The Pinnacles, California You drive through and emerge from the Salinas Valley, welcomed by the rocks formed some zillions of years ago.

You walk up the valley, and in a few minutes you are no longer looking at, but walking within. The light keeps changing, as do the shapes and foliage.

There is a top; there are many tops. It's more like reaching the height of a tall building; some nearby may be taller, but tallest isn't so important. Each top has a unique shape, and offers a unique view of the others.

There are a few citadels here, and looking from one toward another intensifies the sense of being in a seperate world, arising out of the valley and world below.

The trails are splendid, carrying you into and through and above.

And if you are lucky enough to be leaving at sunset, the rocks put on their color and shadow display.