Limekiln State Park

While camping at Morro Bay we decided to drive up the coast and check out Limekiln State Park.  This was one of the parks slated to be closed until the state found funds to keep it open.

The park sits on the coast and features both ocean views and deep, shaded redwood groves.  There were also several hiking trails and we chose the short (1 mile each way) trail to the historic limekilns.

The trail follows a lovely creek which is crossed several times by nice, sturdy bridges.

 One of the kilns featured this impressive stone base while three others were just tall steal cylinders.

Limestone was packed into the kilns and smelted into powdered lime which was then shipped to be used in the making of cement.  The combination of limestone and abundant redwood to use as fuel made this a viable but short lived operation, the limestone ran out before the redwood.

There was another trail I wish we had been able to explore.  It went up to what I am told is a very lovely waterfall.  Unfortunately, there are several stream crossings and no bridges on that trail.  I didn't have time for what might have been a tricky and time consuming adventure.  Perhaps another time.
You can learn more about the park and the trail here.  For a map to its location, click here.

To see more of our amazing world, visit Our World, Tuesday.

Memo to self, don't link when tired

Birding at Morro Bay

Morro Bay on the Central California Coast is a popular place to vacation for humans, birds and humans looking for birds.  With a nice State Park Campground with hook-ups it was perfect for us.

Brant

 The area has a variety of habitats which means there is a variety of bird life.

American Wigeon

In the grasslands of the estuary we saw Brants, American Wigeons and Great Blue Herons.

female Bufflehead

In the bay were Buffleheads, Loons, Greater Scaup, Ruddy Ducks, Pelicans, and a variety of grebes.

Loon

Grebe

I find it hard to ID the grebes in there winter plumage, my guess would be an Eared Grebe.  I also saw pied-billed grebes.

Ruddy Duck

I love the way their little tails stick up.

American White Pelican

Greater Scaup

I'm sure there were many species out in the bay that escaped my view.

Brown Pelican

Other birds were spotted above the water like this Brown Pelican.

A squadron of Cormorants skimmed the water.

female Belted Kingfisher

Hubby spotted this Kingfisher watching for a meal from the mast of a sailboat.  Thanks Jules, my best kingfisher image yet.

Long Billed Curlew

Shorebirds hunted in the mudflats at low tide.  In addition to the Curlew I saw Egrets, Marbled Godwits and Willets.

Assorted Peeps

I was told that there were some redknots among the other peeps out at the water's edge.  They were too far to get a good shot.

Black Phoebe

Of course, there were passerines as well.  I heard but did not see a Great Horned Owl.

We saw a lot in our three days but there is a lot more to see, we need to go back.

See more of what our wonderful world has to offer at Our World, Tuesday, hosted by Arija, Gattina, Lady Fi, Sandy and Sylvia.

To see more birds from around the world, go to Wild Bird Wednesday, hosted by Stewart

Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park

Colonel Allensworth SHP is a little known California State Park, off the beaten track in the San Joaquin Valley.  The town was founded in 1908 and named for one of its founders, Col Allen Allensworth, a former slave who gained an education after the civil war and rose to be a chaplain in the US Army, the first African American to obtain the rank of Colonel.

Today the town is a state park consisting of restored and rebuilt buildings.  I could tell you the story but you will get a much better sense of the town and Col Allensworth if you listen to the park's Podcast.

Throughout the park, plaques explain the history of each of the buildings.  You will find it easier to read the story of these buildings if you enlarge the images.

Although we were unable to get a tour, a kind park employee opened one of the buildings allowing us a closer look inside.

The founders of Allensworth had hoped to found a town where they could live, work and educate their children, free of the discrimination that they felt in other parts of the country.  The early death of Col Allensworth, the loss of water rights and other setbacks kept the town from being the prosperous community they had hoped for.

The town continued with a few residents until the 1960s when arsenic was found in the water.  In 1974 the state bought the property and established the park.
To learn more about the park and some of the special events, visit the park's website and download the brochure.

See other interesting views of our world at Our World, Tuesday; hosted for us by Arija, Gattina, Lady Fi, Sandy and Sylvia.

Point Sur Lightstation

On our recent visit to Big Sur we had an opportunity to tour the Point Sur Lightstation.

This California State Historic Park is operated and maintained entirely by volunteers.  Visitors drive to a parking area at the base of the hill and hike up 360 feet to the lightstation.

You can't actually see the light from this side.  The lighthouse is lower on the hill so that the light would be under the clouds.

Restoration of the lantern room was made possible by grants, tour fees, gift shop sales, donations and membership fees in the Central Coast Lighthous Keepers.

If one has a fear of heights or is claustrophobic they might not care to clime up into the cupola.

This arch was not just an attractive window for viewing the Pacific, it supported a chimney.  The fog horn was operated by a wood fired boiler and it was necessary to direct the smoke away from the light so that it would not limit visibility.

 Wooden stairs led from the lighthouse up to the living area.

The small house on the left was the home of the head lighthouse keeper.  The three assistants and their families lived together in the larger house in the center.  Volunteers have almost completed restoration of the head keepers house.  So faithful are they to the effort that they are cutting down modern 12" linoleum tiles to the 9" that were common when the buildings were occupied.  They must wait for asbestos removal before they can restore the larger house.

In their spare time, the keepers would use their woodworking and blacksmith skill to make items to trade with local ranchers and farmers for fresh food and other items.  The dedicated volunteers have found period tools on e-bay and at yard sales to restock the shop.

A water tank, right.  No, though one did stand on this spot at one time.  It is a cell tower.  I think it is a big improvement over those fake trees we see all over.

For more information or to check tour dates, go to the Point Sur Lighthouse website .

To see more of our wonderful world got to Our World, Tuesday, hosted for us by Arija, Gattina, Lady Fi, Sylvia and Sandy.

Pelagic Cormorants and More

I thought that the birds we saw at Point Lobos deserved their own post.

My images don't do justice to the pelagic cormorant.  It's black feathers glisten with a blue green sheen in the sun.

It's amazing, the tiny ledges these colonial birds choose for there nests.

A larger ledge would have several nests.

Those not sitting on the nests could often be seen sunning themselves on the rocks below.

 Of course, there were other birds as well.  Brown Pelicans skimmed over the water.

Common Merganser

I enjoy watching mergansers, one instant they are floating on the water and the next they are gone, diving for dinner. 

red breasted merganser hen

 The red breasted merganser was a new bird for me as was the pelagic cormorant

While this image is poor I think it is good enough to identify a horned grebe, another new species for me.  Point Lobos is a wonderful place to enjoy natures variety.

More birds can be found by going to World Bird Wednesday, hosted for us by Springman.

Point Lobos State Reserve

One of the main objectives of our recent trip to Big Sur was a visit to Point Lobos

There are plenty of reasons to visit this State Reserve beyond the spectacular ocean views.

There are opportunities to view wildlife.  The harbor seals were lounging with their new pups when we visited and some people saw gray whales just off shore.

Brown Pelicans and Pelagic Cormorants

 There are opportunities for bird watching, but more on that tomorrow.

Blue-eyed Grass

Even with our dry winter there were plenty of wildflowers.

The tide was out so there were plenty of opportunities to explore the tide pools.

It's a treasure hunt to see what we can find, this guy was easy to spot.

This little crab was more difficult to find.  I saw several hermit crabs as well but they were not positioned for a good photograph.  I chose not to move them for a better view as is requested by the Reserve.

Even the rocks were interesting.  Point Lobos is definitely worth a visit if you are ever near Carmel, California.

More about Point Lobos here and here

See more of our world at That's Our World, Tuesday.

San Luis Reservoir

4/14/2012

We finally had a chance to go in search of new adventures and images to share.  We spent the first night out at San Luis Reservoir.  The Basalt campground is in a lovely, tree shaded valley protected from the wind by  rolling hills just beginning to turn green. 
The sky had the dramatic but nonthreatening clouds common at the end of a stormy period.  A good omen for camping trip.

Find more skies at SkyWatch, Friday, hosted for us each week by Sandy and Sylvia.