San Diego, California

Picture taken June 12, 2009 at Sea World, San Diego, California.

Coming soon more vacation pictures.

The Palace of Fine Arts/Exploratorium, San Francisco

Picture taken 12-27-08. It feels so good to be back.

The Exploratorium & Palace of Fine Arts is a absolutely one of my favorite places to visit.

Guess which bridge this is?

Picture taken 12-27-08.

Bumpass Hell

Lassen Volcanic National Park, California.


One furnace, one system. (Click image to enlarge).

Molten rock - magma - lies miles below your feet. The magma that is chambered there is the same that fed the eruptions of Lassen Peak and other dacite-dome volcanoes like Bumpass Mountain. The magma super heats a reservoir of groundwater deep within the Earth. Steam, as hot as 464 F (240 C), rises and condenses into water again, mixing with percolating groundwater nearer the surface. The mixture produces sulfate water that escapes through park hydrothermal features at temperatures about 200 F (93 C).

Bumpass Hell is the largest "escape valve" for the underground boiler or hydrothermal system and is the main upward vent. Lesser upward flow emits at Sulpher Works, Devil Kitchen. Boiling Springs Lake, and Little Hot Springs Valley. One furnace, one system.


Pictures taken July 28, 2008
Total Distance: 3 miles (4.8 km)
Elevation Gain: 300 feet (91 meters)
Description: Moderate hike over rocky terrain with grand vistas. The trail drops into an active hydrothermal.


Wonder girl Sarah at 8 months, 2 days old.


Wonder boy John at 2 years, 4 months old.


Hot stream!


Bumpass Hell contains boiling springs, mudspot, roaring fumaroles (sulfurous steam vents).
Here, it sounds like a busy airport runway.


Steve/Daddy & Sweet Sarah.
Steve/Daddy proudly takes his turn to carry Princess Sarah.


Caution: Stay on boardwalks and trails. People are severely burned each year when they ignore this caution. Dangerous boiling water and steam may be at or near the surface.


Boiling mud pot.





Steam escapes from fumaroles.


Best time to visit June to October.


It's boiling!


Look closely.


The bank of East Pyrite Pool.








We look forward in returning here in a couple of years.

Next year summer vacation will probably be at The Grand Canyon & maybe Alaska too.


Soon it will be time to retrace our steps back to the parking lot.


John hiked all the way to Bumpass Hell and all the way back to the parking lot!

Lassen Volcanic National Park, is filled diversity!
We had an awesome Summer 2008 Vacation!

Lassen National Forest, CA - Subway Cave

Pictures taken July 17, 2008.
Season Of Use - Cave is open late May through October. Closed during the winter months.


John standing at the entrance to Subway Cave.
(Devil's Doorway).


Devil's Doorway (Click on image to enlarge it).

Although the outer surface of the lava flow cooled and hardened rapidly, the inner lava was insulated from the cold air like coffee in a thermos bottle, and it remained fluid and continued to flow.

This inner molten material kept moving and soon drained out of its shell. As it continued to flow it left behind a dark hidden tunnel.

Only when the roof collapsed did the lava tube open. The jumble of rocks below was once the ceiling of the Subway Cave.

Continued down the stairway to the guided stops in the interior of the cave. Follow the map and read the descriptions.


John waiting for his flash to be handed to him.

Visibility is zero. Take a dependable flash light with you.


Wind tunnel.
Height varies from 6 to 17 feet.


The Sanctum
Length - 1,300 feet of winding lava tube. The total trail length is 1/3 mile.


Roof thickness varies from 8 to 24 feet.


Rattlesnake collapse
So close to the Subway Cave exit.


Lava bubble inside the cave.





Please treat all caves with respect as these fragile formations are easily damage.

"Cave softly and leave no trace of your visit"
Quote by - The Virtual Cave


Exit this way...
John loved climbing up and down these stairs.


A view from above the Exit Stairs Subway Cave.


Time to Hike back to our car.

We still have to check luggages into our hotel.

Road side turn out

Pictures taken July 10, 2008.
California Highway 120 at Ellery Lake.


Ellery Lake, Mono County, California.


Breath of fresh air.

Red Cliffs

Picture taken July 8, 2008
Red Rock Canyon State Park, California

Family Road Trip

Pictures July 8th -19th, 2008 coming soon!

Colorado Street Bridge, Pasadena, California

Pictures taken March 9, 2009.
Colorado Street Bridge

Saint Elizabeth of Hungary Catholic Church

Picture taken March 2, 2008.
A side view of Saint Elizabeth of Hungary Catholic Church, Altadena, California.
On the right side if you look closely up top of the mountain, you can see the television transmission towers on Mount Wilson.

239 San Jose Street. Novato, California

Hamilton Air Force Base (Housing)
Theses pictures were taken 10-23-2002.

On 10-23-2002 Steve & I decided to drop by the old house to see if it was still there. And sure enough it was, so I took some quick snap shots of the place.
Thank you Steve. I'm glad that we had taken the time during our vacation to briefly stop by.


From around 1983 to 1987, I lived in this house (the one on the left) with my Dad, mom and my sisters.


A side view of the house.


The rock under the oak tree was my favorite spot to day dream, relax, read, write, thinking, etc.

These pictures brings back so many memories.

Thank you Mom, Dad, and to my sisters.

American Heroes Air Show

Hansen Dam Recreation Complex. Lake View Terrace / San Fernando Valley, CA. 6-23-2007


Aloha everyone, I'm standing in front of abc air 7 eyewitness news copter.

Here are just a few of the helicopters that we took pictures of at the American Heroes Air Show.


2004 Eurocopter 350 AS B2


Bell OH-58 Kiowa Warriors. One of 5 Pasadena City, California police helicopters.


Bell OH-58 Kiowa Warriors taking off.


Los Angeles County Sheriff's Airstar 350.


Another view of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Airstar 350.


Bell OH-58A used by the California Highway Patrol.


Enstrom 480B currently assigned to L.A. IMPACT More info here: http://www.code2high.com/laimpact.htm


Enstrom 480B currently assigned to L.A. IMPACT. I wonder if the tail number is intentional ?


AH-1W Super Cobra Flying by.


Another view of the AH-1W Super Cobra.


Los Angeles City Fire's Copter 4, a Bell 412EP based at Van Nuys Airport.


Say Cheese...


Sikorsky HH-60G Pave Hawk


Another picture of the Sikorsky HH-60G Pave Hawk.


UH-60 Firehawk


Another view of UH-60 Firehawk taking off.


UH-60 Firehawk is a Reseach and Development program to provide the UH-60 series helicopter with both a wartime and peacetime fire fighting capability by use of a detachable 1,000 gal. belly tank. Qualification issues include design and testing required to maintain the combat capabilities of the UH-60 Black Hawk and the safe flight envelope of the aircraft with the tank.


Homeland Security


United States Coast Guard USCG HH-65 Dolphin flew away just as we arrived.


I'm (a grown proud USCG military brat) standing in front of United States Coast Guard (USCG) Sikorsky HH-60J Jayhawk.


United States Coast Guard (USCG) Sikorsky HH-6oJ Jayhawk taking off.