Albion -- Someone in this town (pop. 398) has set up a weather camera. The bulk of the image is the northern California sky, although a deck and portion of this attractive looking home are also visible. This picture is a bit small, and image quality isn't best, but the effort from this homeowner at putting their small town on the Internet map is worth  . Big Bear -- This cam was a slice of heaven in the summer -- a postcard-perfect shot of Big Bear Lake from atop Snow Summit Ski Resort. During winter months, the cam is facing the resort, so instead of the deep blue water, you get a slope with snowboarders. Still a great cam, more if you're interested in watching people. The summer view is better for capturing the beautiful lanscape shot. The cam is part of the Resort Sports Network, which has a bunch of resort cameras across the globe, most of which seem to be up to real time. v + for winter, for summer. (lr) Fairfield -- This is a scenic view of the city of Fairfield from sky cam maintained by KCRA in Sacramento. Although it definitely shows the beauty of the area, it's a bit dark. You can't see any details of the city; just the horizon beyond. (lb) Hermosa Beach -- This streaming video of Hermosa Beach, Calif. gives you a view of the boardwalk, looking north toward Santa Monica from the Hermosa Beach Pier. I just love these streaming video cams -- it feels like you're spying on the beach-goers, but hey, when you're stuck in an office all day sympathy runs thin for sun worshippers. This clear camera image with constant activity is worth . (lr) Lake Arrowhead -- This shot on Mountaininfo.com overlooks the lake. You can see some boats in the foreground with a fuzzy view of the lake and trees behind them. The image leaves something to be desired, but the Webmaster for this site tells me they are working on improving the quality of their cameras... so until then I'm only giving it . (lr) Los Angeles -- Here is a postcard-esque shot from what has to the heart of the UCLA campus. Could a building look more university-like? It seems kind of sterile, though, maybe because of the layout of the page which is stark white. The proportion, also, seems a bit off with a too-close tree branch hiding much of the building. It's a sharp, clear picture that is updated every 10 minutes, a negative, but it is a calming, quiet scene. Worth + Los Angeles -- Here's a hazy shot across the valley with the "Hollywood" sign high up in the background. Uncertain how often this image is updated, and with the haze the sign comes through almost as an apparition. Also, it's blurry and the camera quality isn't the best. + because it offers the sign that you can't find on any other netcam. Los Angeles -- This camera is aimed at a statue called "Tommy" on the University of Southern California campus. Unless the USC campus offers nostaglia to you, this picture is worth only because of its sharp quality and quick download. Los Angeles -- This URL was sent in by a viewer, as are most of the good ones on the site. The image shows some rolling, wooded hills, dotted by buildings and claims to have a shot of the skyline in the background although when we've checked it out there must have been smog in the way. But a nicely proportioned shot, none the less, and fairly clear. Without skyline, +. With skyline Marina Del Rey -- This camera provides a shot of a marina framed through a boat's windshield the last I checked. Very warm shot, very nice, very calm. Makes you want to spread out a blanket, have a picnic, and take a nap. Any site that does that is worth at least Mono Lake -- Here's a vista shot, not terribly exciting, but still OK. Scratchy mountains behind a lake that looks like a river. It's a lonely vista shot here. Worth a quick look, though, and is updated every 10 minutes, which is a plus. But, still, worth only Mt. Shasta -- To add to our wildly growing California section, here's a cam with a majestic view of Mt. Shasta. I'm not sure what its perch is, but the view is unobstructed, except for one telephone pole that somehow adds a splash of character to the picture and also puts the mountain into perspective. Image refreshes itself every 10 minutes. Nice picture. Worth (lr) Newport Beach -- This site has a couple of great cameras located down by the beach. The first is a view of the Balboa Peninsula, or so it says. It also says the camera is mounted on top of the world's largest partying houseboat! You can clearly see a welcoming beach-house-lined california street, with cute houses, which dead-ends right into the beach. This cam updates every five minutes or so. There is also a smaller cam, which can be enlarged, that has streaming video. It says it's "from the dock" but looks like someone's back yard. The second large cam is from atop a cafe, showing a pool with lawnchairs (I've yet to catch anyone sitting in them), a main street behind it and the beach beyond that. California dreaming at its best here. (lr) Oceanside -- This surfline cam is a good source for our wave-friendly, Southern California friends. If you're just craving the sight of waves and sand or if you're headed near this area, check it out. It could help you decide on the quality of the waves before hopping in the car. It's a video feed, so you can actually see the waves rolling in and surfers catching a ride, but when the camera rotates in an off direction, it's not so interesting. for when it's actually showing something. (lr) Palm Springs -- Take a ride to the top of Mt. San Jacinto with the two Tram Cams that continually rotate 180 degrees, offering spectacular views of the Long Valley behind the Mountain Station and long range views of the valley floor below. The images seem to be updated regularly, with a refreshed view every five minutes. The top picture is MUCH better than the bottom one (which is really the one meant for this entry), yet the "interest" aspect is equivalent to a shoulder shrug. Nevertheless, Functionality and image quality keep it at + (lr) Palmdale -- This site is owned and operated by a private cam owner and weather enthusiast, I'm assuming. Bob takes very good care of his cam, which overlooks the vast Antelope Valley. It's a pretty barren shot, from high in the air. But click on the image to get the larger version and you'll feel like you've just jumped out of an airplane and are pummeling through the hot, desert air. Not bad, with a bonus resort cam as well (listed below at the resort's Web address). . Sacramento -- Here's our very first cam out of Sacramento. This downtown shot sometimes veers off into an overview of trees and a freeway, which I could do without, but check back -- it will change. There is also a serene view of Lake Tahoe, just a click away on the pull-down menu. Rancho Cordova -- Although this shows more traffic than anything, it's a clear cam that gives you a glimpse of the countryside beyond. (lb) San Diego -- This streaming video at La Jolla Cove makes me long for a sun-filled afternoon capped with a barbecue on the deck of a friend's beachfront condo... ahhh those were the days. Nice beach shot. (lr) San Diego -- Another streaming beach shot that focuses on the waves. You can almost hear that distinctive roar of water rushing onto the beach. At times you can see surfers or people walking on the beach ... and even seagulls that swoop down in front of the camera in real time. + San Diego -- This camera seems to be high up on a building providing a nice shot of San Diego Bay. Across the bay is seen hangars at Naval Air Station North Island and a Coast Guard station. A touristy-appearing paddleboat is seen in the foreground. All in all, a nice view and decent image reproduction means the shot is worth . I chose the large image. The smaller one includes an introductory movie on a page that includes multitudes of info about San Diego. San Francisco -- Here's one sitting on top of KPIX's Battery Street studios, overlooking the San Francisco Bay. It says it sometimes points inward at the city for views of Coit Tower and the Transamerica Pyramid. But during the afternoon, they point it at the Bay Bridge, which is how I saw it. Absolutely stunning! (lr) San Francisco -- I've seen this one in the morning and at dusk. Both times this shot of the bay looked like a painting. The shot is dominated by the bay itself, although you can a small piece of land in the left-hand corner (Alcatraz?). Nice picture, but too fuzzy for a high rating. Worth San Francisco -- Check out this long-distance view of San Francisco from atop the Fairmont Hotel on Nob Hill. It occasionally will have the Bay Bridge in the background. San Francisco -- Here is a stunner. The proportion is perfect and it is taken from so high up you'll think you are in an airplane. Downtown San Fran looks tiny in the upper corner, and those wonderful neighborhoods are stretched out before you as far as your eye can see. A bridge is but a tiny shot in the distance, with mountains framing the top. Beautiful and worth + San Francisco -- This city is becoming the netcam capitol of the world. Here's another one, this one on top of the Embarcadero Skydeck, looking down, with a slightly fish-eye feel to the camera. The Bay Bridge stretches across the background and in the foreground are snippets of skyscrapers. Updated every 30 seconds, the value of this picture drops a bit because of the red tint of the reproduction. Worth + San Francisco -- Another one of those construction cams pointed at the future home of the San Francisco Giants. It's worth a cam, maybe, simply because it's the only park being built without public subsidy. It's fairly boring as far as these cams go, though. There's a hint of buildings peeking up in the background, but otherwise when I last checked it looks like a parking ramp. Worth + San Luis Obispo -- Here's an exciting one for you!!!! Called the "WaterRecCam." Parker had said he had no idea what this was, but a viewer informed me that this is a reclaimed waste water treatment system used for irrigation. Still, even knowing what it is doesn't ease the tendency to see it as a backdrop for one of those cheesy, 1970s B-movie science fiction films, as Parker puts it. Strange structures in a strange place ... worth + simply because the picture is bright and sharp and ... strange. Santa Cruz -- This page offers several shots taken from atop the Dream Inn, including one looking out toward the ocean with hills seen in the distance. Other shots include the boardwalk, wharf, and Cowall Beach. All images can be enlarged with a simple mouse click. The variety, plus picturesque ocean and seaside shots, calls for . Santa Cruz -- Surf's up! ... Well, in Santa Cruz, anyway. The Surfing Santa Cruz! Web site features seven different beach Web cams that surf enthusiasts can use to check the waves. And those of us who live far, far inland can check these out and daydream .... Unfortunately, not all of the cameras work; I was only able to get three out of seven to work. So until that shapes up, I'll give it: . (lb) Santa Monica -- A shot of the entrance to a pier in Santa Monica, the kind of place made famous in the classic television series "Rockford Files." The picture is sharp, if muted, and the color provided by the camera if very rich. There are the requisite palm trees, blue sky and the massive Pacific Ocean hiding in the background. All that adds up to . Sierra At Tahoe -- Here's a glimpse of winter fun. If you catch this cam at the right time, you can see people bedecked with skis, enjoying the winter air. The cam is close enough for you to see what people are doing, yet far enough away to give a view of the area. + (lb) South Lake Tahoe -- A dim, but picturesque natural shot of this beautiful lake. Taken from Sugarpine Point State Park. It's a bit blurry, and for some reason they put a tree smack dab in the middle so the framing is off, but it's still very peaceful and looks like it will be best in the afternoon and evening. Worth + Tahoe -- Here's a beautiful view of Lake Tahoe -- it makes me want to pick up the phone and book reservations -- now! And it's so clear that you can almost decipher the different types of trees. This gets a hearty (lb) Venice Beach -- Here's a camera that provides what you'd expect in southern California -- a beach, palm trees, and a walking, biking, roller blading path. You can just feel the sun's warmth from this shot. . Ventura -- Here's another California beach scene, only this one has an amazing zoom capability. A viewer tells me that with this cam he was able to read the license plate of a car parked in the lot just above the swimming pool. I tried it and he's right. Although, I felt like a Peeping Tom to the people at the swimming pool! I don't advise using this cam in that fashion, but my gosh, what a zoom capability! A must-see, just for the amazement factor. Wrightwood -- For a taste of winter, check out these ski cams. Mountain High resort near Wrightwood, Calif., offers three different ski cams -- though only two worked for me. The view of the West Base cam is of snow and a few trees; nothing too exciting. And I think the Top of Conquest cam would be pretty good, but it's very out of focus. Yosemite National Park -- This camera is called "Half-Dome" because it provides a shot of the park's "most distinctive and dramatic landmark." The shot is taken from the ground and gives you the feeling of "sneaking" up on the mountain. The angle gives an impressive look at a sheer granite face and hints are given at the different look depending on the position of the sun. Very nice, and worth + Yosemite Valley -- A viewer tells me this one (previously listed as Glacier Point) is indeed Yosemite Valley. This surreal shot of America's most famous park reminds you just how small you really are. The trees that obscured the rocks before are no longer there and the picture quality is not great, but not poor. Parker thought this one was a bit disappointing, but gave credit for location... I'll stick with that.
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