Year's End in Anacortes, WA

Our annual holiday trek took us once again to beautiful Fidalgo Island in the Pacific Northwest. Our visit started out with lots of sunshine, but unfortunately gray skies and rain became the norm; it is winter after all. However, my Nikon and I were able to get out and capture the sunny skies around Anacortes right before the first rainstorm moved in.

Downtown Anacortes from Cap Sante lookout...

Turn 180 degrees, and you get views of Mt. Baker and Hat Island...

Here's the refinery...

Anacortes has a big ship building industry...

Charming Old Town Anacortes...

Season's Greetings...

The Visitor Information Center and right next door is the DMV...

The Public Library...

Anacortes is known for its many murals painted

on the buildings throughout town.

This one is at the local bookstore, Watermark Book Company...

Amos Bowman - the father of Anacortes...

The old Railroad Station...

W.T. Preston, now a museum...

The Cannery Building...

Even the garbage cans are interesting...

A new kayak launch and dock...

Seafarer's Memorial Park...

Anthony's Restaurant...

Cap Sante Boat Haven...

Sunset over Anacortes...

Even without sunshine, Anacortes is a charming spot for rest and relaxation.

Click HERE to see shots from last year's visit.

Merry Christmas 2011

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays ~

courtesy of downtown Danville!

I hope you find some nice decorations in your hometown to enjoy (and maybe photograph) and get you in the holiday spirit!

Autumn Leaves 2011

Leaves, whether on trees or not, are wonderful to photograph. They have such pretty shapes and come in varying sizes and colors. I always try to photograph the leaves in my neighborhood before they disappear for the year.

Here's a small selection of the jewels of autumn...

Do you have a favorite?

Briones Regional Park, CA

Last week I went hiking in Briones Regional Park along with some family members. We were all in desperate need of some post-Thanksgiving Day exercise. The weather was a bit crisp but as we made our way up the trail to the crest of the hills, the fog started to give way to warm sunshine. The trees were still decorated with their pretty autumn leaves. Briones is a wonderful park; it's so close to home, and even though it's surrounded by cities and housing developments, in just a short time, you feel as if you're lost in quiet nature.

Here's what the East Bay Regional Park Website has to say about this special place:

With its rolling, grassy hills and secluded, shady canyons, Briones is a secret wilderness surrounded by the towns of central Contra Costa County. Although the park is close to Lafayette, Walnut Creek, Pleasant Hill, Concord, and Martinez, there are peaks within it from which you can see only park and watershed lands for miles in every direction.

From Briones Peak, the highest point in the park, there are panoramic views of Mount Diablo and the Diablo Valley to the east, the Sacramento River and Delta to the north, the East Bay hills and Mt. Tamalpais to the west, and Las Trampas Regional Wilderness to the south.

So, want to see what we saw?

Off we go...

Fog...

Our trail...

Mt. Diablo in the distance...

Autumn colors...

California blue skies...

A grove of young oaks...

That's Mt. Diablo off in the distance again...

I can't wait to go back and explore some of the other trails. For more information on this park, click HERE.