California - Flowers, Trees, and Cactus

We had such a great trip to California!  It was really so much fun.  We got to see everything (and more) that we had in mind and built in plenty of time for relaxing at the hotel pools, playing at the beach, reading, and hanging out together.  I've got so many pictures, I don't even know where to start.

So, I'm going to start with all the beautiful plants that we saw.  I really enjoyed seeing all the different types - especially ones I remember fondly from when I lived in Hawaii and Mexico.  Here are just a sampling!

Gorgeous flowers in Temple Square in Salt Lake City.  We had a long layover there so we toured downtown Salt Lake.

Bougainvillea on Coronado Island

Palm Trees on Coronado Island.  Southern California doesn't lack for palm trees!  They were beautiful!

More bougainvillea at Balboa Park in San Diego

Feel free to correct me on any plant names.  I don't know this palm so I'm going with "Fan Palm".

Look how huge this palm leaf is at Balboa Park!

Beautiful field of daisies

I believe these are a kind of Black-Eyed Susan.  They were pretty and I loved the different shades.

Brennan really likes agave nectar so had to get a picture of him with an agave cactus.

Balboa Park had a pretty rose garden.

Huge banyan fig tree in Balboa Park

I believe these are a kind of succulent.  They were all around Old Town San Diego.

Nopal cactus - very common where we lived in Mexico

Hollyhocks.  These were planted all around the Mission at San Juan Capistrano.

No idea what this is at San Juan Capistrano.  But it looks like chili peppers!

Not sure what the name of this cactus is but it looks like a saguaro.

Nopales with tuna (fruit)

This is a pretty fountain at San Juan Capistrano with fish, lily pads, and lotus flowers

These were my absolutely favorite.  I saw these ALL OVER Southern Califonia.  I will be planting them here next year - they are Lily of the Nile.

More Lily of the Nile

Birds of Paradise

And a close up.  Doesn't it look like a bird?

Not sure what kind of cactus or plant this was - very different.

Beautiful trip!