March 21, 2022 Beaches, Beaches and More Beaches (Part One)

Today we are driving up the Pacific Coast Highway to Goleta. Our plan is to spend the next three days on beaches. So you might ask why is the first photo in the mountains? Well everyone that has ever traveled with me knows I get distracted easily. While driving along PCH I saw a sign for the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area Visitor Center. I can not resist scenic turnouts and visitor centers. I figured it was just off the highway. It was not. 

I was so excited to be here. Until I found out it was closed. We took advantage of the bathrooms and the brochures available outside the building. 

Instead of backtracking to PCH, I figured we could cut across the mountains and find a road back to PCH. Let's just say we eventually made it back to sea level...

...more than an hour later at El Pescador State Beach.

We headed down to the beach. 

As usual, Christy is ahead of me. I'm taking in the incredible views from the cliffs over the Pacific Ocean. 

This is what heaven looks like to me.

I love the sound of water rushing over the rocks.

We headed south along the shoreline.

So much to see and photograph.

After a long Chicago winter, it feels great to be barefoot on a beach.

When we reach what seemed like the end of El Pescador beach...

...I turned around and took this photo...

...climbed over the rocks...

...and joined Christy on the next beach.

I believe this is Encinal Beach. At least that is what Google Maps is telling me.

I love the staircase with a nice wooden door built into it to keep me out.

Christy just kept walking, so I figured we will go as far as we can along the ocean.

This is the house I jokingly said we rented on Facebook. I was surprised people believed we could afford a place like this amazing house.

I'm guessing this is La Piedra beach. And yes, hiking with Christy can seem like hiking by yourself. But today I am just thrilled to be walking here and taking it all in.

The great part of hiking like this is we have to go back the same way we came out.

I finally caught up with her.

Then we found this huge rock formation.

I definitely didn't think we would find a sea cave on this hike.

Now I am so damn happy we kept walking. Let's explore this sea cave.

I walked to the back and found out the Nudist Nook is to the left. 

Then I found an outlet to the next beach. 

So I crawled through to the next beach. Christy didn't want to get wet and stayed in the cave. 

I walked to the next beach. There were pelicans searching for a late lunch on this beach.

This might be Playa San Juan Leighton Beach.

Since Christy didn't follow me. I turned around and headed back. 

I took a few pictures on the way back to the car.

I love catching waves hitting the rocks...

...and flowing over them.

 We spent the rest of the day driving to Goleta and finding a place to eat.

This was a relaxing way to break up the drive to Goleta.

March 20, 2022 Family Photos at my Aunt Pat's Memorial (Part Two)

Family Definition: a group of people that come from the same ancestor

What makes a true family: the people who support and love you, and the people you can confide in and trust. 

Since my cousin Michelle was staying just down the street from Christy & me, we had breakfast together at Cafe 101 this morning. Then we stopped at South Carlsbad State Beach to enjoy the ocean for a few minutes.

Both of us love the ocean beaches. It must be hereditary. 

Today is all about family. I haven't lived near my family for most of my life. As a kid, almost all of our vacations were visiting family. So many of my favorite childhood memories are from those trips. I can still picture them in my head whenever I think about my grandparent's apartment in NYC filled with family members in every room or our trips to California when eight kids and four parents overfilled my Aunt & Uncle's house. The upside of that meant all the boys had to sleep in a tent in the backyard which I loved as a kid. Even though the past two years of Covid-19 have kept most of us from getting together, I have seen my cousins twice a month on a family zoom meeting started by my cousin Mary. Those zoom meetings meant I've seen them more often over the past two years than any other time in my life. I really enjoyed those virtual get-togethers. But today reminded me of all those childhood memories of so many family gatherings. Today is about seeing someone smile when they saw you walking toward them. Today is about not just talking to a loved one but getting to hug them too. Today is about seeing people you haven't seen in years and having it seem like it was only yesterday that you got together. Today is about meeting the new additions to the family for the first time. Today is about celebrating my Aunt Pat's extraordinary life. Today is about Aunt Pat looking down at all of us together and smiling. 

Uncle Ed talking with his sister

My first cousin Katt with her daughters

my first cousins once removed 

my first cousins once and twice removed

my family

my family laughing at something

Uncle Ed with his daughters

This is what happens when a zookeeper takes pictures at a family get together

Aunt Pat watching over all of us

Georgie talking to his cousin and Godmother Terry

Brothers

Again with zookeeper taking pictures

me asking God if these two are really my parents

Christy getting the soccer ball out of the lake

My parents and all the first cousins

a family that flips you off together, stays together

Aunt Pat's husband and daughters