Photo Tour: Sunny Mexico to Snowy California and Mild Oregon Coast

Long distances of Hwy 1 are along the beautiful shore with free camping
directly on the water

Driving Highway 1 and 5 on Baja California Sur to the North.

It´s a narrow road, often without a shoulder, and an adventurous drive...

Amazing sights, exciting nature, and remote places apart from the highway.

The Northern part of the Baja, in the Sorona province, shows remands of former volcanos

Huge Bougainvillea trees in small towns along the way, here in Mulege

Crossing the border into the USA, the first snow-capped mountains appear 

in the distance, a stark contrast to the huge palm trees in Palm Springs, California

Joshua trees along the road are beautiful ancient trees in the Southern California Sierra

The first snow mountains of the High Sierra appear.  The Hwy 395 winds between
14,000 ft mountains of the Sequoia Ntl. Park and Yosemite Ntl. Park

Large Sequoia trees along Hwy 395 towards Lake Tahoe

Mono Lake in February

Lake Tahoe - before the next day´s snow storm ...

Snow right and left towards Klamath Falls, but sunny on this early February day

Northern Sierra High Mountains

Watch out for bears, and better don´t walk in the woods

After a snowstorm around Bend, OR, area it gets mushy and rainy

Huge Redwood trees, up to 5-stories high right and left the road.

Finally, milder weather on Oregon´s beaches

Tsunami hazard signs all along the Pacific Coast from California up to Washington State

Beautiful rocky coast along the shores of Oregon State

No bears anymore, but elks with large Antlers

The first Daffodils of the year in early February growing along the backroads

Sculpture in front of a native casino in Washington State, close to 

Port Angeles, the ferry harbor to Canada

Marvelous Rhododendron trees on Vancouver Island in February

An exciting, long cross-country trip through Mexico, USA, and Canada

I would do it again in a heartbeat, but maybe not in Winter, but rather in early Spring to avoid 

the snowfall in Northern California and Oregon on highways that are not plowed.

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Spring in Sidney, Vancouver Island, Canada

 

Rhododendron, Camellia, and Azalea´s are the staple in Vancouver Gardens.

But there are some shrubs, not known in the rest of Canada: 
Pieris Japonica, Red Current
loved by Hummingbirds), Daphne, and Oregon Grape.

Hobby sailers are eagerly waiting for warmer temperatures

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Victoria and Sidney are plastered with early-blooming cherry trees 

and are a sea of pink.  Perhaps it is the place in Canada with the most Cherry trees...

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There is something magical about wandering around town soaking in the vibe of the city.  Especially in Spring.  The beginnings of cherry blossom buds, the green leaves of hellebores, and vibrant tulips.

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Flowering plants show lovely colors from February on:

Pink and white Heather, Hellebores, Daffodils, Crocus, and Aurikel

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Aviation Museum
Vancouver Island´s best-kept secret: For aviation enthusiasts, the British Columbia Aviation Museum is open seven days a week and features several aircraft and artifacts related to the history of aviation in Canada, with an emphasis on BC aviation history.  The museum displays restored aircraft, engines, and pictures, photos. and videos in addition to memorials of key figures of aviation history.

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Town of Bookstores

Sidney residents must share a love of the written word as evidenced by the town’s numerous bookstores, all located within a few blocks of one another.  Each bookstore offers something different, from new titles to children’s classics and rare and antique works. 

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Sidney Museum and Archives

The Sidney Museum features 8,000 artifacts and regularly updated permanent displays on local First Nations, industry, transportation, agriculture, and social history. Displays include a vintage kitchen, a vintage storefront, a rustic barn. and a schoolhouse. The entrance of the museum is not easy to find, visitors need to look out for the sign in front of Sidney Museum at the Town Centre/Old Post Office and then go down a flight of stairs. 

2423 Beacon Ave

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Wine and Ciders

In and around Sidney, there are numerous vineyards and distillers around to help quench your thirst, including Victoria Distillers’ new waterfront distillery in Sidney.  Or head out to the Sea Cider Far & Cider House in Saanichton, the Roost Vineyard Bistro in North Saanichton, or the Deep Cove Winery, also in North Saanichton.
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Sidney Whale Watching

The calm waters near Sidney make the region an excellent place for whale watching.  Watch from the privacy of your own boat, or book through Sidney Whale Watching.

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Salish Sea Museum

The outside of the building is unassuming as it is added to a hotel/condominium first floor.  However, it 

is a world-class Aquarium and learning center that shows the colorful world underneath the dark waters.

A fantastic job to bring all these diverse and fascinating sea creatures right to visitors!  Don´t miss it!

https://marvelous-canada.blogspot.com/2024/03/stunning-beauty-in-salish-sea-center-on.html

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Ferry to Sidney Spit
From downtown Sidney, visitors can enjoy a short ferry trip to Sidney Spit, an idyllic island perfect for camping, hiking, bird watching or simply hanging out on stunning beaches.  Accessible only by water from the end of May on, Sidney Spit is part of the Gulf Islands National Park Reserve.  
https://www.sidneyspitferry.com/

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Amazing: Lemons grow in Canada 

The mild climate allows even citrus fruit trees to grow 

(in glass houses from December to February).  Here is yesterday´s harvest:

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Why is Mate so Popular in Argentina?

 

When I took my first excursion in Patagonia, southern Argentina, I watched the tour guide and the bus driver sharing a cup with a kind of metal straw.  They drank both from the same cup and used the same drinking tool...  I was a bit irritated and concluded they were a couple. But no!  In many other situations, people shared the same drink.  I learned it was Mate, a kind of herbal tea. 

It's a traditional drink in Latin and South America. It's made by steeping dried leaves from the yerba mate plant in hot water. Yerba mate can be served cold or hot.  Some studies suggest that the tea may have helpful effects on cholesterol, weight loss, the heart, and inflammation.  However, too many liters of Mate during a day might also be a health risk.

The discovery of yerba mate can be attributed to the Kaingang ethnic group, who ate the raw leaves about 3000 years B.C.  Mate is an integral part of Argentinian life, and its ceremony is tied to feelings of friendship and kinship, with both friends and strangers.  Poring and sharing mate is an act of love and dedication, governed by certain unwritten rules for those participating in the round. 

Argentinians drink mate every day, at any time, and in any situation. In social situations and at work. In the morning as an energizer and in the afternoon as a digestif - on its own or accompanied by a sweet pastry - bitter or sweet.

Mate gourds come in all different sizes and colors, and some include phrases or symbols.  There are also bags called materos designed to hold the gourd, the thermos, the yerba, and the sugar.  The national infusion is part of everyday life in Argentina and will be that way forever.  In many stores, you can discover dozens of different types of Mate cups and materos. In a grocery store, I counted more than 30 types of this herbal tea.

When you are invited to drink maté with Argentinians, you will share the same gourd, which is traditionally passed in a circle among the guests in a counterclockwise direction to go against time.  Maté is above all an excuse for meeting and sharing. It can be an intimate ritual.  When a mate and a bombilla are shared, secrets come to light, it provokes a connection with those who are enjoying it. 

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