October 2010: A road trip through California and Nevada, taking in Point Reyes, Yosemite, Owens Valley and Death Valley. This was my first visit to the West Coast of the US and I was blown away by quite how diverse it is geographically - from snow-capped mountains to desert dunes, city beaches to giant redwood forests, all within a few hours' drive from each other.
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The view from Chimney Rock, Point Reyes National Seashore, Marin County, California. You can see dozens of elephant seals on the beach.
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Elephant seals, dusk. Point Reyes National Seashore is about two hours north of San Francisco, but we were lucky enough to be the only people at the observation point.
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Black-tailed deer, Point Reyes National Seashore.
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Nic with the Mustang, Yosemite.
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Half Dome (left-hand peak), Yosemite.
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Two fearless adventurers in front of the final ascent for Half Dome.
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View down to the valley floor from the top of Nevada Fall.
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Half Dome (left-hand peak).
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Vernal Fall, Yosemite.
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The view from Vernal Fall.
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Coyote, Yosemite Valley floor.
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Wild cotton, Yosemite Valley.
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Unknown lake, Tioga Pass - Yosemite.
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View from Olmsted Point, dusk, Yosemite.
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Chipmunk, Yosemite.
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Sunset, Yosemite.
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The road down into Owens Valley from Yosemite.
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Storm brewing on the 395, Owens Valley.
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Sierra Nevada peaks from Owens Valley.
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Approaching Death Valley on the 190.
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The road to Death Valley, dusk.
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Dawn from Dante's View, Death Valley.
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Dawn over Death Valley, from Dante's View.
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The road up to Dante's View, Death Valley, dawn.
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Nic at Devil's Golf Course, Death Valley.
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Sunset from Zabriskie Point, Death Valley.
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Sunset over Zabriskie Point, Death Valley.
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Dawn from the Mesquite Flat Dunes, Death Valley - near Stovepipe Wells.
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Capturing dawn over the dunes.
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Rhyolite ghost town, Nevada, with Death Valley in the background - a relic from the gold rush era.
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Abandoned store, Rhyolite ghost town, Nevada - on the road to Las Vegas.
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The view down to Death Valley from Rhyolite, Nevada.