I have to be honest, many of the landscape shots I take with my smartphone aren't particularly dazzling. This picture exceeded my expectations. This is the view from one of the trails at Fort Ord National Monument looking out over the Salinas Valley known as "Steinbeck Country" and also the "The Salad Bowl of the World".

Off in the distance you can see the Gabilan Mountain Range which John Steinbeck mentioned in several of his novels including Of Mice and Men, East of Eden and The Red Pony. The silver ribbon is the Salinas River that is making its way out to the Monterey Bay. On each side of the river, you see agricultural fields that go on for miles and miles in every direction growing everything from strawberries to artichokes and, of course, all kinds of lettuce. I got out to hike right after the rain so I the decorator clouds were an added bonus.

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