Travel Index

Here you'll be able to enjoy travel photos and virtual tours; all based on pictures and travels I've taken over the years. In addition, at various spots you will be given the opportunity to obtain more information from books and videos. Follow the links and please enjoy...

Virtual Tours

• California Coast (Highway 1, Monterey Bay area, and San Francisco)
• Colorado River (Laughlin, Lake Havasu City, and Kingman)
• Death Valley
• Grand Canyon
• Grand Staircase (includes Bryce Canyon, Zion, and St. George, Utah)
• Yosemite (includes some attractions around the park)

Short Trips

• Chapel Hill
  Chapel Hill is a private chapel just outside of Shandon on Highway 46 about 18 miles east of Paso Robles.
• Elephant Seals
  The beaches at Piedras Blancas are used by elephant seals for their yearly life cycle.
• Getty Museum
  The Getty Center is an administrative center, research center, and display center for the Getty art collection. It sits on a hill overlooking Los Angeles in a billion dollar complex.
• Los Alamos Old Days
  Los Alamos Old Days. Each year since 1946 the town has held "Old Days" the fourth weekend in September.
• Mussell Fort
  Mussell Fort is a small version of a western town built up of buildings and furnishings obtained from historical sites. The collection is nothing more than a full living museum.
• Paddock Zoo
  Located in the small town of Atascadero, the Charles Paddock Zoo provides a unique selection of animals on view.
• Parkfield
  Parkfield is the self-proclaimed earthquake capital of California. It's located on the San Andreas fault north and east of Paso Robles.
• Ronald Reagan Library
  The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum sits on a hill on the outskirts of Simi Valley; just north and west of Los Angeles.
• Santa Barbara Fireworks
  The sparkle show on the fourth of July in Santa Barbara is well worth the trip there to see!
• Santa Barbara Zoo
  The Santa Barbara Zoo sits on over 30 acres overlooking East Beach on the coast. It is home to over 700 animals.
• Twilight Phenomenon Rocket Launch
  When a rocket launches just after sunset it rises into the sunlight and puts on a beautiful show.
• Vandenberg Air Show
  Nearby Vandenberg AFB hosts a periodic air show when they can schedule the Thunderbirds. This page details some of Aerospace Show '98.
• Whale Watching
  Through a chance reading of an article buried in the LA Times I learned that blue whales had been spotted in the Santa Barbara channel. This led to a spur-of-the-moment whale watching trip.
• Wildflower Tour
  An April bus trip around Northern San Luis Obispo County yielded great flower viewing along with a visit to the Camatta Ranch.

The Grand Journey

And, to top it all off, I'm in the process of visiting all 21 of the California Spanish Missions plus some related areas. I've started a whole new domain for that. Please come visit and see how things are progressing...

MissionTour

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Copyright © 2002 Tom Simondi, All Rights Reserved