Baking in the sun Part II

While hiking through Anza-Borrego Desert, I had to cross a stream.



Yessirree, there was an awesome stream of water running through the desert!



Unfortunately, as I've mentioned before, my cool black plastic shoes don't have the best traction.  I ended up slipping and falling into the stream.  I flowed down the stream for a while but managed to pull myself out onto a rock.  I lay there for a moment.



Then I decided to have a snack to recover from the shock.  Easy Cheese and crackers on the rock!



Chocolate chip oatmeal cookies on the rock! 



After eating and replenishing my energy, I was good as new.  I went on my awesome, merry way.

Baking in the sun Part I

Deserts are super awesome.



Here I am at Anza-Borrego Desert State Park.



It's the largest state park in California.



It was named after Juan Bautista de Anza, a Spanish explorer, and the word borrego, which is Spanish and refers to the bighorn sheep that live in the desert.  These are some awesome beavertail cactus.



I decided to hike along the Borrego Palm Canyon Nature Trail.  Can you find me in the picture?  I'm by the awesome green sign.



There were lots of rocks everywhere.



Stay tuned for more, including a near tragedy!

No sand between my toes

Time for a break at another beach!



At Cardiff State Beach.  I really liked the awesome green seaweed.



Testing out a shell to see what it'd be like to be a hermit man -- you know, like a hermit crab.



The verdict?  Not very comfortable.  I didn't stay inside very long.



Random carcasses on the beach.

Beach and breakfast

Breakfast time at the hotel!



Pancakes with butter and syrup.



Plus a croissant, egg, and slices of heaven -- bacon!  Bacon is super awesome.



After breakfast, I headed farther south.  I stopped by San Onofre State Beach.  I visited some new friends, both small and big.

Pits of death Part II

Ready to head into the George C. Page Museum at the La Brea Tar Pits!





There was a hands-on display where you could pull on the handles, which were in tar, just to see how sticky the stuff is.  Wowie.  I sure got a good work out.



An awesome mammoth.  Mammoths rock!



Outside the "Fishbowl", inside of which staff and volunteers work.  That day the big people were sorting microfossils using paint brushes to move them into different piles. 



That was one awesome museum!

Pits of death Part I

I visited the La Brea Tar Pits.



There was an awesome smell of tar throughout the park!  Behind me are awesome fake Columbian mammoths, one of which is stuck in the tar.  That's how so many creatures died -- by getting stuck in the tar.



In the building at Pit 91.  Someone's spiffy tar-stained clothes are hanging on the wall.



The excavation pit.  People have been excavating the tar pits for decades.  Work on the pits continues even today.



Sitting on the bear's knee.  Can you see me?  Next up is inside the George C. Page Museum!

A taste of Mexico, China, and Japan

I had a most awesome time exploring downtown Los Angeles!



See those unusual sideways planters in the background?  They were full of super cool succulents.



Sitting on a bench in the Olvera Street marketplace, which was teeming with big people.  Actually, Los Angeles as a whole is teeming with tons of big people.



Then it was on to Chinatown!



Lots of red in Chinatown.  Red is supposed to mean good luck, right?  Well, a green shirt and yellow pants mean super awesome good luck!  Try wearing that and find out.



I stopped for an ice cold drink from a small shop called Lollicup.  Mmm, slurp.





My last stop in downtown was Little Tokyo.  Everything was awesome!