slgwv's photos with the keyword: Central Valley

A set of volcanic domes improbably situated out in the middle of California's Central Valley. This was as close as I got this trip due to lack of time! The Buttes are all private land at present, but under an arrangement with the landowners a group leads hikes into them on weekends in the spring and fall. One of these days-- The Buttes are named for John Sutter, who had the misfortune to have gold discovered on his land grant in 1848, leading to the California Gold Rush.

Eucalyptus grove off California Route 99, a major north-south thoroughfare ("The Golden State Freeway") in the Central Valley, running more-or-less parallel to Interstate 5. (The insert shows a close-up of one tree.) Eucalyptus were originally imported into California from Australia during the Gold Rush, by Australian immigrants who thought they'd do well--which, by and large, they did. Altho plans for eucalyptus plantations didn't work out, they became very popular as ornamentals and for such things as hedgerows and highway edging. In recent years, tho, despite the fact that they're pretty innocuous as non-native species go, they've become "politically incorrect" in some quarters. Still, they're likely to remain a prominent component of the trees in the Central Valley for some time to come. AFAIK, tho, no one's ever tried to import koalas to feed on them-- ;)