<p>Shouldn’t you wait for your W to return before you go to a new interesting place so you can enjoy it with her together?</p>
<p>Sorry, POIH, I olny glanced at your post and thought you had an out of state visitor who wanted to see the West Coast. </p>
<p>If you have never been to the Joshua Tree Park, I highly recommend visiting this place. Lots of picture-taking opportunities! Fly into Palm Springs and spend the weekend in the area. Spend one day exploring the Joshua Tree Park. The next day, take the tram up the mountains - as the cable car takes you through miltiple climate zones up to the visitor center some 8,000 ft above the sea level, you will get to enjoy spectacular views. Just do not eat in the restaurant at the visitor’s center - it is not worth it. If you like seafood, Pacifica restaurant in Palm Springs is excellent and has a great view of the valley.</p>
<p>Have you been to the Canadian Rockys, i.e. Banff National Park?</p>
<p>Sequoia and King’s Canyon National Park (obviously one of my favourite places), and the Eastern Sierras, though the latter is best in the fall.</p>
<p>what a random question</p>
<p>“what’s the best place to take pictures in a state the size of 4-5 small countries”</p>
<p>Plenty of places in Santa Cruz County: rocks, trees, ocean, waves, artichokes, brussel sprouts, sand, redwoods, banana slugs, ferns, camellias, San Lorenzo River, 4-Mile Beach, Empire Grade, Natural Bridges, Pleasure Point, Elkhorn Slough </p>
<p>Courtright Reservoir, Huntington Lake, Dewey Point, Shaver Lake, Mt. Lassen, Russian River, Mt. Tam, Swamis, La Jolla underwater park, Morro Bay, cliffs at Esalen, Ostrander Lake in winter . . .</p>
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<p>I can any time revisit if it turns out to be something that DW would like.</p>
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<p>Thanks BunsenBurner, seems like a winner.</p>
<p>Kei-o-lei:
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<p>Certainly it’s random with DD at east coast and now DW out of the country, nothing else to do except planning for a nature trip on my own for the next 4 - 6 weekends.</p>
<p>But I appreciate the response and will check out the places you mentioned.</p>
<p>Joshua Tree should have a great wildflower bloom this spring. </p>
<p>The egrets should start nesting at Audubon Canyon Ranch soon - great for photography. Bring a telephoto lens. [Audubon</a> Canyon Ranch](<a href=“http://www.egret.org/]Audubon”>http://www.egret.org/)</p>
<p>The mineral springs at Mt. Lassen are very photogenic - sort of a mini-Yellowstone. Don’t know how accessible the area is in winter, however.</p>
<p>Here is a complete list of our national parks: [Find</a> A Park](<a href=“National Parks”>National Parks)</p>