Sunday, August 23, 2015
Carmel Highlands Sunset Mist

Every day is full of wonder. This is the coast of California, just between Carmel (on the Monterey Peninsula) and Big Sur. The views are amazing any time, but in the evening the show is always something special.

Thursday, August 20, 2015
Carmel Sunset Mist

Wandering on the beach in Carmel. I don't think I've ever seen a an evening that wasn't beautiful here, but there are some evenings that are really something special (Like evey evening I get to walk this way holding hands with my wife.) But this particular evening the beautiful marine layer put on an even better show than usual for us, swirling and rolling in over Pebble Hill in the distance. All while this amazing Cypress took it all in. I think it may be time for another trip up our beautiful coast!

Wednesday, May 14, 2014
Carmel Cypress Silhouette

Speaking of windswept Cypress Trees (see my Poppy post from last week). This beauty and his friends stand watch along a particularly beautiful stretch of the California Coast on Carmel Beach. The hills in the distance between the beach and the setting sun are part of Pebble Beach. This is one of the areas I love to walk along at sunset whenever we find ourselves in the Monterey area. The beach is beautiful, and there is a nice path along the top of the bluff overlooking the beach. You can watch the surfers enjoying the water and take in the amazing view from a great perspective.

Monday, May 5, 2014
Carmel Mission Twilight

Sometimes the show is just starting when the crowds leave. This weekend I saw some of the biggest crowds I've ever seen at the Carmel Mission ( Mission San Carlos Borroméo del río Carmelo ) in Carmel by the Sea. From weddings to tourists and even the occasional church service this beautiful gem of Spanish and Moorish architecture is well loved and often visited. But this evening after the sun set and the last people were leaving the parking lot, I stopped by with my camera. Only the faintest color of the sunset remained on the horizon, and the stars were clearly visible overhead. But a slightly longer than usual exposure revealed all the beauty of the misson at rest in its faint lights after a long day of festivities and worship.

Tuesday, August 20, 2013
Arching Cypress Sunset

Sunset panorama standing by the beautiful Cypress trees on Carmel Beach.

Tuesday, August 6, 2013
Carmel Cypress Sunset

An amazing evening on Carmel beach in Carmel by the Sea, California

Thursday, December 20, 2012
Annas in Flight

This is another shot of one of the beautiful Anna's hummingbirds I was following around Valley Hills Nursery in Carmel. It looks like a beautiful spring day, but a beautiful nursery can make any day look like a beautiful spring day in California.

Saturday, December 15, 2012
Thoughtful Hummer

This little guy was actually as interested in me as I was in him. He flew around a bit and kept coming back to this spot. As I moved closer and closer every few shots, he would tilt his head back and forth seemingly trying to see what I was up to. Even at rest he was graceful and beautiful.

Tuesday, December 11, 2012
Cross at the Church of the Wayfarer Carmel

If I had to choose my favorite spot in Carmel California, I think this would be it. This spot is right in front of the Church of the Wayfarer. The lamp is absolutely beautiful at night, and the whole church is a wonderful place to be any time of the day or night.

Thursday, December 6, 2012
Nectar Sample

This is another shot of my friend from the Carmel Nursery. This is after he got bored with me. He watched me for a while, tilting his head back and forth, and when he decided I was safe or maybe not very interesting, he decided to make the rounds to his favorite flowers. He was so graceful as he hovered from flower to flower.

Wednesday, December 5, 2012
Taking Flight

This weekend between rainstorms, I had the great pleasure of wandering around a beautiful nursery in Carmel California. Valley Hills Nursery is one of my favorite spots to visit when I'm in the area, and not only for thier plants. They always have a very friendly Hummingbird population, this weekend they seemed to be even more cooperative than usual. This beauty was actually almost hamming it up for me, he seemed as curious about me as I was about him.

Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Carmel by the Sea Cypress Sunset

A veiw of the beach in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California. The Cypress trees are beautiful here, especially the ones that have extra character from decades of abuse by the sea. This is actually not far down the coast from the famous lone cypress at Pebble Beach golf course. This guy might not be as famous as his relative up the coast, but he is no less beautiful!

Friday, June 29, 2012
Carmel Church of the Wayfarer

This is one of my favorite spots in Carmel by the Sea. Every time we get into town we stop at the Carmel Bakery then take a walk around the beautiful city. More often than not we end up at the benches in front of the church to watch people go by and enjoy our coffee and macaroons. Of course I always have to wander around their beautiful garden with my camera afterward.

Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Church of the Wayfarer VR

We spent a couple days in Monterey and Carmel this week. Like the Mission here in Santa Barbara, I have my favorite spots in Carmel to tinker with new camera equipment. This is the Church of the Wayfarer in Carmel by the Sea. This beautiful little church and a bakery on Ocean street where you can get some of the biggest Coconut Macroons you can imagine are two of our regular stops as soon as we get to the Monterey area.

Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Mission Carmel Bell Tower

This is from the inner courtyard at the Carmel Mission. I believe the tree with the white blossoms is a Flowering Pear Tree. This is thier time of year. There are some around here that are pure white with so many blossoms you can't see their leaves.

Monday, February 2, 2009
Father Junipero Serra

Before we drove down Highway 1 yesterday we stopped at the beautiful Carmel Mission. It was a great place to wander with my camera. We have tried to make it into the mission on several previous trips to the area but our timing was always off. I'm glad we made it this time. The grounds on the inside were much bigger than I thought.

This is a statue of Father Junipero Serra, founder of nine of the twenty-one California Missions.

Friday, January 30, 2009
Lamp at the Church of the Wayfarer

Today we tried to stop at the Carmel Bakery after getting to Monterey for the weekend. But we got there ten minutes too late. Bummer!

While we were driving around looking for a parking space (which I'm thinking took just a bit over ten minutes!) my wife pointed out this beautiful lantern as we passed the Church of the Wayfarer. I just happen to carry my camera almost everywhere these days so we had a nice walk and got a few night shots of the Church and had a great time anyway.

Thursday, December 25, 2008
Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas!!

This is a beautiful little shopping center in Carmel, called The Barnyard. After dinner at our favorite restaurant in Carmel we spent the evening wandering around and checking out Christmas lights. On the right is a great place called Succulent Gardens. If you can't tell from the Epi photos on the site, a place like that is a real magnet for me. In fact a few of our Epis even came from there. On the left is a great little candy shop. (Try the grasshopper bark and the caramel cashew turtles if you stop there!)

I hope you had a wonderful Christmas!

Friday, August 29, 2008
Carmel Doorway

When I was taking this photo last week I was thinking of the last time I took pictures of this doorway. I was really surprised to find out it was more than three years ago. I need to get out more often!

Monday, August 25, 2008
Passion Tower

This was right down the aisle from my bee friend from yesterday. I took more pictures at the Nursery than anywhere the rest of the trip. My wife says this one looks like a cell phone tower, and I have to agree. Only a little prettier.

Sunday, August 24, 2008
Nursery Worker

Whenever we go to the Monterey area we like to stop at the nurseries in Carmel Valley. We've found some really different plants there. And of course there are always plenty of bees and hummers to chase.

Saturday, August 23, 2008
Carmel Temptation

Seems fitting that the apples were so beautiful in the garden of the Church of the Wayfarer.

Friday, August 22, 2008
Carmel Lamp

As if you couldn't tell already, I'm still going through the photos from our recent trip to Carmel. This was actually across the street from yesterday's photo of the day. They like vines there. And I can't blame them, it's a beautiful place.