15 - Eljada, Annet & Paula
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01 After flying in and and a Monday of rest, we take the rental car to Balboa Park on Tuesday. An adventure in itself.JPG |
02 Fountain with San Diego Natural History Museum.JPG |
03 In the Botanical House, comparing pictures.JPG |
04 Flowers.JPG |
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05 Many more pictures yet to come.JPG |
06 Orchid.JPG |
07 In the evening we meet up with Silke, who brings us dinner and we picknick.JPG |
08 Next, Mark the candyman shows how to work with chocolate.JPG |
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09 Of course, we pay close attention.JPG |
10 Next, it is hands on for Annet.JPG |
11 Paula does a good job, she has experience.JPG |
12 Silke and Talitha find the tables too low and solve that problem easily.JPG |
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13 Annet and Eljada making that treat of treats - peanutbutter chocolate covered pretzels.JPG |
14 After class we retire to the Elsbree House Bed and Breakfast.JPG |
15 Thursday we drive up the coast, hoping to see some nice rocky beaches but we find lots of beach houses.JPG |
16 We turn east and have lunch in a winery restuarant in Temecula.JPG |
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17 The Wilson Creek Winery is our final destination.JPG |
18 The vines are still in winter attire.JPG |
19 We are up for some wine tasting.JPG |
20 Looking for a bottle.JPG |
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21 Paula is just finishing her third drink.JPG |
22 Chocolate port, who does not want to taste that.JPG |
23 Annet contemplates her white wine.JPG |
24 Eljada sips her red wine.JPG |
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25 Paula is still enjoying hers.JPG |
26 On Saturday we drive to the Anza Borrego Desert.JPG |
27 Those are rare Bighorn sheep.JPG |
28 And they have a little one too.JPG |
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29 Close-up.JPG |
30 We hike up Palm Canyon.JPG |
31 A little stream trickles its way down.JPG |
32 Hummingbird at rest.JPG |
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33 Ready for lift-off.JPG |
34 The Palm trees are near the oasis.JPG |
35 Taking a break at the highs point.JPG |
36 And then it is the easy way downhill again.JPG |
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37 President's Day on Monday is reserved for Joshua Tree National Park.JPG |
38 Mark and the camera are already halfway up Ryan Mountain....JPG |
39 ....while the women decide it is high time for some sun screen.JPG |
40 You wonder what ever gave them that crazy idea.JPG |
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41 Annet is till hiking up happily here.JPG |
42 But she has to give up when the slope gets too steep for her fear of heights.JPG |
43 Bravely the rest climbs the hill, but the top comes shrouded in clouds and there is snow and sleet on the way up too.JPG |
44 Some nourishment before starting the arduous journay back.JPG |
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45 The apple is a popular handwarming device.JPG |
46 Huddling together.JPG |
47 Although rather cloudy, the view is still nice.JPG |
48 A lone Joshua Tree overlooks the flats.JPG |
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49 Plantlife on the way down.JPG |
50 The way down.JPG |
51 Cactus.JPG |
52 Talitha with borrowed shirt and scarf to keep her warm.JPG |
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53 Cactus.JPG |
54 Paula scouts ahead.JPG |
55 The wheather is picking up.JPG |
56 Resulting in beautifully lit up rock formations.JPG |
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57 Rock.JPG |
58 Group picture nearly complete.JPG |
59 Group picture complete.JPG |
60 A second hike along Pine City is nice and flat - Joshua tree lit up against the dark skies.JPG |
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61 Resting their wary feet.JPG |
62 Rocks.JPG |
63 More rocks.JPG |
64 Still more rocks - but actually all the same formation.JPG |
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65 And more rocks still, now with Mark.JPG |
66 Skeleton tree.JPG |
67 Desert oak.JPG |
68 Actually the desert is not as deserted as you would think.JPG |
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69 Return trip.JPG |
70 Joshua tree.JPG |
71 At the look-out, we wait for sunset - view to Salton Sea.JPG |
72 There is little smog today otherwise The Salton Sea can not be seen from here.JPG |
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73 Sunset.JPG |
74 Sunset.JPG |
75 Sunset.JPG |
76 We have dinner at the Rib Company.JPG |
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77 After a good night sleep at the High Desert Inn, we breakfast at the Crossraods cafe where Mark teases Annet into the photo.JPG |
78 We walk a geography path - here is the arch.JPG |
79 It is a rocky path.JPG |
80 Annet.JPG |
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81 Eljada.JPG |
82 Talitha.JPG |
83 The little trail ends at a cattle watering hole.JPG |
84 Our next stop is the Cholla cactus garden.JPG |
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85 There sure are a lot of them.JPG |
86 Cholla cactus up close - do not pet.....JPG |
87 Cholla cactus fruit.JPG |
88 Cholla cactus skeleton.JPG |
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89 We take the touristy road back along the Salton Sea and have lunch in the only diner in Bombay Beach.JPG |
90 Not very alluring if you ask me, but all the locals were in and already drunk.JPG |
91 The menu is not much to look at.JPG |
92 We drive to the actual waterfront of the Salton Sea.JPG |
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93 It is lined with dead fish, the smell of which hits you hard when you step out of the car.JPG |
94 Talitha takes a picture of.....JPG |
95 a dried up dead Tilapia, the only fish species to live in the lake.JPG |
96 Mark on the jetty.JPG |
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97 Eljada at the waterfront.JPG |
98 Eljada auto pin up.JPG |
99 Thursday night dinner in South Beach bar with Silke.JPG |
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