Hundreds of California sea lions have taken over San Carlos Beach in Monterey, California, prompting local officials to close the area to people. Caution tape has been put up but crowds are still drawn to the animal spectacle, taking photos of the sea lions as they rest and play on the sand and in the water. Sea lions congregate at San Carlos Beach while local authorities decided to temporarily close the beach due to the large crowd of these marine mammals in Monterey, California, U.S., August 22, 2024. REUTERS/Carlos Barria While sea lions, or eared seals, are often seen at certain beaches up and down the California coast, local residents say they have never seen so many of the marine mammals gathered in Monterey. Lisa Uttal, a marine biologist with the Monterey Bay National ...
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Second Pineapple Express storm hits region causing flash floods and mudslides A massive Pineapple Express storm - the second in recent days - stalled over Southern California on Monday, drenching the Los Angeles area with torrential rain, bringing near-hurricane-force wind gusts and raising the threat of flash floods and landslides. Throughout California, some 40 million people were under flood, winter storm and high wind advisories on Monday morning, the National Weather Service (NWS) said. A Pineapple Express weather system, named for its origin near Hawaii and also called an atmospheric river storm, is vast airborne current of dense moisture carried aloft from the Pacific and dumped on land as heavy precipitation. California Governor Gavin Newsom on Sunday declared a state of ...
Read MoreTriple Threat. Deadman’s Drop. Satan’s Cesspool. After years of drought, the rapids along California’s American River are truly living up to their names. As a historic snowpack starts to melt, the spring runoff is fueling conditions for some of the best whitewater in years on the American River and its forks, which course through the Sierra Nevada northeast of Sacramento. “This is an epic whitewater rafting season,” said Deric Rothe, who owns Sierra Whitewater Inc. and has been rafting for decades. “The conditions are awesome. If you compare the rafting to a rollercoaster, it’s bigger, faster, more fun and more exciting. So, we’re loving it.” Rowers get splashed during a whitewater rafting trip down the South Fork of the American River near Placerville, Calif., on April 28, 2023....
Read MoreFrom the top of Mount Diablo, one can see the three valleys that give this place its name. There are four cities nestled within the Tri-Valley each with its own unique history and charm: Pleasanton, Livermore, Dublin, and the town of Danville. Here you’ll find California’s oldest wine country with 55 tasting rooms, a craft beer trail with 17 stops, California’s largest Premium Outlets, a delightfully diverse restaurant scene, an award-winning Ice Cream Trail, adorable downtowns, plenty of music and theater, unspoiled hiking trails with views for days, and sunshine you can count on. The Tri-Valley is accessible from anywhere in the Bay Area, just 30 miles east of San Francisco, less than an hour away from three international airports, and serviced by Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) an...
Read MoreThe fall season is a terrific time for a weekend getaway escape before the holiday season arrives. It’s a great time to come to Mammoth Lakes, California, US. So don’t wait to come on up, cool off, and enjoy some incredible bargains and beautiful foliage! Majestic in scale and awesome in its natural beauty, the year-round adventureland of Mammoth Lakes is one of those rare places that you have to see to still not totally believe. The name speaks to the size of the mountains, the expanse of the valleys, the incredible number of crystal clear mountain lakes and the endless opportunities for adventure just outside your door. But what makes this place really unique are the surreal storybook scenes that drop jaws, spark the imagination and make every moment feel like a brush with the truly ...
Read MoreIn Oceanside, California, a tiny pastel blue bungalow is nestled between lofty hotels and apartment blocks. It is the "Top Gun" house. The house was owned by Maverick's love interest, Charlie, in the 1986 original film. Now restored and moved a block down from its original location, it has been opened to the public. The house featured in the original Top Gun movie has been restored and turned into a "High Pie" shop along the beach in Oceanside, Californian, U.S., June 13, 2022. REUTERS/Mike Blake “Top Gun is a 1986 American action drama film directed by Tony Scott, and produced by Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer, in association with Paramount Pictures. The screenplay was written by Jim Cash and Jack Epps Jr., and was inspired by an article titled "Top Guns", written by Eh...
Read MoreA popular hiking trail to an oasis in Joshua Tree National Park in California has been temporarily closed so bighorn sheep can get undisturbed access to water. “The park is under extreme drought conditions and herds in the area are increasingly reliant on the oasis spring to survive the hot summer months,” a park statement said. The Fortynine Palms Oasis spring is surrounded by palms in mountains on the northern side of the park. FILE PHOTO: In this Jan. 10, 2019 photo, people visit Joshua Tree National Park in Southern California's Mojave Desert. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong,File) The closure started June 1 and will remain in effect until summer monsoon rains provide enough increase the availability of water for the bighorns. An estimated 100 to 200 desert bighorn live in th...
Read MoreSalamander living in redwoods is able to maneuver in freefall, suggesting adaptation to living at heights Salamanders that live their entire lives in the crowns of the world's tallest trees, California's coast redwoods, have evolved a behavior well-adapted to the dangers of falling from high places: the ability to parachute, glide and manoeuvre in mid-air. Flying squirrels, not to mention numerous species of gliding frogs, geckos, and ants and other insects, are known to use similar aerial manoeuvres when jumping from tree to tree or when falling, so as to remain in the trees and avoid landing on the ground. The wandering salamander (Aneides vagrans). Image credit: Christian Brown Similarly, the researchers suspect that this salamander's skydiving skills are a way to steer bac...
Read MoreMulti-million dollar resorts and California mansions up in flames Wildfires edged towards mountain resort towns in northern New Mexico on Thursday and engulfed an enclave of multi-million-dollar mansions in southern California. Residents of around 900 houses were under evacuation in coastal California and one firefighter was injured when a wildfire fire torched about 200 acres (81 hectares) in Laguna Niguel on Wednesday, Orange County officials said. Smoke from a wildfire rises above a residential area in Laguna Niguel, Orange County, California, U.S. May 11, 2022 in this picture obtained from social media. Tim Wheaton/via REUTERS In New Mexico, meanwhile, more than 300 homes and other buildings have been destroyed in wildfires burning since early last month. As westerly winds...
Read MoreFor the first time in more than two years, visitors can once again tour this architectural marvel on California’s Central Coast. With the gradual lifting of COVID-related regulations and the completion of a $13.7 million project to repair and improve the road, Hearst Castle is again accepting advance tour reservations. Among the reopening’s highlights is the new Julia Morgan Tour, which leads into rarely visited sections of the castle as it focuses on the life and career of the woman who designed more than 700 buildings in California. The resumption of tours at Hearst Castle is the big news, and will no doubt inspire many road trippers to venture along California’s Highway 1. Here is a quick guide to some of the top things to do near Hearst Castle on the north coast of San Luis ...
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