New York

Times Square in New York, New York.

Ground Zero (World Trade Center Site)

Memorial Day Parade

USS Iwo Jima

The two hour line to board the ship

M1A1 Abrams Tank and other lethal vehicles

Osprey

Harrier Jump Jet

Steam vent on 49th Street

The American Museum of Natural History

Statue of Liberty

Ellis Island from the Statue of Liberty Pedestal lookout

The USS Iwo Jima leaving port (viewed from the Statue of Liberty Pedestal)

Ellis Island

Return ferry back to Manhattan

NBC studios in Rockefeller plaza where American Idol winner Lee DeWyze performed live on The Today Show.

Concrete mountains

The Living Desert

The Living Desert in Palm Desert (east of Palm Springs).

University of Redlands

The University of Redlands in Redlands, California.

School of Business Commencement of 2010.  More than 500 students graduated with bachelors, masters and doctorate degrees.

The commencement took place on campus in the Greek Theatre.

Jack Dangermond, founder and CEO of ESRI gave an impassionate commencement speech in which he encouraged graduates to follow their passion.

It’s official!

Anza Borrego

Pond on the Borrego Springs Resort golf course in Borrego Springs.

Thousands of tiny frogs, like this one, lived in and around the fairway ponds.

Palm Canyon Trail

The Getty

If visiting Los Angeles, then I strongly recommend The Getty Center in Brentwood.  The museum’s collection of European paintings is simply spectacular.  If tired of strolling past priceless paintings by Monet and Renoir then explore the immaculately landscaped gardens (see below).  Entrance is free but there is a small parking fee.

A few of my favorite paintings….

Irises
Vincent van Gogh

Portrait of Maria Frederike van Reede-Athlone at Seven Years of Age
JeaN-Étienne Liotard

Self-Portrait
Edgar Degas

Portrait of Louise-Antoinette Feuardent
Jean-Francois Millet

Salton Sea

On a recent trip heading east along Interstate 10 we stopped at Salton City, a former beach resort and future ghost town on the southern coast of the Salton Sea.  To our surprise, we saw hundreds of dead tilapias fish floating along the shoreline and three gentlemen fishing in the brown-red ooze.