On the way to Sebastapol this weekend with a friend, I noticed all these cool outcroppings dotting the landscape. I've been to this corner of Northern California before, but don't recall these rocks. With the hillside so lush and green after our single winter rain (not good, global warming), the effect with these big stones gave the scene a distinctly Scottish highlands look-and-feel. Or, the way I imagine the Scottish highlands to look and/or feel.

Beautiful photograph. Beautiful country.

Your comments on this image are welcome, and encouraged! And a question for the photographer - nxtrFOTO - if s/he is so inclined: Is there anything special about this moment, day, trip, or place beyond what you've shared on Flickr that you'd like to add or comment on here? Along with other vivaca visitors, I would love to know more!

Location: Sonoma, California ★
Photo courtesy of nxtrFOTO

I agree with the photographer's caption: Boo!!!!!! Because while this *looked* cool - we all watched in awe from our office windows downtown - what an assault on the environment. I hope the city of San Francisco fines the company responsible for this stupid, stupid marketing madness.

Update: The balloons are soy-based and 100% biodegradable. But, unless they bio-degrade in an hour, the point has been completely missed by those who hatched this dumb idea. More here.

Your comments on this image are welcome, and encouraged! And a question for the photographer - brothergrimm - photo - if s/he is so inclined: Is there anything special about this moment, day, trip, or place beyond what you've shared on Flickr that you'd like to add or comment on here? Along with other vivaca visitors, I would love to know more!

Location: San Francisco, CA ★
Photo courtesy of brothergrimm

Fog is a fun feature of where I'm from, too (the San Francisco Bay Area).

Your comments on this image are welcome, and encouraged! And a question for the photographer - Jared Ropelato - photo - if s/he is so inclined: Is there anything special about this moment, day, trip, or place beyond what you've shared on Flickr that you'd like to add or comment on here? Along with other vivaca visitors, I would love to know more!

Location: San Francisco, CA ★
Photo courtesy of Jared Ropelato

It isn't often, but sometimes I do miss Los Angeles. To be clear, I do not miss living there, but there are pockets and facets of Tinsel Town that remain near and dear to my heart after living there for five formative years of my young adult life.

For example, the many Palm-peppered lanes and large boulevards one finds throughout L.A. and Southern California in general. Reaching to the sky, such streets are viewable from pretty much anywhere on high, and even more magical from a lower vantage point, as captured in this pretty picture.

Your comments on this image are welcome, and encouraged! And a question for the photographer - jean luc dushime - photo - if s/he is so inclined: Is there anything special about this moment, day, trip, or place beyond what you've shared on Flickr that you'd like to add or comment on here? Along with other vivaca visitors, I would love to know more!

Location: Santa Monica, California ★
Photo courtesy of jean luc dushime

San Francisco Fleet Week fun. I saw a bunch of Blue Angels action all week. Always a good time. We lucked out with perfect weather for it this year, too.

Your comments on this image are welcome, and encouraged! And a question for the photographer - JJ San - if s/he is so inclined: Is there anything special about this moment, day, trip, or place beyond what you've shared on Flickr that you'd like to add or comment on here? Along with other vivaca visitors, I would love to know more!

Location: San Francisco, CA ★
Photo courtesy of JJ San

When you've lived in a city or an area for an extended period, it's easy to stop seeing what's so special about the place. I often look at the tourists I encounter here like, "of all the places you could take a vacation, why here?" As a local, I stopped getting it a long time ago. And as a photographer, I rarely take pics of my surroundings because I am oh so uninspired.

Until I happen upon other people's inspiring pictures of this place. Like this one!

Speaking of which, check out these eight perspectives on the city of San Francisco and get yourself inspired. It's working for me!

Your comments on this image are welcome, and encouraged! And a question for the photographer - bennetthall - if s/he is so inclined: Is there anything special about this moment, day, trip, or place beyond what you've shared on Flickr that you'd like to add or comment on here? Along with other vivaca visitors, I would love to know more!

Location: San Francisco, California ★
Photo courtesy of bennetthall

One of the nice things about living in the San Francisco Bay Area is that when you're nostalgic for Venice, all you have to do is pay a visit to Oakland, where you can take an authentic gondola ride. Really!

Experience Venice in Oakland on your next trip to California, courtesy of Gondola Servizio on lovely Lake Merritt.

Your comments on this image are welcome, and encouraged! And a question for the photographer - tora12 - if s/he is so inclined: Is there anything special about this moment, day, trip, or place beyond what you've shared on Flickr that you'd like to add or comment on here? Along with other vivaca visitors, I would love to know more!

Location: Oakland, California ★
Photo courtesy of tora12

This tilt-shift image is incredible. It's like a photo of a dream! Definitely a moving and artistic look at San Francisco's Mission Street flying rats. Er, I mean, pigeons.

Your comments on this image are welcome, and encouraged! And a question for the photographer - bhautik joshi - if s/he is so inclined: Is there anything special about this moment, day, trip, or place beyond what you've shared on Flickr that you'd like to add or comment on here? Along with other vivaca visitors, I would love to know more!

Location: San Francisco, California ★
Photo courtesy of bhautik joshi

As a Bay Area native, the allure of the area is often lost on me. When you've spent decades in a place, born and raised, what makes it so special or interesting in the eyes of visitors has often long been lost on the locals. At any rate, I do from time to time try to rediscover my home and was happy to do so recently with my mother at the De Young Museum and the California Academy of Sciences. A picture-perfect day, if only I'd remembered or bothered to bring my camera along. I'm not certain, but I think the penguins were my mother's favorite. So, mom, this one (courtesy of HarshLight) is for you!

Your comments on this image are welcome, and encouraged! And a question for the photographer - HarshLight - if s/he is so inclined: Is there anything special about this moment, day, trip, or place beyond what you've shared on Flickr that you'd like to add or comment on here? Along with other vivaca visitors, I would love to know more!

Location: San Francisco, California ★
Photo courtesy of HarshLight