A Big Splash of Family Fun in Seal Beach, CA

My apologies to my friends back east because it’s not fair. After driving across the country in temperatures of 100° or higher, we have spent the last month in fantastic weather. After leaving El Centro, CA, where the daytime temperatures soared above 110°, we arrived in San Diego and enjoyed 75° weather daily and 65° at night. I’m happy to report that those enviable conditions have remained unchanged for the last month.

We are now camping at the Naval Weapons Station in Seal Beach, CA, about 20 miles south of where our son lives with his family in Redondo Beach. Although we are not on the beach during this stay, we are within a mile of it, and the breeze from the Pacific keeps us very comfortable.

Justin, Wendy, and the kids joined us last weekend in the campground. Justin is allowed to keep his camper in the storage facility at Seal Beach, so he pulled it from the lot and parked it next to Helen and me for two days. They also brought Honey, a sweet Golden Retriever, and Todd, a tiny long-haired daschund. Mortimer was delighted to have playmates.

Helen finally persuaded Carter to play Pickleball with her on the road beside our campsite. He was a good sport about it and hit the ball well. When he put down his paddle, he hit the Volleyball with Abby. Volleyball is his preferred sport. Abby, Helen, and Justin spent the evening immersed in a jigsaw puzzle.

The next day, Justin rented a Paddleboard, and we all drove to Mother’s Beach in nearby Long Beach, CA. Seemingly, half the county had the same idea, so the crowd was enormous. Abby and Carter walked down the beach and away from the crowd to find a launch site for the Paddleboard. Wendy also grabbed a ride. The family drove home on Sunday, but only after we made plans for the Fourth.

Cheryl, Wendy’s Mom, hosted an annual Fourth of July gathering and invited Helen and me to join her around her pool and sample some great food. We joined in and had a great time with some extended family members. Abby was out with her friends at a block party. Justin operated the grill. The salads and dessert were extraordinary. I ate so much that I wished for a nap, but we had to return to Seal Beach, and I toughed it out.

At the campground, fireworks explode around us, creating noise resembling a war zone. Fireworks in Seal Beach are a no-no, but apparently, they are allowed in Long Beach and some neighboring cities around us. Most of the visible rockets were within a mile of us. I tried to capture a few on camera. The pictures below are the best I could come up with.

On Friday, Helen and I went for a walk on the Seal Beach pier along with many locals who had Friday off. We parked in the quaint section of town near the pier and window-shopped as we made our way to our destination. The open-air restaurants and bars were doing a landslide business. I noted a few for a visit later in the week. Some of the Mexican restaurants looked inviting.

Sunbathers covered most of the beach, and several surfers sat on their boards, eager for the next “big one.” The sun, out in full, made for a lovely day, but the breeze was cool enough to keep me out of the water–I suppose Californians are used to it, but most surfers were wearing wetsuits. After meeting our daily step-count goal, Helen and I returned to the campground.

Walking along the pier, Helen noticed a banner carried above the beach by a small airplane. Reacting to the banner, Helen said, “You won’t see many like that in Tennessee!”

By now, readers have probably noticed that we’re enjoying life at the speed of an aging turtle. It’s true, and it’s nothing like our usual lifestyle that hums from one event to another. (I’ve read three books so far, mainly during the day, something I rarely do). Don’t feel for us–we’re enjoying ourselves immensely. We came to California to spend time with our family and enjoy the downtime when they were not with us. We are blessed to have that opportunity. We have four more weeks in this cool California air and more time planned for family gatherings. Please stay with us.

I’m Easin’ Along now–it’s time for a nap. Where’s my blanket?