"Art is Timeless" Clock, Sawdust Art Festival, Laguna Beach, California, USA

The irony of this quote, "Art is Timeless", made it that much more interesting. This was a clock within the Sawdust Art Festival that takes place every summer in Laguna Beach. There were a multitude of booths with artists displaying and selling their art - each one unique in their own way. Even though it was sweltering hot outside, the festival had so many trees that it provided a cool shade for those below. Started in 1965, all the exhibits are by local Laguna Beach artists. The Festival is a non-profit organization whose mission is to educate the public and promote the arts of local artists. :)

Sunset at Laguna Beach, California, USA

We arrived at the beach just as the sun was setting, lighting up the sky a vivid orange, pink and red color. The silhouette is of a father and daughter walking and playing along the beach as others played around, admiring the beauty of the sunset.

View from the Galata Tower, Istanbul, Turkey

It seems like every big city I go to, I visit sometime of tower that you can go up and see a view of the entire city. The Galata Tower in Istanbul did not disappoint. I could see the Sultanahmet part of Istanbul across the Golden Horn, as well as the buildings just below us. At first glance, the views from these tall structures seem the same, but upon a closer look, you can tell just how different they are.

Interior of the Central Library, Downtown, Los Angeles, California, USA

The inside of the Central Library in Downtown LA is amazing. Who knew libraries looked like this! This is one of the main lobby rooms. The ceiling art was so colorful!

Bamboos at the Garden at the Winery, Santa Ynez Valley, Santa Maria, California, USA

:)

High Sierra Loop Trail Hike Distances Sign, Yosemite National Park, California, USA

This officially marked the beginning of our trek to Vernal Falls!

Water Court at California Plaza, Downtown, Los Angeles, California, USA

This is the Water Court at the California Plaza in downtown LA. That night, there were no performances, but it is often used as an outdoor concert area on other nights. In the sky, a plane (or UFO?) flew across, leaving a streak of light. Relaxing place to just sit and watch the flowing water.

Chipmunk along the Mist Trail, Yosemite National Park, California, USA

I was pleasantly surprised to see a cute little chipmunk along our hike. This one was a sharp contrast to the larger squirrels we saw all throughout the area.

Vernal Fall, Yosemite National Park, California, USA

Flowing along the Merced River is Vernal Fall. It is a 1.3 mile hike uphill to the point above the fall, but I would say the hike along the Mist Trail had the better view. The trail inclines throughout, but for the last portion of it, there are steep steps over rocks that made the last part that much harder. We plowed through it and made it to the top area that had areas to sit and relax by the pool of water. I love waterfalls!

Tung and Hue's Wedding, Phu Lam Restaurant, San Jose, California, USA

Congratulations to Tung and Hue on their special day! Just as the toasts were about to begin, everyone was instructed to pull the strings on their party poppers. Loud cheers erupted and colorful strings flew into the sky - the festivities had officially begun! Their wedding reception was a lot of fun - many courses of food, drinks, and dancing. It was a great occasion for friends to come together for a reunion. So, when's the next wedding I'm attending? :)

Photos to come...

I'm a bit behind. Didn't really have internet all weekend. Will update with a couple photos tonight hopefully. :)

4th & Hope Street, Downtown, Los Angeles, California, USA

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Downtown Los Angeles can be deserted on a weekday night, but that doesn't mean all lights turn off. Corporate America is hard at work no matter what time it is. This is taken from the area around 4th Street and Hope Street. Skyscrapers everywhere!

Central Library, Los Angeles, California, USA

The Los Angeles Central Library is located in the heart of downtown LA. I had never been in there before, so I was surprised by how elaborate the architecture was. There were many floors, connected to each other by escalators and elevators. This lit globe was hanging from the ceiling on a chandelier in the very center of the rotunda of the library. There were art displays throughout the library in addition to the expansive collection of books! This library was built in 1926, and it has the third largest collection of books and periodical holdings of all public libraries in the United States.

Summer Concert Series, The Americana, Glendale, California, USA

The Donate Life Summer Concert series has a couple of dates throughout the summer. The night we went, it was Vanessa Carlton performing in the outdoor venue. With her hits such as Ordinary Day and a Thousand Miles, the familiarity with the songs brought me back to years ago when the songs were first out. With the pond just before the stage, all the lights from the production reflected onto the water. We sat in the grass and enjoyed the music and ambiance around us.

Vineyards at Santa Ynez Valley, Santa Maria, California, USA

From these green branches are the grapes that are grown to eventually produce wine. There were vines that stretched far down in rows over what seemed like acres of land. Great area to go wine tasting and be able to enjoy the vineyards just outside the tasting rooms.

Tres Hermanas Winery, Santa Ynez Valley, Santa Maria, California, USA

There is a stretch of miles and miles of vineyards located in the Santa Ynez Valley within Santa Barbara County. At the Tres Hermanas Winery, we met two of the owners and got the chance to try some of the wines they offered, while conversing with them about their daily flow of winetasters. Just outside the tasting room, there is a white picket fence that leads to a small grass area, complete with shady trees and a small stream. From here, we had access to the vineyards that the grapes came from. It was a long, but fun day!

Tchaikovsky Spectacular with LA Philharmonic, plus Fireworks!, Hollywood, California, USA

Spending a summer night outside watching a classical music performance, drinking wine and eating cheese and crackers with friends - this is what I love about summer! Towards the end of the show, there was a fireworks display and luckily, I was able to capture the multitude of colors coming from behind the main stage. Built in the 1920's, the Hollywood Bowl is a famous amphitheatre nestled within the Hollywood hills, and still is popular as a music venue in the Los Angeles area.

Reflections on the EMP|SFP Building, Seattle, Washington, USA

The Experience Music Project and Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame (EMPSFM) is a uniquely designed building by none other than Frank Gehry, who has come to be recognized by so many famous buildings (Walt Disney Concert Hall, Guggenheim Museum). The building takes typical vertical and horizontal lines and bends them in a way that has defined a lot of Gehry's work. I didn't go inside the museum, but the outside was a treat in itself. On the metallic structure, there were reflections of the surroundings created into great silhouettes.

Hammocks for Sale, Costa Rica

On our way to Manuel Antonio, we made a short rest stop to a place with a restaurant and little shops. This shop in particular was selling hammocks in all different variations of colors and prints, all hanging from a bar.

Sorry, my descriptions have been less wordy as of late. That just means I have less to say and I am pressed for time (haha I need to sleep). This is a photo diary after all! Hopefully when I have some fresh photos, I can put more descriptions. Good night!

P.S. One more photo later today (I missed the Thursday cut-off time).

Houses along the way to Wimbledon, London, United Kingdom

:) Don't feel like writing much today, except to say that these were some of the cute, quaint houses we passed as we walked to Wimbledon!

Racks of Clothes, Anthropologie, Santa Monica, California, USA

Yes, I did it. I took a photo while I was shopping in Anthropologie. Today I felt like posting this photo (it was from a few months ago) because I've been feeling like I want a brand new wardrobe. Yes, I know it sounds crazy since some may know how much clothes I have. Maybe its just a phase, hopefully it will pass soon and adding to my wardrobe will suffice. Once we move to the new apartment and I have a nice big walk-in closet, let's see how I feel... I'll update you! =P

[UPDATE 11:47pm] Ok, I have decided that I do not want to replace my whole wardrobe. That was just crazy talk. Just have to add to the collection!

Cool Quote, London, United Kingdom

I thought this was a cool quote!

Pair of Sixes, Los Angeles, California, USA

:) Good morning! Didn't have time to post a photo yesterday, so this is for Sunday. One more to come later today. :)

Interior of the LSE Library, London, United Kingdom

Through the doors of the library at the London School of Economics are floors and floors of books and studying students. I was even able to get a visitor library ID card while I was there (ID with my picture and everything!). Going through the center of the library is the circular architecture of stairs. It was my chance to be a pretend student for a bit, although all I did was take pictures...

Americana, Glendale, California, USA

Comments to come later :)

Postcards at Farmer's Market, Los Angeles, California, USA

I almost forgot a photo today! While I was a tourist over the weekend, I had to take some pictures of the quintessential "touristy" thing - postcards!

Urban Light Display, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles, California, USA

Located right outside LACMA, on Wilshire Boulevard, is a magnificent display of 202 vintage light posts from throughout LA. At night, traffic on Wilshire is almost non-existent, but these lights shine bright as you drive along Museum Row. These lights are turned on at night and are solar powered by panels on top of the BP grand entrance.

OC Super Fair, Costa Mesa, California, USA

As much as I wanted to wait for darkness to fall to take pictures, my brother was unwilling. So, this is one of the last pictures I got before we left the OC fair. Walking into the OC Fair, I felt overstimulated by all the people and all the activities surrounding me. From the petting zoos to the haunted house to the ferris wheel, there were so many things to take pictures of. We got to ride one of the rollercoasters (so much fun!), but that was the extent of the rides. The food looked delicious too, but we were still full, so we just got an M&M ice cream bar that they were giving out.

Truck, Gilmore Gas Station, Farmer's Market, Los Angeles, California, USA

Just outside the Farmer's Market by the Grove is a replica of the Gilmore Gas Station, the country's first self serve gas station built in 1936. This truck was at the gas station. The Farmer's Market began when Arthur Fremont Gilmore and his partner bought two large ranches, one which was a dairy farm at the location of the market. The Gilmore Oil Company overtook the farm when oil was discovered there in 1905. Arthur's son, Earl Bell Gillmore, went on to establish an oil and gas distribution network and this is where this gas station came about. Two entrepreneurs, Roger Dahlhjelm and Fred Beck envisioned the idea of a market and presented it to Gilmore for what eventually became the Farmer's Market at this site. This was a piece of the past - especially since the gas sign showed that it was only about 20 cents per galloon!

UCLA Bruin Prize, OC Super Fair, Costa Mesa, California, USA

After a day at the beach, we visited the Orange County Super Fair in Costa Mesa. As we walked around the games area, I spotted some very enticing prizes. It ALMOST made me want to attempt to do the impossible: throw a small ring onto a glass bottle or throw a dart to pop a balloon. They were stuffed animal bears wearing a baby blue and yellow UCLA sweater. Oddly enough, there were also bears wearing a USC sweater and a Cal sweater. Cal makes sense, but a USC sweater should never be on a bear! I, however, did not attempt to win the UCLA one - a picture shall do for now.

Pier at the Balboa Peninsula, Newport Beach, California, USA

Yesterday, I explored Orange County with my mom and brother. We headed south, towards Newport Beach and went to the Balboa Peninsula. Balboa Island is an artificial island - connected to land by a two lane bridge from the PCH. The privately owned Balboa Island Ferry is an auto/passenger ferry leaving from Balboa Island and crossing to the peninsula where you actually drive your car onto the ferry (3 cars at a time). You stop your engine, put on the parking breaks and sit in your call for a couple minutes to cross from the island to the peninsula (about a 1/5 mile journey). From the main island, we went across to the narrow peninsula, parked, walked to the other side from the harbor and found the beautiful beach. The day was perfect - hot with some winds to help cool down as we lie out on the sand. This photo was taken under the pier that stretched out with a Ruby's Diner at the end of it.