Aerial Views of California

Above: Port of Long Beach

Below: Mountain -- Is this smoke from the Station Fire?

(See link below picture.)

See the Webshots album "Station Fire" - Largest fire in this county since 1897.
by USCdyer

Scoring an Extra Seat on a Plane

I was delighted when we wound up with an extra seat on our flight to Long Beach. That meant the two of us had three seats, so Frank could sit on the aisle and I could sit at the window. We used the seat between us for elbow room and a place to put things. I even took advantage of the TV screen, leaving it on the status channel so I could glance over now and then to see what state we were flying over.

Now here's where it gets cool: the same thing happened on our return trip! We had reserved seats 21A and 21B and nobody came to sit in 21C (the aisle seat). Once the doors were closed, Frank moved into the aisle seat and I raised the armrest and enjoyed the luxury of elbow room. And since we were flying JetBlue, we had adequate leg room too! (They give you more space for your knees than United does, for instance.) Ahh! This is how coast-to-coast travel should always be!

Later we switched seats so that Frank could watch us descend over the beautiful Appalachian Mountains. We had missed the green landscape of the eastern states while we were in parched southern California.

It wasn't just luck that we got an extra seat. For one thing, we flew both ways on a non-peak travel day, a Tuesday. Also, we chose our seats from an online diagram. I made an effort to find seats that just might stay unsold if the flight was not crowded. In this case, the seats across the aisle were already sold, so only a single traveler would buy 21C. (If 21D had been unsold, two friends or co-workers might choose C and D and sit across the aisle from each other.) Our luck held and the flight was not even close to being sold out.

Frank at Long Beach Airport

We recommend Long Beach Airport instead of LAX. It's smaller so you don't have to walk far, plus the lines are rarely long. Quite a change for those of us who are used to Dulles.

Point Fermin Lighthouse, Two Views

This handsome lighthouse is one of the oldest on the West Coast. It is situated high on a bluff near San Pedro. It was built in 1874 and restored a century later.

Info: Point Fermin Lighthouse

Beauty at Point Fermin Park

Point Fermin Park is in San Pedro, California. It is considered the "southernmost point in Los Angeles."

Legends Car Show

We happened across an antique car show at Point Fermin, CA. Frank likes old cars so of course we had to stop and take a look. There were lots of restored cars and even some bands -- quite an event.

Manhattan Beach, California

The weather was hot in southern California. The town of Manhattan Beach offers a sandy beach (unlike many of the rocky shores along the Pacific).

When we arrived, a group of children were engaged in a sand castle contest as a birthday party entertainment. A company provides molds and encouragement. I heard them pronounce a six-way tie for the best castle.

The sign being pulled by a plane (right) appears in reverse, so don't bother trying to read it. It's an ad for FIOS by Verizon.

Manhattan Beach

Pretty Plant, California

Do you know what this plant is?

I like it's variegated foliage and the flowers that remind me of an azalea. Let me know if you have the name for it.

A Lovely Golf Course

We walked to the ocean along the Trump National Golf Course on the Palos Verdes Peninsula. Actually, Frank and his sister made the hike down to the beach. I looked at the steepness of the trail and decided to stay at the top and take pictures.

Historical Marker at Trump Golf Course

Here we see a woman pausing to read a plaque in front of the Trump National Golf Club in Palos Verdes. It commemorates the area's First Japanese American Farm and was erected by the Rancho de los Palos Verdes Historical Society.
The marker starts out:

Site of the First Japanese American Farm on the Palos Verde Peninsula

This site was designated a Point of Historical Interest at a meeting in regular session on May 1, 1992 in Sacremento. It particularly honors Kumekichi Ishibashi, who built the first Japanese-American farmhouse in 1906. He was born in Japan and came to San Francisco in 1905. Taking odd jobs, he worked his way through great difficulties...

You can read the rest of the story on the Japanese American Historical Mapping Project website.

View at Trump National Golf Club

The Trump National Golf Course was not built yet when we last visited California. Now it is completed and quite lovely. It overlooks the Pacific and the grounds are lush and green, thanks to the wonders of irrigation systems.

I mention irrigation because the Palos Verdes Peninsula where it is located appears to me to be naturally brown, with steep cliffs dropping down to the sea and inland ravines filled with dry brush which burst into flame when someone is careless with fire. We saw one of the wildfires on the horizon one night. Helicopters flew across the glowing red sky, as an army of brave firemen labored to control the fire and save neighboring homes.

Trail to the Ocean

When the site plan for the Trump National Golf Course was approved, public access to the ocean was preserved. Thus some nice trails are enjoyed by those fit enough to make the hike. Click the start arrow to see a brief scenic video.

On the Grounds of Wayfarers Chapel

Frank likes to visit Wayfarers Chapel whenever he travels to Palos Verdes. When we stopped by there on Saturday, the chapel was closed to the public because a wedding was being held, so we had to content ourselves with wandering the gardens.

"Pause for a moment, Wayfarer, on life's journey.

Let these waters restore your soul and nourish your inner being."

Above we see some engraved bricks in the Walk of Honor. One is dedicated to the memory of Frank's mother, Thelma Canuti W.

Left: View looking toward the Pacific. Yes, that's the Goodyear Blimp.

2008 Visit to Wayfarers Chapel.

Hurry! Marie's contest ends soon!

Marie is running a contest. Winner gets a great hand-sewn hippo bag! See it on her blog!

Sailing Ship at San Pedro

Return to Point Vicente

We made a brief stop at Point Vicente. Above you see the visitors center on the left. In that window is the only known surviving whale boat in California and it has been lovingly restored.

I've posted Vicente photos previously including the Lighthouse in 2007.

Max!

Max was rescued by my sister-in-law over a dozen years ago. He's getting along in years but he seems happy. Originally she found him in the street and took him to the animal shelter in hopes that his owners would claim him. When no one did, she went back and adopted him.

Frank at Redondo Beach

We had dinner at Kincaid's which is nice but a bit pricey. It's at one end of the pier and the atmosphere is pleasant.

Tourist Info: Redondo Beach Chamber of Commerce

The Redondo Beach Pier

View Our Previous Visit

Two Chandeliers

These chandeliers are in the Huntington Art Gallery. The above photo is sharp because the window provided plenty of light. Flash and tripods are not allowed so one of our shots of the another chandelier came out blurry. I liked the image anyway so I increased the saturation and cropped it. Now it looks like a holiday decoration.

You can see what the fixture really looks like in the post below this one.