Some pics from NM/CA/AZ

[Drosera36]

I was in Santa Barbara this summer, and I also went to NM (by driving through AZ), and here are some pics. Somehow I lost the cd the pics were on, and only now have I found it. Apparently, the area we stayed in was around the base of a huge-mongous dead volcano. Sorry for all the pics, I kind of got carried away with uploading...

Here's a small fraction of the volcano top (this is actually a huge area in the pic, several square miles, I think it was 60 or something.)

Some scenery:

And a nice car lol.

And here's a random pic I uploaded from when we were in the Petrified Forest Natural Park. IT WAS HOT!

More pics to come....

-Ben

 

[Drosera36]

Painted Desert/Petrified Forest (AZ) (yes, all the large chunks are the petrified trees)

-Ben

 

[Drosera36]

More painted dessert....

Meteor Crater (AZ):

Newspaper rock(AZ):

NM/Pueblo stuff:

Random bits of dessert:

-Ben

 

[joossa]

Where's the Petrified Forest Natural Park In New Mexico?

 

[Drosera36]

It's in Arizona.

-Ben

 

[nepenthes_ak]

beautiful

 

[flytraplady5]

GR8 pix , Ben
Makes me want to go on a road trip.
Lois

 

[Alexis]

Wow

 

[Lauderdale]

Who ever cut those pieces up for firewood did a nice job.
I wonder if they used a chainsaw?

 

[Drosera36]

Thanks.

Lol, I think they used a shovel. Now onto the Santa Cruz Island pics....why did I take 300 pics?!??!?!

-Ben

 

[bugfreak]

niice. thanks for the "tour" (now i don't have to spend money and go for myself....j/k)

those are really neat.

 

[Drosera36]

Here's sort of a tour of the 5 mile trail across Santa Cruz Island (it's the chicken shaped channel island). It was pretty dang rugged terrain, easy one way, not so easy the way back. But, it was really different from Santa Barbara. It was about an hour or so boat ride.

Sea Lions (plus a lady's head):

Oil rig:

Dolphin:

Blue whale:

Island:

View of old farming stuff from trail (the island was apparently used soley for farming not too long ago):

Another view, higher up:

Once again:

Stand of iron wood trees (I think) which are extinct on the mainland:

-Ben

 

[nepenthes_ak]

sweet! I like the Iron wood tree's a shame they might e extinct on the main land...

 

[Drosera36]

Crud load of pinecones on a dead tree (first rest stop):

There was a sort of ravene (sp?) where there was a lot of ferns.

Here's the magic of CA, where you can find cacti right next to ferns:

Some really nice scenery after the ditch:

Some sort of dormant native bush (forgot the name):

Very near the end of the trail, a little pool of water at the back of a dried river:

-Ben

 

[Drosera36]

Lil succulent at the end of the trail:

(Orange are starfish):

Lizard:

Tide pool:

Back at the pool, a little frog less than an inch long:

Going back to the boat, a lizard again:

And again:

A little stream I found about 20 feet from the shore:

And I also spotted some bat rays on the dock before we departed. All in all, it was freakin' sweet!!! (Almost got heat stroke or something, despite the nice scenery, it was hot.)

-Ben

 

[Finch]

nice

Quote[/b] ]Eight types of plants - among them Santa Cruz Island manzanita, Santa Cruz Island gooseberry and Santa Cruz Island lacepod - are unique to the island and found nowhere else in the world.

I beleve those are island oak forests in the ravines- a relict species that died out on the mainland millions of years ago.

 

[Drosera36]

Are Island Oaks a type of iron wood? Why'd they go extinct? Oh, the guide said that that stand is really just one tree, as in they're all connected by roots or something.

-Ben

 

[bugfreak]

man! you've got me wanting to take a cool vacation and see something different. don't know how i'd ever pull it off though. i really am enjoying your pictures though.

 

[Finch]

No im not talking about the Iron wood stand, im talking about the forest in the last picture. Island oak is a primitive species that was ousted by climate change and competition long ago-

 

[Drosera36]

Thanks.

Finch: Oh, ok.

I don't 'spose anyone wants me to upload the pics from the botanical garden?

(If it's too many pics already, I can stop here, lol.)

-Ben