15 reasons to love California – part IV

Still love California despite being silent for the past days. And always a pleasure to think about everything that made me fall for it…

11. Mono Lake

To be more precise, Mono Lake’s south tufa grove. An unbelievable, moon like landscape, the perfect place for writing, day dreaming, listening to what nature and Earth have to say, introspection. I arrived late in the afternoon. The tufa were mysterious and motionless, giving a cold shoulder to the slight wind that shaped the water into small waves and salt, into foam lines. I was mesmerized and had to return the next day. Only to sit still in a hidden spot, soak in all the beauty and start a new novel.

Legend has it that those who come to the lake with malice in their hearts are never able to leave.  It is said that if you are in need of help, an old woman might appear. She has intimate knowledge of the area, guides people to their destinations or helps them with their problems.

12. Highway 1 / 101

The plain facts: it runs along most of the Pacific coastline of the U.S. state of California and is one of the 31 designated All-American Roads, which means it have features that do not exist elsewhere in the United States and are unique and important enough to be tourist destinations unto themselves. It was born in the early 30’s, in the Big Sur area. The drive I took, from San Francisco to Monterey, from Monterey to Carmel and Big Sur, is lovely. The landscapes are everything a professional photographer may wish for, the beaches have soft sand, the sunset is one of a kind, and the Henry Miller Memorial Library spoils the traveler with a summer of short film screenings in its amphitheater improvised in the forest. Highway 1 seems to be also the ideal rehearsal spot for musicians. A drummer by the roadway side, hidden in the shadow, under some majestic trees, was accompanying the Ocean waves with its instrument.

Highway 1 Delight

13. America’s Cup

San Francisco didn’t have a parade for the 4th of July, but it had the opening of “America’s Cup”. What a joy, what a celebration! Everybody was invited and had free access to “America’s Cup Village,” being able to see world’s fastest catamarans from a short distance and even maneuver them as miniatures in the event’s museum. It is the first time in the 162 years of event that the regatta is so close to the shore. Previously, your only chance to catch a glimpse of these wonderful boats was to be guest on a yacht. It’s also faster, more spectacular, designed to captivate a vast audience.  San Francisco was chosen to host the cup by the Oracle Team USA that won in 2010, in Valencia, Spain, thus having the right to pick the next venue. Maybe because, as one of the contestant skippers declared, if a sailor can make it in San Francisco, he can make it anywhere. America’s Cup started with “Luis Vuitton Cup” which is actually the qualifying series for America’s Cup. All the four crew competing – Oracle Team USA, Artemis Racing Sweden, Emirates Team New Zeeland and Luna Rossa Challenge Italy, are riding AC72 catamarans which feature 131 feet massive fixed wing (26 feet taller than a Boeing 747 wing), can carry a crew of 11 and is capable of speeds of over 40 knots.

Water Heroes