"Miner" Adventure

So my dad arrived late Saturday night.  We weren't sure exactly what we were doing for Sunday, but we definitely knew we were going to go out somewhere.  And that it would involve a camera (well, for me at least!).  We eventually decided on visiting the Black Diamond Mines Regional Preserve, to take a tour of one of the existing mines that were used back in the early 1900s.  Jacques, Erin and I had already gone on this tour back in March of 2010 (wow, I did not realize it had already been 2 years!) but we had yet to take my dad there.  And he's a geologist so he really enjoyed examining the sandstone inside the mine.

Anyway, after looking through past posts to find the previous photos of Black Diamond... I realized I never even got around to uploading them in the first place!  ( I really should have kept up with this blog better. )  So I'll include a couple of those also... but this time around, I was focusing a bit more on macro/close-up captures, since I'd already gotten the gist of the area the first time.

Close-up view of the locked gate at the entrance to the mine.

Small trail of rocks among nature.  This was another macro shot, so it's even smaller than it looks!

Cute photo of Erin & Jacques on the trail towards the mine—from our first trip in 2010.

View from the top of the entrance to the mine, looking out—This was also from 2010.

Now, back to yesterday, a long staircase leading up to more trails.  There's just something I love about big staircases like this.

A view from one of the piles of old coal/debris that were found all over the park.

The entrance.  It says "1930" on the top.

Looking out from inside the mine entrance.

Dad and Erin being silly as the tour guide is about to open the gate.

View from deep inside the mine... I loved how my camera made the lights appear as if they were flame torches. 

This path down was called "Escapeway" but it was blocked off.  They eventually plan on connecting this pathway to the visitor's center, where the tour will end.

Another view inside the mine, closer towards the entrance.

And yet closer to the entrance here.  I was a little disappointed that nothing inside the mine was original to the time when it was used... except for the rock, of course.  Everything else was added in by the park, even the tracks!

We had to wear miner's hats while inside the mine as well.  So here's me, looking goofy in the hat.

Just a view as we were walking back towards the entrance (the bright light in the distance...)

I'm not sure what we have planned for today, if anything, because it depends on when my dad gets back here from the meeting he's in right now in San Francisco.  So we'll see.  But we plan on visiting the Oakland Zoo tomorrow, which I've never been to!  I love photographing animals, so hopefully I'll get some good shots then! 

That's all for now.