Category: parks

Grasses in the Point Pinole Meadow

The fishing pier is a popular destination at Point Pinole, as are the eucalyptus forests and the bluff overlooking San Pablo Bay and the salt marshes. But the…

Ferry Point, Richmond

In recent decades Richmond has been aggressively developing its waterfront. Brickyard Cove, near Ferry Point, was once the location of a brick-making plant that used materials quarried from…

Point Pinole

This is a test of making a post sticky for a tag. At the moment this is only a test. Soon I will elaborate this tag.

Point Pinole Pier

Point Pinole pier with toyon bush in foreground.

Muir Woods

I visited Muir Woods yesterday (in the company of a couple of beautiful women) via the main entrance and found it quite crowded — the only parking was a good ways down the road from the auxiliary lot. That’s one of the reasons we normally enter from the Pantoll or Bootjack trails. But the main redwood grove by the entrance really is quite spectacular, and I took a few pictures..

I’ve been taking pictures in Muir Woods for decades, but I feel it’s a difficult subject: it’s both very low (and quite green) light and also — perversely enough from the photographer’s standpoint — high contrast. Probably the best as a general rule would be a low ASA setting, a small aperture, and a very long exposure using a tripod. I didn’t have that luxury however, as I was just shooting with my trusty Canon A630. Still, these low-res samples might capture something of the feel of the day. (Expand to full screen or click through to the Flickr page for better views.)

Why are you on the computer

when you could be enjoying outdoor activities? According to Forbes magazine, if you live in SF you ought to be outside right now. You see, what Forbes did…

Photo Wednesday: Muir Woods

muir woods

This view of Muir Woods in Marin County is from soupboy‘s photostream.

Presidio Trust changing the nature of the Presidio

The oversight agency for the Presidio proposes to construct not just the massive Fisher Art Museum but a 125-room hotel and new movie theaters as well, right in…

Lampton Cliffs County Park, Cambria, central California coast

Just down the road from the Fiscalini Ranch Preserve in Cambria on the central California coast is a small country park called Lampton Cliffs. The park features a…

Mount Diablo tarantula

Each fall the tarantulas come out on Mount Diablo to mate. We saw a couple this year and read about a couple of cyclists — Mt. Diablo is…

Golden Gate Park Windmill

I don’t think I have an image of the Murphy Windmill in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park right now. The image at left is of another windmill in…

Port View Park, Oakland

The main feature of Port View Park in Oakland is what locals call the Seventh Street Pier. It’s a popular fishing pier that offers good views of the…