Memorial Day turned out to be a beautiful day in Los Angeles. I took a flight to remember why this was a holiday. I saw ceremonies and events throughout the city. The beaches were packed and all the colorful umbrellas looked beautiful from above. This picture is of the National Cemetery in West Los Angeles. What is sobering to me is the size of this cemetery especially in relation to all the people at the ceremony.

The only way I'm ever going to be on top in Las Vegas is when I fly over it. It was a beautiful calm day, and a slow time for the air traffic controllers. So I was able to fly around the strip and take pictures. From the air you are able to see the how all the hotels are lined up and very accessible to each other. The main airport is only a few blocks away which makes it convenient to get in and out of. Here is a picture looking south down the strip with all the hotels and the airport.

Southern California has its share of big brush fires every year. This year we had a pretty good rainy season which makes for a lot more new foliage growth and more to burn. This photograph looks like a controlled fire burn with the forestry service in training. It was a good day in that it wasn't too hot and the humidity level was high.

I was flying up in the Central Valley and came across this. I don't know what is in the water to makes these colors. It is like abstract art, the more you look the more you wonder.

This is a great time of year to go out to the desert and see the wildflowers. The date to see them is dependent on the rainfall and weather patterns. I was up yesterday flying over the California Poppy Reserve in the Antelope Valley. What a spectacular sight. Easily accessible by car as you can drive right up to the wildflowers.

Catalina Island is about 20 mile off the coast of Los Angeles. Owned by the Wrigley Family (Wrigley gum) until 1975 when most of the island became part of the Catalina Island Conservancy. This picture is of the isthmus and the town of Two Harbors. Catalina is known for the City of Avalon with its famous casino, great scuba diving and it's herd of bison It's a great place to visit.

I was following a river just south of Sacramento and came across a golf course with an adjacent marina. This must be the ultimate spot for all those golfers, boaters & fisherman. Imagine being able to bring home dinner after a round of golf.

Pyramid Lake is north of the San Fernando Valley, just off Interstate 5. This reservoir is part of the California Aqueduct system and supplies water to a hydroelectric plant, bringing both water & electricity to Southern California. The water seems to change colors every time I fly over. Great for boating & fishing.

After the big earthquake in Chile there was a tsunami watch throughout the Pacific Ocean. We were lucky in California to only receive strong currents & tides. Here is a picture of the cliffs near Laguna Beach, a very beautiful area.

Flying up the Owens Valley to Mammoth Lakes I came across many small craters. They look like small volcanoes that have been dormant for many years. The east side of the Sierra Nevada Mountains has been an active earthquake area. About 100 years ago the town of Lone Pine recorded one of California's biggest earthquakes. Snow really adds to the definition of these little volcanoes.