The America’s Cup circus arrives from Newport by train in San Francisco. 120 cars.
Ft. Ross was a Russian outpost from 1812 until 1842. California was still Mexican. I find it a fascinating piece of history.
I don’t think there is anything I can say that makes the photographs any more meaningful. Although not everyone agrees.
Anyone who was not chinese had a camera around their neck; I looked just like every other tourist. It is stepping into another world; the sights and colors are exciting. I started out with a different thought for this post and as I began to look over the photos a pattern emerged; the banks. The effort they had made to integrate into the culture I found striking. The churches were another institution that made great efforts to integrate, the exception being the catholic church.
On the square was music and singing, for me one of the areas that made the cultural distinction. It would definitely not be my choice in music.
I have a new camera and last night, Saturday night, in downtown Penngrove, Jake and the band played in the local hotspot. This gave me an opportunity to shoot in very low light conditions. It has been a long time since I was in a place with characters like this; each with a great story. Slim, was ready for anything. A sheath knife on his belt on saturday night,; it would not surprise me if he had an ankle holster with a pistol. In fact I was surprised not to see a six gun on his hip.
The man in the yellow shirt and cowboy hat had recently lost his wife. He was being consoled by the women to his left. It was too soon for his daughter’s likes. The wives and girlfriends of the band cheered every chord. Everyone told us Jake was too good to be playing here. Did Billy Joel write a song about this place?
Every face you see has a story behind it.
If you were or are an American boy, you probably read at least one of Jack London‘s Books. He lived life fully like Hemingway, Fitzgerald and other authors who can later. His life was seemingly full of contradictions. I liked his books, but probably would never have read them had not it been required summer reading when I was in school.
He bought a large tract of land near Glen Ellen, now a state park. He built a huge interesting house which burned within weeks of completion; never to be rebuilt. His wife built a smaller version after his death and lived out her years on the land they had purchased; today a state park.
Filoli, a house built in 1915-17 Woodside, California 30 miles south of San Francisco, on 650 acres, 15 of which are formal gardens. The name is an acronym of William Bourn’s credo.
It is no wonder that throughout history the vulture has been used to represent evil, villainous creatures. They are a throughly ugly bird. Yet, as nature often does, they are elegantly and masterfully assembled. The ultimate in form follows function.
Artists may express emotions on a canvas; in the end they are competing with nature.
The Golden Gate bridge is one of those places that never looks the same from one moment to the next. It is no wonder that the number one business in San Francisco is tourism. The bridge also showcases the micro climate that is San Francisco. It was built to connect San Francisco to the Redwood Empire, what I might today refer to as the 101 corridor.
The America’s Cup will be sailed under the bridge a year from now.
I am constantly astonished by the coast in California. I am from the East and still carry many preconceived ideas about so many things. These photos were taken on the same road, all within a few hours of each other. The opportunity to be amused and awed in such a short space of time. Elk is tiny town on the California coast with the most beautiful views. I had never heard of Elk, now I will never forget it.
21 missions were created in what would become California by the mexican church. Mission Solano was the last and furthest north, in Sonoma.
I reported on the mission San Miguel the 16th mission established. These missions were really multi-purposed, religious, to convert the indians to catholicism, and to show a Mexican presence in both a political and military way on land claimed by Mexico.
These Missions are testament to a complex history between the United States and Mexico. While not associated with the Missions; the name Vallejo, figures prominently in this history, A general, a diplomat, a businessman. His name appears all over California today. I was completely surprised by how “American” his house; in fact how “New England.”
