Hot Air Balloons at Sunrise

This year I decided I really wanted to go to a hot air balloon festival. Unfortunately, by the time I had the time to start looking for one to go to, most of them had already happened. I was lucky enough, however, to find a very small festival taking place in Clovis, CA, a very small town right next to Fresno. With my husband, we looked at the dates, booked a hotel and planned a family trip to Clovis Fest!

Hope you enjoy these photos of hot air balloons. I really loved photographing these beauties!! The colors were gorgeous, the sunrising and the light were perfect! Totally worth being there before 6:00 a.m.!

I'm hoping to go to other festivals like this next year. Sonoma has a festival with about 30 balloons. Ultimately, I would love to go to the one in New Mexico where about 700 balloons launch every October!

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Monarch Butterflies in Santa Barbara

When we lived in Santa Barbara, we used to go to Alice Keck Park memorial gardens to spend some time in the sun, watching the hummingbirds zoom by and the monarch butterflies fly from flower to flower. It is no surprise that last month, when we visited Santa Barbara after 3 years of having moved out, we also went to the memorial gardens to do the same. Here are some images of beautiful monarch butterflies. I hope you'll enjoy them!

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Escape the City in San Francisco

One thing I absolutely love about living in San Francisco is that you can escape the city anytime without having to drive or walk too far away. The city has so many parks, you only have to walk a few walks to reach one of them. Many of them sit atop of hills, so the views are usually spectacular!

As a peninsula, San Francisco is not short on waterfronts. Whether you hit the Bay or the Ocean, you will for sure find a great peaceful place to relax away from the noise of the city.

And then, there is the Golden Gate park. This park is so big and awesome, you can get literally lost in it!

In the Presidio, you can walk in a eucalyptus forest that quietly grows in the city.

San Francisco Hills

We moved! We no longer are in the center of the city of San Francisco. We are still in the city but a couple of miles from the action, which is super nice for several reasons: it's quieter here, we have a yard, and I get to explore a completely new area to photograph!

The other day I went for a walk with my son and I climbed some hills, which meant I was rewarded with some amazing views. After all, no matter where you live in San Francisco, with over 50 hills in the city, there are always climbs and views to enjoy! I even got to see the ocean at some point! Here are some photos I took while out walking.

Santa Barbara Green

Here are some photos of the beautiful greenery that abounds in Santa Barbara! I took these at the beach, the mountains, the parks and on hiking trails. Where you look, you always find green spaces in Santa Barbara!

 

Rose Garden at the Santa Barbara Mission

If you are ever in Santa Barbara, make sure you take some time to visit the Mission and the Rose Garden that are located directly across the street from the Mission. The Mission Rose Garden offers dozens of different varieties of well-tended roses and an amazing view of the mountains and (on a clear day) of the ocean as well.

Here are some photos of the roses that I took during our weekend in Santa Barbara. Aren't they stunning?

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Pelicans in Flight

The coastal trail in Half Moon Bay is a great place to take in amazing ocean views, and it's also a wonderful place to watch sea birds fly by. Last time I was there, lots and lots of pelicans flew by, providing multiple opportunities to capture their beauty with my camera.

For more photos, visit my Etsy store or go to my website.