Pleasant Hill & Martinez, CA (Part 2)

On the 3rd May 2025, my parents and I took a trip to Lindsay Wildlife Experience in Walnut Creek, CA, Dinosaur Hill Park in Pleasant Hill, CA, and John Muir National Historic Site, Radke Martinez Regional Shoreline, and Martinez Marina in Martinez, CA. I took photos on my phone and on my Olympus mirrorless camera, and the photos are split into 3 posts. I hope you enjoy viewing my photos!

High Resolution Photos: If you want to see high resolution photos of any of the photos you see here, use the following links. If you wish to purchase prints of any of the photos, please contact me here. To view my best US National Parks Photos photos, use this link. To view my best East Bay Regional Park photos, use this link. To view my best flower photos, use this link. To see all of my photos from Walnut Creek & Concord area, use this link. To see all of my photos from John Muir National Historic Site, use this link. To see all of my photos from Martinez Marina & Radke Martinez Regional Shoreline, use this link.

Parts: 1 | 2 | Cellphone Photos

This blog post is part 2 of my Olympus photos. The photos are from Dinosaur Hill Park in Pleasant Hill, CA, and John Muir National Historic Site, Martinez Marina, and Radke Martinez Regional Shoreline in Martinez, CA.

Message From The Photographer: Unfortunately this past month was just horrible for me with Long COVID, and I was bedridden for most of it. The photos were delayed due to that.

After Lindsay Wildlife Experience, we went for lunch, before heading to Dinosaur Hill Park in Pleasant Hill, CA. At Dinosaur Hill park, it was two minutes up a few steps and we were greeted with gorgeous panoramic views of Pleasant Hill, Concord, Walnut Creek, and Mt. Diablo.

A scenery photo of Pleasant Hill, grassland, clouds, trees, and mountains. The photo was shot at Dinosaur Hill Park in Pleasant Hill, CA.

Approximate GPS location (type into Google): 37° 56' 10" N 122° 05' 23" W

A scenery photo of a walking trail, Pleasant Hill, Concord, Mt. Diablo (right), grassland, clouds, trees, and mountains. The photo was shot at Dinosaur Hill Park in Pleasant Hill, CA.

The photo was shot at the same spot as above.

A scenery photo of Mt. Diablo, Pleasant Hill, Walnut Creek, grassland, clouds, trees, and mountains. The photo was shot at Dinosaur Hill Park in Pleasant Hill, CA.

Approximate GPS location (type into Google): 37° 56' 09" N 122° 05' 22" W

After Dinosaur Hill Park, we went to John Muir National Historic Site in Martinez, CA (4202 Alhambra Ave, Martinez, CA 94553).

A photo of a Windmill Well, clouds, and trees shot at John Muir National Historic Site in Martinez, CA.

Approximate GPS location (type into Google): 37° 59' 29" N 122° 07' 56" W

A photo of the John Muir's house, trees, and clouds shot at John Muir National Historic Site in Martinez, CA.

The photo was shot at the same spot as above.

After John Muir National Historic Site, we headed for the shoreline of Martinez, CA. We visited Martinez Marina and Radke Martinez Regional Shoreline.

A scenery photo of Benicia-Martinez Bridge, ship, marshland, Carquinez Strait, and clouds. The photo was shot at Martinez Marina in Martinez, CA.

Approximate GPS location (type into Google): 38° 01' 34" N 122° 08' 07" W

A scenery photo of yellow mustard flowers, marsh, Shell Oil Refinery, trees, and clouds. The photo was shot at Radke Martinez Regional Shoreline in Martinez, CA.

Approximate GPS location (type into Google): 38° 01' 33" N 122° 08' 06" W

This is all the photos for today. I hope you have enjoyed viewing the photos! Please don't forget to share the blog post with your friends and family members! Also, if you want to get notifications when I post up more photos, "Like" us on Facebook or follow me on Instagram. These links can also be found on the top of the right sidebar.

Parts: 1 | 2 | Cellphone Photos

Copyright Warning: These photos are some of my best and most popular works of art. Unauthorized usage and reproductions are strictly prohibited. Please contact me here to purchase prints and negotiate photo licenses.

Emeryville & Berkeley, CA Coastline (Cellphone Photos)

On the 5th June 2025, my parents and I went for a walk at Emeryville Marina Park, Emeryville Marina, and Point Emery in Emeryville, CA and the Berkeley Pier and Berkeley Marina area in Berkeley, CA. I took photos with my cellphone. I hope you enjoy viewing my photos!

My father and I's original plan on the 5th of June was to pick up our cameras from Looking Glass Photo in Berkeley, CA, which I dropped off a few days prior for sensor cleaning, and take photos of the bay area from Berkeley. Unfortunately that did not happen as they failed to clean the sensor properly (especially with my father's Canon mirrorless camera), you can see the results of the abysmal sensor cleaning here. While on the topic of camera sensor cleaning, I would highly recommend against going to Looking Glass Photo in Berkeley, CA, as you will not be getting the same service as before (I have been going to them since 2016).

After realizing the sensor cleaning was a complete failure, we brought it back in and showed them on our test shots just how poorly of a job they did and asked them to redo it. We went to IKEA afterwards for lunch and to shop around a bit. You will see later on in this blog post just how bad my Long COVID brain fog is... Also while we're on the subject of Long COVID, I normally post my cellphone photos on the same day or the next day, but unfortunately all these trips to Berkeley has completely drained me, and I have been crashing pretty hard recently from the ME/CFS and my brain is barely working (it's frequently mimicking dementia to be honest). Anyways after IKEA, we headed for Emeryville Marina Park in Emeryville, CA. 

A scenery photo of San Francisco, Bay Bridge (left), Golden Gate Bridge (right), San Francisco Bay, and clouds. 

The photo was shot at Emeryville Marina Park in Emeryville, CA.

A scenery photo of Richmond Bridge (left), Richmond (center), Berkeley Pier (right), San Francisco Bay, and clouds. 

The photo was shot at Emeryville Marina Park in Emeryville, CA.

A scenery photo of Bay Bridge (left), San Francisco (left), Golden Gate Bridge (right), San Francisco Bay, and clouds. 

The photo was shot at Emeryville Marina Park in Emeryville, CA.

A scenery photo of the Port of Oakland, San Francisco Bay, and clouds. 

The photo was shot at Emeryville Marina Park in Emeryville, CA.

A scenery photo of Oakland, CA, San Francisco Bay, and clouds.

The photo was shot at Emeryville Marina Park in Emeryville, CA.

A scenery photo of Emeryville Marina, Oakland, CA, and clouds. 

The photo was shot in Emeryville, CA.

Next we headed to Point Emery in Emeryville, CA.

A scenery photo of buildings and clouds shot at Point Emery in Emeryville, CA.

Afterwards we headed to the Berkeley Pier and Berkeley Marina Area in Berkeley, CA.

A scenery photo of Richmond Bridge (center), Richmond (right), breakwater (right), San Francisco Bay, and clouds. 

The photo was shot at the Berkeley Pier and Berkeley Marina area in Berkeley, CA.

That was pretty much it for the day and we went home after. I promised I'd show you just how bad my brain fog is. The next photo is notes I wrote down at the IKEA in Emeryville, CA.

A photo of a piece of paper with some notes and a half pencil from IKEA.

I got a free half pencil from IKEA! Yay! However it came with a funny story. All the stands in the IKEA were stocked up with paper tape measures and pencils, but no paper to write on. My parents and I were in the show room and we found something we wanted. In my mind, I needed paper to make note of the item and where to find it downstairs in their warehouse. I looked around, I could not find any note paper. I kept looking, which was when I came upon an unmanned employee stand, and saw there was a printer. I opened up the printer and took a sheet of paper out and went back to my mom. My mom was like "Where did you go?" I was like "I went to go find paper to write on, I don't know why they stopped stocking it at the stands." That was when I realized how bad my problem solving skills have gone due to Long COVID. My mom was like "You know you can just take a picture with your phone."

My mom doesn't really speak English, so I decided to write the same story using Chinese.

我在 IKEA 拿到了半个免费的铅笔！可是这个后面有个好玩的故事。所有的 IKEA 站上只有纸尺子和铅笔，可是没有写笔记的纸。我和爸妈在展览厅里找到了一个我们要的东西，可是要写下来是什么楼下仓库里才能找得到。我找了找没找到草稿纸。我在找了找看见了一个员工站有打印机。我把打印机里抽出来了一张纸，回到了妈边上。妈问了，“你到哪里去了啊？” 我说，“我去找纸去了，不知道为什么他们铅笔边上不放草稿纸了。” 我这时候才意识到长新冠脑雾有多严重。我妈说，“拿手机拍张照片不就行了吗？”

This is all the photos for today. I hope you have enjoyed viewing the photos! Please don't forget to share the blog post with your friends and family members! Also, if you want to get notifications when I post up more photos, "Like" us on Facebook or follow me on Instagram. These links can also be found on the top of the right sidebar.

Abysmal Sensor Cleaning at Looking Glass Photo (Berkeley, CA)

This blog post will stray somewhat from my past posts as I chat about another topic, camera sensor cleaning, especially the camera sensor cleaning service being offered at Looking Glass Photo in Berkeley, CA. I have been going to Looking Glass Photo in Berkeley, CA since 2016 for DSLR sensor cleaning (specifically on my Canon DSLR). They have always gotten my sensor mostly clean every time I went. Something changed this time. I wonder if they are under new management, or maybe it has something to do with their store break in sometime in February 2025 and them moving to a new temporary location. However their sensor cleaning service is now abysmal.

Due to the very good service I have had in the past, I decided this time to bring in my father's Canon mirrorless as well for cleaning, because he accidentally smudged a thumbprint on his sensor (it was relatively clean otherwise). For me, I had 4 dust spots on my Olympus mirrorless, however I introduced more as I made attempts to clean with an air blower, and on a few occasions left some smudges on the sensor too. $120 later, Looking Glass Photo made the sensors more dirty, granted they did remove the thumbprint, along with the smudges. They "recleaned" the sensors for after the first time, however all they did was make the sensors more dirty. I will never be back at this place again. I still have to buy equipment to clean the sensors myself, except I'm now out an extra $120 for the so called "cleaning".

When you look at these photos, please know that Google compresses them so you might not be able to see all the dust I see.

Canon EOS R6 Mark II (1st Clean)

Olympus Pen E-PL9 (1st Clean)

Olympus Pen E-PL9 (1st Clean)

Canon EOS R6 Mark II (2nd Redo Clean)

Olympus Pen E-PL9 (2nd Redo Clean)

Olympus Pen E-PL9 (2nd Redo Clean)

The quality of service at Looking Glass Photo clearly went down hill. 

Lindsay Wildlife Experience (Part 1) - Walnut Creek, CA

On the 3rd May 2025, my parents and I took a trip to Lindsay Wildlife Experience in Walnut Creek, CA, Dinosaur Hill Park in Pleasant Hill, CA, and John Muir National Historic Site, Radke Martinez Regional Shoreline, and Martinez Marina in Martinez, CA. I took photos on my phone and on my Olympus mirrorless camera, and the photos are split into 3 posts. I hope you enjoy viewing my photos!

High Resolution Photos: If you want to see high resolution photos of any of the photos you see here, use the following links. If you wish to purchase prints of any of the photos, please contact me here. To view my best zoo photos, use this link. To see all of my photos from Lindsay Wildlife Experience, use this link.

Parts: 1 | 2 | Cellphone Photos

This blog post is part 1 of my Olympus photos. The photos are from Lindsay Wildlife Experience in Walnut Creek, CA.

Message From The Photographer: Unfortunately this past month was just horrible for me with Long COVID, and I was bedridden for most of it. The photos were delayed due to that.

Our first stop of the day was Lindsay Wildlife Experience in Walnut Creek (1931 1st Ave, Walnut Creek, CA 94597). It was free admissions day that day celebrating the museum's 70th year anniversary. It was super crowded that day, and finding parking was a pain. Lindsay Wildlife Experience is a wildlife veterinary hospital, zoology museum, and small zoo all-in-one. I had a lot of fun seeing all the animals, both alive and taxidermy, and I even got to see a veterinarian weighing baby raccoons.

A photo of Penelope the North American Porcupine (Erethiszon dorsatum) eating walnuts.

A photo of Penelope the North American Porcupine (Erethiszon dorsatum) eating walnuts.

A photo of Penelope the North American Porcupine (Erethiszon dorsatum) eating walnuts.

A photo of Penelope the North American Porcupine (Erethiszon dorsatum) eating walnuts.

A photo of Penelope the North American Porcupine (Erethiszon dorsatum) eating walnuts.

A photo of Penelope the North American Porcupine (Erethiszon dorsatum) eating walnuts.

A photo of a Red Tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis).

A photo of a Red Tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis).

A photo of Atsá the Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus).

A photo of Atsá the Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus).

A photo of Atsá the Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus).

A photo of Atsá the Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus).

A photo of Atsá the Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus).

A photo of Atsá the Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus).

A photo of Atsá the Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus).

A photo of Atsá the Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus).

A photo of Atsá the Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus).

A photo of Atsá the Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus).

A photo of Atsá the Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus).

This is all the photos for today. I hope you have enjoyed viewing the photos! Please don't forget to share the blog post with your friends and family members! Also, if you want to get notifications when I post up more photos, "Like" us on Facebook or follow me on Instagram. These links can also be found on the top of the right sidebar.

Parts: 1 | 2 | Cellphone Photos

Monterey, CA & Pacific Grove, CA (Cellphone Photos)

On the 17th May 2025, my parents and I took a trip to Monterey, CA and Pacific Grove, CA. We visited Coast Guard Pier, Monterey State Historic Park, Presidio of Monterey, Lovers Point Park, and more. I took photos on my phone and on my Olympus mirrorless camera, and the photos are split into 2 posts. I hope you enjoy viewing my photos!

Parts: Cellphone Photos | Olympus Photos (Coming Soon) 

This blog post has the cellphone photos I took. The photos are from several locations in Monterey, CA and Pacific Grove, CA including places like Coast Guard Pier, Monterey State Historic Park, Presidio of Monterey, and Lovers Point Park.

Message from the Photographer: Unfortunately my Olympus mirrorless camera's lens failed half way during our day trip this time. Luckily it is just a cheap kit lens, so I have a new one on the way. It would seem the internal motor failed in the lens (camera body is fine). Probably the first message you've seen that didn't involve Long COVID (LC)! However there is a little update on my health as well. My LC doctor and I are trying different doses of Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN) to see which dose works the best. I am by no means back to normal as the COVID infection left me with quite a number of health problems, however the LDN is helping me with energy to a certain extent at the cost of side effects.

Since we hit Monterey, CA first, we parked at Presidio of Monterey and walked a loop around the coastal wharf areas. I first checked out the museum at the presidio, and also the Sloat Monument (no photos). After that we walked over to San Carlos Beach and Coast Guard Pier.

A photo of sea lions on rocks. The photo was shot at Coast Guard Pier in Monterey, CA.

A photo of sea lions on rocks. The photo was shot at Coast Guard Pier in Monterey, CA.

A photo of sea lions on rocks. The photo was shot at Coast Guard Pier in Monterey, CA.

Then we walked along the Monterey Peninsula Recreational Trail, and looped over to California's First Theater in Monterey State Historic Park.

A scenery photo of the garden behind California's First Theatre in Monterey State Historic Park in Monterey, CA.

A photo California's First Theatre in Monterey State Historic Park in Monterey, CA.

Next we started walking back toward Presidio of Monterey, CA to get back to our car.

A photo of the monument at the Vizcaíno Serra Landing Site. The photo was shot on Pacific Street (near Presidio of Monterey) in Monterey, CA.

After we got back to Presidio of Monterey, I ate the burrito I bought earlier in Sand City, CA. I was starving at this point.

A photo of the Junipero Serra Monument at the Presidio of Monterey in Monterey, CA.

After my parents and I finished our lunch, we headed to the location in Pacific Grove, CA that my father wanted to visit, Lovers Point Park. Due to long COVID, I was moderately tired at this point so I mostly rested in the car, until this "friendly" seagull decided to interrupt my nap.

A photo of the seagull that pooped on our car, along with Monterey Bay Coastal Trail on the right. The photo was shot on Ocean View Blvd (near Lovers Point Beach) in Pacific Grove, CA.

A photo of the seagull that pooped on our car, along with Monterey Bay Coastal Trail on the right. The photo was shot on Ocean View Blvd (near Lovers Point Beach) in Pacific Grove, CA.

A photo of the seagull that pooped on our car, along with Monterey Bay Coastal Trail on the right. The photo was shot on Ocean View Blvd (near Lovers Point Beach) in Pacific Grove, CA.

Maybe you can guess what happened after. I was napping in the passenger seat when this thing landed on our vehicle. It quickly occurred to me that the seagull will want to poop on our vehicle. I tried to shoo it away however it didn't budge. I think the seagulls around this area are used to humans as there are way too many. Anyways, the seagull looked at me dead in the eyes and let it rip. 😑 You can see the clear streak underneath the bird in the first photo.

I didn't get much of a nap after that seagull encounter, plus I had to use the bathroom. I took a small walk around the Lovers Point Park area. The parking spaces in this area is very tight, I had to climb over to the driver's seat before I could get out, as the passenger side door is blocked in.

A photo of Monterey Bay, Pacific Grove, flowers, and clouds. The photo was shot at Lovers Point Park in Pacific Grove, CA.

A photo of squirrels and a seagull. The photo was shot at Lovers Point Park in Pacific Grove, CA.

A photo of squirrels and seagulls. The photo was shot at Lovers Point Park in Pacific Grove, CA.

A photo of Monterey Bay, Pacific Grove, flowers, and clouds. The photo was shot on the trail by Ocean View Blvd in Pacific Grove, CA.

This is all the photos for today. I hope you have enjoyed viewing the photos! Please don't forget to share the blog post with your friends and family members! Also, if you want to get notifications when I post up more photos, "Like" us on Facebook or follow me on Instagram. These links can also be found on the top of the right sidebar.

Parts: Cellphone Photos | Olympus Photos (Coming Soon)