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( looking toward the ocean )

As I wrote back in August, my ideas about gardening and garden design have changed quite a lot over the last few years. When I first moved to this climate, I wanted to grow all the things I wasn't able to grow back in Europe. I loved all flowers all the time. The bigger, the better! No grasses or succulents for me. I thought they were boring ( Read more... )

Carlsbad is on the coast between Los Angeles and San Diego in southern California. Of course I went to the beach. It was perfect t-shirt weather, even for this always-freezing Swede.

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Last weekend I went to Calero County Park. Here's a bare oak that I shot on the way back.


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On New Years Eve I ended up at Pinnacles National Park. This time I went to the western entrance near Soledad. The drive was beautiful and it seemed less crowded than the eastern entrance. I'll be sure to come back ( Read more... )

My road trip from Carmel Valley to Pinnacles took me along the magnificent Arroyo Seco to Soledad. I particularly like the green bridge in this panorama.

( very long scrolling panorama )

On New Years Eve I drove from my hotel in Carmel Valley to Pinnacles National Park. I took the long way, along Carmel Valley Road and Arroyo Seco to Soledad. The route was beautiful in a way that's hard to convey in photos. But I took a couple of panoramas that hint at the charmingly rural experience ( Read more... )

On my first full day in Carmel Valley, I wanted to visit Point Lobos. Unfortunately that didn't happen. The parking lot was full, so I continued south on Highway 1 to Garrapata State Park. Part of the park is on the beach-side of the highway. I spent a very enjoyable couple of hours walking and meditating here.


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