October 26, 2012 · 5:40 am

Cruising the West Coast — Santa Barbara Courthouse


No, I didn’t get arrested.  Neither did Ursula.  We went into the courthouse unshackled and free, and we left the same way.  What brought us here were the glorious architectural features, incredible interior art, and magnificent views from atop the bell tower.  You’ll see what I mean in a moment.

We departed Mission Santa Barbara on foot and headed southeast along Santa Barbara Street.  Along the way we discovered the enchanting Alice Keck Park Memorial Gardens.  After our detour through the park, we continued southeast until reaching the Santa Barbara Courthouse.  This architecture wonder has been called the, “. . . grandest Spanish Colonial Revival structure ever built.”  The person who made that claim should know, as it was none other than Charles Willard Moore.

And here are the views from atop the bell tower, inside the courthouse, and on the hike to get there:

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October 24, 2012 · 5:40 am

Cruising the West Coast — Mission Santa Barbara


After twenty-four hours (five spent stranded in the middle of the bay because of some idiot at Homeland Security), it was time to weigh anchor and head south.  Our next destination was Santa Barbara, a coastal gem I had yet to adequately explore before this voyage.  Our last cruise stop to Santa Barbara was spent visiting wineries and the charming Dutch community of Solvang.  This time Ursula was insistent upon viewing what Santa Barbara had to offer.

We took public transportation inland and then hoofed it to the Mission Santa Barbara, established by Spanish Franciscans in 1786.  The current mission you see below was started after the great earthquake of 1812 and completed in 1820.

The church itself is not the only attraction on this walk, however.  The area through which we made our approach on foot is repeat with splendid examples of homes in the California Spanish Colonial Revival style.

As Santa Barbara presents plenty of photographic opportunities, we’ll see more of this California coastal gem in another blog or two.  Meanwhile, enjoy the views:

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October 22, 2012 · 5:40 am

Cruising the West Coast — Muir Woods


The day following our ridiculously silly five-hour Homeland Security Quarantine and Alcatraz at Night Adventure, we awoke very early for an organized tour to Muir Woods and the artsy community of Sausalito.

The featured trees of Muir Woods are prime examples of the prehistoric coast redwood, or sequoia sempervirens — a direct ancestor of the tree that dominated North American forests some 150 million years ago.  Many examples here are between 200 and 300 feet tall.  The tallest reaches 379.  Age wise, these trees can live up to 1,800 years.

Along the way we stopped for some spectacular views of the Bay area and, of course, the Golden Gate Bridge.

Photographically speaking, Muir Woods can be a bit of a challenge.  The thick growth overhead blocks most of the sun.  As a result, you’ll be hard pressed to produce handheld shots even at ISO 800 to 1600.  Make sure you take at least a monopod (preferably a tripod) or be prepared to use something else to steady your camera for slow shutter speeds.

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