It’s the first day of summer, and the heat is here, so I’m a bit jealous of that California coastal weather. Here are a couple more photos from Garrapata State Park.

The cobweb thistle is one bad-ass lookin’ bloom (technically an herb). It’s found only in California, and I was lucky enough to hike in Garrapata State Park from the Pacific Ocean to the top of the mountains, through redwood forests, along a creek, past cacti galore, in fields of wildflowers (and thistles), and back down to the ocean. Gorgeous. May is definitely the time to visit the Carmel/Big Sur region. This plant really does begin as a scary ball of cobwebs, but then opens up to these brilliant fuschia spikes. Aptly named not only for appearances, I did see a spider making itself quite at home in one of the not-yet-opened thistles; a home with a great view.

I just got back from California this week, where I got to visit Point Lobos (featured here) and Big Sur. Most interesting moments of the trip  in order of appearance -  pulling off at a “scenic vista” only to find evidence of a secret gay sex spot, shooting race cars and meeting Lord Paul Drayson (a very inspiring person), meeting a friend of one of my Telluride connections (a French ski base jumper) and watching him base jump off a bridge, walking into Big Sur Bakery and running into another friend from Telluride who is now a hiking guide in Carmel, and finishing by going to the Monterey Bay Aquarium with penguins, a great white shark and sea otters. Best $30 I ever spent.