you're the top

Joanie and I took a quick road trip down to Pinnacles National Park. 

The Pinnacles are volcanic and seemingly arise from nowhere. They are along the San Andreas fault, with entrances from highway 101 near Soledad and 25 south of Hollister

It's a wild landscape, full of boulders. 

The rocks are really big. 

In the spring, creeks and waterfalls flow. 

Above are the Balconies. The black creases are dried waterfalls. 

In the summer, rock climbers hang from Machete Ridge and Elephant Rock. 

In early June, the park was filled with wildflowers and these flaxen California buckeye. 

Blooming Venus thistles too. 

The rocks are covered with lichens and have lots of minerals in them. 

Pinnacles is a breeding area for California condors. We did see a few circling red-tail hawks. 

All in all, a peaceful escape so close to home. 

www.nps.gov/pinn