SpaceX Rocket Launch

This wasn’t an April fools prank. SpaceX launched a rocket to deliver a payload of Starlink satellites to the skies. What a beautiful sight to see. It sure produced some wild images, thanks to the position of the sun.

San Gabriel Mountains

Crater Lake

Decided to spend my birthday at the only National Park in Oregon. Camped the night at Diamond Lake and drove the rest of the way back to Los Angeles the next day. It was a gorgeous day at Crater Lake, I was all excited to see the Milky Way come out once it got dark enough. Nature decided to tease and a cloud layer came in, blocking the Milky Way from view. I guess there’s always a clearer view next time.

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Newport & Cannon Beach

These were two different days, but I had such few photos from Newport that it just made sense to put them together into one post. My parents and grandparents bulk order Halibut from a fishing boat down in Newport, so we hopped along for the ride down the coast to retrieve 30lbs of fish, enough to last until next year’s fish run. It was also 98 degrees in the Portland area, so it was nice to cool off at the coast.

Cannon Beach was a different day, it was the afternoon on another 90+ degree day, so we decided to drive on over to the closest beach. I was worried that the marine layer was going to show up and make it really foggy when we got to the beach since it was so hot inland. We really lucked out and it was a lovely afternoon, a little cold actually, funny how climates can vary. I always love going to Cannon Beach, its a little more rustic than the condo-filled Seaside up the 101, but it has much better views in my opinion. Haystack Rock and the surrounding tide pools are always a favorite of mine to aim my camera lens towards. The walk to Haystack Rock always lends itself to some beautiful patterns in the sand from the fluctuation in tide. A couple weeks too early for the Cougar that decided to hang out on the beach. Maybe next time.

Multnomah Falls

Dodged the crowd and hiked to the top of the falls. If you keep going past the observation platform, you can see three more waterfalls, and a lot less people. The ice cream afterwards is the most rewarding part.

Astoria

One of the adventures that we took was to the town of Astoria, the last town on the Columbia River before the Pacific Ocean and miles of open ocean. Aside from being the filming location for classics like The Goonies, Short Circuit, Kindergarten Cop, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III, the drive offers some beautiful sights. Decided to drive Highway 30, the longer route, to Astoria. I had not driven that route ever, had only been a passenger, I think the last time that I had even been on that road I was maybe 10 years old. There are some really nice waterfalls along the way, Beaver Falls and Youngs Falls. Make sure you search where these trailheads are before you lose cell service. I was briefly lost looking for the first waterfall trail. Astoria has had a resurgence in the last few years, lots of craft breweries have come in.

After a quick bite to eat, we drove over to Fort Stevens State Park to check out the Peter Iredale shipwreck. The nice thing about the beach near here is that you can drive your car on it. Of course, I had to show Sarah the joy that is driving on the beach. Pretty awesome to see a Bald Eagle on the beach. Watch out for loose sand! Stay for the sunset.

A visit home

Drove home to surprise my family for Father’s Day. The family get togethers are usually held at our house, so it was really easy to just hide in my bedroom until all the family was in the house, then just casually walk down the stairs like I had been there the whole time. My Grandpa’s shocked face while telling me, “You’re not supposed to be here!” was worth the drive alone. It was great to visit with family and friends while in town. The next few blog posts are photos that show the sights that Oregon has to offer in late June.

Wildflowers

Drove out to Antelope Valley and was gifted amazing wildflowers to take in. The record amount of rainfall that dumped onto California this winter sparked this superbloom. The Antelope Valley Poppy Reserve draws in lots of crowds from all over California. I decided not to join the crowds, so I journeyed down the bumpy dirt roads in search of open horizons. The weather was so wonderful on the day that I went out there; mid-60’s, a slight breeze, and the scent of flowers in the air. I drove the miles and miles of these dirt roads amongst the flowers for several hours. After an error message appeared on my camera, I decided to call it a day and drive back home. Didn’t want to risk losing what I had already photographed.

Kauai!

The weather report called for non stop rain when we were on the island. There was never more than an hour of rain at a time. Really lucked out.

Hometown snaps

Some snaps from the last couple weeks that were spent in Oregon. Always have a great time at the fair with the friends. It’s amazing how quickly your money goes when you’re playing the games.

Cannon Beach

Needed a break from the late July heat wave that hit Oregon. Zipped over to the coast after work one day. Thanks Mom for driving.

Trail Cam

A fun selection of wildlife in my parents backyard. Humans, Raccoons, an Opossum.

Mt. Hood

Spent a lovely weekend camping on Mt. Hood with my family. Went on a great hike, got some snow in my socks, had a delicious hot cocoa. I always love spending time on the home mountain.

Lassen National Park

Popped in for a couple nights of camping in Lassen National Park on the way up to Oregon to celebrate my birthday. It was truly shocking to see the differences in scenery after the Dixie Fire burned through parts of the park that I had seen driving through last year. Below the slideshow are some comparison images to show the difference between this year and last. Fire season is growing longer year after year, not only here in the west, but also abroad. It’s a scary sign of what is to come.

Upstate NY

Travelled North for a wedding. Ate some wild food, avoided the humidity, and saw Scranton, PA.

DTLA

Some snaps from the passenger seat and from the streets of Downtown LA.