It's the end of Day 5 of my California vacation and I count myself a blessed man to be in such a beautiful place. I left last Friday morning for Southern California to spend a few days with my sister and her boyfriend in Riverside, and some friends in Palm Springs. During the times I wasn't visiting or being kindly chaperoned around the area, I rented a car and played tourist, driving around Southern Cali and taking pictures -- still and video. So far, with one partial day to go, I have been to the beach, mountains, desert, and wine country (Temecula Valley). Today I visited a Spanish mission along the coast, Mission San Luis Rey, which is the largest of the California missions and certainly among the most beautiful. Yesterday (Monday) I drove a few hundred miles around the high desert north of Palm Springs and mountains south of it. It was amazing.
This trip has been a real Godsend for me for many reasons. Not only is it a chance to get away from the Texas heat and humidity (Palm Springs humidity was 5 percent yesterday!), it is a mental and emotional refresher. I haven't had a mental break, save for Christmas and Thanksgiving, since 2003, when I was a small town newspaper editor and working my way through seminary. The Newton family went to Nova Scotia, Canada, that May. Sadly, THIS newton's vacation ends tomorrow night when my plane touches down at Dallas-Ft. Worth International Airport. I'm seriously considering taking off by car to go someplace else cool and scenic on Thursday but maybe my senses will take over by then!
Here are just a few of the 948 photos I have taken so far here in California. I also have about an hour and 45 minutes of video footage to edit down.
Be God's and pray for a safe flight!
Brother John
A forest brook I discovered off the side of the road in the San Jacinto Mountains, east of L.A.
The Mission Inn is the top tourist attraction in Riverside, CA, a hotel built in the late 1800s in the Spanish style. It is a beautiful place with photographic potential around every corner.
A "Joshua Tree" may look weird but it is one of very few things that will grow in the high desert. I liken it to a cross between a pine tree, saguarro cactus and yucca plant. It's a real tree, and Joshua Tree National Park is... as you might suspect... full of them.
I have been really impressed by the sunsets here in Southern California. My sister showed me this little park near her apartment where we can look over the San Bernardino valley and see the majesty every evening. The smog from L.A. doesn't hurt the beauty, either!
This is Mission San Luis Rey, the so-called "King of the Missions" in Oceanside, CA. It was my destination on Day 5 of my trip.Finally......
The Pacific Ocean. Taken at Treasure Island Beach in the city of Laguna Beach on Day 2 of my trip. It was an amazing sight for me. Grapevine Lake is nice and all, but this one's way better. Dude..
