The Center of the World

A few weeks ago Heather and I were joined by a couple of friends in a visit to a rather unique place.  Until recently it never would have occurred to us that the Official Center of the World was so easily accessible . . . but there it is, just 150 miles east of our home in San Diego, and just north of Interstate Highway 8, a few miles before you get to Yuma, Arizona.  It turns out we've been driving right past it for year, and just never knew it.

The Official Center of the World is part of a large complex, the Museum of History in Granite.  You can check out their website for a better explanation than I can write here.  All of this is located in the town of Felicity, California.  The town has a population of two.  We met the Mayor while we were there.  We spent a few hours checking everything out, and plan to back again to spend more time reading the history which is carved into the granite monuments.  In the meantime, here are a few pictures.

Proof we were there - the four of us at the exact Center of the World.

The actual spot that marks the Center of the World is inside this pyramid.  For more proof we were there, those shadows belong to Heather and me.

Here's a good overview of the whole site.

The hill that the church sits on is 35 feet tall, and was engineered specifically for that purpose.

Click here to see more images from our visit to the Official Center of the World at Felicity, California in December of 2018.

All images were taken with a Fuji X-T2 and either the XF10-24mm or XF55-200mm lens, using either Velvia or Acros-R film simulations.

     

Moonlight Forest Chinese Lantern Festival - Part 3

More images from the Moonlight Forest Chinese Lantern Festival at the Los Angeles County Arboretum.  We didn't plan it that way, but we did have a full moon when we were there this past Saturday evening.

There were lots of people lined up for photos in front of the displays.

Click here to see more images from the 2018 Moonlight Forest Chinese Lantern Festival.
     

Moonlight Forest Chinese Lantern Festival - Part 2

Here are some more images from the Moonlight Forest Chinese Lantern Festival at the Los Angeles County Arboretum.

There was a Candy Tunnel.

There were lots of animals - at times I felt like I was back at the Zoo.

We had to take a selfie with the Octopus.  It just seemed like the right thing to do.

More images to follow in Part 3.

     

Moonlight Forest Chinese Lantern Festival - Part 1

The Moonlight Forest Chinese Lantern Festival at the Los Angeles County Arboretum was one of the most fun things we've done in a while.  The Arboretum is located in Arcadia, California, a little under a 3-hour drive from our home.  Afterwards we had a very good Chinese meal at Capital Seafood in Arcadia, spent the night at at local hotel, and drove home in the morning.  It was a short trip, but well worth the effort to see this.

Our entry tickets were for 5:30pm, so by the time we got inside the sky was completely black.  I got this first image while Heather waited in the long line for the gate.

These are thin fabric lanterns lit from the inside by light bulbs.  The backgrounds are black because the lanterns are so much brighter than their surroundings.  It almost makes the images look like paintings, but they're not.

To help put the size of that peacock into perspective, they had a stand where people lined up to have their pictures taken in front of it.

The Ocean Tunnel was one of the coolest parts.

More images to follow in Part Two.
       

Kubota Gardens - Seattle, Washington

We took a short trip to Seattle in September of this year, and our first stop after getting off the plane was a walk around Kubota Gardens.  This is a great place to stretch your legs after a plane flight.

Click here to see more images from Kubota Gardens in Seattle, Washington in September of 2018.

     

Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest

Back in July of this year we stopped for a walk around the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest in the White Mountains of Inyo County, California.  Some of the trees there are over 4,000 years old and still living.  

When we started out from the Visitor Center the weather was nice, but that didn't last long.  At about 11,000' elevation, in rain, thunder and lightning, the trees take on a rather spooky look.

Click here to see more images from our hike around the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest in July of 2018.
     

Balboa Park - San Diego (Black & White) - Nov 16, 2018

Here are some black & white images from a late afternoon / early evening walk around Balboa Park in San Diego on November 16, 2018.

All images taken with a Fuji X-Pro2 and Fuji XF23mm f/2.0 lens, using the Fuji Acros film simulation with a red filter effect.
     

Japanese Friendship Garden - Balboa Park - San Diego, CA

Here are a few images from an early evening walk around the Japanese Friendship Garden in San Diego's Balboa Park.

Click here to see a few more images from the Japanese Friendship Garden in Balboa Park taken November 16, 2018.

Images taken with a Fuji X-Pro2 and Fuji XF23mm f/2.0 lens.
      

Cheetah - San Diego Zoo

This is Ayana, a four-year-old female Cheetah who lives at the San Diego Zoo.

     

Amur Leopards - San Diego Zoo

Here are a few images of the Amur Leopard cubs and their mother taken earlier this month. They've grown quite a bit - it's hard to believe they are only about 8 months old when these were taken.

They seem a lot more independent, and still quite playful, but their mother does still keep a pretty close watch on them.

Click here to see more images from the San Diego Zoo on December 2, 2018.