July 9, 2026 After our tour of the Walt Disney Concert Hall, we walked next door with Kylie and Oli to visit one of LA’s other architectural gems. Designed by the acclaimed firm Diller Scofidio + Renfro with Gensler, the Broad art museum is covered in a white honeycomb-like exterior that filters natural daylight. TheContinue reading “The Broad, Los Angeles, California, USA”
Author Archives: walkingward3
The Walt Disney Concert Hall, Los Angeles, California, USA
July 9, 2026 The Walt Disney Concert Hall is one of the world’s most celebrated concert halls. With our daughter-in-law Kylie and our grandson Oli, we decided to check it out. We will have to return at some stage for an actual concert. Opened in 2003 in downtown LA, it was designed by the lateContinue reading “The Walt Disney Concert Hall, Los Angeles, California, USA”
Sunset Beach and Huntington Harbour, California, USA
July 7, 2026 Sunset is a classic little Californian beach community lying between Seal Beach to the north and Huntington Beach to the south. We started off walking down the long sandy beach. To the north we could see a navy ship, no doubt loading up munitions at the Naval Weapons Station at Seal Beach.Continue reading “Sunset Beach and Huntington Harbour, California, USA”
Sausalito, California, USA
June 23, 2026 Sausalito is a small waterfront town just across the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco. With its Victorian buildings, laid back vibe and location across the harbor from a large city, it reminded us quite a lot of Devonport in Auckland. With its slight shabbiness and surrounding steep hills it also hadContinue reading “Sausalito, California, USA”
Houseboats, Sausalito, California, USA
June 23, 26 Just north of Sausalito, across the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco, are about 500 houseboats lining about ten docks. Each home is individually designed, so no two are exactly alike. The community traces its roots back more than a century, but it really flourished after World War II. When the nearbyContinue reading “Houseboats, Sausalito, California, USA”
Mission San Francisco Solano, Sonoma, California, USA
June 23, 2026 As our regular readers will know, we are on a quest to visit all of the historic missions in California. Mission San Francisco Solano was the last of the 21 missions to be built. It is also the farthest north and was founded in 1823, two years after Mexico gained its independence.Continue reading “Mission San Francisco Solano, Sonoma, California, USA”
St. Helena and Yountville, California, USA
June 22, 2026 Driving through Napa Valley we passed numerous wineries. They were built in a variety of styles. Many looked as if they would be at home in France or Italy or Spain. Some were modern. But they were all immaculate and tidy as the rows of grapes surrounding them. We stopped briefly inContinue reading “St. Helena and Yountville, California, USA”
Calistoga, California, USA
June 22, 2026 Next stop on our California tour was Napa Valley, home to over 400 wineries. Neither of us are wine people, so why Christopher and Carla headed out to various vineyards for tastings, we explored the local towns. First up was Calistoga. The town is known for its geothermal pools and volcanic ashContinue reading “Calistoga, California, USA”
Groveland, California, USA
June 21, 2026 Good question. Where indeed is Groveland? It is, in fact, a small historic town just outside Yosemite National Park. It was originally a gold mining camp, known as Garrote (execution by strangling). According to local tradition, the name came after a suspected thief was lynched by being strangled with a rope—a grimContinue reading “Groveland, California, USA”
Half Dome, Yosemite, California, USA
June 19-20, 2026 In homage to Japanese printmaker, Katsushika Hokusai and American photographer, Ansel Adams, we offer Ten Views of Half Dome.
Mal and Lauren 