It'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...

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". 

After 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.  

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.  

I was unprepared to retire when I did.  While the circumstances might be unique for each "retiree" I don't think I'm alone in that feeling.   Most of us go from being productive "members of society" to being a little lost with this new stage of our lives.  That probably sounds strange to many of you still working who look forward to retiring- I know it was a foreign thought to me.  But, like many things in life, you can't realize how different it feels until you're there.

I remember telling a friend I went from daily trying to make the world a better place to having little purpose.  She asked me, "So, you wanted to change the world?  You did all that academic work, got your doctorate, and worked in school districts to help kids and change the world, right?" "Yep", I replied.  Her response?  

"How'd that work out for you?".  

Brilliant, even though it did sound a little like Dr. Phil.  It was a painful truth.   She said three things that resonated afterwards...

1.  Trite as it may sound, maybe all any of us can do is be the best person we can be.  Set that example and quit trying to "change anything" except yourself.

2. Do all the things that you've wanted to do.  That's not selfish, that is leading a productive and meaningful existence and following your heart is an opportunity that many people never get.  

3.  Surrender to what is.  

So, I took her excellent advice.  

I have been a traveling fool since that conversation.  I work at being the best husband, father and friend I can be. Two new lights of my life, Finley and Joaquin, have been born. I have found a new love- photography.  I have embraced my love of music and literature.  I have re-established some long lost relationships that are deeply meaningful to me.  I have seen and been places I wanted to see my entire life.  This year is no different.  I'm getting into my "golden years" and I'm loving it.  Turns out this next stage of my life is a powerfully poignant and beautiful time.

​Here's where I'll be the next few months:

April - I'll head to Utah and the Colorado Plateau.  Zion, Monument Valley, Canyonlands NP, Kodachrome Basin and the Valley of Fire in Nevada.

May - Arizona - Painted Rock Petroglyph CG, Kartchner Caverns, ghost towns, Chiricahua National Monument, Bisbee, Madera Canyon.

June - San Onofre, Pinnacles NP with Lilly.

July - Utah, Idaho, Oregon, Wyoming and Glacier NP in Montana with Lupe.  Point Mugu with Lilly and Lupe.

Aug - High Sierra fishing with son Jordan (and maybe Kevin?).  Sequoia NP with daughter Lilly.

September - Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park, Redwood NP, and Harris Beach in Oregon.

October - Arizona and a visit to Little House Customs for some improvements to my little trailer and camping along the Mogollon Rim.

November - Still not determined but that sounds like desert time, doesn't it?

Come on and join me!  

​See you on The Road...

Peace...

It's that time of year when an old Cactus Man's fancy turns from the desert to the mountains and sea. 

I have been trip planning for the last week while homebound.  Lupe and I have had some domestic issues like painting and appliance repair to deal with (I swear it feels like these damn things are never done).   As a result, I have nearly finished my trip plans for the next few months.  In addition, Lupe and I are looking at the possible purchase of a very small, affordable, versatile, high ground clearance travel trailer.  I need something that is homey enough for Lupe but I can take on my beloved dirt roads.  While I love my current setup with just the camper shell I must admit it would be nice to have a place to hole up in bad weather.  Anyway, we're not looking for something that resembles our home in any manner (why not just stay at home or in a motel then?).  We want a tiny hideaway to take us away to private and secluded spots as well as the National Parks.  The research continues...

In June- next week in fact, my son Kevin and I are headed to Boulder Basin in the San Jacinto mountains for a couple of days.   I've been trying to get him to go camping with me for a few years now and I'm really looking forward to it.  From there he'll go back to work (poor bastard) and I'll head to Nevada and Great Basin National Park.  It's my first visit there and it is one of the lesser known National Parks- which is right up my misanthropic alley.

Then it's time for Lupe and Lilly!  At the beginning of July Lupe and I are going to Point Mugu and camp right on the beach.   Then, at the end of July she and Lilly and I are going to Jalama Beach and Pismo Beach.  We'll spend a night in a motel in Morro Bay to wrap up (love that sleepy little town).

In August I'm headed back to the Southwest for a trip to the north rim of the Grand Canyon.  I've been to the south rim probably 10 times but I don't usually head there in summer when the north rim is free of snow and open.  I will probably camp a night or two at nearby Jacob Lake and look for future boondocking spots.  At the end of the month and just before Lilly starts high school (Good God!) I'm taking her to one of my favorite spots in this lifetime - Lassen Volcanic National Park.  I know it so well I can show her around!  As she grows older these chances will be come fewer and fewer (see Jordan and Kevin) and I will cherish this time together.  It will be an unforgettable trip.  

My next BIG trip is in my favorite month to travel - September.   I'll be heading to Devil's Tower National Monument in Wyoming and the Little Big Horn Battlefield in Montana. You've probably figured out my appreciation of and fascination with the indigenous people of our continent and this trip will focus heavily on Native American history and culture. 

In October I'm heading back to Big Sur area to stay at Kirk Creek Campground and boondock in the mountains that overlook the sea,  I'm gonna squeeze in a weekend back at Pinnacles National Park with my dear Bay Area family.

November brings me back to the desert...

I'll look forward to showing my pictures and narrating the trips as I return from each one. 

Peace.