I sit here at the keyboard reflecting upon how long I have been away from blogging , looking back at how life has changed since we arrived at Jojoba Hills SKP Resort in Southern California. Although I have missed what has gone on in your lives, this quiet time has given me the space to work on some personal issues, while embracing this new community we find ourselves in, a community where we feel supported and deeply connected with our neighbors. Jojoba Hills, which I will write about in more detail after the holidays, is a rare gem, a place where we felt we were returning home, although our first visit to the resort.
I wanted to take a moment to wish all of you a most blessed holiday, filled with the love of family and friends, quiet time to reflect upon the many gifts you have been given this year, and more joy than you could ever imagine. Wherever you find yourself this holiday and however you celebrate the season, be present with a grateful heart. I am filled with much gratitude for the love and support I have been given this year and am looking forward to reconnecting with all of you in 2015.
After receiving an email recently from someone I follow, I felt compelled to dust off a post that I have had sitting around for some time and present you with a “blast from the past”, Dana Point in a different light.
I doubt you will see any travel advertisements portraying this beachside city in the gray light of a foggy day but sometimes our travel plans present us with one of Mother Nature’s less than sunny moods, and this day was one of those. I decided to go with the flow and for me there has always been something very soothing about being near the ocean when the fog has laid down a quieting blanket of white, muffling all but the pounding surf and squawking shorebirds.
Shorebirds gone wild!
Dana Point, sitting halfway between San Diego and Los Angeles, covers a total area of roughly 30 miles, 7 of those being land and 23 being water. All things revolving around water draw visitors to this beachside resort city: romantic walks on beautiful sandy beaches, tide pools teaming with all sorts of fascinating ocean creatures, deep-sea fishing adventures, some of the best surfing around, and a beautiful harbor housing two marinas, 2500 boats, and 30 boutique shops.
Silently a sailboat slips into the harbor
On the land side, 23 beautifully manicured parks dot the city, many with views of the ocean and a three-mile public trail system that link together all those contained within the headlands.
Ocean Institute
This city boasts the title of “Whale Capital of the West” because of the many types of whales that use this point as a navigational landmark for their migrations north and south. I decided to head to the Ocean Institute that sits in the harbor to see what I could learn.
The Ocean Institute, founded in 1977, is a non-profit dedicated to ocean awareness and preservation. It serves 135,000 students annually and is open to the public on the weekends. It is a blending of museum, small aquarium, and ocean classroom labs, with interactive stations and holding tanks of indigenous ocean species spread throughout its buildings.
An octopus, moving from one tank to another, awaiting feeding
You can watch the feeding of an octopus, dissect a squid, examine sea life under a microscope, or educate yourself on the life cycle of a jellyfish. Step outside and tour The Pilgrim, a replica of a hide brig, or hop on a charter boat for a whale-watching adventure.
The Pilgrim
While fixating on the jellyfish tanks I saw someone who looked vaguely familiar but, having his back to me, I wasn’t sure. Does this young man resemble someone you may know?
Mystery man
Click here to learn the identity of this mystery man. Did you guess correctly? Come on, be honest. 😉
Actually, this was a planned meeting and this young blogger has the same warm, playful spirit that shines through in his posts, not to mention the wicked good photographs he takes! One of the first posts of his that I read was one in which he took a road trip and brought along his mother, grandmother, and uncle. He reeled me in after that and I have followed him ever since (not stalking, mind you!). Lucky me to have the chance to spend a few hours with the infamous Rommel of The Sophomore Slump. 🙂
Little ray of sunshine on a rainy day
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It all started when I stepped out the door and inhaled. The early morning colors and the crisp, cool ocean air seemed to imbue my senses, wrapping me gently in blue and golden hues. The stately palm trees sensed it too, a warm sunny 75° day unfolding.
Sun’s peaceful reflection
We have been anticipating this day for the past few weeks, when we would launch our kayak out into the ocean and paddle to the kelp beds. We had to wait until the surf was fairly flat and this day the gods were smiling on us as the ocean looked to be as serene as an alpine lake. The surfers were none too thrilled I’m sure, but they have had plenty of opportunity to catch some big waves with all the high surf warnings we’ve had around here lately.
For the past few weeks, standing atop the bluffs, we have seen several whales spouting from beyond the kelp beds and we were hoping to see some up close from the water. Dolphins have teased us with their surfing skills as well, joining in right alongside the other boarders.
What is it about floating on the water that can soothe even the most restless part of me? The sight of the paddle dipping into the water as we propel ourselves forward, sun’s shimmering rays dancing on the water’s edge, pelicans soaring just above the water’s surface…simply divine.
Brown pelican skimming the surface
We managed to get the kayak into the water and beyond the break without swamping the boat, a good first step. Pointing our boat west we headed out, hopeful for new discoveries. Looking down into the depths, we watched huge schools of silver fish dart to and fro, as tiny white jellyfish gently floated by. Seals lazily glided through the beds, looking for their next snack, but keeping a wary eye on us all the while.
We found friends Bill and Lisa out on the water, enjoying this sun-kissed day balanced upon their paddleboards. They shared with us some of their great finds – moon jellies, zebra fish and leopard sharks, unfortunately none of which we saw, but a couple of surprises still awaited us before day’s end.
Lisa, looking like a beautiful blonde mermaidBill enjoying a picture-perfect day on the water
Just when we were about to call it a day, we spotted a pod of five dolphins. Our best efforts at closing the distance between us and them were not good enough, as they toyed with us, managing to stay far enough away to avoid a photo. Suddenly we felt something glide beneath our kayak and a curious dolphin broke the water’s surface. I clicked away in the hopes of getting at least one usable photo. Sometimes luck is all one needs!
A lovely acrobatic dolphin
We couldn’t think of a better way to end our day, except maybe to see a whale or two, but that wasn’t happening. Time to head back in, which can be the tricky part when in a kayak, particularly for a couple of novices. If you don’t catch the wave at the right angle, you can end up getting pulled sideways and flip. We took a deep breath, prepared for the wave coming our way, and proudly rode it into shore. A most excellent way to end the day!
Two blissfully happy kayakers
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Hiking trails are hard to come by around San Diego but if you are willing to drive a few miles you will find places off the beaten path that allow you to imagine for just a little while that you are away from the big city. The Elfin Forest Recreational Reserve, near Escondido, is one of those places and the Way Up Trail is the way to go, up that is.
Our friend Stan invited me to tag along with him on this adventure. He was batchin’ it, with wife Marilyn away visiting family, and I was anxious to escape the quarantine zone that has become our RV since hubby Terry picked up a nasty respiratory infection. This was to be Stan’s maiden uphill voyage since a hiking accident last July left him faced with some extensive rehab so I was honored to be along for the ride.
If you are looking for a nice little leg workout, the Way Up Trail fits the bill, 3.2 miles round trip, with switchbacks greeting hikers from the start. A lovely little reservoir awaits you at the top as well as a network of trails extending 10 miles if you are so inclined. We opted to hike another 1.5 miles, soaking up the sun, with Stan sharing stories of his Appalachian Trail hiking days. Since it has been a dream of ours to hike the AT, I was enthralled.
Stan, all smiles, down off the trail
Once back down at the trailhead we pulled out phones and called our respective spouses to let them know we had a successful hike. Stan, being ever the southern gentleman, thanked my hubby for letting him borrow his lovely bride for a few hours. It is said that “it’s not the destination but the journey that counts” but I believe it’s also who you take along with you. Today I was fortunate to have a great friend along.
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Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year. ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
Happy New Year!
Today we close our 2012 “life book” and, from what I’ve seen, many of yours have been filled with wonderful sights, memories to last a lifetime. One of the pleasures of blogging is to be able to go back and reflect on where we have been, like movie clips of our lives. My life has been enriched by bloggers worldwide who have offered up a wealth of suggestions: books to scour, travel destinations to dream upon, spectacular photography, music that got me dancing around our rig, technology to enhance our lives, DIY project instructions, sound financial advice, and abounding inspiration. I can’t thank you enough for your generosity.
Tomorrow we pick up a brand-new book, never opened, filled with blank pages. What will you imprint on these pages in the upcoming year? Whatever your plans, I hope you live your dream each and every day and share your passion with the world. The Buddha said “the secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, worry about the future, or anticipate problems, but to live in the present moment wisely and earnestly.” My wish for everyone is for abundant good health, both mind and body. I am not one to make resolutions that I may ultimately break, but this upcoming year I plan to see more sunrises, as I have discovered that standing in the delicious silence of early morning, wrapping myself in this wondrous sight, I feel very much in touch with a higher power.
Happy New Year everyone! May you experience hope, great joy, and much lightness and love in the upcoming year.
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Paint Your Landscape 