Is there anything more peaceful than a water view?
Remembering our quick trip to Southern California last May…
Pacific
San Clemente Gold
I never get tired of ocean views at sunset!
Home is where the heart is
Waterfront Impressions
Just a little memory of our April visit to Benicia. We lived in Benicia longer than anywhere else (26 years), and when you add in the 12 years of living in Sonoma County, that makes the San Francisco Bay Area our home for about 38 years! The older I get, the harder the math is getting: We have lived in Arizona 11 years. We lived in Sacramento for 6 years too (not quite the Bay Area, but not far away). Chico was home for 23 years (including my college years at Davis). Don’t add it all up- it makes a really big number! I wish my math was off…
In Dreams
I haven’t had a beach day for almost two years- just in dreams.
Driving Through Memories
One of our favorite (and almost NECESSARY) things to do when we go back to the Bay Area is to drive over to Bodega Bay, the scene of many memories from our dating and early marriage days. The drive from Petaluma is through rural Sonoma County, and it still looks much like it did over 50 years ago. I loved this view of the curve in the road, the white power poles, and the intense green as we approached a hill and made Lonnie slow down so I could take an iPhone shot through the windshield.
You Can Go Home Again
We have just returned from a wonderful trip back to Benicia to attend Morgan and Matt’s wedding. We took the opportunity to visit as many friends as we could in town, as well as driving over to Sonoma County twice to visit our Petaluma and Santa Rosa friends. I captured this beloved view of the Carquinez Bridge through the window of Sailor Jack’s on the Benicia Waterfront as we ate dinner with Debbie and Dale (Morgan’s parents) on our last night in town. I have taken hundreds of photos of this view, and I never tire of it!
SoCal Winter
As we drove along one of the main streets in Rancho Cucamonga towards our son’s house, we were treated to beautiful views of the snow-covered mountains ahead. The street had a row of palms along the median, and I was struck by the contrast of the palm trees and the snow ahead. I hunched down in my seat and was able to capture this shot with my iPhone through the windshield.
Mirror
We took a few hours to go over to the Sonoma Coast last week while we were in California. Since our dating days (over 50 years ago), we have headed over to Bodega Bay to walk the beach and have a bowl of clam chowder at the Tides Restaurant- and every time we come back to the Bay Area we make it a point to return. This time we were greeted by egrets walking through the shallows by the Tides. Of course I had to get my camera and take a few shots of them and also of the sea lions basking on the pier out back. We then broke with tradition and headed over to Spud Point Crab Company for clam chowder on our friend, Jack’s recommendation- and it was delicious!
Band of Gold
Here is one of the views along Hwy 395 between Mammoth Lakes and Bodie. The aspens were in their full glory during our visit, and wherever there was a viewpoint, we would stop and admire the splashes of gold set against the mountain backdrop. Others were stopping too, and we all would smile as we exchanged shooting positions and comment on how lucky we were to be there at the perfect time.
Beach Patrol
Watching egrets on a southern California beach was new to us. We were used to seeing them in the marshes of the Bay Area, but watching them march through the waves on Newport Beach was a whole different experience. I took many more photos than I needed!
Sea Watch
This photo taken at Newport Beach tickles my funny bone and makes me smile. It’s even in the place of honor on my iPhone lock screen. If you have an appropriate caption for it, let me know!
Pelican Days
We took a quick, last minute trip to Southern California to visit our son’s family before Thanksgiving. We spent a couple days at Newport Beach, spending time each day at the beach and meeting up with the family for the evening. It was so relaxing to be back at one of our favorite spots! The weather was great, the beach not crowded, and we saw lots of beach birds. What was surprising to us as infrequent visitors was that the pelicans were on the beach, not just flying low over the water as we usually see them. We were closer to them than we ever can remember. One of the days we drove up to Huntington Beach, and as we walked on the pier, this fellow landed on the rooftop above us. Soon another joined him, and we had a great time pelican watching. I took so many photos that I not only had to change batteries, but ran out of room on my SD card!
Summer’s End
As I get ready for today’s Labor Day barbecue, I think about how Labor Day meant the end of summer when I was a child. Now, most schools have been in session for a couple weeks or more. This image is from last October’s visit to Huntington Beach; summer is still in full swing in Southern California!
I am thinking of getting my Fall wreath out soon though. . .
West Coast Memories
I’ve been going through old photos. Like most photographers, I have so many on my hard drives that have never been edited. This is from a trip to San Diego (Mission Bay?) about ten years ago. Our son was living there and was still single- how things have changed!
Sunset Surfing
We are hoping to travel to California in the next month. Our son and wife will both have their second shots, my photography group will be finishing up the semester, and the beaches beckon! It’s been a long year without family, friends, and travel . . .
This image is from one of our trips three years ago.
melinda anderson photography 