Tag Archives: California

Architecture, Home Design, Homes, Reviews, Views

Architecture & Nature: 2022 Remodel Of The Year

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Suspended between two beautiful California hills, this remodel spans a creek and boasts a waterfall in the back yard.

Suspension House / Fougeron Architecture - Exterior Photography, Windows, Forest
© Joe Fletcher
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To build such a house anew is no longer allowed in California, but following strict guidelines, we reconceived an existing structure, transforming the relationships between home, water and land. A steel frame inserted beneath the original floors anchors the home to the rocky hillsides, thus allowing us to remove supporting columns from within the creek bed.

Suspension House / Fougeron Architecture - Exterior Photography, Facade, Handrail

A human-made object in nature may exist in harmony or disparity. Our goal was to deepen this home’s connection to the environment, creating a place where our clients can live immersed within an exceptional landscape. Taking care to protect and restore the land, we suspended the renovated house between two wooded hills, where it overlooks a rushing waterfall and spans the creek below.

Suspension House / Fougeron Architecture - Interior Photography, Chair, Garden, Patio

A third floor addition strikes a more slender profile facing east, to engage the breadth of the site. The experience is one of being in nature and also humbled by it.

Suspension House / Fougeron Architecture - Exterior Photography, Windows, Forest

The goal with this unique site was to enhance the relationship of the structure to the nearby bodies of water and the rock face.  Rather than bearing down and disturbing the creek below, the new structural system has been anchored to the bedrock within the flanks of the hill, suspending the home

Travel, Videos, Views

Small Towns: Harmony In Central Coast California

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ERIC MINH SWENSON ART FILMS – At a population of 18, Harmony is by far the tiniest town in The Land of SLO CAL. But a short stroll through this village reveals a big heart and even bigger history just waiting to be explored. Harmony served as the capital of SLO CAL’s booming dairy industry for nearly five decades until the milk money dried up. Lots of folks moved away, but those who stayed decided to get creative.

Today, the town is a vibrant artist’s haven. Wander through the glassworks shop to find handblown pieces created right before your eyes or watch sculptors hard at work behind the potter’s wheel. Its quirky art and funky facades are a magnet for wander lusters. Check out Harmony’s famous chapel, part-time post office and gardens — all of which have become hotspots for weddings, picnics, and photo ops. 

This little town continues to grow in reputation. Take a short detour off Pacific Coast Highway and stop in to see all the enchanting renovations underway. You’ll find peaceful Harmony nestled between San Simeon’s Hearst Castle and Paso Robles‘ world-renowned wine region. Just keep your eyes peeled for the iconic population 18 sign. 

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Tourism, Tours, Travel, Videos, Views

Travel Guides: Summer & Winter In Lake Tahoe (4K)

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Lake Tahoe is a large freshwater lake in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, straddling the border of California and Nevada. It’s known for its beaches and ski resorts.

Video timeline: South Lake Tahoe(4:45), Emerald Bay(16:25), Meeks Bay(18:15), Homewood(19:10), Tahoe City(19:43), Truckee(20:29), Tahoe Vista(21:48), Kings Beach(22:12), Crystal Bay, NV(23:22), Incline Village(24:01), Sand Harbor(26:23)

On the southwest shore, Emerald Bay State Park contains the 1929 Nordic-style mansion Vikingsholm. Along the lake’s northeast side, Lake Tahoe Nevada State Park includes Sand Harbor Beach and Spooner Lake, a gateway to the long-distance Tahoe Rim Trail.

Business, Financial, Investing, Magazines, Previews, Retirement

Cover Preview: Barron’s Magazine – Oct 17, 2022

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California Is Pushing a Major Progressive Agenda. Will It Work?

A state long known for liberal policies is advancing the most progressive economic and social agenda in a generation. Some companies are moving out.

It’s Time to Snap Up Bargains, Say Big Money Managers

Our latest Big Money poll of professional investors finds many bearish about stocks in the near term, but bullish about the market’s longer-term outlook.

Where to Find Dividends as High as 5%

Their stocks are down, but regional banks have solid businesses, ample capital, and payouts attractive to income investors.

The Market Rebound Fizzled. Here’s Why a Real Bottom Could Form Soon.

Entertainment, Recreation, Travel, Videos, Views

October 2022: Disneyland And California Adventure

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Disneyland is a theme park in Anaheim, California, which opened in 1955; it is the only one designed and built under the direct supervision of Walt Disney, who came up with the concept of Disneyland after visiting various amusement parks with his daughters in the 1930s and 1940s. He initially envisioned building a tourist attraction adjacent to his studios in Burbank to entertain fans who wished to visit; however, he soon felt that the proposed site was too small. 

Disney California Adventure Park, commonly referred to as  California Adventure  or by its acronym DCA, is a theme park located at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California. It is owned and operated by The Walt Disney Company through its Parks, Experiences and Products division. The 72-acre (29 ha) park is themed after the history and culture of California, which celebrates the adventure of the state through the use of various Disney,  Pixar  and  Marvel Studios properties. The park opened on February 8, 2001 as Disney’s California Adventure Park and is the second of two theme parks built at the Disneyland Resort complex, after Disneyland Park.

Landscape, Travel, Videos, Views, Wilderness

Views: The Natural Beauty Of California In Timelapse

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California, home to lush forests, mountains, deserts, and hundreds of miles of coastline. From the redwood forests in the north, to the Sierra Nevada Mountains in the east, to the Mojave Desert in the south. California has some of the most amazing scenery in the United States. The state claims the tallest point in the lower 48 with Mount Whitney to the lowest point at Badwater Basin in Death Valley, only about 85 miles apart as the crow flies. California also has some of the oldest, tallest, and largest trees in the world.

This film was shot over the span of almost five years beginning in late 2018 and is my first attempt at a full length timelapse film. Being a California native I found the subject of my own home state as the perfect project. During that time I shot over 43,000 images as part of this project producing over a hundred individual timelapse clips from some of my most favorite locations in the state. And while there have been many timelapse films on California, this is my version which I’m proud to share.

Special thanks to the many friends who accompanied me on many of the shoots, often to help carry heavy camera gear over miles of hiking trails and spent many hours waiting around while my cameras clicked away. Their help and support it greatly appreciated.

Filmed and Edited by: Jason Refuerzo

Tours, Videos, Views

Ocean Views: Aquarium Of The Pacific In Long Beach

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AQUARIUM OF THE PACIFIC – THE WORLD’S LARGEST OCEAN AQUARIUM OF THE PACIFIC LONG BEACH MEET MORE THAN 12,000 SPECIES.

In the Southern California/Baja Gallery, you can meet giant sea bass, leopard sharks, eels, seals, sea lions, white abalone, and other species found locally or in Baja. Explore the cold-water habitats of the Northern Pacific Gallery to meet playful sea otters, diving birds, sea jellies, giant spider crabs, and other animals. Travel through the Tropical Pacific Gallery to see colorful fish and other species that inhabit those warm tropical waters.

Visit the Aquarium’s latest expansion—Pacific Visions. The 29,000-square-foot sustainable expansion includes an art gallery, orientation gallery, the Honda Pacific Visions Theater multimedia experience, and the Schubel Family Culmination Gallery, which features interactives, displays, educational game tables, and live animal exhibits.

Nature, Travel, Videos, Views, Wilderness

Soundscapes: California’s Giant Redwood Forests

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Redwood National and State Parks are a string of protected forests, beaches and grasslands along Northern California’s coast. Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park has trails through dense old-growth woods. Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park is home to Fern Canyon, with its high, plant-covered walls. Roosevelt elk frequent nearby Elk Prairie. Giant redwood clusters include Redwood National Park’s Lady Bird Johnson Grove.

An #OurGreenPlanet co-production with The Listening Planet, in association with The Moondance Foundation.

Travel, Videos, Views

Walks: Balboa Island In Southern California (4K)

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Balboa Island is a harborside community located in Newport Beach, California, accessible to the public via bridge, ferry and several public docks. The community is surrounded by a paved concrete boardwalk open to pedestrian traffic, designated as a public walking trail by the city.

Originally a sandbar, Balboa Island was built between 1905 and 1913 by developer William S. Collins. It’s a small community with just 3,000 residents, but on weekends and holidays it comes alive as a day trip destination for Southern Californians. With abundant boutiques and restaurants, there are plenty of things to do on Balboa Island.