grandfather was one of the first settlers in Mendocino, CA in 1853. He built a home and a mercantile and had a cattle ranch there. His home still stands and there is even a street in town named after the family. Eventually, he moved to San Francisco, was a successful businessman, raised a family there and took his last breath there.

So after almost 400 years of family history in the U.S., I suppose my family heritage and cultural traditions come from the things that truly represent who my family is and where we have come from. My culture is one of pioneers, inventors, builders of towns and cities, teachers, artists and caregivers. We are lovers of all things in nature and all of the wonders of creation, invention. Our traditions revolve around being together in places that have significance for us and with people that are significant to us. I’ll take that any day over a style of dress, a particular dish served at dinner or a holiday ritual. My heritage is American and, even more importantly, Northern Californian. :-)

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Treasure: any thing greatly valued or highly prized

I was walking the Farmer’s Market in Campbell last Sunday. There is a photographer that displays exceptional photos of nature in varying compositions from landscape panoramas to still water macros. They are natural pieces of artwork or treasures he has discovered and then captured with his camera. This is something I will be in the process of learning to do with a new and better camera than I could have ever imagined being the owner of. I can already feel it in my hands! Thanks to all of my wonderful friends and family for giving me this generous opportunity! Ok…this wasn’t suppose to be about photography, but what better way to capture natural art or treasure, especially the big stuff, and bring it home so that others can have a look if they aren’t willing or able go out there and discover and experience it on their own. Enough about photos. This is about treasure hunting.

Treasure hunting gives me the opportunity to be out in nature and find the most magnificent pieces of art I have ever seen. Nothing else compares. Natural treasures are unencumbered by the artistic doctrine or the persuasive interpretation of an aficionado. Unlike walking into a gallery or museum where everything is organized, categorized, and compartmentalized, natural art is there for the thoughtful pursuit, hunt and discovery. It is what it is. No one can tell you what it should be or mean to you. And even better than a painting or photograph, you get to hold it in your hand, feel its surfaces, turn it in the light to see it change color and if you are lucky, sometimes you get to take a little of it home with you!

The hunt for treasure involves research, motivation, some hard work and planning to be able to enjoy the end result of a collected "natural history museum.” In my opinion, the most pure version of “treasure” is the material that occurs because of a perfect combination of mineral, maybe animal, heat, pressure, water and time needed to propagate the end result; crystals, shells, stone, patterns, colors…not something left behind or created by humans. Hunting for treasure gives you the chance to travel to new places, learn about geological history and physical chemistry. You feel the accomplishment of working hard, digging in the dirt, understanding the beauty with no one to tell you how it should make you feel or what you should think it means. It is what it is; a treasure.

 

Looking forward to my next treasure hunt!