Introducing California s national parks
Meghan O Dea
12 days ago
California boasts more national parks than any other state, beating out even famously scenic states like Alaska and Utah. And the Golden State s 10 national parks certainly show off the diverse landscapes you can find on the west coast, from the towering redwoods of NorCal, the arid deserts of SoCal, the iconic flora of Joshua Tree and the surreal geologic snapshots of past volcanic eruptions and the movement of glaciers.
From crown jewels of the whole system like Yosemite to remote marine ecosystems like Channel Islands National Park, California s national parks certainly pack a punch. Indeed, not only are there ten parks proper, but a bevy of other protected places run by the national parks service, including national monuments, wilderness areas, seashores, and preserves.
LONE PINE, Calif.
Perched high in the craggy Inyo Mountains, between the dusty Owens Valley floor and Death Valley National Park, looms a rugged, nearly roadless chunk of desert terrain teeming with wildlife and scarred by mining operations.
Conglomerate Mesa’s charcoal smelters helped give birth 150 years ago to the nearby rip-roaring silver town of Cerro Gordo, where ingots were produced and shipped off to the small pueblo of Los Angeles by steamboat and a 20-mule team.
Now, the 22,500-acre tableau of Joshua trees, piñon pines and limestone boulders bristling with fossil shells is turning to mining again. Spurred by the rising price of gold, K2 Gold Corp., of Vancouver, Canada, is drilling and trenching in hopes of selling its findings or partnering with a bigger company that would, perhaps, transform the public lands into an open pit cyanide heap leach mine, just a few miles from Death Valley.
Museum reopens with exhibition on wildflowers and climate change Written by Special to the Town Crier
The Los Altos History Museum debuted “Beauty and the Beast: California Wildflowers and Climate Change” last week, a traveling exhibition that runs through July 11. The display marks the reopening of the museum’s indoor gallery at its new reduced hours – noon to 4 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.
The museum opened briefly last summer but closed in November when Santa Clara County returned to the purple tier in its COVID-19 framework. Now, with the go-ahead from the county, the museum reopened its main gallery for the current exhibition, while the upper gallery featuring a train diorama and the J. Gilbert Smith House remain closed.
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The Golden State has it all, from snow-covered mountains to majestic forests to metropolises and miles and miles of ocean views and there s no better way to see it than on a California road trip.
Dreaming of a California road trip? Of course, you are because who wouldn’t want to hit the open road to explore unbeatable beaches, matchless mountains, divine deserts, national parks, bustling big cities, quaint seaside villages, lush lakes, historic sites, artist colonies, and wonderful wine countries? A number of iconic drives start or end there, including historic Route 66.