USA - California - Aquarium of the Pacific

Honda Blue Exhibit and popular animals at the Aquarium of the Pacific, Long Beach, California.

Sent by Kris from Washington, USA.

The Aquarium of the Pacific (formerly the Long Beach Aquarium of the Pacific) is a public aquarium on a 6-acre (24,000 m²) site on Rainbow Harbor in Long Beach, California, United States. It is situated across the water from the Long Beach Convention Center, Shoreline Village, and the Queen Mary Hotel and Attraction. The location also has its own street, Aquarium Way.

The aquarium is visited by 1.6 million visitors a year and has a staff of approximately 1,800, including more than 1,500 volunteers and 300 employees. The aquarium is a 501(c)(3) non-profit aquarium and is a current member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA).

The aquarium features a collection of over 12,000 animals in exhibits from 5,000 US gallons (19,000 L) to 350,000 US gallons (1,300,000 L) in capacity.

The Pacific Ocean is the focus of three major permanent galleries: Southern California/Baja Gallery, Northern Pacific Gallery, and Tropical Pacific Gallery. These exhibits introduce the inhabitants and seascapes, and include conservation messages specific to each region (read more).

USA - California - Acton

Acton, California.

Sent by Patty from Acton in California, USA.

Acton is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Los Angeles County, California, United States. According to the 2020 census, Acton had a population of 7,431.

Acton is a small residential community located between the Sierra Pelona Mountains and the San Gabriel Mountains, near the Antelope Valley. It is off the Antelope Valley Freeway (California State Route 14) south of Palmdale. Acton is roughly 20 miles (32 km) northeast of the San Fernando Valley, and 47 miles (76 km) north of downtown Los Angeles by highway. The town has a rural western theme which can be seen in its homes, commercial buildings and historical buildings, some of which date back to the late 1800s. The homes in the mountains around Acton have views of the valley below. In the valley are ranch style homes, often with equestrian facilities. While Acton is not a part of the Antelope Valley, it is grouped together with the Valley in the General Plan. Acton has a Metrolink commuter rail station on its border with Palmdale that is themed in an "old western" style and has been seen in various movies and commercials.

The town originally had served as a railroad camp from 1873 to 1876 when the Saugus-Mojave section of the Southern Pacific Railroad was under construction.

Acton was once considered for the State capital of California. California Governor Henry T. Gage (1899–1903) owned the Governor Mine, hence the name, and sought to relocate the capital to Acton. This effort ultimately failed and the capital was not moved from Sacramento. In the late 1880s, Acton started to become more of a ranching and farming community. In 1889 Acton's first hotel and its first saloon, the "49er" (formerly Sutter's Mill), was opened and is still in business today (read more).

USA - California - Yosemite National Park (5)

Half Dome in Yosemite National Park, a prominent granite dome located in Yosemite Valley, California.

Sent by Liz from San Diego in California, USA.

This is my fifth postcard of Yosemite National Park. The other four are here, here, here, and here.

Half Dome is a quartz monzonite batholith at the eastern end of Yosemite Valley in Yosemite National Park, California. It is a well-known rock formation in the park, named for its distinct shape. One side is a sheer face while the other three sides are smooth and round, making it appear like a dome cut in half. It stands at over 8,800 feet above sea level and is composed of quartz monzonite, an igneous rock that solidified several thousand feet within the Earth. At its core are the remains of a magma chamber that cooled slowly and crystallized beneath the Earth's surface. The solidified magma chamber was then exposed and cut in half by erosion, therefore leading to the geographic name Half Dome.

The impression from the valley floor that this is a round dome that has lost its northwest half, is just an illusion. From Washburn Point, Half Dome can be seen as a thin ridge of rock, an arête, that is oriented northeast–southwest, with its southeast side almost as steep as its northwest side except for the very top. Although the trend of this ridge, as well as that of Tenaya Canyon, is probably controlled by master joints, 80 percent of the northwest "half" of the original dome may well still be there (read more).

USA - California - Kings Canyon National Park

KINGS CANYON NATIONAL PARK

The vast river gorge and immense sequoias in this Sierra Nevada mountain park are accompanied by several intense waterfalls and many lakes.

Sent by Jess from Ohio, USA.

Kings Canyon National Park is a national park of the United States in the southern Sierra Nevada, in Fresno and Tulare Counties, California. Originally established in 1890 as General Grant National Park, the park was greatly expanded and renamed on March 4, 1940. The park's namesake, Kings Canyon, is a rugged glacier-carved valley more than a mile (1,600 m) deep. Other natural features include multiple 14,000-foot (4,300 m) peaks, high mountain meadows, swift-flowing rivers, and some of the world's largest stands of giant sequoia trees. Kings Canyon is north of and contiguous with Sequoia National Park, and both parks are jointly administered by the National Park Service as the Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks.

The majority of the 461,901-acre (186,925 ha) park, drained by the Middle and South Forks of the Kings River and many smaller streams, is designated wilderness. Tourist facilities are concentrated in two areas: Grant Grove, home to General Grant (the second largest tree in the world, measured by trunk volume) and Cedar Grove, located in the heart of Kings Canyon. Overnight hiking is required to access most of the park's backcountry, or high country, which for much of the year is covered in deep snow. The combined Pacific Crest Trail/John Muir Trail, a backpacking route, traverses the entire length of the park from north to south (read more).

USA - California - State Capitol Building (3)

CALIFORNIA STATE CAPITOL

SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA

The beautiful State Capitol Building, surrounded by the forty-acre Capitol Park, is a downtown Sacramento landmark. The State Capitol Building was completely restored to its original beauty in  1984. Visitors here can see the California Senate and Assembly Chambers in operation.

Sent by Will from California, USA.

The California State Capitol is the seat of the California state government, located in Sacramento, the state capital of California. The building houses the chambers of the California State Legislature, made up of the Assembly and the Senate, along with the office of the governor of California. The Neoclassical structure, designed by Reuben S. Clark, was completed between 1861 and 1874. Located at the west end of Capitol Park and the east end of the Capitol Mall, the building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. The California State Capitol Museum is housed on the grounds of the capitol.

The structure was completed between 1860 and 1874, designed by architect Reuben S. Clark of Clark & Kenitzer, one of San Francisco's oldest architectural firms, founded in 1854. Although not generally considered earthquake country, Sacramento was hit by two earthquakes within days of each other in 1892 which damaged the Capitol. The Capitol was remodeled, adding seventy rooms and elevators, between 1906 and 1908 (read more).

USA - California - Sacramento

Sacramento, California

State Capitol Building

Sent by Debie from California, USA.

Sacramento is the capital city of the U.S. state of California. The county seat of Sacramento County, it is located at the confluence of the Sacramento and American Rivers in the Sacramento Valley. It is the fourth-most populous city in Northern California, sixth-most populous city in the state, and 35th-most populous city in the United States with a population of 524,943 at the 2020 census, while the Sacramento metropolitan area with 2.46 million residents is the 27th-largest metropolitan area in the nation.

Before the arrival of the Spanish, the area was inhabited by the Nisenan, Maidu, and other indigenous peoples of California. In 1808, Spanish cavalryman Gabriel Moraga surveyed and named the Río del Santísimo Sacramento (Sacramento River), after the Blessed Sacrament. In 1839, Juan Bautista Alvarado, Mexican governor of Alta California, granted the responsibility of colonizing the Sacramento Valley to Swiss-born Mexican citizen John Augustus Sutter, who subsequently established Sutter's Fort and the settlement at the Rancho Nueva Helvetia. Following the American Conquest of California and the 1848 Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo, the waterfront developed by Sutter began to be developed and incorporated in 1850 as the City of Sacramento. In 1852, the city offered its county courthouse to the state of California to house the state legislature, resulting in the city becoming the permanent state capital in 1854 and ushering in the construction of a new state capitol building which was finished in 1874.

Sacramento is the seat of the California Legislature and the governor of California. It is a major center for the California healthcare industry, as the seat of Sutter Health, UC Davis Medical Center, and the UC Davis School of Medicine. In 2013, the Sacramento Convention and Visitors Bureau stated that the city receives 15.3 million visitors per year, and is home to the California Museum, Crocker Art Museum, California State Railroad Museum, California State Capitol Museum, the Sacramento Convention Center Complex, and Old Sacramento State Historic Park (read more).

USA - California - Old Sacramento Historic Park

OLD SACRAMENTO

Day or night, visit Old Sacramento to relive the excitement of the Gold Rush era. Over 100 buildings have been restored to their original state.

Sent by Julia from Anaheim in California, USA.

Old Sacramento State Historic Park is a cluster of noteworthy, early Gold Rush commercial structures. Historic buildings include the 1849 Eagle Theater; the 1853 B. F. Hastings Building, once home to the California Supreme Court; and the 1855 Big Four Building. Old Sacramento’s historical significance comes from it being the western terminus of the Pony Express postal system, the first transcontinental railroad, and the transcontinental telegraph. Old Sacramento is a California Historical Landmark. The National Park Service named the entire original historic 1850s business district of Old Sacramento a National Historic Landmark in 1965. With over 50 historic buildings, Old Sacramento has more buildings of historic value in its 296 acres than any area of similar size in the West (read more).

USA - California - The Golden Gate Bridge (3)

SAN FRANCISCO

The Golden Gate Bridge

Sent by Darrell from San Francisco in California, USA.

My other postcards of Golden Gate Bridge are here and here.

USA - California - Southern California

Scenes from Southern California

The famous Hollywood sign, MacArthur Park (just west of downtown Los Angeles) and Venice Beach.

Sent by Jordan from Ontario in California, USA.

Southern California (commonly shortened to SoCal) is a geographic and cultural region that generally comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Its densely populated coastal region includes Greater Los Angeles (the second-most populous urban agglomeration in the United States) and San Diego County (the second-most populous county in California). The region generally contains ten of California's 58 counties: Los Angeles, San Diego, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, Kern, Ventura, Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, and Imperial counties.

Although geographically smaller than Northern California in land area, Southern California has a higher population, with 23.76 million residents as of the 2020 census. The sparsely populated desert region of California occupies a significant portion of the area: the Colorado Desert, along with the Colorado River, is located on Southern California's eastern border with Arizona, and the Mojave Desert shares a border with Nevada to the northeast. Southern California's southern border with Baja California is part of the Mexico–United States border (read more).

USA - California - Mapcard (3)

California

The Golden State!

Sent by Angela from Los ANgeles in California, USA.

This is my third mapcard of California, my other two are here and here.

USA - California - Santa Barbara

Palm Park is a highlight of the beautiful Santa Barbara waterfront.

Sent by Debra from Los Angeles, California, USA,

Santa Barbara (Spanish: Santa Bárbara, meaning 'Saint Barbara') is a coastal city in Santa Barbara County, California, of which it is also the county seat. Situated on a south-facing section of coastline, the longest such section on the West Coast of the United States excepting Alaska, the city lies between the steeply rising Santa Ynez Mountains and the Pacific Ocean. Santa Barbara's climate is often described as Mediterranean, and the city has been dubbed "The American Riviera". According to the 2020 U.S. census, the city's population was 88,665.

In addition to being a popular tourist and resort destination, the city has a diverse economy that includes a large service sector, education, technology, health care, finance, agriculture, manufacturing, and local government. In 2004, the service sector accounted for 35% of local employment.

Area institutions of higher learning include the University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara City College, Westmont College, and Antioch University Santa Barbara. The city is served by Santa Barbara Municipal Airport and train service is provided by Amtrak, which operates the Pacific Surfliner, which runs from San Diego to San Luis Obispo.

The Santa Barbara area is connected via U.S. Highway 101 to Los Angeles 100 mi (160 km) to the southeast and San Francisco 325 mi (525 km) to the northwest. Behind the city, in and beyond the Santa Ynez Mountains, is the Los Padres National Forest, which contains several remote wilderness areas. Channel Islands National Park and Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary are located approximately 20 miles (30 km) offshore (read more).

USA - California - Pismo Beach

Pismo Beach, California

Retro Camper on Beach

Lantern Press Original Poster

Sent by Carrie and Richard from Santa Maria in California, USA.

Pismo Beach (Chumash: Pismuʔ) is a city in the southern portion of San Luis Obispo County, in the Central Coast area of California, United States. Its estimated population was 8,072 at the 2020 census, up from 7,655 in the 2010 census. The Pismo clam was named for the long, wide beach where they were once found in abundance (read more).

USA - California - Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary

ALCATRAZ ISLAND SAN FRANCISCO BAY
Once a federal prison for notorious crriminals, the island is now part of the National Park System, and can be visited on tours leaving from Fisherman's Wharf.

Sent by Hannah from Louisville, Kentucky, USA.

United States Penitentiary, Alcatraz Island, also known simply as Alcatraz (English: /ˈælkəˌtræz/, Spanish: [alkaˈtɾas] "the gannet") or the Rock, was a maximum security federal prison on Alcatraz Island, 1.25 miles (2.01 km) off the coast of San Francisco, California, United States. The site of a fort since the 1850s, the main prison building was built in 1910–12 as a U.S. Army military prison.

The United States Department of Justice acquired the United States Disciplinary Barracks, Pacific Branch, on Alcatraz on October 12, 1933. The island became adapted and used as a prison of the Federal Bureau of Prisons in August 1934 after the buildings were modernized and security increased. Given this high security and the island's location in the cold waters and strong currents of San Francisco Bay, prison operators believed Alcatraz to be escape-proof and America's most secure prison (read more).

USA - California - Muir Woods National Monument

MUIR WOODS NATIONAL MONUMENT

One of the Golden Gate National Parks

The world's famous redwoods grow in Muir Woods, a cool, foggy canyon a short drive north of the Golden Gate. These tall tress, some more than 1,000 years old, are a spectacular remnant of the vast redwood forests that once covered the hillseides around San Francisco Bay.

Sent by Patricia from Napa Valleyin California, USA.

Muir Woods National Monument (/mjʊər/ MURE) is a United States National Monument managed by the National Park Service and named after naturalist John Muir. It is located on Mount Tamalpais near the Pacific coast in southwestern Marin County, California. The Monument is part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, and is 12 miles (19 km) north of San Francisco. It protects 554 acres (224 ha), of which 240 acres (97 ha) are old growth coast redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) forests, one of a few such stands remaining in the San Francisco Bay Area (read more).

USA - California - Lassen Volcanic National Park

LASSEN VOLCANIC NATIONAL PARK

Sulphur vents, mud pots, and lava rocks remind visitors of Lassen Peak's ruptured past and continued activity, contrasting wildflower meadows, forests, and alpine lakes in this California park.

Sent by Peggy from Monterey Bay, California, USA. 

Lassen Volcanic National Park is home to steaming fumaroles, meadows freckled with wildflowers, clear mountain lakes, and numerous volcanoes. Jagged peaks tell the story of its eruptive past while hot water continues to shape the land (read further).

USA - California - San Diego

SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA.

Sent by Debbie from San Diego, California, USA.

San Diego (/ˌsæn diˈeɪɡoʊ/  SAN dee-AY-goh, Spanish: [san ˈdjeɣo]) is a city on the Pacific coast of Southern California, adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a population of over 1.3 million, it is the eighth-most populous city in the United States and the second-most populous in the state of California. San Diego is the seat of San Diego County, which has a population of nearly 3.3 million. It is known for its mild year-round Mediterranean climate, extensive beaches and parks, long association with the United States Navy, and recent emergence as a healthcare and biotechnology development center (read further).

USA - California - Yosemite National Park (4)

Greetings From Yosemite National Park.

Sent by Irene from California, USA.

Not just a great valley, but a shrine to human foresight, the strength of granite, the power of glaciers, the persistence of life, and the tranquility of the High Sierra.

First protected in 1864, Yosemite National Park is best known for its waterfalls, but within its nearly 1,200 square miles, you can find deep valleys, grand meadows, ancient giant sequoias, a vast wilderness area, and much more (read further).

U.S.A. - California - State Flower (2)

CALIFORNIA STATE FLOWER
THE GOLDEN POPPY
In 1903, the California Poppy (Eschscholiza Californica),became the official flower of the state of California.

Sent by Francis from Portland, USA.  Terima kasih banyak-banyak (thank you very much) for many beautiful stamps.

U.S.A. - California - Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Park (2)

Sequoia National Park
Land of Giants, Sequoia National Park
The establishment of Sequoia National Park in 1890, even in its much smaller form, was a major first step in securing the giant trees and wondrous landscape for future generations. Several annexes and boundary expansions since that time have succeeded in protecting more of the area, but complete success will depend upon our appreciation and protection of the park into the future.

Sent by Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, Three Rivers, California.

U.S.A. - California - Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks (1)

SEQUOIA AND KINGS NATIONAL PARKS, CALIFORNIA
The twin national parks of Sequoia and Kings Canyon are located on the southern end of California's Sierra Nevada Mountains. Elevations range from 1,700 feet at Ash Mountain to 14,495 feet at Mount Whitney's summit. Within these parks are found the largest groves of giant sequoia trees and also the largest individual sequoias.

Sent by Sequoia & Kings National Parks, Three Rivers, California.

Sequoia National Park is a national park in the southern Sierra Nevada east of Visalia, California, in the United States. It was established on September 25, 1890. The park spans 404,063 acres (631.35 sq mi; 1,635.18 km²). Encompassing a vertical relief of nearly 13,000 feet (4,000 m), the park contains among its natural resources the highest point in the contiguous 48 United States, Mount Whitney, at 14,505 feet (4,421 m) above sea level. The park is south of and contiguous with Kings Canyon National Park; the two are administered by the National Park Service together.

The park is famous for its giant sequoia trees, including the General Sherman tree, one of the largest trees on Earth. The General Sherman tree grows in the Giant Forest, which contains five out of the ten largest trees in the world. The Giant Forest is connected by the Generals Highway to Kings Canyon National Park's General Grant Grove, home to the General Grant tree among other giant sequoias. The park's giant sequoia forests are part of 202,430 acres (81,921 ha) of old-growth forests shared by Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks. Indeed, the parks preserve a landscape that still resembles the southern Sierra Nevada before Euro-American settlement. (read further)