Beauty to spare
© Melo Qiao/Moment/Getty Images
Seen here against a striking sunset, this NorCal oddity near Point Arena is known as Bowling Ball Beach for its abundant spheroid boulders called concretions. These hard, dense mineral masses formed around leaves, pebbles, shells, and other small objects buried in softer sediment—not unlike how oysters create pearls around tiny irritants. After eons of erosion, the bowling balls now sit atop the beach face, where the low tide exposes them to create scenes like this.
Bridge of size?
Drive if you dare
Primeval isle
Crag, cove, and crater
Deep, deep desert
A threatened paradise
A pearly province
Beware the waves