Easin' Along

Unlike Tennessee, no buffer exists between cities and towns on the Southern California Coast. One town runs into another in an endless string of charming landscapes and lovely homes overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Where Seal Beach, California, ends going north, Long Beach, California, begins. Helen and I decided to cross the line and visit Long Beach on a delightful Sunday Morning. Our reward was a fabulous Farmer’s Market with fresh vegetables, fruit, and meat offerings for two people who love to eat.

Heavy shopping

The marketplace was abuzz with food shoppers, tourists, and locals out for a stroll in the crisp morning air. After walking through the long line of stands, we walked away with a bag of delicious-looking fresh tomatoes, several ears of corn, fresh asparagus, and two thick, organically grown pork chops. Helen spotted a heavy line of shoppers waiting to pick up tamales as we left. We got in the line, and after 30 minutes, we walked out with six. Be assured they were worth the wait. We also saw a miniature Mortimer walking through the crowd. It was a fun-filled experience.

At our son’s recommendation, the following day, we drove to Huntington Beach, California, another in the string of towns, to walk the Huntington Beach Pier (picture at top). We have tried to visit as many piers along the coast as possible, and I plan to write a “Pier Review” later, but this pier is an example of several of the better ones. The pier crosses over a strand filled with walkers, bikers, and others out for exercise before crossing an extensive beach. It was a busy day in Huntington Beach.

In the years we have traveled to California, I have always intended to visit In-N-Out Burger but have yet to make it. On this trip, Helen and I decided the best way to make it happen was to ask our grandchildren to take us. They agreed. Carter loves In-N-Out Burger and usually has two orders of French Fries to accompany his burger—he orders them “Animal Style,” which includes grilled onions and a special sauce or “spread.” He only ordered one serving on this trip. Helen followed his lead and let Carter finish her fries. Abby ordered an “Animal Style” Grilled Cheese and Animal Fries. Big Daddy (that be me) ordered a “Double-Double” combo. Finally, we accomplished our In-N-Out mission and had a grand time. Thanks, kids!

Before we left the Seal Beach area, we wanted to visit the Richard Nixon Presidential Library in Yorba Linda, California, about 20 miles from the campground. We arrived around 11:00 a.m. and found only a few parking spaces available. We received a warm welcome from the volunteer staff and were directed to a small theater, where we watched a short film about Nixon and his presidency.

I was a college student when Richard Nixon was elected President and a young Army Officer serving in Germany during his second term. I admired his visit to China and watched his downfall with sadness. The library visit put much of his presidency’s history into context, and I’m happy we went. My personal opinion of the man is that he was brilliant, hard-working, and politically astute. Richard Nixon was also complex, untrusting, and very insecure–traits that led to his undoing.

To the credit of the library founders, every aspect of the President’s term was covered fairly. The accomplishments covered the walls and were displayed prominently on movie screens throughout the library. The last room on the tour was devoted entirely to the Watergate coverup. I was somewhat of a Watergate Junkie during the 1970s and followed the details from the break-in to the impeachment hearings. Every detail of the sordid affair was covered accurately in the library’s recounting. I’m glad we went, and I recommend a visit to all.

We had a fabulous time in Seal Beach, but after 16 days, it was time to Ease Along. Our next stop is Point Mugu, California, and I hope you’ll join us there. I’ll be the big guy in the big beach chair…

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?

Although we wanted to spend two weeks at Fiddler’s Cove in Coronado Beach, we could only reserve a space for six nights. Our time there was lovely, even with a heavy marine layer on us every morning. So, at the end of our time there, we moved to Del Mar Campground on the Marine Base at Camp Pendleton, near Oceanside, CA. We reserved six nights there also.

Del Mar Campground is a beach with full hookups, and we parked Dora on the sand. We spent our first three nights in a campsite on the third row, and Helen complained the entire time that she had no view of the water. That would not do so; she marched into the office to ask for any vacancies on the front row. Without checking, the attendant told her that there were no open campsites. Helen had noticed that no one had camped in site 14 when we were there, so she waited until the attendant was on the phone and asked someone else, telling the new person that site 14 appeared vacant. New person checked–we moved to site 14 on the front row.

Our new campsite was about 100 yards from the water. We kept the windows open and let the waves lull us to sleep at night. Our beach vacation began at Del Mar. Neither of us is a beach sitter, but we love beach views, and the front row filled the bill.

We did little during our stay except relax. Finally, we knew we had to move around, so we went into Oceanside to walk the pier and catch the sights. As we looked for a parking place near the pier, we learned that the Race Across America was about to take off from below the pier, and the cyclists lined up for the race in pairs (two if by land—get it?).

We asked an event volunteer for information on the race’s details and learned that the first leg began in Oceanside and ended in Durango, CO. That portion of the competition is called Race Across the West. From there, the cyclists, participating in the entire race, travel across 13 states and finish on the Boardwalk in Atlantic City. The race takes from nine to twelve days. Except for an occasional stunning sunset, viewing the start of the race was the most exciting thing that happened to us all week (by far). We’re a wild bunch!

From Del Mar, we moved to San Onofre Beach, another campground on Camp Pendleton, where our beach vacation would continue for two more weeks. For reference, San Onofre is on the coast and about eight miles south of San Clemente, CA. Our campsite was about fifty yards from the surf’s edge and had a spectacular water view.

On our second day there, Helen, Mortimer, and I loaded up and drove about an hour north to meet our son, Justin, and drop Mortimer off with Abby, our granddaughter. Our grandson, Carter, played in the SoCal Cup Volleyball tournament at the Los Angeles Arena the day before, and we wanted to attend the second day’s matches. We entered the arena, and volleyballs were flying everywhere. I’m guessing there were nearly 1000 participants on over 80 volleyball courts. Carter’s team won the first match, winning both games.

Almost as quickly as the first match ended, the second began. Carter’s team also won that match in two straight and remained undefeated for the day. Because Helen and I had to retrieve Mortimer and return to San Onofre, we left after two matches but had a grand time.

I cannot count the times Mortimer, our wrinkle-faced love sponge, has drawn passersby into our campsite. I love how people react to Mortimer, who is always eager for a love pat—sometimes annoyingly. A day or two into our time at San Onofre, Helen and I sat in front of our trailer, reading and watching the surf roll in. Mortimer rested comfortably at our feet. A lady and her teenage daughter passed by and asked if they could pet our pup. Mortimer didn’t wait for the go-ahead; he moved in and fell in love with them both.

We introduced ourselves to the pair, Jenn and Chesney, and learned that Chesney was participating in the Junior Surfing Championship, held about a mile down the beach from us. Helen and I had a delightful conversation with them both. Knowing little about surfing competitions, I asked Chesney how the competition worked and how surfers scored enough points to move up and win. I learned a lot and promised to attend her event the next day. After peeling Mortimer away, Jenn and Chesney moved on to rest up.

Helen and I walked the mile along the beach to the competition and met Jen while Chesney prepared to surf. Chesney is ranked in the top fifteen in the world in her age group (age 15 and under) and is as adorable as she is athletic. When the time came for her event, she paddled her board out with three other competitors for a twenty-minute round in the quarterfinals. Although surfing is an individual sport (one if by sea–get it?), surfers compete in groups of three or four. Chesney gave it her all, but the waves didn’t break her way on this day. She finished third and missed the opportunity to move ahead. Helen and I shared her disappointment, but we know she will have better days in future competitions.

Helen and I returned the next day to watch some men compete. Surfing is a new sport for us, and I found it fascinating. At this level, everyone is good!

This morning, Jenn and Chesney stopped by before flying home. We took pictures, shared contact information, and promised to stay in touch. I hope we do.

We have another week in San Onofre. We might explore the area, but leaving our current setting is difficult. Readers will understand.

Our most exciting moment of the week came when a rocket launched from Vandenburg Air Force Base flew directly over our campsite. I grabbed my camera too late to capture the rocket, but I did get an image of the trail. Again, it only takes a little to get us excited.

We’re Easin’ Along.