The Forest of Nisene Marks State Park is a woody state park in Santa Cruz county. It is named after the matriarch of the Marks family from Salinas who donated to the land to become a state park. There are many trails to explore here but I could only choose one: the Old Growth trail to see the Advocate Tree.
Tag: california
Castro Adobe State Historic Park
Castro Adobe SHP in Watsonville is one of the last adobe houses left standing in California. It is gradually being brought back to life by Friends of the Santa Cruz State Parks and California State Parks. I visited during an open house event when guided tours were happening.
Big Break Regional Shoreline
When visiting Big Break Regional Shoreline, you learn a lot about the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta. They have a clean visitor center and a large map of the Bay Area at this park. You can do a lot of water activities here or you can bike/hike the 3.5-mile paved Bayview Trail.
Golden Gate Bridge View at Battery Spencer
You can get great views of the Golden Gate Bridge anywhere but this is one of the iconic spots with competitive parking to boot.
Glass Beach
The famous Fort Bragg Glass Beach is the product of a water dump site. Back in the 1940s, people threw away all their trash in this area and after years of cleanup and ocean waves all that was left behind were colored glass pieces. It takes approximately 30 years for the ocean to break down glass.
East Jesus
East Jesus is a non profit organization that makes art installations in Niland, Calfornia. If you’re headed to Salvation Mountain, this is only one mile away to see more unique art projects made from things people donate or throw away.
The Mystery of Salton Sea
Salton Sea is the largest man-made lake in California created by the flooding of the Colorado River. The lake is facing some environmental problems, in particular the high salinity level. Numerous fish species have died because of rising salinity level, leaving behind crushed up bones on shore.
Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park
Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park is located right off Highway 1 and is a popular place for camping and hiking. There is no access to the beaches and they charge $2 if you want a map. Alternatively, there is a large map near the parking area that most people take a picture of with their phones. Because of the fire, the Big Sur area still has some closed trails.
Fern Falls at Kahn Ranch
Fern Falls is a easy waterfall to see in Carmel Valley. The best time to visit is when it has heavily rained days before. There are small bridge crossings that might be slippery so tread carefully. You will need a parking permit to park here because of limited parking.
The Art of Recycling at Elmer’s Bottle Tree Ranch
Elmer’s Bottle Tree Ranch is a recycled masterpiece. The owner, Elmer Long, lives on this property and has created over 200 bottle trees for people to visit free, donations accepted.