California Ground Squirrel

The California coastline is raw, powerful, breath-taking, beautiful, and varied.  In February Tim and I drove the Southern part of the state from Los Angeles to Carmel along US 1 and US 101.  These pictures were taken in the section between San Luis Obispo (SLO) and Carmel.

Lone Cypress – 17 mile drive – Pebble Beach

Rugged edges

Cleared for take-off

Seal or Sea Lion?

Ground cover adds color

On Guard

Field of grazing cattle

Rocks upon the shoreline

Gentle Waves

Cut down trees become a canvas for graffiti

Elephant Seal Boardwalk

Point Piedras Blancas is the home to about 17,000 Northern Elephant Seals.   They spend the majority of the year in the water, but return to this beach to mate and later to give birth.  When we were there the large males were herding their harem and trying to ward off intruders.

And if you guessed Sea Lion above, you were correct.  The easiest way to tell the difference is that Sea Lions have ear flaps and Seals have ear holes.