 This, as we all know, has been an odd year. While the virus appears to be surging again I have sincere gratitude for all the good things that have happened and are happening this year. To date no one in our family has become seriously ill from the virus. Sadly, I did have a former colleague - younger than I am - pass away from COVID a few months back. I think of him and his family and the families of so many others right now and it's clear that 2020 while challenging has not been an altogether bad year for me personally and we have much for which to be thankful. I have healthy and beautiful children and grandchildren and a new granddaughter is on the way! I sincerely hope things are tolerable for you and yours and may you all remain healthy and safe until this scourge is eradicated. I've shared previously that many of my plans had to be altered this year. I'm guessing yours have, too. All of our lives have been disrupted. I decided some months back to cancel my "big" travel plans and look for more local opportunities to find peace and solitude. So... I went again to another couple of favorites. Lately the weather has been quite warm and the summer feels like it might, finally, be ending here in Southern California but it's been brutally hot. The beach sounded nice and I was able to escape on my annual trip to Gaviota. Each time I return to a place I know that it is different. It has changed and so have I. I've certainly learned that nothing stays the same in this life and all things are temporary. There are a few places that I return to - again and again -and they are always different - I get some comfort from the familiarity and joy from the changes. This year Gaviota was warm but not hot and had a few days of foggy weather. Eugene O'Neill, my favorite playwright - of life - wrote eloquently about the fog in his remarkable play, "Long Day's Journey Into Night": “The fog was where I wanted to be. Halfway down the path you can’t see this house. You’d never know it was here. Or any of the other places down the avenue. I couldn’t see but a few feet ahead. I didn’t meet a soul. Everything looked and sounded unreal. Nothing was what it is. That’s what I wanted—to be alone with myself in another world where truth is untrue and life can hide from itself. Out beyond the harbor, where the road runs along the beach, I even lost the feeling of being on land. The fog and the sea seemed part of each other. It was like walking on the bottom of the sea. As if I had drowned long ago. As if I was the ghost belonging to the fog, and the fog was the ghost of the sea. It felt damned peaceful to be nothing more than a ghost within a ghost.”  Some of my favorite outdoor haunts of my youth are in the hills above Santa Barbara. I decided to take a drive up to Figueroa Mountain in the Santa Ynez Mountains. I wanted to check out the campgrounds and places I hadn't been to in awhile in those old oak covered sedimentary hills. Unfortunately, when I got two miles from the campground the road was closed. The Los Padres, and many other National Forest lands in California, were closed to ALL visitors due to the extreme fire danger. I understand why and believe it was a good call but I wish it had been advertised a bit more and that I'd known they were extending the forest ban past the originally publicized dates. Regardless, I had an enjoyable drive. When I returned to my campsite I realized I had a cold blooded visitor. I notified the camp host who called the cavalry and they moved my friend to a less populated spot.  Mr. Rattler wasn't a happy camper. After all, he'd been enjoying this view of the creek for at least a few days.  I got up early the next morning and made a series of photos of the sunrise. I hope you enjoy this gallery.  Before we travel inland to Allensworth I'll leave you with a few more photographs of Gaviota State Beach.  My little fiberglass trailer, "El Correcaminos" is now 5 years old and has gone on nearly FIFTY trips. It is starting to show a bit of wear. I had electrical problems in the Sierra Nevada and a propane leak at Gaviota. I fixed those things (hopefully), got new trailer tires, and then headed to Colonel Allensworth State Park. I am in love with Allensworth. I even joined the Friends of Allensworth to support the Park. The story of the place is fascinating and I encourage you, if you don't know it, to revisit my previous posts or to read the Wikipedia page right here. I believe that Allensworth, like my musician pal Ray Wylie Hubbard would say, is "an acquired taste." It's in the heart of the Great Central Valley. Most Californians would complain about the highway to get there - Highway 99. They would argue that Highway 1 and 395 and 101 are much prettier and, well, it's easy to see why they'd make that point but, life is short, so lets look for beauty everywhere - even in the desolate and dry farmlands of California. The sunset photo at the top of this blog post is an example of that beauty. Further, there are two National Wildlife refuges within a half hour drive of Allensworth near Highway 99. I also decided to check out the Carrizo Plain National Monument to see if the roads had been improved over the years in order to perhaps camp there this spring. The Monument is 75 miles from Allensworth but closer than from home (about 200 miles). The place is famous for its spring display of wildflowers. This time of year it's hot and dry. I only saw a few other people (nice!) explored a bit and had a very nice day.   A friend and former colleague, Debbie, is a reader of this website and has mentioned, for several years now, that she'd like a barn photo - and while the light isn't at it's best it is a pretty cool old barn - so...to my pal Debbie...  After driving back to Allensworth I spent the evening over the barbecue and sitting outside and watching the sunset.   The following morning I got up at the crack of dawn and drove to the Kern National Wildlife Refuge. I saw no one. Unfortunately, most of the birds were a bit shy too.  That afternoon, to beat the heat, I decided to cruise around aimlessly with the AC on in the truck. I saw a crop duster and got out to take this photo. Within, no kidding, a minute, a truck pulled up and a guy yelled. "You gotta move!" Ok, ok... I'm moving. Settle down...I'm a bit slower than I used to be. I found a place called, "China Alley" on the map in Hanford and went to take a few photos. It too has an interesting history.   The following day I drove out to the Pixley Wildlife Refuge at dusk. The mosquitoes were THICK but it was a lovely evening - not as much water as my last visit but still a calm, solitary and peaceful walk.  It started getting HOT the next day and I was (am?) so damn tired of the heat. I spent one last beautiful but sweltering day and then headed home. I had a fabulous time.  I couldn't leave you without, of course, a lonely road and old telephone poles...  Off to the desert in a few days... has autumn arrived in your world? Mask up! See ya soon.
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 My health improved enough for me to get my backside back on the road at the end of August. Yee haw! The physical therapist, diet and daily exercises have really helped. Of course at my age the Dr. keeps finding things he wants to test and it looks like that'll continue for awhile but in the meantime... let's take a quick jaunt to a couple of my my favorite central coast haunts. First, without pain, I took my little trailer up to Gaviota State Beach where my camping pal, the inimitable, entertaining and hilarious Marty, met me. I wasn't quite as mobile as I will be but I did take a few photos of the pier and Gaviota Creek.  After Marty left I drove up to Morro Bay State Park. That drive is spectacular and has been a favorite of mine since childhood. Highway 101 from Santa Barbara along the coast and then, when it turns inland into the California Oak savannah country, inspires me for a number of reasons. It's beautiful, of course, but it always feels like I'm finally leaving Southern California behind and moving on to a new and wonderful place. And I am... The weather at Morro Bay was alternatively sunny and foggy. I did a few touristy things this trip. I took the "Sub View" tour which is a lot like the old glass bottomed boat in Catalina. You only go out a little way into the harbor and they chum for smelt. It was simple but still fun. The next day I decided to go on the whale watching tour and, for only the second time in my life, I got sea sick. There was a large swell and it got to me. Sigh. That wasn't expected or welcomed. I was miserable and since I wasn't feeling great I only took a few photos. The whales though...magnificent. Here are some photos of my first day on the water. That afternoon I drove over to one of the last remaining old fashioned California beach towns, Cayucos, and make a few photos. As I was parking I noticed many pelicans on the water. Some old guy, seeing my camera, ran up to me and shouted, "Get some pictures of the storks!". Cracked me up. I did take his advice.  Here are a few photos from the rest of the trip.  The black and white images.  Thanks for coming along on this short trip. Tomorrow I leave for Corvallis, OR as I take my daughter's things to her dorm room. It's bittersweet. I'm so proud of her but I'll miss her like crazy.
My hunch is I'll take some photos of the countryside. We'll talk soon!  I've been fortunate in the last few years to meet some really fine photographers like Lori Carey, Joe Smith, Tracy Schultze and Rachel Cohen (among others). Something that most of these photographers participate in is a year end list of their "favorite (or best) photos". We submit them to a well known and well regarded Bay Area photographer, Jim Goldstein, for his annual "Blog Project- Your Best Photos"annually. So this is my list. I had the good fortune to maintain my regular routine of monthly travel (except October because of the Dodgers - dem bums). I started off the year with two trips to Red Rock Canyon in the Mojave, visited Dodger Spring Training and Homolovi State Park in Arizona, took two trips to the Central Coast, went to Utah and the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, went to each California League stadium, Petco Park, San Francisco (AT&T Park) and environs with Lupe, and took a fabulous Four Corners trip, which included Mesa Verde, the Black Canyon of the Gunnison, Hovenweep National Monument and a quick jaunt to Joshua Tree to see my buddy, PJ Finn. Whew! Who said retirement was boring?! I made about 8000 images this year and 7,990 were pretty bad. Well, not really, but these photos represent my personal favorites. The first photo (above) was taken in the fading light of a September afternoon at the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park from the south rim near Chasm View. To me, it seems to capture the "up close but oh so deep and mysterious" look of this magnificent canyon. The next two favorites are also canyon photos and both from Imperial Point on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon at opposite ends of the day. The first was taken while walking around with my amiga, Liz Kylin, in the late afternoon and a few days later I got up early to catch the sun as it just started to hit the point. You'll get a sense of how fascinating the light of the canyon can be from these two very different photos near the same vantage point (taken with the same camera).   Let's move from canyon country to the coast. My number 4 favorite is a photo of Morro Rock - a place I return to year after year (since the 1980's). I finally took a photo I liked of it.  Next is a Mojave Desert photo taken after a steady 24 hour rain and the clouds were still lingering and creeping over the ridges into the valley below.  The next photo is a long exposure of the pier, at sundown, in my beloved Gaviota State Beach. I'm not a fan of the ugly yellow boat hoist at the end of the pier - but, hey, that's Gaviota.  My amigo Joe Smith has really encouraged me to use more black and white and the last 4 are in that medium. The first is of Pacific Coast Highway north of Malibu on a late summer afternoon.  The next photo is of Round Tower in Hovenweep National Monument. This structure was probably built between 1150 AD and 1350 AD by Ancient Puebloans.  This photo of iconic Spider Rock at sunset is probably my favorite of the year. Yes, I know its been photographed thousands and thousands of times but I like the simplicity and shadow of this black and white.  Lastly, you wouldn't really expect the old Southwest Dude not to have a railroad track photo, right? Right. My last is from a favorite spot near Cantil, CA.  Since it is the end of the year I want to express my gratitude to each of you who follow my blog and vicariously travel the roads of the West with me. I hope you get some sense of how much I enjoy sharing my "traveling life" with you and I hope you know how great it is to have you along.
I'd like to also give a shout out to my pals and fellow inspirational photographers, PJ Finn, Craig Pindell, Scott Hays, Don Wendell, author extraordinaire, Chris LaTray and fellow travelin' fool, Scott Jones. I'm fortunate to have you dudes in my life (even if most of it is online). Lastly, I also want to acknowledge the greatest blessings of my life which are my three children, my two daughters in law and my sensational wife. I don't know how they put up with me - but they do and I'm so damn lucky. My best to all - let's have a brilliant 2019.  Lately, I've been devoting a lot of thought to the idea of discovering new places and the idea of finding a place, loving it, and returning. I like seeing new places but, something I've learned from Buddhism and photography, is that we never truly visit the same place twice anyway. Let me use my own backyard as an example. I know my old backyard, don't I? Heck, I see it everyday. But...if one looks closely, each time I walk out there it's quite different. It's a different time of day, a different feel of weather, a different season. It smells differently in the spring than in the fall. It looks different after a summer of extreme heat than after a winter of moderate rains. The marine layer adds to the feeling in May and June and even, occasionally, in October. It's not the prettiest of back yards, I suppose, but I love seeing and smelling and feeling the differences. So, to me, one can never exactly return anywhere. You'll notice, if you've followed my travel blog for awhile, that I do seek new places but so often I return to beloved places. Such was the case this August when I went back to my beloved Gaviota State Beach north of Santa Barbara. I also mixed in a new spot the Rancho Guadalupe Dunes Preserve. I'll start by showing you some long exposure photos I took on consecutive evenings. Of course, I made a few black and whites. The day I drove out to Rancho Guadalupe Dunes I was surprised at the uncrowded and scenic virtues of the place. I had an excellent time - spoke at length to a Ranger about the endangered birds that call this gem home and the fact that the beach and dunes are typically quiet and serene. One reason is that the road is often closed since the dunes reclaim it on a regular basis. Check out the photo of the road in.  Each day I spent at Gaviota I went to the beach in the afternoon. The lifeguard there and I are kind of buddies - he sees me every year. This year, each afternoon at 3:00, a fisherman would come in to the beach with a huge bag full of fish. The lifeguard told me that he sells his bounty to local markets and restaurants. Since the pier has been closed for a few years now the fishing pressure has decreased significantly and, as a result, the fishing from boats has become quite good. I spent quite a bit of time thinking about this hearty soul who has chosen this life - no bosses - on the sea each day - making his own way. Ah...a rugged individualist. I admire that.  I also made a few other photos of this favorite spot which I return to - year after year.   Thanks for coming along! I hope you enjoyed the photos.
If you ever find yourself on the road north of Santa Barbara check out this quiet oasis on the coast. Who knows? Maybe, I 'll see you there.  Morro Rock First Stop: Point MuguIt's time for the beach. Each year, at least once, I head north up the coast. Last year I foolishly went in June and was socked in with the marine layer for almost 10 days. This year I had none of the "May Gray" and it was sunny and warm and, well, damn near perfect. The trip started out at good old Point Mugu and Thornhill Broome Beach which lies between Malibu and Oxnard. As a young man I lived in Ventura and attended UCSB but would work for my Dad in his typesetting shop in Los Alamitos on the weekends. I didn't enjoy taking the 101 to the 405 so I took the longer, more leisurely and exceptionally scenic route through to Malibu. That route went directly by Point Mugu. I'd look down at the people camping literally on the sand and think, "Man, that's the life - one day when I don't have to work 7 days a week I'm gonna camp there." I made good on that promise to myself. I counted and I may have missed a trip or two but I believe this was my tenth trip. Even if you haven't been you to Point Mugu you've seen it. It's featured on about half the car commercials these days. I adore the area. On my first night my Brazilian musician and poet friend Mauro came to visit and we made a fire and and barbecued tri-tip. We chatted and listened to music well into the night... The last photo is kind of random but across from my campsite was a padlock in the fence separating the highway from the campground. I was fascinated by it - how long had it been there? Why had someone locked it and left it? It's a dang oddity. Love those...  Mugu Rock and the mighty Pacific One of my photography influences is Dennis Stock. Back in the '60's he took what I consider to be the best shot perhaps ever made of the Southern California beach scene near San Diego. There are a few spots on PCH I consider quintessential California but, alas, they're changing as development and other changes impact the landscape and the road. Nevertheless, I did go looking for a few spots to make photos and was nearly hit by a small and swerving grocery truck. You have to sacrifice for art, right? I like these photos anyway.   The following photos are just up the road a bit from the campground and I've spent many an hour in that very spot. I always say, "It feels a million miles away from LA".  Second Stop: Gaviota State BeachAfter 4 days at Point Mugu I drove North to my old standby Gaviota. While there I went looking for some railroad photos and visited the first place I ever taught - De Anza Junior High School in Ventura as a long term substitute in Autumn of 1981. I also went to visit an old house - the house we were living in when my wonderful son, Jordan was born in April 1983. I enjoyed it. I often wish I could transport myself back to that time - knowing what I know now - I'd do many things differently. Regrets? I have a few... The hills around Gaviota were lush and covered in mustard.   The coast in Santa Barbara county is much different than the coast I grew up with in Southern California. Shale dominates here. A train trestle runs across Gaviota and invites you to explore. So I followed the tracks north... Here are some additional photos of my time at Gaviota. I'll be back in August. I can't seem to get enough of the place. Final Stop: Morro Bay I scheduled a Morro Bay State Park trip for last Fall but it was canceled by them after a freak storm brought down several trees in the campground. I love Morro Bay - have ever since I was about 12 and my grandmother brought me here to meet her old bachelor cousin who had lived here for 30 some odd years. He was a poor, salty old fisherman who lived in a small apartment about a block from the bay. I never forgot him. A bad ass, independent, crotchety, profane "pescadero viejo". My kind of guy. Normally, when I've visited the last several years it has only been for a few days and I haven't really explored the nearby wetlands or Elfin Forest which are close to the south end of town, I made up for that omission on this trip.  I was, finally able to visit the Elfin Forest which is near Los Osos, CA and just across the National Morro Bay Estuary from the campground. I left for my hike about 2:00 in the afternoon and it was cloudy - by the time I hit the trail the sun had emerged and the light was not great for photography. Of course, that didn't stop me from taking photos and I decided, then and there, that I had to come back in the Fall since this was such an extraordinary place.  I hope, through these photos, you get some idea about how splendid Morro Bay is and that you will, if you find yourself on the California central coast (and you should find yourself there) , check it out. Wait until you see how you feel there.   I hope you enjoyed looking at these photos as much as I enjoyed taking them. Next stop is the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. See ya on the road...   The month of June in California typically signals two things; the start of the glorious summertime and "June Gloom" when the marine layer hovers over Southern California. I happen to be a lover of both. While September may be the best month of the year at the beach for those of who are sun worshippers June offers morning fog and overcast that usually "burns off" in the afternoon. After a lifetime of living in SoCal I've grown to love both months but June has a certain charm and I scheduled three coast trips this year. We had originally planned a large family outing to Lassen but, as I write this, the highway through the Park still isn't open due to the massive snow California received last winter. The water is a blessing and, hey, despite missing family and friends, the beach ain't bad! I started at a longtime favorite-Thornhill Broome Beach near Point Mugu. In the early 1980's I was living in Ventura, CA and attending UC Santa Barbara. On the weekends, to survive, I would work at my father's typesetting shop in Los Alamitos. While taking the 101 to the 405 was much faster I invariably found myself taking "the long way home" along Highway 1 through Santa Monica, Malibu and up to Ventura County. I'd drive by Thornhill Broome and see campers literally right on the beach and think- "one day I'm gonna go there". I have followed through on that thought - many, many times. The stretch of coast from Port Hueneme to Neptune's Net in Northern Malibu is some of the best in Southern California. There are very few homes and the beach is often desolate and lonely despite its proximity to LA. Lupe and Banjo joined me for the weekend. In addition, her cousin Mundo and his wife Jenn also joined us on Saturday night for a wonderful outdoor barbecue and bonfire. Prior to their arrival I hiked each day in Sycamore Canyon and near the wetlands just north of Mugu Rock.  After the weekend Lupe went back to finish off the school year and I drove north to windy Gaviota State Park. I like it there and there may be more photos of that place here on the blog than any other place. It is almost always ridiculously windy and this trip was no exception. At one point I looked out the window and saw a dome tent rolling, end over end, directly at me. It ended up hitting the side of the fiberglass trailer with a thud and then flew over the top and about 50 more yards away where it was finally stopped by a wooden fence. Those folks left pretty quickly afterward. The wind is one of the reasons I like Gaviota so much. It's in a small bowl along the coast, Kerouac slept here in "The Dharma Bums" and a train trestle is just overhead. But, the wind howls down through Gaviota Pass and makes camping there, sans an RV, difficult (although I did it for years). It generally keeps the amateur campers away. After a few hours of contending with the wind they often, while loudly cursing, get in their car and go. Can't blame them and gives me a bit more solitude. Rumors abound that it may be closed soon. I certainly hope not. It's a treasure.  Marty, famous Marty, joined me the last night of my stay in Gaviota. He and I decided to hoist our old carcasses up a nearby peak to see some wind caves that I'd recently heard about. While it's a short hike it is very steep in places. We labored up the hills, sweating and mumbling to ourselves, but the destination was worth it. I returned home for a few days and then my 16 year old daughter, Lilly, and I drove up to an old favorite of ours Pismo Beach. Lilly and I have been going to Pismo since she was a tot and we know the drill. We shop, bowl and head for the pier. Unfortunately, this year the Pismo Pier is going through a much needed rehabilitation and so it was off limits. I brought my camera but didn't really plan on taking any photos. I wanted to devote my time and energy to "The Lilster". However, on one of last days we were there Lilly asked if we could go to Margo Dodd park since she'd heard it was pretty cool. Well, despite the heavy marine layer, it was indeed, "pretty cool". The rocks were covered with pelicans and it was a joy to discover. I know, with Lilly reaching the latter part of her teen years and me getting older, we may not have many more trips with just the two of us. It was a memorable trip and she is a wonderful traveling companion. Her old man couldn't love her more if he tried. Here are some photos of Lilly's day trip suggestion. On Twitter it's apparent that reviewing one's photos for the year is all the rage. I consider myself a non-conformist but I kind of like the idea. This is true even if the exercise is nothing more than an oppportunity to review my travels and tribulations for the last 12 months. For me, it's easy to do that and one of the reasons that I started this website. I enjoy sharing the beauty of the West and looking at my photos will be an enjoyable activity. I am not, however, inclined to pick my "favorite" 12 photos. While ranking is cool I think that activity might make my head explode. Maybe next year... This was my first year traveling with my little travel trailer, a fiberglass egg, called, "El Correcaminos". It is quite different than sleeping in a tent or the back of my truck. In fact, it's so dang convenient that the first few months I traveled with it I'd get in the cozy little space and just want to stay there. This rather defeats the idea of getting a trailer which is to enjoy the great outdoors. I suppose it's natural though, when in a safe cocoon, to want to stay there. However, get out we did! Here are my some of my favorite photos from my trips this year. I started the year using JPEG and a Nikon D3300, editing using the Nikon software, and finished the year making RAW images with a Nikon D750 and editing them in Lightroom. The first photos are from Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument last January. For my birthday, the last one of my FIFTIES, Lupe and I took Banjo to Point Mugu. My next stop in the little trailer was Death Valley. I'd been there before but never during a "super bloom" or for so long. It was a good trip. In March I visited my Bay Area family. The last 6 years have been challenging for me in many ways but Lisa, Kara and Steve have always been there for me. How I love them... The photo below is of Lisa, Kara and their Dad, Jack. Jack is maybe, just maybe, the coolest guy I've ever known. In March Lupe and I went to Arizona. We spent time in the Superstitions and out at Organ Pipe. We had a wonderful time. Lupe is the perfect traveling partner. In late March Banjo and I spent a few days at the other-worldly Red Rock Canyon north of Los Angeles. It's a really cool place and reminded me of Utah or Abiquiu, NM.  In April, I headed out to Utah. I was able to spend time at Zion, Bryce, Escalante State Park and Kodachrome State Park. Magnificent. In May I spent some time in Joshua Tree and at San Onofre Beach. In June I was able to visit the newest National Park, Pinnacles, with my remarkable daughter Lilly and her friend Kennedy. Pinnacles is becoming a favorite as it is (relatively) uncrowded and sits in the heart of the scenic part of Central California. I'll be back next March for some spring photography in "Steinbeck Country". Lupe and I had to forego a planned trip to Glacier but we managed to spend a wonderful week in Lassen Volcanic National Park. When we returned we decided to establish an annual family and friends trip up there and 2017 will be our inaugural event. In August my friend Marty and I spent a week at Gaviota State Beach and on the Central Coast of California north of Santa Barbara. The next "big trip" I took was way up the Northern California coast to Redwoods National Park and then I spent another few days near Brookings, Oregon at Harris Beach State Park In October I visited my thoughtful and smart and long lost friend Eric Flaherty and took a short trip to Oak Creek Canyon in Arizona. In November I visited the wonderful Mojave. I love it out there... In December I took a very short trip to a local campground, Casper's Wilderness Park, and my truck began to have mechanical problems. I had to cancel my Anza Borrego trip and deal with having the truck in the shop 3 times in a two week period. Since I was convinced that my troubles with the truck were only beginning we bought a new Toyota Tacoma which will bring less worry to my travels in the next couple of years. This, then, wraps up my short review of the year's travels. I'm hard at work planning for 2017. I do hope each of you who read this have a magnificent holiday season and that next year is one of the best of your lives.
It's gotten to the point that I get a little stir crazy if I don 't sleep outside and see beautiful sights often enough. I'm at that point now.
I was supposed to camp with my man Marty last week at Joshua Tree, but so very sadly, his brother and my old pal, Michael passed away unexpectedly. That, of course, put the kibosh on our trip and also started a period of mourning that some of us just can't seem to shake. We will miss Michael. He was a profoundly intelligent person who had great compassion for the poor and disenfranchised. He was a great potter. He also loved his family dearly as they loved him. I have so many stories about Michael- he was an original- no doubt about that. Rest in peace amigo. I'm getting ready this week to head for the central coast on Thursday. First, I'm heading to the newest National Park in California- Pinnacles. I've never been there or traveled much in that area but it's busy. I was only able to secure camping for one night and then I'll be staying a night in the mountains just east of Big Sur and the Monterey Bay. On Saturday, I'll drive down to windy Gaviota Campground which is north of Santa Barbara. It's a kooky and cramped campground. The wind blows so hard there the trees actually grow almost horizontally. However, the beach is stunning, there is a cool pier, and an old-fashioned riveted railroad trestle above the campground. Due to the wind- it's camping that's not for the faint of heart. Then I'll head back north to the Central Coast and Big Sur area staying at Plaskett Creek and Limekiln State Park. I'm looking forward to walking along the beach and meditating by the waves. Two last things- Vote For Bernie Sanders and listen to Ry Cooder! Peace. |
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