Culture

Palos Verdes Estates is a city in Los Angeles County, California, USA on the Palos Verdes Peninsula. It was designed by the noted American landscape architect and planner Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr. – the same designer of the Olmsted Districts in Torrance.

One of Palos Verdes Estates’ notable landmarks is Neptune Fountain, the City’s logo, in Malaga Cove Plaza. The elaborate two-thirds scale replica of a bronze statue and fountain erected in Bologna, Italy in 1563, was donated to Palos Verdes Estates in 1930 by the Palos Verdes Project. The statue is thought to have been over 100 years old before it was brought to the City and was obtained from a villa courtyard outside Venice.

In the image, King Neptune looks ready to thrust his trident at the paparazzi while holding out his hand as if to say “No more pictures, please.”

Credit Verna for this nice image. Click for big.

Neptune, atop the fountain, is surrounded by cherubs, aquatic denizens and mermaids who spout water from — well, any place one might expect liquid to flow.

This is how they live on the beach in Santa Monica, CA. You would think that somebody could color coordinate a little better than this. Or, is this the new style for homes in that area?

Today was our grocery shopping day. Since we had some time to spare we took a ride down to San Pedro and around the Palos Verdes Peninsula. We took a lot of pictures – upwards of 250 or so. This one of the Korean Bell, was one of the nicer ones that Verna took.

Nestled in a few acres and not generally visible unless you’re in it, lies Redondo Beach’s Wilderness Park. A repose from the bustling city suburbs just a few yards away, this peaceful and idyllic park is the calm within the storm.

Within the park, you can feel isolated, yet walking up the path to the park’s east boundary, you can get panoramic views of the south bay skyline. There is a pond there too – today there were several ducks by the pond and one timid snowy egret that swooshed up to the top of a sycamore tree when we showed up. A screech owl flew out of it’s roost loudly vocalizing as it went along.

Hopkins Wilderness Park was developed in 1977 as a center for camping, nature study and conservation. The 11-acre site includes a Visitor Center used for nature-related classes and meetings; four ecological habitats: forest, meadows, streams, and ponds; amphitheater with firepit (150 capacity); three overnight campgrounds: Gumwood Camp, Pine Camp, and Sycamore Camp (30 person capacity each); Day Camp picnic site (30 person capacity); and public restrooms and support facilities.

No entrance fee is required for individuals or families who wish to visit the park.

The pond is shown below. As usual, you can click on most of our thumbnail pictures to see a larger view.