Our Southern California Trip, February 2023

 

All images are Copyright James W. Blilie, 2023:  All rights reserved

 

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Honey Lake, California

 

High Sierra Nevada from near Bishop, California

 

Take the high road

 

From the 2nd of February through the 15th of February, we took a long road trip to southern

California.  We wanted to be in sunshine and warmth for a while in the mioddle of winter.

This trip did not disappoint.  We had perfect weather the entire time, inlcuding driving down

and back up.  We threaded the needle between the heavy winter storms California has

experienced this winter.

 

We drove down US Hwy 197 and 97 to just south of Bend, Oregon, then took Oregon

Highway 31 southeast to pick up US Hwy 395, which we then followed all the way to

within just a few miles of Palm Desert, where we rented an Air B&B, stopping for the

night at Altura California and Bishop California.  We hiked Joshua Tree National Park,

The Thousand Palms Oasis, The "Indian Canyons" just outside of Palm Springs, and visited

the Sunnylands Estate in Rancho Mirage.

 

Joshua Tree National Park, California

 

We then crossed the coastal mountains to the Pacific coast at Dana Point and followed

the PCH up to Seal Beach, where we stayed for two more days.  From Seal Beach,

we visited the Bolsa Chica Wildlife Reserve, Huntington Beach, and the Mission San

Juan Capistrano.

 

Then is was three days up I-5 back home, stopping at Manteca, California and Medford,

Oregon.

 

It was a very nice break from winter!

 

Joshua Tree National Park, California

 

Murray Canyon, California

 

Mission San Juan Capistrano, California

 

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Criterion Summit, Oregon

Criterion Summit, Oregon:

Mount Adams

California high desert

California high desert

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California high desert

California high desert

California high desert

California high desert:  Honey Lake

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California high desert

California high desert:  Topaz Lake

California high desert

 

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California high desert:  Mono Lake

California high desert:  Mono Lake

Views of the eastern Sierra Nevada

Views of the eastern Sierra Nevada

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Views of the eastern Sierra Nevada

Views of the eastern Sierra Nevada

Views of the eastern Sierra Nevada

Views of the eastern Sierra Nevada

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Views of the eastern Sierra Nevada

Views of the eastern Sierra Nevada

Views of the eastern Sierra Nevada

Views of the eastern Sierra Nevada

Bottom:  Mount Whitney

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Views of the eastern Sierra Nevada

California Quail cock

Views of the eastern Sierra Nevada

Mount Whitney

Into the desert

Into the desert

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Into the desert

Palm Desert:  Our B&B

Moonrise, Palm Desert:  Our B&B

Palm Desert:  Our B&B

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Palm Desert:  Our B&B

Palm Desert:  Our B&B

Palm Desert:  Our B&B

Palm Desert:  Our B&B

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Palm Desert:  Our B&B

Thousand Palms Oasis

Thousand Palms Oasis

Thousand Palms Oasis

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Thousand Palms Oasis

Thousand Palms Oasis

Thousand Palms Oasis

Thousand Palms Oasis

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Thousand Palms Oasis

Thousand Palms Oasis

Thousand Palms Oasis

Thousand Palms Oasis

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Thousand Palms Oasis

Thousand Palms Oasis

Thousand Palms Oasis

Thousand Palms Oasis:  Jamie's photos

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Thousand Palms Oasis:  Jamie's photos

Thousand Palms Oasis:  Jamie's photos

Thousand Palms Oasis:  Jamie's photos

Blackrock Canyon, Joshua Tree National Park

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Blackrock Canyon, Joshua Tree National Park

Blackrock Canyon, Joshua Tree National Park

Blackrock Canyon, Joshua Tree National Park

Blackrock Canyon, Joshua Tree National Park

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Blackrock Canyon, Joshua Tree National Park

Many windmills and some very high winds

Split Rock Trail, Joshua Tree National Park

Split Rock Trail, Joshua Tree National Park

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Split Rock Trail, Joshua Tree National Park

Split Rock Trail, Joshua Tree National Park

Split Rock Trail, Joshua Tree National Park

Split Rock Trail, Joshua Tree National Park; Jamie's photos

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Split Rock Trail, Joshua Tree National Park; Jamie's photo

Desert Queen Mine Road, Joshua Tree National Park

Desert Queen Mine Road, Joshua Tree National Park; Jamie's photos

Desert Queen Mine Road, Joshua Tree National Park:  Jamie's photo

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Desert Queen Mine Road, Joshua Tree National Park; Jamie's photos:  Loggerhead Shrike

Desert Queen Mine Road, Joshua Tree National Park

Indian Canyons, Palm Springs:  Part of the drive in(!)

Indian Canyons, Palm Springs:  Murray Canyon

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Indian Canyons, Palm Springs:  Murray Canyon

Indian Canyons, Palm Springs:  Murray Canyon

Indian Canyons, Palm Springs:  Murray Canyon

Indian Canyons, Palm Springs:  Murray Canyon

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Indian Canyons, Palm Springs:  Murray Canyon

Indian Canyons, Palm Springs:  Murray Canyon

Indian Canyons, Palm Springs:  Murray Canyon

Indian Canyons, Palm Springs:  Murray Canyon

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Indian Canyons, Palm Springs:  Murray Canyon

Indian Canyons, Palm Springs:  Murray Canyon:  Jamie's photo; a Phainopepla

Indian Canyons, Palm Springs:  Murray Canyon:  Jamie's photo

View looking north from above San Gorgonio Pass

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The Salton Sea

The Salton Sea

The Salton Sea:  Jamie's photos of birds

The Salton Sea:  Jamie's photos of birds:  Black-necked Stilts

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The Salton Sea:  Jamie's photos of birds:  Black-necked Stilts

The Salton Sea:  Jamie's photos of birds:  Pintails in flight, Phoebe

The Salton Sea:  Jamie's photos

The Salton Sea:  Jamie's photos of Snow Geese

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The Salton Sea:  Jamie's photos of Snow Geese

The Salton Sea:  Jamie's photos of Gambel's Quail, Black Phoebe

Geothermal plant near the The Salton Sea

Approaching the Mexican border at Calexico, California

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The area around the The Salton Sea is well below sea level

Massed date Palms in the Imperial Valley

Tahquitz Canyon

Tahquitz Canyon

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Tahquitz Canyon

Tahquitz Canyon

Tahquitz Canyon

Tahquitz Canyon Jamie's photos

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Sunnylands Estate in Rancho Mirage, California

Sunnylands Estate

Sunnylands Estate, Jamie's photos of a Roadrunner

Sunnylands Estate

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Sunnylands Estate:  Mesquite

Sunnylands Estate:  Mesquite

Sunnylands Estate

Sunnylands Estate

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Sunnylands Estate

Sunnylands Estate

Driving to Seal Beach, California

Driving to Seal Beach, California

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Wimbrell

 

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Willet

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American Avocet

 

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Driving to Seal Beach, California

Driving to Seal Beach, California

Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve, Seal Beach California

Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve

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Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve:  Jamie's photos

Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve: Jamie's photos

Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve: Jamie's photos:  American Avocet, Wimbrell

Lunch:  San Juan Capistrano

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Mission San Juan Capistrano

Mission San Juan Capistrano

Mission San Juan Capistrano

Mission San Juan Capistrano

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Mission San Juan Capistrano

Mission San Juan Capistrano

Mission San Juan Capistrano

Mission San Juan Capistrano

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Mission San Juan Capistrano

Mission San Juan Capistrano

Mission San Juan Capistrano

Mission San Juan Capistrano

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Mission San Juan Capistrano

Mission San Juan Capistrano

Mission San Juan Capistrano

Mission San Juan Capistrano

Jamie's photos

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Mission San Juan Capistrano

Jamie's photos

Mission San Juan Capistrano

Jamie's photos

Seal Beach hotel room

Escape from LA

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Escape from LA

Running up the Central Valley on I-5:  Jamie's photos of almonds in bloom

Central Valley

Central Valley

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Up the 5 out of California.  Jamie's photos.

Up the 5 out of California:  Last exit in California.  Jamie's photos.

Medford Oregon.  Jamie's photos.

Oregon.  Jamie's photos.
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Medford, Oregon

The Gorge.  Jamie's photos.

Home again, home again, jiggety jig

Home again, home again, jiggety jig.  Jamie's photos

 

Background image:  Joshua Tree National Park, the Desert Queen Mine Road

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Copyright  2023, James W. Blilie                        312 Bates Road, White Salmon, WA 98672                        This page was last updated:  31-Mar-2023