Carmel and Point Lobos: 22nd Anniversary Weekend

Jenny and I celebrated our 22nd anniversary this past weekend by driving south to Carmel and spending the night at the Tickle Pink Inn. Yeah, we stayed at a place called the Tickle Pink. Actually, the lodge was insanely priced beyond our typical budget. But those feather pillows, that complementary welcome drink, the gracious wine and cheese reception (again, free), and an awesome Pacific panorama from our own private deck [click for video view] warranted every dollar we spent. Even so, we barely checked in and relaxed a bit before returning to the Pacific Coast Highway. There's just so much to see in this part of California, with each turn yielding another path through a breezy meadow and down a stone trail to the end of the world. As I've tried to capture with the aid of HDR, this place is awesome.

More HDR Fun: Moss Landing and Bonny Doon

Little by little, I'm starting to get the hang of HDR. These pix were taken in Moss Landing and Bonny Doon along highway 1. As usual, I'm drawn to seemingly desolate places, and high dynamic range imaging gives me an enhanced palate to convey the feelings associated with these environments.

Carousel of Progress

A delightful holdover from Disney's past, the Carousel of Progress continues to spin through the decades, depicting four eras (the 1900s, 1920s, 1940s, and "present day") of a typical American family's embrace of new technologies. At the same time, the Carousel showcases how Disney and corporate America (initially General Electric) have spun together a vision of American life that, for all its eccentric whimsy, largely came true.

How good a multitasker are you?

Matt Richtel has written a comprehensive article in the New York Times about the impact of iPhones, video games, and multitasking on the human brain. While based on the experiences of one family, the article cites fascinating research on how our society's growing obsession with gadgets is changing how we prioritize information and relationships. Some tasty quotes:

Bay Area Saturday

Jenny and I drove to the San Francisco Bay Area on Saturday and had a delightful evening. Along the way we saw some cool sites. [Click images for larger views]
 

Florida - Early Summer 2010

Jenny and I enjoyed a wonderful Florida vacation during the last week of May. Our trip served no real purpose; it was just about time that we return to our favorite Sunshine State haunts. We go about once a year, tucking into meals at Sonny's, noting the transformations of buildings and roadways, and gathering with friends and family to retell old stories and share new ones.

CA-395

My recent drive down the eastern spine of California's Sierra Mountains was easily the best solo roadtrip I've ever taken, the culmination of a long-held desire to experience that strange transformation from the state's northern frozen plains to its southern depths that burn under the sun. Though I have much more to learn about CA-395, I feel that I've come to appreciate a delightful stretch of highway that had previously been unknown to me. Now I surely understand why this road is often called California's own Route 66 (Yes, I know we have a stretch of the Famed Mother Road, but still…). This time my trip was an opportunity for rest and reflection, but I hope to bring my family this way again soon.

Unfortunately my journey began with disconcerting news.