Day 7: Central California Coast

Driving this part of the coast took longer than expected, mainly because of construction. I didn't mind the winding road between San Luis Obispo and Monterey, although it did lull me to sleep at times. I made a new friend along the way; a curious squirrel who was certain I had plenty for him to eat.

http://www.centralcoast.com/

Glorious Sunsets on Pismo Beach

I could take photos of sunsets forever - and I did, almost. Nothing tugs at my heart like a beautiful sunset, and this was one of the evenings I found myself standing alone on the sand in the dark, because I hated to leave after the brilliant sun slowly faded and abandoned me.

http://www.pismobeach.org/

Day 6: Solvang- the Dutch Town

My former mother-in-law used to talk about Solvang ALL the time. She'd try to describe as many details and the building codes to me as possible. It was definitely worth seeing.

http://www.solvangusa.com/

Day 5: Ventura Beach

While driving, I kept seeing the waves crashing into the coast on the left. I felt compelled to stop and eventually HAD to give in. Near Ventura, I pulled over and found a trail to hike down. The waves were bigger and more aggressive than any I had seen thus far. I seemed to be the only female among fifty or so male surfers, but I set out to record them in their element without disturbing them. The beach was covered with drift wood, gorgeous rocks, and flowers. There was so much to see and focus on.

I was shocked to discover hours later that I did indeed partially capture this surprising sight. I saw three dolphins jump out of the water with my eyes, but wasn't sure I captured any on camera. AMAZING! And had I not stopped at that particular moment, I would have missed this. (click on photos to enlarge)

http://www.beachcalifornia.com/ventura.html