Asilomar State Beach, Pacific Grove, California

 First Quarter Moon

I have been trying to conserve gas and hike the local trails lately, but two days ago I binged on a day trip to Pacific Grove. It's only 35 miles away, but what used to be an $11 trip currently sets me back $19. Oh well, it's better than going stir crazy.

Actually, it's WAY better, even on a day when the fog bank sat close to shore and the sunshine was intermittent. An afternoon of waves and sand at Asilomar State Beach was just what I needed. This beach is only about a mile long, but it is part of the Asilomar State Marine Reserve and it is linked by walking trails to Point Pinos, Lovers Point, Pacific Grove, Hopkins Marine Station, the Monterey Bay Aquarium, Monterey itself, and all the communities north to Marina. It is custom built for wandering for hours by the surf and rocks and tide pools. I parked across the street from the Asilomar Conference Grounds. Within minutes I was on the beach.

The air temperature was a chilly, breezy 57 degrees F, as is the case frequently in this neck of the grove, so I was glad to have an extra layer under my windbreaker. Once I got moving, I didn't even notice. I didn't see any mammals this trip other than my fellow walkers, but the pelicans, cormorants, and gulls kept me entertained in the airways and I got a few glimpses of little crabs and anemones in the tide pools. The Santa Lucia granite with its tiny "books" of plagioclase feldspar held my interest when I clambered around on it to see the pools.

"sharkwood"

The beachfront homes along Sunset Drive are appropriately unobtrusive for the most part. Some of the newer ones are borderline sprawling, but most are not. I can usually ignore them, but there is one small house that always catches my eye. It's a modest little one-story place, nothing fancy, but it reminds me just a little tiny bit of the first house I ever lived in down in Anaheim. There is hardly ever anyone there. When I win Lotto, I am going to make the owner an offer he or she cannot refuse. Then I will be snug and smug as a beach bug in a bungalow rug, with an occasional warming fire in the fireplace. There is a small guest house in the back. Call first, I may or may not be in the mood for visitors. 

Peace, Love, and Beach Dreams,

Jim

#2,022 in 2022