Burney Falls and Sonoma Valley California

Burney Falls #60182 Purchase

Last April I visited Burney Falls and Sonoma Valley California as part of a Spring photography tour. This tour encompassed Hood River Oregon the northern California coast and finally back to eastern Oregon. On the way to the California coast, I took the opportunity to make my first visit to these iconic locations.

Burney Falls #60183 Purchase

McArthur Burney Falls State Park is the second oldest state park in California. Located in the Cascade Mountains northeast of Redding the falls are the centerpiece of the park. Created by both Burney Creek and springs issuing from layers of volcanic rock, the falls are an imposing site. Like many large waterfalls, Burney Falls can be difficult to photograph due to the constant mist created by the thundering water. Visiting at this time of the year there isn’t much colorful foliage around the falls so I decided to focus on details. Using a medium telephoto lens and long exposures, I found numerous compositions on the far side of the falls. The rest of the park is mainly forested with several hiking trails and a very large and pleasant campground. Unfortunately, since I was anxious to get to the coast I stayed only long enough to photograph the falls.

Sonoma Valley

Sonoma Valley Vineyard #60208  Purchase

My next brief stop on the way to the coast was the famous Sonoma Valley vineyards. Considered the birthplace of the California wine industry Sonoma Valley is home to some of the oldest vineyards and wineries in the state. Alexander Valley in the north was where I could leisurely drive along backroads to photograph the lovely scenery.

Along the way, I had to stop at Soda Rock Winery. There were some nice vineyards to photograph, and the imposing and whimsical Lord Snort guarding the entrance to the winery.  Showcased at the 2016 Burning Man Festival, Lord Snort is a metal sculpture by Bryan Tedrick. Visiting the tasting room, I felt very much out of my league among the lavish furnishings. Trying a white wine, I don’t remember what kind, the nice woman behind the bar talked up the complexity of notes, which of course just flew over my head. However, if this had been a distillery in Scotland it would’ve been a much different story!

Sonoma Valley Vineyard #60221  Purchase

Lord Snort Soda Rock Winery

Sonoma Valley Vineyard  #60213  Purchase