Discover Northern California's
#Photo-of-the-Week
Continued #5

What is
#TravelTuesday #Photo-of-the-Week?

When we first started blogging our #TravelTuesday photo series back in January of 2013 at Discover Northern California's Travel Blog, it didn't occur to us that those items - like all the others on that page - would eventually drop off the bottom of the viewable page.

When it did occur to us, we realized we needed to collect them somewhere, so those who weren't around when they originally posted could find them. So here we are!

In case you're wondering, #TravelTuesday is a Twitter phenomenon created by Katy Lynch of Where I've Been, the popular social media app used by over 9 million people on Facebook, MySpace, bebo, etc. to share the places they've been to, lived in, and/or want to go to.

And, of course, Photo-of-the-Week (or -Day or -Month) is a favorite publishing tool throughout the Internet.

Do you have a favorite NorCal story?
From a family visit from years ago to something
you discovered last weekend,
Share it with the rest of us - we'd love to learn about it!

If you're looking for Northern California lodging, you can't do better than to compare prices with HotelsCombined.com before you book:

---

#TravelTuesday #Photo-of-the-Week
We have flocks of pigeons and gaggles of geese;
but what are turkeys called?

This photo-of-the-week was taken in our very own back yard!

A group of wild turkeys is called a rafter! The females are hens; the males are toms, and the babies are poults.

You know, we've traveled all over the world to see wildlife in its natural habitat - we've been on safari in Kenya and South Africa; walkabout in the Outback of Australia; birdwatching in Belize; hiking the jungles of Peru... but sometimes what you're looking for can be found in your own backyard!

Yesterday I finally got around to grabbing my Yosemite walking stick, putting on my Wellies, and trekking down below to recoup the media cards from my two Critter Cams that are set up in our backyard (which is unfenced and is really more of an oak forest than a backyard).

The media cards had been in place since about the end of June - what with preparing for our recent trip to Peru, traveling to Peru, unpacking upon our return from Peru, and all the catching-up we had to do, I just hadn't gotten around to taking out the old and putting in the new! As a result, between the two cams there were almost 6,000 photos to go through - most of them documenting nothing so much as wind-blown weeds and tree branches.

But there were a few goodies, like this rafter of wild turkeys that meandered under the oaks and across several frames of digital data.

Turkeys are social creatures, often traveling in rafters of 20 or 30 birds that are most likely related to each other. They spend their days foraging for acorns, seeds, small insects, and wild berries - all of which are plentiful in our mostly natural habitat backyard.

Did you know that wild turkeys spend their nights in tree branches? Yup, wild turkeys, unlike their much-heavier domesticated counterparts, can actually fly (for short distances, anyway)!

Other critters captured on the cams this go-round: A fat and happy
raccoon (at night), several foraging deer (both day and night), and a healthy-looking coyote (at night)!

For more Critter Cam photos, visit Butte County: Wildlife and Chico Critter Cam: Worried Doe.

---

#TravelTuesday #Photo-of-the-Week
Harpoons at Whalers Cove

For all its natural beauty, which can be hard to tear yourself away from, a visit to Point Lobos State Natural Reserve should include a stop at Whalers Cove and the Whalers Cabin Museum.

"Soon after the California gold rush of 1849, historians believe a small group of Chinese fishermen and their families set sail from southern China in 30-foot junks.

"Following the prevailing winds and ocean currents, they probably arrived at Point Lobos around 1851 and established what may be the first Chinese fishing settlement in California...

"Word quickly spread about the abundant abalone beds and before long several hundred Chinese were engaged in the local abalone harvesting business...

"The Chinese settlement at Point Lobos consisted of about a dozen buildings, one of which remains and now houses the Whalers Cabin Museum."

"Portuguese whalers from the Azore Islands arrived at Point Lobos in 1861 and set up living quarters in the meadow at the southeast end of Whalers Cove...

"The Whaling Station Museum at Whalers Cove is the only on-site whaling museum on the west coast. It documents the historic whaling activities at Point Lobos with displays of historic whaling equipment and exhibit panels describing the lives of the whalers and their families."

Information Courtesy of Point Lobos Foundation

For more photos from around Point Lobos, check out our photo album, Monterey County: Point Lobos

---

#TravelTuesday #Photo-of-the-Week
Gods and Pharaohs; Mummies and Queens!

Long before Robert Taylor began his celluloid exploits as an archaeologist in "Valley of the Kings," we've had a fascination with unearthing the secrets of ancient Egypt.

Visit the Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum in San Jose and you, too, will discover the secrets of the ancient ones.

Set among the broad lawns and rose gardens of beautiful Rosicrucian Park is not only the museum, but also the Planetarium building, the Rosicrucian Temple, the Research Library, and the Peace Garden, all of which were inspired by Moorish and Egyptian architecture.

Explore the elaborate burial practices the Egyptians undertook to ensure a safe journey to the afterlife - building tombs and mummifying the dead, burying the deceased's possessions with the body. Learn about the hundreds, if not thousands, of gods and goddesses they worshiped. Meet the kings and queens who presided over centuries of an ancient civilization that was among the first to develop a system of writing.

But also discover the daily lives of the everyday Egyptians as well - the farmers, craftsmen, and homemakers who led relatively simple lives centered around their families and the fulfillment of the necessities of life. Through the artifacts they left behind, you'll learn about their lives, their work, the games they played, and the importance that cleanliness and their appearance held for them.

Once you've spent time in the halls of ancient Egypt,
you'll find yourself returning time and again!

---

#TravelTuesday #Photo-of-the-Week
Visit the charming waterfront community of Suisun City!

Once known as the drug capital of Solano County, Suisun City (Su-SOON City) cleaned up its act long ago and created one of the most charming waterfront districts in the North State.

Visit for a day to stroll along the promenade of this revitalized waterfront district that gently kisses scenic Suisun Slough and enjoy Harbor Plaza (central to several enchanting local events throughout the year), historic homes coexisting peacefully with contemporary structures, public areas, and commercial enterprises, and waterfront shopping and dining with views.

Spend a weekend and discover the great outdoors: ride your bike along quiet country roads; kayak the California Delta for close-up nature views; sail, motor, or cruise farther afield - through Suisun Marsh and right into San Francisco Bay; cast your line from Suisun City Fishing Pier or take your boat over to Grizzly Island's waters for some splendid fishing; visit Rush Ranch for spectacular birdwatching...

Suisun City is waiting for you - what are you waiting for?

For more photos, visit our Facebook album, Suisun City.

---

#TravelTuesday #Photo-of-the-Week
The Presidio of San Francisco: From military base to state park!

For over 218 years, military personnel from Spain, Mexico, and finally the United States enjoyed some of the most stunning wooded areas, hills, and scenic views of the Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco Bay, and the Pacific Ocean.

Today those same amenities are available to all because the Presidio was transferred to the National Park Service in 1994 after being decommissioned as an Army base in 1989.

Designated as a National Historic Landmark District in 1962, the Presidio is brimming with beautiful and historic buildings made of red brick, white planking and stucco, even logs. Styles range from Italianate and Greek Revival to Queen Anne to Colonial and Mission Revival to Mediterranean Revival to utilitarian.

Board a FREE "First Wednesday" guided Presidio Shuttle Tour to learn more about the park's historic areas, wide open spaces, and hidden nooks.

Then meander and explore the park on your own!

Presidio of San Francisco

Spend the weekend: book your next Presidio visit at: Inn at the Presidio!

---

Return to Photo-of-the-Week from #Photo-of-the-Week More Photos #5

For more of our #Photos-of-the-Week, follow these links:

• More photos #1,
• And more photos #2,
• And even more photos #3,
• And yet more photos #4
  
  

Like what you're finding here at Discovering Northern California? Then please share with the Social Network of your choice.

And thanks for coming!