A Whale Watch from the Aquarium of the Pacific

We did not actually see any whales on this trip out, but we did get a good amount of dolphin pods. Plus, most boat trips are pretty photogenic, anyways. See what I mean!

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A moody shot of my beloved Queen Mary.



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The Los Angeles Harbor light.



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Sailing into the sun.



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...and further into the sunset.



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Actual dolphins! I got more than this shot, but this is the best.



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A harbor sunset.



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The Mary as evening falls.



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A lighthouse in the park. This park is totally free, by the way, and very photogenic. You should swing by!

Another Trip to the Aquarium of the Pacific

We're members this year, so I've been spending more time at the Aquarium of the Pacific. I took a few more photos I thought you might enjoy!

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A sea lion being majestic.



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Pastel sea jellies.



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This went through a few Lightroom filters to get these colors, but I love the way this came out.



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Another sea lion, this one being a serene sea creature.



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One of my favorite sea jellies at the Aquarium. I like this one because of how nautical he is, being all white with little navy blue stripes.

The Dana Point Tall Ships Festival

This completely qualifies for this page. It was under ten dollars to get in, and there were MANY tall ships to explore, complete with re-enactors, demonstrations of sailors adjusting sails, things for the kids to do, beautiful photography art being sold. It was well worth the entry to see these lovely vessels.

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A reflection on sailing.



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Everything sorted and ship shape!



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Baggywrinkles in the Wind.



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Some Steps to the Sea, Stowed.



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"...Someday."

More Aquarium of the Pacific Shots.

There were so many good pictures from the Aquarium that I put them into two different sets. I didn't want to overwhelm people with penguin photos and then expect them to appreciate fish, even pretty fish! Here are my best shots from the Aquarium (which is SO worth the entrance price!)

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Some lovely underwater creatures.



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One of the weedier weedy sea dragons.



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A big, friendly, and vaguely scary looking fish.



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That's a moray!



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They have a tank just for cute little sea worms!



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Now THIS is a beautiful fish!

Queen Mary

The fact that this blog is two years old and still has no pictures of the Queen Mary in it is pretty amazing. I think in my life I have taken more pictures of Mary than any other place and thing in the world, and that includes my cats and childhood home.

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A shot on the way in, with a little photo editing. She has gorgeous lines.



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An art deco guard rail in the Observation Bar.



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The brass bell with her name on it, on the port side of the Promenade deck.



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Art deco air vent and some barstools, in the Observation Bar again. You really should visit. She's a gorgeous lady.

Penguins at the Aquarium of the Pacific

One of the things in Southern California that is totally worth the entrance price is the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach. We were there last February and got to spend some time with the penguins. Of course, I took many, many penguin photos!

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One of the more moodily lit penguin shots.



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Feeding time!



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I'm pretty sure this is Paddles, because she's young and all her contrasting tones haven't come in yet.



Truly majestic creatures.



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Curious little thing.

Canadian Scenery

Okay, yes, this is not the first time I'm showcasing pictures that aren't from Southern California. I really DON'T get around much, I just take a lot of photos when I do. This last year I was blessed with an inexpensive 2 weeks in British Columbia, primarily the Cranbrook area.

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There are more of these than normal, but I WAS there for two full weeks. Here are some hoodoos nearby.



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Here is the gazebo in Ft. Steele, with Mt. Fisher in the background.



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The general Ft. Steele area.



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A reflection caught on one of the trains at the Canadian Museum of Rail Travel



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One of the nicer restored train interiors.



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A table setting in one of the trains.



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Some of the beautiful scenery you'll see in southern British Columbia.



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Lake Louise in Alberta, one of the most photogenic places I've ever seen (and I can easily drive to Malibu!)

Canadian Fauna

I can never resist taking photos of animals. Here is a small sampling of the photos I took while on vacation in British Columbia, Canada.

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I lost track of the number of deer photos I took...



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We couldn't get very close, but we did see a bald eagle!



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In the middle of town, a stag was eating berries in the Cranbrook court house parking lot



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Salmon spawning near the Montana border.



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My favorite deer photo, taken out the window of the room we were staying in.