Malaquite Campground - Corpus Christi, TX

No, this is not California or the Caribbean or Hawaii or Florida. It's Texas! This is just a quiet, peaceful, family friendly beach. I love that it is further away from the city, so there are fewer people visiting. This is a part of the national seashore park system. It's amazing miles of the unspoiled beach!!! No rowdy party goers with loud music and alcohol. We enjoyed this beach. Can't wait to go back!

The Longest Stretch of Undeveloped Barrier Island in the World
Padre Island National Seashore separates the Gulf of Mexico from the Laguna Madre, one of a few hypersaline lagoons in the world.  The park protects 70 miles of coastline, dunes, prairies, and wind tidal flats teeming with life.  It is a safe nesting ground for the Kemp’s ridley sea turtle and a haven for over 380 bird species.  It also has a rich history, including the Spanish shipwrecks of 1554. 

Ratcliff Lake Recreation Area 2017 One of our favorite places to stay!!

We were very pleased with the scenery and the surroundings.
Well maintained,  clean,  quiet,  friendly. You get a lot of space to yourself, so we definitely felt like we had a lot of privacy. One of our favorite places to stay!! Spending some time at this park will differently re-charge your batteries.
Will definitely go back.

Blueberry Hill Farm & Nursery 2017

A very nice day outdoors! So glad we did!  We all had a great time! It was a lot of fun being able to pick your own berries. I did it once when I was a kid and enjoyed the event then too. Wonderful place, people, and experience!

Possum Kingdom State Park (Caddo, TX) 2017

This was our first visit to this state park.

Spent the weekend with the Family at the Park and had an amazing time.
This lake is one of the finest in Texas..... Very pretty and deep.
Wildlife abounds and plenty of campsites on the water.
Too hot to stay for long, but it is Texas in May.

Yosemite National Park, California. Everyone should come to this place at least once in their life. There is really nothing quite like it anywhere else in the world.

This was my first trip to Yosemite and can say I was in awe of it's beauty from the valley floor to it's highest peaks and giant trees.

I was blown away with the place, it is so beautiful, every turn there is another breathtaking view. It really is one of those places that can not truly be captured by words or photos.
You have to be there to truly understand how amazing it really is.

The pass at elevation 9945 feet. Tioga Pass is the greatest road I've ever driven on...and I'm glad I did it!

This scenic drive through forests and past meadows, lakes, and granite domes is very exciting and sometimes very exposed and unsecured driveway in innumerable twists and turns. On the summit of the road there’s the Tioga Pass, at an elevation of 9,943 ft. (3,031 m.) above the sea level. It is the highest highway pass in California and in the Sierra Nevada. Mount Dana is to the east of the pass.

The surface of the road is asphalted, and chains or snow tyres can be required throughout the year. TiogaPass is named after Tioga Mine, whose name originated in New York: "Tioga" is named for an Iroquois and Mohawk term meaning "where it forks". The road was built in 1882-1883 as a mining road and was realigned and modernized in 1961. 

Emerald Bay, Lake Tahoe 05.20.2016

Emerald Bay is definitely one of the most beautiful places at Lake Tahoe.
We stopped at an overlook over Emerald Bay and were taken aback by the beautiful views. We enjoyed walking around the park and the lake area even it's a bit cold that day but it was a beautiful day.
Vikingsholm Castle is also nearby but we didn't get a chance to go this time around.

Emerald Bay- Topaz Lake- Tioga Road

San Francisco, California, United States 2016

This is our first time here. Pier 39 is a fun, touristy locale - snacks, candy, touristy stuff to gawk at and buy. The little carousel is charming. Great food. From late summer to late spring (mid May), there are typically hundreds of sea lions.

 California sea lions have chosen to haul out at PIER 39’s K-Dock because there’s plenty of food nearby in the bay and ocean, their natural predators (white sharks and orcas) do not typically feed in the bay and there is plenty of space. Also, the docks are easier to haul out on, more comfortable and more protected from storms than a rocky beach.

Pacific Coast Highway - Route 1.This trip was something I have wanted to do for quite some time.

I can't say enough about this truly amazing drive and scenery. This was my first trip to CA and the Pacific Coast Highway has been on my list for many years. I'm so glad I finally got to see it. We took it slow and kept stopping to view the scenery and take pictures. It was absolutely amazing. You are driving right along the ocean with the most amazing views - the ocean, the cliffs, crashing waves, flowers - it was great. The road is so narrow and winding in places that the speed limit has to drop to 25mph and even this feels fast on some of the turns. It was really beautiful. I was barely able to drive1 mile straight through without stopping. 

 A truly beautiful part of the world that everyone should experience!

Yes, I would do it again and we can't wait to go back and spend more time.Don't miss out on this adventure. You'll never forget it.

WELCOME TO SANTA BARBARA

State Street.

It is a fun street to walk up and down.

Lovely wide clean sandy beach with fairly cold sea water. 

Crystal Cathedral. Quite a spiritual "journey". :)

What a great find for me! My husband knows how much I love architecture so he surprised me by bringing me here to show me around.
The Crystal Cathedral is very unique and well worth your visit. And it's FREE. The unique part about it is that it's one of those modern churches made entirely of glass including the bell tower. The Crystal Cathedral also has a big pipe organ. The architecture and statues around the grounds are truly amazing. Even the cemetery was unique with beautiful landscaping. 
The address of Christ Cathedral is: 13280 Chapman Ave, Garden Grove, CA 92840.

Calico Ghost Town 2016

A quaint little wild west mining town well worth the visit on your drive to or from Las Vegas. 

We had enjoyed wondering the streets, reading the history, and seeing all the historical buildings and furniture.So glad we paid a visit.This was a fun experience.  It's a fab way to spend a few hours and get an insight into what towns like that would have been like.

More More More 

San Diego. Mormon Temple.

One of the most beautiful temples I have ever seen. It looks like a castle from a fairy tale.   I love just looking at it! A wonderful place! There is a certain calm and peaceful feeling just being near it.
Of course, if you're not Mormon, you will not be allowed to go inside, but the outside is very impressive and makes for some great photos.
So, so, beautiful. It is lit at night, and you can see its beauty as you drive òn Interstate 5 near La Jolla.
Love this place.

Death Valley National Park,California

I never thought I would enjoy the desert so much. We spent the entire day touring Death Valley.

Spectacular!  I didn't know a view like this existed on this planet! It was pretty surreal. It is something you will never forget.

Nice little Island to spend the day!

We visited Coronado Island while staying in San Diego in May.
I like Coronado Island for its quiet, laid-back simplicity and for its beautiful views of the downtown San Diego skyline. It's the white, sandy beaches that have earned it numerous ratings as one of top ten beaches in the U.S.
The grounds of the Hotel are beautiful, and we were able to see its private villas on the beach. Also, the residential beach homes of the island were nice to look at. There is a contrast of Victorian and Contemporary styles.
It was one of the most relaxing places I have ever been! Paradise!

Sketchbook Journey: Day3. The Strip-Las Vegas, Nevada

The Strip is the single most awesome street in America. Visit every casino you can.

Do not miss the fountains of Bellagio and the conservatory inside.

What else can you say? The strip is awesome.. you need days to look at and visit everything! Great shops and tons of hotels!

Lots to see, lots to do.  Enjoy, but watch your speding. :)

Bellagio Las Vegas.This place is just beautiful!

 I knew I wanted to try the Bellagio and I am very happy we did! The Bellagio matches what I personally enjoy the most - elegance and comfort. And the hotel and casino were first class.

The Hoover Dam. Dam in the Clark County, Nevada

Hoover Dam is enormous. Much bigger than you'll ever imagine until you see it. I'm normally not interested in engineering, but our tour and walk around Hoover Dam was really interesting (and it was great to take a break from Vegas. It's only about 30 miles from the Strip).

Of course, the highlight of the "tour" is being able to walk along the Dam itself. It is very powerful to see. It was also fun to walk from one time zone to another, as you crossed from Nevada into Arizona.

I recommend spending 1/2 a day at Hoover Dam as this is truly a man-made wonder. We were not disappointed. Its' definitely worth a visit.

Grand Canyon National Park. Arizona 2016

I always wanted to see the canyon and when I finally got the chance I must say that it exceeded the expectations that pictures and film had set. Impossible to do justice to this place in words; it is just too spectacular. It is completely breathtaking and awesome. We will be back to further explore this amazing and beautiful place.