Pinnacles National Park

We went to Pinnacles National Park on a rainy and gloomy weekend morning. 
The path we took was towards Bear Gulch Caves. Throughout the beginning and half point of the trail, it rained heavily. We have to hike with umbrella as it poured down. 
What a great adventure! The caves were awesome. The rock formations are so beautiful.
Pinnacles is one of the smaller national parks but it's definitely worth visiting.

 Reservoir at the end of the Bear Gulch Caves

The Mystery Spot

The mystery spot is a gravitational anomaly located in the redwood forests just outside of Santa Cruz.  It is a circular area of effect around 150 feet or 46 meters in diameter. Within the Mystery Spot you will be stunned as your perceptions of the laws of physics and gravity are questioned.
The Mystery Spot was discovered in 1939 by a group of surveyors and opened to the public in 1940.

Some speculate that cones of metal were secretly brought here and buried in our earth as guidance systems for their spacecraft. Some think that it is in fact the spacecraft itself buried deep within the ground. Other theories include carbon dioxide permeating from the earth, a hole in the ozone layer, a magma vortex, the highest dielectric biocosmic radiation known anywhere in the world, and radiesthesia. Whatever the cause is, it remains a mystery.

It is fun, it is a great place to spend a few hours with the family. There is a 45 minute fully guided tour and a wonderful hiking trail.

Lovely Yellow Flowers in the Napa Valley

We were in Napa Valley and saw lots of yellow flowers after the rains in late December.
Grape Vines are planted in orderly rows and in between each row are layers of mustard flowers.It's so beautiful.

as soon as it rain , the wild mustard sprouts and before you know it we’ve got a lovely carpet of yellow flowers.

Mostly, we just enjoy the mustard but it does have some benefits. It has a thick, carrot-like root which helps with drainage. And, when you mow it down and turn it under it adds very nice organic matter which improves the soil structure. And there have actually been studies that show that mustard can help control soil pests – nemetodes in particular.

The mustard season is fleeting – usually just from about late December to March, so enjoy the pretty yellow flowers while you can !!

17 Mile Drive Monterey

Monterey is a beautiful and modest town on the Central Coast of California, decorated with gorgeous Cypress trees, constantly refreshed with a cool ocean breeze and blessed with exquisite oceanic scenery.   This place is so nice and so fun to drive at! Totally worth the $10 admission.

The lone Cypress: 

For more than 250 years, Cypress tree has remained alone on the rocky shoreline and has become a natural landmark along the California coastal region of Monterey Bay. 

Don't forget to have fun