California – Page 14 – Paint Your Landscape

Workamping at San Elijo State Beach

April 18, 2012April 18, 2012LuAnn

Hard to believe we have been here at San Elijo State Beach 2.5 months already, with only a couple more weeks to go. Thought it was about time to tell you about this little jewel that keeps people coming back year after year, some 20+. Many of those who frequent this beach are locals, some living in Encinitas, right across town. The smiling faces tell the story. Many come for the surfing (some of the best in the state we are told), some to watch their kids build sand castles and splash in the surf, some to take strolls along the water’s edge, taking in the sights, sounds, and smells that engulf them, and others to rekindle friendships year after year. Many boast that this is the best state beach on the California coast.

One big draw other than the beach, we believe, is that you can literally walk out the campground gates, cross the Coast Hwy, and you are in the sleepy little laid-back town of Cardiff, which boasts some pretty decent restaurants, a Sambazon Acaí Cafe (check it out for a yummy organic, superfood fruit bowl) and a great gourmet grocer, Seaside Market.

Self Realization Fellowship Encinitas — Buddha Healing Statue ~ Self Realization Fellowship

Head north out of the gates instead and walk to Encinitas, which seems to be the focal point for many of the little towns surrounding it. Much larger than Cardiff, it has huge grocery chains, big-box stores, great restaurants to entice anyone, wonderful consignment stores, and lovely boutiques to browse through. Our favorite Encinitas restaurant so far, for a nice dinner out, is 3rd Corner, a first-rate little bistro/wine shop. Choose a bottle of wine in their shop, if you like, and they will uncork it for you at your table. And their entrées are killer to boot! If you like craft beers, Union Kitchen and Tap is the go-to place, and Kim’s Vietnamese is just up the street for good pho.

Solana Beach, just south of San Elijo, is another laid-back beach town with some trendy shops and a great Thai restaurant, Bangkok Bay. Cedros Avenue is a colorful street lined with shops that has something for everyone. The walk back to San Elijo from Solana Beach looking out over the ocean never disappoints.

Outside the San Elijo State Beach campground, at the corner of Chesterfield and Coast Hwy 101 sits a somewhat controversial statue entitled “Magic Carpet Ride”. Commissioned by the Cardiff Botanical Society and designed by local surfer and sculptor Matthew Antichevich, this 16 foot bronze statue was originally designed to represent a surfer performing a “backside floater” (whatever that is). A lack of funds prevented the sculptor from including the surf in this piece. Serious surfers criticize the design as being too thin and effeminate, the feet and hands being positioned incorrectly, and resembling more a novice than experienced surfer. Locals have dubbed this statue the “Cardiff Kook”, surf slang for a wannabe surfer.

Cardiff Kook — Hey, who you callin' a kook?

Like him or not, the local community has had great fun adorning him for local birthdays, holidays, charitable events and remembrances, such as 9/11. Many of his wacky costumes have been captured and can be seen here.

With 171 campsites (both hookups and non-improved sites), tent campers and RV’ers large and small (their rigs that is) take up residence at San Elijo. Most reservations are made online through Reserve America, many 7 months in advance. If you are lucky enough to snag a cancellation, the gods are indeed smiling down on you. During the busy season these are few and far between.

View of the campground — View of south end of campground

Amenities include public showers, camp store, wi-fi (very spotty), and it’s home to the original Bull Taco, an “inauthentic Mexican” joint serving up breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Bull Taco Cardiff — Bull Taco, known for its "inauthentic Mexican" food.

It is a draw with the locals and other campers as well, allowing for take-out or the chance to sit on the deck enjoying a fish taco, watching the surfers or the setting sun. The smells wafting out of this little haven make your mouth water as you pass by.

Also on the grounds is the Eli Howard Surf School, an overnight surf camp run by Emily, hubby Greg, and their two beautiful, energetic dogs. Emily outfitted our granddaughter Alyssa with a wetsuit and boogie board while here on vacation and made her feel totally at ease.

This has been our first workamping experience and what a great place it has been to cut our teeth. The job itself has been fun, allowing us time to visit with the campers at check-in or when motoring around in our golf cart to make sure all is well. This gig also gives us a tremendous amount of downtime, which is what retirement is supposed to be all about, right? The entire San Elijo staff, as well as other camp hosts, have been wonderful, making our experience one we hope to repeat, here as well as in other beautiful settings. What a great way to see this country, meet interesting people, and feel you are contributing to the community where you have settled. This is a volunteer position, as many are, and given the economic conditions in California, we hope in some small way we are helping to keep state beaches like this open for generations to come.

Our friend Bill, a founding member of the non-profit Friends of Cardiff and Carlsbad State Beaches, is passionate about preserving these beaches and has been working diligently to do just that. If you are interesting in workamping here, this is the site to visit. Can’t beat San Diego whatever the season!

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Joshua Tree National Park with a Picnic at Salton Sea

April 11, 2012LuAnn

Destination Joshua Tree National Park and with the Salton Sea on the way, a picnic lunch seemed like a good idea. The Salton Sea is one of the world’s largest inland seas, a shallow closed drainage system with no flow out to rivers or oceans. Any loss of water is caused by ground seepage or evaporation only. Some of the largest lakes in the world are of this type I have learned, such as the Caspian Sea, the world’s largest.

Sitting 226′ below sea level, directly on the San Andreas Fault, this waterway is 35 miles long and 15 miles wide, which gives it the title of largest lake in California. It was created by a flood in 1905 and has greater salinity levels than that of the Pacific Ocean. This is a very important wetland area with over 400 species of birds identified and several million taking this “bird highway” from Alaska to South America annually.

birds of the Salton Sea — Birds of the Salton Sea

The desert pupfish, who lived here thousands of years ago when mammoths, camels and sloths roamed this land still survive today, although far fewer. He is a tenacious little fella (2″ in length) thriving in both salt and fresh water, hot or icy cold water, and can easily adjust to wide swings in oxygen levels. Who else is so adaptable? Certainly not me.

Boondocking is available at Salton Sea State Recreation Area lakeside but be forewarned, your experience could change based on the direction the wind is blowing. There were many fish carcasses (tilapia I believe) strewn along the banks where we lunched, a testament to the gluttony of the visiting birds or the rising salinity level of the water? However, with the lake and several mountain ranges as your backdrop, perhaps some things can be overlooked.

Joshua Tree National Park was to be our last stop of the day before heading back to the beach. These 790,000+ acres of desert in southeastern California were declared a National Park in 1994, much of them still wilderness area.

Vast geologic changes can be seen as you drive through the park – wide open vistas, stands of some of the tallest Joshua trees anywhere, and large rock outcroppings that make the landscape look otherworldly or as if a giant was stacking up large piles of marbles. It is a rock climbers’ paradise, one of the most popular in the world, with ~ 5000 routes to choose from, many for experienced climbers only.

Hall of Horrors Joshua Tree National Park — Hall of Horrors rock formation

Joshua Tree National Park was named after its namesake tree, which is a member of the agave family. Legend has it that Mormon immigrants named this tree after the biblical figure Joshua, seeing the limbs outstretched as if in prayer. The largest Joshua tree in the park is over 300 years old and 40 feet tall.

Spring rains bring large clusters of whitish-green flowers to the branch tips of he Joshua tree. Given the less than average rainfall this year, the trees are just beginning to bloom, along with the spiny ocotillo, one of my favorites. As with many things in life, timing is everything and I think we were just a wee bit ahead of the spring colors. So it’s back to San Diego where colors seem to abound no matter the time of year.

Slab City ~ The Last Free Place

April 8, 2012April 8, 2012LuAnn

On our way from Anza-Borrego to Slab City, we traveled through the Imperial Valley, one of the great agricultural centers in California, towns such as Westmorland, Brawley, Calipatria, and finally Niland, just outside of Slab City. The blending of Mexican and US cultures is prominently displayed here.

Ever since seeing the movie “Into the Wild” I have longed to visit Slab City, to feel the pull so many others have felt. Sitting 121 feet below sea level, Slab City was named for the concrete slabs that remained from the abandoned WWII Marine barracks Camp Dunlap. With the Chocolate Mountain range as a backdrop, it is a wide expanse of desert that houses 150 permanent residents and who knows how many RV snowbirders who start arriving in October to warm themselves in the winter sun.

Residents call this the last free place and you can tent camp or boondock at this funky little mecca free of charge. This is truly living “off the grid”as there are no community services, no water, electricity, or dump station that we could see. Where do they dump their tanks, we wondered. Many rigs did not look very mobile any longer, but some things you just don’t want to know. What they lack in community services is made up for in community spirit, I have read. The Slabs may seem a little rough around the edges and at first glance, in the interior as well, but we could sense that many who live here are open and friendly.

You think you have to want more than you need. Until you have it all you won’t be free. ~ Society, Eddie Vedder

The focal point of Slab City is Salvation Mountain, easily identified by the brightly colored mound rising from the desert floor. Like many things seen on TV, movies, or remembered from childhood, this was just not as big as we envisioned. It wasn’t what I would call a mountain, just a 3-story hill covered with paint, concrete, adobe, and a multitude of Bible verses. It is a labor of love that began over two decades ago by Leonard Knight. His admirers have donated paint to his project ever since, and more rooms are continually being added, reinforced with trees, hay bales, and tires found in the desert. I have read that Leonard will not accept tires brought in to him for donation as “there are plenty of tires in the desert”.

Follow the yellow brick road to the top of Salvation Mountain.

While visiting his sister in San Diego back in 1967, Leonard discovered God during a life-altering experience. In 1984 he moved from his home in Vermont, settled in what is now Slab City, and never looked back. Soon after, this psychedelic monument, with its main theme of “God is Love” arose from the desert floor. Now 78, Leonard describes his ongoing work as a love story. “I painted the mountain because I love God and I love people”, he has been known to say. He still lives here, although the vehicle that I read he once called home does not seem to be occupied.

Lest you think that all Slab City residents are a bunch of drug-induced hippies who wandered out into the desert, got lost, and settled in, it couldn’t be further from the truth, although I’m sure there are a few of these thrown in as well to keep life interesting and add some color. Residents have scheduled activities, a library, church, nightclub with weekly jam sessions (The Range) and even a junk yard, where one resident sells useful items to adorn your property.

As we wandered through The Range, great folk music could be heard behind the walls of an ancient-looking RV. Probably practicing for the Saturday night jam session, which I would have loved to attend. A sign at The Range provides a great message for all of us – find your range.

Without running water you might wonder about bathing, but believe it or not, there is a hot shower in this little community. A nearby hot spring and a cistern (a concrete hole in the ground) is all you need! Residents climb down into the cistern; stand below the running water; and ahhh, a nice hot shower.

The Slabs may be an eyesore to some, may cause us to turn our eyes, cause some discomfort, stir something deep inside. But for those residents and many RV snowbirders, it is a brilliant little jewel sparkling in the desert, something so rare as to not be found anywhere else.

Society, have mercy on me. I hope you’re not angry if I disagree. Society, crazy and deep, I hope you’re not lonely without me. ~ Society, Eddie Vedder

Sign departing Slab City — Something to reflect upon as you leave Slab City.

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Anza-Borrego Desert State Park ~ Land of Slot Canyons and Prehistoric Creatures

April 6, 2012April 8, 2012LuAnn

We felt like parolees being given a short release so we decided to make the most of it and head inland for a very quick trip. This is not our preferred way to tour but I think we both feel a sense of urgency to see a few more sights before we leave the San Diego area. Time is flying and we have only three weeks remaining before we make our trek up north to Yellowstone.

We had heard about Anza-Borrego Desert State Park from friends Nina and Paul of Wheeling It. To be honest, our destination was to be The Slabs but the park was on our way so we decided to take a quick tour. Given that this is the largest state park in California and the second largest in the country, there was no way to do it justice as it covers over 600,000 acres, with 500 miles of dirt roads and 100 miles of hiking trails. It will just have to stay on our bucket list to explore in-depth at a later date but it seemed like a crime to bypass it altogether given how close we were.

Anza-Borrego was named after the Spanish explorer Juan Batista de Anza, known for his discovery of an overland trail across California, and the Spanish word borrego, meaning bighorn sheep, which inhabit the park but are rarely seen by visitors . The park sits in a bowl surrounded by the Santa Rosa and Vallecito Mountain ranges.

As is our normal custom when we visit parks, we stopped at the visitor center, which was small but very nice. A lovely volunteer from the state of Washington gave us some literature and the lay of the land. We wanted to see about taking a sunset/moonlight hike with an interpretive guide, given a nearly full-moon was forecast. As you might expect, this hike had been filled some time ago. We settled for a visit to one of the slot canyons instead, with the promise of seeing the moon rise over the desert. However, if you enjoy hiking as we do and have the time, the 6-mile Hellhole Canyon Trail, with some boulder-hopping and bushwhacking, looked interesting.

Hopes for seeing any wildflowers on our drive out were slim due to the lower than average rainfall this season and sadly we saw none. Not a huge disappointment as we had been desert rats for years, living in Arizona, and had seen these beautiful floral displays pushing up through the arid desert floors before. If you haven’t seen spring in the desert, when there is adequate rainfall and the floor is carpeted in vibrant colors among the prickly cacti, you really owe it to yourself to take a hike!

What we did see which was highly unusual and may not be seen anywhere else was a scattering of life-size and oversized metal art sculptures dotting the sandy desert. These works of art were the brainchild of Ricardo Breceda, of which the book Ricardo Breceda, Accidental Artist by Diana Lindsay, has been written. With over 500 plant and animal fossils having been uncovered in the park, Breceda set about to recreate some of these creatures that roamed this desert millions of years ago. Prehistoric mammals, wild horses and a 350′ long serpent (not seen but we had heard) have been deposited over three miles of this arid landscape. We glimpsed a giant scorpion and grasshopper staged for battle as we drove out to the slots.

We arrived at the Palm Slot late afternoon and if you didn’t have even a rudimentary map, as we did, I’m not sure you could find it. It was a short one mile trek to the mouth of the canyon and, as we approached, my heart rate quickened a bit. I must admit to being claustrophobic and I was having flashbacks to the slots in Utah we had traversed some years back. This was not nearly as intimidating, so piece of cake. The only worry at all was that of snakes, as we had been warned that several had been spotted recently.

Here’s Terry, appearing to hold up the archway near the entrance, beckoning me to join him. Hmm, do I really want to do this?

Terry in the slots — Come on Lu, no need to be afraid.

Ok, I can do this. Time to overcome my fear of tight spaces. The deeper into the slot I go the more I enjoy it. See, I’m even smiling.

Terry decides to jump right in and join me, not be to outdone by his wife.

This really was an easy slot canyon to negotiate, even if you are a teensy bit claustrophobic. And on our way out, we were rewarded with the rising moon. Although not the most spectacular we have seen, we were promised a moon and that’s what we got!

For those who like to boondock, there is such a wide expanse of desert, with broad sweeping vistas everywhere you look. No need to feel cramped out here. We are still weighing the whole solar panel issue ourselves and would love to hear from some of you who have elected to install them. Tell us what you think.

By the way, if you find yourself going through Julian to get to Anza-Borrego, we are told it is a must to stop at the Julian Pie Company. We did stop in, eyed the great-looking pies in the display cases, but resisted.

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California Dreamin’

March 28, 2012April 8, 2012LuAnn

Well not California specifically, just the ocean, possibly any ocean. This was the dream of our 12-year old granddaughter. Throw in Sea World and the San Diego Zoo and you’ve got the perfect beach vacation.

There were many firsts for Alyssa on this trip – first time flying (more nerve-wracking for dad and us than her), first time to California, first time to the beach. Visions of strumming her ukulele while looking out over the ocean danced in her head. She had even taught herself a song that she was certain the surfers would know.

Alyssa is passionate about animals so grandpa thought she would enjoy sea kayaking, with a chance to catch a glimpse of dolphins (her true love). This sounded good to her until we got to La Jolla Cove and boogie boards and wetsuits won out over the thought of paddling a kayak. She would take her chance with the dolphins later in the week at Sea World. Didn’t take her long to figure out which registered higher on the “fun” meter without a great deal of effort.

Alyssa boogie boarding at La Jolla Cove — Looks like beach trips in her future based on that smile.

Sea World was next on the agenda and offered a day-long adventure for the three of us. First up was the One Ocean show, starring Shamu. A trip to Sea World is not complete without seeing this one. Grandpa and I won out on the seating arrangement, opting to stay clear of the splash zone. The image of me walking around for the rest of the day having been doused with gallons of seawater didn’t seem too appealing. Good decision as everyone in the splash zone looked like they needed to be wrung out after the show.

We all agreed the Blue Horizons show ranked tops for the day, with acrobats, dolphins, and tropical birds appearing on cue. Trouble is, with a couple of folks in our group forgetting to charge camera batteries, I have no pictures to show for it. I’m not naming names, but you know who you are! And yes, we did get brave and sit in the splash zone but those dolphins just couldn’t put on the show that the orcas did so we walked out dry.

Later that night was our favorite show, Alyssa playing the ukulele (self-taught) and singing for us. She also plays the guitar and is longing to learn the violin. Can you tell we are just a teeny bit proud? Much of what she has learned has been through you-tube videos or just listening to songs.

Next up was the San Diego Zoo, one of the largest in the world. Housing more than 4000 animals, it is almost impossible to cover the entire park in one day. Having not visited in 20+ years, it was like seeing it for the first time.

The stars of the zoo were the giant pandas, namely Gao Gao (Big Big). San Diego is one of the few zoos in the world housing these gentle-looking giant teddies. Notice his smaller left ear, which was believed to be injured in a fight before his captivity.

Seems we all enjoyed our day, given the number of animal photos we accumulated. I think Alyssa took one of everything she saw, she was so enamored by their beauty. Even with all we had seen, seems we just scratched the surface, covering only about 2/3 of the park. There are many ways to take it all in, on foot, by bus, or by aerial tram. Most of our time was spent on foot but Alyssa decided to give the aerial tram a shot, having already heard the story of how her father was not too keen on them. And guess what dad, no fear of heights for this one!

Although Sea World and the zoo were big hits, the beach definitely came out on top. Alyssa would have spent the entire week there we think, swimming with or without a wetsuit, in 58º water. It was a great week for us all.