Newport Beach, January-February 2009

This past winter was a long one for most of the United States. Frigid temperatures, gusty winds that cut right through you... it was brutal. And it never seemed to want to end, dragging well past the end date for most winters, well into normal spring and even summer months, still dropping snow and blowing frigid winds, making life slushy and wet and miserable.

But not in Newport Beach, California. I had the good fortune to be working on an assignment nearby all winter, and once work let out every afternoon, I drove straight down to the water and walked along these peaceful, breezy shores, sometimes for up to three hours, past sundown. The Temperature never dropped much below 60, even at night, and the weather was damn near perfect.

It was a wonderful and therapeutic winter.

For me, anyway.

Pepperdine University, January 2009

On a pleasant day in early January of 2009, I took a drive out to Pepperdine University in Malibu, California. Located on a beautiful grassy hill overlooking the Pacific Ocean, these Eucalyptus trees are elegantly beautiful and starkly lonesome on the outer rim of the University grounds. I snapped a few shots, and the beauty of it all took my mind off the fact that the wind hyper-extended my driver's side door and cost me $1100 to fix.

Weekend at the Beaches, January 2009

Well, while the rest of the nation suffers through a record-breaking artic blast, we here in Southern California are enjoying a mild 80-degree week, with a little aggravation brought on by the Santa Ana winds, but nothing we can't handle. Of course, what good is it to sit on the beaches in the heat while everyone else is fighting off hypothermia, if you don't post up pictures of it to aggravate them further? So for all of my friends up north, enjoy! And know that I thought of you while I sat on the sand. (Pictures were taken in Oceanside and Malibu, California, on January 10th and 11th, 2009.)

Big Sur!

If any of you are ever looking for a cheap, easy vacation option that provides you with some of the most breathtaking beauty you could ever conceptualize, then I'd highly recommend taking a drive down the Big Sur region of the California coast. Running roughly from Carmel-By-The-Sea to the north, to about Santa Barbara or so on its south end, this is a drive that you could do all in one day (as we did) or that you could just as easily, and enjoyably, cut up into 2 or 3 days worth of Jimmy Buffet-esque coastal wandering.

Whether you like mountains, or beaches, or mountains rudely pushing beaches out of the way... whether you're into Redwoods, Sea Lions, or delicate flowers that smell like licorice... whether you like vigorous hikes through the woods, or relaxing naps on the beach... whether you're into fine dining on seaside baloconies, or choking down some grub at greasy-spoon cafes... whether camping's your bag, or covorting with the high-lifers at a $2000-a-night coastal resort... Big Sur offers it all. You can pick and choose as you please, and set your budget as best suits your bank account, and however you decide to go about it, you will thoroughly enjoy yourself.

Bring along someone you enjoy being with. That'll make it even better.

You Stay Sexy, San Diego! July, 2008

Ah, San Diego. Always warm, always sunny, beaches unlike any other, happy health-conscious people... I love that city. You could spend a week there and never do the same thing twice.

I took a drive down that way a couple of weekends ago and walked around the La Jolla area, and loved the pictures I got. Surfers, families, beach houses, crashing waves... all of it was gorgeous. (By the way, that's a sailboat behind that one surfer below, not a gigantic shark. A shark would have been cooler, though.)

I threw a couple of shots of some condos I spotted a few blocks off the beach, too, just because I thought they turned out cool. Even thought I made them creepy and they don't really fit in with the happy-sunny San Diego theme.

Enjoy!

Luck o' the Amish, July 2008

In the beginning of July, the family held their tri-annual Family Reunion in the lovely little village of Intercourse, Pennsylvania. No, I'm not giving you the opening line of a dirty joke- it's true.

I've already cracked more Intercourse jokes in the month that followed that I did in my entire life preceding that. So don't expect to see any here.

Instead, I'll just post up some of the beautiful surroundings we found ourselves in. Intercourse truly is beautiful.
(Ok, sorry, I know, I promised I wouldn't do that.)t.)