Running a little behind this week. Currently in Las Vegas with plans to drive over to Arizona today to see some big ditch in the Earth. Before I do that…here is more from California.
I mentioned last week were I did not get a Pacific Ocean sunset. I did see this when I first got to Ocean Beach near San Diego, California. Beautiful sunbeams breaking through the clouds as a fishing boat was cruising back to port after a day at sea.
Sunbeams on the horizon from Ocean Beach near San Diego, California.
Nikon D700/28-300VR, 1/500s, f/11, ISO 200, EV -0.3, 145mm focal length.
The next day, we ventured out to the San Diego Zoo to see my wife’s Pandas. The mother and baby cub were sleeping. Next door, the 4 year old, Yun Zi meaning Son of Cloud, was very active. He climbed, rolled and meandered around his enclosure to the delight of all of us watching and photographing. I did catch him in a pensive moment as he took a break. Here are a few more of his zoo mates.
From top left: Yun Zi, the Giant Panda, up close with a Leopard, Otis, the Hippo and a sleeping Koala Bear at the San Diego Zoo in San Diego, California.
The Leopard was in a glass enclosure and I got down and close as he walked into my frame. Otis, a huge Hippopotamus, gave me his best underwater profile. The Koala Bears were numerous and most were in this pose. They look so cute and cuddly until you see their long claws.
After the San Diego Zoo, we drove up the California Freeways to Anaheim. That, in itself, is a thrill ride! We checked into the Disneyland Hotel for the next four nights with a beautiful room with a headboard which lighted up while playing A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes from the animated feature, Cinderella.
For the next three days, we visited Disney’s California Adventure for the first time. All I can say is…Carsland is amazing! The rest of the park was just as much fun but whizzing around Ornament Valley was like being in the movie, Cars. I must say it is the best Disney movie themed attraction they have ever produced.
From top left: Storytellers statue on Buena Vista Street, horse drawn trolley down Main Street USA, Fireworks over Snow White’s Castle and Radiator Springs Racers in Carsland.
The Storytellers statue brings back memories of the day Walt Disney first arrived in Las Angeles. I got in close and low and used fill flash to separate Walt and Mickey from the background and the people around them. Snow White’s castle is small compared to what we are used to in the Magic Kingdom back in Florida. Still, considering when it was built back in 1955 and how Walt’s company nearly went bankrupt creating Disneyland, it is still an impressive sight for what it represents. Radiator Springs Racers brings one into the world of Cars and gives you a thrill as you race side by side with fellow guests through Ornament Valley.
