Burney Falls, California

Burney Falls and Sonoma Valley California

Burney Falls and Sonoma Valley California

Burney Falls, CaliforniaBurney 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, CaliforniaBurney 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 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 VineyardsSonoma Valley Vineyard #60208  Purchase

My next brief stop on the way to the coast were the famous vineyards of the Sonoma Valley. 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 was able to leisurely drive along backroads to photograph the lovely scenery.

Along the way I had to stop at Soda Rock Winery. Not only were there some nice vineyards to photograph, there was also 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 VineyardsSonoma Valley Vineyard #60221  Purchase

Lord Snort Iron Pig ScupltureLord Snort Soda Rock Winery

Sonoma Valley VineyardsSonoma Valley Vineyard  #60213  Purchase

Sunset Sonoma Coast wildflowers, California

Sonoma Coast California

Sonoma Coast California

Sunset Sonoma Coast wildflowers, CaliforniaSonoma Coast Sunset  #60382   Purchase

I’m back in the office today after five weeks on the road in Oregon and Northern California. Tons of work to catch up on plus a huge editing/processing project to begin.

Since while on the road I only posted a few quick iPhone pics I felt I should select and share one of the highlights from the main group of files. This photo is from the Sonoma Coast California, just north of Bodega Bay. I’ll add more as they come available, and of course I’ll be working on a trip summary to post soon. Stay tuned!