tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-186594812024-03-18T20:26:25.393-07:00Sensory OverloadA Southern California Guy's Travels & Adventures!Noah Unsworthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16787302506440922931noreply@blogger.comBlogger446125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18659481.post-14216232594654608242024-02-04T13:36:00.000-08:002024-02-08T17:57:36.676-08:00Mount Rubidoux Hike (plus Tio's Tacos)<p>After visiting my mother in Riverside, Tori and I drove over to hike to the top of <b>Mount Rubidoux</b> with my brother, Jake, our sister-in-law, Becca, and niece, Nyla. The boulder-covered hill near downtown rises 484 feet over the Santa Ana River that crosses along its base. The riverbed is normally dry but we could see flowing water from the recent rains. As we hiked up the paved trail, we had a great view of the snow covered peaks of the San Jacinto Mountains to the East. Nyla had a lot of fun scrambling through every boulder field we passed.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsokdWAKQ4qScUJ62mD0qL_mwmFj1p_akzxYSCHw0hvvSnJvIGvcB-Nc_GtTZpV4gLMLRGs-antdnJaB1CkpDo3qPGrFOxGvpbQKeHQ5qmmrlv3PdLXvvMe41d-VvA1p5SzVgEEjyf17uhmJiQl2TP0Cy5JJSBukKnKW4xNSdzzclIhl0YbMLD/s3976/MountRubidoux031_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2982" data-original-width="3976" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsokdWAKQ4qScUJ62mD0qL_mwmFj1p_akzxYSCHw0hvvSnJvIGvcB-Nc_GtTZpV4gLMLRGs-antdnJaB1CkpDo3qPGrFOxGvpbQKeHQ5qmmrlv3PdLXvvMe41d-VvA1p5SzVgEEjyf17uhmJiQl2TP0Cy5JJSBukKnKW4xNSdzzclIhl0YbMLD/w400-h300/MountRubidoux031_Insta.JPG" title="Mount Rubidoux Hike" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWGq7YtL3e-SdZFBUzFKzMuTlRqWf_W6DJvL7xZftg8lZgExMVze4TwtbMDF5ivM4YslqeUI37DQoA1RBC1kqpq5rQ1NbeJO_wFyh1Ww0AAAQo-1yFutsi0Nlhrnvctglf9FFLQIdiSPVMpuFxQGqueey86JfA1jQBKDaStbWss3t8Yip5Zk3L/s3810/MountRubidoux035_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2855" data-original-width="3810" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWGq7YtL3e-SdZFBUzFKzMuTlRqWf_W6DJvL7xZftg8lZgExMVze4TwtbMDF5ivM4YslqeUI37DQoA1RBC1kqpq5rQ1NbeJO_wFyh1Ww0AAAQo-1yFutsi0Nlhrnvctglf9FFLQIdiSPVMpuFxQGqueey86JfA1jQBKDaStbWss3t8Yip5Zk3L/w400-h300/MountRubidoux035_Insta.JPG" title="Mount Rubidoux Hike" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUEP636xQ6qWR15T8nEfMeyFo67S98wxmUIo4FdJg1Ir4ZRzta6ch0HtVFQN4XmyG9E-J7LobDE1c2SjcCL3T-QYQqlM1AXa357ELfUtd1sFutuwiyZ0NbxMJZ_7mPH9Ct_voFZFk1_QGPBiE13rurKWdhuhq4-gJ0z4axI3UkSVn3i_EG5GwH/s3779/MountRubidoux039_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3779" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUEP636xQ6qWR15T8nEfMeyFo67S98wxmUIo4FdJg1Ir4ZRzta6ch0HtVFQN4XmyG9E-J7LobDE1c2SjcCL3T-QYQqlM1AXa357ELfUtd1sFutuwiyZ0NbxMJZ_7mPH9Ct_voFZFk1_QGPBiE13rurKWdhuhq4-gJ0z4axI3UkSVn3i_EG5GwH/w320-h400/MountRubidoux039_Insta.JPG" title="Mount Rubidoux Hike" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKPs7DkLB_ocC0c1bM4tEyelzkK6cDGEB4wQ92cQ3liEsViWX6Inwxidfx_OBKfEz4g2d_fIeA-d_02-5iosaf_8CSnXD-SbkRZiJ-6H0FMQt1jkX05s3yUDt2R9URIJm6uBxpBG21OktNxh2-wnHJSDyxBoXo3vW8RXe-kKmF1W24aut5sDKT/s3658/MountRubidoux070_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2741" data-original-width="3658" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKPs7DkLB_ocC0c1bM4tEyelzkK6cDGEB4wQ92cQ3liEsViWX6Inwxidfx_OBKfEz4g2d_fIeA-d_02-5iosaf_8CSnXD-SbkRZiJ-6H0FMQt1jkX05s3yUDt2R9URIJm6uBxpBG21OktNxh2-wnHJSDyxBoXo3vW8RXe-kKmF1W24aut5sDKT/w400-h300/MountRubidoux070_Insta.JPG" title="Mount Rubidoux Hike" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-jFdU_e8ZiKxAmtxQRzBMaS9BcCZkChQ5VWGhs15T6LBijRmmmjqBWhtydeHY7AeExt6ZdOGXngDulGLf6hyS_Cr3sbZwvHoyaD__qE4AcIbtZyy3b-r6Nys2nKkDQTC32oGPFfRfOBNH0Lfl2Nm0goqjZRr3y1r53GDmHozmcqCVHT1yzqBe/s3681/MountRubidoux088_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3681" data-original-width="2945" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-jFdU_e8ZiKxAmtxQRzBMaS9BcCZkChQ5VWGhs15T6LBijRmmmjqBWhtydeHY7AeExt6ZdOGXngDulGLf6hyS_Cr3sbZwvHoyaD__qE4AcIbtZyy3b-r6Nys2nKkDQTC32oGPFfRfOBNH0Lfl2Nm0goqjZRr3y1r53GDmHozmcqCVHT1yzqBe/w320-h400/MountRubidoux088_Insta.JPG" title="Mount Rubidoux Hike - Peace Tower and Friendship Bridge" width="320" /></a></div><p>Two circular paths ring the hillside and as we neared the top, we switched onto the inner summit ring. Circling counter-clockwise, we passed the <b>Peace Tower</b> and <b>Friendship Bridge</b> that were built in 1925 before climbing to the lower summit with the large American Flag. We then crossed the saddle to the highest peak with the <b>Serra Cross</b> that was erected in 1907. The hilltop became famous for its Easter Sunrise Services that started in 1909 and soon spread around the country. Even though the gathering rain clouds prevented a beautiful sunset, we still had great views of the area.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBDoheXqSY9sFvdnozATgRT1NIcwrdWBkpR7qQ4hYW6NESZNr_SARR7F7C-YazecSCrZuadIBZkn-dpZuqjKs7R8SmuIwFCZK8oTALAe-U1wCMv5KuoVZuKDArYUcaYkt_0KP2k-czHtBa1bLV2ptJYQziUlmqsND85GkR842aDKPKYgrsZyUN/s4032/MountRubidoux098_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBDoheXqSY9sFvdnozATgRT1NIcwrdWBkpR7qQ4hYW6NESZNr_SARR7F7C-YazecSCrZuadIBZkn-dpZuqjKs7R8SmuIwFCZK8oTALAe-U1wCMv5KuoVZuKDArYUcaYkt_0KP2k-czHtBa1bLV2ptJYQziUlmqsND85GkR842aDKPKYgrsZyUN/w400-h300/MountRubidoux098_Insta.JPG" title="Mount Rubidoux Hike - Summit Cross" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXliGluxiYW0kbH6lebvq4GeHY3BQaRwIJLtXW_yBR6ZiuatjFq4MlnsDzqxaGZW5CQlESK9x2kx2-dKLPrLQh4KPZsTBPRh4n5lrI0Czx5Fp2GCoe_EKyRtmGWFDHeeQq_u8nNVXTBk8DCjybgFtyNrENrq0pdWNXkIdqo5ERCeyjh707eTRw/s3782/MountRubidoux100_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2834" data-original-width="3782" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXliGluxiYW0kbH6lebvq4GeHY3BQaRwIJLtXW_yBR6ZiuatjFq4MlnsDzqxaGZW5CQlESK9x2kx2-dKLPrLQh4KPZsTBPRh4n5lrI0Czx5Fp2GCoe_EKyRtmGWFDHeeQq_u8nNVXTBk8DCjybgFtyNrENrq0pdWNXkIdqo5ERCeyjh707eTRw/w400-h300/MountRubidoux100_Insta.JPG" title="Mount Rubidoux Hike" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmEqfF5iMf0T9lWYwE0aN-6E9WGDS5yZB3Ck0dH3gIORcwIfo70l00lntBjqAc4ld0U9oM4vqbBSB8_et7XzgNdeOEfcVvcditWO-BCYhttur1Nvjyn1Ss7GeEZvgkxV7WhBgdO6OcaU0xHbJo7WOMW-qMme6re0RxfUKP4K3rQELBl6LCOvQx/s3984/MountRubidoux112_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2985" data-original-width="3984" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmEqfF5iMf0T9lWYwE0aN-6E9WGDS5yZB3Ck0dH3gIORcwIfo70l00lntBjqAc4ld0U9oM4vqbBSB8_et7XzgNdeOEfcVvcditWO-BCYhttur1Nvjyn1Ss7GeEZvgkxV7WhBgdO6OcaU0xHbJo7WOMW-qMme6re0RxfUKP4K3rQELBl6LCOvQx/w400-h300/MountRubidoux112_Insta.JPG" title="Mount Rubidoux Hike" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ1LHVFTpEfGR1EgxD2ynzDORA7e1aFWv2GtnBUCt9ZQS1ONoJRNlQ02LggwmJ_RdwcdIgeCLwxOqPA9zCsD80EWm9oPasqgX92wzocXHNsV84ChYXC3ldaZAgtRCpTmyrkA45qCA3lRX9Y63o4-gbBOZ7okkX3Lj7y8BLnVq2c9RXVuEwSVx8/s3191/MountRubidoux115_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3191" data-original-width="2554" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ1LHVFTpEfGR1EgxD2ynzDORA7e1aFWv2GtnBUCt9ZQS1ONoJRNlQ02LggwmJ_RdwcdIgeCLwxOqPA9zCsD80EWm9oPasqgX92wzocXHNsV84ChYXC3ldaZAgtRCpTmyrkA45qCA3lRX9Y63o4-gbBOZ7okkX3Lj7y8BLnVq2c9RXVuEwSVx8/w320-h400/MountRubidoux115_Insta.JPG" title="Mount Rubidoux Hike" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdgAjejy2VPl83jWw7svN6QFVLSxTu2nQ5L5zK3qSlc4iDRwr3x100qM1yvh48ORnjcyEK2esNXLL1ZQxGor8Ti2myKaBjnSerG2NRwjvgi6XTFhTwqdj2lEAOESkGnDn2B1oJG-P7jN9-RueyKwJbBAa960GnBMZRlQd4rCMbHDHm-KbwfwEm/s3963/MountRubidoux120_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2973" data-original-width="3963" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdgAjejy2VPl83jWw7svN6QFVLSxTu2nQ5L5zK3qSlc4iDRwr3x100qM1yvh48ORnjcyEK2esNXLL1ZQxGor8Ti2myKaBjnSerG2NRwjvgi6XTFhTwqdj2lEAOESkGnDn2B1oJG-P7jN9-RueyKwJbBAa960GnBMZRlQd4rCMbHDHm-KbwfwEm/w400-h300/MountRubidoux120_Insta.JPG" title="Mount Rubidoux Hike" width="400" /></a></div><p>After descending from our 3 mile hike, so we drove over to <b>Tio's Tacos</b> for dinner since my brother's family had never been to the art-filled Mexican restaurant. They must rotate some of the art pieces since I see something new every time I visit.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVdQH2HdSACy3YUSrET-dJmMewEHn2qEMsjv17YB4YzNb-TB_Y64mXNWkCxqJBbisJ_Q-MMrI1oknTunCW92VIqqq1Z9udREVXOObaiZc_DpbRojp2Q80n6_SpBeZMmZH_kyK76Jr1Lcs5F5_CsTkwzQzcU3lFfZ0lqfB9Xakg1TVk-PyW5K3N/s3448/MountRubidoux153_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3448" data-original-width="2759" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVdQH2HdSACy3YUSrET-dJmMewEHn2qEMsjv17YB4YzNb-TB_Y64mXNWkCxqJBbisJ_Q-MMrI1oknTunCW92VIqqq1Z9udREVXOObaiZc_DpbRojp2Q80n6_SpBeZMmZH_kyK76Jr1Lcs5F5_CsTkwzQzcU3lFfZ0lqfB9Xakg1TVk-PyW5K3N/w320-h400/MountRubidoux153_Insta.JPG" title="Tio's Tacos Art" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkjECoWGK7ZSdzmPCV3btGiLrwFGSDW52PDqSOiKEKrWsAi5GWQpApR3F38bCku1XFNs_TBDHyZtSPcD0eLLCMwq1TMgO-9Ev425rmklu1AUe_fu48tVU3sMZ58hU44EYoIktN0PJ4fPhhOom2Ql5OdEAuYldHn1bs_Qk2Z85v-cjFiOXuK2FL/s3780/MountRubidoux154_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3780" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkjECoWGK7ZSdzmPCV3btGiLrwFGSDW52PDqSOiKEKrWsAi5GWQpApR3F38bCku1XFNs_TBDHyZtSPcD0eLLCMwq1TMgO-9Ev425rmklu1AUe_fu48tVU3sMZ58hU44EYoIktN0PJ4fPhhOom2Ql5OdEAuYldHn1bs_Qk2Z85v-cjFiOXuK2FL/w320-h400/MountRubidoux154_Insta.JPG" title="Tio's Tacos Art" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOlDX8tZ5Ly3Jj89MZsQnkvsrYKj1pfHY34Q-0nYZPf56LmBEkQa2_B2ol_ZVu0dGrUI4EUnyGOo_psx2-Wd7NPhSSrGR96WQMSbrDOr8AqOJKtDSPfc-uOHWPrsmN_sdA0dCRSFOFbADXV_POXePqb-HHFyvvM92fhihgljyvJXVvoLr_lEkj/s3773/MountRubidoux157_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2827" data-original-width="3773" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOlDX8tZ5Ly3Jj89MZsQnkvsrYKj1pfHY34Q-0nYZPf56LmBEkQa2_B2ol_ZVu0dGrUI4EUnyGOo_psx2-Wd7NPhSSrGR96WQMSbrDOr8AqOJKtDSPfc-uOHWPrsmN_sdA0dCRSFOFbADXV_POXePqb-HHFyvvM92fhihgljyvJXVvoLr_lEkj/w400-h300/MountRubidoux157_Insta.JPG" title="Tio's Tacos Art" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq_z6KxtHIcdxSIsgdWJKdKeiOp2Mnq-Y3Kz2DdY2e_mKSFiBet-VTjv4HKQsLvna3QiC7n7Qa6sbPx44wgWcQGVLe-88_RjaAP8lQDVBq5DVHEkUB9RLhzEpIFpE-hu50AGLSwMfb9X2LwoK59aF5SSnUQHh0C834dwVO-uWIFiBHfzCOaj8E/s3854/MountRubidoux168_TiosTacos.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2888" data-original-width="3854" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq_z6KxtHIcdxSIsgdWJKdKeiOp2Mnq-Y3Kz2DdY2e_mKSFiBet-VTjv4HKQsLvna3QiC7n7Qa6sbPx44wgWcQGVLe-88_RjaAP8lQDVBq5DVHEkUB9RLhzEpIFpE-hu50AGLSwMfb9X2LwoK59aF5SSnUQHh0C834dwVO-uWIFiBHfzCOaj8E/w400-h300/MountRubidoux168_TiosTacos.JPG" title="Tio's Tacos Art" width="400" /></a></div>Noah Unsworthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16787302506440922931noreply@blogger.com0Mt Rubidoux, Riverside, CA 92501, USA33.9839038 -117.39310115.6736699638211547 -152.5493511 62.294137636178846 -82.2368511tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18659481.post-87833942639651139222024-01-28T22:30:00.000-08:002024-02-07T11:34:08.522-08:00Bella Laguna Viewpoint (Batiquitos Lagoon Sunset)<p>We visited the <b>Bella Laguna Viewpoint</b> for the first time to watch the sun set over the Batiquitos Lagoon. It was a clear day and we could easily see the Catalina & San Clemente Islands and as far as the San Gorgonio Mountain to the East. The short viewpoint trail is inside a gated community but you can park on Bella Vista Drive and enter through the City of Encinitas’ Bella Vista Trail.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjDXspcQ-1IuYF1rlvlm7dYzxGQdm3TXFliIu6YprxCnkzPqOxgdqGUmWranyoBBGmTkfGA-0FSw2JCLdZXgCn2xQxR6MIriwN2WjJp5ccRtoWu-vuXFI-N0_SDurcgUSOzRTFky-4A088lbzw9J_WUXLQqSMDjkerDCZngEiFq0ROBbZB3b_G/s3991/BellaLagunaViewpoint09_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2997" data-original-width="3991" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjDXspcQ-1IuYF1rlvlm7dYzxGQdm3TXFliIu6YprxCnkzPqOxgdqGUmWranyoBBGmTkfGA-0FSw2JCLdZXgCn2xQxR6MIriwN2WjJp5ccRtoWu-vuXFI-N0_SDurcgUSOzRTFky-4A088lbzw9J_WUXLQqSMDjkerDCZngEiFq0ROBbZB3b_G/w400-h300/BellaLagunaViewpoint09_Insta.JPG" title="Bella Laguna Viewpoint - Batiquitos Lagoon Sunset" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbj9ZYtkM1YMvCMtivYBObpMePGASadgiIx1BTGsSOIgOZAiKcYBMErRACHuMx-8JlUqxljpADaKv5Z_PLaQNx-CM1rKZI2cYi73MTg4a1-6c6OCXe89pwyyR9Ef7PXVz7qdBkPILxI0iDxAn070iNlckueFGLARON01Mn57cf5yHDEx_dVAMn/s3926/BellaLagunaViewpoint14_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2942" data-original-width="3926" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbj9ZYtkM1YMvCMtivYBObpMePGASadgiIx1BTGsSOIgOZAiKcYBMErRACHuMx-8JlUqxljpADaKv5Z_PLaQNx-CM1rKZI2cYi73MTg4a1-6c6OCXe89pwyyR9Ef7PXVz7qdBkPILxI0iDxAn070iNlckueFGLARON01Mn57cf5yHDEx_dVAMn/w400-h300/BellaLagunaViewpoint14_Insta.JPG" title="Bella Laguna Viewpoint - Batiquitos Lagoon Sunset" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmxPWylAt9ev5V8Xz81K313bU9NMuswcdX-RKxi-aiBUF9WZEONxd0X1-2S-X0POb-safbI35cTw5ohrEP3KrBiz6quzP_HaDWLKfl5RNBhtQ5I1bt_tY0w4Ub37lYApggOnbFnyhF8YRwH1HMdOu7Nz8t466Jc0LX6KhqwpvKzd1DqdEmsktD/s4032/BellaLagunaViewpoint29_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmxPWylAt9ev5V8Xz81K313bU9NMuswcdX-RKxi-aiBUF9WZEONxd0X1-2S-X0POb-safbI35cTw5ohrEP3KrBiz6quzP_HaDWLKfl5RNBhtQ5I1bt_tY0w4Ub37lYApggOnbFnyhF8YRwH1HMdOu7Nz8t466Jc0LX6KhqwpvKzd1DqdEmsktD/w400-h300/BellaLagunaViewpoint29_Insta.JPG" title="Bella Laguna Viewpoint - Batiquitos Lagoon Sunset" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyeqT6TBknoyU5nEYA7wL7WMEQe-7ePDR-LdTJvOep9lcFsYIpK7NDrNc1itSB65Glf3emLunWaL0nyuTGksgkVEFnRICw5uEhP4LXP9HS7_8JC8pe1IY1tlysNnEveyzH7eLmmbmvNibcLjlZfyKNvPIcOSlOBEfUwb50Be8jG9TM62TNSj95/s4096/BellaLagunaViewpoint35_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2144" data-original-width="4096" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyeqT6TBknoyU5nEYA7wL7WMEQe-7ePDR-LdTJvOep9lcFsYIpK7NDrNc1itSB65Glf3emLunWaL0nyuTGksgkVEFnRICw5uEhP4LXP9HS7_8JC8pe1IY1tlysNnEveyzH7eLmmbmvNibcLjlZfyKNvPIcOSlOBEfUwb50Be8jG9TM62TNSj95/w400-h210/BellaLagunaViewpoint35_Insta.JPG" title="Bella Laguna Viewpoint - Batiquitos Lagoon Sunset" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGj5fpCB8FKs6vc2meZSox1J2BqGAS9mECmksBGlA42xE1PlT5J8XTzG3x9vyus3ToHYRHI2bBsZfWF-5bWRc23vwtuytHyztl0gWSmpkBollLz_fMR0shLGQcn0jwzYOavvs3NHsPcq_d70X5U_gB-yP9wegbVB9PSPqCHp8opmJL8izwf0k3/s3866/BellaLagunaViewpoint45_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2897" data-original-width="3866" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGj5fpCB8FKs6vc2meZSox1J2BqGAS9mECmksBGlA42xE1PlT5J8XTzG3x9vyus3ToHYRHI2bBsZfWF-5bWRc23vwtuytHyztl0gWSmpkBollLz_fMR0shLGQcn0jwzYOavvs3NHsPcq_d70X5U_gB-yP9wegbVB9PSPqCHp8opmJL8izwf0k3/w400-h300/BellaLagunaViewpoint45_Insta.JPG" title="Bella Laguna Viewpoint - Batiquitos Lagoon Sunset" width="400" /></a></div><p>We returned a week later with Chad to hike the nearby spur trail off of Swallowtrail Road. The trail follows the ridgeline into the <b>Barelman Open Space</b> with another wonderful view of Batiquitos Lagoon.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFxLNitAH6-sxQxU06a4QM301L1s5UiXJfLbAdgauzeUPbr1t7NcYHwr2B-T4kM7_TM4DPtG5kMRk_eU2UmJAeI70qs6gy7mUkvQXFoho8Q9uAw-KlYVo53IAGv73GEfq84FE4XRvj35JeOXAwK2jQNI209aZD0ouEvgpPRRaGIFGHCbwWOEFV/s3991/SwallowtailRoadTrail13_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2997" data-original-width="3991" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFxLNitAH6-sxQxU06a4QM301L1s5UiXJfLbAdgauzeUPbr1t7NcYHwr2B-T4kM7_TM4DPtG5kMRk_eU2UmJAeI70qs6gy7mUkvQXFoho8Q9uAw-KlYVo53IAGv73GEfq84FE4XRvj35JeOXAwK2jQNI209aZD0ouEvgpPRRaGIFGHCbwWOEFV/w400-h300/SwallowtailRoadTrail13_Insta.JPG" title="Swallowtail Road Trail - Batiquitos Lagoon" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCtkwUaOHbQJct9OJcB2K-xMBq8HBDHQKZ9Emb-AXllapeK2PVcgKLtFjSiWP5N0_0XavCDpEWRHalqoHReyuelP39MacH2Snd_Wb0ArMY7GlZMmXyF5BZH__QPSLk53KVtjQgCsN4GaQmM7TTQ25IuvbqsNp3uaq5wmfyI_HWg8i4Ep53Mw6H/s3918/SwallowtailRoadTrail17_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2936" data-original-width="3918" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCtkwUaOHbQJct9OJcB2K-xMBq8HBDHQKZ9Emb-AXllapeK2PVcgKLtFjSiWP5N0_0XavCDpEWRHalqoHReyuelP39MacH2Snd_Wb0ArMY7GlZMmXyF5BZH__QPSLk53KVtjQgCsN4GaQmM7TTQ25IuvbqsNp3uaq5wmfyI_HWg8i4Ep53Mw6H/w400-h300/SwallowtailRoadTrail17_Insta.JPG" title="Swallowtail Road Trail - Batiquitos Lagoon" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhvHqxlMaY2T5fdj-rCjVjYjxs1nloF2Kic1grwEBT5ddR-kzGPpsUjDe2esa30hODgM_DEv34PhHPwq7MMDk6-8TyKDzwrozX096rP_iURSoWr4p1pdsuCKlomtaZ19tWiDwlsd0N6UJbey-q3g1q7x3MX3OIhqTwU7-gAAoPFDfrVNhyJThc/s3904/SwallowtailRoadTrail26_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2925" data-original-width="3904" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhvHqxlMaY2T5fdj-rCjVjYjxs1nloF2Kic1grwEBT5ddR-kzGPpsUjDe2esa30hODgM_DEv34PhHPwq7MMDk6-8TyKDzwrozX096rP_iURSoWr4p1pdsuCKlomtaZ19tWiDwlsd0N6UJbey-q3g1q7x3MX3OIhqTwU7-gAAoPFDfrVNhyJThc/w400-h300/SwallowtailRoadTrail26_Insta.JPG" title="Swallowtail Road Trail - Batiquitos Lagoon" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFzApfqkspi6JSCdLAHyAmzlTHxTWTWXXDgDvEHsRFyp2VBBPzHBHzSjnW8ryLnAEFxRFMqFE29mdwS-GmD8Hp-HDhkykFNUpt0m4LW337kUp3CzQdlJn5b2hJ33L-mPHNBkC3zNvsvtKY_qqnWCr5uWmiEFPmU7pzBlYXxDPVfqbraHvFKI9F/s3933/SwallowtailRoadTrail35_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2947" data-original-width="3933" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFzApfqkspi6JSCdLAHyAmzlTHxTWTWXXDgDvEHsRFyp2VBBPzHBHzSjnW8ryLnAEFxRFMqFE29mdwS-GmD8Hp-HDhkykFNUpt0m4LW337kUp3CzQdlJn5b2hJ33L-mPHNBkC3zNvsvtKY_qqnWCr5uWmiEFPmU7pzBlYXxDPVfqbraHvFKI9F/w400-h300/SwallowtailRoadTrail35_Insta.JPG" title="Swallowtail Road Trail - Batiquitos Lagoon" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD3cWP7Mx5pRcyWnlugTvVfoXkn7UIW_GShYf6voXTb5Y01ihyphenhyphenGRCLFZYhbzzFlK_nhCwc6OQ6E1B7uGTZLcRYlzeooaEGb_fjbodpvDKm_ZcKfgcXTdm9ht9ZX_h0w3bCsF9UTMadY0UWd6CfGAfZe6PB77ZH24VGRaaLt9lrqabJU0LUZaqK/s3970/SwallowtailRoadTrail48_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2978" data-original-width="3970" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD3cWP7Mx5pRcyWnlugTvVfoXkn7UIW_GShYf6voXTb5Y01ihyphenhyphenGRCLFZYhbzzFlK_nhCwc6OQ6E1B7uGTZLcRYlzeooaEGb_fjbodpvDKm_ZcKfgcXTdm9ht9ZX_h0w3bCsF9UTMadY0UWd6CfGAfZe6PB77ZH24VGRaaLt9lrqabJU0LUZaqK/w400-h300/SwallowtailRoadTrail48_Insta.JPG" title="Swallowtail Road Trail - Saxony Road" width="400" /></a></div>Noah Unsworthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16787302506440922931noreply@blogger.com0Encinitas, CA, USA33.0369867 -117.2919818-9.8219355852882941 172.3955182 75.895908985288287 -46.9794818tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18659481.post-88809981962469100152024-01-28T16:58:00.000-08:002024-02-07T11:33:41.828-08:00Mission San Luis Rey (plus Pioneer Cemetery)<p>Tori and I visited <b>Mission San Luis Rey</b> yesterday in Oceanside for the first time. Founded in 1798, it was the eighteenth of the twenty-one missions established in California and named after the King of France. Nicknamed "King of the Missions", it covered almost a million acres at its peak and was the largest and most prosperous of all the missions, maintaining 56,000 livestock. Our first stop was the mission church, built in 1815, it is the only surviving one laid out in a cruciform plan. It is also unique for its wooden dome and cupola allowing in light through its 144 panes of glass.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_4yQvNuDBZdNHYWpVYTBTr12bGA23bjGodewI8lbnHgaJ-462EXwZoxcxxHe8Ks9iHcmu739iabOnX5AQ7RF5ZidsSb9mFBz7EbR_F7hCUkkcH2UPHFqdWeJSxbvHKx5z1y1zqo9jqLB7E9i4MUaaioO_8rj56gckXWrn8cIs0dCd_y-i8HNM/s3779/MissionSanLuisRey006_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3779" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_4yQvNuDBZdNHYWpVYTBTr12bGA23bjGodewI8lbnHgaJ-462EXwZoxcxxHe8Ks9iHcmu739iabOnX5AQ7RF5ZidsSb9mFBz7EbR_F7hCUkkcH2UPHFqdWeJSxbvHKx5z1y1zqo9jqLB7E9i4MUaaioO_8rj56gckXWrn8cIs0dCd_y-i8HNM/w320-h400/MissionSanLuisRey006_Insta.JPG" title="Mission San Luis Rey - Historic Church" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJD_nrxfY2QfwrafTgd4k0d7BqSpy0ub0e0iECLNSWHXlbjkNaJTEP1mCUaSDerzIGtFiso43yLAUG99mV4GSkvmRdkLDbbXSvCo0gkEWkGhM3xIE_hGpko2utFrvjytEFCICaGvjCrJp0ctN-J_diOesMo3cdhyphenhyphen2tbvD5edO7PIC_kQQjP_64/s3743/MissionSanLuisRey012_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3743" data-original-width="2995" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJD_nrxfY2QfwrafTgd4k0d7BqSpy0ub0e0iECLNSWHXlbjkNaJTEP1mCUaSDerzIGtFiso43yLAUG99mV4GSkvmRdkLDbbXSvCo0gkEWkGhM3xIE_hGpko2utFrvjytEFCICaGvjCrJp0ctN-J_diOesMo3cdhyphenhyphen2tbvD5edO7PIC_kQQjP_64/w320-h400/MissionSanLuisRey012_Insta.JPG" title="Mission San Luis Rey - Historic Church" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-aWXFYXJXScDhgPIOgFKM_GqFI5u9vTkABFU1qWcSR7yJEShoJImq6uGxvz5rGtEnA_yc6l2qJ3Ha9mTtZh7NaF_afyWFPSZlCDj4QS1iINGAlcqxYAaBEs9mB0cqNOZy6HgaTT6YTfy07dMq2L4kHSYCOP3kyts16nehLPMRKZ4p_oa7xmmi/s4032/MissionSanLuisRey024_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-aWXFYXJXScDhgPIOgFKM_GqFI5u9vTkABFU1qWcSR7yJEShoJImq6uGxvz5rGtEnA_yc6l2qJ3Ha9mTtZh7NaF_afyWFPSZlCDj4QS1iINGAlcqxYAaBEs9mB0cqNOZy6HgaTT6YTfy07dMq2L4kHSYCOP3kyts16nehLPMRKZ4p_oa7xmmi/w400-h300/MissionSanLuisRey024_Insta.JPG" title="Mission San Luis Rey - Historic Church" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhojXaJYmFMwJZKRQUKt3TbEgN0gO37CbE8dFDMDEq5hQoTYKXguLz6EL77N5DhAWUVq8DxrXYuxyi67cf1u93vkjNFRuHSpqZ2yxvd6cP1xJp5yidxkCxH4Lf6Amne4bLl9-ps8YMa1YQXRJs0s2fQC21JHu0GqamVCLzFdKT6lx76U3ikU8Li/s3742/MissionSanLuisRey028_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3742" data-original-width="2994" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhojXaJYmFMwJZKRQUKt3TbEgN0gO37CbE8dFDMDEq5hQoTYKXguLz6EL77N5DhAWUVq8DxrXYuxyi67cf1u93vkjNFRuHSpqZ2yxvd6cP1xJp5yidxkCxH4Lf6Amne4bLl9-ps8YMa1YQXRJs0s2fQC21JHu0GqamVCLzFdKT6lx76U3ikU8Li/w320-h400/MissionSanLuisRey028_Insta.JPG" title="Mission San Luis Rey - Historic Church" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFIFq_XjcxZ_sDYjzEHBXg9bhppI867rxe0Eg9pnHqZU3Tq4VN2lO3jGdxI_BygwPIg_JN7iQ8dT46s87SDvp0SFa7uTCo7vRDIj1RaXDdi96BbBanDq84QhyphenhyphenoMOx68UXE9A5YxCnM4cMs3IX2njW6bCfv1HfFrCUU8rEo_d1Rn603v8vLeh2D/s3780/MissionSanLuisRey040_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3780" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFIFq_XjcxZ_sDYjzEHBXg9bhppI867rxe0Eg9pnHqZU3Tq4VN2lO3jGdxI_BygwPIg_JN7iQ8dT46s87SDvp0SFa7uTCo7vRDIj1RaXDdi96BbBanDq84QhyphenhyphenoMOx68UXE9A5YxCnM4cMs3IX2njW6bCfv1HfFrCUU8rEo_d1Rn603v8vLeh2D/w320-h400/MissionSanLuisRey040_Insta.JPG" title="Mission San Luis Rey - Madonna Chapel" width="320" /></a></div><p>The old mission complex spread out over six acres and was the largest building in California by 1830. Leaving the church, we walked over to the modern Quadrangle where the <b>Carriage Arch</b> still stands. The original quadrangle was a giant four-sided patio surrounded by buildings filled with workshops, classrooms, a kitchen, an infirmary, a winery and dormitories for the Indian converts. The first <b>Peruvian Pepper Tree</b> planted in California in 1830 is still visible through the arch. The iconic species is now widespread throughout the state and has been renamed the California Pepper Tree.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6tP2ld7xFDfSVExwRBW2QvpziwS7lt-OEzsNxP1Q67bWfQHVsxtwHx3UKT_l0pQPJiho8n5NbC73ruV46ytBgoHgtFyHcZoxfvrPMySvm9IJnwKPhWZRnC0paeK2IM5iiY-Dpj6saxD5Ul0ipjpyf4z-GTLVIldbZP6nPwhi9NbQfx51JT608/s4024/MissionSanLuisRey045_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3018" data-original-width="4024" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6tP2ld7xFDfSVExwRBW2QvpziwS7lt-OEzsNxP1Q67bWfQHVsxtwHx3UKT_l0pQPJiho8n5NbC73ruV46ytBgoHgtFyHcZoxfvrPMySvm9IJnwKPhWZRnC0paeK2IM5iiY-Dpj6saxD5Ul0ipjpyf4z-GTLVIldbZP6nPwhi9NbQfx51JT608/w400-h300/MissionSanLuisRey045_Insta.JPG" title="Mission San Luis Rey - Carriage Arch & Peruvian Pepper Tree" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivVNcPwZeR4G4L1yKbUg7a-8ukCgbmje8GD7BccX0G-SeWVjpts49X4MZY09T2NSi3MAYi-hTAbGRkG9AxTeHi6rRLH8tgSi-eLvUc1tdW10wXHr0jWC-C-6ucfTQ4mIHF2dsKtQyhfeTOg1KrfVlF6bDJe17nQL_WdHuayeeiwC6lA_wtc54z/s4032/MissionSanLuisRey050_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivVNcPwZeR4G4L1yKbUg7a-8ukCgbmje8GD7BccX0G-SeWVjpts49X4MZY09T2NSi3MAYi-hTAbGRkG9AxTeHi6rRLH8tgSi-eLvUc1tdW10wXHr0jWC-C-6ucfTQ4mIHF2dsKtQyhfeTOg1KrfVlF6bDJe17nQL_WdHuayeeiwC6lA_wtc54z/w400-h300/MissionSanLuisRey050_Insta.JPG" title="Mission San Luis Rey - Jesus Falls for the First Time" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMn0xNqxo-iynyRQDuZzkJ3B-1OOH4OY4q6JzN1tv_KSCJ4BlglkRLFNBnv0IvhHM3LzJI9YzVat9_RWaj_2iHDK38cf2eD2OrhVZS4ZFSjzYj3-Ms5SHM48mfO5bfXNv0wMZqRxRHjLQ-b75Lu_MUv1cnYrMOIbYZusCorjc9QI-awmhH_7JB/s4022/MissionSanLuisRey066_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3013" data-original-width="4022" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMn0xNqxo-iynyRQDuZzkJ3B-1OOH4OY4q6JzN1tv_KSCJ4BlglkRLFNBnv0IvhHM3LzJI9YzVat9_RWaj_2iHDK38cf2eD2OrhVZS4ZFSjzYj3-Ms5SHM48mfO5bfXNv0wMZqRxRHjLQ-b75Lu_MUv1cnYrMOIbYZusCorjc9QI-awmhH_7JB/w400-h300/MissionSanLuisRey066_Insta.JPG" title="Mission San Luis Rey - Agapito Court" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCDNTmSU-eE0vp9ghhWzMMA5J1wFQr5m7Vo1AJR9GtSe65PoyDreIWXhrqwKqky8q-NC525ImnBuEhGrXzHtVYORSMlev8L2LwAFkWlljt1C9v6pgwxPagDO5dPFZfqyDAfTbRbTgQEK3Z7f-3R1euiP5elsUILRYBsXQ6huHBcpyx9HpF4mAd/s3780/MissionSanLuisRey080_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3780" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCDNTmSU-eE0vp9ghhWzMMA5J1wFQr5m7Vo1AJR9GtSe65PoyDreIWXhrqwKqky8q-NC525ImnBuEhGrXzHtVYORSMlev8L2LwAFkWlljt1C9v6pgwxPagDO5dPFZfqyDAfTbRbTgQEK3Z7f-3R1euiP5elsUILRYBsXQ6huHBcpyx9HpF4mAd/w320-h400/MissionSanLuisRey080_Insta.JPG" title="Mission San Luis Rey - Sacred Garden" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsgj9rylKgtacxT7KctOdeArMQfMVX_nT1B3tyNr6k3TVzLkMjQjSalL2qmSiVfrXr6fzgM1a_dVVdLcvFKw1qo4qAbgW6dYYi5fOTrBJJ-lJhfFUmyqUFwKJRrbTaeoUM1l430ljyv9XIPTNtSoUlbvrfS7TAS7r9PN_tnPCJQ-My5MzlRAUv/s3625/MissionSanLuisRey107_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3625" data-original-width="2900" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsgj9rylKgtacxT7KctOdeArMQfMVX_nT1B3tyNr6k3TVzLkMjQjSalL2qmSiVfrXr6fzgM1a_dVVdLcvFKw1qo4qAbgW6dYYi5fOTrBJJ-lJhfFUmyqUFwKJRrbTaeoUM1l430ljyv9XIPTNtSoUlbvrfS7TAS7r9PN_tnPCJQ-My5MzlRAUv/w320-h400/MissionSanLuisRey107_Insta.JPG" title="Mission San Luis Rey - Zorro Doors" width="320" /></a></div><p>The mission's museum gave us a detailed history of the area from the colonization of native Luiseno Indians by the Spanish priests, to the secularization of the mission by the Mexico government who sold off the land to ranchers and then under American control after the Mexican-American War when Abraham Lincoln returned the mission back to the Catholic Church. Inside, we also visited the <b>Agapito Court</b> and <b>Sacred Garden</b>, the private domains of the Franciscan Friars. Outside, we visited the adobe ruins of the barracks that housed the Spanish soldiers assigned to the mission. Our last stop was the old mission cemetery. The entrance arch still bears the skull and crossbones added by Disney while filming the Zorro tv show on location in 1957.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg6NEQ0pCtd6x_9iCS9a46m55fGkzH1eudaWsp6wbrvHR79A8zq2TlxGxw2NHYagVveYYbirG9_tg5QSCztKTb8KFGc4OUA4fPSbjcQMrC4P17ZXGI1TT9xukYlOhc1cAD40xqgpwCM5y_UdEYHN5OrLNLWE5x04HM5AaqXY2naFyr6ndt0Mxi/s3880/MissionSanLuisRey118_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2907" data-original-width="3880" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg6NEQ0pCtd6x_9iCS9a46m55fGkzH1eudaWsp6wbrvHR79A8zq2TlxGxw2NHYagVveYYbirG9_tg5QSCztKTb8KFGc4OUA4fPSbjcQMrC4P17ZXGI1TT9xukYlOhc1cAD40xqgpwCM5y_UdEYHN5OrLNLWE5x04HM5AaqXY2naFyr6ndt0Mxi/w400-h300/MissionSanLuisRey118_Insta.JPG" title="Mission San Luis Rey - Ruins of Soldiers Barracks" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpzRhwlA4lBCdE89dEVZOWMSui0EXAx-sofmguO_1CEricro65s9X-PQcctfc1_WCOnTT18ReoS-z3X2mcFkFeq_1tRtp03xeWlsPsF6M2eSChM8zYkH9I5cA9y7hXYSV6WghvrlzQDzEdqOdL9nw82usfgHTsmIdB-ynnXGB44GC5WmppmAiv/s3780/MissionSanLuisRey119_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3780" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpzRhwlA4lBCdE89dEVZOWMSui0EXAx-sofmguO_1CEricro65s9X-PQcctfc1_WCOnTT18ReoS-z3X2mcFkFeq_1tRtp03xeWlsPsF6M2eSChM8zYkH9I5cA9y7hXYSV6WghvrlzQDzEdqOdL9nw82usfgHTsmIdB-ynnXGB44GC5WmppmAiv/w320-h400/MissionSanLuisRey119_Insta.JPG" title="Mission San Luis Rey - Entrance to Cemetery" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigfsOvzH5Cyrd_X6d8gMboillH6tPHtXyBODbOSkZyglqbJUeaJu-Nm1a0mxz5ZrjLep9Ab0xpSYDYbcf4u3vEFk7THQv6cMbJB_UJi8M_L4PmkA_CSpBaq1VSPeea4lF2PdT-5mU56gACtS6tpOn_qZiQrwD9h5Vdq7aqoO1W2zOQiIB327BZ/s3699/MissionSanLuisRey138_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3699" data-original-width="2960" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigfsOvzH5Cyrd_X6d8gMboillH6tPHtXyBODbOSkZyglqbJUeaJu-Nm1a0mxz5ZrjLep9Ab0xpSYDYbcf4u3vEFk7THQv6cMbJB_UJi8M_L4PmkA_CSpBaq1VSPeea4lF2PdT-5mU56gACtS6tpOn_qZiQrwD9h5Vdq7aqoO1W2zOQiIB327BZ/w320-h400/MissionSanLuisRey138_Insta.JPG" title="Mission San Luis Rey - Monument to Luiseno Indians" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkXkbqGkVhiUAOnusdPiYVFyHAA1nd-_4QWSMMwP8qYnuYmfgizKKBmkeCOkdf8torS6ndzU_e-hm_VQ8cQIbCJVLAxEWbCA29SxshUiUIWk2izzj6ATY1s1-Rqrbr5dMTdMIDMZ0_C4TaLYM58AYfPcRT4cLaAbxUqPh9oOkiX-_pIHQVeKH-/s3735/MissionSanLuisRey141_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3735" data-original-width="2988" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkXkbqGkVhiUAOnusdPiYVFyHAA1nd-_4QWSMMwP8qYnuYmfgizKKBmkeCOkdf8torS6ndzU_e-hm_VQ8cQIbCJVLAxEWbCA29SxshUiUIWk2izzj6ATY1s1-Rqrbr5dMTdMIDMZ0_C4TaLYM58AYfPcRT4cLaAbxUqPh9oOkiX-_pIHQVeKH-/w320-h400/MissionSanLuisRey141_Insta.JPG" title="Mission San Luis Rey - Cemetery" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnrKT95FscVKeQBiOElrsdKkrqjI4fpffc_LEvBcq4SdrsddIjgAMUDtJ2-W7MJipkrUNmZU9UMEE006ilDeo7kDGeYFEIGSkvD7uj6kgbFszTKANKc6BmMikeaxwnC4MNo2D3rZCqzGYb2TiCPpR3WihjvirrOnjNHtbWRKc2d9ERGCngIVEZ/s3934/MissionSanLuisRey151_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2948" data-original-width="3934" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnrKT95FscVKeQBiOElrsdKkrqjI4fpffc_LEvBcq4SdrsddIjgAMUDtJ2-W7MJipkrUNmZU9UMEE006ilDeo7kDGeYFEIGSkvD7uj6kgbFszTKANKc6BmMikeaxwnC4MNo2D3rZCqzGYb2TiCPpR3WihjvirrOnjNHtbWRKc2d9ERGCngIVEZ/w400-h300/MissionSanLuisRey151_Insta.JPG" title="Mission San Luis Rey - Cemetery" width="400" /></a></div><p>Leaving the mission, we stopped at the nearby <b>San Luis Rey Pioneer Cemetery</b>. The gate was closed but we could see into the old cemetery that was used to bury the dead of the non-Catholic pioneers to the area starting in the 1860s. Andrew Jackson Myers, the founder of Oceanside was buried here in 1907. After many years of abandonment and vandalization, the Oceanside Historical Society took over protection of the cemetery and the local Mormon Church helped renovate the site in 2013 in honor of their Mormon Battalion pioneers in San Diego. We ended our Oceanside visit with a tasty pasta dinner at nearby <b>Mangia e Bevi</b>.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7nRH-K5o6EkiH2SJYc3E1B0wSYfffL4bpTw319iP6V_LiBw7CbYU8_Bs2PPxv98baCDsxAxDmF0j_8Xdn7SpUCAxumcw_IaZwzmgDPRD_rWIDUaJd9zd15p7tW4fhAL5WiZix2kW9QKiViLfp0_KOzyaI3wkjDTt8auNPeYkR0VFpbTFcRPa-/s4032/MissionSanLuisRey159_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7nRH-K5o6EkiH2SJYc3E1B0wSYfffL4bpTw319iP6V_LiBw7CbYU8_Bs2PPxv98baCDsxAxDmF0j_8Xdn7SpUCAxumcw_IaZwzmgDPRD_rWIDUaJd9zd15p7tW4fhAL5WiZix2kW9QKiViLfp0_KOzyaI3wkjDTt8auNPeYkR0VFpbTFcRPa-/w400-h300/MissionSanLuisRey159_Insta.JPG" title="San Luis Rey Pioneer Cemetery" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiydPhaUC1qzRW8K8jofYjp8y1fwCAMK1xKHFILwJ4zIyCj-yYSZgEd-D45upDUSKdrNnKddEP27oXjK0KHKL-D9xyZnuWNDBPU6YenL9W5HD-iszzZgbeZTu8AigEiTEpSyCfc5xz3P4b189J-y8A8aOUZJ_CVv8eCjobF_0c29L2ZsPbzBsS/s3814/MissionSanLuisRey164_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2858" data-original-width="3814" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiydPhaUC1qzRW8K8jofYjp8y1fwCAMK1xKHFILwJ4zIyCj-yYSZgEd-D45upDUSKdrNnKddEP27oXjK0KHKL-D9xyZnuWNDBPU6YenL9W5HD-iszzZgbeZTu8AigEiTEpSyCfc5xz3P4b189J-y8A8aOUZJ_CVv8eCjobF_0c29L2ZsPbzBsS/w400-h300/MissionSanLuisRey164_Insta.JPG" title="San Luis Rey Pioneer Cemetery" width="400" /></a></div>Noah Unsworthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16787302506440922931noreply@blogger.com04050 Mission Ave, Oceanside, CA 92057, USA33.2321965 -117.31975644.9219626638211551 -152.47600640000002 61.542430336178846 -82.1635064tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18659481.post-50416243232068128102024-01-22T11:01:00.000-08:002024-02-26T18:11:36.200-08:002024 Costa Rica Trip (10th Wedding Anniversary)<p>After missing out on <b>Costa Rica</b> last year, Tori was finally able to come back to <b>Playa Negra</b> with me this year for our 10th Wedding Anniversary. We were able to book her flight with the credit from last year's canceled flight right before it expired. Our plan was to just relax, swim, surf and take a few yoga classes with no road trips. Flori picked us up at the airport and we arrived at my dad's house at 10:30pm. After my Dad made us omelets on Sunday morning, we hung out in the hammocks and went for smoothies and a snack at Hotel Playa Negra's beachfront restaurant before going for an evening swim. We enjoyed dinner with my dad at his favorite restaurant in town, <b>La Vida Buena</b>.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGaFlVuMIFSZkblhAGsrYkQcolFSJULg-KOsQm85i2oBxZctDLHvciKs6b3V4WTcSir2VXz-eotL9DUqukLyOxqciIlmUNk3udgGQNFO8OX1VteiwERXSrB-wfG13Xb8k7nO9FrhoZpfWLXjkBVmp6FKJv7AJiFC1a72L3x3V95wqW5KCs39sy/s3659/CostaRica_2024_002_PlayaNegra.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2745" data-original-width="3659" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGaFlVuMIFSZkblhAGsrYkQcolFSJULg-KOsQm85i2oBxZctDLHvciKs6b3V4WTcSir2VXz-eotL9DUqukLyOxqciIlmUNk3udgGQNFO8OX1VteiwERXSrB-wfG13Xb8k7nO9FrhoZpfWLXjkBVmp6FKJv7AJiFC1a72L3x3V95wqW5KCs39sy/w400-h300/CostaRica_2024_002_PlayaNegra.JPG" title="Costa Rica - Playa Negra Hammock" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQAffKBBzw-lZ82hN89ccywAyI6Ng7zHpOWFqNJFTNi1JfxT-y8yvoXxAnRyyTNwpkTnEMSoyI-jgyfzRjrAIV4ttbuxSn50z1PvIZgWjXWqudIZ9Ek2Mrq_huvIgEKaMbt8lyM06P3gM9Z_VlxQq8NB442tOrtYT5RjoQVys3bSBlWztYTDWM/s3197/CostaRica_2024_004_PlayaNegra.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3197" data-original-width="2558" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQAffKBBzw-lZ82hN89ccywAyI6Ng7zHpOWFqNJFTNi1JfxT-y8yvoXxAnRyyTNwpkTnEMSoyI-jgyfzRjrAIV4ttbuxSn50z1PvIZgWjXWqudIZ9Ek2Mrq_huvIgEKaMbt8lyM06P3gM9Z_VlxQq8NB442tOrtYT5RjoQVys3bSBlWztYTDWM/w320-h400/CostaRica_2024_004_PlayaNegra.JPG" title="Costa Rica - Playa Negra Hammock" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYiixYorgjJ7JNRYgYshmf9yLQ9d4fWyA74KPYrv-xOgInmH02_qClS5I8tbv_RzAQApFHsvJnjyRH3ydt0_4obmJOxpml1T65TcLYzWVTa2QEqznT5_obKdbOpGKlYM1XPkQ_uRd4_y7eoUPuS2KDYZDD7T8UJS3_vHjD8_h5AxvQEdRHRiS-/s3826/CostaRica_2024_006_PlayaNegra.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2867" data-original-width="3826" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYiixYorgjJ7JNRYgYshmf9yLQ9d4fWyA74KPYrv-xOgInmH02_qClS5I8tbv_RzAQApFHsvJnjyRH3ydt0_4obmJOxpml1T65TcLYzWVTa2QEqznT5_obKdbOpGKlYM1XPkQ_uRd4_y7eoUPuS2KDYZDD7T8UJS3_vHjD8_h5AxvQEdRHRiS-/w400-h300/CostaRica_2024_006_PlayaNegra.JPG" title="Costa Rica - Playa Negra" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhzwhfzH1JdMyl8Kjm7sXiUQSVzxR7SYrF9YeNDMSiySmTFTGLbnyEMRDfZamgQskQ5VxV2Ds-gO3i1h002x7vQLFaW1af2cIbHxlhjmHlQAf8OuXT6zpWV0SMKvskS7241d_QakseP5VClYsx9YYs8vwMO2vy0q_OPrtO9VshjHVuLu5emIEy/s3938/CostaRica_2024_007_PlayaNegra.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2951" data-original-width="3938" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhzwhfzH1JdMyl8Kjm7sXiUQSVzxR7SYrF9YeNDMSiySmTFTGLbnyEMRDfZamgQskQ5VxV2Ds-gO3i1h002x7vQLFaW1af2cIbHxlhjmHlQAf8OuXT6zpWV0SMKvskS7241d_QakseP5VClYsx9YYs8vwMO2vy0q_OPrtO9VshjHVuLu5emIEy/w400-h300/CostaRica_2024_007_PlayaNegra.JPG" title="Costa Rica - Playa Negra" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsQxItfNfiqlQugBIyMN5kiXPUOhsy3-6JZd9OrTxEqHWRd5pB7RnY2Uorr8R4ut-pRdGyx2IMD8OIgOMGr_GsrfOuEEMSIcKxPnIz1Z0BaV_kx16_JgLjLAIX3yeX1Vfw-bH-Mopa7_y6omsQKoCRvQGFC6TXZRUyT4EhEbsVsQSQ0OdRrdjT/s3902/CostaRica_2024_009_PlayaNegra.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2924" data-original-width="3902" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsQxItfNfiqlQugBIyMN5kiXPUOhsy3-6JZd9OrTxEqHWRd5pB7RnY2Uorr8R4ut-pRdGyx2IMD8OIgOMGr_GsrfOuEEMSIcKxPnIz1Z0BaV_kx16_JgLjLAIX3yeX1Vfw-bH-Mopa7_y6omsQKoCRvQGFC6TXZRUyT4EhEbsVsQSQ0OdRrdjT/w400-h300/CostaRica_2024_009_PlayaNegra.JPG" title="Costa Rica - Playa Negra" width="400" /></a></div><p>On Monday morning, we took our first yoga class in the hotel's oceanfront shala. Since it was outdoors, I was afraid we might get too hot, but the continual breezes blowing through the open sided rancho kept us cool. Tori even saw an iguana in the trees during one class. We hadn't taken an official yoga class since right before the pandemic but all the positions came back to us even if we weren't as flexible. For lunch, we went to <b>La Ventana</b> for the Ahi Tuna Bagel. Tori said it was as delicious as I had described it. Every day, we relaxed during the hottest hours of the afternoon watching movies before going to the beach for a sunset swim or walk. I also learned an interesting story about the time my Dad met <b>Wilt Chamberlain</b> as a child. His father's cousin was <b>Vern Hatton</b> who played guard on the Philadelphia Warriors with Wilt and they both came to stay the night at my dad's house in 1960 when they visited Los Angeles to play the newly-arrived Lakers. My dad still has a vivid memory of shaking Wilt's giant hand while staring up at the towering 7'1" superstar. Vern only played four years in the NBA, but he scored 30 points to lead his college team, the Kentucky Wildcats, to victory in the 1958 NCAA National Championship.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwyXwiaq0TIraT9UcgesS_uQkJm79rJl0ougRAVn7o7igrcbD6q8ctTq06h2mmAdTq1gQbF6pD2UY2aWTShd8xBZlHEBD0SoU7PWF2vsUSepkkOkuunb0FNEwIUnH5uAHzm2fH-LvnkmrNYRGu5A86vQQ9O7HO8ky07QZ4NQo2BmS6wFtfNFzZ/s3897/CostaRica_2024_060_PlayaNegra.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2923" data-original-width="3897" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwyXwiaq0TIraT9UcgesS_uQkJm79rJl0ougRAVn7o7igrcbD6q8ctTq06h2mmAdTq1gQbF6pD2UY2aWTShd8xBZlHEBD0SoU7PWF2vsUSepkkOkuunb0FNEwIUnH5uAHzm2fH-LvnkmrNYRGu5A86vQQ9O7HO8ky07QZ4NQo2BmS6wFtfNFzZ/w400-h300/CostaRica_2024_060_PlayaNegra.JPG" title="Costa Rica - Hotel Playa Negra" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIYp0bE3HMK8upYCqva9QanhkVXk8pgm3tPIxJh6taqSPhXrAgFvFIJCFYJ0zq1YZXkThgUXi7Cln5ehPYx18MjCngSo9BD-sgJuez1NTsGbal-qSEAWgEta5piXsBXTicFKRp1_mT9iEz_gcCt8GKbYNgTJ-uqPNTLCrIbGwkw0h8qPMUyURr/s3833/CostaRica_2024_062_PlayaNegra.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2877" data-original-width="3833" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIYp0bE3HMK8upYCqva9QanhkVXk8pgm3tPIxJh6taqSPhXrAgFvFIJCFYJ0zq1YZXkThgUXi7Cln5ehPYx18MjCngSo9BD-sgJuez1NTsGbal-qSEAWgEta5piXsBXTicFKRp1_mT9iEz_gcCt8GKbYNgTJ-uqPNTLCrIbGwkw0h8qPMUyURr/w400-h300/CostaRica_2024_062_PlayaNegra.JPG" title="Costa Rica - Hotel Playa Negra" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDkLBiSqQjcJq5VRZgtdjKR1B85h7sY-NkwrfgkdX6Jb1bpO2xHxy-SeaKx4N6h81QHvQQgbqXcktL1MG3lmK-0Vbu_Wzkc0LOSwTazQ11SyhetZaQoglNDMI3hte93BqMLNdFir9cmWAWMbmi9JxldfPfCprPLwMLZOb-QH4xKEwT5J-ov_Qi/s3658/CostaRica_2024_063_PlayaNegra.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3658" data-original-width="2927" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDkLBiSqQjcJq5VRZgtdjKR1B85h7sY-NkwrfgkdX6Jb1bpO2xHxy-SeaKx4N6h81QHvQQgbqXcktL1MG3lmK-0Vbu_Wzkc0LOSwTazQ11SyhetZaQoglNDMI3hte93BqMLNdFir9cmWAWMbmi9JxldfPfCprPLwMLZOb-QH4xKEwT5J-ov_Qi/w320-h400/CostaRica_2024_063_PlayaNegra.JPG" title="Costa Rica - Hotel Playa Negra" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ053GizN_MkHGohKBw6AJFzbUoU_0pfeZSXEgPSHv68TPP_0oS23cxUrrnuHmFn7Wq84yICpSmcL1fT4PLY27jVQJLOjUhstqxZJIZiruDQ5JGS5PHCW6na1Kd8E0lPvKMPmRDFOBXii7cEGE1AvU1j7zsoqx-f9XPOWAfbl5GiroAG5iDR2M/s3780/CostaRica_2024_065_PlayaNegra.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3780" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ053GizN_MkHGohKBw6AJFzbUoU_0pfeZSXEgPSHv68TPP_0oS23cxUrrnuHmFn7Wq84yICpSmcL1fT4PLY27jVQJLOjUhstqxZJIZiruDQ5JGS5PHCW6na1Kd8E0lPvKMPmRDFOBXii7cEGE1AvU1j7zsoqx-f9XPOWAfbl5GiroAG5iDR2M/w320-h400/CostaRica_2024_065_PlayaNegra.JPG" title="Costa Rica - La Ventana in Playa Negra" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBZHFAWj2j-oKVNCHw4geSRvwo2DRislDCoK6QOZOHhg6MY6BBn75M0bHxwWeDa8g9M3PfadMgh1zEsI5MxwHy-5EXt7lbyqQkQ8sn6EhkA_EFS9FrnzXZLBdCdYC2gHzyrvYhp_p74v9RTb5WzwZ2g9ljd9sCSPDF3Jd0MRzFD06TJN32S4c-/s3790/CostaRica_2024_066_PlayaNegra.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2840" data-original-width="3790" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBZHFAWj2j-oKVNCHw4geSRvwo2DRislDCoK6QOZOHhg6MY6BBn75M0bHxwWeDa8g9M3PfadMgh1zEsI5MxwHy-5EXt7lbyqQkQ8sn6EhkA_EFS9FrnzXZLBdCdYC2gHzyrvYhp_p74v9RTb5WzwZ2g9ljd9sCSPDF3Jd0MRzFD06TJN32S4c-/w400-h300/CostaRica_2024_066_PlayaNegra.JPG" title="Costa Rica - Tuna Bagel at La Ventana Playa Negra" width="400" /></a></div><p>On Tuesday morning, I went surfing with my dad. Last year, the waves were too big for me for most of the trip, but this year they were perfect size. I caught five right away. Four long rights and a short but steep left. I rode the last wave all the way to the shore, jumping off in two feet of water. (I took the pictures below of other surfers enjoying the waves.) Tori joined me in the ocean for a fun swim in the shore break before we went for Gringo Burritos at <b>Jalapeño Eatery</b>. I have been singing the praises of these breakfast burritos made with homemade tortillas to Tori for two years now and I was so happy that she finally got to try one. She loved it! In the afternoon, we went for cocktails at the hotel. We enjoyed <b>Guaro Sours</b>, the national drink of Costa Rica, made with Cacique Guaro, a clear sugarcane liquor, mixed with club soda, lime juice, and sugar over ice.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_gBHV27i_0H2on8AgWx6VtNzxvK-M2jxzGTE5MsXAeJPAm1EZlPlyC09BDrcoF4gMLGP8uH66vHhNH-aSO2T-klMw800u7cdtsnOVDBfJlw0TXw2b26LNpewGtWy4aSzpNJWkrFfW-XWQ-5LRDiNnC2BeLk0aZngrWMLpE-iJyiVOBHXyDRfJ/s5909/CostaRica_2024_178_PlayaNegra.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3939" data-original-width="5909" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_gBHV27i_0H2on8AgWx6VtNzxvK-M2jxzGTE5MsXAeJPAm1EZlPlyC09BDrcoF4gMLGP8uH66vHhNH-aSO2T-klMw800u7cdtsnOVDBfJlw0TXw2b26LNpewGtWy4aSzpNJWkrFfW-XWQ-5LRDiNnC2BeLk0aZngrWMLpE-iJyiVOBHXyDRfJ/w400-h266/CostaRica_2024_178_PlayaNegra.JPG" title="Costa Rica - Surfing Playa Negra" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZWBC1VPu7V9ltyj51vusXDhqKNaON4i7QBqkYMKYJcWTdyZTstd0fFyRK_zxKT_lFJkQWiFOMaasc4kCfmjga5QjL4uXvLD3J9rFwM2e0ELxaEMVhksckJI8SoxGtnDiZXkk5TVD68A8JZN64LMxDm3cpp6DH-vlSTDh8QYNTbIRqbTnRWnvE/s5043/CostaRica_2024_212_PlayaNegra.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3362" data-original-width="5043" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZWBC1VPu7V9ltyj51vusXDhqKNaON4i7QBqkYMKYJcWTdyZTstd0fFyRK_zxKT_lFJkQWiFOMaasc4kCfmjga5QjL4uXvLD3J9rFwM2e0ELxaEMVhksckJI8SoxGtnDiZXkk5TVD68A8JZN64LMxDm3cpp6DH-vlSTDh8QYNTbIRqbTnRWnvE/w400-h266/CostaRica_2024_212_PlayaNegra.JPG" title="Costa Rica - Surfing Playa Negra" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz9SQFpjojN3Nj42GLoqxDKknFT7iIFjuwsy976fbYdY-Cuu5OyFEY4rucWE5XR2F5YOmbJuKdZsyKgsABWZNJjT7ndjr_22W66qwQhEeGA6Wb6nC0QplVbRpslBT7GjVMOXXhMlnPk_OiH3FcW4XmJfLzaNYUZd2XediknJdo87Oo164Z1Uo7/s4498/CostaRica_2024_236_PlayaNegra.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2999" data-original-width="4498" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz9SQFpjojN3Nj42GLoqxDKknFT7iIFjuwsy976fbYdY-Cuu5OyFEY4rucWE5XR2F5YOmbJuKdZsyKgsABWZNJjT7ndjr_22W66qwQhEeGA6Wb6nC0QplVbRpslBT7GjVMOXXhMlnPk_OiH3FcW4XmJfLzaNYUZd2XediknJdo87Oo164Z1Uo7/w400-h266/CostaRica_2024_236_PlayaNegra.JPG" title="Costa Rica - Surfing Playa Negra" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUDgtDUob7KJYnUlzkDkIoPwmdgjG0ov1HkomdUDpOEB3GYW33XXH0rznUjOstWQSsm1DRanm-G2yZyWIVUwqxLMWi7PQFPd5HY9ZiSYCmVdq3SbemjpRXbnqegSqSMH37n4l6fwPn9FSasKagRaqWLvtYqCGCUEdcW11qwCUPSqwBNv1VSvqM/s4458/CostaRica_2024_244_PlayaNegra.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2972" data-original-width="4458" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUDgtDUob7KJYnUlzkDkIoPwmdgjG0ov1HkomdUDpOEB3GYW33XXH0rznUjOstWQSsm1DRanm-G2yZyWIVUwqxLMWi7PQFPd5HY9ZiSYCmVdq3SbemjpRXbnqegSqSMH37n4l6fwPn9FSasKagRaqWLvtYqCGCUEdcW11qwCUPSqwBNv1VSvqM/w400-h266/CostaRica_2024_244_PlayaNegra.JPG" title="Costa Rica - Surfing Playa Negra" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2ZF-T-1SY1f84q_JBetrGu9Cq19zxAv-muiTr8s-fYEy0jmi7sxyWLGQoUx2DQqSzVVDTWfScATDjJVu0Y4oFWk0lMMuwbTVqiIHNHRHEDx58cxliSd_RilE-fx0UCRFDOxfOwmjhpzF4yDSq81yAAEtHgbUKi_aj83LV9exirTrsQ3zzRDZG/s5016/CostaRica_2024_245_PlayaNegra.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3343" data-original-width="5016" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2ZF-T-1SY1f84q_JBetrGu9Cq19zxAv-muiTr8s-fYEy0jmi7sxyWLGQoUx2DQqSzVVDTWfScATDjJVu0Y4oFWk0lMMuwbTVqiIHNHRHEDx58cxliSd_RilE-fx0UCRFDOxfOwmjhpzF4yDSq81yAAEtHgbUKi_aj83LV9exirTrsQ3zzRDZG/w400-h266/CostaRica_2024_245_PlayaNegra.JPG" title="Costa Rica - Surfing Playa Negra" width="400" /></a></div><p>On Wednesday morning, I woke up with severe vertigo. I felt dizzy whenever I moved my head up or down, especially if I tried to lie on my right side. This happened to me a few years ago during my AcroYoga practices, so I suspected it was caused by all the inverted yoga positions followed by my surfing session. I skipped Wednesday yoga and watched the surfers out in the water while Tori took the class. Luckily, watching the ocean horizon while sitting under the shade of beach trees helped calm the vertigo. I felt much improved the next morning, even though the dizziness returned if I made sudden head movements, laid down too quickly or went under the water. Even though it prevented me from surfing or taking another yoga class for the rest of the trip, I still enjoyed our beach walks and swimming in the ocean if I kept my head above the surface.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0htFj6mBSVDSDOBjHXI0As0U-wRofX0ytd4DlAmwDob2SZaxChdoWZD9DESAwVeZBtgQ7_ksqLXzSOt3sqpTsOEkl-bYoxSeFr0ZaLCLG4NxLEjh-LGBVR5lOJ__gcQ-oxFHw1XtFJxTLdM-AVgXiUq6uAPKpP_va2tkrDlnLos-tKPMCqeFK/s3812/CostaRica_2024_153_PlayaNegra.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2859" data-original-width="3812" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0htFj6mBSVDSDOBjHXI0As0U-wRofX0ytd4DlAmwDob2SZaxChdoWZD9DESAwVeZBtgQ7_ksqLXzSOt3sqpTsOEkl-bYoxSeFr0ZaLCLG4NxLEjh-LGBVR5lOJ__gcQ-oxFHw1XtFJxTLdM-AVgXiUq6uAPKpP_va2tkrDlnLos-tKPMCqeFK/w400-h300/CostaRica_2024_153_PlayaNegra.JPG" title="Costa Rica - Playa Negra" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuZ_5LPlzVubgvH1dd62o5BaFwsxKacKKlvKTigg7-6rIeGNZIPVrdj1QjE1zGyuD2dvg-5QZuL6HJIld_pqlNwKuQw89kZZNjeFipxUSsUmqdjCJgfrdoGaw9qeB3Yz7KGLY0snH5QhzgvLmi9h-XguYsZl6nUTHRlceTC4PpUmHmvFA3sd-a/s6000/CostaRica_2024_154_PlayaNegra.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="6000" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuZ_5LPlzVubgvH1dd62o5BaFwsxKacKKlvKTigg7-6rIeGNZIPVrdj1QjE1zGyuD2dvg-5QZuL6HJIld_pqlNwKuQw89kZZNjeFipxUSsUmqdjCJgfrdoGaw9qeB3Yz7KGLY0snH5QhzgvLmi9h-XguYsZl6nUTHRlceTC4PpUmHmvFA3sd-a/w400-h266/CostaRica_2024_154_PlayaNegra.JPG" title="Costa Rica - Black Spiny-Tailed Iguanas in Playa Negra" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh58ooZlxCz8P3lvA0XqawPejCOc3l_TY9cKDty4svCffFA_SLTwKyYTVKjyppUz1hPhs6YXEKt_TQTrq18HADECnoZj8xjdCXJ7ZjzP8MnimovRcmkk1CQ1K1T61CmxWqLP04JirpQW-qLyJNv4BUHyctgPslbZijqDfHY8wYJtZQbqN9t21Lj/s3952/CostaRica_2024_158_PlayaNegra.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2964" data-original-width="3952" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh58ooZlxCz8P3lvA0XqawPejCOc3l_TY9cKDty4svCffFA_SLTwKyYTVKjyppUz1hPhs6YXEKt_TQTrq18HADECnoZj8xjdCXJ7ZjzP8MnimovRcmkk1CQ1K1T61CmxWqLP04JirpQW-qLyJNv4BUHyctgPslbZijqDfHY8wYJtZQbqN9t21Lj/w400-h300/CostaRica_2024_158_PlayaNegra.JPG" title="Costa Rica - Playa Negra" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3jBfJT1vWxNpfSc-AEoHmf8D82b0F1LOzq03aEiTrMJW9tiQMTWh3Rq22t-LPfH93M6t_iuFEwsQ1i24jjWyZiFzT6bxkcgvSjTt8JCWbysX4xzfV7mcNU85_u9DI86cpXokRtQ0YTpARlf261IxqXHwN4O_NhJX006epC8ef9qMwZpCxeZyt/s3985/CostaRica_2024_160_PlayaNegra.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2989" data-original-width="3985" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3jBfJT1vWxNpfSc-AEoHmf8D82b0F1LOzq03aEiTrMJW9tiQMTWh3Rq22t-LPfH93M6t_iuFEwsQ1i24jjWyZiFzT6bxkcgvSjTt8JCWbysX4xzfV7mcNU85_u9DI86cpXokRtQ0YTpARlf261IxqXHwN4O_NhJX006epC8ef9qMwZpCxeZyt/w400-h300/CostaRica_2024_160_PlayaNegra.JPG" title="Costa Rica - Playa Negra" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiDDsXlTbz_glyKf5qKUa7NT7t4r58SQ2JVegrvcc1-izQf74Xg0QGaDDqfl-oSFsZCZNGnj49wbWEeuGeuj6wkxCfQf36qNGc-ObMDAFNArlIeGuey70OIIJMuj4HhaCrk2fKr_hgluSdvpZhC9evHj8Y7ggOcBzIgmyzYILVM4j852aibJ5T/s3914/CostaRica_2024_164_PlayaNegra.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2933" data-original-width="3914" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiDDsXlTbz_glyKf5qKUa7NT7t4r58SQ2JVegrvcc1-izQf74Xg0QGaDDqfl-oSFsZCZNGnj49wbWEeuGeuj6wkxCfQf36qNGc-ObMDAFNArlIeGuey70OIIJMuj4HhaCrk2fKr_hgluSdvpZhC9evHj8Y7ggOcBzIgmyzYILVM4j852aibJ5T/w400-h300/CostaRica_2024_164_PlayaNegra.JPG" title="Costa Rica - Playa Negra" width="400" /></a></div><p>On Thursday, we went to <b>Mycelium</b> for the first time. I saw the new Asian fusion restaurant in town last year, but never tried it. The yoga teacher mentioned that they started serving brunch this year so we decided to go. We started with the <b>Vietnamese Sweet and Salty Coffee</b>. It was fun to watch the pour-over coffee drip from the metal container containing the grounds into the condensed milk in the bottom glass. I ordered the <b>Savory French Toast & Grilled Cheese</b> (sourdough rye bread battered in eggs, grilled cheese, salad) and Tori had the <b>Pan-Fried Chinese Buns</b> (hoisin mushroom stew, Thai salad, avocado, kimchi, chipotle mayo, greens). We both loved our dishes and ended up coming back two more times for dinner and our final breakfast. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwA_HqhbetXb-IzxUmB7Ep2KNpdezKiOEdfQDrg0x7I47QMGKYBH2-p1-JhyphenhyphenT9vdzypR50o4T5zWsepaCONPp4PnasJj_zHfQ0KJXX_DtvcR1BGaZp0AvMWpp3TOB8QBR8yCEZQ__nVCGJOgM04ctSqjwjAd7-40MF1IrSaP3v22Gjb3tTdRCj/s3986/CostaRica_2024_086_PlayaNegra.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2987" data-original-width="3986" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwA_HqhbetXb-IzxUmB7Ep2KNpdezKiOEdfQDrg0x7I47QMGKYBH2-p1-JhyphenhyphenT9vdzypR50o4T5zWsepaCONPp4PnasJj_zHfQ0KJXX_DtvcR1BGaZp0AvMWpp3TOB8QBR8yCEZQ__nVCGJOgM04ctSqjwjAd7-40MF1IrSaP3v22Gjb3tTdRCj/w400-h300/CostaRica_2024_086_PlayaNegra.JPG" title="Costa Rica - Mycelium in Playa Negra" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNQB6knMfMeUaX8s7_Zy6uoTORNIfrhId9TXogHLMmCxxYtpqhhlEHqW-KyiQbO2w9eDvUT1UE83XbiLR8DP1983dU8sqJNmI0UhKNgCykkbQA5sTrjkQQh4Y0oINnmeZMCKWE_X9yGddcXm9_W9V4rLKW807qQAtKMP8OUaQA2MP4HHayfsRc/s3985/CostaRica_2024_090_PlayaNegra.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2989" data-original-width="3985" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNQB6knMfMeUaX8s7_Zy6uoTORNIfrhId9TXogHLMmCxxYtpqhhlEHqW-KyiQbO2w9eDvUT1UE83XbiLR8DP1983dU8sqJNmI0UhKNgCykkbQA5sTrjkQQh4Y0oINnmeZMCKWE_X9yGddcXm9_W9V4rLKW807qQAtKMP8OUaQA2MP4HHayfsRc/w400-h300/CostaRica_2024_090_PlayaNegra.JPG" title="Costa Rica - Mycelium in Playa Negra" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD9y9GsA_YM1vnhNlo0Rmdc6STZTF5PkMxeKp9-jmAJB7r9Zp5CQIpfOz0EyZGQ-U_nSKVrQ0T8EdDYxur7oRPJ2u1xkv-pnDJ-YpRCqOW2m4YiVh5YbXv9QIV2Kk-zQBMCiCF0QFCO5Zy2792i1FLOaYj6HG3YJu5A5pHJQR-ATgY3vkDUM3z/s2482/CostaRica_2024_100_PlayaNegra.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2482" data-original-width="1986" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD9y9GsA_YM1vnhNlo0Rmdc6STZTF5PkMxeKp9-jmAJB7r9Zp5CQIpfOz0EyZGQ-U_nSKVrQ0T8EdDYxur7oRPJ2u1xkv-pnDJ-YpRCqOW2m4YiVh5YbXv9QIV2Kk-zQBMCiCF0QFCO5Zy2792i1FLOaYj6HG3YJu5A5pHJQR-ATgY3vkDUM3z/w320-h400/CostaRica_2024_100_PlayaNegra.JPG" title="Costa Rica - Mycelium in Playa Negra" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWevmN8uqVMB15zL4M7XqSA4FHCeuilM4cmAyFsiL5iF5PxH4VisQk92AJ8HYTZUOFnbVVeIdl7Kg5vJkU6jpC92Hy-aIt24MZu6oybTgOY6IwuGIckaijqGthv_s_6Ys0fhrFOEytstkU8wcVD1qeepJGwysKSWUqTHkYifvkSLFlNUzHXhYB/s3728/CostaRica_2024_102_PlayaNegra.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3728" data-original-width="2983" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWevmN8uqVMB15zL4M7XqSA4FHCeuilM4cmAyFsiL5iF5PxH4VisQk92AJ8HYTZUOFnbVVeIdl7Kg5vJkU6jpC92Hy-aIt24MZu6oybTgOY6IwuGIckaijqGthv_s_6Ys0fhrFOEytstkU8wcVD1qeepJGwysKSWUqTHkYifvkSLFlNUzHXhYB/w320-h400/CostaRica_2024_102_PlayaNegra.JPG" title="Costa Rica - Mycelium in Playa Negra" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh53nPqF64ktKD2zkom9Ov0WpsqwkzuNwsDUKqUpQRcsueNsTlXKqb6XzUj0o0J-T8CKpvtpfz5l1XCNBtRSknisJbBUt0erfwyZvQflE3xiwqIA69FMqfuf_tHnaoMRYAjPoL707E5GCjKG8hPbrzNQIAxgSmntPwI45HYGhlLud50h75WDXwt/s3922/CostaRica_2024_106_PlayaNegra.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2939" data-original-width="3922" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh53nPqF64ktKD2zkom9Ov0WpsqwkzuNwsDUKqUpQRcsueNsTlXKqb6XzUj0o0J-T8CKpvtpfz5l1XCNBtRSknisJbBUt0erfwyZvQflE3xiwqIA69FMqfuf_tHnaoMRYAjPoL707E5GCjKG8hPbrzNQIAxgSmntPwI45HYGhlLud50h75WDXwt/w400-h300/CostaRica_2024_106_PlayaNegra.JPG" title="Costa Rica - Mycelium in Playa Negra" width="400" /></a></div><p>After breakfast, I had a nice time sitting in the backyard and watching the local iguanas. Two of the male <b>Black Spiny-Tailed Iguanas</b> were fighting over the attentions of a female. Every time the intruding male approached too close, the resident male who lives under the sidewalk would chase him off at high speed. They are considered the world's fastest lizard by the Guinness Book of World Records who lists the maximum speed at 21.5 mph. One of my pictures shows a puff of dirt behind the male chasing a female. The same afternoon, a <b>Howler Monkey</b> climbed down out of a tree and crossed the backyard and disappeared in into the finca. It is rare to ever see them on the ground. When the temperature cooled later in the day, Tori and I took our longest beach walk of the trip. The tide was really low so we walked around the northern point of Playa Negra where we normally stop and crossed the long expanse of exposed lava reef. As we rounded the next point in the far distance, I could see the sandy stretch of Playa Lagartillo where I saw the Sea Turtle laying her eggs in 2022.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1H1JZqzWZZph0ycLD9qfYMhQrSVJYtSqU0ABtV1LoiBStOxZqMEfWMVDR-lQXqHysFiCSQb0jeVhrV0tkFsNSzOMeaPfF59hshwRewk1fY5hr7IO0ix1G7M-kwSMs3mwEVFPoCkJ9g3riaGg1wUvvIzvLQTOX2Yh23I_hqf4iYnHH1pdFk8zE/s3721/CostaRica_2024_109_PlayaNegra.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2480" data-original-width="3721" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1H1JZqzWZZph0ycLD9qfYMhQrSVJYtSqU0ABtV1LoiBStOxZqMEfWMVDR-lQXqHysFiCSQb0jeVhrV0tkFsNSzOMeaPfF59hshwRewk1fY5hr7IO0ix1G7M-kwSMs3mwEVFPoCkJ9g3riaGg1wUvvIzvLQTOX2Yh23I_hqf4iYnHH1pdFk8zE/w400-h266/CostaRica_2024_109_PlayaNegra.JPG" title="Costa Rica - Black Spiny-Tailed Iguanas in Playa Negra" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiekFs93sAneOEYSgmxnlPgMBGVYNMS1VqGE3oIXHAC0GmUcfp0DmV0pNbVTcFtUvL_HyaHCFXgoSKeXhyphenhyphenGWD0S_4XinqD_YE02xu_-SgeTK5Kpa9kuwqLcPqqgH1jK2pALXylwz6PNEV_S24Y-1rqhf4UY1atfCn_C9qWI0LNkokyqNzw66FHp/s4816/CostaRica_2024_112_PlayaNegra.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3211" data-original-width="4816" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiekFs93sAneOEYSgmxnlPgMBGVYNMS1VqGE3oIXHAC0GmUcfp0DmV0pNbVTcFtUvL_HyaHCFXgoSKeXhyphenhyphenGWD0S_4XinqD_YE02xu_-SgeTK5Kpa9kuwqLcPqqgH1jK2pALXylwz6PNEV_S24Y-1rqhf4UY1atfCn_C9qWI0LNkokyqNzw66FHp/w400-h266/CostaRica_2024_112_PlayaNegra.JPG" title="Costa Rica - Black Spiny-Tailed Iguanas in Playa Negra" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIxM3TYCR_nooI_3vIZy9jibAvb-HaRrG-SAQEz5Cy0ARATZdeSWX_e5nmTp21A6FhJh-6GdkPJpmpzLE3DwBfTSM11exSASYKD1UrhGItbs9nL5JTH_QReP18RPMvHfP542uNgSFuDwcylbSlpTmBAUpK1nfdbKZfZQV3ea9XRF90BRBhtmSX/s4032/CostaRica_2024_117_PlayaNegra.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIxM3TYCR_nooI_3vIZy9jibAvb-HaRrG-SAQEz5Cy0ARATZdeSWX_e5nmTp21A6FhJh-6GdkPJpmpzLE3DwBfTSM11exSASYKD1UrhGItbs9nL5JTH_QReP18RPMvHfP542uNgSFuDwcylbSlpTmBAUpK1nfdbKZfZQV3ea9XRF90BRBhtmSX/w400-h225/CostaRica_2024_117_PlayaNegra.JPG" title="Costa Rica - Playa Negra" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPo9r8Kwvx9wn5sTzMo2ENCN0792SwOHaZXymiGoHBkxFtSStdxiUDoHIDDJ92DvZ4OG7b1eaE24_w1pqUhLP0EvbgnLDzOZRxvpcCVmcNQzPVt1oBe6dFfmj_prW1SpGsg69wD3CQWMOAkumWRoTnVmyEmNSC7-UhvFaO96sS9XsY_xl9UWBP/s4032/CostaRica_2024_150_PlayaNegra.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPo9r8Kwvx9wn5sTzMo2ENCN0792SwOHaZXymiGoHBkxFtSStdxiUDoHIDDJ92DvZ4OG7b1eaE24_w1pqUhLP0EvbgnLDzOZRxvpcCVmcNQzPVt1oBe6dFfmj_prW1SpGsg69wD3CQWMOAkumWRoTnVmyEmNSC7-UhvFaO96sS9XsY_xl9UWBP/w400-h225/CostaRica_2024_150_PlayaNegra.JPG" title="Costa Rica - Playa Negra" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKaDZo4TsJB8YGM9qfdK8xQj7_1MHSm2tGsEXZgjX60mhfTMVajVhT1n3Db6o5wBTiyPfWBShbORfklbClD5yMr3KXFUHm0QmNuVKckfXRWuBYXRWNwdJsx7-Hqasin2GNKtm2jqnoerKyeI3LyoW43DgzYB9j5AGVNtUtY1eMm3pVzosM699E/s4032/CostaRica_2024_152_PlayaNegra.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKaDZo4TsJB8YGM9qfdK8xQj7_1MHSm2tGsEXZgjX60mhfTMVajVhT1n3Db6o5wBTiyPfWBShbORfklbClD5yMr3KXFUHm0QmNuVKckfXRWuBYXRWNwdJsx7-Hqasin2GNKtm2jqnoerKyeI3LyoW43DgzYB9j5AGVNtUtY1eMm3pVzosM699E/w400-h300/CostaRica_2024_152_PlayaNegra.JPG" title="Costa Rica - Playa Negra" width="400" /></a></div><p>After Tori's yoga class on Friday morning, we returned to Jalapeño's. After all the breakfast burritos, I wanted to try their lunch menu. We shared the <b>Summer Dreams Salad</b> while I ordered the tasty <b>BarbaKoa Burrito</b> filled with carnitas, coleslaw, rice, beans, cheese, sour cream and salsa. Tori enjoyed the <b>Smoked Fish Wrap</b> with cheese, greens, salsa and honey chipotle dressing. In the evening, we decided to try a little <b>Standing Acro</b> on our beach walk. I was worried that my dizziness would affect me, but I had no problems since I was standing upright. It was fun trying to find different spots for Tori to hop up onto my legs. Since most of the spots had rocks or exposed reef, we mostly stuck to the safer <b>Reverse Thigh Stand</b> but we did try <b>Flag Pose</b> and <b>Thigh Stand Counter Balance</b> in sandier spots.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwOrYW421KPUQ4hnin2WpQZ2OiPKKxzlAh2x8oomAaKMaFOZr-G5eSVwZSKRMZa5zyBqLjl_6xM-8eCt7XWiRc6B-Yv8MlquyimmTXBLV-Mi49jf1AwFZ9ruiPdcGnQuZ-GRDG5f7kU9yin66fK8OKOxiJUmMIC8x1vzilT4-8oDhLoUckMpft/s3732/CostaRica_2024_292_PlayaNegra.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2098" data-original-width="3732" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwOrYW421KPUQ4hnin2WpQZ2OiPKKxzlAh2x8oomAaKMaFOZr-G5eSVwZSKRMZa5zyBqLjl_6xM-8eCt7XWiRc6B-Yv8MlquyimmTXBLV-Mi49jf1AwFZ9ruiPdcGnQuZ-GRDG5f7kU9yin66fK8OKOxiJUmMIC8x1vzilT4-8oDhLoUckMpft/w400-h225/CostaRica_2024_292_PlayaNegra.JPG" title="Costa Rica - Standing Acro in Playa Negra" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7sq70Ll4Pe-zpo_BeYdX58O3RJb1Ga72-8Z9p-iIO6V_3vPuzp1jSY5w23KQM2t-foowBjniSet3AJMmjOwaMxIVfb0t_0PMqvwX843cnLxevC36OK6wjFwktrLOw0gD3wXEDYkdWNPGJj7aUTYKlCU55okV5qiw2xWiQtiM5_fv56N2syrjL/s3985/CostaRica_2024_302_PlayaNegra.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2989" data-original-width="3985" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7sq70Ll4Pe-zpo_BeYdX58O3RJb1Ga72-8Z9p-iIO6V_3vPuzp1jSY5w23KQM2t-foowBjniSet3AJMmjOwaMxIVfb0t_0PMqvwX843cnLxevC36OK6wjFwktrLOw0gD3wXEDYkdWNPGJj7aUTYKlCU55okV5qiw2xWiQtiM5_fv56N2syrjL/w400-h300/CostaRica_2024_302_PlayaNegra.JPG" title="Costa Rica - Standing Acro in Playa Negra" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisi9_ngQPMH1_CSS1O03nHmw3F9f9_PWixAgYimDl0X1llyj7lbp9FPwJRqrSEBgkuYjlOl4OkFaGWdcKyf9AxyT3OK0biIatflr3o_U1jPNa_dvR323Jrt8H7eXL9PtxKtKJAHHjgnZjL9CJG2mqhw_7qD6cfUFdMCsMMCtvS6KH0PP3Ud0uR/s3963/CostaRica_2024_304_PlayaNegra.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2227" data-original-width="3963" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisi9_ngQPMH1_CSS1O03nHmw3F9f9_PWixAgYimDl0X1llyj7lbp9FPwJRqrSEBgkuYjlOl4OkFaGWdcKyf9AxyT3OK0biIatflr3o_U1jPNa_dvR323Jrt8H7eXL9PtxKtKJAHHjgnZjL9CJG2mqhw_7qD6cfUFdMCsMMCtvS6KH0PP3Ud0uR/w400-h225/CostaRica_2024_304_PlayaNegra.JPG" title="Costa Rica - Standing Acro in Playa Negra" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI2gbQ4c2g2RPJO1JjapiUpUelsk3GpxRbghGVvXtLJERUMj13Qx9iS_hSCNnHpaKnmKBmerKyA28rvgqfPOxAYu7vhLfgVe6AgCeYg8XIws5wAQe_OkeLtyJUl2TJ9lrjO964fM14gDXER5oof5b0K9ay5b-Q-yNARMw2G6jtxc6mTYA75Kgm/s3918/CostaRica_2024_307_PlayaNegra.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2936" data-original-width="3918" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI2gbQ4c2g2RPJO1JjapiUpUelsk3GpxRbghGVvXtLJERUMj13Qx9iS_hSCNnHpaKnmKBmerKyA28rvgqfPOxAYu7vhLfgVe6AgCeYg8XIws5wAQe_OkeLtyJUl2TJ9lrjO964fM14gDXER5oof5b0K9ay5b-Q-yNARMw2G6jtxc6mTYA75Kgm/w400-h300/CostaRica_2024_307_PlayaNegra.JPG" title="Costa Rica - Standing Acro in Playa Negra" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPEyXOtSxUSr5z4OMJccnCDMUinbmi_z4ywOaW7jc3dTGEGG8_wLUIkLP6VIu3UlN93fs8WhhctfqJh-7KgFRiaroHCN5K1YG9yyxA_nAvEFfx4ntcgq69RNpp_iEyQiyDq5B8u-kUSC-HpcH3l7c5IgDsWAlk11ZNw4hU7FhmOb-fhNRNpAzP/s3645/CostaRica_2024_310_PlayaNegra.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3645" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPEyXOtSxUSr5z4OMJccnCDMUinbmi_z4ywOaW7jc3dTGEGG8_wLUIkLP6VIu3UlN93fs8WhhctfqJh-7KgFRiaroHCN5K1YG9yyxA_nAvEFfx4ntcgq69RNpp_iEyQiyDq5B8u-kUSC-HpcH3l7c5IgDsWAlk11ZNw4hU7FhmOb-fhNRNpAzP/w400-h300/CostaRica_2024_310_PlayaNegra.JPG" title="Costa Rica - Standing Acro in Playa Negra" width="400" /></a></div><p>On Saturday, we went to the <b>Corazón Surf Café</b> for an early lunch after our morning swim. I forgot my phone at our table and didn't notice until we got home. Luckily, they saved it for me behind the counter after a nervous walk back in scorching midday sun to search for it. Phew! After our final sunset walk on the beach, we went for our dinner reservations at <b>Mycelium</b>. We had hoped for a seat at the bar looking into the open kitchen but the busy restaurant was full so we sat at the fun communal table shared with at least 16 other diners. After cocktails, I ordered the <b>Chicken Pho Noodle Bowl</b> (sous-vide & grilled chicken, rice noodles, Vietnamese broth, herbs, greens). The broth was amazing, the best Pho I have ever had! Tori loved <b>Thai Glass Noodle & Cashew Salad</b> (papaya, pomelo, mango dressing, sesame, peanuts, greens). For desert, we shared the <b>Vanilla & Gingerbread Gelato "Trits"</b> (strawberries, gooseberries, strawberry gel) and the <b>Japanese Mochi Ice Cream Cake</b> (avocado & black sesame gelato, honeydew melon, vanilla custard). I was chatting with the friendly co-owner, Robi, after our meal, telling him how much I loved the Pho and he mentioned that his wife, Chef Kamu, trained in a Michelin Star restaurant in Vietnam.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjedm7dbDPPqWXWmxqhYZQyiCC6nR6LJE0lGcpgF7tqBpQIamqJFWSW5HREMbVu7sCaJLzYwjGH7fIXKqiP61ZlMRV4lyjq2lsJEvE_rr3VXsFCULxR73G5kuYRvJMlAkCELgoc9wv4nMnAxfz6f4pLTeSCJ-_5qTL2veQqC5kCjY291IIIvwg8/s3958/CostaRica_2024_320_PlayaNegra.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2968" data-original-width="3958" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjedm7dbDPPqWXWmxqhYZQyiCC6nR6LJE0lGcpgF7tqBpQIamqJFWSW5HREMbVu7sCaJLzYwjGH7fIXKqiP61ZlMRV4lyjq2lsJEvE_rr3VXsFCULxR73G5kuYRvJMlAkCELgoc9wv4nMnAxfz6f4pLTeSCJ-_5qTL2veQqC5kCjY291IIIvwg8/w400-h300/CostaRica_2024_320_PlayaNegra.JPG" title="Costa Rica - Corazón Surf Café in Playa Negra" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC37mH3SIy_tam2nzqkFY377otZjrwu16y19i987sSr1eR526DT00UV67NZe24HKTAW7dBgVRi13UIKJmCkW-snJrHlhYvBkUv2AKQzBZ0AEOZgTR6d_s0Ab4YqclzgzMoEJR1cPCsvAnzn-n58BDG9kV1lnTiQxoqwjPZPMeN8elOX-frY_52/s4032/CostaRica_2024_360_PlayaNegra.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC37mH3SIy_tam2nzqkFY377otZjrwu16y19i987sSr1eR526DT00UV67NZe24HKTAW7dBgVRi13UIKJmCkW-snJrHlhYvBkUv2AKQzBZ0AEOZgTR6d_s0Ab4YqclzgzMoEJR1cPCsvAnzn-n58BDG9kV1lnTiQxoqwjPZPMeN8elOX-frY_52/w400-h225/CostaRica_2024_360_PlayaNegra.JPG" title="Costa Rica - Playa Negra" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD1pBaqGZDazNf5djcDiPtbXxLB1Vj_KljnRGDTXaaNIxLsVwo7whFn4v64y9Zq-DQVpog-RtjOQOXvpUk9d98BNBu4S_8Wa9JrA7Yvtg4bgroa9WUkpDazY2TOTAnJ9xO7SWUNLj4tDL7S-GY0GKpqv4jJjxLBJrbcd2WFhaCGmF5WMVGdq7F/s4096/CostaRica_2024_365_PlayaNegra.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2144" data-original-width="4096" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD1pBaqGZDazNf5djcDiPtbXxLB1Vj_KljnRGDTXaaNIxLsVwo7whFn4v64y9Zq-DQVpog-RtjOQOXvpUk9d98BNBu4S_8Wa9JrA7Yvtg4bgroa9WUkpDazY2TOTAnJ9xO7SWUNLj4tDL7S-GY0GKpqv4jJjxLBJrbcd2WFhaCGmF5WMVGdq7F/w400-h210/CostaRica_2024_365_PlayaNegra.JPG" title="Costa Rica - Playa Negra" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjovmJVP5RiAx6Ef6htT30CifNXE96qsmex9BTFOVTxdjTgY04KO7U-dTjNwTo_L0VbPmDm1WiSJHHN2qHRvSTugMuowyz8KSAluXDc6p7rmCLITjDtMOBl2Z6hnf5zaAURXrohLMkh7CbqsBts8__cyyx5nFimVWM6iYJfaQsW7NpPPHVD2SDo/s2833/CostaRica_2024_381_PlayaNegra.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2833" data-original-width="2267" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjovmJVP5RiAx6Ef6htT30CifNXE96qsmex9BTFOVTxdjTgY04KO7U-dTjNwTo_L0VbPmDm1WiSJHHN2qHRvSTugMuowyz8KSAluXDc6p7rmCLITjDtMOBl2Z6hnf5zaAURXrohLMkh7CbqsBts8__cyyx5nFimVWM6iYJfaQsW7NpPPHVD2SDo/w320-h400/CostaRica_2024_381_PlayaNegra.JPG" title="Costa Rica - Mycelium in Playa Negra" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKZsDncKErbhVq0GlgVhfS6DK8lcrBZ5EsRXpJl7ST5VWYEokN7MlDWyDcsXu7il61yk19G3BczYqxy8Pex6nYx-pud4zuJk13R33Kqd5LRjgyTKA50o6dATh2FcjL0fi4UsVth2hvUxH30pEXDV92r7O1Q_6Vvc_SFXk8sRsEm3ls1z-4rTrX/s3756/CostaRica_2024_384_PlayaNegra.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3756" data-original-width="3005" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKZsDncKErbhVq0GlgVhfS6DK8lcrBZ5EsRXpJl7ST5VWYEokN7MlDWyDcsXu7il61yk19G3BczYqxy8Pex6nYx-pud4zuJk13R33Kqd5LRjgyTKA50o6dATh2FcjL0fi4UsVth2hvUxH30pEXDV92r7O1Q_6Vvc_SFXk8sRsEm3ls1z-4rTrX/w320-h400/CostaRica_2024_384_PlayaNegra.JPG" title="Costa Rica - Mycelium in Playa Negra" width="320" /></a></div><p>On our last morning, we saw a huge <b>Black Vulture</b> perched in the Guanacaste Tree next door before we went for our final morning swim. Normally, they are just omnipresence specks, circling high in the sky. For our last breakfast at Mycelium, we sat at the counter and had a nice view into the kitchen. While I ordered the French Toast again, Tori tried the <b>Teriyaki Mushroom Bowl</b> (rice, beans, peas, mushroom stew, nuts, shiitake, teriyaki sauce, greens). It was a great last meal before packing for home. Flori picked us up at 1pm to drive us to the airport. I was nervous about how I my vertigo would handle the long car ride, but I was fine sitting in the front seat watching the horizon. The airport was much busier than normal and we barely had time to grab a sandwich after the long security line before boarding. The Dramamine I bought before the flight worked like a charm and the bumpy flight caused no problems.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjERN1l7dP9YRW5pktdg43Qzg__PAZX_zXgftxEepd1cuPaFYmfVFKHoZk8FJM3_cbc56qDKLJwn735UOfFDF105U5h3uD_6A0GoCv486B2nLTnkTQqLljtpPcsLN6hjHNJxycjA49Atk7_0d9ora4nam3ige9GtiOom5Hv6IHHjBfOkRoL3d3W/s4096/CostaRica_2024_390_PlayaNegra.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2730" data-original-width="4096" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjERN1l7dP9YRW5pktdg43Qzg__PAZX_zXgftxEepd1cuPaFYmfVFKHoZk8FJM3_cbc56qDKLJwn735UOfFDF105U5h3uD_6A0GoCv486B2nLTnkTQqLljtpPcsLN6hjHNJxycjA49Atk7_0d9ora4nam3ige9GtiOom5Hv6IHHjBfOkRoL3d3W/w400-h266/CostaRica_2024_390_PlayaNegra.JPG" title="Costa Rica - Playa Negra" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpMQRxHNIDqB1-Hyyp7JG1CFm_ee-c7YTlNy5mVqNeJvR5JuoaYgllMbb3UQRI47a98Q4FRZY7GtMTkx0wpWK6t8CN5AL8msHyLbeDinWeE6ZQ8v4Vt884lK6y7_38QjfrtpPWxori5hdrhxZFVv906m8Gyp0AKmNdDhjMWC8m1OI3JrxmmXPP/s3991/CostaRica_2024_392_PlayaNegra.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2997" data-original-width="3991" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpMQRxHNIDqB1-Hyyp7JG1CFm_ee-c7YTlNy5mVqNeJvR5JuoaYgllMbb3UQRI47a98Q4FRZY7GtMTkx0wpWK6t8CN5AL8msHyLbeDinWeE6ZQ8v4Vt884lK6y7_38QjfrtpPWxori5hdrhxZFVv906m8Gyp0AKmNdDhjMWC8m1OI3JrxmmXPP/w400-h300/CostaRica_2024_392_PlayaNegra.JPG" title="Costa Rica - Mycelium in Playa Negra" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3eK3h3fzmKtNQMuPHEsSSUE8sRY4oamOxkXWIoFcAt494e9W9QOkWKKUFQ5jGxIadd_T6jlC9NYMEKenFWFHqGjXzSDuOK1fLPd4vdVpLTp1loHe8EHGzD5J4vUOWoTFnKVlAmCprS6EcOeZdp9rnMYV-KLEJjSM-3oW5KY1WmrjsbiUAg-me/s3780/CostaRica_2024_395_PlayaNegra.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3780" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3eK3h3fzmKtNQMuPHEsSSUE8sRY4oamOxkXWIoFcAt494e9W9QOkWKKUFQ5jGxIadd_T6jlC9NYMEKenFWFHqGjXzSDuOK1fLPd4vdVpLTp1loHe8EHGzD5J4vUOWoTFnKVlAmCprS6EcOeZdp9rnMYV-KLEJjSM-3oW5KY1WmrjsbiUAg-me/w320-h400/CostaRica_2024_395_PlayaNegra.JPG" title="Costa Rica - Mycelium in Playa Negra" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy2yYVLJUhUJ4b9AmslQcQi3IO56FKgwFkA2lqxmaU8Bawr_lmVs7V775PoWtLDxMgJMqoh3lkOPn0fiKQ0C3Xp8GnDIrp6XPIeXfVBteNGeuMY1EQEnQvX05VOqew83n2FWf9gDF20qQun19h0qiegBGO-DDXoXKoZz3gSVCNcGXqrl1E9Brn/s3770/CostaRica_2024_396_PlayaNegra.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3770" data-original-width="3016" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy2yYVLJUhUJ4b9AmslQcQi3IO56FKgwFkA2lqxmaU8Bawr_lmVs7V775PoWtLDxMgJMqoh3lkOPn0fiKQ0C3Xp8GnDIrp6XPIeXfVBteNGeuMY1EQEnQvX05VOqew83n2FWf9gDF20qQun19h0qiegBGO-DDXoXKoZz3gSVCNcGXqrl1E9Brn/w320-h400/CostaRica_2024_396_PlayaNegra.JPG" title="Costa Rica - Mycelium in Playa Negra" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_B23Z05fz94ck5kPxdXYvFBcjKa_qUSoEdcITUzRFik5sHNzW_YyUrYWdo1_kpoGPCH2l8J6vIV_Fum8Hccx1vOZfJI83ZNp3_hhQmqCZs7n4cuSllAVFneTFmGPsq2fw0fugL_lWxTkaTh8pMcBQMYXiY9-DfYrojnXXvDYxVydtW3fKA0dE/s3814/CostaRica_2024_397_PlayaNegra.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2858" data-original-width="3814" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_B23Z05fz94ck5kPxdXYvFBcjKa_qUSoEdcITUzRFik5sHNzW_YyUrYWdo1_kpoGPCH2l8J6vIV_Fum8Hccx1vOZfJI83ZNp3_hhQmqCZs7n4cuSllAVFneTFmGPsq2fw0fugL_lWxTkaTh8pMcBQMYXiY9-DfYrojnXXvDYxVydtW3fKA0dE/w400-h300/CostaRica_2024_397_PlayaNegra.JPG" title="Costa Rica - Mycelium in Playa Negra" width="400" /></a></div><p>We originally planned to celebrate the actual date of our <b>10th Wedding Anniversary</b> in Costa Rica, but since we had to move the trip up a week for the flight credit, we flew home the day before January 22nd. To celebrate, we went to dinner at <b>Javier's</b>. We heard great things from a friend about the new fancy Mexican restaurant in UTC La Jolla. Tori ordered the <b>Enchiladas de Cangrejo</b> (Dungeness crab) and I had the <b>Carne Tampiqueña</b> (New York cut, enchilada de camarón, beef taquito). Everything was very good, but the Shrimp Enchilada was amazing! For dessert, we shared the <b>Churros</b> with vanilla bean ice cream.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfzA21uooz2l8RwrPdkW7LqOjSRmglCoA-opj-w2o9s0BVfvY2Es4DL5uuN9TSIiX9aHoenp1bz2BowFgDZth47kTi6MabbOZSr8_yFZimu3EzrgA-E7SDhrpdFPOeBtCr2xDfJt-yTsNLMTgYpuowTQ4lPFSpOjsND86yH4xVysyrHMzFfDHp/s3780/Javiers02_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3780" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfzA21uooz2l8RwrPdkW7LqOjSRmglCoA-opj-w2o9s0BVfvY2Es4DL5uuN9TSIiX9aHoenp1bz2BowFgDZth47kTi6MabbOZSr8_yFZimu3EzrgA-E7SDhrpdFPOeBtCr2xDfJt-yTsNLMTgYpuowTQ4lPFSpOjsND86yH4xVysyrHMzFfDHp/w320-h400/Javiers02_Insta.JPG" title="Javier's - 10th Wedding Anniversary" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxfDcAID4AZDO8Vqce1Gy5td0VjACuggCo7wbq3AL28ooUdUdlDOQZzfAH7fjyt1sdY-UK9uKyJgQCscXY9151XPvmX5D-dMFDG8bVj7dHXxfb6RW1emEn24ClKDQl9xYb2QUM_kbMBNXF0Lrf634iQoH4ZKwtOozRzPQNI8fYYurAuLyNrepo/s3628/Javiers05_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3628" data-original-width="2903" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxfDcAID4AZDO8Vqce1Gy5td0VjACuggCo7wbq3AL28ooUdUdlDOQZzfAH7fjyt1sdY-UK9uKyJgQCscXY9151XPvmX5D-dMFDG8bVj7dHXxfb6RW1emEn24ClKDQl9xYb2QUM_kbMBNXF0Lrf634iQoH4ZKwtOozRzPQNI8fYYurAuLyNrepo/w320-h400/Javiers05_Insta.JPG" title="Javier's - 10th Wedding Anniversary" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7LGhyphenhyphenqZ7FSxDkREmH3m-C7Ecbu_NFI3DHq1TLOpxHe2TelkEMOoo6lGXBfOrgFzTwuF__B_7uO8d4ytxmJGCVNEhNYFOLmSm9LGIfp-gGQ6_tOThBD58HlACUIjQO_l6NJvJvhkqjynO7j0Isuyv0gtTkzKu3_6FcOqG7_npzXhqwVIoOygnj/s3633/Javiers09_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3633" data-original-width="2907" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7LGhyphenhyphenqZ7FSxDkREmH3m-C7Ecbu_NFI3DHq1TLOpxHe2TelkEMOoo6lGXBfOrgFzTwuF__B_7uO8d4ytxmJGCVNEhNYFOLmSm9LGIfp-gGQ6_tOThBD58HlACUIjQO_l6NJvJvhkqjynO7j0Isuyv0gtTkzKu3_6FcOqG7_npzXhqwVIoOygnj/w320-h400/Javiers09_Insta.JPG" title="Javier's - Enchiladas de Cangrejo (Dungeness Crab)" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG3q3RQkQrPdNN_SXEIN8_6ACSsS17UE2OMyj30Ab9JPJlNIS_ukU698KxZd6iggm40KTAv-8AufBiFnRp7KCxnTRJTLM4547LvI9756pQ7zsMxcmBlnfYrXQ0opzX1Q9s7t-YaPXT3zIzdojpi-fw1BiFUHoGgsdT_jCCtCZYmetJtSoSCKBc/s3838/Javiers14_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2876" data-original-width="3838" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG3q3RQkQrPdNN_SXEIN8_6ACSsS17UE2OMyj30Ab9JPJlNIS_ukU698KxZd6iggm40KTAv-8AufBiFnRp7KCxnTRJTLM4547LvI9756pQ7zsMxcmBlnfYrXQ0opzX1Q9s7t-YaPXT3zIzdojpi-fw1BiFUHoGgsdT_jCCtCZYmetJtSoSCKBc/w400-h300/Javiers14_Insta.JPG" title="Javier's - Carne Tampiqueña (8 oz New York cut, enchilada de camarón, taquito)" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-vp7ZttjdNCQtoyokP8FNO0oirozd-MUptXn2sdQ2MNcHtrrapXQ-jM6Dim6qmRzXuaTa1jdXYy2r0xlwMfGBEBIaqAeD2c0OKKCxrDbUaNQKHoayGxuKHW7mhnsviY69-F5ITOgjcjOxzcSdqfwOyusK4meYaTo2_eP_nR_UwBH37R5XdoMs/s3741/Javiers16_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3741" data-original-width="2993" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-vp7ZttjdNCQtoyokP8FNO0oirozd-MUptXn2sdQ2MNcHtrrapXQ-jM6Dim6qmRzXuaTa1jdXYy2r0xlwMfGBEBIaqAeD2c0OKKCxrDbUaNQKHoayGxuKHW7mhnsviY69-F5ITOgjcjOxzcSdqfwOyusK4meYaTo2_eP_nR_UwBH37R5XdoMs/w320-h400/Javiers16_Insta.JPG" title="Javier's - Churros with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p>Vertigo Update: After a visit to the doctor, I was diagnosed with Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV). I was given some head movement exercises to help adjust the semicircular canals of my right inner ear. It took two and a half weeks before the dizziness faded away. I want to go back to yoga classes but I am a little nervous for it to reactivate the vertigo.</p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/0mvp4UG8nNU?si=Ft3UjW-HxgBgc5hB" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><p>Time Lapse Video of Playa Negra Beach Walk</p>Noah Unsworthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16787302506440922931noreply@blogger.com0Playa Negra, Provincia de Guanacaste, Los Pargos, Costa Rica10.1941905 -85.8303059-18.116043336178848 -120.9865559 38.504424336178843 -50.6740559tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18659481.post-10061811047877047742024-01-02T15:25:00.000-08:002024-01-26T11:48:00.417-08:00New Year's Day Hike at Black's Beach (La Jolla Trail, Saigon Trail and Sand Trap Canyon)<p>On New Year's Day, we drove down to <b>Black's Beach</b> to hike the <b>La Jolla Trail</b>. We parked at the <b>Torrey Pines Gliderport</b> where the sky was full of paragliders riding the updrafts along the coastal bluffs.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRm4cz1PUU2Gxqxzl6E0G0GiVxH5xCyFPgpRWEYq3r1rUJ4-XmKmZ9U2yM8H9Ue5rxVMeectOw97pCSVgPyxudcS997vOkJhsjBg2uBS6EFZ9CHZfyMiQsMuCKNIgPEi5RZuaXxZNY3OhvmdGP2Cq9qazsa4P9AMhx9JUn7RIvvDaX2DSwNn96/s3924/BlacksBeach063_LaJollaTrail_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2943" data-original-width="3924" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRm4cz1PUU2Gxqxzl6E0G0GiVxH5xCyFPgpRWEYq3r1rUJ4-XmKmZ9U2yM8H9Ue5rxVMeectOw97pCSVgPyxudcS997vOkJhsjBg2uBS6EFZ9CHZfyMiQsMuCKNIgPEi5RZuaXxZNY3OhvmdGP2Cq9qazsa4P9AMhx9JUn7RIvvDaX2DSwNn96/w400-h300/BlacksBeach063_LaJollaTrail_Insta.JPG" title="Black's Beach - La Jolla Trail" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5IKPhbdrwpRUfnDQbdr-vccaClvhNNC3SkZbVyxkcFPQzUhmz8eHBBK1xOpUQaVYZDS_sVYLhA7t5UQBW0TDkDJDZgI-yiA8gsyRGfAZpxsuQWftg_IULWnZNssakolnUIGHYFWKlvuox6hFAVjYmIuifWcrohyden_37kCV7YZgccN6Vvoh3/s4096/BlacksBeach065_LaJollaTrail_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2730" data-original-width="4096" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5IKPhbdrwpRUfnDQbdr-vccaClvhNNC3SkZbVyxkcFPQzUhmz8eHBBK1xOpUQaVYZDS_sVYLhA7t5UQBW0TDkDJDZgI-yiA8gsyRGfAZpxsuQWftg_IULWnZNssakolnUIGHYFWKlvuox6hFAVjYmIuifWcrohyden_37kCV7YZgccN6Vvoh3/w400-h266/BlacksBeach065_LaJollaTrail_Insta.JPG" title="Black's Beach - Glider Port" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi827mONyJPFat7sTyQtVG9E-tQhNGnUfLw8UG86Y4K4STqZ9rrsLZsJ5bOFAewD2dJLkKQKjHx1hJlSQeaIk0UiWcolJqK9Y8BpEXBKVXR7OX5FAx3lcqFV21VNfAPqWHsNsTmLs4i83FLgog9b4tTIVghjdwhTQA1FWlCLzNqrI7YHgMQonai/s4095/BlacksBeach066_LaJollaTrail_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4095" data-original-width="3276" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi827mONyJPFat7sTyQtVG9E-tQhNGnUfLw8UG86Y4K4STqZ9rrsLZsJ5bOFAewD2dJLkKQKjHx1hJlSQeaIk0UiWcolJqK9Y8BpEXBKVXR7OX5FAx3lcqFV21VNfAPqWHsNsTmLs4i83FLgog9b4tTIVghjdwhTQA1FWlCLzNqrI7YHgMQonai/w320-h400/BlacksBeach066_LaJollaTrail_Insta.JPG" title="Black's Beach - Glider Port" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoH0quRBXgHONx-IABA228wl_jHI7NpO90c-pBuak6WDQtnih2KmyGqmPy3R5n99e73DHKWH_2rG4VTYWG0_yC4MYtPuJ8wZ_AE8__iE85L4O3hiv5edyLW31W5FpOAqrobONWZh4-HbYu7PiB-BFSGbYnpiJ7-c7cvI-U8j3XZyu9Q3npRT1W/s4096/BlacksBeach068_LaJollaTrail_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4096" data-original-width="3276" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoH0quRBXgHONx-IABA228wl_jHI7NpO90c-pBuak6WDQtnih2KmyGqmPy3R5n99e73DHKWH_2rG4VTYWG0_yC4MYtPuJ8wZ_AE8__iE85L4O3hiv5edyLW31W5FpOAqrobONWZh4-HbYu7PiB-BFSGbYnpiJ7-c7cvI-U8j3XZyu9Q3npRT1W/w320-h400/BlacksBeach068_LaJollaTrail_Insta.JPG" title="Black's Beach - Surfer's Trail" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEPFV4M0EgJ5NyLewN0lwQIe3jImt-dSagAgvRthK9L5RzxAfyJer4rGn8Di4JO0WjJBKVBrRyr0LTH6pkBl2OXjDLuboCnKCJtobH-W311h-XyS1npZjCgIj-NI70zmtinNKJvRdl4_2qLD8y6eoJC27M1iPAnfTM80EMnrKXfPL_TGlzx6tL/s3720/BlacksBeach69_LaJollaTrail_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2790" data-original-width="3720" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEPFV4M0EgJ5NyLewN0lwQIe3jImt-dSagAgvRthK9L5RzxAfyJer4rGn8Di4JO0WjJBKVBrRyr0LTH6pkBl2OXjDLuboCnKCJtobH-W311h-XyS1npZjCgIj-NI70zmtinNKJvRdl4_2qLD8y6eoJC27M1iPAnfTM80EMnrKXfPL_TGlzx6tL/w400-h300/BlacksBeach69_LaJollaTrail_Insta.JPG" title="Black's Beach - La Jolla Trail" width="400" /></a></div><p>We have been to Black's many times but we have never walked the <b>La Jolla Trail</b> that runs along the top of the bluff south of the the gliderport. There was a big swell that weekend so surfers were enjoying the big waves below.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnXrUdwOxGRrG7c5xS56k56IQydZCrPDDwA3JYS0YEcWGSaUth4Vpif1Ic46FCEvOUXlxzXlG3eLtUHCBdEruKQs0qbCCHCC7BumaBTdwuOJAJXG9RXszQVpfuVX_Irpk3pPY448P3CKh05XcfizPVT3wLplkGhpBdQCkysFAPYTHi00giGD1O/s3017/BlacksBeach070_LaJollaTrail_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2260" data-original-width="3017" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnXrUdwOxGRrG7c5xS56k56IQydZCrPDDwA3JYS0YEcWGSaUth4Vpif1Ic46FCEvOUXlxzXlG3eLtUHCBdEruKQs0qbCCHCC7BumaBTdwuOJAJXG9RXszQVpfuVX_Irpk3pPY448P3CKh05XcfizPVT3wLplkGhpBdQCkysFAPYTHi00giGD1O/w400-h300/BlacksBeach070_LaJollaTrail_Insta.JPG" title="Black's Beach - La Jolla Trail" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgits3WsTNbh7wL6pJor3S5CqrJ1eAYcDzQscKV_tpS0FxOy5-rwr50tRpJWe3IISYIQxWlKCR8Qy7xbzb1ofQ0tIkCrZkdFOH-8x6YbCN64FiyJ-7M-NJaRBSmxmFtEqu1v_Zm9FI1ifOifG6NM5hw-n_YQ8h7CmjNhnV-OntwS9dbK0XwC1QX/s4096/BlacksBeach071_LaJollaTrail_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2730" data-original-width="4096" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgits3WsTNbh7wL6pJor3S5CqrJ1eAYcDzQscKV_tpS0FxOy5-rwr50tRpJWe3IISYIQxWlKCR8Qy7xbzb1ofQ0tIkCrZkdFOH-8x6YbCN64FiyJ-7M-NJaRBSmxmFtEqu1v_Zm9FI1ifOifG6NM5hw-n_YQ8h7CmjNhnV-OntwS9dbK0XwC1QX/w400-h266/BlacksBeach071_LaJollaTrail_Insta.JPG" title="Black's Beach - La Jolla Trail" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoCRhq54Sf1vQcBbHxEJScuci1mzMRHDBm7Wi7cLJBooj0P0zapJ_egoy1eZGhN71GMrqWwXTW9Ivwq3xT8QBAaR6Hu53adq1L1p7CpJsB2z5AUsGjqyDgd7sLBN8G_yR3uAgzizJpo9dIX-Wm9efz77cDcHjY13gDX1e_YOgdYxF90Q_yqsOT/s3696/BlacksBeach074_LaJollaTrail_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3696" data-original-width="2957" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoCRhq54Sf1vQcBbHxEJScuci1mzMRHDBm7Wi7cLJBooj0P0zapJ_egoy1eZGhN71GMrqWwXTW9Ivwq3xT8QBAaR6Hu53adq1L1p7CpJsB2z5AUsGjqyDgd7sLBN8G_yR3uAgzizJpo9dIX-Wm9efz77cDcHjY13gDX1e_YOgdYxF90Q_yqsOT/w320-h400/BlacksBeach074_LaJollaTrail_Insta.JPG" title="Black's Beach - La Jolla Trail" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieXFAiFZ8zCEXeErVMAJzYBZpPhClulQS4tZOglwHOPQDF67YBRhcd_a_Cz25U7KUGfiOXXqJ78_5YP1enVn6VxYyll12w9u54g5fQeSeohBuA63spITSqFFH0D8VLlo7u590nVy6nyRwYV2fLC6zaqMfAHF07CiRl0TzI6i389WzdLu0WlVuN/s4096/BlacksBeach080_LaJollaTrail_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4096" data-original-width="3276" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieXFAiFZ8zCEXeErVMAJzYBZpPhClulQS4tZOglwHOPQDF67YBRhcd_a_Cz25U7KUGfiOXXqJ78_5YP1enVn6VxYyll12w9u54g5fQeSeohBuA63spITSqFFH0D8VLlo7u590nVy6nyRwYV2fLC6zaqMfAHF07CiRl0TzI6i389WzdLu0WlVuN/w320-h400/BlacksBeach080_LaJollaTrail_Insta.JPG" title="Black's Beach - La Jolla Trail" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgndSY4VsTco00FZt4tWx7ahm2uGuyrQHm8li040FVkcK931mDcQy6QZlLpPXTZpgNMD3NVPcgtd_jf9BZcac3UsJEkj3Nx8AffYnbWLK1qGIBU2CI5I2fMZxECu2zw3uf5jDsCWkQY9-uCuajkTkGww-n6HYQZQTfJLXcdL3eB7fWj2iHKpcF9/s3678/BlacksBeach094_LaJollaTrail_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3678" data-original-width="2943" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgndSY4VsTco00FZt4tWx7ahm2uGuyrQHm8li040FVkcK931mDcQy6QZlLpPXTZpgNMD3NVPcgtd_jf9BZcac3UsJEkj3Nx8AffYnbWLK1qGIBU2CI5I2fMZxECu2zw3uf5jDsCWkQY9-uCuajkTkGww-n6HYQZQTfJLXcdL3eB7fWj2iHKpcF9/w320-h400/BlacksBeach094_LaJollaTrail_Insta.JPG" title="Black's Beach - La Jolla Trail" width="320" /></a></div><p>Near the end of the trail, we approached the spot of the bluff collapse one year ago in January 2023 during a similar big ocean swell. Even though I am not afraid of heights, I was pretty nervous walking along the shear edge of the unstable bluff that I had watched collapse on the dramatic video posted to social media. Below, we could see the former peak now halfway down the slope.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl4UV_GYwQF0qNBiEs6CdBW0F8taSPfYEvr3nRnndE108augLbp1KXoEHiJCbdAb5BVc9J6iqdlBVXw44EkOblCnJDKtSHWpQAMB8tZ6h023RlvlCKsE3z3PEjLBzgKSJCv42CZXSvbU82RcBFgiLGw_chcfjoEph9NZve_MufORThpX2fJBSU/s3882/BlacksBeach109_LaJollaTrail_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2909" data-original-width="3882" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl4UV_GYwQF0qNBiEs6CdBW0F8taSPfYEvr3nRnndE108augLbp1KXoEHiJCbdAb5BVc9J6iqdlBVXw44EkOblCnJDKtSHWpQAMB8tZ6h023RlvlCKsE3z3PEjLBzgKSJCv42CZXSvbU82RcBFgiLGw_chcfjoEph9NZve_MufORThpX2fJBSU/w400-h300/BlacksBeach109_LaJollaTrail_Insta.JPG" title="Black's Beach - Bluff Collapse on La Jolla Trail" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQPcBxW0IKYsIMCe4s6pVAp4sX4F8B28Gk7hTSEiEk0hpECSsOLSRTcVS30YsfERKRDnuFiBTUn4tP0Oc_tqxDCP5ZtOYdED7Zty6GsQ1PlRP_iSrCxM2Qy5tE5ykHjKRRIFM48Bi9cOEp-vL28ul9wmjPetEgviUIKlCN_XiX5iWMcuyW8htS/s3998/BlacksBeach117_LaJollaTrail_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2996" data-original-width="3998" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQPcBxW0IKYsIMCe4s6pVAp4sX4F8B28Gk7hTSEiEk0hpECSsOLSRTcVS30YsfERKRDnuFiBTUn4tP0Oc_tqxDCP5ZtOYdED7Zty6GsQ1PlRP_iSrCxM2Qy5tE5ykHjKRRIFM48Bi9cOEp-vL28ul9wmjPetEgviUIKlCN_XiX5iWMcuyW8htS/w400-h300/BlacksBeach117_LaJollaTrail_Insta.JPG" title="Black's Beach - Bluff Collapse on La Jolla Trail" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_1J-m5EPEka25HJZgicKcYED938HJVILizf1rZeUzDN2J_g26sEmPc5EpmlUIAydbZDUCxfhoGlnVGL6SLVEOfYDw3LpZJ-vNIRIaGx47_xel5fZJk3EkzpTXCbF3yaNyocR67ykDOIfh646gqyhHL_4Mf0FS638kXb_NFGpgsr-m8lvHK29h/s3724/BlacksBeach121_LaJollaTrail_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3724" data-original-width="2980" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_1J-m5EPEka25HJZgicKcYED938HJVILizf1rZeUzDN2J_g26sEmPc5EpmlUIAydbZDUCxfhoGlnVGL6SLVEOfYDw3LpZJ-vNIRIaGx47_xel5fZJk3EkzpTXCbF3yaNyocR67ykDOIfh646gqyhHL_4Mf0FS638kXb_NFGpgsr-m8lvHK29h/w320-h400/BlacksBeach121_LaJollaTrail_Insta.JPG" title="Black's Beach - La Jolla Trail" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw2DET9VE4zjZbGC7XsJ8zriw-VCKELlnBpfd_uwK09MfxplFR7Br7lOJWZaQpLb3gcY0GU4jOUeJDFmngEMKJpcq1cOaYyyzReCHnaJvgwaFU0DqQWdx7INUGT-6XI09Sl17u9sW_i2nB908RjHG0eGvr4_sNCHo_f9YtjJ04frWM_WgGnU-n/s3857/BlacksBeach127_LaJollaTrail_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2891" data-original-width="3857" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw2DET9VE4zjZbGC7XsJ8zriw-VCKELlnBpfd_uwK09MfxplFR7Br7lOJWZaQpLb3gcY0GU4jOUeJDFmngEMKJpcq1cOaYyyzReCHnaJvgwaFU0DqQWdx7INUGT-6XI09Sl17u9sW_i2nB908RjHG0eGvr4_sNCHo_f9YtjJ04frWM_WgGnU-n/w400-h300/BlacksBeach127_LaJollaTrail_Insta.JPG" title="Black's Beach - Bluff Collapse on La Jolla Trail" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEismAbCv7VqVA_5tV6cZV-5Nno6Ysj1oGTwR675Zhp_Dxa3pK_3C48731xWnqPe4PDf3FBEM_lVL7TYujNijvR2YpZw28AWo9tPsrxUzAl1ETkynvw569gLZ367gJ8X5jUPl4b_JKKAzSQlWgvdiDvxQ2Tfz_RzccUbqALowOVEdfP8ZCcBqGrT/s3721/BlacksBeach136_LaJollaTrail_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3721" data-original-width="2977" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEismAbCv7VqVA_5tV6cZV-5Nno6Ysj1oGTwR675Zhp_Dxa3pK_3C48731xWnqPe4PDf3FBEM_lVL7TYujNijvR2YpZw28AWo9tPsrxUzAl1ETkynvw569gLZ367gJ8X5jUPl4b_JKKAzSQlWgvdiDvxQ2Tfz_RzccUbqALowOVEdfP8ZCcBqGrT/w320-h400/BlacksBeach136_LaJollaTrail_Insta.JPG" title="Black's Beach - Bluff Collapse on La Jolla Trail" width="320" /></a></div><p>At the end of the La Jolla Trail, we crawled down a steep path to meet up with the <b>Saigon Trail</b>. We had hiked up this sandstone canyon before but this was our first time descending which I found more challenging, even with better footwear. It was less crowded so we didn't have to wait as long to scramble through the narrow slot canyon.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUQv1GCbJGtNVXNAZemPSSnGB6Voo2ZHQL8awmXIs66-ec7yqo0CgLM3wxc8IzZyOMGlBuWt1yD0uerhfXW8EeQTOG2wmwkYDg4wtUNk-isQrzWIErH3Y6Wq3HHUSO9Nw4x2wSNYtjdlWHkhvUeL0m4SX8VlE33db2uKcfybjB4ChnqpQEOf7N/s4032/BlacksBeach146_LaJollaTrail_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUQv1GCbJGtNVXNAZemPSSnGB6Voo2ZHQL8awmXIs66-ec7yqo0CgLM3wxc8IzZyOMGlBuWt1yD0uerhfXW8EeQTOG2wmwkYDg4wtUNk-isQrzWIErH3Y6Wq3HHUSO9Nw4x2wSNYtjdlWHkhvUeL0m4SX8VlE33db2uKcfybjB4ChnqpQEOf7N/w400-h300/BlacksBeach146_LaJollaTrail_Insta.JPG" title="Black's Beach - Saigon Trail" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAMXhydFcn0n6t8olm7bmrr_ssOd2FJpODkuZUiPv_nrBI5x925cRsgR-CyxoSvXE3cO56D2S_XnmfTK-4uk5pj1XHckYUbkAuXGbXEFleJaa7T6yMuW4zFEgCBA9ODWPHl2_-OEScnKBWbTgHEAiVqnFladfoLsvHx9CUDU7BhTxWRl5FfkI9/s3731/BlacksBeach155_SaigonTrail_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3731" data-original-width="2985" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAMXhydFcn0n6t8olm7bmrr_ssOd2FJpODkuZUiPv_nrBI5x925cRsgR-CyxoSvXE3cO56D2S_XnmfTK-4uk5pj1XHckYUbkAuXGbXEFleJaa7T6yMuW4zFEgCBA9ODWPHl2_-OEScnKBWbTgHEAiVqnFladfoLsvHx9CUDU7BhTxWRl5FfkI9/w320-h400/BlacksBeach155_SaigonTrail_Insta.JPG" title="Black's Beach - Saigon Trail" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjthG5y-GAhI-gPj_wt18oUt-BswlQqbO89hWMl02ok4inO2-ChbZt4egm0Dr_hWuwDnDCFuYmCEeSxUAFvppMVGKZ0f6uW5ZG_hDXLMP2qFF_nxhz3bGrFJUSZgvr7aUnjJ2wndxVtfqLNPubhplHKcKOtQmoHz_3tb12odROb_TvzGnAh7_-p/s4032/BlacksBeach163_SaigonTrail_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjthG5y-GAhI-gPj_wt18oUt-BswlQqbO89hWMl02ok4inO2-ChbZt4egm0Dr_hWuwDnDCFuYmCEeSxUAFvppMVGKZ0f6uW5ZG_hDXLMP2qFF_nxhz3bGrFJUSZgvr7aUnjJ2wndxVtfqLNPubhplHKcKOtQmoHz_3tb12odROb_TvzGnAh7_-p/w400-h300/BlacksBeach163_SaigonTrail_Insta.JPG" title="Black's Beach - Saigon Trail" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT62_jPkchsm8TIyxI3fV_lqVSsOK34SGPQ1W-5nond6b8pXwNLhNayyZYilFifgKM8S-25UnijhB7bN-wdYU6IqJXaQEfggkq8ubaj09d_o-HxKH00z4VcYrnE-99-qPF0YTbc7NY53819yFrjn_A8qyUod0ZNMpJTuELcuP4opQzCoourdSu/s3406/BlacksBeach171_SaigonTrail_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3406" data-original-width="2725" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT62_jPkchsm8TIyxI3fV_lqVSsOK34SGPQ1W-5nond6b8pXwNLhNayyZYilFifgKM8S-25UnijhB7bN-wdYU6IqJXaQEfggkq8ubaj09d_o-HxKH00z4VcYrnE-99-qPF0YTbc7NY53819yFrjn_A8qyUod0ZNMpJTuELcuP4opQzCoourdSu/w320-h400/BlacksBeach171_SaigonTrail_Insta.JPG" title="Black's Beach - Saigon Trail" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirJ7yVtSt-iv5oNBZsslKFp1qn-cHX_T8hQGnypgjF_eq_9hqN1pP9l6hftWLYXsPwuiS9DJVdY_Yn_eiIdVIeSBKXlhyVk9x9xBiY0-Frebp_llRWrkkX3tGCHduBFqb23N2ed_LjYWBQKh_7fP5WHzttffyWtWhHYB94efF9WGspvL5ae6od/s3779/BlacksBeach181_SaigonTrail_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3779" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirJ7yVtSt-iv5oNBZsslKFp1qn-cHX_T8hQGnypgjF_eq_9hqN1pP9l6hftWLYXsPwuiS9DJVdY_Yn_eiIdVIeSBKXlhyVk9x9xBiY0-Frebp_llRWrkkX3tGCHduBFqb23N2ed_LjYWBQKh_7fP5WHzttffyWtWhHYB94efF9WGspvL5ae6od/w320-h400/BlacksBeach181_SaigonTrail_Insta.JPG" title="Black's Beach - Saigon Trail" width="320" /></a></div><p>Heading north along Black's Beach, we now had to walk around the collapsed cliff and boulder field that has now split the long single stretch of beach in two. Below, I have posted before and after pictures of the bluff so you can see the difference between now and January 2021.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6zHBGaIaTjGNmw_Exxbr_bSHhZ3Ym9ScdP6fqze-4Hf2BoQLeMZLCXA7mHPhXlSBGIhUWjPBOe3jyMDKKbmiTgrG6DcI7D1qcPieoab0cUcdrgIN-IYxRU2IvF2_uOYLq55vTR2aqZ205xZd_Ngy6hdVSMl7YbXLCj92xNt7-yzErUppRUJxn/s3904/BlacksBeach204_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2928" data-original-width="3904" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6zHBGaIaTjGNmw_Exxbr_bSHhZ3Ym9ScdP6fqze-4Hf2BoQLeMZLCXA7mHPhXlSBGIhUWjPBOe3jyMDKKbmiTgrG6DcI7D1qcPieoab0cUcdrgIN-IYxRU2IvF2_uOYLq55vTR2aqZ205xZd_Ngy6hdVSMl7YbXLCj92xNt7-yzErUppRUJxn/w400-h300/BlacksBeach204_Insta.JPG" title="Black's Beach - Bluff" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm_aiHc6diSx_8K4W7BApr31fWKvQl9vMgXHZKLS808QtnhsbusF2kX6slsYAg97GIUatn7-I6QlARaNHGw1gh5VXHJkJM9a9AIb2mHaXJGDBCCkY52iVF9iGBlEnKwyd3BYmLZNpF_hxTCdfWkuw7jBTqZXOHRY391IqZJuNcEQDQeQjbMqCE/s3846/BlacksBeach196_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2882" data-original-width="3846" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm_aiHc6diSx_8K4W7BApr31fWKvQl9vMgXHZKLS808QtnhsbusF2kX6slsYAg97GIUatn7-I6QlARaNHGw1gh5VXHJkJM9a9AIb2mHaXJGDBCCkY52iVF9iGBlEnKwyd3BYmLZNpF_hxTCdfWkuw7jBTqZXOHRY391IqZJuNcEQDQeQjbMqCE/w400-h300/BlacksBeach196_Insta.JPG" title="Black's Beach - Collapsed Bluff extending out onto the Sandy Beach" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMLMo6xd6z4uMAuiR9aJt-gViOjti6Hr1HziFC-doj-bXM5vTJtIbSWitMepGdQUgDhEExT6u9Z-m_Rr28qBGiX_PRkBkHqYBWMTkh5poq1Dx2JIUSeITLoppArTzUE_sMgxgxUUMZwbygeVeMPmkrk0j1VzsjPD6uHmv8HGeKNKGNnii93AiQ/s4095/BlacksBeach225_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2728" data-original-width="4095" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMLMo6xd6z4uMAuiR9aJt-gViOjti6Hr1HziFC-doj-bXM5vTJtIbSWitMepGdQUgDhEExT6u9Z-m_Rr28qBGiX_PRkBkHqYBWMTkh5poq1Dx2JIUSeITLoppArTzUE_sMgxgxUUMZwbygeVeMPmkrk0j1VzsjPD6uHmv8HGeKNKGNnii93AiQ/w400-h266/BlacksBeach225_Insta.JPG" title="Black's Beach - Bluff Collapse Boulder Field" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjixip94gGxE-OcfXOhYGyacuxVRaWqKMELceIDON750VxMPciQY_JqlANLwtLnh8mwgGBIyyIEkqJlXlTLeNSUU6YeA2khPPgMSZ08RS0CRQ6-zdSzQNei7AulqUrOIw0v2aRmi8vNwno72KisaBTfIalSzU9JgXo1PGavk6FQAEGzCqaPRFxA/s4006/BlacksBeach231_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3002" data-original-width="4006" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjixip94gGxE-OcfXOhYGyacuxVRaWqKMELceIDON750VxMPciQY_JqlANLwtLnh8mwgGBIyyIEkqJlXlTLeNSUU6YeA2khPPgMSZ08RS0CRQ6-zdSzQNei7AulqUrOIw0v2aRmi8vNwno72KisaBTfIalSzU9JgXo1PGavk6FQAEGzCqaPRFxA/w400-h300/BlacksBeach231_Insta.JPG" title="Black's Beach - View South of 2023 Bluff Collapse" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKx1OdVOsKSd52kAxyZQmF6Rp9Vk_YWlzlCmO6ZhPsAZZhkQKLnN2Nng7kiE7w758La4YHvFDxeYLQ8KG1XFmoefcctYEmCAJJ6NLZlKtRHQQvLEuwMgpU8bNIcDrHSlFRvTqgh_aM9nQaRl5d3swjwU_rTS2_1xeiXfNwwy2heetn5OZSv-aU/s3940/BlacksBeach232_PreBluffCollapse.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2955" data-original-width="3940" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKx1OdVOsKSd52kAxyZQmF6Rp9Vk_YWlzlCmO6ZhPsAZZhkQKLnN2Nng7kiE7w758La4YHvFDxeYLQ8KG1XFmoefcctYEmCAJJ6NLZlKtRHQQvLEuwMgpU8bNIcDrHSlFRvTqgh_aM9nQaRl5d3swjwU_rTS2_1xeiXfNwwy2heetn5OZSv-aU/w400-h300/BlacksBeach232_PreBluffCollapse.JPG" title="Black's Beach - 2021 Photo of Bluff before 2023 Collapse" width="400" /></a></div><p>Instead of walking back up the regular access trail, we continued north to <b>Sand Trap Canyon</b> along the edge of the <b>Torrey Pines Golf Cours</b>e. It was our first time climbing this steep switchback trail. This canyon was the turnaround point for the most of the paragliders and we had several fly right past us, skimming the edge of the cliff. The wind started to die down as we walked back to my truck and we saw several paragliders having to land on the beach as they lost too much altitude to land back at the gliderport.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXvx6mCBGS5GZBsWogzKLUnY7eyASdYkdDI3WfthZKxeuZLXtTyPyidwIC-aRhWlHjUDJtStXesCNaAWSmXL3yZSsMYzvfDF0szdbzaj1V0k0FLMKt-yOcrPt0Hab6Ljt_qb3feDjuBs22dbpVxkL9VahS_XvLJETP3EKQVM6JPfU4c9Y0fK9Q/s4032/BlacksBeach248_SandTrapCanyonTrail_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXvx6mCBGS5GZBsWogzKLUnY7eyASdYkdDI3WfthZKxeuZLXtTyPyidwIC-aRhWlHjUDJtStXesCNaAWSmXL3yZSsMYzvfDF0szdbzaj1V0k0FLMKt-yOcrPt0Hab6Ljt_qb3feDjuBs22dbpVxkL9VahS_XvLJETP3EKQVM6JPfU4c9Y0fK9Q/w400-h300/BlacksBeach248_SandTrapCanyonTrail_Insta.JPG" title="Black's Beach - Sand Trap Canyon Trail" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJeNaB5Xa8QdhFkkRW8TmeNW88DAHv3thbMH8x7jtHHa7jrO6BwqryBo6vfb__UKFqOmTAz6pDDljKATv0bDGoNknwKHYtvGvSmuS-SeDcUoO_Fc5mN2Czx1LkO6Vh0iLmYQmGgEc9ZvTVMQgnSkRuQVoGCrZOUWF07AY-jzpMv0IQakARC7-z/s3954/BlacksBeach272_SandTrapCanyonTrail_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2963" data-original-width="3954" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJeNaB5Xa8QdhFkkRW8TmeNW88DAHv3thbMH8x7jtHHa7jrO6BwqryBo6vfb__UKFqOmTAz6pDDljKATv0bDGoNknwKHYtvGvSmuS-SeDcUoO_Fc5mN2Czx1LkO6Vh0iLmYQmGgEc9ZvTVMQgnSkRuQVoGCrZOUWF07AY-jzpMv0IQakARC7-z/w400-h300/BlacksBeach272_SandTrapCanyonTrail_Insta.JPG" title="Black's Beach - Sand Trap Canyon Trail" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7s5czxH9qI2yc2CjV3D06gF3bR2ALqQpqKwY09EivoBj9OoOf0ShTA_DC3OpWK8D1FxnHtQPbbFTTMetY5QTSMipAnPl12mmIDm_vGQdk1km7SQeAVTKxBTUnb2fFiZDE5Ul1bQGhPUD6_0Tp1XdxF_dqA4oT3fnmFjC7EU3xRZgq1ZZFXPIz/s3611/BlacksBeach280_SandTrapCanyonTrail_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2705" data-original-width="3611" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7s5czxH9qI2yc2CjV3D06gF3bR2ALqQpqKwY09EivoBj9OoOf0ShTA_DC3OpWK8D1FxnHtQPbbFTTMetY5QTSMipAnPl12mmIDm_vGQdk1km7SQeAVTKxBTUnb2fFiZDE5Ul1bQGhPUD6_0Tp1XdxF_dqA4oT3fnmFjC7EU3xRZgq1ZZFXPIz/w400-h300/BlacksBeach280_SandTrapCanyonTrail_Insta.JPG" title="Black's Beach - Sand Trap Canyon Trail" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivBDRk6OoahCbbNN1hyUjM2feZWh-USxUxAcCn-ImmB2ddsRJKgO0tNP7Q7Fm7uHG5kODxoaRjWCiAVKX2jFIIayqrcINItOKTSzzZccS2UrIcb5NprZ_4giaXu1O1zFZLHTv0lzASAwf-yYfDmehbuBLDc6HRGi6k_o92HzAhiFXyzA462yMa/s4096/BlacksBeach290_SandTrapCanyonTrail_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2730" data-original-width="4096" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivBDRk6OoahCbbNN1hyUjM2feZWh-USxUxAcCn-ImmB2ddsRJKgO0tNP7Q7Fm7uHG5kODxoaRjWCiAVKX2jFIIayqrcINItOKTSzzZccS2UrIcb5NprZ_4giaXu1O1zFZLHTv0lzASAwf-yYfDmehbuBLDc6HRGi6k_o92HzAhiFXyzA462yMa/w400-h266/BlacksBeach290_SandTrapCanyonTrail_Insta.JPG" title="Black's Beach - Sand Trap Canyon Trail" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqPFiA5-F8EL-7y8Nn7IBtrxyc6BztBgcYnZPIuP1_Nls8H9oV5b_z7ZGoBovLA_A7avUpSOVue_-zjBpdf59uZ4Jw-FJmpyt9klw2hjwbjZ34BbdAYFN3sWR9GRRkIl1QzObJv06HhrSsTZe1kgpfsDQReil7PI2CbnXT3nOf1IeqUIxMxH6V/s3684/BlacksBeach305_SandTrapCanyonTrail_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2763" data-original-width="3684" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqPFiA5-F8EL-7y8Nn7IBtrxyc6BztBgcYnZPIuP1_Nls8H9oV5b_z7ZGoBovLA_A7avUpSOVue_-zjBpdf59uZ4Jw-FJmpyt9klw2hjwbjZ34BbdAYFN3sWR9GRRkIl1QzObJv06HhrSsTZe1kgpfsDQReil7PI2CbnXT3nOf1IeqUIxMxH6V/w400-h300/BlacksBeach305_SandTrapCanyonTrail_Insta.JPG" title="Black's Beach - Sand Trap Canyon Trail" width="400" /></a></div><p>Earlier on New Year's Day weekend, we went to <b>Viewpoint Brewing Co.</b> for dinner. The brewery's back patio overlooks the Del Mar Racetrack and the San Dieguito River Park. After the earlier rain, we saw a rainbow shining over the lagoon among the beautiful clouds. We each ordered a beer flight to try a wide selection of their brews. Their Chicken Pot Pie was the best I have ever eaten. So delicious!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvIL0IDy-uRHb7OkzXg2TBwQ7PU7FQ5WgwzAxkBxrQr1-69ui8G_WGsj44CncVfU6U2dz4lUl6suxqCCrEEvTYPOby70de4E3IdN2WeihKcL2cT3pd_dNz-BkcsppAJEXpGHhLMwC9sD6toHcPIAloXhONXytCJzdqBMCxaojX0lbmDs7Nsjib/s3977/SanDieguitoRiverPark06_ViewpointBrewing_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2982" data-original-width="3977" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvIL0IDy-uRHb7OkzXg2TBwQ7PU7FQ5WgwzAxkBxrQr1-69ui8G_WGsj44CncVfU6U2dz4lUl6suxqCCrEEvTYPOby70de4E3IdN2WeihKcL2cT3pd_dNz-BkcsppAJEXpGHhLMwC9sD6toHcPIAloXhONXytCJzdqBMCxaojX0lbmDs7Nsjib/w400-h300/SanDieguitoRiverPark06_ViewpointBrewing_Insta.JPG" title="Viewpoint Brewing Co. - San Dieguito River Park" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsi766dAU6wfdSEnIxl1ZJlLUl9-ZNK_gyJBa28IuITLAp5ZKK6U9I0YH7XlljdBweiSypzrcIuG9a03MSVSzYyBB0e76cpptE6ZlOv4jKxFfncZ2hDMLrtwng0ok30pIWekKodALFXr4apsH2FhnJssAMO5J1BBN0Qri9rcuW75uxtXzBAcLQ/s3780/SanDieguitoRiverPark10_ViewpointBrewing_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3780" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsi766dAU6wfdSEnIxl1ZJlLUl9-ZNK_gyJBa28IuITLAp5ZKK6U9I0YH7XlljdBweiSypzrcIuG9a03MSVSzYyBB0e76cpptE6ZlOv4jKxFfncZ2hDMLrtwng0ok30pIWekKodALFXr4apsH2FhnJssAMO5J1BBN0Qri9rcuW75uxtXzBAcLQ/w320-h400/SanDieguitoRiverPark10_ViewpointBrewing_Insta.JPG" title="Viewpoint Brewing Co. - San Dieguito River Park" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3wCMMFYBZTo6i26492Hi7qwftyX9BC7yg5skb0-uaq1L9VieJzHB_4xvsV4S6LJnFAK7QAEmyjuSPIYNgSFtWYQL5qNxOiJ3dNbAdcuq2swTGqEd3fsDCsy-PgG-XB1wQdNAanWveIrNQ9PxPs7bUDzKWNK3LxkKXHdofByJbWNe9f6HdDwFK/s4096/SanDieguitoRiverPark13_ViewpointBrewing_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2149" data-original-width="4096" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3wCMMFYBZTo6i26492Hi7qwftyX9BC7yg5skb0-uaq1L9VieJzHB_4xvsV4S6LJnFAK7QAEmyjuSPIYNgSFtWYQL5qNxOiJ3dNbAdcuq2swTGqEd3fsDCsy-PgG-XB1wQdNAanWveIrNQ9PxPs7bUDzKWNK3LxkKXHdofByJbWNe9f6HdDwFK/w400-h210/SanDieguitoRiverPark13_ViewpointBrewing_Insta.JPG" title="Viewpoint Brewing Co. - San Dieguito River Park" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH7zf7Q-3I4OE2JfaPVVahhCQ06A0xf92-wKER1eTLzA4jyj4_e4D0HKGu1VAkTFjsna1tQUe0Hihf_J9NDRdkkJ-T0HtQvdhgUNRIlCKZyLIhpsIiy5g-hWtg2ezsb0Bk_9jtl6hdqMumSkbiOGCCV70te5bVuWqZdqmkjQ4LvF33-GO6eG1g/s3780/SanDieguitoRiverPark27_ViewpointBrewing_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3780" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH7zf7Q-3I4OE2JfaPVVahhCQ06A0xf92-wKER1eTLzA4jyj4_e4D0HKGu1VAkTFjsna1tQUe0Hihf_J9NDRdkkJ-T0HtQvdhgUNRIlCKZyLIhpsIiy5g-hWtg2ezsb0Bk_9jtl6hdqMumSkbiOGCCV70te5bVuWqZdqmkjQ4LvF33-GO6eG1g/w320-h400/SanDieguitoRiverPark27_ViewpointBrewing_Insta.JPG" title="Viewpoint Brewing Co. - Chicken Pot Pie" width="320" /></a></div><p>After our meal, we crossed over the bridge to visit the restored wetlands of the <b>San Dieguito River Park</b> on the Boardwalk Trail. The raised path out into the lagoon is a small spur off of the <b>Coast to Crest Trail</b> that skirts the northern edge of the entire lagoon and will eventually follow the entire length of the San Dieguito River to its source on Volcan Mountain in Julian.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVuDaGd0kDVOdbUHUedXE0rAPDTlcyKfXMunflxvn4IrdIB4KLByh8n4Wpd4u62TKJdzstwO8VK8r-zXcikDHpG2OMpb5eLpJz0cQn0KbUExG03i38nF-FOeRITtPXfwMiRcOHM87sHwNZFlBNcavgdVGj4UQLAl0Zv5GEMV9LXexqJteywDlO/s3645/SanDieguitoRiverPark35_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3645" data-original-width="2916" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVuDaGd0kDVOdbUHUedXE0rAPDTlcyKfXMunflxvn4IrdIB4KLByh8n4Wpd4u62TKJdzstwO8VK8r-zXcikDHpG2OMpb5eLpJz0cQn0KbUExG03i38nF-FOeRITtPXfwMiRcOHM87sHwNZFlBNcavgdVGj4UQLAl0Zv5GEMV9LXexqJteywDlO/w320-h400/SanDieguitoRiverPark35_Insta.JPG" title="San Dieguito River Park - Boardwalk Trail" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1APDFk9NHP36mEMCh5zjLPtwBdveOls6jhCP2vp3bTu-P6HoGphf_rT67yird__3Rjeg8mniR8hGNcY9f2RCJNGFbeDl6m-V9jMUSRMRlpCGKVf1o7nMiCPbyy0xpRV3mMw_SkWgdLwMAvJj2SyNX2TTY1CY8dh1JozCxKSsgm9BW3FfGunLN/s3954/SanDieguitoRiverPark38_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2963" data-original-width="3954" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1APDFk9NHP36mEMCh5zjLPtwBdveOls6jhCP2vp3bTu-P6HoGphf_rT67yird__3Rjeg8mniR8hGNcY9f2RCJNGFbeDl6m-V9jMUSRMRlpCGKVf1o7nMiCPbyy0xpRV3mMw_SkWgdLwMAvJj2SyNX2TTY1CY8dh1JozCxKSsgm9BW3FfGunLN/w400-h300/SanDieguitoRiverPark38_Insta.JPG" title="San Dieguito River Park - Boardwalk Trail" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfwWsCRIxRd1Cel6YfDVlxt_juihjCuB-7cCB9viFC1pu1JiRWL8E4FrB0i0Mcj9PC1YM9Ae2AXzwjvtGlP6rRnyz19sdXZ0Kiwf910L1yimDaeT0aqKb8CyPzX_D8iwDBh33BgqTBdOhlJ2n5BtSTwNuaAavDDPTBiJbIxMquNHmjw4Xy6w7s/s3990/SanDieguitoRiverPark44_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2990" data-original-width="3990" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfwWsCRIxRd1Cel6YfDVlxt_juihjCuB-7cCB9viFC1pu1JiRWL8E4FrB0i0Mcj9PC1YM9Ae2AXzwjvtGlP6rRnyz19sdXZ0Kiwf910L1yimDaeT0aqKb8CyPzX_D8iwDBh33BgqTBdOhlJ2n5BtSTwNuaAavDDPTBiJbIxMquNHmjw4Xy6w7s/w400-h300/SanDieguitoRiverPark44_Insta.JPG" title="San Dieguito River Park - Boardwalk Trail" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkE57PSSA4L0vhLkW-HxfQodw6cLi0u13G1Fw36ZGmIhT89KhFbnQEGJuOgLjttySRtipMdPKQw8bHmDf6B8vhm6bQILvxQbwN-XgRqTpcp8M8eliWW2HDjF6zkf7auBrbQtKPipeNxor1QGFKObwHx87edhuIHhZxyZLPny8ry63WFCkQu6Mc/s4022/SanDieguitoRiverPark53_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3013" data-original-width="4022" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkE57PSSA4L0vhLkW-HxfQodw6cLi0u13G1Fw36ZGmIhT89KhFbnQEGJuOgLjttySRtipMdPKQw8bHmDf6B8vhm6bQILvxQbwN-XgRqTpcp8M8eliWW2HDjF6zkf7auBrbQtKPipeNxor1QGFKObwHx87edhuIHhZxyZLPny8ry63WFCkQu6Mc/w400-h300/SanDieguitoRiverPark53_Insta.JPG" title="San Dieguito River Park - Boardwalk Trail" width="400" /></a></div><p>We also visited the <b>Old Grand Avenue Bridge</b> on the south side of the lagoon that originally led out to a U.S. Navy Airfield during World War II. The airfield was used for dirigibles patrolling the coast for Japanese submarines before becoming a civilian airport after the war. The Del Mar Airport was closed in 1959 since its runway was directly in the path of the planned I-5 Freeway. Instead of the bridge being demolished during the wetland restoration project, it has been transformed into a lagoon viewing platform.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAsu5yK1HsTSyUUnWhHvzWKCr6j18dqkfx3gQE92UbJWcIpvcMfXwJ-hf2qb1fbLNXfriHsXgKHYOt8XNUCWRgq4RUBJAN17hDj6FEiJDZHZ7cAtGiRKlRrSf09h-KDlNSNIB6moRfFceu0rZiy0tBqATUlCLuIZiOXxs09YDIqJLO_o4Oe-rD/s3922/SanDieguitoRiverPark59_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2939" data-original-width="3922" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAsu5yK1HsTSyUUnWhHvzWKCr6j18dqkfx3gQE92UbJWcIpvcMfXwJ-hf2qb1fbLNXfriHsXgKHYOt8XNUCWRgq4RUBJAN17hDj6FEiJDZHZ7cAtGiRKlRrSf09h-KDlNSNIB6moRfFceu0rZiy0tBqATUlCLuIZiOXxs09YDIqJLO_o4Oe-rD/w400-h300/SanDieguitoRiverPark59_Insta.JPG" title="San Dieguito River Park - Boardwalk Trail" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjogn_2h2g79mHzdXRze6E_uKCPCVsc7nl0NfJss1YY1JQvnlTV5cokGd4h6LL3nb4bxUUKbuZ8gfcAe-Cj5ah_O6tpkaBnSa7pRuAlZfLVvO0IAEhQy8dXBE5_Bb3XR2uc_eCl0xroOqdK-uhAAIRUfXLWvFiauO6IL6cM6MF8nLxkxfTPpr5H/s3946/SanDieguitoRiverPark73_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2957" data-original-width="3946" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjogn_2h2g79mHzdXRze6E_uKCPCVsc7nl0NfJss1YY1JQvnlTV5cokGd4h6LL3nb4bxUUKbuZ8gfcAe-Cj5ah_O6tpkaBnSa7pRuAlZfLVvO0IAEhQy8dXBE5_Bb3XR2uc_eCl0xroOqdK-uhAAIRUfXLWvFiauO6IL6cM6MF8nLxkxfTPpr5H/w400-h300/SanDieguitoRiverPark73_Insta.JPG" title="San Dieguito River Park - Old Grand Avenue Bridge" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBf2-DE09mwvGlQbF7o8FWux81VYnYXkPeOj1ApjFJS8sJqrrIH9WayLorLhTGbEe4457o7Y5w87iBovwkB_sm8-u4PKsOo3BJsv4OIjGzXjxDBbuP-P6ZT5u0EWE81X3ltYVH_32hMDd4fdEJGXINyw2_OzQGW8drAWjEl2E7vR4tZz0HicpA/s4032/SanDieguitoRiverPark83_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBf2-DE09mwvGlQbF7o8FWux81VYnYXkPeOj1ApjFJS8sJqrrIH9WayLorLhTGbEe4457o7Y5w87iBovwkB_sm8-u4PKsOo3BJsv4OIjGzXjxDBbuP-P6ZT5u0EWE81X3ltYVH_32hMDd4fdEJGXINyw2_OzQGW8drAWjEl2E7vR4tZz0HicpA/w400-h300/SanDieguitoRiverPark83_Insta.JPG" title="San Dieguito River Park - Old Grand Avenue Bridge" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsljF4_W7pajQD8A1lLQgjN5ukckVdZ_e8t5WB93LCZUpTNLvLjQTamfV69eSnA8zJPM5bie36ByVKZJym5JZnPfBAUlw79xGTlLmfjjmVH_AgMs9_0y3cXAYl1DL97k8zyvLz_JvlE83Z8UcisLW9hAqYBFMNXpbjCH35GFJyPBQhEP3Pd4F3/s4000/SanDieguitoRiverPark93_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsljF4_W7pajQD8A1lLQgjN5ukckVdZ_e8t5WB93LCZUpTNLvLjQTamfV69eSnA8zJPM5bie36ByVKZJym5JZnPfBAUlw79xGTlLmfjjmVH_AgMs9_0y3cXAYl1DL97k8zyvLz_JvlE83Z8UcisLW9hAqYBFMNXpbjCH35GFJyPBQhEP3Pd4F3/w400-h300/SanDieguitoRiverPark93_Insta.JPG" title="San Dieguito River Park - Old Grand Avenue Bridge" width="400" /></a></div>Noah Unsworthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16787302506440922931noreply@blogger.com0Black's Beach, California 92037, USA32.8906575 -117.25346564.5804236638211577 -152.4097156 61.200891336178849 -82.0972156tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18659481.post-46948767483775729382023-12-26T17:31:00.000-08:002023-12-29T14:17:09.987-08:00Goodbye Ginger<div style="text-align: left;">Ginger passed away from cancer on Christmas Day. She was diagnosed with Lymphoma back in August, shortly before the one year anniversary of our adoption from the shelter. It is too soon to lose our first dog. We will miss her!!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm7r4CBFR25Qtl5t1DFd2kqYA3e1-lwWUHEilhGoRq477Uu4vWtbmCFuCRd0kFKfg5_BFRxlo136BfpaHzhupfFVXVLdUdvD37BLgfPjrQ0pVArh-KvJdIxXyWXQWxTvwRo2toKQPnwID6-eF2efdGDt2KAhDhHg8ZuBxTLFJU2zp9cDKDmQxL/s3187/Ginger129_BrittaDogTraining_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3187" data-original-width="2550" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm7r4CBFR25Qtl5t1DFd2kqYA3e1-lwWUHEilhGoRq477Uu4vWtbmCFuCRd0kFKfg5_BFRxlo136BfpaHzhupfFVXVLdUdvD37BLgfPjrQ0pVArh-KvJdIxXyWXQWxTvwRo2toKQPnwID6-eF2efdGDt2KAhDhHg8ZuBxTLFJU2zp9cDKDmQxL/w320-h400/Ginger129_BrittaDogTraining_Insta.JPG" title="Ginger - Family photo after Training Session" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH6YIEHoKJB9Rr9svwioYJPTCYSseZ3oYzhtUnwU-kBxdvVfSHITwNnpVAEPizQxegPAomfPy6MvJy-Zot_ZyMJNPdb37czKJhHPmpCCoeWXIZn-b0K14P2zblhKGvirCTXDRG_N99tEr3BpOJwmywduy9GcVkT11mE4SapbBvZGblH5erInMf/s3632/Ginger131_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3632" data-original-width="2906" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH6YIEHoKJB9Rr9svwioYJPTCYSseZ3oYzhtUnwU-kBxdvVfSHITwNnpVAEPizQxegPAomfPy6MvJy-Zot_ZyMJNPdb37czKJhHPmpCCoeWXIZn-b0K14P2zblhKGvirCTXDRG_N99tEr3BpOJwmywduy9GcVkT11mE4SapbBvZGblH5erInMf/w320-h400/Ginger131_Insta.JPG" title="Ginger - Hunting Lizards" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4l89H65kyFgAL-FK2P6n1RJXI77OzI-2ELHH0b6sLI9Zlg8W6X7xx5GDa1Rh_P88d1wJtPIul9ZJwW8EVhVIHrxa1__vRHij8qQc9ep8y7C2gzREVfbHGAFBzvV70PfsgoizTeW1XMxLWGuFhTWh_a_YiieDDgG0P-a5OCIp5MgMt_YbMkFq-/s3288/Ginger132.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3288" data-original-width="2466" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4l89H65kyFgAL-FK2P6n1RJXI77OzI-2ELHH0b6sLI9Zlg8W6X7xx5GDa1Rh_P88d1wJtPIul9ZJwW8EVhVIHrxa1__vRHij8qQc9ep8y7C2gzREVfbHGAFBzvV70PfsgoizTeW1XMxLWGuFhTWh_a_YiieDDgG0P-a5OCIp5MgMt_YbMkFq-/w300-h400/Ginger132.JPG" title="Ginger - Hunting Lizards" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">She was a great dog despite her fear issues around strangers and other dogs. At home, she was very sweet and well behaved. No chewing, no begging, no stealing food from the counter, no jumping on the furniture.</div><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOuFjkMWvSAe-tQgoT1n2CXY5HuLurmNpaWBkxilEQiQ77UjG1t9PBx5tGoSLoiEpPqxhSIQYZtW4XJSxa1Fr1V2PZVMYVybaE_tq7FTqvlqwIlO7KWv7jJDyHpyktb4kz90ZBMtdBssADJE7dYzm-SgCLXLORw0InuPvBZWeasmWzLypWsw/s4032/Ginger101_best.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOuFjkMWvSAe-tQgoT1n2CXY5HuLurmNpaWBkxilEQiQ77UjG1t9PBx5tGoSLoiEpPqxhSIQYZtW4XJSxa1Fr1V2PZVMYVybaE_tq7FTqvlqwIlO7KWv7jJDyHpyktb4kz90ZBMtdBssADJE7dYzm-SgCLXLORw0InuPvBZWeasmWzLypWsw/w400-h300/Ginger101_best.jpg" title="Ginger and Tori Selfie" width="400" /></a></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk-FpWCqwm51YqUXTpIL_zXSMmJHvqMR7INg25kly9G3XyaMQkLr5b_Y_Y7C2XT3zaPbzk6oXWO9I-RFGbbImV-nCsll7nbQQVJPHpFsdS5vfaeUNz4apn21biv4DGxt-D8ynTBdL3eJ5_pX7EmOCoNxrR54CZB6ObJGYpB2IyTkOJq26geMAZ/s3418/Ginger152.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3418" data-original-width="2564" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk-FpWCqwm51YqUXTpIL_zXSMmJHvqMR7INg25kly9G3XyaMQkLr5b_Y_Y7C2XT3zaPbzk6oXWO9I-RFGbbImV-nCsll7nbQQVJPHpFsdS5vfaeUNz4apn21biv4DGxt-D8ynTBdL3eJ5_pX7EmOCoNxrR54CZB6ObJGYpB2IyTkOJq26geMAZ/w300-h400/Ginger152.jpeg" title="Ginger & Tori" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVWKaktw0azOKl0YrblGI6bDpBdWjeUAiPLPgSnIElkyk8SuIENEoSNZegi2xE4kp-vIap5gExdgCPmRiRNcnOI3ON7mSdfe6KG6x9a3xNbf7O8lQkjx6bHYVQn_zltVYhltFCKDgkVW6r374HS9nGapk2sEwH4Ms5TvazIH2_0Uu0k2h9bsjM/s3923/Ginger153.heic" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3923" data-original-width="2942" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVWKaktw0azOKl0YrblGI6bDpBdWjeUAiPLPgSnIElkyk8SuIENEoSNZegi2xE4kp-vIap5gExdgCPmRiRNcnOI3ON7mSdfe6KG6x9a3xNbf7O8lQkjx6bHYVQn_zltVYhltFCKDgkVW6r374HS9nGapk2sEwH4Ms5TvazIH2_0Uu0k2h9bsjM/w300-h400/Ginger153.heic" title="Ginger Portrait" width="300" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">She loved her walks and daily car rides. She also loved to hunt lizards in the shrubbery on Garden View Court. Before she got sick, we were practicing getting Ginger used to the presence of other dogs on her walks and to visitors in our home with positive reinforcement. She had improved a lot since we first got her.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDOxP0ZZQXwr7GtVmxDyiDJHkxwVe69uU5SuW4ve48fytw2HHXP6LwkNN4I67ZP8IBFgAcsTy-BWYLyDqavYv2JTxViRBaGut1PiACMnwECREmC5Q7BALhNzM-s4diauV-t5VPtRYp6YF9C8tdJ6_qfn0O6qZ9je3xwUqJAPcLlg6eh4dbSS84/s3151/Ginger208.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2362" data-original-width="3151" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDOxP0ZZQXwr7GtVmxDyiDJHkxwVe69uU5SuW4ve48fytw2HHXP6LwkNN4I67ZP8IBFgAcsTy-BWYLyDqavYv2JTxViRBaGut1PiACMnwECREmC5Q7BALhNzM-s4diauV-t5VPtRYp6YF9C8tdJ6_qfn0O6qZ9je3xwUqJAPcLlg6eh4dbSS84/w400-h300/Ginger208.JPG" title="Ginger Car Ride" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrHwcWTPGTfGxM3jd5kCbvQTEGeKoZxTPEYTeBZJYyLsI5lXHGv8V4dtQGUeuQ4yyLYwYxYbDXUHIf6SPoKMHgqPjzwu2GoAlzYNF6PMiBtL63-JnusAVbd2p9Bd32oVHvHV19MB06CScg8PexutyyWZFFac2JZ-oc2M15ha1Dq1F871uQjm_j/s4032/Ginger210.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrHwcWTPGTfGxM3jd5kCbvQTEGeKoZxTPEYTeBZJYyLsI5lXHGv8V4dtQGUeuQ4yyLYwYxYbDXUHIf6SPoKMHgqPjzwu2GoAlzYNF6PMiBtL63-JnusAVbd2p9Bd32oVHvHV19MB06CScg8PexutyyWZFFac2JZ-oc2M15ha1Dq1F871uQjm_j/w300-h400/Ginger210.JPG" title="Stubborn Ginger" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYNbEjMAoqQQyxZrf5v2lPaOPoQ_jOG5xld3ddpXqcpZqyBGTxb-hvm7A9m7XN_zhRbBam2a2KFkN98kZF5BEBoAcs9mIVCf0iEnpcLvR39sDhs067GsdP330T8jg64HCzfF-p07FfmdvB4P2SmH0gmSk9sTpOixHfPHCX0L73Xd_VDdYBU_aM/s3927/Ginger212.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3927" data-original-width="2945" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYNbEjMAoqQQyxZrf5v2lPaOPoQ_jOG5xld3ddpXqcpZqyBGTxb-hvm7A9m7XN_zhRbBam2a2KFkN98kZF5BEBoAcs9mIVCf0iEnpcLvR39sDhs067GsdP330T8jg64HCzfF-p07FfmdvB4P2SmH0gmSk9sTpOixHfPHCX0L73Xd_VDdYBU_aM/w300-h400/Ginger212.JPG" title="Ginger - Walking down Mountain Vista" width="300" /></a></div>Noah Unsworthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16787302506440922931noreply@blogger.com0Encinitas, CA, USA33.0369867 -117.29198184.7267528638211544 -152.4482318 61.347220536178845 -82.1357318tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18659481.post-3967566334468883522023-12-17T10:08:00.000-08:002023-12-28T14:10:50.605-08:00Lake San Marcos Cross (Cerro de las Posas Mountain)<p>On Sunday, we hiked the <b>Sunset Trail</b> from San Elijo Hills Park to climb the <b>Cerro de las Posas</b> mountain. The first part was up and down until we reached the steep section of the climbing trail after Lighthouse Road. In the canyon below we could see the concrete dam along the <b>San Marcos Creek</b>. It was originally built in 1946 to create a 40 acre lake for irrigation and watering cattle.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoaXi7bmfgCoO4SuBPbCfFrLfAip5RrbUF_Jd5A51TjAu06IBzUbKUSxULbzsXbhM1RtIlhpQwZHW9kT5ZfH7Up1zV_38ddJ5fH6e7tZuT2u2NXLu7rxN3dXhDabMvneE1nRKO86E3TI8UuU-molUdTSxqmuctZx4HJwCa7KZUbF8NUlmr5C1A/s3776/LakeSanMarcosCrossTrail030_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2829" data-original-width="3776" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoaXi7bmfgCoO4SuBPbCfFrLfAip5RrbUF_Jd5A51TjAu06IBzUbKUSxULbzsXbhM1RtIlhpQwZHW9kT5ZfH7Up1zV_38ddJ5fH6e7tZuT2u2NXLu7rxN3dXhDabMvneE1nRKO86E3TI8UuU-molUdTSxqmuctZx4HJwCa7KZUbF8NUlmr5C1A/w400-h300/LakeSanMarcosCrossTrail030_Insta.JPG" title="Lake San Marcos Cross Hike - Cerro de las Posas Mountain" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-oPAkUUkuOidA16wo4ff144TxZGCBnxl4vis5Mt8G2PtvD0JfpG5jPl28rTceMvv3H0aJ-3CwN1kLS61BuJIP8f5CB33KsNzyMVhsF6OwBxd2bDqi9e_L5jMH5WWdm5k8jKi9tptNkuTaKTFbOoEfePwzmIdSplMHR80v95_ZAJUEYwAmEiUC/s3976/LakeSanMarcosCrossTrail047_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2982" data-original-width="3976" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-oPAkUUkuOidA16wo4ff144TxZGCBnxl4vis5Mt8G2PtvD0JfpG5jPl28rTceMvv3H0aJ-3CwN1kLS61BuJIP8f5CB33KsNzyMVhsF6OwBxd2bDqi9e_L5jMH5WWdm5k8jKi9tptNkuTaKTFbOoEfePwzmIdSplMHR80v95_ZAJUEYwAmEiUC/w400-h300/LakeSanMarcosCrossTrail047_Insta.JPG" title="Lake San Marcos Cross Hike" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSZwzcmzJfbROac1-B4aGXMdb7JM1XplVRL5EbauDO06csUbyxP4pNqvosaXqUBiHbIrhrDsNTf3dzCC_rqF64PWpioO2b-EAEujJoCaLpY4MydYRDjxq04Zl-256Da538xFU7qdWWryfLmT5PvGd2Z_P4-X95cI3fEyFFF2tbLh1mO1R30r1J/s3977/LakeSanMarcosCrossTrail051_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2982" data-original-width="3977" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSZwzcmzJfbROac1-B4aGXMdb7JM1XplVRL5EbauDO06csUbyxP4pNqvosaXqUBiHbIrhrDsNTf3dzCC_rqF64PWpioO2b-EAEujJoCaLpY4MydYRDjxq04Zl-256Da538xFU7qdWWryfLmT5PvGd2Z_P4-X95cI3fEyFFF2tbLh1mO1R30r1J/w400-h300/LakeSanMarcosCrossTrail051_Insta.JPG" title="Lake San Marcos Cross Hike - San Marcos Creek Dam" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_s8usODeOfv3z7FihVmdGw3HgS7INHHUYmuove32iV_rBHvlaB7_iB9Tm7BVv5qKJT2b4t_O_Sux4UO3UCLEKhd5AYFHKGSD8h6_AxzvPjGFrNUBlBPbZUPaRQ-SBE2rHH8Udxn6Uo7eOSn_xDWZrSqxMQ77RkBtei_XndnR_tVe2WCTMzUuz/s3893/LakeSanMarcosCrossTrail071_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2919" data-original-width="3893" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_s8usODeOfv3z7FihVmdGw3HgS7INHHUYmuove32iV_rBHvlaB7_iB9Tm7BVv5qKJT2b4t_O_Sux4UO3UCLEKhd5AYFHKGSD8h6_AxzvPjGFrNUBlBPbZUPaRQ-SBE2rHH8Udxn6Uo7eOSn_xDWZrSqxMQ77RkBtei_XndnR_tVe2WCTMzUuz/w400-h300/LakeSanMarcosCrossTrail071_Insta.JPG" title="Lake San Marcos Cross Hike" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmggQJgJNuKCYImUv3QJa9IfYw_rJXazqiUHS5AF8KrPaPxdFFlu_dz5TPX-axy-wBtvnzQLHtZPo2nN37VFYzkAyHzxeoBaWYcYlFp7EsYxgj4myBJSMgHjRvRxizbYYTA3l1Pgx3ghYoftuE1PLoBoofB4aKIM__X68ZCQ4u35yT8k72a7g8/s3962/LakeSanMarcosCrossTrail077_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2969" data-original-width="3962" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmggQJgJNuKCYImUv3QJa9IfYw_rJXazqiUHS5AF8KrPaPxdFFlu_dz5TPX-axy-wBtvnzQLHtZPo2nN37VFYzkAyHzxeoBaWYcYlFp7EsYxgj4myBJSMgHjRvRxizbYYTA3l1Pgx3ghYoftuE1PLoBoofB4aKIM__X68ZCQ4u35yT8k72a7g8/w400-h300/LakeSanMarcosCrossTrail077_Insta.JPG" title="Lake San Marcos Cross Hike" width="400" /></a></div><p>As we walked above the long tail of the narrow lake, we reached the eight pointed cross overlooking the unincorporated town of <b>Lake San Marcos</b>. In 1963, the property was purchased by developers who raised the height of the dam, increasing the lake’s size to 80 acres and built homes, resorts, and marinas along the reshaped shoreline. We have been to the lakefront restaurant in the past for a Christmas dinner.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRiV7tWDz04TBT1W0n3-F5cgXCzPYiXH1ZpvgIaI2QTmo66ryE19p5M3PU1JAm6_KzrX-BWo56YTi3FgLLZL2KlfFteC9fT7cBXa52j0DT_lZ6RNICyHqrVZtFZmH3HN8GVYGeWHXE_bgVwRUhQOuC-A9-5ft0ktYv4nuZJBfEsT5NpikdNqiQ/s3715/LakeSanMarcosCrossTrail083_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3715" data-original-width="2972" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRiV7tWDz04TBT1W0n3-F5cgXCzPYiXH1ZpvgIaI2QTmo66ryE19p5M3PU1JAm6_KzrX-BWo56YTi3FgLLZL2KlfFteC9fT7cBXa52j0DT_lZ6RNICyHqrVZtFZmH3HN8GVYGeWHXE_bgVwRUhQOuC-A9-5ft0ktYv4nuZJBfEsT5NpikdNqiQ/w320-h400/LakeSanMarcosCrossTrail083_Insta.JPG" title="Lake San Marcos Cross Hike" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO8VaRv0Gkrf8otSCp6ZzMELNT9UBAs3Y9AECp0qdz03DtWhgGSpKLmWxw1SuHfwz-rH8IKyxp6TP7cPjNe89MKhqLIrVq4Ed0K9uGthyjVmMYxNajmCrN-bb4KPDQnmog3YXYsVV_OJyNCzNzQjBoLrdlyMBUVt1Z1g7FNYGrntEbOB1VzE5V/s3929/LakeSanMarcosCrossTrail090_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2948" data-original-width="3929" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO8VaRv0Gkrf8otSCp6ZzMELNT9UBAs3Y9AECp0qdz03DtWhgGSpKLmWxw1SuHfwz-rH8IKyxp6TP7cPjNe89MKhqLIrVq4Ed0K9uGthyjVmMYxNajmCrN-bb4KPDQnmog3YXYsVV_OJyNCzNzQjBoLrdlyMBUVt1Z1g7FNYGrntEbOB1VzE5V/w400-h300/LakeSanMarcosCrossTrail090_Insta.JPG" title="Lake San Marcos Cross Hike" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMXMgTndun_vacTpY7zMBaJiQ3vBfbrxzcHR24e5x21KaWyJ1dfgPiQwqFDgabmvjSzdpjRsoRcM8_u1wd4FMtVLDVM7XtnAtmVh1lAUPs3Ty8gbFXY0Fwi7ouFJEReqvj9bLfka9dnbh4ydGJk5gNmWkbNdc-822Kcfj4GTS239vSVTsgTTpH/s4096/LakeSanMarcosCrossTrail094_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2730" data-original-width="4096" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMXMgTndun_vacTpY7zMBaJiQ3vBfbrxzcHR24e5x21KaWyJ1dfgPiQwqFDgabmvjSzdpjRsoRcM8_u1wd4FMtVLDVM7XtnAtmVh1lAUPs3Ty8gbFXY0Fwi7ouFJEReqvj9bLfka9dnbh4ydGJk5gNmWkbNdc-822Kcfj4GTS239vSVTsgTTpH/w400-h266/LakeSanMarcosCrossTrail094_Insta.JPG" title="Lake San Marcos Cross Hike - Lakefront Resort" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7kIWF4m5I3afo1XlS1zKj0r35rXdeVtZWbEkEQqyHdkP6-5xjGeLgmmDsWRhUeEqRLJkMU8DfGfLR3ixhoexsYo1pXlS9j52W1FtsBasLrSHWDATTJF59v-RDxpQJI9_mwGJ7vmza71PgaTBfI-Vh-jPtYwPeulzInY70WMla4XGOcOvK4smr/s3892/LakeSanMarcosCrossTrail098_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2919" data-original-width="3892" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7kIWF4m5I3afo1XlS1zKj0r35rXdeVtZWbEkEQqyHdkP6-5xjGeLgmmDsWRhUeEqRLJkMU8DfGfLR3ixhoexsYo1pXlS9j52W1FtsBasLrSHWDATTJF59v-RDxpQJI9_mwGJ7vmza71PgaTBfI-Vh-jPtYwPeulzInY70WMla4XGOcOvK4smr/w400-h300/LakeSanMarcosCrossTrail098_Insta.JPG" title="Lake San Marcos Cross Hike" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7hSK13RPP5d2RpPYT3iyi-mxanp7sH7DyKh4mBVioqmOCZK3wWyFEcKYB6G8v0WASUpAVBfK0xunode1oPSZdMSnVhAvUq0mMUCI6ZwsitZvELh9qRHTdJdWvUujhCIMe-rZYhYX4B5hNrggYgBfMQJOYxjatOzJI7vrxbEfTNBh8mZsuUsOf/s3628/LakeSanMarcosCrossTrail107_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3628" data-original-width="2903" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7hSK13RPP5d2RpPYT3iyi-mxanp7sH7DyKh4mBVioqmOCZK3wWyFEcKYB6G8v0WASUpAVBfK0xunode1oPSZdMSnVhAvUq0mMUCI6ZwsitZvELh9qRHTdJdWvUujhCIMe-rZYhYX4B5hNrggYgBfMQJOYxjatOzJI7vrxbEfTNBh8mZsuUsOf/w320-h400/LakeSanMarcosCrossTrail107_Insta.JPG" title="Lake San Marcos Cross Hike" width="320" /></a></div><p>We continued our hike up the mountain to reach the transmission tower on the 1,207 foot peak. The trail looped around the summit and we enjoyed a beautiful sunset as we descended. Our total hour and fifteen minute hike was 2.73 miles by the time we returned to my truck. It was a nice workout climbing the 728 feet of elevation gain along the trail.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR2gSrJGhuCgila7MApbz41RmPdv4VcW0zGG2Tjscke4YsXx5j-36xmy1Fwg0Fh9F8dqjOJJYi_KKCInkM8ZLcKpbGLT8OnnhtWGUPZu6LUQqaA9SnfJSqHmoJCHY8KpuDjJsmgr4LlJCSPOQ84g5RKyhhyfsqsPOO-IlBQ20vS-X3BAs-qNwD/s4096/LakeSanMarcosCrossTrail112_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2728" data-original-width="4096" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR2gSrJGhuCgila7MApbz41RmPdv4VcW0zGG2Tjscke4YsXx5j-36xmy1Fwg0Fh9F8dqjOJJYi_KKCInkM8ZLcKpbGLT8OnnhtWGUPZu6LUQqaA9SnfJSqHmoJCHY8KpuDjJsmgr4LlJCSPOQ84g5RKyhhyfsqsPOO-IlBQ20vS-X3BAs-qNwD/w400-h266/LakeSanMarcosCrossTrail112_Insta.JPG" title="Lake San Marcos Cross Hike - Tori pointing to Double Peak" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgARIXr7e3mgAnq9BKf3r9belU90BvbPzLJJ5k6nQrSvOaZ2bYnXaNA9Z50K6oVUhpPPzTku4_YNVmb1RznFexXzFpoA637nHuyjrG5a9CHHzgclNh4S7kRwcBTaNM_sfj4QVElF3ERuh4xLWYeDJUNm81kmkazhjxnh8NELlkrLEF8sGWllOlt/s4032/LakeSanMarcosCrossTrail120_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgARIXr7e3mgAnq9BKf3r9belU90BvbPzLJJ5k6nQrSvOaZ2bYnXaNA9Z50K6oVUhpPPzTku4_YNVmb1RznFexXzFpoA637nHuyjrG5a9CHHzgclNh4S7kRwcBTaNM_sfj4QVElF3ERuh4xLWYeDJUNm81kmkazhjxnh8NELlkrLEF8sGWllOlt/w400-h225/LakeSanMarcosCrossTrail120_Insta.JPG" title="Lake San Marcos Cross Hike" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzk3WxCA7ztshKeXpdcb0BTcgAZWn1Mw0YkiZBRhIYw9ZZxUXyimydz4015yiAZT_28Pg3tCer7iC_byIiojkb47U30F0PDFt0TZtw18wJNGZ-6D6uM0-awVXZo6mR5-6tGGQihdswrV3C0mr67I09YE2BDwTPmh6EFahoSBn8Ma_VmfIeomKC/s4096/LakeSanMarcosCrossTrail129_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2730" data-original-width="4096" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzk3WxCA7ztshKeXpdcb0BTcgAZWn1Mw0YkiZBRhIYw9ZZxUXyimydz4015yiAZT_28Pg3tCer7iC_byIiojkb47U30F0PDFt0TZtw18wJNGZ-6D6uM0-awVXZo6mR5-6tGGQihdswrV3C0mr67I09YE2BDwTPmh6EFahoSBn8Ma_VmfIeomKC/w400-h266/LakeSanMarcosCrossTrail129_Insta.JPG" title="Lake San Marcos Cross Hike - Batiquitos Lagoon" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkQ_jsp_RR1XwXIVXvyqNEdcZjSMij1bxrQDgx1VKiL-0gRGHrV8FqNelhhbvhFNC-qLs6pL2hLma2Fmh4ZgHGagDMn1JahW9yf1CCTx-v89uj1SGKbphv6mWnRvdhDR69bH-wiLieR4fCjE24WdzFrtkwP9j1-ZS-05xwvZGVnWQy6oGNWvLk/s4032/LakeSanMarcosCrossTrail150_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkQ_jsp_RR1XwXIVXvyqNEdcZjSMij1bxrQDgx1VKiL-0gRGHrV8FqNelhhbvhFNC-qLs6pL2hLma2Fmh4ZgHGagDMn1JahW9yf1CCTx-v89uj1SGKbphv6mWnRvdhDR69bH-wiLieR4fCjE24WdzFrtkwP9j1-ZS-05xwvZGVnWQy6oGNWvLk/w400-h300/LakeSanMarcosCrossTrail150_Insta.JPG" title="Lake San Marcos Cross Hike - Sunset Trail" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIjH2Xp3ncyw7MAVvdh-8cOqgLlTUOKV-tWWJgDD4LIM-gTtp-CQRmfDtlrL8zAc7uja4EgpfNT_4gMW_Pf15ludcXmfKPTqQollWo10ubfnZc-opwz2X5bQFSWVEGmIXQhyphenhyphenNHUJjklCEM0d7sfWZWVzm52i9GwGrnZYmZZc0ERMF2c_SZ6CvX/s3970/LakeSanMarcosCrossTrail153_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2978" data-original-width="3970" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIjH2Xp3ncyw7MAVvdh-8cOqgLlTUOKV-tWWJgDD4LIM-gTtp-CQRmfDtlrL8zAc7uja4EgpfNT_4gMW_Pf15ludcXmfKPTqQollWo10ubfnZc-opwz2X5bQFSWVEGmIXQhyphenhyphenNHUJjklCEM0d7sfWZWVzm52i9GwGrnZYmZZc0ERMF2c_SZ6CvX/w400-h300/LakeSanMarcosCrossTrail153_Insta.JPG" title="Lake San Marcos Cross Hike - Sunset Trail" width="400" /></a></div>Noah Unsworthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16787302506440922931noreply@blogger.com0San Elijo Hills, San Marcos, CA 92078, USA33.0992948 -117.18382374.7890609638211572 -152.3400737 61.409528636178848 -82.0275737tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18659481.post-53136897620940910782023-12-11T16:01:00.000-08:002023-12-18T17:47:35.631-08:00Seven Bridges Walk (December Nights at Balboa Park)<p>On Saturday, we decided to complete the <b>Seven Bridges Walk</b> that loops through Banker's Hill, Balboa Park and Hillcrest over 5.7 miles. Our first stop was the <b>Spruce Street Suspension Bridge</b> that we first visited back in 2017 to take some AcroYoga pictures in the middle of the 375 foot span. It had been a little scary lifting Tori in the air 70 feet over Arroyo Canyon. The bridge was built in 1912 by the City of San Diego to connect the hilly neighborhood to the former trolley stop on 4th Avenue. On this visit, the bridge was busy so I stayed in the middle of the path to avoid the rocking back and forth caused by all the foot traffic.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8r5EE8ZvorTIQuttMknW1pO5uUalIZOQs8oeDT9uC-EYP8oZsFIhFW_VM-r6gw2fiRUE4ORtqEV8hrQ7WOYHj47KVww96ZAZXzxTcx71pQoFnFxFj1zsLQKUpZBthtkx8rYzt0i2mEGgljG5pcVvykOKGWX3Gavz3Vtq4dn_uix5dnMx4jgcU/s4032/SevenBridgesTrail009_SpruceStreetSuspensionBridge.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8r5EE8ZvorTIQuttMknW1pO5uUalIZOQs8oeDT9uC-EYP8oZsFIhFW_VM-r6gw2fiRUE4ORtqEV8hrQ7WOYHj47KVww96ZAZXzxTcx71pQoFnFxFj1zsLQKUpZBthtkx8rYzt0i2mEGgljG5pcVvykOKGWX3Gavz3Vtq4dn_uix5dnMx4jgcU/w400-h300/SevenBridgesTrail009_SpruceStreetSuspensionBridge.JPG" title="Seven Bridges Walk - Spruce Street Suspension Bridge" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikAkZUgXoUCcZV80A7qC6BkVpHBqCTn6v5Y7-GzkPKEoJcJ-737uyHnYjuqhGDMRBYzfgpyGrzf5uQKRLVFkqT7n3iaaA0eBWaRsb8zneL6xJh2bC_9UZF0f07gVh9TTM6jK4JLWf50A5awibI167XXnnEkJ6juUETMrn6g3NWxsx3TrlPRefE/s4032/SevenBridgesTrail011_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikAkZUgXoUCcZV80A7qC6BkVpHBqCTn6v5Y7-GzkPKEoJcJ-737uyHnYjuqhGDMRBYzfgpyGrzf5uQKRLVFkqT7n3iaaA0eBWaRsb8zneL6xJh2bC_9UZF0f07gVh9TTM6jK4JLWf50A5awibI167XXnnEkJ6juUETMrn6g3NWxsx3TrlPRefE/w400-h300/SevenBridgesTrail011_Insta.JPG" title="Seven Bridges Walk - Spruce Street Suspension Bridge" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZm7t_DRYwhOmI78FKyeIg8HXInX7NgURmSMYyatqs2LgV9-D7tl6dv85O-IT51Yl-JtqOYac6iTyn6OiNDEI0FSrTTCvqxqzrBb3iwKdeOGAA2C0xpqxK6AJnkW1EK-OskaFTtzWBtMEH1OpwV9Agdu6fabJPsOelh8vxDSz9K2wrANcTCGZ1/s3692/SevenBridgesTrail012_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3692" data-original-width="2954" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZm7t_DRYwhOmI78FKyeIg8HXInX7NgURmSMYyatqs2LgV9-D7tl6dv85O-IT51Yl-JtqOYac6iTyn6OiNDEI0FSrTTCvqxqzrBb3iwKdeOGAA2C0xpqxK6AJnkW1EK-OskaFTtzWBtMEH1OpwV9Agdu6fabJPsOelh8vxDSz9K2wrANcTCGZ1/w320-h400/SevenBridgesTrail012_Insta.JPG" title="Seven Bridges Walk - Spruce Street Suspension Bridge" width="320" /></a></div><p>Our second stop was the <b>Quince Street Bridge</b> that spans Maple Canyon between Third and Fourth Avenues. It was our first time visiting this wooden trestle bridge that was built in 1905 for only $805 before being rebuilt again in 1990 due to termites and dry rot for $250,000. The pretty bridge is 236 feet long and 60 feet tall and was also built to access to the Fourth Avenue trolley line.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV5otJIu1c_RJiN83rk6JNVzCo2kd2-ahuGhRKCbr2rsBcJFVgFY6q66-6kFw0xxHMjKb0uePKsFziIBf3QFzIbgOzDQbkGmSt-thQPJm81L4hpJW7otOszmUgXX86rrQns3yPPXDjUY2QqEEHMCM1p88uBkKyjwS0Eudnfqyy7ulyzZ6CrvsI/s4032/SevenBridgesTrail020_QuinceStreetBridge.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV5otJIu1c_RJiN83rk6JNVzCo2kd2-ahuGhRKCbr2rsBcJFVgFY6q66-6kFw0xxHMjKb0uePKsFziIBf3QFzIbgOzDQbkGmSt-thQPJm81L4hpJW7otOszmUgXX86rrQns3yPPXDjUY2QqEEHMCM1p88uBkKyjwS0Eudnfqyy7ulyzZ6CrvsI/w400-h300/SevenBridgesTrail020_QuinceStreetBridge.JPG" title="Seven Bridges Walk - Quince Street Bridge" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFWJxV3ILTvvyYBHNRp9ZyKZxx5xHtZVCwyBAcT-0OC6I639VZ8z7Gn4BH83vfC-Jx1dmmILNFjdDrH__GkV1xu9clTrKcNft3akEOSfuD58xEvX8IAPmHCcw9Po19opS6SAMUZxjxxD3lMchHaS9VyYjR6weyoGXJ0nymKF98qJIi-i3GSNih/s4032/SevenBridgesTrail022_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFWJxV3ILTvvyYBHNRp9ZyKZxx5xHtZVCwyBAcT-0OC6I639VZ8z7Gn4BH83vfC-Jx1dmmILNFjdDrH__GkV1xu9clTrKcNft3akEOSfuD58xEvX8IAPmHCcw9Po19opS6SAMUZxjxxD3lMchHaS9VyYjR6weyoGXJ0nymKF98qJIi-i3GSNih/w400-h300/SevenBridgesTrail022_Insta.JPG" title="Seven Bridges Walk - Quince Street Bridge" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCmki2tl94IcoGGm-WCAXa2K9bmlCtHjxn6hYyhCo4P8gyQEAL8wg5ne7e-_C2YTE68wcPLVY-WIuGgnxo6iZUHa7Qi8Gh-jm-_Ei1PKU_zrUuA6wIxC3NOjlIBNdvwsyJngbxZAhIR8v1pqw7gIWurDnZsKeU5E61xVHt-TqUlc-7SqwS79XD/s3779/SevenBridgesTrail025_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3779" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCmki2tl94IcoGGm-WCAXa2K9bmlCtHjxn6hYyhCo4P8gyQEAL8wg5ne7e-_C2YTE68wcPLVY-WIuGgnxo6iZUHa7Qi8Gh-jm-_Ei1PKU_zrUuA6wIxC3NOjlIBNdvwsyJngbxZAhIR8v1pqw7gIWurDnZsKeU5E61xVHt-TqUlc-7SqwS79XD/w320-h400/SevenBridgesTrail025_Insta.JPG" title="Seven Bridges Walk - Quince Street Bridge" width="320" /></a></div><p>Our third crossing was the <b>Cabrillo Bridge</b> in Balboa Park, built in 1915 for the Panama-California Exposition. When it was first built, a man-made pond lay under the 120 foot tall bridge where the 163 Freeway now passes underneath. At least 50 people attempted suicide from this bridge before the taller Coronado Bridge was built over San Diego Bay. We hadn't planned it, but we stumbled onto the two-day <b>December Nights</b> event in the park. If we had known about the event in advance, we probably would have picked another day for our walk to avoid the heavy traffic into the neighborhood.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-Eq34ixXZ5fdoTo-cfnOvl_RI6zwZyNgnGPfwVn6BfxrUAe4HlAXYQJR9lzkSNR3oLqShir-zXwGX4ks1xADIWFunqpnxWhSSwwBBO_ecGHT7W4OXXSY3LeN3ObVigqZEJqBN0LUXzzeF4PAZ28UPOfjUa-oV9B3cjSxYZikU3N3z7TXUTJQN/s4096/SevenBridgesTrail033_CabrilloBridge.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2730" data-original-width="4096" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-Eq34ixXZ5fdoTo-cfnOvl_RI6zwZyNgnGPfwVn6BfxrUAe4HlAXYQJR9lzkSNR3oLqShir-zXwGX4ks1xADIWFunqpnxWhSSwwBBO_ecGHT7W4OXXSY3LeN3ObVigqZEJqBN0LUXzzeF4PAZ28UPOfjUa-oV9B3cjSxYZikU3N3z7TXUTJQN/w400-h266/SevenBridgesTrail033_CabrilloBridge.JPG" title="Seven Bridges Walk - Cabrillo Bridge" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZAS-8yRp_hyphenhyphenKaSkGVX5YR5Uh3AmRLU0xYHYPsxXcvNkOdStNIPYw0l6lEpzj32hNKsR2bA3McGMjDyyWtv8MbJtrMlI1O4GwBiOWvzVSqjKONI3tQYaZCoxpcTagVpgyRj_d_11-iJsk798xpe-QaTeEn3BwzKy2lo-Ar-xd6bsmqZgtYSpZe/s3426/SevenBridgesTrail035_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3426" data-original-width="2741" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZAS-8yRp_hyphenhyphenKaSkGVX5YR5Uh3AmRLU0xYHYPsxXcvNkOdStNIPYw0l6lEpzj32hNKsR2bA3McGMjDyyWtv8MbJtrMlI1O4GwBiOWvzVSqjKONI3tQYaZCoxpcTagVpgyRj_d_11-iJsk798xpe-QaTeEn3BwzKy2lo-Ar-xd6bsmqZgtYSpZe/w320-h400/SevenBridgesTrail035_Insta.JPG" title="Seven Bridges Walk - Cabrillo Bridge" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCsk4Mf1qCQnu_FC8OejXosifYMkhHaeczdCTZthh3bwm57t9fp9OmXy1aL1D6UnWzi4kk6K2vk9G8Om1MSMiBdJAu9pH_KDseDORGGngKZJJVF5EFajeH7GlfWtnZDNaZarrWyGTlB3JvCdb7r2m6UvfcZ3sTL6_ZL-0_wuxPp668L7X8yxIt/s4032/SevenBridgesTrail044.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCsk4Mf1qCQnu_FC8OejXosifYMkhHaeczdCTZthh3bwm57t9fp9OmXy1aL1D6UnWzi4kk6K2vk9G8Om1MSMiBdJAu9pH_KDseDORGGngKZJJVF5EFajeH7GlfWtnZDNaZarrWyGTlB3JvCdb7r2m6UvfcZ3sTL6_ZL-0_wuxPp668L7X8yxIt/w400-h300/SevenBridgesTrail044.JPG" title="Seven Bridges Walk - California Tower" width="400" /></a></div><p>The El Prado promenade was decorated and crowded with food trucks, gift vendors and buskers. We detoured over to the Spreckels Organ Pavilion where a Christmas choir was performing before the 8pm Switchfoot concert. On the far side of the park, we crossed the smallest bridge of our walk, the <b>El Prado Bridge</b> and explored the Rose and Desert Gardens. Our favorite was the chubby little Queensland Bottle Tree.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv2OGYbiN9bg5z2E2J1Unr5vPXeqg_n4OEho16qcDTLiYz14iPRp0woEfnK15lm9ZUN0PGcn3Qcon5sOKJ6sYl0AVfYkpuYCYZDSxa-gosOPOM6VrG7Zqq7gzt-3F8ZUrM9fgbA6w5ShmttagSMCNH01o_V4uetYFLcmk-bNLSQGbQiG8iqagU/s3707/SevenBridgesTrail062_ElPradoBridge.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3707" data-original-width="2966" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv2OGYbiN9bg5z2E2J1Unr5vPXeqg_n4OEho16qcDTLiYz14iPRp0woEfnK15lm9ZUN0PGcn3Qcon5sOKJ6sYl0AVfYkpuYCYZDSxa-gosOPOM6VrG7Zqq7gzt-3F8ZUrM9fgbA6w5ShmttagSMCNH01o_V4uetYFLcmk-bNLSQGbQiG8iqagU/w320-h400/SevenBridgesTrail062_ElPradoBridge.JPG" title="Seven Bridges Walk - El Prado Bridge" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr15hwnqbPWiccrK9Y74clJtuewMNOQ1Yf2rU_F6lEz6wKxrRcDEZ7gzOPRIX9Asx1Dxs0JxOHUq9Ca31bru7HMnDhicy_VCWLsOFjI1OjFMAUPq60PRVsRMPL8eypJocOiLkBk7lm9wKSZhEXJUyCdJEeGiLne1Z9A-O6LDb3CdC25mVfur3k/s3780/SevenBridgesTrail078_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3780" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr15hwnqbPWiccrK9Y74clJtuewMNOQ1Yf2rU_F6lEz6wKxrRcDEZ7gzOPRIX9Asx1Dxs0JxOHUq9Ca31bru7HMnDhicy_VCWLsOFjI1OjFMAUPq60PRVsRMPL8eypJocOiLkBk7lm9wKSZhEXJUyCdJEeGiLne1Z9A-O6LDb3CdC25mVfur3k/w320-h400/SevenBridgesTrail078_Insta.JPG" title="Seven Bridges Walk - Queensland Bottle Tree in Desert Garden" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGy75rzcHy374FbBz2LPgvMZiJ4HhPVLJSK3m1m6Ri1mQVhQO51p2jyCHp3-XM08Q71WJgxz173UXVVhMwGdgUWxMXEJpU6EGGmsV5yWgz-rmyPVv8UPU2kdrS7I_DD2OyeTWP-Ky7RcdW865hoR0vRBcT-UbztGj9mfY2m2mc2KSVaIC_8E7O/s3780/SevenBridgesTrail081_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3780" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGy75rzcHy374FbBz2LPgvMZiJ4HhPVLJSK3m1m6Ri1mQVhQO51p2jyCHp3-XM08Q71WJgxz173UXVVhMwGdgUWxMXEJpU6EGGmsV5yWgz-rmyPVv8UPU2kdrS7I_DD2OyeTWP-Ky7RcdW865hoR0vRBcT-UbztGj9mfY2m2mc2KSVaIC_8E7O/w320-h400/SevenBridgesTrail081_Insta.JPG" title="Seven Bridges Walk - Queensland Bottle Tree in Desert Garden" width="320" /></a></div><p>Since we were distracted by the December Nights and starving, we decided to backtrack through Balboa Park instead of completing the loop up Park Avenue. Walking along the back paths, we passed the skeletal dome of Botanical Building in the middle of its three year renovation. The arboretum was originally built in 1915 and is scheduled to reopen in 2024. "How the Grinch Stole Christmas!" is playing at the Old Globe Theater and the California Tower was all lit up with Christmas lights. Walking north to <b>NOLA on 5th</b> in Hillcrest, we both ordered the New Orleans Trio to try the Gumbo, Etoufee, Jambalaya with Red Beans and Rice. They were all delicious and we finished by sharing the White Chocolate Bread Pudding.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj22Skaqr6SfZCJJEuJGfC6SIIRKpVQ8LY-L3roS5BgK6GKAsgHEju_j2Kh_daR12m0w-2ODZ3kBEoE22d7md-WL0yY2uQSYB3Z_3a7p-u9v6dUhh7gmHCj5u6MO6ztmI5BcD8mxyRSSmvsf96FbIPwk2t4SrjhqzIdIW0WTqCEmaW0qb5i65MJ/s4032/SevenBridgesTrail085_Insta2.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj22Skaqr6SfZCJJEuJGfC6SIIRKpVQ8LY-L3roS5BgK6GKAsgHEju_j2Kh_daR12m0w-2ODZ3kBEoE22d7md-WL0yY2uQSYB3Z_3a7p-u9v6dUhh7gmHCj5u6MO6ztmI5BcD8mxyRSSmvsf96FbIPwk2t4SrjhqzIdIW0WTqCEmaW0qb5i65MJ/w400-h300/SevenBridgesTrail085_Insta2.JPG" title="Seven Bridges Walk - Botanical Building Renovation" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL63ARMgkGuEHWxfO_lRlg_dZZMjyyHeLsR-UqpbEgUieuMJ1PGzJchbQqRCR80s4AhQ9Z2Gnekhc7mbRFR1hEFgA4js3ZtoDd4cRcdcUF3pTv0J2mAleUkWCjgocB2kDDAPcrCG5xtSrCA0uan83hFAJxJI7fgnDD2djOCRK-lpMJGShdHlQo/s3779/SevenBridgesTrail088_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3779" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL63ARMgkGuEHWxfO_lRlg_dZZMjyyHeLsR-UqpbEgUieuMJ1PGzJchbQqRCR80s4AhQ9Z2Gnekhc7mbRFR1hEFgA4js3ZtoDd4cRcdcUF3pTv0J2mAleUkWCjgocB2kDDAPcrCG5xtSrCA0uan83hFAJxJI7fgnDD2djOCRK-lpMJGShdHlQo/w320-h400/SevenBridgesTrail088_Insta.JPG" title="Seven Bridges Walk - December Nights in Balboa Park" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZktL4B0jBoXw85zpsOS6DBcIBB7QwHaB8jWjAnMcfLc3rS7na0TxyMAz94EnwRsDrPYyd2K6C7cE-wV_-U5FBHy3n3pOLuZyF2Gj_Qw2hHzkxokHcp8losOEqfvOWHMsQoHE0OFo7ST8QqYArSAwZ5mr0pVE18wID8TwNuVFPMC8wkZI7T3Tw/s4032/SevenBridgesTrail092_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZktL4B0jBoXw85zpsOS6DBcIBB7QwHaB8jWjAnMcfLc3rS7na0TxyMAz94EnwRsDrPYyd2K6C7cE-wV_-U5FBHy3n3pOLuZyF2Gj_Qw2hHzkxokHcp8losOEqfvOWHMsQoHE0OFo7ST8QqYArSAwZ5mr0pVE18wID8TwNuVFPMC8wkZI7T3Tw/w400-h300/SevenBridgesTrail092_Insta.JPG" title="Seven Bridges Walk - Cabrillo Bridge" width="400" /></a></div><p>Since we skipped the final bridges of our walk, we returned a week later. We parked north of the <b>Vermont Street Bridge</b> and crossed the 420 foot bridge over high-speed Washington Street in the canyon between University Heights and Hillcrest. This new bridge was built in 1994 to replace the original 1916 wooden trestle bridge demolished in 1979.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimV4gcERWXE1cYjt-Xr5FiBIdXrnzD2XGwhn58pUwllkepqzAzsIcUhPeSVQ-CUW_KnDJHvJ5z57UIdahvxpMY-h8e_PhqvUudg5wl16XP_iC-7rwZNZrs3wGRZX9BtdtGP70tHXkb4tnu7GJV5pXhWRvcpD6uoNqvK7e8U7P6mA9805aNK3B9/s3816/SevenBridgesTrail105_Insta.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2862" data-original-width="3816" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimV4gcERWXE1cYjt-Xr5FiBIdXrnzD2XGwhn58pUwllkepqzAzsIcUhPeSVQ-CUW_KnDJHvJ5z57UIdahvxpMY-h8e_PhqvUudg5wl16XP_iC-7rwZNZrs3wGRZX9BtdtGP70tHXkb4tnu7GJV5pXhWRvcpD6uoNqvK7e8U7P6mA9805aNK3B9/w400-h300/SevenBridgesTrail105_Insta.JPG" title="Seven Bridges Walk - Vermont Street Bridge" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCGE4w_0OGHepbUDAFtz4wR5jcNZY2uQCmxYV_6xsBujy8VlgtBtnoOYuJQ8O5juTtQMoao0UW0ucgMG2wK5TJoHoXr7sgN-Fewr9flRCZ9B4YVL-UMtjSadhyphenhyphen-lPiIY6x4kYTYyhG2ZcpFBPR76YVdG6iaigVZov0BvWYYPRSoAJ7CsC4trJ0/s4096/SevenBridgesTrail114_Insta.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2730" data-original-width="4096" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCGE4w_0OGHepbUDAFtz4wR5jcNZY2uQCmxYV_6xsBujy8VlgtBtnoOYuJQ8O5juTtQMoao0UW0ucgMG2wK5TJoHoXr7sgN-Fewr9flRCZ9B4YVL-UMtjSadhyphenhyphen-lPiIY6x4kYTYyhG2ZcpFBPR76YVdG6iaigVZov0BvWYYPRSoAJ7CsC4trJ0/w400-h266/SevenBridgesTrail114_Insta.JPG" title="Seven Bridges Walk - Vermont Street Bridge" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdMS907ipGk2R2SCeiW_5iYZa1OcoLG8JDB7n04JjBRg0q4EBlw_LHUQsemzJ-e_Ddvhb-C5IH8A9Fr4liaiTqkXzN0uGBa1SIoKKIJrPLVyNVF8-pJbGBEC8ij2GyWCCnmkiuAnFNmYOqpI65JYcD7_rFU8AuKAV57dmZ7T1Hr5m7zztESr9v/s3933/SevenBridgesTrail117_VermontStreetBridge.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2947" data-original-width="3933" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdMS907ipGk2R2SCeiW_5iYZa1OcoLG8JDB7n04JjBRg0q4EBlw_LHUQsemzJ-e_Ddvhb-C5IH8A9Fr4liaiTqkXzN0uGBa1SIoKKIJrPLVyNVF8-pJbGBEC8ij2GyWCCnmkiuAnFNmYOqpI65JYcD7_rFU8AuKAV57dmZ7T1Hr5m7zztESr9v/w400-h300/SevenBridgesTrail117_VermontStreetBridge.JPG" title="Seven Bridges Walk - Vermont Street Bridge" width="400" /></a></div><p>Walking down University Avenue, we passed briefly into North Park to visit the <b>Georgia Street Historical Bridge</b>. The single arched concrete bridge was built in 1914 after a streetcar line was cut through the ridge on Georgia Street. Electric trolleys ran under the 50 foot tall bridge along University Avenue until 1948. During the 2016 renovation, they discovered two sets of old railroad ties when the lowered the roadbed under the bridge.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw8OWwayhoQQ1jQi8qVGBTKF868kAvnOFvNre0FNrZnLjv_Ug6Yvg7mUY_XmY5meEA_9bqiLsmX9gXnGoB4CvIbF5FsT8WPCshDllNIBAUe2jWf2YADk0teGH06DqPVIO7XRyLu-rjlE1I8kxGU_uJjqaj7yw0xmC5rw6Ysvoi6-qodROy5MDm/s3588/SevenBridgesTrail123_GeorgiaStreetBridge.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3588" data-original-width="2871" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw8OWwayhoQQ1jQi8qVGBTKF868kAvnOFvNre0FNrZnLjv_Ug6Yvg7mUY_XmY5meEA_9bqiLsmX9gXnGoB4CvIbF5FsT8WPCshDllNIBAUe2jWf2YADk0teGH06DqPVIO7XRyLu-rjlE1I8kxGU_uJjqaj7yw0xmC5rw6Ysvoi6-qodROy5MDm/w320-h400/SevenBridgesTrail123_GeorgiaStreetBridge.JPG" title="Seven Bridges Walk - Georgia Street Historical Bridge" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZo7JCF2Ec7di8MeMC6MCn0OwaPTybB_XVZQ8CA6aq6GIPwejtRQ788J5699T8RwJUrihWxY5iyQweajl3gFvkHdszVmDPYfc7A5Ju2InphnU8ZfGIbnxhuot2kjO4sIFDkT2W-eQVvHo3QlnS9Xprcmr_44jjTWlmCqZjBLTQjy8uT1cWIz1o/s3280/SevenBridgesTrail125_Insta.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3280" data-original-width="2625" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZo7JCF2Ec7di8MeMC6MCn0OwaPTybB_XVZQ8CA6aq6GIPwejtRQ788J5699T8RwJUrihWxY5iyQweajl3gFvkHdszVmDPYfc7A5Ju2InphnU8ZfGIbnxhuot2kjO4sIFDkT2W-eQVvHo3QlnS9Xprcmr_44jjTWlmCqZjBLTQjy8uT1cWIz1o/w320-h400/SevenBridgesTrail125_Insta.JPG" title="Seven Bridges Walk - Georgia Street Historical Bridge" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-YsbOjXDLAFpMzBlucuV_0FFNEjhYkl5MnAtgnpeqody-TRNcwQXOvqxCvgZgz-aly4SfH7NibKLlp1OTrwAZBCh1Kxb61odR_uwZdTYVWBQYyuYwC9yGVbcTlqF-3Fx-1bBZRhhdbTx0a20A3K5Qz9ZQf_YCVXvTvU9yzCD-LOek_t8rWizf/s3870/SevenBridgesTrail129_Insta.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2900" data-original-width="3870" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-YsbOjXDLAFpMzBlucuV_0FFNEjhYkl5MnAtgnpeqody-TRNcwQXOvqxCvgZgz-aly4SfH7NibKLlp1OTrwAZBCh1Kxb61odR_uwZdTYVWBQYyuYwC9yGVbcTlqF-3Fx-1bBZRhhdbTx0a20A3K5Qz9ZQf_YCVXvTvU9yzCD-LOek_t8rWizf/w400-h300/SevenBridgesTrail129_Insta.JPG" title="Seven Bridges Walk - Georgia Street Historical Bridge" width="400" /></a></div><p>Walking north along Park Avenue, we entered <b>University Heights</b>. It was my first time visiting this part of the city and we went all the way north to the Old Trolley Barn Park overlooking Mission Valley. For dinner, we ate on the rooftop deck of the <b>Kairoa Brewing Company</b>, the New Zealand pub right next to the lighted neighborhood sign of a trolley car. The food was delicious and the large fries may be the best I have ever had. Crispy on the outside, but light and airy on the inside. I would also highly recommend the Wagyu Jam Burger (Gouda Cheese, Bacon Jam, Bibb Lettuce, Heirloom Tomato, Garlic Aioli and Brioche Bun). </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqwuuIJnUti8pLpHfcymwO-1qiZ9UFgO-hcm5fvavtnSXkqPkvyUng0nSpx9SG-08pyAQd7avkZlUHD9wCfsxZRnsO1SdhSq3C5xdOJh7AN0He8vyv7oSBQ6AIQpVAK7DGWcII6KIFB_iZJluCVyKfIedvTFRI7kBea4rh7J530jnNaS3aqlrN/s4032/SevenBridgesTrail137_Insta.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqwuuIJnUti8pLpHfcymwO-1qiZ9UFgO-hcm5fvavtnSXkqPkvyUng0nSpx9SG-08pyAQd7avkZlUHD9wCfsxZRnsO1SdhSq3C5xdOJh7AN0He8vyv7oSBQ6AIQpVAK7DGWcII6KIFB_iZJluCVyKfIedvTFRI7kBea4rh7J530jnNaS3aqlrN/w400-h300/SevenBridgesTrail137_Insta.JPG" title="Seven Bridges Walk - University Heights Trolley Sign" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRamveChZGy9G2y9K_us9HM4bjAj1SFvkFFVOwdi1MgpXR-4II03EcxVsU5oKGLOFG0iusazYA-fMkwyhlp9DdxvUc9amyx9YjVnYNJ8cEo3i6MVBdk8ZPWsr5k25VfH10WR9_tRA22xn9k8vjt9sSTefg3wD7NNWndi-pqSW8_NHsbTjkz0nE/s3880/SevenBridgesTrail150_Insta.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2910" data-original-width="3880" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRamveChZGy9G2y9K_us9HM4bjAj1SFvkFFVOwdi1MgpXR-4II03EcxVsU5oKGLOFG0iusazYA-fMkwyhlp9DdxvUc9amyx9YjVnYNJ8cEo3i6MVBdk8ZPWsr5k25VfH10WR9_tRA22xn9k8vjt9sSTefg3wD7NNWndi-pqSW8_NHsbTjkz0nE/w400-h300/SevenBridgesTrail150_Insta.JPG" title="Seven Bridges Walk - Kairoa Brewing Company" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDtOX3fU-_9YMeJTJGKyOASON-fRRY8iuLaOqEJ0SyPGCP_Gw_Ac3MsnaGq88i_va9KgKu_x_ESU_Wt1SdhWQUBsEhElv-dY7mvNMFNg_egsK5dnrVroFxSfSVfXer-ZR8UbAdbSTI8J6b-zAALCyKJeEt-UwSojaviAzTQlK5b4Cnv4PFa4Og/s3780/SevenBridgesTrail154_Insta.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3780" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDtOX3fU-_9YMeJTJGKyOASON-fRRY8iuLaOqEJ0SyPGCP_Gw_Ac3MsnaGq88i_va9KgKu_x_ESU_Wt1SdhWQUBsEhElv-dY7mvNMFNg_egsK5dnrVroFxSfSVfXer-ZR8UbAdbSTI8J6b-zAALCyKJeEt-UwSojaviAzTQlK5b4Cnv4PFa4Og/w320-h400/SevenBridgesTrail154_Insta.JPG" title="Seven Bridges Walk - Kairoa Brewing Company" width="320" /></a></div><p>Technically, we only crossed 6 of the 7 seven bridges of the urban loop walk, but we didn't feel the need to visit the boring freeway overpass on University Avenue. We have driven over it many times in the past though. :)</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwEcQjKiFr5i2c0GGqgGdqmGMgveee9Y6e0zCx0CGxBvIxBABCdX7Z_AzoSRMhOCcvl1BCPXfM5xzayD7kP2kBV2WJwmA_FrDtYLpEwvwfhBXKfwKPQ_M-d4_aOTY1T3WRbEu8UCy2A8CgLAPFFDKcCIelkv528KItcuqDTdVFqazpzH7a68Ts/s4032/SevenBridgesTrail160_Insta.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwEcQjKiFr5i2c0GGqgGdqmGMgveee9Y6e0zCx0CGxBvIxBABCdX7Z_AzoSRMhOCcvl1BCPXfM5xzayD7kP2kBV2WJwmA_FrDtYLpEwvwfhBXKfwKPQ_M-d4_aOTY1T3WRbEu8UCy2A8CgLAPFFDKcCIelkv528KItcuqDTdVFqazpzH7a68Ts/w400-h300/SevenBridgesTrail160_Insta.JPG" title="Seven Bridges Walk - Vermont Street Bridge" width="400" /></a></div>Noah Unsworthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16787302506440922931noreply@blogger.com0Bankers Hill, San Diego, CA, USA32.7308025 -117.16294934.4205686638211574 -152.31919929999998 61.041036336178848 -82.0066993tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18659481.post-25689062929625290102023-11-27T16:26:00.000-08:002023-12-12T16:01:12.406-08:00North County Hikes (Denk Mountain, Copper Creek Falls and San Elijo Lagoon)<p>The day after Thanksgiving, Tori and I hiked to the summit of <b>Denk Mountain</b> in the <b>Rancho La Costa Reserve</b>. We have driven past it countless times throughout our lives but never climbed it. It is the highest point in Carlsbad and named after the Denk family that owned most of the surrounding land during the 1900s. We started counter-clockwise on the <b>Copper Creek Trail Loop</b> which immediately began ascending the northern side of the 1,000 foot hill. It was a beautiful day with fluffy white clouds and we could see across the valley to the summit of <b>Double Peak</b> in the San Elijo Hills that we hiked last month. We could also see the <b>San Marcos Landfill</b> that closed in 1997. It now looks like just another green hill but I remember visiting it dozens of times with my father in the 80s. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8UFPQIERJv7cI2elizuHh6z-XEG7LhIBYWrI5N0JSSMGVy8yMTfl7Ya3zl2gYcfStPgkOmOEbl_1kf-V2iz7Mw94O6qgZU9ZIxNBykm6hPLIEEfgk-HDDto02eOH4Qk4TKfcUjGUFNtl3U1Xf2jGvs0fK5iY77KU-8aIzJio_TvboIkI6Nvl_/s4032/DenkMountain004_BakersPole_DenkMountain_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8UFPQIERJv7cI2elizuHh6z-XEG7LhIBYWrI5N0JSSMGVy8yMTfl7Ya3zl2gYcfStPgkOmOEbl_1kf-V2iz7Mw94O6qgZU9ZIxNBykm6hPLIEEfgk-HDDto02eOH4Qk4TKfcUjGUFNtl3U1Xf2jGvs0fK5iY77KU-8aIzJio_TvboIkI6Nvl_/w400-h300/DenkMountain004_BakersPole_DenkMountain_Insta.JPG" title="Denk Mountain" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHOd4GHLLE6_tbQhAQeb1JjOZuQuoqMbd6VE2Me9Jkih0DCSXYFNyBx3BvOysOFNMa5PsfXJxzVdwkdN2ASw3_4s6d_X73mwXoldlQHJ5-zD79kEyC3BnJVRUK7J3334MwLxWOTw2X1twRnj__AoIYVvPgwfhoeUtPObf_WlgpaOqonM2cNgRX/s3261/DenkMountain019_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3261" data-original-width="2609" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHOd4GHLLE6_tbQhAQeb1JjOZuQuoqMbd6VE2Me9Jkih0DCSXYFNyBx3BvOysOFNMa5PsfXJxzVdwkdN2ASw3_4s6d_X73mwXoldlQHJ5-zD79kEyC3BnJVRUK7J3334MwLxWOTw2X1twRnj__AoIYVvPgwfhoeUtPObf_WlgpaOqonM2cNgRX/w320-h400/DenkMountain019_Insta.JPG" title="Denk Mountain - Copper Creek Trail" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYgFqx9g03QRzDgVkmXMR7Bqn-Li5BEzYLibqD1bUvEVTeHZ33PZ2ohcdlXyMzZteMIjRTlW_8Kpr4Jb9tGse_3M_6CCvHi5oM9slmmnztTjfGEF8Nd-H-TZeJuRITQg3tRX6kwnFQ4AaMKnYDt8pyn0QTZvI5mYi2h13FVljEjVRsto9Exeoq/s3885/DenkMountain022_DoublePeak_SanMarcosLandfill.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2913" data-original-width="3885" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYgFqx9g03QRzDgVkmXMR7Bqn-Li5BEzYLibqD1bUvEVTeHZ33PZ2ohcdlXyMzZteMIjRTlW_8Kpr4Jb9tGse_3M_6CCvHi5oM9slmmnztTjfGEF8Nd-H-TZeJuRITQg3tRX6kwnFQ4AaMKnYDt8pyn0QTZvI5mYi2h13FVljEjVRsto9Exeoq/w400-h300/DenkMountain022_DoublePeak_SanMarcosLandfill.JPG" title="Copper Creek Trail - View of San Elijo Hills and San Marcos Landfill" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHGtDp_pTlUTSdKxp8VLMROuF_kqVraCSP7RTaildt-NEf8s2Q4Cr9bs6lmESwywNaG7RlLYNNzbBS1DmTHpVIiUpgPpwG_HM9Z6GrqYc4VSkh5svDoCiMBPaIpHXw8WLd8OWCHaIkk5H6BIacBHrrr51Q_0C2hBDjfJ9nDlqUoIuljhyphenhyphenSyPZk/s4096/DenkMountain028_DouplePeak.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2730" data-original-width="4096" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHGtDp_pTlUTSdKxp8VLMROuF_kqVraCSP7RTaildt-NEf8s2Q4Cr9bs6lmESwywNaG7RlLYNNzbBS1DmTHpVIiUpgPpwG_HM9Z6GrqYc4VSkh5svDoCiMBPaIpHXw8WLd8OWCHaIkk5H6BIacBHrrr51Q_0C2hBDjfJ9nDlqUoIuljhyphenhyphenSyPZk/w400-h266/DenkMountain028_DouplePeak.JPG" title="Copper Creek Trail - View of Double Peak in San Elijo Hills" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJpopWARRHplRCENiypj4j_BCsmZ73AzeY0s_LXILkUWNqrn4j3Tmo6XFYxncXS2rKyjYzUwCYlkU4fTOb4z8OTWx1wLb6CuHVGDNKlUz7SgrLuTIuF83o1hlgkxri1kQs72KxHFcK1FCJuSwlVPmfLjyA_zP98qcEwthG8pzyzJj0J422F460/s4096/DenkMountain030_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2144" data-original-width="4096" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJpopWARRHplRCENiypj4j_BCsmZ73AzeY0s_LXILkUWNqrn4j3Tmo6XFYxncXS2rKyjYzUwCYlkU4fTOb4z8OTWx1wLb6CuHVGDNKlUz7SgrLuTIuF83o1hlgkxri1kQs72KxHFcK1FCJuSwlVPmfLjyA_zP98qcEwthG8pzyzJj0J422F460/w400-h210/DenkMountain030_Insta.JPG" title="Copper Creek Trail - View of San Elijo Hills" width="400" /></a></div><p>Only slightly out of breath after reaching the top, we had panoramic views of Carlsbad, Encinitas and San Marcos that join borders on the mountain. It was hazy along the coastline but it was easy to spot the Batiquitos Lagoon. After a short break, we descended the southern slope along the <b>Whiptail Trail</b>, stepping to the side several times to let mountain bikers pass.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5bhckjozNmh99Gv4DffBPTj7owpP0fABLUETe1m6ZO_auMkST0etwxjrMayRnV9hP6CdflvT5l4I5l2zCHaB2A1G4jFN58OjP_y80fZZpVmcC-cL7sTdD3-cW7Sd-err1UkRFJhLhm2IPS8w7iJxFzO4YivVUVIEWgOmXAAMknaIZgCLP4u9z/s3448/DenkMountain087_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2586" data-original-width="3448" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5bhckjozNmh99Gv4DffBPTj7owpP0fABLUETe1m6ZO_auMkST0etwxjrMayRnV9hP6CdflvT5l4I5l2zCHaB2A1G4jFN58OjP_y80fZZpVmcC-cL7sTdD3-cW7Sd-err1UkRFJhLhm2IPS8w7iJxFzO4YivVUVIEWgOmXAAMknaIZgCLP4u9z/w400-h300/DenkMountain087_Insta.JPG" title="Denk Mountain Summit" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilEo65LDY7i5n7ppfW_UZ8LuqR_xmpwWpwYMZ3phrUwVPQMMcuFdj1iRIqy8ZJRkMb0L9pTmYdYXfQSOOzg0HPch_S5w_YbOv-1dC8yyh1j6AN44W2Gsor1fLbiijSPxJ0VWZD3eF3YIyt9xexhF3eeQuAtf5R3d2s8re6vQswt_Pz7wXDlR03/s4096/DenkMountain095_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2730" data-original-width="4096" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilEo65LDY7i5n7ppfW_UZ8LuqR_xmpwWpwYMZ3phrUwVPQMMcuFdj1iRIqy8ZJRkMb0L9pTmYdYXfQSOOzg0HPch_S5w_YbOv-1dC8yyh1j6AN44W2Gsor1fLbiijSPxJ0VWZD3eF3YIyt9xexhF3eeQuAtf5R3d2s8re6vQswt_Pz7wXDlR03/w400-h266/DenkMountain095_Insta.JPG" title="Denk Mountain Summit" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7zvMXxIk7gY7yIocrksmLRI2PPyQzwotivVEzYcQBjPmZEdovwaDi0Uk1kdz8TguQbca13pwV3RIjTGK_Pu5c-80KhLSXrIZKNcc3sZumk67nR_z-BCVmhTGFKE1eBhPjXbye0dRRWTv3s-FKgXPzekshI2izkLHOzLf3rwTeu7eKpdShY4Zc/s4032/DenkMountain096_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7zvMXxIk7gY7yIocrksmLRI2PPyQzwotivVEzYcQBjPmZEdovwaDi0Uk1kdz8TguQbca13pwV3RIjTGK_Pu5c-80KhLSXrIZKNcc3sZumk67nR_z-BCVmhTGFKE1eBhPjXbye0dRRWTv3s-FKgXPzekshI2izkLHOzLf3rwTeu7eKpdShY4Zc/w400-h300/DenkMountain096_Insta.JPG" title="Denk Mountain Summit" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl22sdfc1WSLQqsBBKp0SXmDKFWSnawBThqsaMLTNq5M6DVZzPLxtsGNQ0v8PBtF21zjQGekQEhv7LghN6a7Cb_pP1kJ2Cqoh0FMWlsDGqJM9X2EAia065yalsNbFwII0WXek0p_ta64FA0u4o2HwCNQEBlR3M-_nFWDc5VmsFF0curcezwyTp/s4096/DenkMountain097_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2144" data-original-width="4096" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl22sdfc1WSLQqsBBKp0SXmDKFWSnawBThqsaMLTNq5M6DVZzPLxtsGNQ0v8PBtF21zjQGekQEhv7LghN6a7Cb_pP1kJ2Cqoh0FMWlsDGqJM9X2EAia065yalsNbFwII0WXek0p_ta64FA0u4o2HwCNQEBlR3M-_nFWDc5VmsFF0curcezwyTp/w400-h210/DenkMountain097_Insta.JPG" title="Denk Mountain Summit" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUDVIjAQRxKUSijsO19JItLrWvfzsMtDnKY3Iv7Ft0tdYHjGMON_98t14foRJ9a9NhJn2yCUrzHh_BvM583DTiaqdE62qFbCzF9NgpPNX_brd8mYF2869iDKwEokEA2oHOaxdML5rRzOWBOSaLNdKKLAHrtooFUyrFwTXGeHqW9-n6eL8IxPY8/s4096/DenkMountain098_BatiquitosLagoon.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2730" data-original-width="4096" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUDVIjAQRxKUSijsO19JItLrWvfzsMtDnKY3Iv7Ft0tdYHjGMON_98t14foRJ9a9NhJn2yCUrzHh_BvM583DTiaqdE62qFbCzF9NgpPNX_brd8mYF2869iDKwEokEA2oHOaxdML5rRzOWBOSaLNdKKLAHrtooFUyrFwTXGeHqW9-n6eL8IxPY8/w400-h266/DenkMountain098_BatiquitosLagoon.JPG" title="Denk Mountain Summit - View of Batiquitos Lagoon" width="400" /></a></div><p>At the bottom of the long winding trail, we joined the Copper Creek Trail that circles the eastern base of the mountain. We could hear the Copper Creek Falls before we saw them. It was small but still bigger than I was expecting. I was surprised to learn that copper was discovered here in 1864 and 4 mines collected low-grade ore for over 30 years. You can still see the old stone walls from the Encinitas Mining District that remained after the shafts were blasted shut in 1917. The exposed rock around the falls have a greenish hue from the remaining traces of copper in the ground. Small wooden bridges crossed the flowing creek several times before we reached the trailhead at the end of the loop. With our two extra detours to the summit and the falls, the hike ended up being 4.15 miles.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHBc8VAUakEV1zOia6E5FdFLCETCbmmZcdkC9WEUJWQSDGSk4IbX1vzmbmvV8O9lQKAQ_oGwn_42am5tW99xdCR-GdMkOD9U5pZW-KpWfpOlozKjMcMag9hySZE76BkwObCwQFNAtD2yryL_h8HqKSFXPsoQNzggiJkDVRtvF7aGTvzkuEF3j1/s3913/DenkMountain106_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2932" data-original-width="3913" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHBc8VAUakEV1zOia6E5FdFLCETCbmmZcdkC9WEUJWQSDGSk4IbX1vzmbmvV8O9lQKAQ_oGwn_42am5tW99xdCR-GdMkOD9U5pZW-KpWfpOlozKjMcMag9hySZE76BkwObCwQFNAtD2yryL_h8HqKSFXPsoQNzggiJkDVRtvF7aGTvzkuEF3j1/w400-h300/DenkMountain106_Insta.JPG" title="Copper Creek Trail Loop" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsBvbZhJ8e3I7U8U9-PJbko2D3eEIzcpJqmj7DrglWOXxz2YCy3pgLjan_Cj9MS0RWYKwz5zOxwbD3XycKroeDtoUr4paiGWkTarPulr6FXAojl9oI_FxP6t_8ESTTuYcvrHjzzazcOQ4Qhdlolb0GQ5xlORgT1vD7-B0FrQo-nQ8nuDX_-EQP/s4096/DenkMountain131_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4096" data-original-width="3276" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsBvbZhJ8e3I7U8U9-PJbko2D3eEIzcpJqmj7DrglWOXxz2YCy3pgLjan_Cj9MS0RWYKwz5zOxwbD3XycKroeDtoUr4paiGWkTarPulr6FXAojl9oI_FxP6t_8ESTTuYcvrHjzzazcOQ4Qhdlolb0GQ5xlORgT1vD7-B0FrQo-nQ8nuDX_-EQP/w320-h400/DenkMountain131_Insta.JPG" title="Copper Creek Trail Loop" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmGUjfFyotJgmgMAEyMKTXENhafFxKgcF-pdhBn1br9gHv1L8FjKJqVzk6TeGG5q-CamUlHTbuAlJCY_p4YHl4yDi-j08viAUgBN3schHX9cga-4pZwl_vU6EK_-FM8bX7q16tsHMf32WOKTRvY9wrHfoiFYtyHTlHX-Vs2q4Z5-Jo4dUTK2r_/s3876/DenkMountain136_CopperCreekFalls.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2904" data-original-width="3876" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmGUjfFyotJgmgMAEyMKTXENhafFxKgcF-pdhBn1br9gHv1L8FjKJqVzk6TeGG5q-CamUlHTbuAlJCY_p4YHl4yDi-j08viAUgBN3schHX9cga-4pZwl_vU6EK_-FM8bX7q16tsHMf32WOKTRvY9wrHfoiFYtyHTlHX-Vs2q4Z5-Jo4dUTK2r_/w400-h300/DenkMountain136_CopperCreekFalls.JPG" title="Copper Creek Falls" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLudv_lBPnqtQJO-Tjzh2tvNN0IeUnPfxYxDprTv0K1OVKXN4PFgSXTw3fHchDmN8neKBUfmktCJeNuZQNkcXsuLilFY2S812yHCV_vEIngrl-Qqou8vsH2w7_wh6XTty9wEfJFuAPjBZBW3nJLvpc2C6OwXOqNc_EqFiKHPIm2P2luCccmZCv/s3779/DenkMountain148_CopperCreekFalls.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3779" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLudv_lBPnqtQJO-Tjzh2tvNN0IeUnPfxYxDprTv0K1OVKXN4PFgSXTw3fHchDmN8neKBUfmktCJeNuZQNkcXsuLilFY2S812yHCV_vEIngrl-Qqou8vsH2w7_wh6XTty9wEfJFuAPjBZBW3nJLvpc2C6OwXOqNc_EqFiKHPIm2P2luCccmZCv/w320-h400/DenkMountain148_CopperCreekFalls.JPG" title="Copper Creek Falls" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN4dX_qG8tuoTbw4rcCc9aWNFwG5aFbCSZwPUmgDwWqjr8Ylt45nMy0Goeoe587M7vXyNg4aDUJTEghYQzo-iyuXE0jKtwjDtK6dFYCa6D8ay0XnThWFazQKcK8lTGaCXQGMm4kGuT3e50WP0VTnUYeQzcJsEVmZ58bVhaC-lse_6-7Pdd1h0Z/s4032/DenkMountain168_CopperCreekTrail.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN4dX_qG8tuoTbw4rcCc9aWNFwG5aFbCSZwPUmgDwWqjr8Ylt45nMy0Goeoe587M7vXyNg4aDUJTEghYQzo-iyuXE0jKtwjDtK6dFYCa6D8ay0XnThWFazQKcK8lTGaCXQGMm4kGuT3e50WP0VTnUYeQzcJsEVmZ58bVhaC-lse_6-7Pdd1h0Z/w400-h300/DenkMountain168_CopperCreekTrail.JPG" title="Copper Creek Falls" width="400" /></a></div><p>On Saturday, we went over to the <b>San Elijo Lagoon</b> after an early dinner at Best Pizza & Brew. (Awesome Greek Salad!) Parking at the Via Poco Trailhead, we crossed the new pedestrian suspension bridge under the 5 Freeway that opened in the fall of 2020. The setting sun gave a warm glow to the normally shady underpass.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEsSG9kB7J5VObh3vE7YfVDm9ey1D7jhn1xRVfU5YgOucgPISPfuCfWfOgpL8JIex6Yt_3ahC_WYY7BgySAsHZ3WCighudrEkf7oUcdK8axfVcelUqOFNbQz_4TrTIp-Q7Qn5NTh5ac667E6ghGXvE41m9sefFb-7xmxB5WuRvgGL6ew5YOJRw/s4032/SanElijoLagoon06_ViaPocoTrailhead_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEsSG9kB7J5VObh3vE7YfVDm9ey1D7jhn1xRVfU5YgOucgPISPfuCfWfOgpL8JIex6Yt_3ahC_WYY7BgySAsHZ3WCighudrEkf7oUcdK8axfVcelUqOFNbQz_4TrTIp-Q7Qn5NTh5ac667E6ghGXvE41m9sefFb-7xmxB5WuRvgGL6ew5YOJRw/w400-h300/SanElijoLagoon06_ViaPocoTrailhead_Insta.JPG" title="San Elijo Lagoon - Underpass Suspension Bridge" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMNrmL-RvG8NGoTSKEFJFdSZvdR7oS3MQsWYt-j6KTAQzgkI27whgF1bs1MroOA7ysGR8VEG36qogg73Lt7pOhZETELCRpzRheiw0_VBRB7rITWZCZ1w1qAke-ZlOWXuuRepZfoRHwIgOkZRpgipBU4buer0F2g9ZxBXSdwer0-DoIf5JMY2Ps/s3902/SanElijoLagoon10_ViaPocoTrailhead_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2924" data-original-width="3902" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMNrmL-RvG8NGoTSKEFJFdSZvdR7oS3MQsWYt-j6KTAQzgkI27whgF1bs1MroOA7ysGR8VEG36qogg73Lt7pOhZETELCRpzRheiw0_VBRB7rITWZCZ1w1qAke-ZlOWXuuRepZfoRHwIgOkZRpgipBU4buer0F2g9ZxBXSdwer0-DoIf5JMY2Ps/w400-h300/SanElijoLagoon10_ViaPocoTrailhead_Insta.JPG" title="San Elijo Lagoon - Underpass Suspension Bridge" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQCbo88_tGrnIWGcslnZJzttCJ3LrY-hIsMdIOZgXc12JbKwk1Mkny3w-1mB5kq3QN2h_doJvOMkIvEH54USiM1PI4Ljk51XYCfwMExL4i8kYFW3mqxO_a9dUEYm8eEaZfwEtD6RkkrIDgBPR6ANcTo1H00SvBl9ui_ZeJjpJZH3BHa3bKQcN8/s3946/SanElijoLagoon18_ViaPocoTrailhead_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2957" data-original-width="3946" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQCbo88_tGrnIWGcslnZJzttCJ3LrY-hIsMdIOZgXc12JbKwk1Mkny3w-1mB5kq3QN2h_doJvOMkIvEH54USiM1PI4Ljk51XYCfwMExL4i8kYFW3mqxO_a9dUEYm8eEaZfwEtD6RkkrIDgBPR6ANcTo1H00SvBl9ui_ZeJjpJZH3BHa3bKQcN8/w400-h300/SanElijoLagoon18_ViaPocoTrailhead_Insta.JPG" title="San Elijo Lagoon - Underpass Suspension Bridge" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbopsyn-DqUe2xLbRrlIr4a3DrvdwmBEhkHW4TvBzFlWmJT93VD4PNdwseEqfJsHBzU8ld1i6XcuWJ_BYYvrGl9eIJc_OCam-cXYz4lE3zHKcVGwOtSJMzLIEDLNZ77lD9Z1dEjUNDaxYmPVNv2TTiTohDy9TIIoHPwnsGFYzF4CsIz55Y5dof/s4030/SanElijoLagoon32_ViaPocoTrailhead_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3019" data-original-width="4030" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbopsyn-DqUe2xLbRrlIr4a3DrvdwmBEhkHW4TvBzFlWmJT93VD4PNdwseEqfJsHBzU8ld1i6XcuWJ_BYYvrGl9eIJc_OCam-cXYz4lE3zHKcVGwOtSJMzLIEDLNZ77lD9Z1dEjUNDaxYmPVNv2TTiTohDy9TIIoHPwnsGFYzF4CsIz55Y5dof/w400-h300/SanElijoLagoon32_ViaPocoTrailhead_Insta.JPG" title="San Elijo Lagoon - Via Poco Trailhead" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOQlzXba_6yEmPRHNlwLQkZ2Lz-ndnnwHcVmxRRnCaFgbtMf4RWvpA22Pqd2OtJYmexjrSG9iKRVAjWjZwbda1v7vEPPRSUxv8T_0XUXx6qv59ydek8LbVpzmMLUG_QqZdohgsV2nJrtRhu5kIWjxHdZWvwc3iSkW6OxC5QWZijoAQh3IPbOp6/s4032/SanElijoLagoon39_ViaPocoTrailhead_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOQlzXba_6yEmPRHNlwLQkZ2Lz-ndnnwHcVmxRRnCaFgbtMf4RWvpA22Pqd2OtJYmexjrSG9iKRVAjWjZwbda1v7vEPPRSUxv8T_0XUXx6qv59ydek8LbVpzmMLUG_QqZdohgsV2nJrtRhu5kIWjxHdZWvwc3iSkW6OxC5QWZijoAQh3IPbOp6/w400-h300/SanElijoLagoon39_ViaPocoTrailhead_Insta.JPG" title="San Elijo Lagoon - Annie's Canyon Trail" width="400" /></a></div><p>Crossing the lagoon is so much easier on the <b>North Coast Bike Trail</b> that runs alongside the freeway. We walked all the way to the Solana Beach side of the lagoon on the Solana Hills Trail before returning on the bike path. The sun finished setting over the ocean right at the end of our short 2 mile walk.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLvINDlQKZYCmEhwmloXWDjpVnOsayoTZ4oHp0QCbpn3LFwClOEJ9OD0j5pOfqLAs4rxn9ZHFiIc6OBFRZO3LcRLo264wBnAtjMJDrQ4l8FeSkD8i1Ag_9JjJfBqRpwYQbzfSIbEEcSHKATD5FEy1w-alvk84ORnkVn3ILCVgQmBBiQ5rYsMAq/s3785/SanElijoLagoon43_ViaPocoTrailhead_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2838" data-original-width="3785" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLvINDlQKZYCmEhwmloXWDjpVnOsayoTZ4oHp0QCbpn3LFwClOEJ9OD0j5pOfqLAs4rxn9ZHFiIc6OBFRZO3LcRLo264wBnAtjMJDrQ4l8FeSkD8i1Ag_9JjJfBqRpwYQbzfSIbEEcSHKATD5FEy1w-alvk84ORnkVn3ILCVgQmBBiQ5rYsMAq/w400-h300/SanElijoLagoon43_ViaPocoTrailhead_Insta.JPG" title="San Elijo Lagoon" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGNwN3cG2dVM8xuitfjaWkQXN7lyNPffePvTgHDbEpU8T10CSGVyXvxYeha5kFm9AtzvcQqUQluzn5Q6ZYc-Mu6Fpc7JqohlBhnAhJGRnwnQzz-wo4iAJGiVZk1Nv8iGcgeG2wihFvrGqKw-9PMrk5RmQ2YitJ8ebqrz4UEbbsgyJZNRwhdm9x/s4032/SanElijoLagoon44_ViaPocoTrailhead_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGNwN3cG2dVM8xuitfjaWkQXN7lyNPffePvTgHDbEpU8T10CSGVyXvxYeha5kFm9AtzvcQqUQluzn5Q6ZYc-Mu6Fpc7JqohlBhnAhJGRnwnQzz-wo4iAJGiVZk1Nv8iGcgeG2wihFvrGqKw-9PMrk5RmQ2YitJ8ebqrz4UEbbsgyJZNRwhdm9x/w400-h300/SanElijoLagoon44_ViaPocoTrailhead_Insta.JPG" title="San Elijo Lagoon" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaC503HRRT4waXMZJWgMssqQ-vZIF6McHwCXLzYIS-JGZzOWxG3nVM2CdqljCZmnON2uQ_sbbyl48PQksh1oIIwnEN2j-LMGKE09F6VacWtSMI5GEB6V7H2oPU6-2Po1EU5o4pENRgTMdo8fHFmUT0uMW5eZX532gfeXigjXKETXRdwL9US-Ax/s3933/SanElijoLagoon51_ViaPocoTrailhead_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2947" data-original-width="3933" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaC503HRRT4waXMZJWgMssqQ-vZIF6McHwCXLzYIS-JGZzOWxG3nVM2CdqljCZmnON2uQ_sbbyl48PQksh1oIIwnEN2j-LMGKE09F6VacWtSMI5GEB6V7H2oPU6-2Po1EU5o4pENRgTMdo8fHFmUT0uMW5eZX532gfeXigjXKETXRdwL9US-Ax/w400-h300/SanElijoLagoon51_ViaPocoTrailhead_Insta.JPG" title="San Elijo Lagoon - Bike Path" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1OpgyQ8bHsBl9Z-4ZSA9nVdS6Oje1W3iKtMdsxZmVt5ZjtsHb-kBUv91iw9OmywgZqRZJm-wP1SUYzLag01j6AzygSpaKyxEBUtzoDNQvlU8Z2idgDYO2ohQKj39GnQWGwcMu91s7S4XTo2agJK9_gAUB295PpsMv1AViR7AGKlb6V0vluWv9/s4032/SanElijoLagoon56_ViaPocoTrailhead_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1OpgyQ8bHsBl9Z-4ZSA9nVdS6Oje1W3iKtMdsxZmVt5ZjtsHb-kBUv91iw9OmywgZqRZJm-wP1SUYzLag01j6AzygSpaKyxEBUtzoDNQvlU8Z2idgDYO2ohQKj39GnQWGwcMu91s7S4XTo2agJK9_gAUB295PpsMv1AViR7AGKlb6V0vluWv9/w400-h300/SanElijoLagoon56_ViaPocoTrailhead_Insta.JPG" title="San Elijo Lagoon - Bike Path" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKTr6KXY_vh9shD4KQfKI9iEFbi9bGBA8-4ctywZfN8Qk694isJBA5D270fLV3ZHpFLIHJgSjwijHviuZ4KsHTUIFTjgIyWywYj3H5un2cmggJNBkCKaxiPTFfkmm8FGm2z_3c8Azz58ofM9QC4rxdcyAorT9yFNazD4bGxE1pN207QYelL7Wc/s4032/SanElijoLagoon60_ViaPocoTrailhead_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKTr6KXY_vh9shD4KQfKI9iEFbi9bGBA8-4ctywZfN8Qk694isJBA5D270fLV3ZHpFLIHJgSjwijHviuZ4KsHTUIFTjgIyWywYj3H5un2cmggJNBkCKaxiPTFfkmm8FGm2z_3c8Azz58ofM9QC4rxdcyAorT9yFNazD4bGxE1pN207QYelL7Wc/w400-h300/SanElijoLagoon60_ViaPocoTrailhead_Insta.JPG" title="San Elijo Lagoon" width="400" /></a></div><p>Tori skipping along the San Elijo Lagoon at Sunset.</p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/cM75cY8dozQ?si=ZzJ5pWbB5WJjMcPb" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>Noah Unsworthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16787302506440922931noreply@blogger.com0Horned Lizard Trail, Carlsbad, CA 92009, USA33.0869811 -117.21380554.7767472638211572 -152.3700555 61.397214936178848 -82.0575555tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18659481.post-28608972514136234432023-11-06T19:30:00.000-08:002023-11-22T16:31:47.535-08:00Old Town San Diego (Presidio Park, Heritage Park and Mormon Battalion Historic Site)<p>On Saturday, Tori and I went to <b>Presidio Park</b> in San Diego for the first time. The park sits on the hill above Old Town and was the site of the first permanent European settlement in California. A low yellow wall outlines what used to be the Royal Presidio de San Diego during the Spanish settlement of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. The Catholic mission founded by Junipero Serra at the presidio later moved to its present location in Mission Valley to be closer to the San Diego River. During the Mexican-American War, the hilltop was taken over by American troops and renamed Fort Stockton. The fort was abandoned when California was ceded to the United States by Mexico after the war. We had a good view of Mission Bay and Mission Valley as we circled the hill and followed the trail around the Junipero Serra Museum. The museum was closed due to a wedding on the grounds but we visited the brick Junipero Serra Cross.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGIbRtd7bMmgNrp3I0pafCPYMUmwjOOBMNYOWP_nsPWrbAPybDeGF68hnea251VA2EkC4FjlLqevU-sask1zzsrmD1gGnwifw8Csk8ZvIL_xzXabquz-RhrWmASjaZGIbGNFBEDeNw41LgEz26snCP8SS8546eIMSbE2h-s37P5c2WZjU9UgYu/s3910/SanDiego003_PresidioPark_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2933" data-original-width="3910" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGIbRtd7bMmgNrp3I0pafCPYMUmwjOOBMNYOWP_nsPWrbAPybDeGF68hnea251VA2EkC4FjlLqevU-sask1zzsrmD1gGnwifw8Csk8ZvIL_xzXabquz-RhrWmASjaZGIbGNFBEDeNw41LgEz26snCP8SS8546eIMSbE2h-s37P5c2WZjU9UgYu/w400-h300/SanDiego003_PresidioPark_Insta.JPG" title="Presidio Park - Junípero Serra Museum" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimOnEbhvN83RYBpjvkw75YFrx942I24nltNXnu2cqjHULy39qPHpFesvq82QqGVmrD_GkAXeRgSZ9_JuFgYDWPqruqS3T_SVgktr_8phgJH1j4bHa3JWGV-RmBZ6tAiLdIsEF8-hPU2tKMIbhNwg4aF_ccmql-r4W-jFKqFczOZjq8xiFP-UV_/s3761/SanDiego010_PresidioPark_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3761" data-original-width="3009" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimOnEbhvN83RYBpjvkw75YFrx942I24nltNXnu2cqjHULy39qPHpFesvq82QqGVmrD_GkAXeRgSZ9_JuFgYDWPqruqS3T_SVgktr_8phgJH1j4bHa3JWGV-RmBZ6tAiLdIsEF8-hPU2tKMIbhNwg4aF_ccmql-r4W-jFKqFczOZjq8xiFP-UV_/w320-h400/SanDiego010_PresidioPark_Insta.JPG" title="Presidio Park - Junípero Serra Cross" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnzscryFdWcmC4gcKdWRZp56sj_u-AHvME8WDZbgKB7v4GMgQbxXtKiIHRYAe1McE50BuGgKgDiH7vWif7q1Xb0cvJCQzjTYBRj5Mx41yaxiZhhxrGrEbI7Lqv6SlnrS_uyu7QZJKGSNnt6rB4AKTI_lkz-c9sWJegQlW6Y72wyVByPukZeYgy/s4095/SanDiego013_PresidioPark_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4095" data-original-width="3276" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnzscryFdWcmC4gcKdWRZp56sj_u-AHvME8WDZbgKB7v4GMgQbxXtKiIHRYAe1McE50BuGgKgDiH7vWif7q1Xb0cvJCQzjTYBRj5Mx41yaxiZhhxrGrEbI7Lqv6SlnrS_uyu7QZJKGSNnt6rB4AKTI_lkz-c9sWJegQlW6Y72wyVByPukZeYgy/w320-h400/SanDiego013_PresidioPark_Insta.JPG" title="Presidio Park - Fort Stockton" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQzEQIC0H_JJbi4W6u2cUU4smzi8U0Y8sfnJ4fyzHZ-swPZFHqI4qr7k-44er974mEaCcOq6dt_VrddpqndFJkkoZKjdDhOZysKu0duczBWTlQFIl6bmTLDQpGta7UxuWGvJHGddCDy3M7BglZcX-bY15lsCK69-3Iwx10hJLAp90fYpGff6xE/s3990/SanDiego034_PresidioPark_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2990" data-original-width="3990" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQzEQIC0H_JJbi4W6u2cUU4smzi8U0Y8sfnJ4fyzHZ-swPZFHqI4qr7k-44er974mEaCcOq6dt_VrddpqndFJkkoZKjdDhOZysKu0duczBWTlQFIl6bmTLDQpGta7UxuWGvJHGddCDy3M7BglZcX-bY15lsCK69-3Iwx10hJLAp90fYpGff6xE/w400-h300/SanDiego034_PresidioPark_Insta.JPG" title="Presidio Park - Mission Valley View" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3wuK4fd0RgH5yOllW8i0oMubMD2XONaQyPd2bih56_wBUa-fGRRbscY1XKGqtMnTEbbrmrhNZKVmkOoWN9mpJu2vh2jKCmAcViQ3xU0wax0vXBoMgZ3_9-9GaLUsyQdhX1bQnUQme_7cb-EgdgdkU_BCCiH38RTwL_Px0hYz3hehFNmfAFwDr/s4096/SanDiego043_PresidioPark_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2730" data-original-width="4096" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3wuK4fd0RgH5yOllW8i0oMubMD2XONaQyPd2bih56_wBUa-fGRRbscY1XKGqtMnTEbbrmrhNZKVmkOoWN9mpJu2vh2jKCmAcViQ3xU0wax0vXBoMgZ3_9-9GaLUsyQdhX1bQnUQme_7cb-EgdgdkU_BCCiH38RTwL_Px0hYz3hehFNmfAFwDr/w400-h266/SanDiego043_PresidioPark_Insta.JPG" title="Presidio Park - Mission Valley View" width="400" /></a></div><p>Driving down the hill into Old Town, we visited <b>Heritage Park</b> which was created in 1971 to save the city’s Victorian houses from demolition. These distinctive houses were first constructed during the population boom after the 1885 arrival of the transcontinental railroad in San Diego. The first house to be relocated to the park in the 1970s was the <b>Sherman-Gilbert House</b> that was originally built downtown in 1887. Six houses and the Temple Beth Israel synagogue were relocated in total. At the back of the park we hiked the short trail that climbs to a nice bench overlooking the Victorian Village.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirf-bf9Bz_cqVSpRD_ViC1xCp8iMRCtI8CvpBzpFvIdhc0M9VKkqnkNpFiQenk-JD-9sQd-A3T1ssu4Y0utCTR4jxbtN_zk0lU1k2JtwHY2PcfvX18YVAj1QrApIsyjekdN-UMIl_X2OuVm4w6rJo3QtVQ6kXDVWfVqTLxPq9sQ9jfrHA2LpN0/s4032/SanDiego078_HeritagePark_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirf-bf9Bz_cqVSpRD_ViC1xCp8iMRCtI8CvpBzpFvIdhc0M9VKkqnkNpFiQenk-JD-9sQd-A3T1ssu4Y0utCTR4jxbtN_zk0lU1k2JtwHY2PcfvX18YVAj1QrApIsyjekdN-UMIl_X2OuVm4w6rJo3QtVQ6kXDVWfVqTLxPq9sQ9jfrHA2LpN0/w400-h300/SanDiego078_HeritagePark_Insta.JPG" title="Heritage County Park - Sherman-Gilbert House" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9Rj0V_VmETrLR2-FzJprmiR4ZZhTBARCQw0JyAjZSMLfFrr0F63SlRXApwqXv9RjJ-9rHPV70NwngkzF-LHO5GwSSIFN1QU4m_0m2q977tahFTyF8bpwAQHNI0AH5naJIy9GL7onbBidKnZmtiVwAcoOAADXG6xi90352H5LMK_4AExC3LxNG/s3265/SanDiego086_HeritagePark_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3265" data-original-width="2612" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9Rj0V_VmETrLR2-FzJprmiR4ZZhTBARCQw0JyAjZSMLfFrr0F63SlRXApwqXv9RjJ-9rHPV70NwngkzF-LHO5GwSSIFN1QU4m_0m2q977tahFTyF8bpwAQHNI0AH5naJIy9GL7onbBidKnZmtiVwAcoOAADXG6xi90352H5LMK_4AExC3LxNG/w320-h400/SanDiego086_HeritagePark_Insta.JPG" title="Heritage County Park - Christian House" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3tvS2wa42ypf-F96guOedGHjXDOoKbnQtQukSAYPm-a6o_AxbA2Xy0lwihn09S2AvvOOvWqnItjWvZFnNfPcnOuznXu7xBfceQXgyGp9sLSeKfPW9apJc9buFhLVx7NqHgsI-DLEyUFyxteBGW7Pp_9pOspjTJL8UOksslmgessR-DPhegN7C/s3780/SanDiego090_HeritagePark_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3780" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3tvS2wa42ypf-F96guOedGHjXDOoKbnQtQukSAYPm-a6o_AxbA2Xy0lwihn09S2AvvOOvWqnItjWvZFnNfPcnOuznXu7xBfceQXgyGp9sLSeKfPW9apJc9buFhLVx7NqHgsI-DLEyUFyxteBGW7Pp_9pOspjTJL8UOksslmgessR-DPhegN7C/w320-h400/SanDiego090_HeritagePark_Insta.JPG" title="Heritage County Park - Temple Beth Israel" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjudC77-q9iw7lNRQZjsJws3c8ZwchecPecZTmyzQsvIcDB1R3YNi921_jRYZ-VKYm2KzXdIRK5HB6oJAk_fUNNyBlHav85OkOi6MdqYR01dVzGW58Y1hUUsY15QGmqP8xKC8Z44C8WH2V99d0VuHVsj2joEkErD-rWxLfntL742KoefFNAQVrj/s3761/SanDiego094_HeritagePark_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3761" data-original-width="3009" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjudC77-q9iw7lNRQZjsJws3c8ZwchecPecZTmyzQsvIcDB1R3YNi921_jRYZ-VKYm2KzXdIRK5HB6oJAk_fUNNyBlHav85OkOi6MdqYR01dVzGW58Y1hUUsY15QGmqP8xKC8Z44C8WH2V99d0VuHVsj2joEkErD-rWxLfntL742KoefFNAQVrj/w320-h400/SanDiego094_HeritagePark_Insta.JPG" title="Heritage County Park - Dancing Tori" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhonivDMbCGDROws1IbXAGT_0x085f5Kz8-nlWP0GWf3KoCrxUpS1dIWLDe6wQCINxhWX5Xqh18oJ_m4kEpX1un4sajP5Rp__xPvXwxqG8tY02sox1knpYbaofTDUqXbWsC8TDP-gGsbaUGLERTuPAcYaMykK8DL6LwBu2HImxwhsPcFRWOrl2m/s3809/SanDiego099_HeritagePark_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2854" data-original-width="3809" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhonivDMbCGDROws1IbXAGT_0x085f5Kz8-nlWP0GWf3KoCrxUpS1dIWLDe6wQCINxhWX5Xqh18oJ_m4kEpX1un4sajP5Rp__xPvXwxqG8tY02sox1knpYbaofTDUqXbWsC8TDP-gGsbaUGLERTuPAcYaMykK8DL6LwBu2HImxwhsPcFRWOrl2m/w400-h300/SanDiego099_HeritagePark_Insta.JPG" title="Heritage County Park - Trail Bench" width="400" /></a></div><p>Our next stop was the <b>Mormon Battalion Historic Site</b> right next door to Heritage Park. I had never heard of it even though I had been to Old Town many times. It reminded me of a Disneyland exhibit as our two guides led us though five period-decorated rooms along the trail of a voluntary Mormon Battalion during the Mexican-American War. Under the command of U.S. Army officers, over 500 Mormon soldiers set off in July 1846 and marched over 2,000 miles from Iowa to San Diego. The battle for California was over by the time they arrived, so they set up camp at Fort Stockton on the presidio hill and helped build the brick courthouse in Old Town before heading home after their enlistment was up.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcQJIzoqUfxu_wEAv-qBM_mkfXfZ7GLB2tV-AGEMPOv6FD1yG_RNyn6ZCaogLryKTFX83iOmBP9BpVgvj0QlPEtvGOIOaT142SZvwwrn9QEsTOG_7GDRuGUNOvp-JxM3_u2iRRylvbkfzjuELQR-JITzCKaBed4K588-4nBsTXoeNaSUVkI8eo/s3727/SanDiego111_MormonBattalion_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3727" data-original-width="2982" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcQJIzoqUfxu_wEAv-qBM_mkfXfZ7GLB2tV-AGEMPOv6FD1yG_RNyn6ZCaogLryKTFX83iOmBP9BpVgvj0QlPEtvGOIOaT142SZvwwrn9QEsTOG_7GDRuGUNOvp-JxM3_u2iRRylvbkfzjuELQR-JITzCKaBed4K588-4nBsTXoeNaSUVkI8eo/w320-h400/SanDiego111_MormonBattalion_Insta.JPG" title="Mormon Battalion Historic Site" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgID2fvChkAqoFf0ndiCMvA03w6LQEKO9wzveA_Q5RbDZ1rbJydFPSHtMWdSmqOkrlp11wGjp13eTz0dajbRCiX9pcwIXZ9A-uANtRvrFJtyeqQkzjB5_TkgtidhmLeZVDCBbv3ik6_5bRwK9rt7ecUJsOZs4Z6SyjySPqBuNv1vZ5DPuptBzGj/s4032/SanDiego115_MormonBattalion_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgID2fvChkAqoFf0ndiCMvA03w6LQEKO9wzveA_Q5RbDZ1rbJydFPSHtMWdSmqOkrlp11wGjp13eTz0dajbRCiX9pcwIXZ9A-uANtRvrFJtyeqQkzjB5_TkgtidhmLeZVDCBbv3ik6_5bRwK9rt7ecUJsOZs4Z6SyjySPqBuNv1vZ5DPuptBzGj/w400-h300/SanDiego115_MormonBattalion_Insta.JPG" title="Mormon Battalion Historic Site" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQs6ztzQ0nywsTgf05S9HQfSlJ2eS-URTf7-MbJeeU8lqi7oD8xc0ToWzKviii3iVeba3fgtPhvxa6D3LDapFScqao4pyL8w7RRuCt8FhqiYnDuiqlCTMqKIX5j5pyo7vHTCd81NTXY08Rf9WgMOe43KVz8gYcFVMz2lu0o4lZQzXJtTfF26l9/s4032/SanDiego117_MormonBattalion_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQs6ztzQ0nywsTgf05S9HQfSlJ2eS-URTf7-MbJeeU8lqi7oD8xc0ToWzKviii3iVeba3fgtPhvxa6D3LDapFScqao4pyL8w7RRuCt8FhqiYnDuiqlCTMqKIX5j5pyo7vHTCd81NTXY08Rf9WgMOe43KVz8gYcFVMz2lu0o4lZQzXJtTfF26l9/w400-h300/SanDiego117_MormonBattalion_Insta.JPG" title="Mormon Battalion Historic Site" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9J68l01mg5XlL-aTKh3ADQc7Z36cGX8SidxkScUUTNbWXhdc_88x75KSsQqd6ck6rTqkF_f5WhlWoS5BPekb-Si8yXX8VI6nY8WF7A_eDspwQRgzrqh3X8zsshnMBGS9wudI6wHkfFUJVO_41fH5zXQtHOvAIDrdyALnGpawTOQSTrkHTHqv3/s3407/SanDiego136_MormonBattalion_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3407" data-original-width="2726" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9J68l01mg5XlL-aTKh3ADQc7Z36cGX8SidxkScUUTNbWXhdc_88x75KSsQqd6ck6rTqkF_f5WhlWoS5BPekb-Si8yXX8VI6nY8WF7A_eDspwQRgzrqh3X8zsshnMBGS9wudI6wHkfFUJVO_41fH5zXQtHOvAIDrdyALnGpawTOQSTrkHTHqv3/w320-h400/SanDiego136_MormonBattalion_Insta.JPG" title="Mormon Battalion Historic Site" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg-HbCgOkr-ffNb6dkfeJaVln7phPaEV0Ly9Z32k3YGqSsNtJ8YVuDpkG242wQ4_LYdIFK6kR428fY9Bn1uwPedNuKtVIzDLoSfgMp1QuLC3NFVAJnASEFQspMt_iBjnYIvizbyURIjHq4caWWK6NEyZTr7ASEDnf6MZ8cxJqFmepVpGFQGWYh/s3508/SanDiego146_MormonBattalion_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3508" data-original-width="2807" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg-HbCgOkr-ffNb6dkfeJaVln7phPaEV0Ly9Z32k3YGqSsNtJ8YVuDpkG242wQ4_LYdIFK6kR428fY9Bn1uwPedNuKtVIzDLoSfgMp1QuLC3NFVAJnASEFQspMt_iBjnYIvizbyURIjHq4caWWK6NEyZTr7ASEDnf6MZ8cxJqFmepVpGFQGWYh/w320-h400/SanDiego146_MormonBattalion_Insta.JPG" title="Mormon Battalion Historic Site" width="320" /></a></div><p>After our first three new experiences, Tori and I walked around the <b>Old Town State Historic Park</b>, something we have both done many times in the past. It is the most visited state park in California and it preserves the history and culture of the town from 1820 until 1870 as it transitioned from Mexican to American rule. This is the first time I have visited Old Town since reading about it in the fascinating memoir, "Two Years Before the Mast" when the American sailor visited the Mexican town in the 1830s. Walking through Old Town, we spotted the First Brick Courthouse that was helped built by the Mormon Battalion. It was cool to see all the decorations for <b>Día de Los Muertos</b> up in the Fiesta de Reyes and Old Town Market.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0vA7rlSWthJ6OJpO3JeY7QZ0BVAA9tmyHFDbo4_E8JXb8ZLNbidD-uOgN8b4JSWefVEfoE7PyqbHVOWZSz2SYsuglKRM7zucKAY5cNDuNsjbB5nZA8DCs_qbvcpZdnu9DdWGC2Ya0WQgrxeIqeoOc9GfxP7_kziS8w0wM5HX3YYyeVlmvEBQD/s3836/SanDiego158_OldTown_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2877" data-original-width="3836" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0vA7rlSWthJ6OJpO3JeY7QZ0BVAA9tmyHFDbo4_E8JXb8ZLNbidD-uOgN8b4JSWefVEfoE7PyqbHVOWZSz2SYsuglKRM7zucKAY5cNDuNsjbB5nZA8DCs_qbvcpZdnu9DdWGC2Ya0WQgrxeIqeoOc9GfxP7_kziS8w0wM5HX3YYyeVlmvEBQD/w400-h300/SanDiego158_OldTown_Insta.JPG" title="Old Town San Diego State Park - Immaculate Conception Church" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6cDX6FiLu49VcS3GSr38lm_KcX0HWqQKGriMfxa60Xheqeb63LD09EYEIOr2bFPiw23DxqLcaJuY9bBbQXQM6UPzU_3BALvy3FUDvuIIZ1mzoKjaZlgemAnBrX_ExcHtjK43QrpX62GzHLrFMxQXP_ME-rsiIqMo98ujNhpZRbEZQQoUvqlos/s4032/SanDiego165_OldTown_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6cDX6FiLu49VcS3GSr38lm_KcX0HWqQKGriMfxa60Xheqeb63LD09EYEIOr2bFPiw23DxqLcaJuY9bBbQXQM6UPzU_3BALvy3FUDvuIIZ1mzoKjaZlgemAnBrX_ExcHtjK43QrpX62GzHLrFMxQXP_ME-rsiIqMo98ujNhpZRbEZQQoUvqlos/w400-h300/SanDiego165_OldTown_Insta.JPG" title="Old Town San Diego State Park - First San Diego Courthouse" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYktsAJFZClod8rtB7ktR-1YMTXEkEXOV0uNZr-mE_LmHHZ2oLyVtVXpZjXUjEDjj810QGo74ncU0aGVpxqNsrDa57A0i6XF3OLPHWqFMBIYjnn98B6fPUM2N4r0TNDfGjFHOA1cY4RlvVUks3eU2m8k-1xe3ZHBCydyIP31dO1U-CkNoY8KfK/s3780/SanDiego174_OldTown_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3780" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYktsAJFZClod8rtB7ktR-1YMTXEkEXOV0uNZr-mE_LmHHZ2oLyVtVXpZjXUjEDjj810QGo74ncU0aGVpxqNsrDa57A0i6XF3OLPHWqFMBIYjnn98B6fPUM2N4r0TNDfGjFHOA1cY4RlvVUks3eU2m8k-1xe3ZHBCydyIP31dO1U-CkNoY8KfK/w320-h400/SanDiego174_OldTown_Insta.JPG" title="Old Town San Diego State Park - Fiesta de Reyes" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg58eH1AbrGFB7yd7rTZZX08O3QpZzl9ycTAuGTZkOgU-Wm4Skp97fjtEYrI8133eqvJDePTTspiKXRfzvLLQjJ77wyCCZAB3UYYbACZxuNm08vvB8RiFeYfY0rhl9_ntcEYqWHoRqQ4rrs7M4WtomLkM49sepPMY5bF3hMM19C4sYq4wEmvpbW/s3557/SanDiego183_OldTown_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3557" data-original-width="2846" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg58eH1AbrGFB7yd7rTZZX08O3QpZzl9ycTAuGTZkOgU-Wm4Skp97fjtEYrI8133eqvJDePTTspiKXRfzvLLQjJ77wyCCZAB3UYYbACZxuNm08vvB8RiFeYfY0rhl9_ntcEYqWHoRqQ4rrs7M4WtomLkM49sepPMY5bF3hMM19C4sYq4wEmvpbW/w320-h400/SanDiego183_OldTown_Insta.JPG" title="Old Town San Diego State Park - Fiesta de Reyes" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6JOe9A08DOzeu1iof6laEN2ORkIltczZ2pDDNAYDfEuZZHzNgM2lJj52iCfzo5JFldgmTvuVdArGhAEt22oUToBDlGKh4aT-k4Iia0S0rp6BRZHIc0NjxaPhC8qpBNPjaNvgGYq1wgPPQrbxHYXZfD7g0CSy4Ur315lQVk5kqBatxpnYvdQfi/s3840/SanDiego179_OldTown_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2880" data-original-width="3840" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6JOe9A08DOzeu1iof6laEN2ORkIltczZ2pDDNAYDfEuZZHzNgM2lJj52iCfzo5JFldgmTvuVdArGhAEt22oUToBDlGKh4aT-k4Iia0S0rp6BRZHIc0NjxaPhC8qpBNPjaNvgGYq1wgPPQrbxHYXZfD7g0CSy4Ur315lQVk5kqBatxpnYvdQfi/w400-h300/SanDiego179_OldTown_Insta.JPG" title="Old Town San Diego State Park - Día de Muertos at Fiesta de Reyes" width="400" /></a></div><p>For dinner, we went to <b>Cafe Coyote</b>, voted the "Best Mexican in Old Town" for 20 years in a row. We enjoyed the margaritas and both ordered seafood for a change. Tori had the Baja Style Fish Tacos and I tried the Tequila Lime Shrimp. The black beans served with my plate were very tasty. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-omPHJ5tA52FgQ1VhgrIt3LMw1GMRZtgD8LErWfJSxSP1vFRcm8HI-uT51GQvjZHhwHGOa3YK7NPU5LHh3AGbdSEywYNDBV7zpQXJg8sjFdju2UedIT7BRV9Z1UCYpxcdYzLLFw87KSu_V8nQ_Z0pi-3ntOu13Vq0Ob9o2oDifEr6OogOv6Wn/s4032/SanDiego192_OldTown_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-omPHJ5tA52FgQ1VhgrIt3LMw1GMRZtgD8LErWfJSxSP1vFRcm8HI-uT51GQvjZHhwHGOa3YK7NPU5LHh3AGbdSEywYNDBV7zpQXJg8sjFdju2UedIT7BRV9Z1UCYpxcdYzLLFw87KSu_V8nQ_Z0pi-3ntOu13Vq0Ob9o2oDifEr6OogOv6Wn/w400-h300/SanDiego192_OldTown_Insta.JPG" title="Cafe Coyote" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVS94wRnd2ZFh8hkMM-w-ZZ4EsdsDwIOw8kgq3sXEsLlel0PpZR_ONF82JbjYEgmoqo4HfbjDscRwLab4XuA6jgJUOFOlUO8hVYkZtnNIbQTjuCKu8C-mnxjKuoEQZtz7Lh1uEwizaVRnhbQa_W2Y3t7lDkEzsiUNWOUMiwTs9peqMJBiv8zQ1/s3699/SanDiego196_OldTown_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3699" data-original-width="2960" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVS94wRnd2ZFh8hkMM-w-ZZ4EsdsDwIOw8kgq3sXEsLlel0PpZR_ONF82JbjYEgmoqo4HfbjDscRwLab4XuA6jgJUOFOlUO8hVYkZtnNIbQTjuCKu8C-mnxjKuoEQZtz7Lh1uEwizaVRnhbQa_W2Y3t7lDkEzsiUNWOUMiwTs9peqMJBiv8zQ1/w320-h400/SanDiego196_OldTown_Insta.JPG" title="Cafe Coyote" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdI9ih7gqKJQpkvxsnfOBuMxOoCnjAd6kWw9iffvt06eLNQbo3N6iuxufrssJbDOLDeNXcD5t6osNBAs3S1i9iwovNkqoi8G94xwT-53mIVaSfH5c6GpC4NJ72twSxTzEp5pJKAo3jygvS0kBUNxYG6oNBdV0cjaUeN-Y0CagDm5IBYk108zMQ/s2710/SanDiego202_OldTown_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2710" data-original-width="2168" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdI9ih7gqKJQpkvxsnfOBuMxOoCnjAd6kWw9iffvt06eLNQbo3N6iuxufrssJbDOLDeNXcD5t6osNBAs3S1i9iwovNkqoi8G94xwT-53mIVaSfH5c6GpC4NJ72twSxTzEp5pJKAo3jygvS0kBUNxYG6oNBdV0cjaUeN-Y0CagDm5IBYk108zMQ/w320-h400/SanDiego202_OldTown_Insta.JPG" title="Cafe Coyote" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTSt5OdDLe-u8stqkOqUX2_W5FTcnHRDGLw50a1KnNCjSBwfkvGsXFCTnyHGWD5IlgRYttjvWn-HW37EDBc2hfmUqpRFXlcZzRNgeHUuLBLkXN0i5d5jWkO6cXQsyNeInkqd7f-wT_4cweTWcafoGO5s22qRgPtiQvtNAW76Rl_PjmoXXJRI-c/s3567/SanDiego206_OldTown_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3567" data-original-width="2854" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTSt5OdDLe-u8stqkOqUX2_W5FTcnHRDGLw50a1KnNCjSBwfkvGsXFCTnyHGWD5IlgRYttjvWn-HW37EDBc2hfmUqpRFXlcZzRNgeHUuLBLkXN0i5d5jWkO6cXQsyNeInkqd7f-wT_4cweTWcafoGO5s22qRgPtiQvtNAW76Rl_PjmoXXJRI-c/w320-h400/SanDiego206_OldTown_Insta.JPG" title="Cafe Coyote" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnYVJCnOyyeWOw6MN0HWicoGGSSYftS3XFqjc8gOerJUYj7tdc1302VT4zsDmMhVoQz1CJt_46zsxTCBqOl-iUnTgD6TEkdRFFjjAkyc1ONWD_j0pSvwghI3CZ4J9sdkgOjGw_vf6FhWAc9hJ6SpzbXiNSeyMi5hjyqHg1Rj5BJHgZLSv4FC2G/s3982/SanDiego210_OldTown_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2984" data-original-width="3982" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnYVJCnOyyeWOw6MN0HWicoGGSSYftS3XFqjc8gOerJUYj7tdc1302VT4zsDmMhVoQz1CJt_46zsxTCBqOl-iUnTgD6TEkdRFFjjAkyc1ONWD_j0pSvwghI3CZ4J9sdkgOjGw_vf6FhWAc9hJ6SpzbXiNSeyMi5hjyqHg1Rj5BJHgZLSv4FC2G/w400-h300/SanDiego210_OldTown_Insta.JPG" title="Cafe Coyote" width="400" /></a></div><p>After our meal we went back up the hill to Presidio Park to see the city lights at night before driving home to Encinitas. Even though we were only down south for about 4 hours, it felt like we were on a mini-vacation in our own city, especially since people kept asking us where we were from. :)</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgIvOtFbBD97cIWWsoH3ygN_GXa9iVTsLvB_xc8EFH89lskgmSmf1SZ_SshxL9a7ff40LAAeipnmEPhJYRrM-8csLo4TsEc07zDaJ5Hkq9kClkijRBggQBNmA41H7pePpR9Bf_AyKA7eEd_y6oKfYxF9qoGG4jUKVPrSGRAejxpQOvhRYIxLqU/s3752/SanDiego216_PresidioPark_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3752" data-original-width="3002" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgIvOtFbBD97cIWWsoH3ygN_GXa9iVTsLvB_xc8EFH89lskgmSmf1SZ_SshxL9a7ff40LAAeipnmEPhJYRrM-8csLo4TsEc07zDaJ5Hkq9kClkijRBggQBNmA41H7pePpR9Bf_AyKA7eEd_y6oKfYxF9qoGG4jUKVPrSGRAejxpQOvhRYIxLqU/w320-h400/SanDiego216_PresidioPark_Insta.JPG" title="Presidio Park - Junípero Serra Cross" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr_L1y4dtQeJ0MwAWS2mFw9mLASRCvNIX2hf1_2Y5EArQ_dXVxuiOrHKun4uocs0K3okKNyZMNxahZyD4OZoayqmE3YLgmG9CEWljOU8rLTygrblkbzzSY_CkAYo-tBqzzVWjn2IeaSXhz322Ov3FG5wzP30OvO4metZf7uTSFgFjAY8z6DZ5d/s3963/SanDiego221_PresidioPark_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2973" data-original-width="3963" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr_L1y4dtQeJ0MwAWS2mFw9mLASRCvNIX2hf1_2Y5EArQ_dXVxuiOrHKun4uocs0K3okKNyZMNxahZyD4OZoayqmE3YLgmG9CEWljOU8rLTygrblkbzzSY_CkAYo-tBqzzVWjn2IeaSXhz322Ov3FG5wzP30OvO4metZf7uTSFgFjAY8z6DZ5d/w400-h300/SanDiego221_PresidioPark_Insta.JPG" title="Presidio Park - Junípero Serra Museum" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbyVYLPQRlF5hlXPlaAIy8suvXIOlotPk6of40RxDLOQSxM_qX2vDN99TNnlQu3mveq9eWieKpJvF2F9EzsKI-KBD0y7bmaizMbo7k5bajIp7M_YICNxUTMK22MmZYmAhVa6mUQ6cIpgtZyektoGfagD-lluAz7oCwUOKID0wwDlCqj8c-MkKq/s4032/SanDiego230_PresidioPark_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbyVYLPQRlF5hlXPlaAIy8suvXIOlotPk6of40RxDLOQSxM_qX2vDN99TNnlQu3mveq9eWieKpJvF2F9EzsKI-KBD0y7bmaizMbo7k5bajIp7M_YICNxUTMK22MmZYmAhVa6mUQ6cIpgtZyektoGfagD-lluAz7oCwUOKID0wwDlCqj8c-MkKq/w400-h300/SanDiego230_PresidioPark_Insta.JPG" title="Presidio Park - Trail" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-ikFfKu7O1rcxqs9b490SYx06MJcfsgnZhyphenhyphencNN-auxZMGKLOBdV9HcUdRwQXi35rlyEY5hRbqWqx2QPEOcCpxGIQP5oDTnXnzyCKnMqvz7c62eHu__JMNRwUPJ9AUVeflOzXk1T37-Y_uFTIvE5J1UpA2rgA5kjfmUY8xSR8EJuxhyphenhyphenTekE5Bd/s3658/SanDiego234_PresidioPark_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3658" data-original-width="2927" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-ikFfKu7O1rcxqs9b490SYx06MJcfsgnZhyphenhyphencNN-auxZMGKLOBdV9HcUdRwQXi35rlyEY5hRbqWqx2QPEOcCpxGIQP5oDTnXnzyCKnMqvz7c62eHu__JMNRwUPJ9AUVeflOzXk1T37-Y_uFTIvE5J1UpA2rgA5kjfmUY8xSR8EJuxhyphenhyphenTekE5Bd/w320-h400/SanDiego234_PresidioPark_Insta.JPG" title="Presidio Park - Trail" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpIqio5GYkQ4HFPIgpbQBnaW9t8SYuQDlf6tun2a_Jm6cVA5qczEQxh23GiNysL7BLKyjxHbreZhZsXf-TdNrO3eJ1iWlq41oi4YwvE69lPhQX1EZfhD1V4S0otdo47PEUGms5Ud8jufQzeloxyWWO0TUjaaOs8jHrgjXyuSL977CBdf70KrSt/s3721/SanDiego238_PresidioPark_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3721" data-original-width="2977" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpIqio5GYkQ4HFPIgpbQBnaW9t8SYuQDlf6tun2a_Jm6cVA5qczEQxh23GiNysL7BLKyjxHbreZhZsXf-TdNrO3eJ1iWlq41oi4YwvE69lPhQX1EZfhD1V4S0otdo47PEUGms5Ud8jufQzeloxyWWO0TUjaaOs8jHrgjXyuSL977CBdf70KrSt/w320-h400/SanDiego238_PresidioPark_Insta.JPG" title="Presidio Park - Trail" width="320" /></a></div>Noah Unsworthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16787302506440922931noreply@blogger.com0Old Town, San Diego, CA 92110, USA32.7542167 -117.19697935.4655958683255115 -152.35322929999998 60.042837531674493 -82.04072930000001tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18659481.post-1331668233354017082023-10-23T10:22:00.116-07:002023-11-07T13:37:17.062-08:00Double Peak Park (Loop Trail Hike)<p>We visited Double Peak Park in San Marcos this weekend. Even though we have driven through the pass countless times, it was our first time visiting the park at the top. There were great views of North Country and the surrounding hills in all directions as we hiked the 2 mile trail around the 1,646 foot summit.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZmGhOkxquOMnOHAZYBk3h8gfaJHMVWox76TDOcUS3pFAvrPsz7LNodahNR4uU4UddzWGBo5cHSMp9cXGJmjuvGZY1PDw_a_MPdAZ__mYGDsoBbVPQ2Ul2w3XLTNn9VMcjFyt99APY6TkqTpf-5uuboAoLyuLZk6VGqwWJsNPvARah5yLMe2pw/s4032/DoublePeakTrail010_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZmGhOkxquOMnOHAZYBk3h8gfaJHMVWox76TDOcUS3pFAvrPsz7LNodahNR4uU4UddzWGBo5cHSMp9cXGJmjuvGZY1PDw_a_MPdAZ__mYGDsoBbVPQ2Ul2w3XLTNn9VMcjFyt99APY6TkqTpf-5uuboAoLyuLZk6VGqwWJsNPvARah5yLMe2pw/w400-h300/DoublePeakTrail010_Insta.JPG" title="Double Peak Park - Loop Trail" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaiDAATT3sJkmt49LXX_KxgE84HE7UUE5Gef4gKLdVaV4szQ1Xs2-5hdAOhd00OgQv2iPR0Ry0TdVPr5IIilrY2m3YAsJ3bkCitUi8_-H6y8kcAtiRXqcAZ_vW64rENwtq1x27HXRhJa3zHN3rj2uSRIOLVivIquQJMb0bMzVN1TN2eYbhJ3jI/s3419/DoublePeakTrail012.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2563" data-original-width="3419" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaiDAATT3sJkmt49LXX_KxgE84HE7UUE5Gef4gKLdVaV4szQ1Xs2-5hdAOhd00OgQv2iPR0Ry0TdVPr5IIilrY2m3YAsJ3bkCitUi8_-H6y8kcAtiRXqcAZ_vW64rENwtq1x27HXRhJa3zHN3rj2uSRIOLVivIquQJMb0bMzVN1TN2eYbhJ3jI/w400-h300/DoublePeakTrail012.JPG" title="Double Peak Park - Loop Trail" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMvi1xVTKF_X-1DVN4njJT2vsCUkFnBSC6PhhYTeLU4d6rwfuvAO_kjN5Q6khGhk8DDFvnpVTSesKYmUnte1W4mIPdeTVrjFuF6ZbiW6FqEoFWl6gfed4-v62KGeDJHZnsSonT_PX3UUv3fGYMUPtc3dnU8doeGn9YeJwBKJVPZKp_AznOn9y1/s4096/DoublePeakTrail015_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4096" data-original-width="3276" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMvi1xVTKF_X-1DVN4njJT2vsCUkFnBSC6PhhYTeLU4d6rwfuvAO_kjN5Q6khGhk8DDFvnpVTSesKYmUnte1W4mIPdeTVrjFuF6ZbiW6FqEoFWl6gfed4-v62KGeDJHZnsSonT_PX3UUv3fGYMUPtc3dnU8doeGn9YeJwBKJVPZKp_AznOn9y1/w320-h400/DoublePeakTrail015_Insta.JPG" title="Double Peak Park - Loop Trail" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGd7h6GEkwSp2fz37iAKnbPm3BWEjotDDh0__cqtAR-EOrkpwFQjXYK-Pu2z_9DH88jQtcDrY-JKTfXGIUuXhWGUX1d5Slvg_nfzju7qar0s5qJMOlm9WpUNCpX9im3nRuuRIBkqZ0G2ZGEWrd5R3h8Dnr3C4D-dRefGZMyBOtX0tPDLXEkaNI/s4032/DoublePeakTrail019_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGd7h6GEkwSp2fz37iAKnbPm3BWEjotDDh0__cqtAR-EOrkpwFQjXYK-Pu2z_9DH88jQtcDrY-JKTfXGIUuXhWGUX1d5Slvg_nfzju7qar0s5qJMOlm9WpUNCpX9im3nRuuRIBkqZ0G2ZGEWrd5R3h8Dnr3C4D-dRefGZMyBOtX0tPDLXEkaNI/w400-h300/DoublePeakTrail019_Insta.JPG" title="Double Peak Park" width="400" /></a></div><p>It was a good thing we took the advice to travel counter-clockwise around the hill since the longest, steepest section of rough trail is an uphill. It is easier to climb than to descend the rocky bike trail at the end. To the east, we watched the sunset paint Mount Whitney (1,729 ft.) and Franks’s Peak (1,680 ft.) on the other side of the pass.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglrfZEl1IvnpoHuRMYXl-smEoSwCsThxGyrQlFA8vv684w6lyx-wcnC1kHh7E_4wnUSaWW5rsn5kRsuGF-2iWv9LEFADAurrscaH_UNosAUGkeObTgc2gjqhPc0yNiSPAc26uBczF3thy9HKfCnKyU0AtsdpVro3NZlDLqHZ3d0dTU0TJlPmLX/s4096/DoublePeakTrail035_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2149" data-original-width="4096" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglrfZEl1IvnpoHuRMYXl-smEoSwCsThxGyrQlFA8vv684w6lyx-wcnC1kHh7E_4wnUSaWW5rsn5kRsuGF-2iWv9LEFADAurrscaH_UNosAUGkeObTgc2gjqhPc0yNiSPAc26uBczF3thy9HKfCnKyU0AtsdpVro3NZlDLqHZ3d0dTU0TJlPmLX/w400-h210/DoublePeakTrail035_Insta.JPG" title="Double Peak Park - Mount Whitney 1,729ft and Frank's Peak 1,680ft" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjElzD2KzPWECvk-fUgpTWpwSAkJ96mPF5YgGRxmucaJ-wpiGbVBeqvmStoIOdIUiAfOn0qzyv6qICGvB1kgFc5K9tAKRGdy2sIKrbnasZZGleKqUEsVxrbHGwE-zFYJZZCPt-qdDB0BDVVJNykkWKV82Cf-bYmswOLfOub-W8GwpTfSjUcx3gT/s3642/DoublePeakTrail039_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3642" data-original-width="2914" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjElzD2KzPWECvk-fUgpTWpwSAkJ96mPF5YgGRxmucaJ-wpiGbVBeqvmStoIOdIUiAfOn0qzyv6qICGvB1kgFc5K9tAKRGdy2sIKrbnasZZGleKqUEsVxrbHGwE-zFYJZZCPt-qdDB0BDVVJNykkWKV82Cf-bYmswOLfOub-W8GwpTfSjUcx3gT/w320-h400/DoublePeakTrail039_Insta.JPG" title="Double Peak Park - South Lake" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ3f6lzpHtaq6hzhPXNcJGZCOF2aGJiMKMbvmvznYpSMYmXD0Rx5aAgSp5GwlbOGhCEItBgsSsLcSyBBUGkAPXMX1cZNE_RgFMrE9BRFZMVyl-0AfI5fCPu8RVHYQoGkjaGkbdUQjN8NopRqp63gKchVf6xpDmhWlOTpd8PGtCtlVp1y_9Q1bP/s4096/DoublePeakTrail049_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2728" data-original-width="4096" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ3f6lzpHtaq6hzhPXNcJGZCOF2aGJiMKMbvmvznYpSMYmXD0Rx5aAgSp5GwlbOGhCEItBgsSsLcSyBBUGkAPXMX1cZNE_RgFMrE9BRFZMVyl-0AfI5fCPu8RVHYQoGkjaGkbdUQjN8NopRqp63gKchVf6xpDmhWlOTpd8PGtCtlVp1y_9Q1bP/w400-h266/DoublePeakTrail049_Insta.JPG" title="Double Peak Park - Mount Whitney 1,729 ft." width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGFpbM1-jVw2yjrOjIHR0ZzHrrPFr-QyeaeBLrYrVp9I2z0k-e1zMAkuYMulH46rfgwcNRnC5cY2d_Swv0zUmr8JNMvGlXR5jTkCNfXn017UdWp2umstfy9fJjcx6gfVAMjrcKYMl9I8MZjoJimsmzXTZb3K_xKX-AIFdP33miTY9zn6BEM6uO/s3435/DoublePeakTrail063_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2574" data-original-width="3435" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGFpbM1-jVw2yjrOjIHR0ZzHrrPFr-QyeaeBLrYrVp9I2z0k-e1zMAkuYMulH46rfgwcNRnC5cY2d_Swv0zUmr8JNMvGlXR5jTkCNfXn017UdWp2umstfy9fJjcx6gfVAMjrcKYMl9I8MZjoJimsmzXTZb3K_xKX-AIFdP33miTY9zn6BEM6uO/w400-h300/DoublePeakTrail063_Insta.JPG" title="Double Peak Park - Tori at Sunset" width="400" /></a></div><p>Finishing our hike back at the summit, we arrived just in time to watch the sunset over the ocean. Quite a crowd had formed to watch. Batiquitos Lagoon at the border of Encinitas and Carlsbad was visible directly west along the coastline.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_uefBHU27vf90WLuTCuPdOOY3Az6ZxUEDt7jJGWrYhHEW8PzNsE8okGpQO7kNwnFkg9jD9RsYhZ6K6vovur77U51PeVah6xWmtyMfNr_sFTBu6GEFBqJqqOiAv7d9ed_6bvej28m4priOegel2QuITV2UopcHJAQiJ37VQ0zsnIhVrOoEyFlZ/s4032/DoublePeakTrail070_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_uefBHU27vf90WLuTCuPdOOY3Az6ZxUEDt7jJGWrYhHEW8PzNsE8okGpQO7kNwnFkg9jD9RsYhZ6K6vovur77U51PeVah6xWmtyMfNr_sFTBu6GEFBqJqqOiAv7d9ed_6bvej28m4priOegel2QuITV2UopcHJAQiJ37VQ0zsnIhVrOoEyFlZ/w400-h300/DoublePeakTrail070_Insta.JPG" title="Double Peak Park - Sunset" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS9oCpL-3K74JyeEh8FPTR7aOwgF8yyyzUfXETYTkf60jkLIvkfpoXlBIOuLWtRpnDR-njuaU4tYnjLXGsNoxPnXMpY3lV0MaZmNB9iWFTy5PJL6dY5qpXOAUzge3Ql3H1bRMwJiENpyuA07KJ8QGWMb6DdT4U3J70jprWU8yBFCj7k7ELA7-8/s4096/DoublePeakTrail071_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2730" data-original-width="4096" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS9oCpL-3K74JyeEh8FPTR7aOwgF8yyyzUfXETYTkf60jkLIvkfpoXlBIOuLWtRpnDR-njuaU4tYnjLXGsNoxPnXMpY3lV0MaZmNB9iWFTy5PJL6dY5qpXOAUzge3Ql3H1bRMwJiENpyuA07KJ8QGWMb6DdT4U3J70jprWU8yBFCj7k7ELA7-8/w400-h266/DoublePeakTrail071_Insta.JPG" title="Double Peak Park - Batiquitos Lagoon" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP4yuNkQn6tQnA55VeAYlELaLdZEOsgqYzwsTIRUzkdI3inx8qwsOIssXfv2YiM50qFXMfFKkja3dt2bWFDApChSSgegB6Acqd3zzpWGeLT8xWzCVV0rlt8Z7NkWCkEvER-tfaD0QoN3N16C9wsvytwcbYH5BU8WJgaZY9paXFtNEKkbUkxy-f/s3705/DoublePeakTrail086_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3705" data-original-width="2965" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP4yuNkQn6tQnA55VeAYlELaLdZEOsgqYzwsTIRUzkdI3inx8qwsOIssXfv2YiM50qFXMfFKkja3dt2bWFDApChSSgegB6Acqd3zzpWGeLT8xWzCVV0rlt8Z7NkWCkEvER-tfaD0QoN3N16C9wsvytwcbYH5BU8WJgaZY9paXFtNEKkbUkxy-f/w320-h400/DoublePeakTrail086_Insta.JPG" title="Double Peak Park - Tori" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUUx1c_pYSCaBOKzYC5dhP6IoaQ3i5-O7CMKJfL6hgamLi1UMUQmxrcTa5DbfU-NGFUF8Zv2nfujRZxhkK7oJnzKKVY4T6TCuBNH_n1IfDKgQlYeqnD_jFZdi35lpkYlEK4-AT_UHU9wBx7-E4OWaomiOcJx5BR6ZxYVKE0cgQt7UXTiXD2wuq/s3601/DoublePeakTrail092_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2698" data-original-width="3601" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUUx1c_pYSCaBOKzYC5dhP6IoaQ3i5-O7CMKJfL6hgamLi1UMUQmxrcTa5DbfU-NGFUF8Zv2nfujRZxhkK7oJnzKKVY4T6TCuBNH_n1IfDKgQlYeqnD_jFZdi35lpkYlEK4-AT_UHU9wBx7-E4OWaomiOcJx5BR6ZxYVKE0cgQt7UXTiXD2wuq/w400-h300/DoublePeakTrail092_Insta.JPG" title="Double Peak Park - Noah" width="400" /></a></div>Noah Unsworthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16787302506440922931noreply@blogger.com0Double Peak Park, 900 Double Peak Dr, San Marcos, CA 92078, USA33.1091912 -117.17711764.7989573638211525 -152.3333676 61.419425036178843 -82.0208676tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18659481.post-38916116792945505182023-05-07T13:10:00.151-07:002023-05-17T17:00:26.361-07:00Cryotherapy (It's a Dry Cold!)<p>AcroYoga has been beating up my body so I tried Cryotherapy for the first time. Inside the narrow chamber, the freezing dry air created from Liquid Nitrogen chills the body, constricting blood vessels and reducing blood flow. After 3 minutes of treatment, the blood rushes back into the skin, joints and muscles with increased white blood cells and anti-inflammatory proteins as the body warms back up outside the chamber. It felt like stepping into a walk-in freezer with only shorts, gloves, socks and slippers to prevent frostbite. The chamber goes down to minus 240 degrees Fahrenheit but the tech took it easy on me for my first session. My teeth on started to chatter during the last minute. Afterwards, my heart was beating fast and I had a rush of energy / euphoria that lasted for several hours. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJaxG_6Z3GRtbtsQBYA5zYixKCljvRpIrELGmUIZuSHR43bJEVSdkox37Zttc53RS886GHf9GWImcR1eNptxsXpgR3ERjHY9pKboQF8fJjM4Aeuxrx7fH-b7EaGsiiR9q_7zceFJNyHB_MKRTbW3-gZi_1QCDLrR29gd7soaj7M_DFFE8E1Q/s3875/Cryotherapy05.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3875" data-original-width="2906" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJaxG_6Z3GRtbtsQBYA5zYixKCljvRpIrELGmUIZuSHR43bJEVSdkox37Zttc53RS886GHf9GWImcR1eNptxsXpgR3ERjHY9pKboQF8fJjM4Aeuxrx7fH-b7EaGsiiR9q_7zceFJNyHB_MKRTbW3-gZi_1QCDLrR29gd7soaj7M_DFFE8E1Q/w300-h400/Cryotherapy05.jpg" title="Noah in the Cryotherapy Chamber" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim1qBhpT2pvLB7LP6_sDg00m8ukZIRLcATmUD4M3M3zVjhrHdc9YHPniDpZo8Krzvd2SQit_8ahtoIKO1ePpIPNQZz1Gqgj4O6CDXrujINltgWkU7GzmAHSt1cIFL0pR2Rt2iY5i-VlU4DoH1vbB453ioGBYoLU5tsIf27yYPJx8YbQcnKdw/s3036/Cryotherapy09.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3036" data-original-width="2277" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim1qBhpT2pvLB7LP6_sDg00m8ukZIRLcATmUD4M3M3zVjhrHdc9YHPniDpZo8Krzvd2SQit_8ahtoIKO1ePpIPNQZz1Gqgj4O6CDXrujINltgWkU7GzmAHSt1cIFL0pR2Rt2iY5i-VlU4DoH1vbB453ioGBYoLU5tsIf27yYPJx8YbQcnKdw/w300-h400/Cryotherapy09.jpg" title="Noah in the Cryotherapy Chamber" width="300" /></a></div><p>Cryotherapy was first developed in the 1970s by a Japanese Rheumatologist to treat inflammation. For my final two sessions, I experienced the maximum chill and it was much colder. My teeth were chattering within 30 seconds and I needed to keep jiggling my freezing legs to keep them active. I've noticed a positive effect on my lower back after the treatments so I am thinking of continuing. Maybe I will start some Ice Baths at home as well but it takes a lot more will power to lower yourself into freezing cold water.</p>Noah Unsworthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16787302506440922931noreply@blogger.com0Encinitas, CA, USA33.0369867 -117.29198184.7267528638211544 -152.4482318 61.347220536178845 -82.1357318tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18659481.post-609326908834098682023-02-10T17:05:00.629-08:002023-05-31T12:33:22.555-07:002023 Costa Rica Trip (Big Waves, Offshore Winds and Howler Monkeys)<p>I traveled back to <b>Costa Rica</b> in January 2023, but this time I went with my younger brother, Jordan. My wife was supposed to come as well but she was nervous about leaving our new dog, Ginger, with a sitter for two weeks. Jordan and I took the red-eye flight from LAX to Liberia and arrived at my dad's house in <b>Playa Negra</b> on Sunday morning. We had a relaxing day, hanging out in the two hammocks I brought and watching the iguana's bask in the sun. The dominate male, Sherman, died last year but a new male has moved into the territory and was wooing all the females around the house.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWwPYNQrmqINjxUep_5kXcxag8z1I8Ksr5LyP1iuKUMzgwrMf1DJv6t__wfcM6k5Tu-dNFXrHGUdDuJxFPCv8is7Bh341eY3i7s4IOIiwMmGiAm_ti3Jw4Mpid4qZ9UN8A7ymXdW8oXmTYH6wSRwTaH8RItPcVXEkbDvzSYhAk9s626FXE0A/s3120/CostaRica002_PlayaNegra.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2340" data-original-width="3120" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWwPYNQrmqINjxUep_5kXcxag8z1I8Ksr5LyP1iuKUMzgwrMf1DJv6t__wfcM6k5Tu-dNFXrHGUdDuJxFPCv8is7Bh341eY3i7s4IOIiwMmGiAm_ti3Jw4Mpid4qZ9UN8A7ymXdW8oXmTYH6wSRwTaH8RItPcVXEkbDvzSYhAk9s626FXE0A/w400-h300/CostaRica002_PlayaNegra.JPG" title="2023 Costa Rica - Jordan, my Dad and I at Playa Negra" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkeSMXQeosYExclCKFw2aPSS5HWFRXA1nQViai90wPObYNuqLXAb-cu9lIn1r9UHQLwFJREpYKRuONMs8fpANGCSzzQIblBqTg0zU0hWnlpml8rsiOJmjbk4SbqfmR650FUuDTiSbQ31yY7kcUm1qAhVocl3SbxSIAZbv4pDTya_NXaWDz9g/s4024/CostaRica016_PlayaNegra_Hammock.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3018" data-original-width="4024" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkeSMXQeosYExclCKFw2aPSS5HWFRXA1nQViai90wPObYNuqLXAb-cu9lIn1r9UHQLwFJREpYKRuONMs8fpANGCSzzQIblBqTg0zU0hWnlpml8rsiOJmjbk4SbqfmR650FUuDTiSbQ31yY7kcUm1qAhVocl3SbxSIAZbv4pDTya_NXaWDz9g/w400-h300/CostaRica016_PlayaNegra_Hammock.JPG" title="2023 Costa Rica - Relaxing in a hammock at Playa Negra" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIRZdy6AfaUpVEsxZfvhmDzS8CJG6ya5R7HYZFw2dZKgMmdjBnldzi5WdRB_RsW0rVWGj3C_O2E3UNqHxwSUrN8j-bmB8zDx_YM0C7oOzw2ZtU9LIVvJTzIT98s3bC2uGifLhnQU-R6ubA2OVvWuERjbKd9tCrVfEzysirGrEFzzZ_W-PjCw/s4032/CostaRica017_PlayaNegra_Hammock.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIRZdy6AfaUpVEsxZfvhmDzS8CJG6ya5R7HYZFw2dZKgMmdjBnldzi5WdRB_RsW0rVWGj3C_O2E3UNqHxwSUrN8j-bmB8zDx_YM0C7oOzw2ZtU9LIVvJTzIT98s3bC2uGifLhnQU-R6ubA2OVvWuERjbKd9tCrVfEzysirGrEFzzZ_W-PjCw/w400-h300/CostaRica017_PlayaNegra_Hammock.jpg" title="2023 Costa Rica - Relaxing in a hammock at Playa NegraPlaya Negra" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNb60XjWfKTI5dCASj0m-qMPJi2azSJ6NVFFCIvl32gB8BY4Cr21eTibivztydWI48dGE5PZ2u0z4H9wzA3R6t76OkJencaFgzFznXHnnsP_9VU8QfG4nft1PpGBFT_E5cA60lu-zTQmFODUKKzzmQ268IESmfoJqRh25pzB0idSn-Dkg49Q/s3333/CostaRica025_PlayaNegra_Iguana.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3333" data-original-width="2667" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNb60XjWfKTI5dCASj0m-qMPJi2azSJ6NVFFCIvl32gB8BY4Cr21eTibivztydWI48dGE5PZ2u0z4H9wzA3R6t76OkJencaFgzFznXHnnsP_9VU8QfG4nft1PpGBFT_E5cA60lu-zTQmFODUKKzzmQ268IESmfoJqRh25pzB0idSn-Dkg49Q/w320-h400/CostaRica025_PlayaNegra_Iguana.JPG" title="2023 Costa Rica - Black Spiny-tailed Iguana in Playa Negra" width="320" /></a></div><p>Dramatic clouds began rolling in as we cruised down to the beach for a beautiful sunset. As we were walking back from the rocky point, the rain started to fall. It was a light tropical rain that lasted all night but didn't return again for the rest of the trip.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCy4p9gTrK8dtKxnqVu0Is-uwAYYWwDX2CJZxl-T7lyZw66WATWIhrUzzr-eojBR2iatPUkaNdfcfaH-E35jQe1YygFA4HCI302kkEc3bUYxF-E7Y-4IXNxmFFxFyVE7qfDsezp1X0nSrqVBOes7MO_g8tQPFc-4kOOLvPcBFYmA8QT_Rdxg/s2818/CostaRica036_PlayaNegra.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2111" data-original-width="2818" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCy4p9gTrK8dtKxnqVu0Is-uwAYYWwDX2CJZxl-T7lyZw66WATWIhrUzzr-eojBR2iatPUkaNdfcfaH-E35jQe1YygFA4HCI302kkEc3bUYxF-E7Y-4IXNxmFFxFyVE7qfDsezp1X0nSrqVBOes7MO_g8tQPFc-4kOOLvPcBFYmA8QT_Rdxg/w400-h300/CostaRica036_PlayaNegra.jpg" title="2023 Costa Rica - Sunset at Playa Negra" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCY7aYWfSc7QTDhFm4dmxwFwhMj3vuFubaGHvsbuCnqfFFap0ZaUMWWH47RrMqI6cPVBXZlw-iXSJUnotw9_t74JXSAovdDyuvl22hWHckSbJZ_INsof14MsNf3DglB452tv5gu0zfEMjZxIkOYlQC4_dC0ewFZzL4RAnlRUyaULCzwv4kiQ/s3904/CostaRica039_PlayaNegra.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2925" data-original-width="3904" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCY7aYWfSc7QTDhFm4dmxwFwhMj3vuFubaGHvsbuCnqfFFap0ZaUMWWH47RrMqI6cPVBXZlw-iXSJUnotw9_t74JXSAovdDyuvl22hWHckSbJZ_INsof14MsNf3DglB452tv5gu0zfEMjZxIkOYlQC4_dC0ewFZzL4RAnlRUyaULCzwv4kiQ/w400-h300/CostaRica039_PlayaNegra.jpg" title="2023 Costa Rica - Raincloud Sunset at Playa Negra" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0hhlmog5gYyWBG87-DPofdPjxvTZfyNyVOuvjrnryDY6IFvBRUDiaQmAbUg3RwUaNy8gMaXFAQDzYITGk0SM8XvrH_oSoMMb1fmvD0TMjSN3T0Y0_mGWcUZgoAa3P2zexYXFLgP4DtpAc3kmwOUX3YCcF_DWaCS6FvfVV-jjRwzu_JcUv_g/s4095/CostaRica047_PlayaNegra.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2144" data-original-width="4095" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0hhlmog5gYyWBG87-DPofdPjxvTZfyNyVOuvjrnryDY6IFvBRUDiaQmAbUg3RwUaNy8gMaXFAQDzYITGk0SM8XvrH_oSoMMb1fmvD0TMjSN3T0Y0_mGWcUZgoAa3P2zexYXFLgP4DtpAc3kmwOUX3YCcF_DWaCS6FvfVV-jjRwzu_JcUv_g/w400-h210/CostaRica047_PlayaNegra.jpg" title="2023 Costa Rica - Raincloud Sunset at Playa Negra" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdB9iq3_IrJ2TPUV4eTfeaYwYuqf8aCkLOQgxN1TDRugfsI-_LpolwmyTbhK4ugNak1M5tQSo3VETW5YvQedr1I4LLyeRHO1hFbAYdbLNkbYGxehZBDwtvKfLWNk15fqjYEt_MNZqLbPwLDzvN3jXydNh9cAG4n7imHMfDj01TDqPLmQkSgQ/s3954/CostaRica052_PlayaNegra.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2963" data-original-width="3954" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdB9iq3_IrJ2TPUV4eTfeaYwYuqf8aCkLOQgxN1TDRugfsI-_LpolwmyTbhK4ugNak1M5tQSo3VETW5YvQedr1I4LLyeRHO1hFbAYdbLNkbYGxehZBDwtvKfLWNk15fqjYEt_MNZqLbPwLDzvN3jXydNh9cAG4n7imHMfDj01TDqPLmQkSgQ/w400-h300/CostaRica052_PlayaNegra.jpg" title="2023 Costa Rica - Raincloud Sunset at Playa Negra" width="400" /></a></div><p>Last year, I could hear the village monkeys howling every morning and sunset but I never saw any of them. This time, a whole troop crossed over our heads on the very first day as we headed toward the beach. Several days later, I had my telephoto camera with me when the entire troop passed through the trees again at sunset. The <b>Mantled Howler Monkeys</b> are named for the long golden fur along their flanks and they are the loudest of all the New World Monkeys. The males use an enlarged hyoid bone to amplify their calls and communicate with nearby troops. It was cool to see several mothers carrying their babies around on their backs.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW3T-i1nBqEkoegOyz3U6uBJCJDopJKu633Ui9HXHC2AMe_0XcphON7Vm0IoXw98zqOv1V8o1FoK_o5fAdBPVQ7K2bb1ePxJqtfOislh-sg9hGuNZW-Jlpb6hca12xIWTtMECy55-9Xgm6z5u093tB_fXCOnrs2i4U6K7Ja8o_Dhk-7LKcsQ/s4096/CostaRica508_PlayaNegra_HowlerMonkey.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2730" data-original-width="4096" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW3T-i1nBqEkoegOyz3U6uBJCJDopJKu633Ui9HXHC2AMe_0XcphON7Vm0IoXw98zqOv1V8o1FoK_o5fAdBPVQ7K2bb1ePxJqtfOislh-sg9hGuNZW-Jlpb6hca12xIWTtMECy55-9Xgm6z5u093tB_fXCOnrs2i4U6K7Ja8o_Dhk-7LKcsQ/w400-h266/CostaRica508_PlayaNegra_HowlerMonkey.JPG" title="2023 Costa Rica - Mantled Howler Monkeys are named for the long golden fur along their flanks." width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-K9cq2mfuoeJXoEOr7kob6hj0kAPSMpdkNrm7Nhi5Vysou0i-15TbAkhbrx-sgAZ3wLRPY5PoHMtzl0Zs3T2qRHXr5Fk-r7z_pomdiRKRLfcPwolwAr8XjABAfUSbOsJQSwERzm208Xe-nWG08HuModD4gT87K22-CuwwKv0AGily7isnJw/s5546/CostaRica524_PlayaNegra_HowlerMonkey.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3697" data-original-width="5546" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-K9cq2mfuoeJXoEOr7kob6hj0kAPSMpdkNrm7Nhi5Vysou0i-15TbAkhbrx-sgAZ3wLRPY5PoHMtzl0Zs3T2qRHXr5Fk-r7z_pomdiRKRLfcPwolwAr8XjABAfUSbOsJQSwERzm208Xe-nWG08HuModD4gT87K22-CuwwKv0AGily7isnJw/w400-h266/CostaRica524_PlayaNegra_HowlerMonkey.JPG" title="2023 Costa Rica - Mantled Howler Monkey and her baby in the trees at Playa Negra." width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj87MNr7l9gSG1OZTxUKEN-ONmPfxnSv4D9SZM1RHhBIKmG3O_j4d7rGVzTNP83VyiKr6QufUNnCULCjqy31ppF8n7njrrUqPeXlZOmXd0UEPrPfFaI4VzbPXjMyL7rbB6V0qB-EvrXwY66C8E3Rzk66Hk6Hv80g5UVhgRNCbsuVh4RUWVEOQ/s4096/CostaRica526_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2730" data-original-width="4096" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj87MNr7l9gSG1OZTxUKEN-ONmPfxnSv4D9SZM1RHhBIKmG3O_j4d7rGVzTNP83VyiKr6QufUNnCULCjqy31ppF8n7njrrUqPeXlZOmXd0UEPrPfFaI4VzbPXjMyL7rbB6V0qB-EvrXwY66C8E3Rzk66Hk6Hv80g5UVhgRNCbsuVh4RUWVEOQ/w400-h266/CostaRica526_Insta.JPG" title="2023 Costa Rica - Male Howler Monkey who uses a enlarged hyoid bone to amplify their calls at sunrise and sunset." width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ7PjZiet05KKTCIpqVyM7Pjj4q28hfRIp7EwUv1r3LrX4RJkmpgDbBViXpgSpZXBKpRoej5ro4AVUxHSw2NXsfZAuoz9JYnsbyaY_wYjA7ABqtlxjhMbCeC7T1OvcwzQUmdYoUENwpBzJ53tpxqCQoRSx9eJIxhi3TE7XcgrXfSnKPr-LAg/s3082/CostaRica528_PlayaNegra_HowlerMonkey.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3082" data-original-width="2466" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ7PjZiet05KKTCIpqVyM7Pjj4q28hfRIp7EwUv1r3LrX4RJkmpgDbBViXpgSpZXBKpRoej5ro4AVUxHSw2NXsfZAuoz9JYnsbyaY_wYjA7ABqtlxjhMbCeC7T1OvcwzQUmdYoUENwpBzJ53tpxqCQoRSx9eJIxhi3TE7XcgrXfSnKPr-LAg/w320-h400/CostaRica528_PlayaNegra_HowlerMonkey.JPG" title="2023 Costa Rica - Action shot of a Mantled Howler Monkey leaping between the trees at Playa Negra." width="320" /></a></div><p>Eating mostly leaves, the howlers spend most of the day resting and only travel and socialize for 45 minutes a day. They look so natural in the trees, using their long prehensile tail as an extra arm to grab slender branches in the rainforest canopy. I captured a fun silhouette of a monkey leaping between the trees. My dad cooked a lot of our meals but Jordan and I went for the tasty breakfast burritos at the nearby <b>Jalapeno Eatery</b> several times. My dad has never eaten a Cubano sandwich so we went to the <b>Corazon Surf Cafe</b> to try their version. He really liked it! We also went twice to <b>La Ventana</b> for the Ahi Sandwich. It was so delicious with their homemade bread!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOVEyIh3oCCfUNJ0pjrARXop0Por_eB1mO1F18K1_1H_AyGEqOkakljPEn3WdfB8xSGTrkB_RP2HNWQMJgy_Olua4N3gnHwrrJYMNFkZkR1x_9PeI3JgFUxdXbKZ9Pq9CKIA48I7RiMoxfw4XeHTsCqKyxetDPVbLfFKmAklbsLRMdfOO86g/s3807/CostaRica071_PlayaNegra_BreakfastBurrito.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3807" data-original-width="2855" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOVEyIh3oCCfUNJ0pjrARXop0Por_eB1mO1F18K1_1H_AyGEqOkakljPEn3WdfB8xSGTrkB_RP2HNWQMJgy_Olua4N3gnHwrrJYMNFkZkR1x_9PeI3JgFUxdXbKZ9Pq9CKIA48I7RiMoxfw4XeHTsCqKyxetDPVbLfFKmAklbsLRMdfOO86g/w300-h400/CostaRica071_PlayaNegra_BreakfastBurrito.JPG" title="2023 Costa Rica - Breakfast Burritos at Jalapeno Eatery in Playa Negra" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1pFWjikp8tVq-9Vtw-Ia8ssV5ZG6_lJLLXzG561tL34pmXA9exPrAoqzI4A1-_WfDpbJiJ3JjqasxLETr5m2oxuCr4NTFQStCx_U0jNngXt5uLu_Wq8QNDrwxmKqMOfPK_2hvK380W2Puwcje-I-V0igAK-kXseQtMDrhJzBEConjTcS-8g/s3381/CostaRica072_PlayaNegra_Cubano.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3381" data-original-width="2705" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1pFWjikp8tVq-9Vtw-Ia8ssV5ZG6_lJLLXzG561tL34pmXA9exPrAoqzI4A1-_WfDpbJiJ3JjqasxLETr5m2oxuCr4NTFQStCx_U0jNngXt5uLu_Wq8QNDrwxmKqMOfPK_2hvK380W2Puwcje-I-V0igAK-kXseQtMDrhJzBEConjTcS-8g/w320-h400/CostaRica072_PlayaNegra_Cubano.JPG" title="2023 Costa Rica - Cubano at Corazon Surf Cafe in Playa Negra" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbawHgAgwk2pCAW5oexeCocehnJQRUkYlbdgDHQ7t3wqXdDzk7dfdkm-spcVWZweiL-61KnS-nhyFoj703PjTyxRIJFCa9Wg0rLPliWn5v2NnwCv_JxXOpoa3qeOlVUVXzIeS_ZOuSGmy1UxksQMcZwITtvpmrdjnWxMbt9cDKyDWQ3YWQQQ/s2994/CostaRica073_PlayaNegra_GrilledAhiSandwich.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2245" data-original-width="2994" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbawHgAgwk2pCAW5oexeCocehnJQRUkYlbdgDHQ7t3wqXdDzk7dfdkm-spcVWZweiL-61KnS-nhyFoj703PjTyxRIJFCa9Wg0rLPliWn5v2NnwCv_JxXOpoa3qeOlVUVXzIeS_ZOuSGmy1UxksQMcZwITtvpmrdjnWxMbt9cDKyDWQ3YWQQQ/w400-h300/CostaRica073_PlayaNegra_GrilledAhiSandwich.JPG" title="2023 Costa Rica - Ahi Sandwich at La Ventana in Playa Negra" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOZ3eSB7DQn32uxpaT9vTYtmvOWKr1K0W7mEJ9l23XPo4Br35tCQxnNRna2NZT9d6IzsqCkOaGu8ku3h-LUQffdASq-Rm9utejYJx-tUjc-q-ZKoXYbfxuGUAEvVeOYnEGw55_U7rFueI5TTwSY2W0V00AKv2v-7aucLoKh1y4RaVra4ejKQ/s3799/CostaRica074_PlayaNegra_OmeletteSmoothie.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2849" data-original-width="3799" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOZ3eSB7DQn32uxpaT9vTYtmvOWKr1K0W7mEJ9l23XPo4Br35tCQxnNRna2NZT9d6IzsqCkOaGu8ku3h-LUQffdASq-Rm9utejYJx-tUjc-q-ZKoXYbfxuGUAEvVeOYnEGw55_U7rFueI5TTwSY2W0V00AKv2v-7aucLoKh1y4RaVra4ejKQ/w400-h300/CostaRica074_PlayaNegra_OmeletteSmoothie.JPG" title="2023 Costa Rica - Breakfast Omelette in Playa Negra" width="400" /></a></div><p>My dad's house is surrounded by horse pastures. At sunset, several of them always seem to end up at the beach. Particularly, three young colts have been grazing on the lawn out front of the Playa Negra Hotel and exploring the sandy beach.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibM5suGQKgZlX1uOWopiU9qk65qW7Twqvgoj_quLd3-XLyTZMkSZoGNU1q84SoxqpdlxD-ibqtyobJ0btT8XTirY9fsmyU9L1eZiyp_w1zMxRGDffeaJaXlwfTSn6-fSyEbASb_p6ZVJPQRjEnMnDF9GZNrBq3CSTyOeoAk4QEZ7RuT4_q_g/s4096/CostaRica095_PlayaNegra.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2728" data-original-width="4096" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibM5suGQKgZlX1uOWopiU9qk65qW7Twqvgoj_quLd3-XLyTZMkSZoGNU1q84SoxqpdlxD-ibqtyobJ0btT8XTirY9fsmyU9L1eZiyp_w1zMxRGDffeaJaXlwfTSn6-fSyEbASb_p6ZVJPQRjEnMnDF9GZNrBq3CSTyOeoAk4QEZ7RuT4_q_g/w400-h266/CostaRica095_PlayaNegra.JPG" title="2023 Costa Rica - Grazing Horses in the Finca at Playa Negra" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHgvOSvJFb2_rc5gmS_w6OSiDhjTAgSnZsL2uXZeHxN85xGRLMkRkEF6fZoUnypUiatER3WMNj4UA4azZPoTjSIBNpY02wqzHXuXRQyusu9sjU1dDgStd4aMCdTyiheirMBzSxVxblK67bCQuL_LyftSYXU2a9Gx4cUd6MpHuXkbVBBsedTA/s4095/CostaRica097_PlayaNegra.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2728" data-original-width="4095" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHgvOSvJFb2_rc5gmS_w6OSiDhjTAgSnZsL2uXZeHxN85xGRLMkRkEF6fZoUnypUiatER3WMNj4UA4azZPoTjSIBNpY02wqzHXuXRQyusu9sjU1dDgStd4aMCdTyiheirMBzSxVxblK67bCQuL_LyftSYXU2a9Gx4cUd6MpHuXkbVBBsedTA/w400-h266/CostaRica097_PlayaNegra.JPG" title="2023 Costa Rica - Jordan at Playa Negra" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghKw4FAzsY_SbG92vg8SD5737pyg5oJ4fW10DB7ycYgBmqwP-IJqy9-VJmxEaRCnuuOhc13Zv__zXBrCza55KpM8rZPtjTpuzftdozdc4eSnWjGmWBquRSFuyXM-BUCeUGYmoX8bEa47m8q9HfsfEBmUCVSWi9v6L5MvNJGbuvwSq7EY_Qlg/s4096/CostaRica110_PlayaNegra_Horses.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2730" data-original-width="4096" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghKw4FAzsY_SbG92vg8SD5737pyg5oJ4fW10DB7ycYgBmqwP-IJqy9-VJmxEaRCnuuOhc13Zv__zXBrCza55KpM8rZPtjTpuzftdozdc4eSnWjGmWBquRSFuyXM-BUCeUGYmoX8bEa47m8q9HfsfEBmUCVSWi9v6L5MvNJGbuvwSq7EY_Qlg/w400-h266/CostaRica110_PlayaNegra_Horses.JPG" title="2023 Costa Rica - Horses on the beach at Playa Negra" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicnHCG21TX7hndU5D7bAM9LcfIOkRSMwjpowXpdE8NAV4XQFmsblNP2h6fHO3TNQZa-F2-unK-eMNkBgOXw1fKhre0jvf4Gsritc5WUcThWOIVBkKlewtao5B6ZRMBJxIZM34Ei8kcXShLubs_4P8gTOHuh9ItiOv0Z48v_FqJjx8yw1gyEA/s4096/CostaRica116_PlayaNegra_Horses.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2728" data-original-width="4096" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicnHCG21TX7hndU5D7bAM9LcfIOkRSMwjpowXpdE8NAV4XQFmsblNP2h6fHO3TNQZa-F2-unK-eMNkBgOXw1fKhre0jvf4Gsritc5WUcThWOIVBkKlewtao5B6ZRMBJxIZM34Ei8kcXShLubs_4P8gTOHuh9ItiOv0Z48v_FqJjx8yw1gyEA/w400-h266/CostaRica116_PlayaNegra_Horses.JPG" title="2023 Costa Rica - Horses on the beach at Playa Negra" width="400" /></a></div><p>Video of the three Colts running past me on the Beach. They got a little too excited trying to maneuver through the beachgoers back to the grass.</p><p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/QMUoJMclzgA" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></p><p>I surfed during high tide on the first two days of the trip, but when the large swell arrived on Wednesday the waves grew too big for my taste. I enjoyed staying on the beach with my telephoto lens taking pictures of my dad, brother and other surfers out in the water. After each surf session, we would buy a <b>Pipa Fria</b> from a local Tico to drink the chilled coconut water on the walk home.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjCgbSVsXCEYJU1m5W_RtlwEFOxl8BmaS4J0_j1R62eLRhwO4JSJwbAvXxF1BClco3zBrTzGKiGRJLJTv5n-8qw8M7yyXmNq9QDn7IBODJ0e0psafGyD0c7_n78SaWH0jzIdFhw5k51clW0HRaROpIho7oikvXVO7BYeJLFRw8rRy5PFGP8Q/s5704/CostaRica138_PlayaNegra.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3802" data-original-width="5704" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjCgbSVsXCEYJU1m5W_RtlwEFOxl8BmaS4J0_j1R62eLRhwO4JSJwbAvXxF1BClco3zBrTzGKiGRJLJTv5n-8qw8M7yyXmNq9QDn7IBODJ0e0psafGyD0c7_n78SaWH0jzIdFhw5k51clW0HRaROpIho7oikvXVO7BYeJLFRw8rRy5PFGP8Q/w400-h266/CostaRica138_PlayaNegra.JPG" title="2023 Costa Rica - Surfer at Playa Negra" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggVQqR54X_EpXwMNo_TiqkupfJ55If6-Nz0z9TaKssKe73RMr_P1IqVmVgEVgZOPMREa8OKjMcv08_29DYfo3FPwIuYkF6Mt5IbCDpCL5yRknPlVAHk_mk9KzMeAzg4HbGEyhhqmwnpG-p6_RUP2Ut4F7gZn4M8dUyOQvbzGeOgJct4kLjWA/s5150/CostaRica150_PlayaNegra.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3433" data-original-width="5150" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggVQqR54X_EpXwMNo_TiqkupfJ55If6-Nz0z9TaKssKe73RMr_P1IqVmVgEVgZOPMREa8OKjMcv08_29DYfo3FPwIuYkF6Mt5IbCDpCL5yRknPlVAHk_mk9KzMeAzg4HbGEyhhqmwnpG-p6_RUP2Ut4F7gZn4M8dUyOQvbzGeOgJct4kLjWA/w400-h266/CostaRica150_PlayaNegra.JPG" title="2023 Costa Rica - My dad dropping in on a left at Playa Negra" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfJM492M3iutEPfCgEixRj9p2gsiSIqwUATHRoWijzviM-snKScb0hl6gPFqzuFow3HpnGEc6GN64a_vVOk6SKPdzhn2OqjV9jWpY2eAXXxy6uxHPJIICMqCVtfJRcclLmi6uEhA5aAxPgUWfGKMmMw-XBmDZ-WJ0REVlWSkWRw3K6GoJI8g/s5390/CostaRica151_PlayaNegra.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3593" data-original-width="5390" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfJM492M3iutEPfCgEixRj9p2gsiSIqwUATHRoWijzviM-snKScb0hl6gPFqzuFow3HpnGEc6GN64a_vVOk6SKPdzhn2OqjV9jWpY2eAXXxy6uxHPJIICMqCVtfJRcclLmi6uEhA5aAxPgUWfGKMmMw-XBmDZ-WJ0REVlWSkWRw3K6GoJI8g/w400-h266/CostaRica151_PlayaNegra.JPG" title="2023 Costa Rica - My brother, Jordan, on a right at Playa Negra" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSI9LCK18TFA4K_O4kpOXnq05LbsqgsFYniQRS9Vg_77iJ476Gy45O79ptqyI5d2pEWlDZXVn2h2_lQ94ZQ87ckdvgB3STHwDeBoXt7gV7rmsyGeC9wH6eL8fSRn4GgyG4tWyFAUuWE2iukmhiyFV8FOtvsH6Zh-FDahZfsWn6v_KLG_KITw/s5860/CostaRica409.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3907" data-original-width="5860" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSI9LCK18TFA4K_O4kpOXnq05LbsqgsFYniQRS9Vg_77iJ476Gy45O79ptqyI5d2pEWlDZXVn2h2_lQ94ZQ87ckdvgB3STHwDeBoXt7gV7rmsyGeC9wH6eL8fSRn4GgyG4tWyFAUuWE2iukmhiyFV8FOtvsH6Zh-FDahZfsWn6v_KLG_KITw/w400-h266/CostaRica409.JPG" title="2023 Costa Rica - Surfer paddling over a large set wave at Playa Negra" width="400" /></a></div><p>The biggest waves arrived on Thursday and I saw a lot of good surfers enjoying the powerful barrels formed by the strong off-shore winds that started blowing for the rest of the trip. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9ZArGRaDHo3-47Ra45lzTd4TxhlE7PhYa0n3OFB7O8FE54Ys0TyKiIMLxmHqFIbbQ6rLYwmxEL_hENZBYvrIrrmnC-PRCHX9YwVkOCOPCmWP4U7exFIQJLjgDiBTxXaK1kvKzZWDDww5gZUeA7dEG1qP5lU2fqoL-6ibWwJHMM8-f4vZLbw/s5315/CostaRica431_PlayaNegra.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3543" data-original-width="5315" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9ZArGRaDHo3-47Ra45lzTd4TxhlE7PhYa0n3OFB7O8FE54Ys0TyKiIMLxmHqFIbbQ6rLYwmxEL_hENZBYvrIrrmnC-PRCHX9YwVkOCOPCmWP4U7exFIQJLjgDiBTxXaK1kvKzZWDDww5gZUeA7dEG1qP5lU2fqoL-6ibWwJHMM8-f4vZLbw/w400-h266/CostaRica431_PlayaNegra.JPG" title="2023 Costa Rica - Surfer getting barreled at Playa Negra" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMu51zQeexmr7F_a5Qu1Qzxs6aemd842cI4KySsfEkaEzmxHP03dYjYwdRO03yLkOMglF3kmcz0aHVjK0vfbbAye6KnS1mXoBpChC2nlfDO-TypZ7pIk0AHosj-plNsKoHvd5ka3EJPDjn-QbXUkuLJ5B-F8GkW1Ce3gYiWxu1L1hoRwC-iQ/s5704/CostaRica435_PlayaNegra.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3802" data-original-width="5704" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMu51zQeexmr7F_a5Qu1Qzxs6aemd842cI4KySsfEkaEzmxHP03dYjYwdRO03yLkOMglF3kmcz0aHVjK0vfbbAye6KnS1mXoBpChC2nlfDO-TypZ7pIk0AHosj-plNsKoHvd5ka3EJPDjn-QbXUkuLJ5B-F8GkW1Ce3gYiWxu1L1hoRwC-iQ/w400-h266/CostaRica435_PlayaNegra.JPG" title="2023 Costa Rica - Surfer getting barreled at Playa Negra" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUEPekrY-otPAbuUCPS2Mr_sRQ4caHvK4PPZBzBDT6I-GW_Ek0QlMslXDZsBxZbqTt_CKDvOs63qEE3r8UCy8RoIU4CMaPYuRbLq2bah2vk0aYk63qGgtD8luqgMn7PfFgl0t-Ee8MtukROo_i0_VEgYS8OA0IArkuW-24DPzDs0EixMc6rg/s4590/CostaRica453_PlayaNegra.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3060" data-original-width="4590" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUEPekrY-otPAbuUCPS2Mr_sRQ4caHvK4PPZBzBDT6I-GW_Ek0QlMslXDZsBxZbqTt_CKDvOs63qEE3r8UCy8RoIU4CMaPYuRbLq2bah2vk0aYk63qGgtD8luqgMn7PfFgl0t-Ee8MtukROo_i0_VEgYS8OA0IArkuW-24DPzDs0EixMc6rg/w400-h266/CostaRica453_PlayaNegra.JPG" title="2023 Costa Rica - Surfer ripping at Playa Negra" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvEpvgozWGaekBoXF7Fzw7jQoDOjN6SJ3x4pf168MVVbD82uBM4MAkXovVuUWL-KhUD5PdetlynbEGipX0aQBSsQNQrZkbhMWv_39wIQN4q9rnYxBGDgE6a1Vlmrj0SnD0ly7QHkDMbMNNZREgyChzFwtDOZ9maMsWg812Rpl19Wd-cZnX6Q/s4863/CostaRica455_PlayaNegra.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3242" data-original-width="4863" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvEpvgozWGaekBoXF7Fzw7jQoDOjN6SJ3x4pf168MVVbD82uBM4MAkXovVuUWL-KhUD5PdetlynbEGipX0aQBSsQNQrZkbhMWv_39wIQN4q9rnYxBGDgE6a1Vlmrj0SnD0ly7QHkDMbMNNZREgyChzFwtDOZ9maMsWg812Rpl19Wd-cZnX6Q/w400-h266/CostaRica455_PlayaNegra.JPG" title="2023 Costa Rica - Surfer ripping at Playa Negra" width="400" /></a></div><p>Video of Dogs playing Fetch while Surfers caught Bombs in the background.</p><p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/qoH9ZFGzPcE" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></p><p>Between taking photos of the surfers, I enjoyed tossing sticks for the dogs on the beach. The dog in the picture below would patiently wait for me to toss another but would never bring the stick all the way back so I needed to find a new one each time.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid_n_N06FFtq_R1WNdMNDkxfE0zY3QBw3jWUZr450vZhEc_704hSkgpmiW35uBG83uS-plVj-LfUKelW06cUngpJXXWuAZFHwo7r_oARRvPzCZWBEQel83Tvu1FhBjuURGqvWiXltC_B9wJ80Jrj-pnUEcKCH5iMwXgwhxY9ZPLV4aAtm6sw/s4431/CostaRica462_PlayaNegra.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2954" data-original-width="4431" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid_n_N06FFtq_R1WNdMNDkxfE0zY3QBw3jWUZr450vZhEc_704hSkgpmiW35uBG83uS-plVj-LfUKelW06cUngpJXXWuAZFHwo7r_oARRvPzCZWBEQel83Tvu1FhBjuURGqvWiXltC_B9wJ80Jrj-pnUEcKCH5iMwXgwhxY9ZPLV4aAtm6sw/w400-h266/CostaRica462_PlayaNegra.JPG" title="2023 Costa Rica - Beach Dog waiting patiently for me to throw another stick at Playa Negra." width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirczB_vZXft_57z64ISYOpj36SC2_7wpiD1wsEOIPva2bGvO84Zfwd-Dhz7b76IzWMe8WzypcYnmxomYm7xTiPfnQju8GYyisO2nZIIY7kl46CTIC4VkrZK6aQEdM2XrT3g6thVfzbuzhO73MRmoWiFzCLWnreru3IaVItQWepF3zKpl4spA/s5670/CostaRica465.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3780" data-original-width="5670" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirczB_vZXft_57z64ISYOpj36SC2_7wpiD1wsEOIPva2bGvO84Zfwd-Dhz7b76IzWMe8WzypcYnmxomYm7xTiPfnQju8GYyisO2nZIIY7kl46CTIC4VkrZK6aQEdM2XrT3g6thVfzbuzhO73MRmoWiFzCLWnreru3IaVItQWepF3zKpl4spA/w400-h266/CostaRica465.JPG" title="2023 Costa Rica - Surfer at Playa Negra" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjms3frRyMSMmbfakTqK42BtGxqiYgpdPoCz0EqdBOXKKevi9cMl_hijHR3Nba68w9BqGBbir1ClcWyAfdsIvBFX8XQSPZgVsIb8ACHJrQolfCZ16nfXzyjraKfr920GYG6H4oWOtO8ICcmmjH-DUmgiDCxf_ofZpfL6BcdxZm9F7RsfOc3Hw/s4095/CostaRica468_PlayaNegra.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2730" data-original-width="4095" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjms3frRyMSMmbfakTqK42BtGxqiYgpdPoCz0EqdBOXKKevi9cMl_hijHR3Nba68w9BqGBbir1ClcWyAfdsIvBFX8XQSPZgVsIb8ACHJrQolfCZ16nfXzyjraKfr920GYG6H4oWOtO8ICcmmjH-DUmgiDCxf_ofZpfL6BcdxZm9F7RsfOc3Hw/w400-h266/CostaRica468_PlayaNegra.JPG" title="2023 Costa Rica - Jordan exiting the water at Playa Negra" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEideryA7T9ohvaHy2oobk6V-Gl8I5DRT99Cc8mJPivYcHxwoCH06wyprQCxxQLyo_3HKfjWXGBHcAsBuZiD_lE-LYjBffysoEJutYOZ0ECsPNMGTO1F9NZmxUcW3GMUsNLh3KCvb-46K8e3vmINIuA4tShHdvH7yCAykodObFugRbdtqQI13A/s4096/CostaRica469_PlayaNegra.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2730" data-original-width="4096" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEideryA7T9ohvaHy2oobk6V-Gl8I5DRT99Cc8mJPivYcHxwoCH06wyprQCxxQLyo_3HKfjWXGBHcAsBuZiD_lE-LYjBffysoEJutYOZ0ECsPNMGTO1F9NZmxUcW3GMUsNLh3KCvb-46K8e3vmINIuA4tShHdvH7yCAykodObFugRbdtqQI13A/w400-h266/CostaRica469_PlayaNegra.JPG" title="2023 Costa Rica - Jordan and my Dad walking home at Playa Negra" width="400" /></a></div><p>On Thursday evening, I sat in the restaurant at the Playa Negra Hotel, enjoying a meal and cocktails during sunset and watching the surfers. My brother caught a few good ones!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI2bsNSIIBnZzEqEWP_vDnO_-PZyzldyOXJbhVgAJkj1xjUqXmyo9RdVlrhl6U0FxkpeNH8ztLKGkEd2AkdC3EmpDYyp89wRL4gx4tmk_rhrVk49HllrtBe8R3Ww4FnylBc1xZ1gLyn62cT0FETACUhFZgDU9vZ64jbarlsKIUepc0IoJo6Q/s4096/CostaRica489_PlayaNegra.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2730" data-original-width="4096" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI2bsNSIIBnZzEqEWP_vDnO_-PZyzldyOXJbhVgAJkj1xjUqXmyo9RdVlrhl6U0FxkpeNH8ztLKGkEd2AkdC3EmpDYyp89wRL4gx4tmk_rhrVk49HllrtBe8R3Ww4FnylBc1xZ1gLyn62cT0FETACUhFZgDU9vZ64jbarlsKIUepc0IoJo6Q/w400-h266/CostaRica489_PlayaNegra.JPG" title="2023 Costa Rica - Sunset Surfer at Playa Negra" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSnAkys-4bK93wCar-10ddwCMF23H6yRec464W6EZl4KgG8HEZdN8O8wiOBNc5wSvi1PTML1f_dE8zw_UIFEf0Yyp_nwwr88e4MqK6L32AZPIgPoVcoUXIPRLpJKT1Uv7ksamQeJvh_1PQFsZECK9nhWuDdxFF1V7ZcgK0qKEVaG_-OG--Jw/s5149/CostaRica497_PlayaNegra.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3433" data-original-width="5149" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSnAkys-4bK93wCar-10ddwCMF23H6yRec464W6EZl4KgG8HEZdN8O8wiOBNc5wSvi1PTML1f_dE8zw_UIFEf0Yyp_nwwr88e4MqK6L32AZPIgPoVcoUXIPRLpJKT1Uv7ksamQeJvh_1PQFsZECK9nhWuDdxFF1V7ZcgK0qKEVaG_-OG--Jw/w400-h266/CostaRica497_PlayaNegra.JPG" title="2023 Costa Rica - Sunset Surfer at Playa Negra" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfVfctLq6gOmk03CJ-0SVTtMn7JZDT1eD7zCjhIxbwitcTdZekpbAiqYSfDiT7Oq66-4IadcYHc4QthgsUbJpL4Ltmsx0JXbnAm7cr9eY3XKtXpAaF4EckEKmS1eyN7mfGtwo_Wg7yQzIzDhUcLh-vswNGnkzo6OwAZ1l9gSVNU51vRikFzQ/s4096/CostaRica498_PlayaNegra.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2730" data-original-width="4096" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfVfctLq6gOmk03CJ-0SVTtMn7JZDT1eD7zCjhIxbwitcTdZekpbAiqYSfDiT7Oq66-4IadcYHc4QthgsUbJpL4Ltmsx0JXbnAm7cr9eY3XKtXpAaF4EckEKmS1eyN7mfGtwo_Wg7yQzIzDhUcLh-vswNGnkzo6OwAZ1l9gSVNU51vRikFzQ/w400-h266/CostaRica498_PlayaNegra.JPG" title="Costa Rica - My Brother, Jordan, after a sunset surf session at Playa Negra." width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOM3l3mbDLpKkBrtBTLx7Ep5c7wM15tfvZ3sNO5Q36enFbUyJkk7Z2fopGCYuVKFNfpN9f1dWJNTmCM_k2rQrgWAClcM4FbDqLLehBxN5FJDGo-ELpk9sIRmwAEA2JjgZoNiDPsRvPTBYRjxOn-E_WbX2llI_Zkaf4ueqPnAeN9gcjwfY4IQ/s4001/CostaRica500_PlayaNegra.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4001" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOM3l3mbDLpKkBrtBTLx7Ep5c7wM15tfvZ3sNO5Q36enFbUyJkk7Z2fopGCYuVKFNfpN9f1dWJNTmCM_k2rQrgWAClcM4FbDqLLehBxN5FJDGo-ELpk9sIRmwAEA2JjgZoNiDPsRvPTBYRjxOn-E_WbX2llI_Zkaf4ueqPnAeN9gcjwfY4IQ/w400-h300/CostaRica500_PlayaNegra.JPG" title="2023 Costa Rica - Beach Sand at Playa Negra" width="400" /></a></div><p>In the picture above, I captured the one of the natural mandala patterns in the sand at Playa Negra. I wish I knew what created them. Must be some type of beach crab who rolls the little balls of wet sand into concentric lines around the outside of its burrow. After one week, Jordan flew home on Saturday, right as I started to feel under the weather. It sucks to be sick on vacation and I spent three days in bed with a cold. By Tuesday, I was finally walking back down to the beach and going out to eat.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb5lUxBqVklp1Fl0RzOy-G3R9mNWxfjsRyj5Izlt9kRd7qxJR5vkrBojMsovxB3FGsHJR1RbU0OifOn4PBwJFymAdD1_RjgG27LmkXnIdE8426Pm2eFZVg58RmaCdw_6ctnFxLBhDuiCseCXy3WK67BV9ZtrevZVVlFD4PG6zAEBfL7ecpjg/s3782/CostaRica626_PlayaNegra.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2834" data-original-width="3782" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb5lUxBqVklp1Fl0RzOy-G3R9mNWxfjsRyj5Izlt9kRd7qxJR5vkrBojMsovxB3FGsHJR1RbU0OifOn4PBwJFymAdD1_RjgG27LmkXnIdE8426Pm2eFZVg58RmaCdw_6ctnFxLBhDuiCseCXy3WK67BV9ZtrevZVVlFD4PG6zAEBfL7ecpjg/w400-h300/CostaRica626_PlayaNegra.JPG" title="2023 Costa Rica - Driving the dirt roads of Playa Negra" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtpzaVFkThhJJ9NWcp78YkjvxNN-JSe9kMnMQj6xs08NgkZFHbdnv47xg6XrD4-DgoqD4q77Bk22SItnap4jm35SZZ7bAvx-fNgpEQVVpGgMoEaC1IKuwNFn-5ktGwj06bpyC1cu8hg6ON8EE1yWCRp1D5YWr6Gzebdd8-2JkEqFSn4B_vkw/s4032/CostaRica652_PlayaNegra_Horses.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtpzaVFkThhJJ9NWcp78YkjvxNN-JSe9kMnMQj6xs08NgkZFHbdnv47xg6XrD4-DgoqD4q77Bk22SItnap4jm35SZZ7bAvx-fNgpEQVVpGgMoEaC1IKuwNFn-5ktGwj06bpyC1cu8hg6ON8EE1yWCRp1D5YWr6Gzebdd8-2JkEqFSn4B_vkw/w400-h300/CostaRica652_PlayaNegra_Horses.JPG" title="2023 Costa Rica - Grazing Horses in the backyard at Playa Negra" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW7i4q_GVL3hFbnIRqKVAgFmWdoqIc9fCM2Z2D1jepe3VgG1rAIy1wjqoam3-CGYd6cyODddtKDk7_6jvnKh5y6Q9NfIlZhNaLwDdQFz0DuaTHhvS77UIOE2QZoaqrMK82XrYHonEn0MYCmQJtSmQsNJTCBlrdLnsWcmB-jIjeVQhDpucRNQ/s4096/CostaRica658_PlayaNegra_Horses.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2730" data-original-width="4096" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW7i4q_GVL3hFbnIRqKVAgFmWdoqIc9fCM2Z2D1jepe3VgG1rAIy1wjqoam3-CGYd6cyODddtKDk7_6jvnKh5y6Q9NfIlZhNaLwDdQFz0DuaTHhvS77UIOE2QZoaqrMK82XrYHonEn0MYCmQJtSmQsNJTCBlrdLnsWcmB-jIjeVQhDpucRNQ/w400-h266/CostaRica658_PlayaNegra_Horses.JPG" title="2023 Costa Rica - Grazing Horses in the backyard at Playa Negra" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyQ4t8UcFWjyNe37ZtwmWaVHdmY2ugCgIDjAZPUrYvyrsjaID4Isn2yBuIhHDmvO5k1qluxk-TQHOTTsMsxiExY9jL9Zo5M2zwLIdGi9L7H0ON80I5jTKpDicNr_EhBDU_EeV86kbfsh10FvZ5zR1uIWrgchDZn_0ABvhlUs_y9pxqGlTRLw/s4032/CostaRica685_PlayaNegra_Hammock_Horses.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyQ4t8UcFWjyNe37ZtwmWaVHdmY2ugCgIDjAZPUrYvyrsjaID4Isn2yBuIhHDmvO5k1qluxk-TQHOTTsMsxiExY9jL9Zo5M2zwLIdGi9L7H0ON80I5jTKpDicNr_EhBDU_EeV86kbfsh10FvZ5zR1uIWrgchDZn_0ABvhlUs_y9pxqGlTRLw/w300-h400/CostaRica685_PlayaNegra_Hammock_Horses.JPG" title="2023 Costa Rica - Grazing Horses in the backyard at Playa Negra" width="300" /></a></div><p>On Thursday, my dad and I borrowed the neighbor's car and we went for a drive on the dirt roads. After dealing with a flat tire and eating lunch again at <b>La Ventana</b>, we found two horses had snuck into the backyard and were grazing on the overgrown lawn. Better than a lawn mower and they fertilize the grass as well! </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsgizgqwh9SvfGc-2WAFeME29IZn89AvEVkHFXRsWP67fA521ZMxzYWQPMiR8l8h4umczn64wvAhjpF6UJplguuslWjCxTZn5EtptFHTGVFuUDCfWed9NxbqNz7CvKW0f90ushdOOQ0ZoMCA3pD-_rVH55hjdodZcvelLLEQGAXQWwK6l31Q/s3923/CostaRica740_PlayaNegra.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2942" data-original-width="3923" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsgizgqwh9SvfGc-2WAFeME29IZn89AvEVkHFXRsWP67fA521ZMxzYWQPMiR8l8h4umczn64wvAhjpF6UJplguuslWjCxTZn5EtptFHTGVFuUDCfWed9NxbqNz7CvKW0f90ushdOOQ0ZoMCA3pD-_rVH55hjdodZcvelLLEQGAXQWwK6l31Q/w400-h300/CostaRica740_PlayaNegra.JPG" title="2023 Costa Rica - Playa Negra" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEHhy4jGF1d_G8DQktrWqWDU5soMCDCDW3hJOYwwLWw9zOdUV7k41ZM0xsLwTPsLmiQcI5KaEsk3h7KaeFnKkSHmqoVcOijOTv1OGOs36TE2dL3xswjRKO3uJQw972TmNtLyIbNfU1octY98wzKJNMsLV1OYeqMj6Brqh5I8WgA7mdK58l3A/s3915/CostaRica741_PlayaNegra_Horses.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2936" data-original-width="3915" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEHhy4jGF1d_G8DQktrWqWDU5soMCDCDW3hJOYwwLWw9zOdUV7k41ZM0xsLwTPsLmiQcI5KaEsk3h7KaeFnKkSHmqoVcOijOTv1OGOs36TE2dL3xswjRKO3uJQw972TmNtLyIbNfU1octY98wzKJNMsLV1OYeqMj6Brqh5I8WgA7mdK58l3A/w400-h300/CostaRica741_PlayaNegra_Horses.JPG" title="2023 Costa Rica - Horse at Playa Negra" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_2vQl70U_lT__Xuhzz2lAi_eoE8M-nOLHu67cDII2XTvR1wI7X7Fat8q8qsLZ6JJl-nZuEjVNh1mIFfnbiq5SF1TLkMrMfxy6TLbILpxXplp4hg0wsdydi1RcbmMQ-v9QZiBTF9c-CuMjnm5iH6hv519b1LUiI57ErmlPWUBkgBvQoTHqWA/s3956/CostaRica747_PlayaNegra_Horses.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3956" data-original-width="2967" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_2vQl70U_lT__Xuhzz2lAi_eoE8M-nOLHu67cDII2XTvR1wI7X7Fat8q8qsLZ6JJl-nZuEjVNh1mIFfnbiq5SF1TLkMrMfxy6TLbILpxXplp4hg0wsdydi1RcbmMQ-v9QZiBTF9c-CuMjnm5iH6hv519b1LUiI57ErmlPWUBkgBvQoTHqWA/w300-h400/CostaRica747_PlayaNegra_Horses.JPG" title="2023 Costa Rica - Horses grazing at Hotel Playa Negra" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_DrnCu2hVdPxLPX4XuEY2_qiX4JHVkgatCsUetLI_QjF95QBTZ4mRxJG2zpJknt9QPrZx71_3UVnQEPpsZ-vfw91yw7pF-U7U3fGgVPFb1nIQHa2GRa5GlSTzqXzBGGD5rA8rRzdYmIkLoywxA8IykUq5lIvN767a6UGgESCtlj9T3Fjwyg/s4032/CostaRica748_PlayaNegra.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_DrnCu2hVdPxLPX4XuEY2_qiX4JHVkgatCsUetLI_QjF95QBTZ4mRxJG2zpJknt9QPrZx71_3UVnQEPpsZ-vfw91yw7pF-U7U3fGgVPFb1nIQHa2GRa5GlSTzqXzBGGD5rA8rRzdYmIkLoywxA8IykUq5lIvN767a6UGgESCtlj9T3Fjwyg/w400-h300/CostaRica748_PlayaNegra.JPG" title="2023 Costa Rica - Beach Sunset at Playa Negra" width="400" /></a></div><p>It took until my last day, but I finally felt 100% as Flori drove me to the airport on Saturday. Except for being sick and missing my wife, I had a relaxing but quiet two week vacation. For more information, check out my previous posts about Costa Rica where I participated in a lot more activities and went into more interesting detail about the surrounding area and wildlife.</p><p>Blog Link to 2022 Costa Rica Trip - <a href="http://blog.noahunsworth.com/2022/02/costa-rica-trip-to-playa-negra-and.html" target="_blank">Post</a></p><p>Blog Links to 2004 Costa Rica Trip - <a href="http://blog.noahunsworth.com/2004/03/costa-rica-trip-part-1.html" target="_blank">Part 1</a> <a href="http://blog.noahunsworth.com/2004/03/costa-rica-trip-part-2.html" target="_blank">Part 2</a> <a href="http://blog.noahunsworth.com/2004/03/costa-rica-trip-part-3.html" target="_blank">Part 3</a> <a href="http://blog.noahunsworth.com/2004/03/costa-rica-trip-part-4.html" target="_blank">Part 4</a> <a href="http://blog.noahunsworth.com/2004/03/costa-rica-trip-final-part.html" target="_blank">Part 5</a></p>Noah Unsworthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16787302506440922931noreply@blogger.com0Playa Negra, Provincia de Guanacaste, Los Pargos, Costa Rica10.1941905 -85.8303059-18.116043336178848 -120.9865559 38.504424336178843 -50.6740559tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18659481.post-38446885326533786062022-11-13T13:39:00.125-08:002022-11-29T13:23:11.204-08:00Brennan / Lizette Wedding (Saint Joseph Church)<p>On Saturday, we drove up to Santa Ana for the postponed wedding of my youngest cousin, Brennan, and his bride, Lizette. We originally received the <i>Save the Date</i> card a month before the Covid-19 pandemic locked down the country in March 2020 so it was great to finally attend two years later. The bilingual ceremony was held at the <b>Saint Joseph Church</b> where my parents were married in 1971 and where I was also baptized as a child. It was cool to see the church as an adult since I don't remember my visits as a child.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV46Y5H1XU7cWRHM92WkfQgGW_MVpkSMPtTvf60B9UGGlP14tWpgUv59-Pyug1epQphxQFqPDngFGOAwecmvTf46v3NRjkNgSj6t0d5VDgXgZpN1532mV1ZAfeKWIfGQUP4M13uyKF8Rfcw-e4XcBuBY0GyP4O0xPYMOV3gjmy587gaQJpuQ/s4032/BrennanLizWedding05_SaintJosephChurch.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV46Y5H1XU7cWRHM92WkfQgGW_MVpkSMPtTvf60B9UGGlP14tWpgUv59-Pyug1epQphxQFqPDngFGOAwecmvTf46v3NRjkNgSj6t0d5VDgXgZpN1532mV1ZAfeKWIfGQUP4M13uyKF8Rfcw-e4XcBuBY0GyP4O0xPYMOV3gjmy587gaQJpuQ/w300-h400/BrennanLizWedding05_SaintJosephChurch.JPG" title="Brennan / Liz Wedding - Saint Joseph Church in Santa Ana" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid3n34KxZq9CFnUopT2p4pByOIEELblKyxsVv9R13zV-hnHfncYQXYVSgxGkVWYOZT710Aw0bchiTTsc946cN0JF-RPj8KKrfkQFQ3JqEX9al-zFC5paUVHBTAE32O4KVHDPLlrTEzf7wxgYraIvuHv3ssazYfWnO2tZDgPW0TEu2fk56YuA/s3863/BrennanLizWedding19_SaintJosephChurch.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2896" data-original-width="3863" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid3n34KxZq9CFnUopT2p4pByOIEELblKyxsVv9R13zV-hnHfncYQXYVSgxGkVWYOZT710Aw0bchiTTsc946cN0JF-RPj8KKrfkQFQ3JqEX9al-zFC5paUVHBTAE32O4KVHDPLlrTEzf7wxgYraIvuHv3ssazYfWnO2tZDgPW0TEu2fk56YuA/w400-h300/BrennanLizWedding19_SaintJosephChurch.JPG" title="Brennan / Liz Wedding - Saint Joseph Church" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqIy4tdzT3FXEj1WdbLoOJTx4aT1JNNMn-U8C3LqvTB0GUw1OcpFLULDch2FJrU4eZNf-xszhRCH3KRRll67nvogKBZ8rpJmUsA15tksHaJQPd9Hbbz6u6Urs3jTqIq9GSKx-qQzwk-KOhWMf-zNy1vQn6-Y7NJHquvRfMD25O70S47ESZDQ/s4032/BrennanLizWedding21_SaintJosephChurch.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqIy4tdzT3FXEj1WdbLoOJTx4aT1JNNMn-U8C3LqvTB0GUw1OcpFLULDch2FJrU4eZNf-xszhRCH3KRRll67nvogKBZ8rpJmUsA15tksHaJQPd9Hbbz6u6Urs3jTqIq9GSKx-qQzwk-KOhWMf-zNy1vQn6-Y7NJHquvRfMD25O70S47ESZDQ/w300-h400/BrennanLizWedding21_SaintJosephChurch.JPG" title="Brennan / Liz Wedding - Tori blowing bubbles at Saint Joseph Church" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY5XMYBkm_EZoUvqWd5rkiw-Jo7sJRZ2UWhB6tzV24UBlw__SAV4raQFfX79Enjpeujd5F6AjzrfGm_AV3n3kb-3RUKSKxYa7sM8NOIFQlJHmcsxPRyVL9ijy2U58r1wDY9EwAdQAVwRsSp-mz6f8sJC-wGQu7iB8ID4fyTRAbofDISQs4DA/s3961/BrennanLizWedding23_SaintJosephChurch.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2969" data-original-width="3961" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY5XMYBkm_EZoUvqWd5rkiw-Jo7sJRZ2UWhB6tzV24UBlw__SAV4raQFfX79Enjpeujd5F6AjzrfGm_AV3n3kb-3RUKSKxYa7sM8NOIFQlJHmcsxPRyVL9ijy2U58r1wDY9EwAdQAVwRsSp-mz6f8sJC-wGQu7iB8ID4fyTRAbofDISQs4DA/w400-h300/BrennanLizWedding23_SaintJosephChurch.JPG" title="Brennan / Liz Wedding - Saint Joseph Church" width="400" /></a></div><p>The reception was held in the nearby <b>Orange County Center for Contemporary Art (OCCCA)</b> in Downtown Santa Ana. The <b>Soul Birds</b> art on the brick wall outside reminded us of the stamped metal birds that Tori and I received from an artist at Burning Man. We had a fun time hanging out with our relatives, eating appetizers and having a few drinks from the open bar. The Chicken Marsala at dinner was super delicious! We danced a little and had a chance to chat with the bride and groom but we didn't stay too late since we now have a dog to get back to at home.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieG26CFUtN9k0MC4YuTGtedFX0eK3D7Lrjya_9GAqbgAmhLBg4UciH9UjKBkiGoKitDY-G42ShKxiu-P51kgOGFzz-N_s0o9Z0NWwG_Jep2gqddLolZrfrQG8XZyvTPBY6GflU53U5_QCf7k2t_u5W5qw-vNjYOCEpMc27ZlukkfuiPbiVUg/s3964/BrennanLizWedding27_OCCCA.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2973" data-original-width="3964" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieG26CFUtN9k0MC4YuTGtedFX0eK3D7Lrjya_9GAqbgAmhLBg4UciH9UjKBkiGoKitDY-G42ShKxiu-P51kgOGFzz-N_s0o9Z0NWwG_Jep2gqddLolZrfrQG8XZyvTPBY6GflU53U5_QCf7k2t_u5W5qw-vNjYOCEpMc27ZlukkfuiPbiVUg/w400-h300/BrennanLizWedding27_OCCCA.JPG" title="Brennan / Liz Reception - Tori under Soul Birds at Orange County Center for Contemporary Art" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI0fHTrapHDJi5ea5K23_wIIMcXFtPOYwtGtWVZzYB1hSAugR0dobXptzYNtOG6xB57nfmCNjZDJSvL5PWFPTjoyG-hgOgFJZHMfa8hija_SJBXAWhx1DkHPM8hO5BLZUDN_8GzTIUul3C2oZUtt2ClSqoe5rnwDrH0sVfvwckiSyLzZlU8g/s3651/BrennanLizWedding38_OCCCA.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3651" data-original-width="2738" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI0fHTrapHDJi5ea5K23_wIIMcXFtPOYwtGtWVZzYB1hSAugR0dobXptzYNtOG6xB57nfmCNjZDJSvL5PWFPTjoyG-hgOgFJZHMfa8hija_SJBXAWhx1DkHPM8hO5BLZUDN_8GzTIUul3C2oZUtt2ClSqoe5rnwDrH0sVfvwckiSyLzZlU8g/w300-h400/BrennanLizWedding38_OCCCA.JPG" title="Brennan / Liz Reception - Orange County Center for Contemporary Art" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1iEUWIr5iABovRy3tPt0JIYUsOl70i2b34MqOu5zAd2eTVOXXxxKN6owkIRnkdB99aGRQo-Co7aj866m9s_8hhAr4XTZ_1I1t8__PqwEwzG2O-uY3Fkmg0iMLu0bzbq6Q12qqvyJRzDjGyY7I0iKd_IuEqRSbkztzLKKbdObIlpYbm5BJxA/s3590/BrennanLizWedding40_OCCCA.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2691" data-original-width="3590" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1iEUWIr5iABovRy3tPt0JIYUsOl70i2b34MqOu5zAd2eTVOXXxxKN6owkIRnkdB99aGRQo-Co7aj866m9s_8hhAr4XTZ_1I1t8__PqwEwzG2O-uY3Fkmg0iMLu0bzbq6Q12qqvyJRzDjGyY7I0iKd_IuEqRSbkztzLKKbdObIlpYbm5BJxA/w400-h300/BrennanLizWedding40_OCCCA.JPG" title="Brennan / Liz Reception - Brennan dancing with his mother at Orange County Center for Contemporary Art" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_Yi_UB4db2meuDgvqlLg6AEP0Yn4W5x5KnS_HO8cB9DQFbQXrUv3TIAJA9wPgNvy8Dd6l8jC1rhEqLjo4d2hZS8yROAR1yKfJnnm0O87hpXbO_TidU3q0hTtcAWWzVBslJ02kqeLdsclGqA0QIT4mB5XkZCq5B6jJOqVxqzjmw4RcgZH0sg/s3162/BrennanLizWedding42_OCCCA.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3162" data-original-width="2371" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_Yi_UB4db2meuDgvqlLg6AEP0Yn4W5x5KnS_HO8cB9DQFbQXrUv3TIAJA9wPgNvy8Dd6l8jC1rhEqLjo4d2hZS8yROAR1yKfJnnm0O87hpXbO_TidU3q0hTtcAWWzVBslJ02kqeLdsclGqA0QIT4mB5XkZCq5B6jJOqVxqzjmw4RcgZH0sg/w300-h400/BrennanLizWedding42_OCCCA.JPG" title="Brennan / Liz Reception - Orange County Center for Contemporary Art" width="300" /></a></div>Noah Unsworthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16787302506440922931noreply@blogger.com0727 N Minter St, Santa Ana, CA 92701, USA33.7515208 -117.86278245.4412869638211561 -153.01903240000001 62.061754636178847 -82.7065324tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18659481.post-27071074888030109752022-08-27T18:00:00.044-07:002023-08-07T12:44:01.221-07:00Ginger, our first Dog<p>Tori and I have adopted our first dog! Her name is Ginger and is a three year old German Shepard Mix. She is very sweet and loves car rides!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrO0eso-A740Q2ZQUIenmbNukoaXAszRLpF0i9lfOQD_OADs8lQ66_HwJLQPih3JnoMIa4l9bXMJb01Xaug61l-emygoGW2uRrNpxxW-V_8hFfwGwaHBH48kmGBbdQ87iPOGFbZPp7zhQPhfHVn1QVwKiBp6BryYYv_gyvKdvRA2h9TSVvFQ/s3784/Ginger08.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3784" data-original-width="2838" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrO0eso-A740Q2ZQUIenmbNukoaXAszRLpF0i9lfOQD_OADs8lQ66_HwJLQPih3JnoMIa4l9bXMJb01Xaug61l-emygoGW2uRrNpxxW-V_8hFfwGwaHBH48kmGBbdQ87iPOGFbZPp7zhQPhfHVn1QVwKiBp6BryYYv_gyvKdvRA2h9TSVvFQ/w300-h400/Ginger08.JPG" title="Ginger and Tori" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCmRQtYBA5AguOBkFD71uHyq08uhq3Znpkq3yO3sQWgcgZjIezh3gr1Oqb7j7zsUmSx7lOcV7aFkKcDcE0zNkGYYVE_kqLrQvGtqmWtbLvz9EOl3hlNzRczFmnR7m6GxEDn-K_SCc_-4SEaOOdSA1G_CC6bTpskURSZpc3IC8E27GyLB8PEw/s4032/Ginger10.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCmRQtYBA5AguOBkFD71uHyq08uhq3Znpkq3yO3sQWgcgZjIezh3gr1Oqb7j7zsUmSx7lOcV7aFkKcDcE0zNkGYYVE_kqLrQvGtqmWtbLvz9EOl3hlNzRczFmnR7m6GxEDn-K_SCc_-4SEaOOdSA1G_CC6bTpskURSZpc3IC8E27GyLB8PEw/w400-h300/Ginger10.JPG" title="Ginger and Noah" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXwq7Kv6A-q2wuQGtiAQK0vlDHlSKx6isY4HtshYGHhFDQvqtQqzk2FG3PJmwP2gJvIxMsOOP5ODGGEk1eotniJwgJ961DJl6eiiiqtSKEHzyt2M0U_UUGtzEFFdSqYvq09nD6J5voE67N50iyvcpZpMXpOGKHFJSmyDZj0Ot27u-QbAsJXg/s3806/Ginger18d_Insta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3806" data-original-width="2854" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXwq7Kv6A-q2wuQGtiAQK0vlDHlSKx6isY4HtshYGHhFDQvqtQqzk2FG3PJmwP2gJvIxMsOOP5ODGGEk1eotniJwgJ961DJl6eiiiqtSKEHzyt2M0U_UUGtzEFFdSqYvq09nD6J5voE67N50iyvcpZpMXpOGKHFJSmyDZj0Ot27u-QbAsJXg/w300-h400/Ginger18d_Insta.JPG" title="Ginger Selfie" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh9vGmNSHGCS9Cn2lkbtwn6J_PnV3ThQPRkfxQDWFt88Wcs6CKjSvN9ZpEqUTSx5120YIGR_xx85pELcd3UtdQIK36aDF8O7l7n5SJq1Iqt1hQKTt6c0nEyD0Osnm0WmIH924ub_pge4dyNQ5QkEmtb2mpoJpJDM2h57rwO8Y_eGWX3-Aniw/s3487/Ginger49.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3487" data-original-width="2615" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh9vGmNSHGCS9Cn2lkbtwn6J_PnV3ThQPRkfxQDWFt88Wcs6CKjSvN9ZpEqUTSx5120YIGR_xx85pELcd3UtdQIK36aDF8O7l7n5SJq1Iqt1hQKTt6c0nEyD0Osnm0WmIH924ub_pge4dyNQ5QkEmtb2mpoJpJDM2h57rwO8Y_eGWX3-Aniw/w300-h400/Ginger49.JPG" title="Stonesteps - Ginger and Tori" width="300" /></a></div><p>We adopted her on Friday, August 26th, from the San Diego Humane Society in Oceanside. We actually went to see another dog that we saw on the website, but we ended up with Ginger after hanging out with her for awhile. We performed a DNA test and discovered that she is 46.2 % German Shepard, 30.2% American Pit Bull, 5.1% Rottweiler and 18.5% Supermutt.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOuFjkMWvSAe-tQgoT1n2CXY5HuLurmNpaWBkxilEQiQ77UjG1t9PBx5tGoSLoiEpPqxhSIQYZtW4XJSxa1Fr1V2PZVMYVybaE_tq7FTqvlqwIlO7KWv7jJDyHpyktb4kz90ZBMtdBssADJE7dYzm-SgCLXLORw0InuPvBZWeasmWzLypWsw/s4032/Ginger101_best.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOuFjkMWvSAe-tQgoT1n2CXY5HuLurmNpaWBkxilEQiQ77UjG1t9PBx5tGoSLoiEpPqxhSIQYZtW4XJSxa1Fr1V2PZVMYVybaE_tq7FTqvlqwIlO7KWv7jJDyHpyktb4kz90ZBMtdBssADJE7dYzm-SgCLXLORw0InuPvBZWeasmWzLypWsw/w400-h300/Ginger101_best.jpg" title="Ginger and Tori Selfie" width="400" /></a></div>Noah Unsworthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16787302506440922931noreply@blogger.com0Encinitas, CA, USA33.0369867 -117.29198184.7267528638211544 -152.4482318 61.347220536178845 -82.1357318tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18659481.post-60188703738446696872022-08-26T17:56:00.824-07:002022-11-03T13:49:57.886-07:00Ventura, Santa Barbara and Ojai Trip(Plus Girl & the Goat in DTLA)<p>In the middle of the summer heatwave, Tori and I drove up to <b>Ventura</b> on Monday for a short getaway to the central coast. It was a nice surprise to find cool weather and a heavy fog when we arrived. After checking in to the Motel 6, we walked into the nearby downtown to explore. Our first stop was the <b>Mission San Buenaventura</b> and its museum. It was the ninth California Mission and the last to be established by Father Junipero Serra in 1782. The Spanish Mission system started to break down in the 1830s when the Mexican government secularized the missions and sold them to private owners. By 1895, only the church remained as the surrounding mission buildings were demolished. Inside the still active parish church is a marble-cast replica of the <b>Pieta</b>, my favorite Michelangelo sculpture in the Vatican. The original is behind bulletproof glass so it was cool to be able to examine this life-size copy up close. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOWKRzNNgFgCE0O2OfEjWWlY9yyn-MiBjyhsZjty6K61asuFcs8HX7YQgd1K5r4M-lqCGS4e8-VfnD1ciWyMuKWGLYxxDP77ciEKm1_kY53lUax3xGUs7rP7Zsw_sta8v9-q_ivpIyhHI1NsGEuJVsfhCpZkBAVC98jAUc6HFJUWsRtTtYqw/s2899/Ventura010_MissionSanBuenaventura.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2899" data-original-width="2899" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOWKRzNNgFgCE0O2OfEjWWlY9yyn-MiBjyhsZjty6K61asuFcs8HX7YQgd1K5r4M-lqCGS4e8-VfnD1ciWyMuKWGLYxxDP77ciEKm1_kY53lUax3xGUs7rP7Zsw_sta8v9-q_ivpIyhHI1NsGEuJVsfhCpZkBAVC98jAUc6HFJUWsRtTtYqw/w400-h400/Ventura010_MissionSanBuenaventura.jpg" title="Ventura Trip - Mission San Buenaventura" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEcG5XyzhObygkYD_LYPOffTkXpEbqtuxlNtap92KD0rEqkWGMSfpRJtSf3-DbxEV0YF4kb7CTcBipyH-tioN9jhL2Lw9lYq19MW39fb-MN9cHYlgLLdybAyHk-68QNSHMUmeeXTGBloZjFFCviamcHkdAKyzM2odtyn2ufiUYtgfDXilJ7g/s3898/Ventura030_MissionSanBuenaventura.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2924" data-original-width="3898" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEcG5XyzhObygkYD_LYPOffTkXpEbqtuxlNtap92KD0rEqkWGMSfpRJtSf3-DbxEV0YF4kb7CTcBipyH-tioN9jhL2Lw9lYq19MW39fb-MN9cHYlgLLdybAyHk-68QNSHMUmeeXTGBloZjFFCviamcHkdAKyzM2odtyn2ufiUYtgfDXilJ7g/w400-h300/Ventura030_MissionSanBuenaventura.jpg" title="Ventura Trip - Mission San Buenaventura" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfcfUc21jteGmR29K1KpakGcp0gFTOf9gaFRfUkXnRPvD8FWRSqva20mhUqUEXwO5RahymYA9zPXnKDCUHx-DW0jBM4JAXwJAK02QUMvkiblT_p9QFSdkuDxpTOA-r8WjrxsihT5K66qBnpie-v2yg62KMly9BEFo_59KNpE9y-sol5AaPGA/s3916/Ventura023.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2937" data-original-width="3916" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfcfUc21jteGmR29K1KpakGcp0gFTOf9gaFRfUkXnRPvD8FWRSqva20mhUqUEXwO5RahymYA9zPXnKDCUHx-DW0jBM4JAXwJAK02QUMvkiblT_p9QFSdkuDxpTOA-r8WjrxsihT5K66qBnpie-v2yg62KMly9BEFo_59KNpE9y-sol5AaPGA/w400-h300/Ventura023.JPG" title="Ventura Trip - Pieta Sculpture in Mission San Buenaventura" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwkgRxxC9REEw22G_qWf3T-8hphBhWQz04T-wnXEuDBsro7GWsPQ04wSPF1eEiCq9HRjNun-_3P9NA4YDLrVU7zRj9Q1EBP2wMeUHKWQ21UEXeDmsOYJ-V2o5zuTmW8sckUAOHulqxfJX5JDuhxCmXzPFvRCQR5DQpvnK_fvwiCauDXtRzwA/s4032/Ventura043_MissionSanBuenaventura.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwkgRxxC9REEw22G_qWf3T-8hphBhWQz04T-wnXEuDBsro7GWsPQ04wSPF1eEiCq9HRjNun-_3P9NA4YDLrVU7zRj9Q1EBP2wMeUHKWQ21UEXeDmsOYJ-V2o5zuTmW8sckUAOHulqxfJX5JDuhxCmXzPFvRCQR5DQpvnK_fvwiCauDXtRzwA/w400-h300/Ventura043_MissionSanBuenaventura.jpg" title="Ventura Trip - Mission San Buenaventura" width="400" /></a></div><p>Walking along the pedestrian-only Main Street, we stopped at the <b>Bank of Italy, Cocktail Trust</b> for a drink and a small bite to eat. We shared some garlic bread and the <b>Chopped Kale Salad</b> (radicchio, spiced garbanzos, fennel salami, fontina cheese, brined peppers, cherry tomatoes, and bergamot-thyme dressing). The salad was so delicious that Tori and I came back two days later to order it again. Highly Recommended! In nearby Plaza Park, we visited the giant <b>Moreton Bay Fig</b>. The native Australian tree stands 73.5 feet high with its branches spreading over 139 feet and a massive trunk that is 8 feet 8 inches wide. It was planted in 1874, the same time as the giant fig tree in nearby Santa Barbara. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-xdHyuecY45dZ_J56TqSsGHsg_oRIU49B29uOxP8Dm0-YPsdL9Oo90j2Uzd2Yi6Rp5Ge6KfXhD2FWHshSX8ukZnKB6Nbox5Bn34UBU2ADr1CDDH_7BXAnF5ogQcyp3Bs9rZWq-WpDZYrZvmZdns8ESs6TU--eoskSWUi-rbXAMwoJP9RhRw/s3495/Ventura050_BankOfItaly.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3495" data-original-width="2797" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-xdHyuecY45dZ_J56TqSsGHsg_oRIU49B29uOxP8Dm0-YPsdL9Oo90j2Uzd2Yi6Rp5Ge6KfXhD2FWHshSX8ukZnKB6Nbox5Bn34UBU2ADr1CDDH_7BXAnF5ogQcyp3Bs9rZWq-WpDZYrZvmZdns8ESs6TU--eoskSWUi-rbXAMwoJP9RhRw/w320-h400/Ventura050_BankOfItaly.jpg" title="Ventura Trip - Bank of Italy Cocktail Trust" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_DOrU2WgEAvyXERLy5lyVEEgbU7NqPZ9vaK__1GePKwC-cLiM8-TNoeezMjtXJFai544cZDtsCgIrg-aKC8AaffiGQtHW3n3j9w9BFTmoFogw0LhT20ryAoxLbA1ktyVa2Ss_7UKrvtFBi6433Gl87RovG9-1Y7tsfGWpWBYfi6jXVgOF4g/s3897/Ventura058_BankOfItaly.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2923" data-original-width="3897" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_DOrU2WgEAvyXERLy5lyVEEgbU7NqPZ9vaK__1GePKwC-cLiM8-TNoeezMjtXJFai544cZDtsCgIrg-aKC8AaffiGQtHW3n3j9w9BFTmoFogw0LhT20ryAoxLbA1ktyVa2Ss_7UKrvtFBi6433Gl87RovG9-1Y7tsfGWpWBYfi6jXVgOF4g/w400-h300/Ventura058_BankOfItaly.jpg" title="Ventura Trip - Bank of Italy Cocktail Trust" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvKxlcHG3qyVKrpZVAsrnphKP5WnApa8lFhTZiXkmbUiXcvzZVGvoummdsGz-K5AiD8xTPF2CyR4RWpfossSjwglt7AdDp1eIaUxt-d1ffKaFhhSDWv586mG_AYBbafBLiWexiwXifx9Er5I41Qpf6t84mYBDG9UiWNuiGrUgDHTwNdVGoyw/s3730/Ventura064_BankOfItaly.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3730" data-original-width="2985" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvKxlcHG3qyVKrpZVAsrnphKP5WnApa8lFhTZiXkmbUiXcvzZVGvoummdsGz-K5AiD8xTPF2CyR4RWpfossSjwglt7AdDp1eIaUxt-d1ffKaFhhSDWv586mG_AYBbafBLiWexiwXifx9Er5I41Qpf6t84mYBDG9UiWNuiGrUgDHTwNdVGoyw/w320-h400/Ventura064_BankOfItaly.jpg" title="Ventura Trip - Chopped Kale Salad at Bank of Italy Cocktail Trust" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkIlB_arVuG0K3jCthIf4yQE16jUyrslEwWpbTJiHtxcjfi8LX3mKky3msjV7S5k_EUA7BDJa9-c8w4nBM7oDX5zztalDGaM3yA6bk9f5XCTFFk4yuDVazP9uK7QnBXeHS6qynzY7XBarOa-NsBMMeTrpNjTsg3ODqrpVdv53iKw5IA3G-ww/s3786/Ventura065_MoretonBayFig.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2841" data-original-width="3786" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkIlB_arVuG0K3jCthIf4yQE16jUyrslEwWpbTJiHtxcjfi8LX3mKky3msjV7S5k_EUA7BDJa9-c8w4nBM7oDX5zztalDGaM3yA6bk9f5XCTFFk4yuDVazP9uK7QnBXeHS6qynzY7XBarOa-NsBMMeTrpNjTsg3ODqrpVdv53iKw5IA3G-ww/w400-h300/Ventura065_MoretonBayFig.jpg" title="Ventura Trip - Moreton Bay Fig in Plaza Park" width="400" /></a></div><p>The coastal fog was still heavy along the beach as we walked along the Promenade and out to the end of the <b>Ventura Pier</b>. First built in 1872, it is the oldest pier in the state where it served as a commercial wharf until 1914, importing lumber & building supplies and exporting farm products & crude oil from the Ojai Oil Field. Ventura was one of the major oil producing areas in the state and there are still about 3,800 active wells in the county. Walking back, we stopped at <b>Barrelhouse 101</b> for a couple beers.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghI9I74USoRMvg5Cie_nTyQ_AFskVAvsEDtT0eTdpBQzaHqB17a_hc-vDYUL9c_HnJwUzjs8ecuglR8vFAehF7L9-V1pJ99XmzOJjbgrDTdJObal2Q22uJUsEOAx_X2VVYApcwDAt4LuSZuKp198JApEBzzVhlmtGCc6uerXWeHCwtEV4mTg/s4096/Ventura075_VenturaPier.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2730" data-original-width="4096" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghI9I74USoRMvg5Cie_nTyQ_AFskVAvsEDtT0eTdpBQzaHqB17a_hc-vDYUL9c_HnJwUzjs8ecuglR8vFAehF7L9-V1pJ99XmzOJjbgrDTdJObal2Q22uJUsEOAx_X2VVYApcwDAt4LuSZuKp198JApEBzzVhlmtGCc6uerXWeHCwtEV4mTg/w400-h266/Ventura075_VenturaPier.jpg" title="Ventura Trip - Foggy Ventura Pier" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi8okQ3WyR9a4FYU42SF2MZ6PbVIqJNRBfWYc3sj3ukHTrhAoixq7AZU6E8JN7_-amTltAq4NKcJ8uDqbO2yGZfta9NB8EsDDBOIjXNWsCjKXi1ljFV6RZH7lAF1tlXLaVrOCLPwPlU4N7ASP-q_CsF0mc2ev640i5FkrsIX6LoShd10ZoLw/s4096/Ventura082_VenturaPier.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2730" data-original-width="4096" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi8okQ3WyR9a4FYU42SF2MZ6PbVIqJNRBfWYc3sj3ukHTrhAoixq7AZU6E8JN7_-amTltAq4NKcJ8uDqbO2yGZfta9NB8EsDDBOIjXNWsCjKXi1ljFV6RZH7lAF1tlXLaVrOCLPwPlU4N7ASP-q_CsF0mc2ev640i5FkrsIX6LoShd10ZoLw/w400-h266/Ventura082_VenturaPier.jpg" title="Ventura Trip - Foggy Ventura Pier" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisizAmNU0Di2NaSnGo3HWPjOfwgGg-Ww32nBVpB5HLIWGEJ17FyPmirB5uekKcMsGFcuxycZ83RhXKO9t8FITAd_8Lbin7DDzbDo0XBvDwRRpUn8cZxJZOeoNx27E9BHzJHinQMU7DfoXwql72rSJM4iouOUq_POuccx1QPTw0-oyREeIA1Q/s3636/Ventura092_VenturaPier.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3636" data-original-width="2909" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisizAmNU0Di2NaSnGo3HWPjOfwgGg-Ww32nBVpB5HLIWGEJ17FyPmirB5uekKcMsGFcuxycZ83RhXKO9t8FITAd_8Lbin7DDzbDo0XBvDwRRpUn8cZxJZOeoNx27E9BHzJHinQMU7DfoXwql72rSJM4iouOUq_POuccx1QPTw0-oyREeIA1Q/w320-h400/Ventura092_VenturaPier.jpg" title="Ventura Trip - Foggy Ventura Pier" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLiRetgGPz8MfIgGTOsWMyn3l7m-ksc67VoW5vhiwMAngOgVDq0vY44MPRh5XwVYiWgtCQ8hRA5xi8VZNoljy8e27aD_UJA9kn48_JdmGY6XKu0VQDhTUoGkEpAMdJJe8CS0KPCbqaaX17pZTVY9NQYnSLeVbKhYuBqZhVdavqmp5sbBETGg/s4096/Ventura093_VenturaPier.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2728" data-original-width="4096" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLiRetgGPz8MfIgGTOsWMyn3l7m-ksc67VoW5vhiwMAngOgVDq0vY44MPRh5XwVYiWgtCQ8hRA5xi8VZNoljy8e27aD_UJA9kn48_JdmGY6XKu0VQDhTUoGkEpAMdJJe8CS0KPCbqaaX17pZTVY9NQYnSLeVbKhYuBqZhVdavqmp5sbBETGg/w400-h266/Ventura093_VenturaPier.jpg" title="Ventura Trip - Foggy Ventura Pier" width="400" /></a></div><p>Even though the sky cleared briefly, the fog came back before we drove up to the <b>Serra Cross </b>to check out the sunset. The view was completely obscured so we drove back down the hill for dinner at <b>Spencer Makenzie's</b> where we sat at the bar and shared their fish and shrimp tacos. Both were very delicious with the Spencer Sauce! On Tuesday morning, we drove over for breakfast at <b>Pete's Restaurant</b> and a latte at <b>Singing Sun Coffee</b>. Knowing how much I hate having sticky fingers, Tori had me pose for a photo outside the <b>Sticky Fingers Bake Shop</b>. Ha!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuAOI2h2QFbivzpzQLmCQci-FhWRcU2SZSuUSoA4pno1Z-mKZdkH3w-3XKmZq9e5edZENuSvk2t8DAseXEs54d6f0_jG6Msw8OpiCHkMeHr7ZtS7xVN_lKAe7HRdMc7LVjAkIsHp8OJ3V3Qg04l11MzTJ711iinu_3Wq48tltg42xK8qWddg/s4032/Ventura123_SpencerMakenzies.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuAOI2h2QFbivzpzQLmCQci-FhWRcU2SZSuUSoA4pno1Z-mKZdkH3w-3XKmZq9e5edZENuSvk2t8DAseXEs54d6f0_jG6Msw8OpiCHkMeHr7ZtS7xVN_lKAe7HRdMc7LVjAkIsHp8OJ3V3Qg04l11MzTJ711iinu_3Wq48tltg42xK8qWddg/w400-h300/Ventura123_SpencerMakenzies.JPG" title="Ventura Trip - Spencer Makenzie's" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjfX6542iU_ehpsfE_IuwNH9WEJ-osSRTkLC1zhpQHSwcNAoYEFSO5Q-yoZrEjFNBab_MTSRIRmNY7CMg5K1pPPuqQCuSD2kLu2fl2efTM6gvhfp71R8OxPxpsXkh2H6nf-k5s8YxkdogbAj3gByAYNAol6atTgdaEwwwV9BhDb17ZRvQJDA/s3430/Ventura124_SpencerMakenzies.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3430" data-original-width="2745" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjfX6542iU_ehpsfE_IuwNH9WEJ-osSRTkLC1zhpQHSwcNAoYEFSO5Q-yoZrEjFNBab_MTSRIRmNY7CMg5K1pPPuqQCuSD2kLu2fl2efTM6gvhfp71R8OxPxpsXkh2H6nf-k5s8YxkdogbAj3gByAYNAol6atTgdaEwwwV9BhDb17ZRvQJDA/w320-h400/Ventura124_SpencerMakenzies.JPG" title="Ventura Trip - Spencer Makenzie's" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEyUtq-_eGaXH7MjOZA9rACKXQzdE3rIyg5LDH_v69Gk_Uesgc3Pm0d6KDiO2yddPBjXdwqLEgG71P-CYoEwWnJU6aGRQOj5lok9XThACkqWSMd8Cz9V8tPCqPMwXVUYSGtCzmdhmEFvWyTLTlphrcEgvovx6c8U8Mn3cmEEgoE2AFholcdQ/s3750/Ventura129_VictorianRose.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3750" data-original-width="3000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEyUtq-_eGaXH7MjOZA9rACKXQzdE3rIyg5LDH_v69Gk_Uesgc3Pm0d6KDiO2yddPBjXdwqLEgG71P-CYoEwWnJU6aGRQOj5lok9XThACkqWSMd8Cz9V8tPCqPMwXVUYSGtCzmdhmEFvWyTLTlphrcEgvovx6c8U8Mn3cmEEgoE2AFholcdQ/w320-h400/Ventura129_VictorianRose.JPG" title="Ventura Trip - Old Church" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3xzj-KKYwb-J_o7Cy7JEV78Sq498ZWrxL1qeUugIcZVbrzrGHF_MwoLQ0kj9Do3_PG2p32vyqHO3Cq_KAaugZeScuXJgP_RNsS2gGIjk8MV5CAF_J29bzTK0ruc_ghAvjdeLJCu6NtGUxRMhCKSIpySgiD38Yohsf0XbCul5C5Y5z0XlZRw/s3470/Ventura131_StickyFingersBakeShop.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3470" data-original-width="2776" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3xzj-KKYwb-J_o7Cy7JEV78Sq498ZWrxL1qeUugIcZVbrzrGHF_MwoLQ0kj9Do3_PG2p32vyqHO3Cq_KAaugZeScuXJgP_RNsS2gGIjk8MV5CAF_J29bzTK0ruc_ghAvjdeLJCu6NtGUxRMhCKSIpySgiD38Yohsf0XbCul5C5Y5z0XlZRw/w320-h400/Ventura131_StickyFingersBakeShop.JPG" title="Ventura Trip - Sticky Fingers Bake Shop" width="320" /></a></div><p>At 1pm, we drove up to <b>Santa Barbara</b> for wine tasting in the <b>Funk Zone</b>, the former industrial zone near the waterfront that is now full of restaurants, galleries, breweries, shops and wine tasting rooms. We started out with a Zinfandel at <b>The Valley Project</b> and enjoyed chatting with the bartender before moving down to <b>Corks n' Crowns</b> where we sat out on the sunny deck with a glass of wine and a small cheese plate. We ended up at <b>Riverbench</b> for a Pinot Noir. The 2018 One Palm was very good!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgo7ySCAYXOZxADjPKfALQN7m0YjaTUbtTbud3vagx0egFOmUZTSt_gkLpTwiaZl7VpVzA_lOoIp65r_Hl2xHsdUOvWBJQ1Skm9zDfsYnaxQcuw3rtnkvumjBA0sGqCJ0lGc25wkyLZZriPF0TeNXHvkglEIUNCagGaBUo8xExt2ZNYIjERw/s3416/Ventura150_SantaBarbara_FunkZone_WineTasting.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3416" data-original-width="2733" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgo7ySCAYXOZxADjPKfALQN7m0YjaTUbtTbud3vagx0egFOmUZTSt_gkLpTwiaZl7VpVzA_lOoIp65r_Hl2xHsdUOvWBJQ1Skm9zDfsYnaxQcuw3rtnkvumjBA0sGqCJ0lGc25wkyLZZriPF0TeNXHvkglEIUNCagGaBUo8xExt2ZNYIjERw/w320-h400/Ventura150_SantaBarbara_FunkZone_WineTasting.JPG" title="Ventura Trip - Wine Tasting in Santa Barbara Funk Zone" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv-B9BFInzffddeW8O5Gzi6aCHND0eRTkGWcvpis5h7gg8Rh0YCt_2mnFupsfzGSFeT1W0ZqMLOaN3UAPX_184IuHXcE6yNBd0OzduMXiv30Hc4Qoh02s7jTMzY1SJ6AECkoxwonCTu_KLE9zurdivPY8ZDT_ytocDaH9z7y14Io6ldFELTQ/s3660/Ventura152_SantaBarbara_FunkZone_WineTasting.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3660" data-original-width="2928" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv-B9BFInzffddeW8O5Gzi6aCHND0eRTkGWcvpis5h7gg8Rh0YCt_2mnFupsfzGSFeT1W0ZqMLOaN3UAPX_184IuHXcE6yNBd0OzduMXiv30Hc4Qoh02s7jTMzY1SJ6AECkoxwonCTu_KLE9zurdivPY8ZDT_ytocDaH9z7y14Io6ldFELTQ/w320-h400/Ventura152_SantaBarbara_FunkZone_WineTasting.JPG" title="Ventura Trip - Wine Tasting in Santa Barbara Funk Zone" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhsrUZF9jNugYATHVubtL2m6cW5hU16wBBOVaxQXJgmzh3UL508a2P2tHHAU1MjYYxulMgWgkDmhbm4yUmIYHnVsMbasbyg1vUw6JVpOCgrtCDsrgp7rMN-z6TRp1V1ssxMYQsyAUTUqZBxOk1VrXWd1rsCedyWRGnKYgKVpiO5Nzzt4HGnA/s4000/Ventura153_SantaBarbara_FunkZone_WineTasting.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhsrUZF9jNugYATHVubtL2m6cW5hU16wBBOVaxQXJgmzh3UL508a2P2tHHAU1MjYYxulMgWgkDmhbm4yUmIYHnVsMbasbyg1vUw6JVpOCgrtCDsrgp7rMN-z6TRp1V1ssxMYQsyAUTUqZBxOk1VrXWd1rsCedyWRGnKYgKVpiO5Nzzt4HGnA/w400-h300/Ventura153_SantaBarbara_FunkZone_WineTasting.JPG" title="Ventura Trip - Wine Tasting in Santa Barbara Funk Zone" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpuTJhzdi_8nCBgyyp-L4xxL60vpajfP2Ip9FIVFs24yaSLuO34K41z4qNIcgXTPfi8gHm6F2Qp9jv3xbZC6auo-xt8sTGqxk0hhiII654Kl_1Oz6Gt8IDqrWkBD-sZgT4RotZJT5kCLUK6CKpO2osSbbIVqUw3MBveqqa1125ttdxz38hLA/s3470/Ventura160_SantaBarbara_FunkZone_WineTasting.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3470" data-original-width="2776" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpuTJhzdi_8nCBgyyp-L4xxL60vpajfP2Ip9FIVFs24yaSLuO34K41z4qNIcgXTPfi8gHm6F2Qp9jv3xbZC6auo-xt8sTGqxk0hhiII654Kl_1Oz6Gt8IDqrWkBD-sZgT4RotZJT5kCLUK6CKpO2osSbbIVqUw3MBveqqa1125ttdxz38hLA/w320-h400/Ventura160_SantaBarbara_FunkZone_WineTasting.JPG" title="Ventura Trip - Wine Tasting in Santa Barbara Funk Zone" width="320" /></a></div><p>For dinner, we walked next door to <b>The Lark</b> where we shared three dishes, the <b>Brown Butter Cornbread</b> (wildflower honey, rosemary), the <b>Picked Summer Vegetables</b> (spicy picked okra, dill pickled radish, wild foraged ramps), and the <b>Wayne Farms Buttermilk Fried Chicken</b> (anson mills cheddar grits, chile de arbol honey, b&b pickles, scallion). The pickled okra was perfect to counter the richness of the other two plates. For desert, we had the awesome <b>Salted Dark Chocolate Ganache</b> (charred stone fruit, aerated vanilla corn cream, smoke pecan crumble, basil). Driving back to Ventura, we just missed sunset at the <b>Serra Cross</b> but we enjoyed the pink sky of twilight and watched the city lights come on as darkness fell.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNP_75_4z8LVYUs7nHvdVOQKAdn5eBMonfnj-GS9l3oDFXtSqNDQJvnUYSCyIpgOse0f4CmR4VGZxbsRNoKil7rZzIRDPce-3l_cj2T1xuCyDx20WltyLdOJ34pV2sAQvMgicp7HjXhu63qJjxDMJ59aOiDwATe_IJ5_tA5wywfQ2wOJtoSQ/s3976/Ventura162_SantaBarbara_FunkZone_Lark.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2982" data-original-width="3976" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNP_75_4z8LVYUs7nHvdVOQKAdn5eBMonfnj-GS9l3oDFXtSqNDQJvnUYSCyIpgOse0f4CmR4VGZxbsRNoKil7rZzIRDPce-3l_cj2T1xuCyDx20WltyLdOJ34pV2sAQvMgicp7HjXhu63qJjxDMJ59aOiDwATe_IJ5_tA5wywfQ2wOJtoSQ/w400-h300/Ventura162_SantaBarbara_FunkZone_Lark.JPG" title="Ventura Trip - The Lark in Santa Barbara Funk Zone" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyuS-Tulzyef-w8axyzdhBB3ilbgVM-hlxYY5tjU6FPgMz9C7yiHS3zfqI8KLFsY-NTsUYN_s7QVel9Ap5nKZOtHl82kUWnyRUUpcVhmeERK3jdFpEjVmMkBVYxN2E1Ts6G3v7al1kkS7yXGPXBQ6SHmTp-xjvJSLwng441XLYuEig0CRSSw/s3479/Ventura164_SantaBarbara_FunkZone_Lark.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3479" data-original-width="2784" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyuS-Tulzyef-w8axyzdhBB3ilbgVM-hlxYY5tjU6FPgMz9C7yiHS3zfqI8KLFsY-NTsUYN_s7QVel9Ap5nKZOtHl82kUWnyRUUpcVhmeERK3jdFpEjVmMkBVYxN2E1Ts6G3v7al1kkS7yXGPXBQ6SHmTp-xjvJSLwng441XLYuEig0CRSSw/w320-h400/Ventura164_SantaBarbara_FunkZone_Lark.JPG" title="Ventura Trip - The Lark in Santa Barbara Funk Zone" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghTjalZiMlKVdKKypw7-1gQoWExTNaHm3cKPDNlIBHGyGXbSQWnHyyR_joqOaAIBWsxXlcvmfhjjjjG8MlBttCgVQ9rsAPTT_BtHelH0L-v4zXieBcjjh-RvWgbTvYFeiphGaWJJQMZsZ3_Xr9qqL-nHxCnnkpQxN2IHBLKUvdkEJFO8UWJw/s3780/Ventura178_SantaBarbara_FunkZone_Lark.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3780" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghTjalZiMlKVdKKypw7-1gQoWExTNaHm3cKPDNlIBHGyGXbSQWnHyyR_joqOaAIBWsxXlcvmfhjjjjG8MlBttCgVQ9rsAPTT_BtHelH0L-v4zXieBcjjh-RvWgbTvYFeiphGaWJJQMZsZ3_Xr9qqL-nHxCnnkpQxN2IHBLKUvdkEJFO8UWJw/w320-h400/Ventura178_SantaBarbara_FunkZone_Lark.JPG" title="Ventura Trip - The Lark in Santa Barbara Funk Zone" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMXYb3ajWO8a8fcSOvLTF3luzNQN5lFEL-48exnScPDf7mlWEcFV8azIg_Q0ldQke0nNOgPBMcyZQG9wWaTWISgZSglkcHvvmopIrZsODGQWjKtQtEGcV8Stmyymq6h79qmzhYFt4KhPFxqlA7-DVhPCDgxOo7lHIJ0pFR-oPrV89UPZ26cg/s3608/Ventura181_SantaBarbara_FunkZone_Lark.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3608" data-original-width="2887" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMXYb3ajWO8a8fcSOvLTF3luzNQN5lFEL-48exnScPDf7mlWEcFV8azIg_Q0ldQke0nNOgPBMcyZQG9wWaTWISgZSglkcHvvmopIrZsODGQWjKtQtEGcV8Stmyymq6h79qmzhYFt4KhPFxqlA7-DVhPCDgxOo7lHIJ0pFR-oPrV89UPZ26cg/w320-h400/Ventura181_SantaBarbara_FunkZone_Lark.JPG" title="Ventura Trip - The Lark in Santa Barbara Funk Zone" width="320" /></a></div><p>On Wednesday, we drove up to <b>Ojai, </b>the small artistic town in the nearby Topatopa Mountains where chain stores are prohibited. Tori and I visited the Ojai Meadows Preserve and walked around the little downtown. We were passing the <b>Ojai Post Office Bell Tower</b> at noon when it peeled out a long musical tune on the 65-foot tower's amplified Westminster chimes. We were not very hungry so we skipped lunch and just ordered tasty smoothies from <b>Rainbow Bridge Natural Food</b>. Since my check engine light came on and my AC stopped working on the drive to Ojai, we drove back to Ventura early.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVzAThYmR8N_At-0n-NYK0Ldrjk9dyzkPljQt9G5zimjdopzkOhhXKmB4BHSVd8RdpG464Iw2FZpJxFjqiT-QwLxixwD-tWbMPdNvtw5pNRV0XBDYljEVJZ_O3aSjxmjLjaat6NMKtkMCMIqLpvWcuanYc4YAyApxqkJ9826hCGDIyhvX4bA/s3905/Ventura221_OjaiMajesticOakVineyard.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2926" data-original-width="3905" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVzAThYmR8N_At-0n-NYK0Ldrjk9dyzkPljQt9G5zimjdopzkOhhXKmB4BHSVd8RdpG464Iw2FZpJxFjqiT-QwLxixwD-tWbMPdNvtw5pNRV0XBDYljEVJZ_O3aSjxmjLjaat6NMKtkMCMIqLpvWcuanYc4YAyApxqkJ9826hCGDIyhvX4bA/w400-h300/Ventura221_OjaiMajesticOakVineyard.JPG" title="Ventura Trip - Majestic Oak Vineyards in Ojai" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWFX6B963mJrKeWlb2yVfU1C1MGmQWTRtmlog-KTG3mmDnDuaDJct50utpilR7IWplw9OkVWIYFiE4SxtV1JkmM_vcKqrIP8qOGlbrQ7X0h8offjfEMgOwlmylqGpWYGhmO5WGQ3QzPTfArEGb4xi6Fy4WyaDFXsqxFkzqfTdimxL2OfBRQA/s3698/Ventura226_Ojai_BellTowerPostOffice.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3698" data-original-width="2959" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWFX6B963mJrKeWlb2yVfU1C1MGmQWTRtmlog-KTG3mmDnDuaDJct50utpilR7IWplw9OkVWIYFiE4SxtV1JkmM_vcKqrIP8qOGlbrQ7X0h8offjfEMgOwlmylqGpWYGhmO5WGQ3QzPTfArEGb4xi6Fy4WyaDFXsqxFkzqfTdimxL2OfBRQA/w320-h400/Ventura226_Ojai_BellTowerPostOffice.JPG" title="Ventura Trip - Ojai Bell Tower" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgms-6yzslNRZTdXhG0VO0RUX36xEAMJsKqt2SFQ9dO-L79OQORwiOZ5ZIkYKp443cGA1RsoIJhT32dSEZEoZ-w6JfsQrYJUy8y4V5KRKEf9hMrkTrZw__tsnlBRKe9Wr8OTXkZ62WhvC4NhWIkqsB_SplihxBJ-iSA4VWomdi6_ayapk7biw/s3958/Ventura238_TownHall.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2966" data-original-width="3958" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgms-6yzslNRZTdXhG0VO0RUX36xEAMJsKqt2SFQ9dO-L79OQORwiOZ5ZIkYKp443cGA1RsoIJhT32dSEZEoZ-w6JfsQrYJUy8y4V5KRKEf9hMrkTrZw__tsnlBRKe9Wr8OTXkZ62WhvC4NhWIkqsB_SplihxBJ-iSA4VWomdi6_ayapk7biw/w400-h300/Ventura238_TownHall.jpg" title="Ventura Trip - City Hall" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhINYO9fJpjkTa8ZSTjdBFT9xIPt6SRLFvsy0PmHTEPgzZHAkj-mYnV5zJX0UK541_Tavgyeqrn736Jy6afVgZ-mePpcAFjoJgexWeQxUPDIvIaQzGfShyuKo-Y-ijOJPGbArbIN5rcjhf5YZhBC-3KCv-_U2Ptw6opvG2mwEORWmY13muyZg/s3962/Ventura244_TownHallView.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2969" data-original-width="3962" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhINYO9fJpjkTa8ZSTjdBFT9xIPt6SRLFvsy0PmHTEPgzZHAkj-mYnV5zJX0UK541_Tavgyeqrn736Jy6afVgZ-mePpcAFjoJgexWeQxUPDIvIaQzGfShyuKo-Y-ijOJPGbArbIN5rcjhf5YZhBC-3KCv-_U2Ptw6opvG2mwEORWmY13muyZg/w400-h300/Ventura244_TownHallView.jpg" title="Ventura Trip - Downtown View from City Hall" width="400" /></a></div><p>While Tori took a quick nap, I visited the <b>Ventura City Hall</b> that was built in 1912 as the county courthouse. In 1974, the city purchased the building and it became the town hall. There is a great view of downtown and the ocean from the front steps. With clear blue skies, I drove back up to the <b>Serra Cross </b>for a better view of the city. In 1782, Father Junipero Serra raised a wooden cross on the mountain overlooking his newly established Mission San Buenaventura. The current cross, the 4th, was raised in 1941.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVZHQBL4vyLVT6oBPxToiCe6mkupjRG4CqL7m5OACezJVhoNrGQxaMKvVlvuV1YnGZCKmLvvBWpj3HB7O7XnaJG-pr9WTTWJd0r2uVVCeHVi_uDPmSIdoGA3hCmiLlVUTyo1pajmhrrHtmv0v0WNutRQwWl3c4-uiQyjQpA-cdL59Ffb6yRA/s4096/Ventura190_SerraCrossPark.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2152" data-original-width="4096" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVZHQBL4vyLVT6oBPxToiCe6mkupjRG4CqL7m5OACezJVhoNrGQxaMKvVlvuV1YnGZCKmLvvBWpj3HB7O7XnaJG-pr9WTTWJd0r2uVVCeHVi_uDPmSIdoGA3hCmiLlVUTyo1pajmhrrHtmv0v0WNutRQwWl3c4-uiQyjQpA-cdL59Ffb6yRA/w400-h210/Ventura190_SerraCrossPark.JPG" title="Ventura Trip - Serra Cross Park" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiURBAclyPoM6Bf1RStcDQIi6XBPBL-WP7lmpVF1NCrZxgexCzGRr4PEs2xMAPwNZqjtcBeOodepDUG0PTbOxZ0pPXrQ450x2iUZ3AdplekTUa6nCwg6AazT7FqmN0ShtzovYJv4E8QEnK4c-OcnPjJtOvw6FryhsuJDNF4Tzglwv88xx27jw/s4032/Ventura191_SerraCrossPark.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiURBAclyPoM6Bf1RStcDQIi6XBPBL-WP7lmpVF1NCrZxgexCzGRr4PEs2xMAPwNZqjtcBeOodepDUG0PTbOxZ0pPXrQ450x2iUZ3AdplekTUa6nCwg6AazT7FqmN0ShtzovYJv4E8QEnK4c-OcnPjJtOvw6FryhsuJDNF4Tzglwv88xx27jw/w400-h300/Ventura191_SerraCrossPark.JPG" title="Ventura Trip - Serra Cross Park" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXbDkrPlO19iGn_FDi8GBP6umd7IwHIr7mZn-KQYpAKNIbrduo7MhZqup53r1-ZLrSOWQNCyp-MtJCLgsgRnshNVdpJ1Q7vRuh2lsvYgpnx4UD05kuavh8unTYf_gykaqRlN23TfVQ9J9sbfyVc6R0obXXZrYl9DBawXdhntl0HdQB-ohqgw/s7194/Ventura192_SerraCrossPark.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3938" data-original-width="7194" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXbDkrPlO19iGn_FDi8GBP6umd7IwHIr7mZn-KQYpAKNIbrduo7MhZqup53r1-ZLrSOWQNCyp-MtJCLgsgRnshNVdpJ1Q7vRuh2lsvYgpnx4UD05kuavh8unTYf_gykaqRlN23TfVQ9J9sbfyVc6R0obXXZrYl9DBawXdhntl0HdQB-ohqgw/w400-h219/Ventura192_SerraCrossPark.JPG" title="Ventura Trip - Serra Cross Park" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip3bP7hCoAvSfAaVTzm5eeklH8HNjJtdre8YegiTp99MwY8RUnrZgdr3-lSyJDoGCqGi6eLibItqURFL_teW-vhsQ3uG6UBvT4SelLGJBpcgymqRaHjrrS0BhFwBCueq3NiZUe6_uMSxJGz0OA9ii_hW-V15XVkySAAWVQMFBQayPtkiCA9w/s3954/Ventura193_SerraCrossPark.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2963" data-original-width="3954" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip3bP7hCoAvSfAaVTzm5eeklH8HNjJtdre8YegiTp99MwY8RUnrZgdr3-lSyJDoGCqGi6eLibItqURFL_teW-vhsQ3uG6UBvT4SelLGJBpcgymqRaHjrrS0BhFwBCueq3NiZUe6_uMSxJGz0OA9ii_hW-V15XVkySAAWVQMFBQayPtkiCA9w/w400-h300/Ventura193_SerraCrossPark.JPG" title="Ventura Trip - Serra Cross Park" width="400" /></a></div><p>At 3pm, Tori and I walked back into downtown for our second Chopped Kale Salad at the Bank of Italy. Still awesome! After the light meal, we walked along Main Street, visiting several of the many local Thrift Stores. Back at the motel, I called my mechanic and we were able to determine that it was safe to drive my truck back home to San Diego after I borrowed a check engine light reader from another guest. For a late dinner, we went to <b>Paradise Pantry</b> near the mission for panini sandwiches. Tori had the <b>Roasted Turkey and Pesto</b> while I had the <b>Grilled Cheez</b> with caramelized onions.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-AqG6JQpyOrqnl9irSW3ykgLvv2x7LbLL_WoXvYEmySgoBJE4jdW_X_j1glMTqDJx5t3COnC1ddjEylDAoadI3vtEssVBvjOSqPaS1vwq3pLkQaui0tdsF0umXCV2w-wShfty54UX7kYAWwEkiG1v0Ipu6M0BaG92rPN1PdZeIpivzDY_fQ/s3954/Ventura304_MainStreet.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2963" data-original-width="3954" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-AqG6JQpyOrqnl9irSW3ykgLvv2x7LbLL_WoXvYEmySgoBJE4jdW_X_j1glMTqDJx5t3COnC1ddjEylDAoadI3vtEssVBvjOSqPaS1vwq3pLkQaui0tdsF0umXCV2w-wShfty54UX7kYAWwEkiG1v0Ipu6M0BaG92rPN1PdZeIpivzDY_fQ/w400-h300/Ventura304_MainStreet.jpg" title="Ventura Trip - Downtown Main Street" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDTp4sBo8-IWB_phfuvS_FeNTBR-7eJzuBKaTy7V6RUGzqpA8Z5dWW-bmB4il6IK48qhPR8PMH4LAr3tVXj7PDzFwTpTfWn_o30YCeOQk1IKNNJ0iA5ola5ZC9DN8SLjQQTtTjwlS84AqRw3lsgReUAmzJY15mTzljupLjeJN3w5i5mVwYFA/s3834/Ventura306_BankOfItaly.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2873" data-original-width="3834" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDTp4sBo8-IWB_phfuvS_FeNTBR-7eJzuBKaTy7V6RUGzqpA8Z5dWW-bmB4il6IK48qhPR8PMH4LAr3tVXj7PDzFwTpTfWn_o30YCeOQk1IKNNJ0iA5ola5ZC9DN8SLjQQTtTjwlS84AqRw3lsgReUAmzJY15mTzljupLjeJN3w5i5mVwYFA/w400-h300/Ventura306_BankOfItaly.jpg" title="Ventura Trip - Bank of Italy Cocktail Trust" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgquh0ploqbxaAjowpER1bMXy5b65X4cqKgIdMTD5LuhnmKbpbIbaAyDRCqz4njSbd2ouKe0FasgpbK5cutM5BaFSGAKwbATfau1C4iannFWjSQW4Te1uKMVoWesCYqgdWNiyzm3DamPA22bLVRmTtBj3hw7oDRoHTu0oDbdFofPZ1AyJXOCQ/s3898/Ventura317_ParadisePantry.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2923" data-original-width="3898" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgquh0ploqbxaAjowpER1bMXy5b65X4cqKgIdMTD5LuhnmKbpbIbaAyDRCqz4njSbd2ouKe0FasgpbK5cutM5BaFSGAKwbATfau1C4iannFWjSQW4Te1uKMVoWesCYqgdWNiyzm3DamPA22bLVRmTtBj3hw7oDRoHTu0oDbdFofPZ1AyJXOCQ/w400-h300/Ventura317_ParadisePantry.jpg" title="Ventura Trip - Paradise Pantry" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4_ilIamou-IAM1nkebW6Hc5VxClYXr7IL4SVAxMdIAtrhbkqd2SvdAAn9hFk9bFJa0EyOpglJxL1hXyh1xRN1lzwQ9hQdyWtcmkvJxrSDBDu02v2d8WY7KwxkZZ_mZb9Jmu7h_5nTFMnU8VIPBzSM7jYFtQbMNUKVxzO1aeBjOzs9kK4KgQ/s3780/Ventura320_MissionSanBuenaventura.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3780" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4_ilIamou-IAM1nkebW6Hc5VxClYXr7IL4SVAxMdIAtrhbkqd2SvdAAn9hFk9bFJa0EyOpglJxL1hXyh1xRN1lzwQ9hQdyWtcmkvJxrSDBDu02v2d8WY7KwxkZZ_mZb9Jmu7h_5nTFMnU8VIPBzSM7jYFtQbMNUKVxzO1aeBjOzs9kK4KgQ/w320-h400/Ventura320_MissionSanBuenaventura.jpg" title="Ventura Trip - Mission San Buenaventura" width="320" /></a></div><p>Driving home on Thursday, we stopped at the <b>Camarillo Premium Outlets</b> for a few hours before heading down to the Arts District in Downtown Los Angeles. While we waited for our dinner reservations, we walked over to the new <b>6th Street Bridge</b> crossing the <b>Los Angeles River</b>. It replaced the original viaduct bridge built in 1932 that was shown in countless television shows, commercials and films. When the new one opened this year. it caused a bit of a stir on social media because of the undulating arches that light up at night with different colors. We were seated as soon as the <b>Girl & the Goat</b> opened at 5pm. We have been wanting to try the new restaurant by Chef Stephanie Izard, the winner of Top Chef Season 4 for awhile now. It's her first outside the city of Chicago. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtYCesNJgKMGQF66wl81yIiGrBwWcMHxnd2QErSfLK3Ard1_ciZFXwPybF9sJmm85dNQZOZtQmkr_Sc419MQ5McnXwJCQlQm-LsRd1PXhv5iaSr3NpJVeny95iOTFmLFyrZaAPbzA_KMhNYgQF5QmsgjdlJJ2Id9nFR1X5uEDWDwrszZrCXQ/s3779/Ventura326_DTLA_ArtsDistrict.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3779" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtYCesNJgKMGQF66wl81yIiGrBwWcMHxnd2QErSfLK3Ard1_ciZFXwPybF9sJmm85dNQZOZtQmkr_Sc419MQ5McnXwJCQlQm-LsRd1PXhv5iaSr3NpJVeny95iOTFmLFyrZaAPbzA_KMhNYgQF5QmsgjdlJJ2Id9nFR1X5uEDWDwrszZrCXQ/w320-h400/Ventura326_DTLA_ArtsDistrict.JPG" title="Ventura Trip - Downtown Los Angeles" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu9tkLpo2HtfQ51QyINOzJEjiYCHO-tQNsYKF8FDLc1-1QcDUPnvyZh5YJ6KLLpZvAnC44kww0nmzEkTT_zYdPIHpHzhRj5ybwhNE81b9MdPDSPCcFawenSm-Uo9wSlcuJeQN3hj_F80adtc_EBsHMfVXVWtZzSeywTS1_pgIZYywd1-i-Ow/s3946/Ventura332_DTLA_ArtsDistrict_6thStreetBridge_Viaduct.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2957" data-original-width="3946" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu9tkLpo2HtfQ51QyINOzJEjiYCHO-tQNsYKF8FDLc1-1QcDUPnvyZh5YJ6KLLpZvAnC44kww0nmzEkTT_zYdPIHpHzhRj5ybwhNE81b9MdPDSPCcFawenSm-Uo9wSlcuJeQN3hj_F80adtc_EBsHMfVXVWtZzSeywTS1_pgIZYywd1-i-Ow/w400-h300/Ventura332_DTLA_ArtsDistrict_6thStreetBridge_Viaduct.JPG" title="Ventura Trip - 6th Street Viaduct Bridge in DTLA" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwX23bQpFCzkwgx6eteF02DRlc_7RTFeLeZjIIpeddNrfDChjKQSLNjxIVMl7b4T3n_5QtBDHJ1yQ_cfHoyecnQxlM_UNafizkKyv-R8r0BigIsu880Q973dP1KgZK9gznWJVFVidSrFMiJ7QEV0q-0La1epjGMs2POwTWWOeLuqq-Thyzxg/s3958/Ventura339_DTLA_ArtsDistrict_GirlAndTheGoat.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2966" data-original-width="3958" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwX23bQpFCzkwgx6eteF02DRlc_7RTFeLeZjIIpeddNrfDChjKQSLNjxIVMl7b4T3n_5QtBDHJ1yQ_cfHoyecnQxlM_UNafizkKyv-R8r0BigIsu880Q973dP1KgZK9gznWJVFVidSrFMiJ7QEV0q-0La1epjGMs2POwTWWOeLuqq-Thyzxg/w400-h300/Ventura339_DTLA_ArtsDistrict_GirlAndTheGoat.JPG" title="Ventura Trip - Girl & the Goat in DTLA" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjScehE1manDygf21v3jPBfGW6uP9FOvT5LvSqAyMkpT8MQHb4DOJGO35s03nlfc7SRwsZIjZgKESOAsLL_rrn_L_L2nDU5eYYVOL4D6wlmrA99om5GvUsjrs1QaZASethAW_ugWm-LqkcVdAjuZclKhSjaqArS1HpGybgiNUn5iiLhgfdWqg/s3450/Ventura342_DTLA_ArtsDistrict_GirlAndTheGoat.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3450" data-original-width="2760" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjScehE1manDygf21v3jPBfGW6uP9FOvT5LvSqAyMkpT8MQHb4DOJGO35s03nlfc7SRwsZIjZgKESOAsLL_rrn_L_L2nDU5eYYVOL4D6wlmrA99om5GvUsjrs1QaZASethAW_ugWm-LqkcVdAjuZclKhSjaqArS1HpGybgiNUn5iiLhgfdWqg/w320-h400/Ventura342_DTLA_ArtsDistrict_GirlAndTheGoat.JPG" title="Ventura Trip - Girl & the Goat in DTLA" width="320" /></a></div><p>With a couple of cocktails, Tori and I shared the <b>Naan & Dips</b> (tahini tofu, carrot hummus) and the <b>Sautéed Green Beans</b> (fish sauce vinaigrette, cashews) which were so delicious! For her entrée, Tori ordered the <b>Pan Roasted Redfish</b> (spiced tamarind-shrimp broth, crispy rice salad). While I had been eager to try the <b>Goat Curry</b>, it was unavailable this night so I had the <b>Grilled Skirt Steak</b> (sichuan peanut sauce, pickled cucumbers, fresno chiles) instead. While the base proteins were excellently prepared, what pushed both dishes over the top was the amazing sauces and toppings that brought so much extra flavor. For desert, we shared the simple but tasty, <b>Sesame Cookies and Cream Scoop</b> (sesame caramel, chocolate crunchies). On our drive home, we lucked out with hardly any heavy traffic!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNnVjX4U0c8JHwTFsSrIwhuW8NV3hUS9y_TBEAUwM2UHUeXaFhTlK6nM4kPec-MvJzS_BDhAgUY8gxKpisCs2cM527RxLKiH1Qw01_EB5ySVDzj4rq6iwH3cYYiyxDlAFGrdMEDu2FCxBNUk97trpWPc-mNNU_oMq6MkHfVXD9u-Hl_yBgEg/s3782/Ventura349_DTLA_ArtsDistrict_GirlAndTheGoat.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2834" data-original-width="3782" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNnVjX4U0c8JHwTFsSrIwhuW8NV3hUS9y_TBEAUwM2UHUeXaFhTlK6nM4kPec-MvJzS_BDhAgUY8gxKpisCs2cM527RxLKiH1Qw01_EB5ySVDzj4rq6iwH3cYYiyxDlAFGrdMEDu2FCxBNUk97trpWPc-mNNU_oMq6MkHfVXD9u-Hl_yBgEg/w400-h300/Ventura349_DTLA_ArtsDistrict_GirlAndTheGoat.JPG" title="Ventura Trip - Girl & the Goat in DTLA" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRYeB4aCW-nYcng8vniz3GblAWr81CYNrSu460JQjXM_onaTY8TY-bCfnnPKlOEi3ab7q78b97H1lyzxQgQwyKmIEcisvf7-RfU-iRtQyjmZ1ziVZY5VZcVCOCWBKVaOwRvzIyOBfe1CsXtYgODyh8RBdg_0SvjAxuMW_4Kin14D_1LjV2CQ/s3693/Ventura353_DTLA_ArtsDistrict_GirlAndTheGoat_Naan.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2767" data-original-width="3693" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRYeB4aCW-nYcng8vniz3GblAWr81CYNrSu460JQjXM_onaTY8TY-bCfnnPKlOEi3ab7q78b97H1lyzxQgQwyKmIEcisvf7-RfU-iRtQyjmZ1ziVZY5VZcVCOCWBKVaOwRvzIyOBfe1CsXtYgODyh8RBdg_0SvjAxuMW_4Kin14D_1LjV2CQ/w400-h300/Ventura353_DTLA_ArtsDistrict_GirlAndTheGoat_Naan.JPG" title="Ventura Trip - Girl & the Goat in DTLA" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbK_wJbhF6pd9fz-sCmKigZeuOeCpCvvCZr9UB9twkGqMZ7nbf08gk1gWVfqBNiA8qlrNHobIz13R_iwBdz0QfMu3Q8huo9cf7nDzcYpIqAzknK5JTHy8C-Wegnvj7BJdBiI-G6xShIEBc8mXNx89AjKVUkGIxEaU0XnERxV1jNDtqAtbwbg/s3938/Ventura362_DTLA_ArtsDistrict_GirlAndTheGoat_GrilledSkirtSteak.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2951" data-original-width="3938" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbK_wJbhF6pd9fz-sCmKigZeuOeCpCvvCZr9UB9twkGqMZ7nbf08gk1gWVfqBNiA8qlrNHobIz13R_iwBdz0QfMu3Q8huo9cf7nDzcYpIqAzknK5JTHy8C-Wegnvj7BJdBiI-G6xShIEBc8mXNx89AjKVUkGIxEaU0XnERxV1jNDtqAtbwbg/w400-h300/Ventura362_DTLA_ArtsDistrict_GirlAndTheGoat_GrilledSkirtSteak.JPG" title="Ventura Trip - Girl & the Goat in DTLA" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-v6D9wHwdYyAEFYYyRHABmsxsjGiDZqnsJyhCDMqbn5sQJxvCnOkL0KaypfHZZ7fsZrLOO8kwXeG_Tfhn_bnb-Kxldel88vpVo6Gm211NUDNx0Mi9lX6TijJ9YfXAOsIjQ9yJTkrxFznwekjlBDwiRg6KcgV_GTAai9Hy6SUg72G_mczOaQ/s3658/Ventura369_DTLA_ArtsDistrict_GirlAndTheGoat_SesameCookiesCreamScoop.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3658" data-original-width="2927" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-v6D9wHwdYyAEFYYyRHABmsxsjGiDZqnsJyhCDMqbn5sQJxvCnOkL0KaypfHZZ7fsZrLOO8kwXeG_Tfhn_bnb-Kxldel88vpVo6Gm211NUDNx0Mi9lX6TijJ9YfXAOsIjQ9yJTkrxFznwekjlBDwiRg6KcgV_GTAai9Hy6SUg72G_mczOaQ/w320-h400/Ventura369_DTLA_ArtsDistrict_GirlAndTheGoat_SesameCookiesCreamScoop.JPG" title="Ventura Trip - Girl & the Goat in DTLA" width="320" /></a></div>Noah Unsworthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16787302506440922931noreply@blogger.com0Ventura, CA, USA34.2804923 -119.29451995.9702584638211533 -154.4507699 62.590726136178844 -84.1382699tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18659481.post-86889405593989325012022-05-10T21:30:00.401-07:002022-05-24T12:33:26.980-07:00Border Field State Park in Imperial Beach(plus Mission Bay Bonfire)<p>On our day off from work, Tori and I drove down to Imperial Beach for a hike in the <b>Border Field State Park</b>. Our trail started in the <b>Tijuana River Estuary</b> which is the largest coastal wetland in Southern California and sits on the international border of US and Mexico. The majority of the Tijuana River flows through Mexico before crossing the border and emptying into the sea through the estuary. While a major source of wastewater pollution into San Diego over the last hundred years, the US helped pay for a sewage treatment plant in Mexico in the late 1990s to help clean up the river. While not up to the same clean water standards of the US, the amount of raw sewage has been greatly reduced except for the major spills during seasonal storms. In 2020, the new NAFTA agreement included 300 million to further clean up the river and improve the treatment plant.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiTmj24SOYVslUZ4LUm2qkErpy4tNV9EwxUiJOfdLz04hKVmGjSnAKEUOCeVScCZDpiKGsN7MKidTNqSPiXyG0MJWfOGxWwIBA0KfjWSXc0k6VYY1D8TuCnA5ZpDehSLt4NX6iEQEIGajA5CRuAwh3qni_AFwA0RQx2YqMId0VXS7fYOrSpg/s3918/ImperialBeach001_BorderFieldStatePark_TijuanaEstuary.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2939" data-original-width="3918" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiTmj24SOYVslUZ4LUm2qkErpy4tNV9EwxUiJOfdLz04hKVmGjSnAKEUOCeVScCZDpiKGsN7MKidTNqSPiXyG0MJWfOGxWwIBA0KfjWSXc0k6VYY1D8TuCnA5ZpDehSLt4NX6iEQEIGajA5CRuAwh3qni_AFwA0RQx2YqMId0VXS7fYOrSpg/w400-h300/ImperialBeach001_BorderFieldStatePark_TijuanaEstuary.JPG" title="Border Field State Park - Tijuana River Estuary" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip6LXkmVfiHdt3paXPYvU6OAflCQN9MKpQ_kiHY_ip9Y_KngDMrl0Y6nMaMmQVKI2uvmQ8eVEO9PKZkNBV8MxPgp24LpXmnnN4HuCQ4i1njIT5IMMSUTCofnkACFGgwjlP9A-05_5M-6LcZZxJajik2LHqI4_JzN107LIYXJwi_sJ_sJ-wCw/s4032/ImperialBeach020_BorderFieldStatePark_TijuanaEstuary.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip6LXkmVfiHdt3paXPYvU6OAflCQN9MKpQ_kiHY_ip9Y_KngDMrl0Y6nMaMmQVKI2uvmQ8eVEO9PKZkNBV8MxPgp24LpXmnnN4HuCQ4i1njIT5IMMSUTCofnkACFGgwjlP9A-05_5M-6LcZZxJajik2LHqI4_JzN107LIYXJwi_sJ_sJ-wCw/w400-h300/ImperialBeach020_BorderFieldStatePark_TijuanaEstuary.JPG" title="Border Field State Park - View of Mexico from Tijuana River Estuary" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim0NxLrfCysS8Yb4nWtW5mZkvR6B1dkt_Xo0E1ZLb7YXlYi-W1ssiH0Cfiq8gHirTbzo8gv9nFrtwpoNZQ3LjZiHnH8fEbi_P3_B4iLuTqdCd7FkA0QXPEks1vb2kSIAXi8TGLT6a6BxorloOteUNcEn0fVmajM763crITbbhMAnvHIr-8Sg/s3939/ImperialBeach032_BorderFieldStatePark_TijuanaEstuary.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2954" data-original-width="3939" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim0NxLrfCysS8Yb4nWtW5mZkvR6B1dkt_Xo0E1ZLb7YXlYi-W1ssiH0Cfiq8gHirTbzo8gv9nFrtwpoNZQ3LjZiHnH8fEbi_P3_B4iLuTqdCd7FkA0QXPEks1vb2kSIAXi8TGLT6a6BxorloOteUNcEn0fVmajM763crITbbhMAnvHIr-8Sg/w400-h300/ImperialBeach032_BorderFieldStatePark_TijuanaEstuary.JPG" title="Border Field State Park - Tijuana River Estuary" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuVwvHXwrgByaayGRUemmO2WbzZML6BZZAmA3mENKd0g3OTerBRrazhdiVCY035gNHpe9QNpiOvVrVLmmHw4YuNCDpt26sNAswmypDTc_epHkgtYRvQvtSDkTfL8vvyCzUA_7I9NeDKATw4PHMnrtx4btrlLzp3IXfJ3d4l4NVeMnkjjS2lA/s3799/ImperialBeach045_BorderFieldStatePark_TijuanaEstuary.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3799" data-original-width="2849" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuVwvHXwrgByaayGRUemmO2WbzZML6BZZAmA3mENKd0g3OTerBRrazhdiVCY035gNHpe9QNpiOvVrVLmmHw4YuNCDpt26sNAswmypDTc_epHkgtYRvQvtSDkTfL8vvyCzUA_7I9NeDKATw4PHMnrtx4btrlLzp3IXfJ3d4l4NVeMnkjjS2lA/w300-h400/ImperialBeach045_BorderFieldStatePark_TijuanaEstuary.JPG" title="Border Field State Park - Tijuana River Estuary" width="300" /></a></div><p>While the road to the <b>Friendship Park of the Californias</b> on the border is now closed to cars, we parked on Monument Road and followed the paved road west. Halfway to the beach, the trail became a dirt road through the center of the dry salt marsh. In the distance, we could see into Mexico on the other side of the tall border fence. South of the river mouth, we crossed over a small stream and emerged onto the beach where an old concrete pillar of a former life guard tower rose out of the sand. The waves were large and extremely rough. We had planned to return back to our car at this point, but we decided to continue along the South Beach Trail. Walking toward the border fence, we could see the Tijuana Lighthouse on the hill growing steadily larger.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGLF1owB8q_IHSuYR_74j9A3tuLe7ObBWmsSEx9uxVnW5OWkHIOVWRHDQb_UZTnRX9HDYRXbzW6dm_1sgjsAI6E2hICTd3FD8rYexf6Mu2SUw3Yi_Eq52YalIAHDJlVHajfQOsV8y771NCcRqbpYDj8FwPCmb6U9REc8XTrLvVIlwjX4198w/s4032/ImperialBeach071_BorderFieldStatePark_TijuanaEstuary.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGLF1owB8q_IHSuYR_74j9A3tuLe7ObBWmsSEx9uxVnW5OWkHIOVWRHDQb_UZTnRX9HDYRXbzW6dm_1sgjsAI6E2hICTd3FD8rYexf6Mu2SUw3Yi_Eq52YalIAHDJlVHajfQOsV8y771NCcRqbpYDj8FwPCmb6U9REc8XTrLvVIlwjX4198w/w400-h300/ImperialBeach071_BorderFieldStatePark_TijuanaEstuary.JPG" title="Border Field State Park - US Mexico Fence" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3pYolJ0fhEfc4Z3-9tmrya8PxSwkA-PU6ER0GkFV7rp4p0DmFh4Lg-z92Veroqdl-ikYlSfJknLxl30FN6Nbc2_17MOPCeFNTqddog7bCrk0XPEOvL8hjxJC1IYXnKeZGz7Cfhc1Ak7H_pin6SwkcIcTIUiLHRZxUnBZ31uvl_0RShU0ryw/s4032/ImperialBeach077_BorderFieldStatePark_TijuanaEstuary.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3pYolJ0fhEfc4Z3-9tmrya8PxSwkA-PU6ER0GkFV7rp4p0DmFh4Lg-z92Veroqdl-ikYlSfJknLxl30FN6Nbc2_17MOPCeFNTqddog7bCrk0XPEOvL8hjxJC1IYXnKeZGz7Cfhc1Ak7H_pin6SwkcIcTIUiLHRZxUnBZ31uvl_0RShU0ryw/w400-h300/ImperialBeach077_BorderFieldStatePark_TijuanaEstuary.JPG" title="Border Field State Park - US Mexico Fence" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLFiNWYrfSbMweUhmVq60BggNaojCFOpqziYhpEX5c7n4BtVZ-lAdUvP8Knn33IYG19-CBpMLCKTyiiKYDpXGSPLl3yZtBP7JQUAXaV_fk5-WW0envy4zKCCHRunSB3WZvJBaszgx9mDZNPkzub9kpE3ZDsqxH_Qci7mCLsksvVQ1pcoVcIA/s3962/ImperialBeach101_BorderFieldStatePark_TijuanaEstuary.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2971" data-original-width="3962" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLFiNWYrfSbMweUhmVq60BggNaojCFOpqziYhpEX5c7n4BtVZ-lAdUvP8Knn33IYG19-CBpMLCKTyiiKYDpXGSPLl3yZtBP7JQUAXaV_fk5-WW0envy4zKCCHRunSB3WZvJBaszgx9mDZNPkzub9kpE3ZDsqxH_Qci7mCLsksvVQ1pcoVcIA/w400-h300/ImperialBeach101_BorderFieldStatePark_TijuanaEstuary.JPG" title="Border Field State Park - South Beach Trail" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfHTrsJ0EvjqgxA_hdpu9cy1hWX-Vj9a2eRwN5CQnYFNA3O6oQ7WaC-iyrvNfDkgG7XFT8-JFh4ynWVb6D63S7jqjVSYwkVUOy3a-xzlbBcgyWJ5ZFV9ZZWWDv8WW_O7dq_-vZyRq6ZXwvnjdgP69H4pgu2RGOO30JdvMAW3ySYlH-EGixeQ/s2728/ImperialBeach121_BorderFieldStatePark_TijuanaEstuary_Rattlesnake.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2728" data-original-width="2046" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfHTrsJ0EvjqgxA_hdpu9cy1hWX-Vj9a2eRwN5CQnYFNA3O6oQ7WaC-iyrvNfDkgG7XFT8-JFh4ynWVb6D63S7jqjVSYwkVUOy3a-xzlbBcgyWJ5ZFV9ZZWWDv8WW_O7dq_-vZyRq6ZXwvnjdgP69H4pgu2RGOO30JdvMAW3ySYlH-EGixeQ/w300-h400/ImperialBeach121_BorderFieldStatePark_TijuanaEstuary_Rattlesnake.jpg" title="Border Field State Park - Southern Pacific Rattlesnake" width="300" /></a></div><p>At the border, the metal fence extends 300 feet into the ocean as the incoming waves splash along its length. On the hill, we could see the large bullring, the Plaza de Toros Monumental. The beach on the US side was empty but it was quite crowded on the other side. In October of last year, a group of 70 people tried to swim around the end of the fence all at once and a woman downed in the attempt. A friend of my father's lives in Playas, the Mexican beach town on the other side of the border. When my brother and I stayed with him for a week, we used to walk right up to the border fence from the other side. Walking back to our car, we almost stepped on a Southern Pacific Rattlesnake crossing the center of the road. The total hike was 3.5 miles.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZHhMVNTBYFyhpXuFtXwyI6Q-s3kaT66r3BHiu3tFfGtWwRhFf-DFmpgbAcbop0JuSiFTwzAP0fZ-pgAiq0ChC-_HiXijpMF6evz0CIwzQTUibs7Kto3oWxEeaWBFMlfvMrcbiWyT1iz2pG2-R0u1jsgEwrJ-U6Mnr3pkYgyz30_nFLNViGA/s3947/ImperialBeach125_TijuanaEstuary.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2960" data-original-width="3947" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZHhMVNTBYFyhpXuFtXwyI6Q-s3kaT66r3BHiu3tFfGtWwRhFf-DFmpgbAcbop0JuSiFTwzAP0fZ-pgAiq0ChC-_HiXijpMF6evz0CIwzQTUibs7Kto3oWxEeaWBFMlfvMrcbiWyT1iz2pG2-R0u1jsgEwrJ-U6Mnr3pkYgyz30_nFLNViGA/w400-h300/ImperialBeach125_TijuanaEstuary.JPG" title="Imperial Beach - Tijuana River Estuary" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTumNFwK3x4CGXP2re_T4_pFsUpyjE7E7wNUDuI-w9vD6mdea-Qq6yNbcaWhuwalUOITZ90ks6SJgr2RMZe5jrIx_UHkywtbeg6oyw6MFNs7dAXtBe-5e3IlK7l7zeQoRAxyFhhfdSBtPtMzE3dYW19LY0vtVgcR7GCldnO0DDGZi-5lK_SQ/s3992/ImperialBeach155_Pier.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2994" data-original-width="3992" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTumNFwK3x4CGXP2re_T4_pFsUpyjE7E7wNUDuI-w9vD6mdea-Qq6yNbcaWhuwalUOITZ90ks6SJgr2RMZe5jrIx_UHkywtbeg6oyw6MFNs7dAXtBe-5e3IlK7l7zeQoRAxyFhhfdSBtPtMzE3dYW19LY0vtVgcR7GCldnO0DDGZi-5lK_SQ/w400-h300/ImperialBeach155_Pier.JPG" title="Imperial Beach Pier" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqyS13N6veBVbD7sh_RkBRjydFW81cVRpvUNXTYaTJK_kP_re3uG8A_WvcF5KBFJxxRACQiAmjSMK0pQuX7iDXbC0vzFJ4rORiEPyDqkXjGEtzk_K0QNqr3-8ps5Q8OwwNviyZjvZagFwNf4aLSNT4Swt9OTzfYIkmiBwZdGv0v3hwtZ3ieA/s3878/ImperialBeach158_Pier.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2909" data-original-width="3878" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqyS13N6veBVbD7sh_RkBRjydFW81cVRpvUNXTYaTJK_kP_re3uG8A_WvcF5KBFJxxRACQiAmjSMK0pQuX7iDXbC0vzFJ4rORiEPyDqkXjGEtzk_K0QNqr3-8ps5Q8OwwNviyZjvZagFwNf4aLSNT4Swt9OTzfYIkmiBwZdGv0v3hwtZ3ieA/w400-h300/ImperialBeach158_Pier.JPG" title="Imperial Beach Pier" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEMKfi88c7ObEuExVRI1TvU4xNoVxcBzTYw3qIiL29akRWLEwyQ1gNaykGZrc9MpLPMT_pRP_Fyxm0PB84xdtt7ZwQxkBWG7C_SE7nFkmscdA5YqpPMZrm4Yrc85E8KtfFyVZ4EOcfZQwPfqgk1Cg2s6W2FJ-UapYOqVBt0wSkAvhGb8M9Yg/s3823/ImperialBeach159_Pier.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2867" data-original-width="3823" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEMKfi88c7ObEuExVRI1TvU4xNoVxcBzTYw3qIiL29akRWLEwyQ1gNaykGZrc9MpLPMT_pRP_Fyxm0PB84xdtt7ZwQxkBWG7C_SE7nFkmscdA5YqpPMZrm4Yrc85E8KtfFyVZ4EOcfZQwPfqgk1Cg2s6W2FJ-UapYOqVBt0wSkAvhGb8M9Yg/w400-h300/ImperialBeach159_Pier.JPG" title="Imperial Beach Pier - North View of San Diego" width="400" /></a></div><p>Leaving the state park, we entered <b>Imperial Beach</b> and parked at the northern tip of the Estuary. We were hungry and thirsty, so we ordered cocktails and a shared appetizer at the <b>IB Forum Sports Bar</b>. It's been forever since we've had potato skins. After our break, we headed north to the <b>Imperial Beach Pier</b> and walked out to the end and explored the rest of the small downtown. For dinner, we sat at the bar of the <b>Brigantine</b> and shared a plate of their famous fish tacos. We watched the sunset before heading home.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9kh1L5Wdw2gHYu3pC5zqs6iFdvP22UrNQ8mJ1_Xtl6VjiC8uOcAb8uOz0vjN5As5dHZW_I804Whi-UV9R-YHXfTPwurNqsor2R9nPkTz4ZX4vrxYasWSVVHGPapiDln8gGi4jHHOyYyF9cBwke9bPhh4ILlC3PmpG5ykKblKZTuqR1B_tpQ/s4032/ImperialBeach184_Pier.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9kh1L5Wdw2gHYu3pC5zqs6iFdvP22UrNQ8mJ1_Xtl6VjiC8uOcAb8uOz0vjN5As5dHZW_I804Whi-UV9R-YHXfTPwurNqsor2R9nPkTz4ZX4vrxYasWSVVHGPapiDln8gGi4jHHOyYyF9cBwke9bPhh4ILlC3PmpG5ykKblKZTuqR1B_tpQ/w400-h300/ImperialBeach184_Pier.JPG" title="Imperial Beach Pier" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRgpoHh2YLKoZi34uOdXl80M6QyxWGLZlDIDqPE7N8RKwaqcCyza9pdruSIQ-SOOihYFTtwCPPTzFrQbxbeKi2m4c4EMP4jE3xBM2p-0YjsqPIHcXnzFsAKEPgNNrig50UH54GcwERaU2JbxRRxvJ9zQ2_nIirCOwLCsO1ll78OSsdfQIM1A/s3734/ImperialBeach186_Pier.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3734" data-original-width="2801" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRgpoHh2YLKoZi34uOdXl80M6QyxWGLZlDIDqPE7N8RKwaqcCyza9pdruSIQ-SOOihYFTtwCPPTzFrQbxbeKi2m4c4EMP4jE3xBM2p-0YjsqPIHcXnzFsAKEPgNNrig50UH54GcwERaU2JbxRRxvJ9zQ2_nIirCOwLCsO1ll78OSsdfQIM1A/w300-h400/ImperialBeach186_Pier.JPG" title="Imperial Beach Pier" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjqtldOYrRzZN7xKXUp3xaUQ-zoZPyLH6axDnnBVbI7M2NmsjjsqtX1dzzMmYNN5qfp8Bo2K9LPqbfc9B4UZwUhESj15NRfhJ61vQ5r6_vFlviZyAoFznRZw2jySYJjyoMkT4doGXa-dtx4eneladNStnazQzzc3h1xXnZj9bX1E_RCDKE2Q/s3947/ImperialBeach196_Pier.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2960" data-original-width="3947" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjqtldOYrRzZN7xKXUp3xaUQ-zoZPyLH6axDnnBVbI7M2NmsjjsqtX1dzzMmYNN5qfp8Bo2K9LPqbfc9B4UZwUhESj15NRfhJ61vQ5r6_vFlviZyAoFznRZw2jySYJjyoMkT4doGXa-dtx4eneladNStnazQzzc3h1xXnZj9bX1E_RCDKE2Q/w400-h300/ImperialBeach196_Pier.JPG" title="Imperial Beach Pier" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOEI8uoDr-j3tZ7aZv87PT4CXLxK153EufSuGjMxqVwqLwyqtQ7dKhiSqJUarXC14yszAN8Ge-lVlgYZ7kFiXx0JNQvOVtUnpZGycWvUcEdEC3flqyQgrtEiagaf5TmswkHqmxlNkZPWDa12N7Hd6ooUdwSVfXj7h7iUi_cUGgv-u4xFwcjg/s3970/ImperialBeach197_Pier.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2977" data-original-width="3970" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOEI8uoDr-j3tZ7aZv87PT4CXLxK153EufSuGjMxqVwqLwyqtQ7dKhiSqJUarXC14yszAN8Ge-lVlgYZ7kFiXx0JNQvOVtUnpZGycWvUcEdEC3flqyQgrtEiagaf5TmswkHqmxlNkZPWDa12N7Hd6ooUdwSVfXj7h7iUi_cUGgv-u4xFwcjg/w400-h300/ImperialBeach197_Pier.JPG" title="Imperial Beach Pier" width="400" /></a></div><p><b>Update: 5/14/22</b> </p><p>On Saturday, we met up with our friends at <b>Mission Bay</b> for a beach bonfire in the quieter Sail Bay. We parked at the <b>Fanuel Street Park</b> and walked down the boardwalk to <b>Riviera Shores Beach</b> on the west side of Crown Point. We arrived just before sunset so the lighting was beautiful.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifIkU_16sCrZMTwbI7L55yDlpcjY7tHu6dPYD_cjYGVoxQH85eu4wk2p--oHYxJlL6X-oWQBCIreDVPqSO-JEUFS8Ml-u_G6lNZ_C4VmqadUciAi9KSCoLnc9eh6ZzZBxZpbrveMrqXfpvuY5twLKlukWFAPydlQwSxa5An17FStNNkl78aA/s3851/MissionBeachBonfire02.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2888" data-original-width="3851" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifIkU_16sCrZMTwbI7L55yDlpcjY7tHu6dPYD_cjYGVoxQH85eu4wk2p--oHYxJlL6X-oWQBCIreDVPqSO-JEUFS8Ml-u_G6lNZ_C4VmqadUciAi9KSCoLnc9eh6ZzZBxZpbrveMrqXfpvuY5twLKlukWFAPydlQwSxa5An17FStNNkl78aA/w400-h300/MissionBeachBonfire02.JPG" title="Mission Bay - Sail Bay" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqfTHxKLRJFJCzOptkzRGZE0u1MNNI5ChHWoVDjfPQma5so3kWv94wzxuWgI-9rFDO8R5_uAJ1fCqRpfEUDY-fit1RimzNzyra3ihSY0lh7apiCDJMMl52VB6HshHquVVKPGv1AZjgCZoSGEat9P6UvCjWXEREx_Hj80s4hCKIVgrTi7-C-Q/s3841/MissionBeachBonfire04.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2879" data-original-width="3841" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqfTHxKLRJFJCzOptkzRGZE0u1MNNI5ChHWoVDjfPQma5so3kWv94wzxuWgI-9rFDO8R5_uAJ1fCqRpfEUDY-fit1RimzNzyra3ihSY0lh7apiCDJMMl52VB6HshHquVVKPGv1AZjgCZoSGEat9P6UvCjWXEREx_Hj80s4hCKIVgrTi7-C-Q/w400-h300/MissionBeachBonfire04.JPG" title="Mission Bay - Volleyball Courts" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWlDJ_n4-_M-iPsQHKFsXSpMqEYHi-WHEpJpCqFm1rWhyVZY0Ai8I8rKeIYVuZvm4VsmyhAZIL_H3wMComksfkOE1otJ5KQ41d9Gvb6H1qknPe6F5OCNPnJLIoj9-rv7TXyauYAB2lE2EF6ynL_mJYsN3Dolq8Ogee7Avn8s5haly0ItvXTA/s3963/MissionBeachBonfire09.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2972" data-original-width="3963" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWlDJ_n4-_M-iPsQHKFsXSpMqEYHi-WHEpJpCqFm1rWhyVZY0Ai8I8rKeIYVuZvm4VsmyhAZIL_H3wMComksfkOE1otJ5KQ41d9Gvb6H1qknPe6F5OCNPnJLIoj9-rv7TXyauYAB2lE2EF6ynL_mJYsN3Dolq8Ogee7Avn8s5haly0ItvXTA/w400-h300/MissionBeachBonfire09.JPG" title="Mission Bay - Paddle Boat on Sail Bay" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1FMpgWx7YH3F3Jc9Im8XOEWtvYQUd9PnCBF0pdPaXzBVOMhuhMdTEyg9cqeGvivhWkvFEAJUroeHmwzJePUHVtS3uzyF9rEGeWtqXv2Qe2kBJBVYnV9mcsfA4Vhf2bMvHEShMz54zNIT0BwHVDrMNDym49uzBswx4AcgL7JfTn-NrE3t7ng/s3625/MissionBeachBonfire10.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2718" data-original-width="3625" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1FMpgWx7YH3F3Jc9Im8XOEWtvYQUd9PnCBF0pdPaXzBVOMhuhMdTEyg9cqeGvivhWkvFEAJUroeHmwzJePUHVtS3uzyF9rEGeWtqXv2Qe2kBJBVYnV9mcsfA4Vhf2bMvHEShMz54zNIT0BwHVDrMNDym49uzBswx4AcgL7JfTn-NrE3t7ng/w400-h300/MissionBeachBonfire10.JPG" title="Mission Bay - Sail Bay" width="400" /></a></div><p>Kenny brought a smokeless firepit and it worked great. Normally my clothes stink of smoke after a bonfire but they still smelled clean afterwards. We had a wonderful time chatting and roasting Hot Dogs over the fire. A couple walked over from a nearby vacation rental to ask if they could use our fire for S'mores. They had an Uber deliver marshmallows, graham crackers and chocolate so they shared their extra supplies and we all had some of the sticky treat.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMeipnSEp9ZkfaOKWRaUuxPPUSNWl064bcx3eQloA-CUK2cFYBfqFVl-o9KvHRByDR_kHiu76KSwR7L1rG2xF4-vewB9dcmtL4RW_sG1CsxqEC6P-c-j3s0p9Cp4K1HPtqb_hZunXu4DmfmDS82q4G045GgIoFLmA6V39EeucMwIBTm1L-PA/s3724/MissionBeachBonfire16.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2791" data-original-width="3724" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMeipnSEp9ZkfaOKWRaUuxPPUSNWl064bcx3eQloA-CUK2cFYBfqFVl-o9KvHRByDR_kHiu76KSwR7L1rG2xF4-vewB9dcmtL4RW_sG1CsxqEC6P-c-j3s0p9Cp4K1HPtqb_hZunXu4DmfmDS82q4G045GgIoFLmA6V39EeucMwIBTm1L-PA/w400-h300/MissionBeachBonfire16.JPG" title="Mission Bay - Beach Bonfire" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik4StQJwhBxuFHUMATdZx09xiowKzwzwDaWVJEK1P2XPb9uNvTrkcS8bGUmWf8FX3FY2b1ySH6OxuMf235sTm-11QJ1PJ-VCP1oojw8vnRHpDQgogWs6P8jWF6j2m5ce1u8HAL-sN_vemJr1BEadvEdtR7HYLP02211ZG1bbWkF0MSJJTv7g/s3561/MissionBeachBonfire19.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2669" data-original-width="3561" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik4StQJwhBxuFHUMATdZx09xiowKzwzwDaWVJEK1P2XPb9uNvTrkcS8bGUmWf8FX3FY2b1ySH6OxuMf235sTm-11QJ1PJ-VCP1oojw8vnRHpDQgogWs6P8jWF6j2m5ce1u8HAL-sN_vemJr1BEadvEdtR7HYLP02211ZG1bbWkF0MSJJTv7g/w400-h300/MissionBeachBonfire19.JPG" title="Mission Bay - Beach Bonfire" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUVguikvmwLredx8JZW6UFi7mM43vmQLZh51hH51GFukm68jV0I3vEEPzlh5-GrIDbpTiJNCve7zptWbqVDfY4Qr-f0-7uj5LQZxpdfq0YWV-V30EPQvCmf5gzxQAoX8df-04mE5jNLkkXpw89fGGVFmUbEC83tLJG6xhpvdDjxGW2Iyct5A/s3962/MissionBeachBonfire21.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2971" data-original-width="3962" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUVguikvmwLredx8JZW6UFi7mM43vmQLZh51hH51GFukm68jV0I3vEEPzlh5-GrIDbpTiJNCve7zptWbqVDfY4Qr-f0-7uj5LQZxpdfq0YWV-V30EPQvCmf5gzxQAoX8df-04mE5jNLkkXpw89fGGVFmUbEC83tLJG6xhpvdDjxGW2Iyct5A/w400-h300/MissionBeachBonfire21.JPG" title="Mission Bay - Toasting Marshmallows" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK54Iqb0T0beneomc7wOlsZbd7L9SRjvZGaXdCkqyNiBgdAkSKYe_gD2SxyC2yfI_LjlYQoBMfDInzbJJTx5Bwngp-nlCCzTw55CDvPowr-Eelug_ivPpt-bG0EkPP_lHCjf_O2xUkn97ee-K0HEUyq5bXfQ2Z8adKNyueLizD8yJsGPEQhA/s3194/MissionBeachBonfire22.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2394" data-original-width="3194" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK54Iqb0T0beneomc7wOlsZbd7L9SRjvZGaXdCkqyNiBgdAkSKYe_gD2SxyC2yfI_LjlYQoBMfDInzbJJTx5Bwngp-nlCCzTw55CDvPowr-Eelug_ivPpt-bG0EkPP_lHCjf_O2xUkn97ee-K0HEUyq5bXfQ2Z8adKNyueLizD8yJsGPEQhA/w400-h300/MissionBeachBonfire22.JPG" title="Mission Bay - Beach Bonfire on Riviera Shores Beach" width="400" /></a></div>Noah Unsworthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16787302506440922931noreply@blogger.com0Border Field State Park, 1500 Monument Rd, San Diego, CA 92154, USA32.5450305 -117.122474.2347966638211574 -152.27872000000002 60.855264336178848 -81.96622tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18659481.post-29458335930709441272022-03-18T19:30:00.375-07:002022-03-23T10:05:02.818-07:00Beyond Van Gogh Experience(Plus Cutwater Spirits Distillery)<p>Since we enjoyed the Van Gogh Museum during our 2017 Amsterdam trip, Tori and I decided to go to the <b>Beyond Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience</b> that is currently in San Diego. It wasn't crowded when we arrived on a weekday afternoon at the Del Mar Fairgrounds. For the first part of the exhibition, we walked between the illuminated panels filled with quotes and text describing the life of the Dutch painter, Vincent Van Gogh, who committed suicide at 37 years old. Taking up painting in his twenties in 1881, he was most prolific during his final years when he lived in the south of France and suffered from depression. He created some of his most famous paintings while living in psychiatric hospitals after cutting off part of his ear during an argument with his painter friend, Gauguin. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghudPpSGNl4U1lU6N6gRvuY1U98TWZtbAV1MA6rvcTRfGaDOKoLnE2fXUiXt39cGa-p4RPsyNpeflKSeuNrqFeVBsu9GKhStE02dkS1McaU8JNGaNlFxRkOjyLjiqOsk1nntApZ5pkqw4_MTsH7RS7kdRA8YETWnH89LrM9AYI39WaT-KLuQ/s3633/BeyondVanGogh05_DelMarFairgrounds.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3633" data-original-width="2907" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghudPpSGNl4U1lU6N6gRvuY1U98TWZtbAV1MA6rvcTRfGaDOKoLnE2fXUiXt39cGa-p4RPsyNpeflKSeuNrqFeVBsu9GKhStE02dkS1McaU8JNGaNlFxRkOjyLjiqOsk1nntApZ5pkqw4_MTsH7RS7kdRA8YETWnH89LrM9AYI39WaT-KLuQ/w320-h400/BeyondVanGogh05_DelMarFairgrounds.JPG" title="Beyond Van Gogh - Del Mar Fairgrounds" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIBuYdE3-lHKMomNrfsfca952kPw-q_I4ljz9h1natpebJmPeiQpJrpjFqWjuoJUxNB8n4f9VYqLPKlniWLQktphlryeSpCdrg5T5AdUKyAE_f0Ezqd-zNo9su4YLI9ToyM3S3beJb6eAo43JnMXL9Phjv7yvBE8AEOrvDp2l-bxaCEIfO3Q/s3402/BeyondVanGogh09_VincentVanGogh.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3402" data-original-width="2552" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIBuYdE3-lHKMomNrfsfca952kPw-q_I4ljz9h1natpebJmPeiQpJrpjFqWjuoJUxNB8n4f9VYqLPKlniWLQktphlryeSpCdrg5T5AdUKyAE_f0Ezqd-zNo9su4YLI9ToyM3S3beJb6eAo43JnMXL9Phjv7yvBE8AEOrvDp2l-bxaCEIfO3Q/w300-h400/BeyondVanGogh09_VincentVanGogh.JPG" title="Beyond Van Gogh - Vincent Van Gogh Self Portrait" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFTy90GRUNqzwVgHpUKTXijlYidruyxS9gQkJ0efyqpMVERDo8DtwkUDfP69lls6NJV8ZXBqmJxLfcbXfpOn8NcgwA9Hc_2mLUcf4_ZD0KIE7narGkC70YWvVBUe9Szp16UJFc-bEyp6DRt4MSsuyP0xlEKw7oKAhTaq3hg-vh3OssQyVd2w/s3976/BeyondVanGogh19_HangingFrameTori.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2982" data-original-width="3976" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFTy90GRUNqzwVgHpUKTXijlYidruyxS9gQkJ0efyqpMVERDo8DtwkUDfP69lls6NJV8ZXBqmJxLfcbXfpOn8NcgwA9Hc_2mLUcf4_ZD0KIE7narGkC70YWvVBUe9Szp16UJFc-bEyp6DRt4MSsuyP0xlEKw7oKAhTaq3hg-vh3OssQyVd2w/w400-h300/BeyondVanGogh19_HangingFrameTori.JPG" title="Beyond Van Gogh - Framed Tori" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin2-TsJMHX_10j4htNHYqECkTHPvAol0ijY41-AlAbNuCjeHWMYfxO1co1lvt60DvsZSwTG6xPCBQZRMq3Ac7i000IR1XVY4nELemPBkwPRw-_kOUNOW5RGXz5nLLo6XwnrHL2LLIc4dorfTORhhPqGTbWW3CodKie3MDcY3qTgImNun2qSw/s3827/BeyondVanGogh23_ImmersiveExperience.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2867" data-original-width="3827" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin2-TsJMHX_10j4htNHYqECkTHPvAol0ijY41-AlAbNuCjeHWMYfxO1co1lvt60DvsZSwTG6xPCBQZRMq3Ac7i000IR1XVY4nELemPBkwPRw-_kOUNOW5RGXz5nLLo6XwnrHL2LLIc4dorfTORhhPqGTbWW3CodKie3MDcY3qTgImNun2qSw/w400-h300/BeyondVanGogh23_ImmersiveExperience.JPG" title="Beyond Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience" width="400" /></a></div><p>Since there was no line, we were able to enter the Immersive Experience part of the exhibit without a wait. Inside the large hall, over 300 of his masterpieces come to moving life, projected in amazing detail on the floor and walls surrounding us. The special projectors directly overhead sprayed out over four trillion pixels to show the larger than life paintings in high definition. It was great to just wander around and feel like we were inside the impressionistic landscapes created by Vincent Van Gogh. The thirty-five minute multimedia experience was created by the French-Canadian director, Mathieu St-Arnaud, and his team at Normal Studio in Montreal. With all the video game studies in that city, I am not surprised that they were able to produce this cool virtual reality.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXIJl-xKmT8QOCVLa_zz7EUMcoH9P7EB6SH27QZPQd2AZrCAAL2TcNvuJ6l-8o49STRAGU6-bj3urX0_IIDiZRmA966_ZsRKv8ybyTdnfuvdbz7oGLPJhKYcgwHVkGQtaXGUV6FjC9ecDuMLsXp8CgfiUUYAXg_1L940x-UX4ABd9x46A3BQ/s4016/BeyondVanGogh30_StarryNightOvertheRhone_VanGogh.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3012" data-original-width="4016" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXIJl-xKmT8QOCVLa_zz7EUMcoH9P7EB6SH27QZPQd2AZrCAAL2TcNvuJ6l-8o49STRAGU6-bj3urX0_IIDiZRmA966_ZsRKv8ybyTdnfuvdbz7oGLPJhKYcgwHVkGQtaXGUV6FjC9ecDuMLsXp8CgfiUUYAXg_1L940x-UX4ABd9x46A3BQ/w400-h300/BeyondVanGogh30_StarryNightOvertheRhone_VanGogh.JPG" title="Beyond Van Gogh - Starry Night over the Rhone" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRIvsPi5o4t1IlGMdW-FE1_PwXSyD3FN2OlN_kLr4RCiY38SzSJuXem6z2gJ00_oMCboGY6hGUX-cxjopbrn793imwU6T6X77RaKzImOAOPT0yEO7mg_iQSYUbMGwD4V_di0Mf-RQX3WDfsN_CbFK2Vg_mzFqJr2WvcEOjiklC_F4mhpL-yg/s3953/BeyondVanGogh45_MulberryTree_VanGogh.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2965" data-original-width="3953" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRIvsPi5o4t1IlGMdW-FE1_PwXSyD3FN2OlN_kLr4RCiY38SzSJuXem6z2gJ00_oMCboGY6hGUX-cxjopbrn793imwU6T6X77RaKzImOAOPT0yEO7mg_iQSYUbMGwD4V_di0Mf-RQX3WDfsN_CbFK2Vg_mzFqJr2WvcEOjiklC_F4mhpL-yg/w400-h300/BeyondVanGogh45_MulberryTree_VanGogh.JPG" title="Beyond Van Gogh - The Mulberry Tree" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpilZ4i6IhUbauAlrBtSHmPuPbwZEd4hYNbWFtz7tXAUuAGzE1iRXimz4PnCDRbfmkBv0Ct6pz5_t3cebwgTOiNO0exQyyxdSdMVtAVV5RjEPe0hf2SftO9gmxXbsriQ42AnOE9Wj9ZNvWk44-RyWktLHDLsIOzpo8M_F5e28E-IrOB1XR5w/s3510/BeyondVanGogh55_Sunflowers_VanGogh.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3510" data-original-width="2808" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpilZ4i6IhUbauAlrBtSHmPuPbwZEd4hYNbWFtz7tXAUuAGzE1iRXimz4PnCDRbfmkBv0Ct6pz5_t3cebwgTOiNO0exQyyxdSdMVtAVV5RjEPe0hf2SftO9gmxXbsriQ42AnOE9Wj9ZNvWk44-RyWktLHDLsIOzpo8M_F5e28E-IrOB1XR5w/w320-h400/BeyondVanGogh55_Sunflowers_VanGogh.JPG" title="Beyond Van Gogh - Noah and the Sunflowers" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8XuPQ97-G25TxXyk0uQt3F_JLwOyq1NkPXZWMjjpadkvfg1a-cVP-JM8c-bA1NYTUP0b1SRFJ72s10KHZaF-JIj88jntSDhWoPvGD1e8GPsFi4iiU7prTJJwrCj2_0R9JqfqVx8FzDEqJRbgjACMV--R0I5NxShBnnBaOx-VEBO_j8MWUoA/s3267/BeyondVanGogh76_CafeTerraceAtNight_VanGogh.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3267" data-original-width="2450" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8XuPQ97-G25TxXyk0uQt3F_JLwOyq1NkPXZWMjjpadkvfg1a-cVP-JM8c-bA1NYTUP0b1SRFJ72s10KHZaF-JIj88jntSDhWoPvGD1e8GPsFi4iiU7prTJJwrCj2_0R9JqfqVx8FzDEqJRbgjACMV--R0I5NxShBnnBaOx-VEBO_j8MWUoA/w300-h400/BeyondVanGogh76_CafeTerraceAtNight_VanGogh.JPG" title="Beyond Van Gogh - Noah on the Terrace Cafe at Night" width="300" /></a></div><p>Watch videos below for the moving images and the accompanying audio of the Immersive Experience. My favorite was the falling petals from the Almond Blossom's painting.</p><p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/UztWU1S5MIU" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></p><p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/6GTUrJWNAIM" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></p><p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/eFiXhxSGuYc" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></p><p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/gRhoQcQo0oQ" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></p><p>After visiting the Van Gogh exhibit, we went to <b>Cutwater Spirits</b> for dinner. They are an award-winning local distillery that specializes in canned cocktails that Tori and I have enjoyed many times. In 2017, they opened a Tasting Room & Kitchen at their production facility in Miramar. It was cool to see their tall <b>Column Still</b> bubbling away inside the two-story glass tower. We could see the fermented mash sloshing around through the bottom port holes as the heat vaporizes the liquid and forces the alcohol and other volatile molecules up the copper column of the still. After the vapor is diverted from the top of the still, it condenses out into the liquid form of the particular spirit they are making.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEoyQvKvzBgtKtO7d5ktHplV_4xderaf2rdBXXnIgEjsMh6C98lLt-XKGmnSL0gtdDYnPRdBeMZpyoFoT2x_l12ORI_rIEaDca3GCbew4JDKUJyKRBZRA8kj1NzWmxeSu179o0wAENSCrC1fllG07TVCeQxWM6_HkgTHGKWd_zdfpcL5SVgA/s4032/CutwaterDistillery02.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEoyQvKvzBgtKtO7d5ktHplV_4xderaf2rdBXXnIgEjsMh6C98lLt-XKGmnSL0gtdDYnPRdBeMZpyoFoT2x_l12ORI_rIEaDca3GCbew4JDKUJyKRBZRA8kj1NzWmxeSu179o0wAENSCrC1fllG07TVCeQxWM6_HkgTHGKWd_zdfpcL5SVgA/w400-h300/CutwaterDistillery02.JPG" title="Cutwater Spirits - Distillery and Tasting Room" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSl7VvTLeqZbbBny6v9I3P1xUatzhC7_q65sA8Phe1pXOgTMkdAdoUz0w1PFyVVRsmFV62IqmFqFw1Rxm4rSFvHR8fgIs0Sp0IsWlpTDYcvnSUhX6mEifzCK2I61zHwg2RWezgguP8McaaYcSMFLdaiZZ-8Pli_LCv8eZ6-kyxXIxc1kBGsg/s3981/CutwaterDistillery05_ColumnStill.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2984" data-original-width="3981" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSl7VvTLeqZbbBny6v9I3P1xUatzhC7_q65sA8Phe1pXOgTMkdAdoUz0w1PFyVVRsmFV62IqmFqFw1Rxm4rSFvHR8fgIs0Sp0IsWlpTDYcvnSUhX6mEifzCK2I61zHwg2RWezgguP8McaaYcSMFLdaiZZ-8Pli_LCv8eZ6-kyxXIxc1kBGsg/w400-h300/CutwaterDistillery05_ColumnStill.JPG" title="Cutwater Spirits - Column Still" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6dUDBVzDubsKTW14jpliaYJwi_hQls8kumr0cChSoEWsuZdimLXVkK0y46ZlpCVvQsdotj2UhRKWyT93blU5ZLBLcMizkkS3TSH7GHjU9ycepUCzDR_OaPLrBj7cL7qdhwztVsbJC3hyMtUa7Stb34VASKIUWdFKTNl5LANwl3GhQIgv17w/s3992/CutwaterDistillery13_Bar.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2994" data-original-width="3992" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6dUDBVzDubsKTW14jpliaYJwi_hQls8kumr0cChSoEWsuZdimLXVkK0y46ZlpCVvQsdotj2UhRKWyT93blU5ZLBLcMizkkS3TSH7GHjU9ycepUCzDR_OaPLrBj7cL7qdhwztVsbJC3hyMtUa7Stb34VASKIUWdFKTNl5LANwl3GhQIgv17w/w400-h300/CutwaterDistillery13_Bar.JPG" title="Cutwater Spirits - Distillery and Tasting Room" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH8VDnC5H5Dbsydpq5OgUxNT9yivcKIkxE_eLYVve3rRwk-y2jGz5y8R6yl5G-qWEy1JzscxnAS5sxhnDLYmU3EoNHFAjaV-L0f53Q8Bn_Kaa8WjGAydZOQlSlUu7QOyaCX_sOxTMloKuv9b2vLCBBgn6jiT7gnws4zsRdhAFcN85Gw7PUMw/s3985/CutwaterDistillery15_HotButteredRum.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3985" data-original-width="2989" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH8VDnC5H5Dbsydpq5OgUxNT9yivcKIkxE_eLYVve3rRwk-y2jGz5y8R6yl5G-qWEy1JzscxnAS5sxhnDLYmU3EoNHFAjaV-L0f53Q8Bn_Kaa8WjGAydZOQlSlUu7QOyaCX_sOxTMloKuv9b2vLCBBgn6jiT7gnws4zsRdhAFcN85Gw7PUMw/w300-h400/CutwaterDistillery15_HotButteredRum.JPG" title="Cutwater Spirits - Hot Buttered Rum" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8SJ4uMFbMXaM43KJDfDE-3J6F0rLE3Yp18JzL8XTHLQFvP9m3KiNRGbXoQhO6iYQ7MZ0vVsVi_aoT2F_Ms6Iey0QOVMyIikuMZkj8gGyYDLA5P9PZhwtVKOBXqdxtbmp5lgn0z4jULwe-hLkrZlNzgy6DvnNSJavcM84g3bgm2dLmcqDN3A/s3787/CutwaterDistillery19_VodkaApplePie.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3787" data-original-width="2840" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8SJ4uMFbMXaM43KJDfDE-3J6F0rLE3Yp18JzL8XTHLQFvP9m3KiNRGbXoQhO6iYQ7MZ0vVsVi_aoT2F_Ms6Iey0QOVMyIikuMZkj8gGyYDLA5P9PZhwtVKOBXqdxtbmp5lgn0z4jULwe-hLkrZlNzgy6DvnNSJavcM84g3bgm2dLmcqDN3A/w300-h400/CutwaterDistillery19_VodkaApplePie.JPG" title="Cutwater Spirits - Vodka Apple Pie" width="300" /></a></div><p>After being seated on the outside deck, we each tried a Cutwater Heater cocktail. Tori had the Vodka Apple Pie while I enjoyed my Hot Buttered Rum so much that I bought a bottle to take home. I ordered the <b>Devil's Share Burger</b>, perfectly flavored with its aged white cheddar, crispy fried onions and Bourbon Bacon jam. We were surprised by the blue rice in Tori's <b>Malaysian Curry</b> which gets its natural color from the Pea Flower in Southeast Asia. For desert, we shared the <b>Tiki Monkey Sticky Toffee Pudding</b>. This might be our new favorite dessert, beating out the Warm Butter Cake from Nick's in San Clemente. We want to come back for the distillery tour when it returns this summer.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_MFdNddvr82h0yDrA_8wuTPgcmWQeqtt73QDC4Zp9B1kU2SjfbzCK43RmKT2TfMWGEzlXeRW2-4452Jjg1HIWV2DcSig6m_bCaxaDWUcvCT2BiYSgxqLPlb6LIhDbGe7RPr8nOwxvDpjBI4tyd_-xcbnu84cQchlkwLg226pidhvqfsWYUQ/s3694/CutwaterDistillery25_DevilsShareBurger.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2769" data-original-width="3694" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_MFdNddvr82h0yDrA_8wuTPgcmWQeqtt73QDC4Zp9B1kU2SjfbzCK43RmKT2TfMWGEzlXeRW2-4452Jjg1HIWV2DcSig6m_bCaxaDWUcvCT2BiYSgxqLPlb6LIhDbGe7RPr8nOwxvDpjBI4tyd_-xcbnu84cQchlkwLg226pidhvqfsWYUQ/w400-h300/CutwaterDistillery25_DevilsShareBurger.JPG" title="Cutwater Spirits - Devil's Share Burger" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_7BN6ETtk8rJoQKohEIxBfH14N8uAXqIT1CT7GbobbvynCQ3nQ2HPEXnKiKFdu2JD1MAh16KG06Szm6PHlrl5lnEZVaY2szAaePyY2iUDLbS3evF-3-oLiDh3i28gfYpNAynO6YvRNydxY6FqDdWTH0dp3UoQI04WyX8N2FurIjg0xGB1Ng/s3991/CutwaterDistillery26_MalaysianCurry_PeaFlowerRice.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3991" data-original-width="2993" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_7BN6ETtk8rJoQKohEIxBfH14N8uAXqIT1CT7GbobbvynCQ3nQ2HPEXnKiKFdu2JD1MAh16KG06Szm6PHlrl5lnEZVaY2szAaePyY2iUDLbS3evF-3-oLiDh3i28gfYpNAynO6YvRNydxY6FqDdWTH0dp3UoQI04WyX8N2FurIjg0xGB1Ng/w300-h400/CutwaterDistillery26_MalaysianCurry_PeaFlowerRice.JPG" title="Cutwater Spirits - Malaysian Curry with Pea Flower Rice" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6kPueJCGSRoYx27fGPm6Hg5ujE9fFJ4OvlyEgdXZtBi7mv7KAdqjIy3_va1Xe4C1ul_T1hEvlsCJaZj96M5glOF4z1ApWEJWoFG4QDGVtkg1mI__DnRZZlvGyLXRmPFTqBKvB66hHcZvxCNZc4CnonMpWrC4dW6sSDk4D5f9VztRjp_TyHA/s3858/CutwaterDistillery30_TikiMonkeyStickyToffeePudding.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3858" data-original-width="2894" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6kPueJCGSRoYx27fGPm6Hg5ujE9fFJ4OvlyEgdXZtBi7mv7KAdqjIy3_va1Xe4C1ul_T1hEvlsCJaZj96M5glOF4z1ApWEJWoFG4QDGVtkg1mI__DnRZZlvGyLXRmPFTqBKvB66hHcZvxCNZc4CnonMpWrC4dW6sSDk4D5f9VztRjp_TyHA/w300-h400/CutwaterDistillery30_TikiMonkeyStickyToffeePudding.JPG" title="Cutwater Spirits - Tiki Monkey Sticky Toffee Pudding" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwySTHWiE40zF-0fZkcrTW2rLGZL7m1W3HyUpFJP5nI6NM7bGYUopwL-O5H5yy-2S57HbgDNi8dAI0oaQBeARnveMiBrxif557JOH_WiEwLpfhhjKnIojua32HcyK-DQYt4bAkQgeAOoTupYdRnqP0Rp9mcLqouvy4mpwtyz_G3ZeB0s3HMQ/s3849/CutwaterDistillery07_ColumnStill.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3849" data-original-width="2887" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwySTHWiE40zF-0fZkcrTW2rLGZL7m1W3HyUpFJP5nI6NM7bGYUopwL-O5H5yy-2S57HbgDNi8dAI0oaQBeARnveMiBrxif557JOH_WiEwLpfhhjKnIojua32HcyK-DQYt4bAkQgeAOoTupYdRnqP0Rp9mcLqouvy4mpwtyz_G3ZeB0s3HMQ/w300-h400/CutwaterDistillery07_ColumnStill.JPG" title="Cutwater Spirits - Copper Column Still" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikOs3pKoA83-0fGnBIQJLfqXEzwFW2rPCj2y8lolIFH2xB0SfShtgc4RDEnpkA1baY2pZgCtGnPZLqY-3CVo8w5gD8UVGdBBMXQA1JrIvZUBSrKH2SzR_5REZAqIAxbSJalC6kbSToXsTo3bOy73YnIqOY0GW7CqcjQAUqhvSmKeSX5lZRZg/s3764/CutwaterDistillery31_GrainSilos.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3764" data-original-width="2823" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikOs3pKoA83-0fGnBIQJLfqXEzwFW2rPCj2y8lolIFH2xB0SfShtgc4RDEnpkA1baY2pZgCtGnPZLqY-3CVo8w5gD8UVGdBBMXQA1JrIvZUBSrKH2SzR_5REZAqIAxbSJalC6kbSToXsTo3bOy73YnIqOY0GW7CqcjQAUqhvSmKeSX5lZRZg/w300-h400/CutwaterDistillery31_GrainSilos.JPG" title="Cutwater Spirits - Barley and Corn Silos" width="300" /></a></div>Noah Unsworthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16787302506440922931noreply@blogger.com0Del Mar Fairgrounds, 2260 Jimmy Durante Blvd, Del Mar, CA 92014, USA32.9736154 -117.25655884.6633815638211544 -152.4128088 61.283849236178845 -82.1003088tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18659481.post-13327420017664958242022-03-09T16:38:00.000-08:002022-03-22T17:43:32.831-07:00Michelin Star Dining at Sushi Tadokoro(Tori's Birthday Dinner)<p>For Tori's Birthday, we went to dinner at <b>Sushi Tadokoro</b> in Old Town San Diego. I learned of the restaurant when it was awarded its first Michelin Star in 2021. We considered the Omakase Course but we ordered à la carte as we sat at the bar instead, trying a range of Sashimi, Nigiri and Cut Rolls that peaked our interest.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj01HwUNn87Dsad_P7qgPSnd1MWH13ijXxF61NgcHNhjlcxqyANduLrVfaEK2MLoJiyLU3vcPfHScMqmpp8YJIG7bEWMnLdyHBU-f4uIEuc34_aPhBTlgCD5zyFUkN5_H5_OshD03U4eW5csge38OdtBbAxm8z7DYvqWJvsbjtV5mwNef61fg=s4032" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj01HwUNn87Dsad_P7qgPSnd1MWH13ijXxF61NgcHNhjlcxqyANduLrVfaEK2MLoJiyLU3vcPfHScMqmpp8YJIG7bEWMnLdyHBU-f4uIEuc34_aPhBTlgCD5zyFUkN5_H5_OshD03U4eW5csge38OdtBbAxm8z7DYvqWJvsbjtV5mwNef61fg=w400-h300" title="Sushi Tadokoro" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhs06-xiz9rEpI3GkO0ZcghcbUu5OsqIK0ddSfP3I0NG5TKYsJ4qWcroKMNcmvDn0N1OMN69Hmc2nnEOs969cYr0SZenZzhjGhD7bVlb5lLBxdxMMRys5UUaojMjm-K8XMkeYYdlVq9G_rSj8fG2GFLavcz9pKi4VEBqqEWPAhORf48xlLAKQ=s3527" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2643" data-original-width="3527" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhs06-xiz9rEpI3GkO0ZcghcbUu5OsqIK0ddSfP3I0NG5TKYsJ4qWcroKMNcmvDn0N1OMN69Hmc2nnEOs969cYr0SZenZzhjGhD7bVlb5lLBxdxMMRys5UUaojMjm-K8XMkeYYdlVq9G_rSj8fG2GFLavcz9pKi4VEBqqEWPAhORf48xlLAKQ=w400-h300" title="Sushi Tadokoro" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiZFhE2VdBwnoROOKLH96EV27xNblNcUg2GvWmABDVbbeTqgqEJblwReioBu-h_TfT29iVT26HBllzFCrRtnjlFm8LGCd6zBArq7evNWXr8q_63LrUzrd53X4rthqSfyTVbu-UpGxoKo663cbnLt56LspfrK2xVvYHiTCFeu_icbCACRRemXg=s4032" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiZFhE2VdBwnoROOKLH96EV27xNblNcUg2GvWmABDVbbeTqgqEJblwReioBu-h_TfT29iVT26HBllzFCrRtnjlFm8LGCd6zBArq7evNWXr8q_63LrUzrd53X4rthqSfyTVbu-UpGxoKo663cbnLt56LspfrK2xVvYHiTCFeu_icbCACRRemXg=w400-h300" title="Sushi Tadokoro" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi48S9MkIDJ2xWjYpHWa2qaDkgoQ9nsyOMMYu6CaCyVWKFdf5CiD7uvCAd2mrlmelk4aTVYF0WqsvkksMOQWjPrikxhri43T3dDkXt6HtH6o8u-Nic9IQ6PcvSwChpJKkdhCWPLnN_Hxg2ff7pdhJBnMl8hiqS7A-vor7Bg60XpOZTYxHgU_g=s3854" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2889" data-original-width="3854" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi48S9MkIDJ2xWjYpHWa2qaDkgoQ9nsyOMMYu6CaCyVWKFdf5CiD7uvCAd2mrlmelk4aTVYF0WqsvkksMOQWjPrikxhri43T3dDkXt6HtH6o8u-Nic9IQ6PcvSwChpJKkdhCWPLnN_Hxg2ff7pdhJBnMl8hiqS7A-vor7Bg60XpOZTYxHgU_g=w400-h300" title="Sushi Tadokoro" width="400" /></a></div><p><b>T,Y,S Sashimi</b> <i>(Tuna, Yellowtail and Salmon)</i> - We started with a selection of sashimi. We enjoyed all three but surprisingly our favorite was the salmon. We tried it first, thinking it would be our least favorite, but it blew us both away with its flavor and creamy texture.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjJgKDim7GtPByZ0MmtrxAXnsU5m3HmmOrnmnsve-xq54iDvhHROX8QHWvmRUDdPXZrG4VTptuBhqXK_yld-kN0VzthAOIFcDJcs5c0O9b7MR4HBaJgfvoa7xN3bmPLiFiAcxQMzD__choVsnHVbtf8Gafcv5-syXzMJJ_tTGv-bwaWhfWDAw=s4032" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjJgKDim7GtPByZ0MmtrxAXnsU5m3HmmOrnmnsve-xq54iDvhHROX8QHWvmRUDdPXZrG4VTptuBhqXK_yld-kN0VzthAOIFcDJcs5c0O9b7MR4HBaJgfvoa7xN3bmPLiFiAcxQMzD__choVsnHVbtf8Gafcv5-syXzMJJ_tTGv-bwaWhfWDAw=w300-h400" title="Sushi Tadokoro - Tuna, Yellowtail and Salmon Sashimi" width="300" /></a></div><p><b>Grilled Chilean Sea Bass</b> - Marinated for four days in Miso Paste, this mouth-watering cut of fish with a buttery texture was so delicious. The savory flavor was the definition of Unami.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj5diszEfyIv6snEelgsgRG_EiGyJA0_spRtl1PYiq9HE3aoXjkh8FdL9_td4FKA4c11RV2FSdDvF8Fl6AgCiLU0vCqeEyw7FmM6z8EOyLmxCiF8WhxsaDJulaomyt5Z0fFBnTM4rojFIO-GkmOqjIXYFPm5DhF-U4OH6ZauIvRnltHxI_5-g=s4032" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj5diszEfyIv6snEelgsgRG_EiGyJA0_spRtl1PYiq9HE3aoXjkh8FdL9_td4FKA4c11RV2FSdDvF8Fl6AgCiLU0vCqeEyw7FmM6z8EOyLmxCiF8WhxsaDJulaomyt5Z0fFBnTM4rojFIO-GkmOqjIXYFPm5DhF-U4OH6ZauIvRnltHxI_5-g=w400-h300" title="Sushi Tadokoro - Grilled Chilean Sea Bass" width="400" /></a></div><p><b>San Diego Roll / Crunchy Roll</b> - We are glad we shared these two tasty cut rolls to help fill us up. Without them, we would probably have needed to break the bank to feel full after our meal. The Crunchy Roll with Shrimp Tempura is an old favorite and we enjoyed a new one, the San Diego Roll adding Mexican flavors with avocado and salsa to the Spicy Yellowtail. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjLrKJfXlM2VVZIhrmslYNtqIs-BSl440ou2MG0L_m_lVKsoZtKIOePGtbOC1RKvC2zHIFeufIvMKuMpJw2t9dnBRqXZW5GRGwg9mAm76OPKAwr_-3G_S8tuaPCZqEC-RNkfAVv5ig6UVw1rtP8BzquNobzo25q8tSNTDU6fb99PPogAa3zrQ=s3819" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3819" data-original-width="2864" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjLrKJfXlM2VVZIhrmslYNtqIs-BSl440ou2MG0L_m_lVKsoZtKIOePGtbOC1RKvC2zHIFeufIvMKuMpJw2t9dnBRqXZW5GRGwg9mAm76OPKAwr_-3G_S8tuaPCZqEC-RNkfAVv5ig6UVw1rtP8BzquNobzo25q8tSNTDU6fb99PPogAa3zrQ=w300-h400" title="Sushi Tadokoro - San Diego Roll" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh_aBtwUwwksc0pNwkByvLSE0OkLuHTnXiT5ILcu-Rx9dDRaHtDXvd-CBEybYp-tUQe2bY9PoaomuHtBU-oJsxispGiILlrystWoI149y3mmV_cLszf9twGIbtD72JbFGRUN4IAZaPelscTv43_8nCXkpVEndi5RXRG2o-HdSKS0Px_4X-UmQ=s3852" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3852" data-original-width="2889" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh_aBtwUwwksc0pNwkByvLSE0OkLuHTnXiT5ILcu-Rx9dDRaHtDXvd-CBEybYp-tUQe2bY9PoaomuHtBU-oJsxispGiILlrystWoI149y3mmV_cLszf9twGIbtD72JbFGRUN4IAZaPelscTv43_8nCXkpVEndi5RXRG2o-HdSKS0Px_4X-UmQ=w300-h400" title="Sushi Tadokoro - Crunchy Roll" width="300" /></a></div><p><b>Aji / Salmon Nigiri Sushi</b> - While the Aji (Horse Mackerel) normally migrates around the coast of Japan, our chef told us this was Seki Aji of the Saganoseki region, Oita Prefecture, caught only with a pole and line in the winter. It is a premium fish that swims in the rough waves of the Bungo Channel, combining the fattiness of an in-shore population with the muscular firmness of the pelagic aji out in the open ocean. Since we loved the salmon sashimi from our first dish, we had to have another piece in nigiri form with rice and a dollop of wasabi. Wonderful! I could have eaten ten more.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgUYyXsFtLZD0L_N-taCWmkXrFxIBIIGpU8hCoiXdPYrSiBjVPvKvrSwnZr_gTbNbjwmxcJY6ZNuRS3iHW-rB7qv0hXE-oEleEM4btrKDUFQdnQYNi8l-bjh6ppyjRrtfEQpF7k4WZuQEqVtUZeuF6ny2eO-zFBmyEJvJD1m6slh45iGBjrBA=s3103" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2326" data-original-width="3103" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgUYyXsFtLZD0L_N-taCWmkXrFxIBIIGpU8hCoiXdPYrSiBjVPvKvrSwnZr_gTbNbjwmxcJY6ZNuRS3iHW-rB7qv0hXE-oEleEM4btrKDUFQdnQYNi8l-bjh6ppyjRrtfEQpF7k4WZuQEqVtUZeuF6ny2eO-zFBmyEJvJD1m6slh45iGBjrBA=w400-h300" title="Sushi Tadokoro - Aji Nigiri Sushi" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjwc1r8R-CvE_c0_TDwNXDzk4iW7emobilLY0WMBlouc81tDQ0DihVrvkbC4WTCVWtOiouVzrEdp4WPKQwTdHp7vsE0_lJzb8AkmoLvD1csF1iR0uTId0DzSkQNH5cISuDFKIaeo0GS23AKBs2qHGkLYRbXVLylc964Zc7HjUB7-Ru4WtzQzg=s3904" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2926" data-original-width="3904" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjwc1r8R-CvE_c0_TDwNXDzk4iW7emobilLY0WMBlouc81tDQ0DihVrvkbC4WTCVWtOiouVzrEdp4WPKQwTdHp7vsE0_lJzb8AkmoLvD1csF1iR0uTId0DzSkQNH5cISuDFKIaeo0GS23AKBs2qHGkLYRbXVLylc964Zc7HjUB7-Ru4WtzQzg=w400-h300" title="Sushi Tadokoro - Salmon Nigiri Sushi" width="400" /></a></div><p><b>Seared Tuna Sashimi</b> - Our last perfect dish was the tuna, pan seared with Garlic and Black Pepper and served with Ponzu Sauce. Each bite was heaven!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjnfP5SLjHyo-TI8eiM4VeMuijQYeQvXJq8YrhICIrGL3n2x7cFDTMu4TyOIaNk9LzHNKkSlDvNOF1PGb2xoXPff_2WuugfxqOIQtqZqv6B6EF7K_xEJ4TOuCId_1OwnetIN6IKnYA1O5rMf0EgW81xbNwI0YIUWTHnO_w4DC0VCmFvP8Tr1g=s4004" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4004" data-original-width="3003" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjnfP5SLjHyo-TI8eiM4VeMuijQYeQvXJq8YrhICIrGL3n2x7cFDTMu4TyOIaNk9LzHNKkSlDvNOF1PGb2xoXPff_2WuugfxqOIQtqZqv6B6EF7K_xEJ4TOuCId_1OwnetIN6IKnYA1O5rMf0EgW81xbNwI0YIUWTHnO_w4DC0VCmFvP8Tr1g=w300-h400" title="Sushi Tadokoro - Seared Tuna Sashimi" width="300" /></a></div><p><b>Black Sesame Ice Cream</b> - It was our first time trying this type of ice cream. It was delicious with a savoriness that we were not expecting. I couldn't tell if it was coming from the ice cream or the sauce since I was not able to get a bite of the ice cream without the sauce.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEicp4N8M2kcWQHUBOFdVdfhL-gM01s_mca0o3scdbNlXavZMfvwAFvH2iF_y28XWqHXrixaGT-1OHScPUomPPzjDzjsYXTUKmhPxPtmIMKrgjnpDg12FaAbqxVlEFmzdx-tFR5YDryHQFiQzEXuNTNkACmCWIh96dENoZUmOhB0dBNUkQwL3g=s4032" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEicp4N8M2kcWQHUBOFdVdfhL-gM01s_mca0o3scdbNlXavZMfvwAFvH2iF_y28XWqHXrixaGT-1OHScPUomPPzjDzjsYXTUKmhPxPtmIMKrgjnpDg12FaAbqxVlEFmzdx-tFR5YDryHQFiQzEXuNTNkACmCWIh96dENoZUmOhB0dBNUkQwL3g=w400-h300" title="Sushi Tadokoro - Black Sesame Ice Cream" width="400" /></a></div><p>Next time we come, we definitely want to try the <b>Omakase Course</b>. The word, Omakase, translates as "I leave it up to you" which means we would enjoy a long series of seasonal delicacies chosen by the chef.</p>Noah Unsworthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16787302506440922931noreply@blogger.com02244 San Diego Ave, San Diego, CA 92110, USA32.7483728 -117.19138424.438138963821153 -152.34763420000002 61.058606636178844 -82.0351342tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18659481.post-88149512081070194132022-02-13T23:30:00.318-08:002022-02-24T13:57:11.960-08:00My Mom's 70th Birthday (Tio's Tacos Riverside)<p>On my first weekend back from Costa Rica, we drove up to Riverside to celebrate my mother's 70th Birthday. She wanted to visit her father's childhood home so we all caravanned over to the old Wood Streets neighborhood. It was a cute little house on Elmwood Court. After growing up in Riverside, my grandfather, Austin DeVol, joined the U.S. Marines and flew dive bombers in World War II and fighter planes in the Korean War. Leaving the military as a Major, he then owned the DeVol Pet Center in the City of Orange until he retired.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjFzDOXlOt6dpdyUrTgpm4yO7Ba6Ar8aoivxR5g6v7gHIfgceROqsStBLyuxvKT_c2XCWDgtfWwYFrn-DjUvOrvRA9oe_7Lz22dqcl0ylF2B6KR2mhPRBhYsMY0WeshgiqnmwZuxsiibfCasmwnTXWzlqX5-KVpWS93WhyOxblGmg7UbYpf5w=s2955" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2955" data-original-width="2216" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjFzDOXlOt6dpdyUrTgpm4yO7Ba6Ar8aoivxR5g6v7gHIfgceROqsStBLyuxvKT_c2XCWDgtfWwYFrn-DjUvOrvRA9oe_7Lz22dqcl0ylF2B6KR2mhPRBhYsMY0WeshgiqnmwZuxsiibfCasmwnTXWzlqX5-KVpWS93WhyOxblGmg7UbYpf5w=w300-h400" title="Me and my Mom - 70th Birthday" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgHzXYEpkCjSYxz6ld07ZHWK6HuHBgcucJgTkntOLyXsP-uxWi-X1gCCaEdTjKF2-nuVHHZNkEtVcIZJOO7n4m2D80IH2YNVBI2WKjCtmS0GzICSQ5R3pZydHWiu13gRyGQNs-QrVsnlVlXCU2ryN-6O5CnONZIn9hDOtRjwN7qu-s0-1c57A=s4032" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgHzXYEpkCjSYxz6ld07ZHWK6HuHBgcucJgTkntOLyXsP-uxWi-X1gCCaEdTjKF2-nuVHHZNkEtVcIZJOO7n4m2D80IH2YNVBI2WKjCtmS0GzICSQ5R3pZydHWiu13gRyGQNs-QrVsnlVlXCU2ryN-6O5CnONZIn9hDOtRjwN7qu-s0-1c57A=w400-h300" title="Riverside - Grandfather's Childhood Home" width="400" /></a></div><p>Our family then headed over to <b>Tio's Tacos</b> for lunch in Downtown Riverside. The famous Mexican restaurant spreads out over a one-acre garden, filled with art installations and sculptures created from recycled items, waste material and junk by the owner and artist, Martin Sanchez. Opening the restaurant in 1990, Martin ended up buying up the entire city block to expand his art garden and cover his family home on the same property with giant sculptures. There was a long line to order at the counter but there were plenty of seats out in the garden. There was an hour long wait for the food but that was no big deal as we drank our margaritas and walked around to explore the amazing art. The food was classic Mexican taco shop style with tasty refried beans. We also had a delicious Agua Fresca from the well-stocked juice bar.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiGGTkdK71FwzZ4MzHxRHVwwjmzWTqwErLXckdyDBKLnIwTm-2QWiKmFTCgsDvlONc9zpkjQl4uN-Nbjk7JfyKqvTMYGES23cEzwX-41hjbQp6e5vp2ZT1m31iLwRTWLlD9SkpElSF9EsjaGIlHu0FeuePlnsTv0Bdmb_KLFETa06Xnve71XA=s3780" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3780" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiGGTkdK71FwzZ4MzHxRHVwwjmzWTqwErLXckdyDBKLnIwTm-2QWiKmFTCgsDvlONc9zpkjQl4uN-Nbjk7JfyKqvTMYGES23cEzwX-41hjbQp6e5vp2ZT1m31iLwRTWLlD9SkpElSF9EsjaGIlHu0FeuePlnsTv0Bdmb_KLFETa06Xnve71XA=w320-h400" title="Riverside - Tio's Tacos" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjnfYo_iIPilgNYU9oAJq-vexKInXiB28vI9zOr1ncnuLyXx-_xJzcHo6c3595B16FszYa8ih2aF4COs61J1aM-1CxmcEoT0HGQDf_fHvrIVjmShd6DIg3zY12FVfPA1EkEtj0fuX6DlvQSlrR1rZL7jMoLgY9brb4ULA5adTy8p3HmPp96yQ=s3995" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2993" data-original-width="3995" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjnfYo_iIPilgNYU9oAJq-vexKInXiB28vI9zOr1ncnuLyXx-_xJzcHo6c3595B16FszYa8ih2aF4COs61J1aM-1CxmcEoT0HGQDf_fHvrIVjmShd6DIg3zY12FVfPA1EkEtj0fuX6DlvQSlrR1rZL7jMoLgY9brb4ULA5adTy8p3HmPp96yQ=w400-h300" title="Riverside - Tio's Tacos" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiYCdsnU1AUFSnnga57t9EFuILZ2O6xjlPD4FSRtMLlb8E9r03Fz9BzNZJAKrQigcBYHHoO9fOj3lQsiZenPUGryBQVwv_pZv7zeHBval3ilzp60cRIfoEoPlUUpBvaPH5vrOPECVkK7fKkrqFBlol4UapEhOVd8Mcr1EhgWb2RJKyHtHRHPA=s4032" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiYCdsnU1AUFSnnga57t9EFuILZ2O6xjlPD4FSRtMLlb8E9r03Fz9BzNZJAKrQigcBYHHoO9fOj3lQsiZenPUGryBQVwv_pZv7zeHBval3ilzp60cRIfoEoPlUUpBvaPH5vrOPECVkK7fKkrqFBlol4UapEhOVd8Mcr1EhgWb2RJKyHtHRHPA=w400-h300" title="Riverside - Tio's Tacos" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi1o6np9jXuoeCZ2jIKUMu3-wUmG9L0THxZRCrikl-FVUl63ewmB6kkqXXO5f-y_8jWGFBdgY9idKPIuM6tpgbfLvKASSbcDnDKowFgzoI5GUzYNDw97HIJmBhNskSUrAcWA5yFWy1ZW9Om2GaGgdziaTPS2t0sIf5-obuan1N3eyuF4LfGXg=s3941" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2955" data-original-width="3941" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi1o6np9jXuoeCZ2jIKUMu3-wUmG9L0THxZRCrikl-FVUl63ewmB6kkqXXO5f-y_8jWGFBdgY9idKPIuM6tpgbfLvKASSbcDnDKowFgzoI5GUzYNDw97HIJmBhNskSUrAcWA5yFWy1ZW9Om2GaGgdziaTPS2t0sIf5-obuan1N3eyuF4LfGXg=w400-h300" title="Riverside - Tio's Tacos" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiB2yjxD056N3Sm5ks02uo_E-_OB3cpm886qKl1EOqZ_EpfRL1hR8zbeKEhP8CPp4Ya3SYeDvn5g5A42hMcvlsKRJemGIB_WeQzDH_Llqo8QDe28q6rnFiPYKeDJw5ygNGA_1HAy3xyTVe8X0qHeyaILuIRBdGDUfbWgJssIaqhgh5PF-rDzw=s3757" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3757" data-original-width="3006" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiB2yjxD056N3Sm5ks02uo_E-_OB3cpm886qKl1EOqZ_EpfRL1hR8zbeKEhP8CPp4Ya3SYeDvn5g5A42hMcvlsKRJemGIB_WeQzDH_Llqo8QDe28q6rnFiPYKeDJw5ygNGA_1HAy3xyTVe8X0qHeyaILuIRBdGDUfbWgJssIaqhgh5PF-rDzw=w320-h400" title="Riverside - Tio's Tacos (Cathedral made of Glass Bottles)" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEipwDkTSoD9kl3YJoCnJFMm6D_AxweBnMwwpnNRjU8anxqegfDAWarGsaOLxsy7K6ooZMT9MKFAErQNDZwCOuMbH1jlZzlkNKiLfkOFoJu6K17c_QI1989gpGYIrWwLp4mMI1Pt-Tnd8SLieQEOKQflo8BToF0D6T_vVuG8_oNwHl9frGzuAw=s3780" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3780" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEipwDkTSoD9kl3YJoCnJFMm6D_AxweBnMwwpnNRjU8anxqegfDAWarGsaOLxsy7K6ooZMT9MKFAErQNDZwCOuMbH1jlZzlkNKiLfkOFoJu6K17c_QI1989gpGYIrWwLp4mMI1Pt-Tnd8SLieQEOKQflo8BToF0D6T_vVuG8_oNwHl9frGzuAw=w320-h400" title="Riverside - Tio's Tacos (Interior of the Cathedral)" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiouhzrw_jv_ANGZDoHj54ehvDMCQw_WncjYyriQOorwOWXj0bOico2OJ-DCF1kr4djKi4T00PJzSq7Ch75KBPeTRXODJaKLEPi7Jk3ueAc3nTLA_uYfzOFJGBU9Fq-AN0U6p1tg_1WNS6mk6QKacrJz5_qHeBk6opCKhNn2ig9cQ4WZGGgzQ=s3716" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3716" data-original-width="2973" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiouhzrw_jv_ANGZDoHj54ehvDMCQw_WncjYyriQOorwOWXj0bOico2OJ-DCF1kr4djKi4T00PJzSq7Ch75KBPeTRXODJaKLEPi7Jk3ueAc3nTLA_uYfzOFJGBU9Fq-AN0U6p1tg_1WNS6mk6QKacrJz5_qHeBk6opCKhNn2ig9cQ4WZGGgzQ=w320-h400" title="Riverside - Tio's Tacos (Giant Palm Tree Sculpture)" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiAgmrqnyyJFD567YihSvTYNnTrgyQzD_fLJsY0A4sr-jhszppEd2WMRse00eYd67XGGsGNv9Y7Tr9QTuXo0byOHuCzvjbljQDX2uUi-YgTMTKVTMBzjDraoaP7GJ2brMzoEJezVYzX1TGbykIZ8E4OxiJSkpoIL0YfbciiXN70C0uzgv-Ksw=s3580" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3580" data-original-width="2864" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiAgmrqnyyJFD567YihSvTYNnTrgyQzD_fLJsY0A4sr-jhszppEd2WMRse00eYd67XGGsGNv9Y7Tr9QTuXo0byOHuCzvjbljQDX2uUi-YgTMTKVTMBzjDraoaP7GJ2brMzoEJezVYzX1TGbykIZ8E4OxiJSkpoIL0YfbciiXN70C0uzgv-Ksw=w320-h400" title="Riverside - Tio's Tacos" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj7tMEj91SVVkss30tXcwNl-GqCKwCFAcudQveyIT6chMv4SLbdpZZSJHYJJqkLPO2amUin0Uu66K-JT9ITH6QT6-mK900uAED_bT508EHEsn4NZb2cWm851_BMEDgMO-13XgnOEnBO8k1n3LE67raTF51HcW2PghacV2qzFfF4IxjCHPcA9Q=s3795" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2843" data-original-width="3795" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj7tMEj91SVVkss30tXcwNl-GqCKwCFAcudQveyIT6chMv4SLbdpZZSJHYJJqkLPO2amUin0Uu66K-JT9ITH6QT6-mK900uAED_bT508EHEsn4NZb2cWm851_BMEDgMO-13XgnOEnBO8k1n3LE67raTF51HcW2PghacV2qzFfF4IxjCHPcA9Q=w400-h300" title="Riverside - Tio's Tacos" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjESM5TqOyv-X00XHc4fH7U5bP5OctSyIgeA8TWTDi48jQHb4g7trrzXofnA9new3y7ZR263mssPoM9u4Gx2vJqzNFaoS_1iPekLUiU7PlK7Nwgp9s5mgbrc-94P-ms_UtkhfZ2ueRVoOwE6mI49vVTEX5dj1_vX9dMdA7lWryiArvWRU_V9g=s3650" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3650" data-original-width="2920" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjESM5TqOyv-X00XHc4fH7U5bP5OctSyIgeA8TWTDi48jQHb4g7trrzXofnA9new3y7ZR263mssPoM9u4Gx2vJqzNFaoS_1iPekLUiU7PlK7Nwgp9s5mgbrc-94P-ms_UtkhfZ2ueRVoOwE6mI49vVTEX5dj1_vX9dMdA7lWryiArvWRU_V9g=w320-h400" title="Riverside - Tio's Tacos" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjdpLFTqtr3gP88CZmS0gCtyBo1_lvr1ovcn8wYIMwrzLPHz8-mf7zYTUqeCo3aAe4C30kY7ffH3dWX_humt9yflBiA0kHmF3Qubc9zC3zUfVCXaWI5hdFmK-X27FCgiYQ8-0SHzO0C1nXnol_urZEvRuBpE_uQDvEZj5gRXINHLFaabv66ZA=s3750" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3750" data-original-width="3000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjdpLFTqtr3gP88CZmS0gCtyBo1_lvr1ovcn8wYIMwrzLPHz8-mf7zYTUqeCo3aAe4C30kY7ffH3dWX_humt9yflBiA0kHmF3Qubc9zC3zUfVCXaWI5hdFmK-X27FCgiYQ8-0SHzO0C1nXnol_urZEvRuBpE_uQDvEZj5gRXINHLFaabv66ZA=w320-h400" title="Riverside - Tio's Tacos" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjBLgTht-R8Ur6NS7sQCqlPjxvsHMF2gCMAelvD0pcM8IkOG46lmdlmDtNOOkB56ImY4P7_cBh3jxOxhQUIqSy-niftnDisr5wTvuEhFqskCbklL8mBncJt60yJMBvbGhkj6rg7Y3zK_sf6ypPdMOfWQxx30jL_P9ox8a4D_5pWfK1QBNV7oQ=s3637" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3637" data-original-width="2910" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjBLgTht-R8Ur6NS7sQCqlPjxvsHMF2gCMAelvD0pcM8IkOG46lmdlmDtNOOkB56ImY4P7_cBh3jxOxhQUIqSy-niftnDisr5wTvuEhFqskCbklL8mBncJt60yJMBvbGhkj6rg7Y3zK_sf6ypPdMOfWQxx30jL_P9ox8a4D_5pWfK1QBNV7oQ=w320-h400" title="Riverside - Tio's Tacos" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjsM4vldwVCsHmlPD1_RXim-lda_Iipflzu9wGxri6qWDbv7pSgX7MxJhZxIiAnCA9ru8mR2lSqrjV1kkPmqh3s9fUsF0TOElvGcIMf8PNckASFYIh5rwWnCa62uwmBVYYmF37UhrHojmTxDDLrIJDSgcQL_2gYibsrxSKqOh45BXNHZhTM_w=s3227" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3227" data-original-width="2582" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjsM4vldwVCsHmlPD1_RXim-lda_Iipflzu9wGxri6qWDbv7pSgX7MxJhZxIiAnCA9ru8mR2lSqrjV1kkPmqh3s9fUsF0TOElvGcIMf8PNckASFYIh5rwWnCa62uwmBVYYmF37UhrHojmTxDDLrIJDSgcQL_2gYibsrxSKqOh45BXNHZhTM_w=w320-h400" title="Riverside - Tio's Tacos" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiHHNDRRwGEkSD7WsVCN2F5_nwwJG6DRbpX7_Z1zb5f0VY4Od7pIsfvFF31laH4wUk2wuHAwyUjB_wJXP0uy5ZZRui2jLICtfQgHzz53PzwC1IV5STMdp4qlOU7w-f1p1bkarwoxf3OTT1C6iWpBamY3nDu4pfPFvscBwDQ2rH5B7jjhFAIdQ=s3778" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3778" data-original-width="3023" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiHHNDRRwGEkSD7WsVCN2F5_nwwJG6DRbpX7_Z1zb5f0VY4Od7pIsfvFF31laH4wUk2wuHAwyUjB_wJXP0uy5ZZRui2jLICtfQgHzz53PzwC1IV5STMdp4qlOU7w-f1p1bkarwoxf3OTT1C6iWpBamY3nDu4pfPFvscBwDQ2rH5B7jjhFAIdQ=w320-h400" title="Riverside - Tio's Tacos" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhA-C0Qvj0MTDkznPorfJsMwmspE2TQ2klUakQpoZT4nP9fLD1E7IrbURxevSLAnVH_yK2z8X_mCpZZU2xCKWFmYhYn98GWTAP8Qy12gaHi79Y1UCf3WpFzcPjWXiLg_QKpJ7iN1NAUuRHhpArUek8uSV3hMMMkkR4i1vW9ril5nyX_YmtBUQ=s4032" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhA-C0Qvj0MTDkznPorfJsMwmspE2TQ2klUakQpoZT4nP9fLD1E7IrbURxevSLAnVH_yK2z8X_mCpZZU2xCKWFmYhYn98GWTAP8Qy12gaHi79Y1UCf3WpFzcPjWXiLg_QKpJ7iN1NAUuRHhpArUek8uSV3hMMMkkR4i1vW9ril5nyX_YmtBUQ=w400-h300" title="Riverside - Tio's Tacos" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgkAc7-XbGG0WUwP6_227y5xjf4Z2U0JYzDlPfQH0GMoGuZQL-orPX0jY8nxwCHHKJts_gBs2X2ZnsypGMvkeECGdhPpZcO9wrTWXweEuMsHSh68-NQbydGJAfoTfKr2kBenfUroh-fdZ8V7JMcWadf4-3jijBzN0jTRpsEI-eSXbhiS2BW4A=s2834" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2834" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgkAc7-XbGG0WUwP6_227y5xjf4Z2U0JYzDlPfQH0GMoGuZQL-orPX0jY8nxwCHHKJts_gBs2X2ZnsypGMvkeECGdhPpZcO9wrTWXweEuMsHSh68-NQbydGJAfoTfKr2kBenfUroh-fdZ8V7JMcWadf4-3jijBzN0jTRpsEI-eSXbhiS2BW4A=w320-h400" title="Riverside - Tio's Tacos" width="320" /></a></div><p>After our meal, we all went for a walk past the brand new downtown branch of the <b>Riverside Main Library</b> that opened in June 2021. The two-story library was built about 30 feet off the ground to allow for an arcade space under the building. Our final destination was the vintage <b>Fox Performing Arts Theatre</b> on the corner where my grandfather worked as an teenaged usher, earning 15 cents an hour.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhwI3blU9_KEmp0Kws-P8tldpMb8yLWrgcDDMPKiFn-GMfCNtR61pXzftlBNVHRoj2prtqk3lvxo13HowKIxhhTbXMIQCh-H0jGfA6CAV1asgt1ZDYaKks35bIiV0E3coPBMubWyEQBPHMt_E6ryGH0_lak9pI5bPq1F_agHQC-jBF7vbPHfw=s4032" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhwI3blU9_KEmp0Kws-P8tldpMb8yLWrgcDDMPKiFn-GMfCNtR61pXzftlBNVHRoj2prtqk3lvxo13HowKIxhhTbXMIQCh-H0jGfA6CAV1asgt1ZDYaKks35bIiV0E3coPBMubWyEQBPHMt_E6ryGH0_lak9pI5bPq1F_agHQC-jBF7vbPHfw=w400-h300" title="Riverside Main Library" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiWwbJO8tOlGGrV-Im06TzaCnNqT1Wd5OWIIqMLWTwq0NIT4BtXMBlTvA_S-CD36uoMZbYz72LrH2l_k832bzQddVUZ4Do-HXdqQNwErzYJcHdgc3iy-u-0aHDlWSWpMGNF7L-qogeHXRx7eWaVqfpSDEix-yyt6pGi_PlH3aBfBTZ5gyNEMg=s3938" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2951" data-original-width="3938" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiWwbJO8tOlGGrV-Im06TzaCnNqT1Wd5OWIIqMLWTwq0NIT4BtXMBlTvA_S-CD36uoMZbYz72LrH2l_k832bzQddVUZ4Do-HXdqQNwErzYJcHdgc3iy-u-0aHDlWSWpMGNF7L-qogeHXRx7eWaVqfpSDEix-yyt6pGi_PlH3aBfBTZ5gyNEMg=w400-h300" title="Riverside Main Library" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgKak91bZ6nnhZZlKWtOg6hhDDPoqi_G7JNeJmVgU__4kWifz0yPgV3MJqbVXmz31EqZpxfs37wKoMVoQcpXciX_2-p1cxt-rQKCmEWbridZoGtcJTjp41UxPn9q9crShJZvia9xbMlkcYrAu8on-v-Ir4sVZ2OG3WeVpZExJubrKYCHIGk_w=s4008" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4008" data-original-width="3006" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgKak91bZ6nnhZZlKWtOg6hhDDPoqi_G7JNeJmVgU__4kWifz0yPgV3MJqbVXmz31EqZpxfs37wKoMVoQcpXciX_2-p1cxt-rQKCmEWbridZoGtcJTjp41UxPn9q9crShJZvia9xbMlkcYrAu8on-v-Ir4sVZ2OG3WeVpZExJubrKYCHIGk_w=w300-h400" title="Riverside - Fox Performing Arts Theatre" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiW0Zz3mYtjQTE3arVZc3F8L4f9tqxsSFCWLaXosHaxsk4bx5HGP_6-g3hFys3ZyQ88SPcdNeQ42rD8OZH2cQF6cjTbni9ZMmDDV7nMVYCa_BJBHUGbaonvuOIDtqtuBRCljj6kMp-ujrbJVqhZXtRBcYfzJQUBsSXEJ8f6UxY2VH7tSUF6DA=s4032" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiW0Zz3mYtjQTE3arVZc3F8L4f9tqxsSFCWLaXosHaxsk4bx5HGP_6-g3hFys3ZyQ88SPcdNeQ42rD8OZH2cQF6cjTbni9ZMmDDV7nMVYCa_BJBHUGbaonvuOIDtqtuBRCljj6kMp-ujrbJVqhZXtRBcYfzJQUBsSXEJ8f6UxY2VH7tSUF6DA=w300-h400" title="Riverside - Fox Performing Arts Theatre" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Update: 2/19/22</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We finally went to breakfast at <b>Morning Glory</b> in Little Italy. To avoid the long lines of this extremely popular diner, we arrived at 7:20am and were the second group. The line was stretching out-of-sight by the time the place opened at 8am. After being seated in the still empty restaurant, we ordered the Trending Hard Latte (Honey & Cinnamon) and the Soufflé Pancakes. These fluffy Japanese-style pancakes are extremely popular so it was good to be get in our order as the restaurant rapidly filled up. There was only two of these airy vanilla-flavored pancakes on the plate, but they were delicious with their light sweetness that didn't need any extra butter.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhbI63rHC6-kkpi0-td_Me7YcK_BMvHE0WjO4GhG9fIH7sEbi7_bcOaFe6P8Y8rVmmeu8LX4JRQZCXEjOUEYlqxHN4Ze6NFeiFgsug31o259kgGnkurDN5UcZMb2ipIINdAESSJXb5w-v3Ma9oZUyH7lYsoOBBzo75dvyRhILrWENYLg3s6kg=s3935" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2951" data-original-width="3935" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhbI63rHC6-kkpi0-td_Me7YcK_BMvHE0WjO4GhG9fIH7sEbi7_bcOaFe6P8Y8rVmmeu8LX4JRQZCXEjOUEYlqxHN4Ze6NFeiFgsug31o259kgGnkurDN5UcZMb2ipIINdAESSJXb5w-v3Ma9oZUyH7lYsoOBBzo75dvyRhILrWENYLg3s6kg=w400-h300" title="Little Italy - Tori is 2nd in line at Morning Glory" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjYHGFClbPe5CLeHe-hnupWaHBmrYz45O3kvd5hiHFgAb7vGR3A3WovpfeYArMebeltUOX1HqPXsB2IkMGFuzXZpU2HNbvyic7jXhU8e0ZWx2roBncvIn9xWXl4326dpYLK5xMLbvrdVbpTUif12ufzQx8CjoRrabCDjr3vn2asW9V0LJ6Xew=s3983" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2987" data-original-width="3983" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjYHGFClbPe5CLeHe-hnupWaHBmrYz45O3kvd5hiHFgAb7vGR3A3WovpfeYArMebeltUOX1HqPXsB2IkMGFuzXZpU2HNbvyic7jXhU8e0ZWx2roBncvIn9xWXl4326dpYLK5xMLbvrdVbpTUif12ufzQx8CjoRrabCDjr3vn2asW9V0LJ6Xew=w400-h300" title="Little Italy - Long Line at Morning Glory" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj01u0H3RMhwxn4VyYdjGA_9He6SliKBQAMg_EVZPBw2dk-vsXCxTGZLA4VRPRm1gVyd7z7wqogTxHT9S_Yk5NLgUSSh_FOtlUsgBbuLNpquvcDGbkFVIYt4Ktz1E90Ey9Fwbqj844j_4O3RC1wKBwzHDDlrGE03V67a-nNS_Rvy2_LWtGiew=s3962" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2971" data-original-width="3962" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj01u0H3RMhwxn4VyYdjGA_9He6SliKBQAMg_EVZPBw2dk-vsXCxTGZLA4VRPRm1gVyd7z7wqogTxHT9S_Yk5NLgUSSh_FOtlUsgBbuLNpquvcDGbkFVIYt4Ktz1E90Ey9Fwbqj844j_4O3RC1wKBwzHDDlrGE03V67a-nNS_Rvy2_LWtGiew=w400-h300" title="Little Italy - Morning Glory" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjwj0renAIPop3rjPzUnsTiFzAp1SNIaxCefw-K4eWpfy8m92SwoVPDaTa7_y_F_kC0DQAab_X2GpWm4hmIZgSU190L_qcLy9o4WjYlTC9lbZgJG2G6q1umDh93Jo2moVa1g8e0Tz72YdxjtU4WoMkBppDaAz5Y-u_t_coOl6CaVT7ncf9Nag=s3883" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2911" data-original-width="3883" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjwj0renAIPop3rjPzUnsTiFzAp1SNIaxCefw-K4eWpfy8m92SwoVPDaTa7_y_F_kC0DQAab_X2GpWm4hmIZgSU190L_qcLy9o4WjYlTC9lbZgJG2G6q1umDh93Jo2moVa1g8e0Tz72YdxjtU4WoMkBppDaAz5Y-u_t_coOl6CaVT7ncf9Nag=w400-h300" title="Little Italy - Morning Glory" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We also ordered the <b>Khachapuri</b>, a breakfast-type pizza from the country of Georgia topped with Mozzarella, Feta, Butter, Garlic and a Cracked Egg. We also shared the <b>Egg Salad Sandwich</b>, another Japanese-style import with a boiled egg between two pieces of Wonder Bread with the crusts cut off. As we were eating, we realized that we forgot to order their version of hash browns, the <b>Crispy Scalloped Potato</b>. Oh well, we can get it next time because I still want to try the Morning Glory Fried Rice, the Chorizo Grande and one of their signature Hot Chocolates.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjFwuPZcNgDzTT4l6WMcqhsM2tWE25lqP12T2HPzfDQCnb1qXwJtt0_u5qvJOss28Dc5vxl-V8WtuLVW-7mIsW6pcKIcN8_ptFK5PSaJm4w7xs-sDyxJPmyt9GWnkeUb79DJW10V2mWvft_kRedclQPAipYwKwQTL7im8DPtPbA_GYZHMAXDQ=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjFwuPZcNgDzTT4l6WMcqhsM2tWE25lqP12T2HPzfDQCnb1qXwJtt0_u5qvJOss28Dc5vxl-V8WtuLVW-7mIsW6pcKIcN8_ptFK5PSaJm4w7xs-sDyxJPmyt9GWnkeUb79DJW10V2mWvft_kRedclQPAipYwKwQTL7im8DPtPbA_GYZHMAXDQ=w400-h300" title="Little Italy - Trending Hard Latte at Morning Glory" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg50soWRtzFpo03XD7CY-SgqANOhFKYDl9RSCtn79zszkJIb92JjSQxRccbf5WpOmbfwtwvZd0vN6utR8OIpQ5ETRhIT3hBtLOuzSW53TCFPldvtfdhe_RvEAgB39SCRrzuqcAzxnGkUcoMyjK4ubRRzUx7160f7lHaRBeL7JNztegcdyXXVw=s3976" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3976" data-original-width="2982" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg50soWRtzFpo03XD7CY-SgqANOhFKYDl9RSCtn79zszkJIb92JjSQxRccbf5WpOmbfwtwvZd0vN6utR8OIpQ5ETRhIT3hBtLOuzSW53TCFPldvtfdhe_RvEAgB39SCRrzuqcAzxnGkUcoMyjK4ubRRzUx7160f7lHaRBeL7JNztegcdyXXVw=w300-h400" title="Little Italy - Soufflé Pancakes at Morning Glory" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgJUehFcL6EuURdXPYPt7_FM9XdYR4PSW8fXAIBo8E7lZWmIHeMl8OqWt_R9-Lmlu3xCDRuXnWEnVy6ipR_c9Xp3nYdVqQwvMcic7RcBqSWwvMIHsrsj21dqdy-rNQDgaTRiFpY0hAgd4kCZmajGFak1jINwauniCs_bHjqeJw2zReL2ZqFMg=s3788" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3788" data-original-width="2841" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgJUehFcL6EuURdXPYPt7_FM9XdYR4PSW8fXAIBo8E7lZWmIHeMl8OqWt_R9-Lmlu3xCDRuXnWEnVy6ipR_c9Xp3nYdVqQwvMcic7RcBqSWwvMIHsrsj21dqdy-rNQDgaTRiFpY0hAgd4kCZmajGFak1jINwauniCs_bHjqeJw2zReL2ZqFMg=w300-h400" title="Little Italy - Egg Salad Sandwich and Khachapuri at Morning Glory" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgbnrFq01zIJ9RYa3LfcuHox3NXc-IxFi31l6oaEwKX34KWLPf_wS2xudOZpfRt-fUB5rwLTLVIlHaAKXcnfZwGKwZWPLuO4l52XMa2jgqfOm86eY7V5qFET888NSw_EiAc2wzfBoFwikDcTnuECm4jNs8xWENvnLz9oBmOPExuFWaZwU153Q=s3970" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2977" data-original-width="3970" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgbnrFq01zIJ9RYa3LfcuHox3NXc-IxFi31l6oaEwKX34KWLPf_wS2xudOZpfRt-fUB5rwLTLVIlHaAKXcnfZwGKwZWPLuO4l52XMa2jgqfOm86eY7V5qFET888NSw_EiAc2wzfBoFwikDcTnuECm4jNs8xWENvnLz9oBmOPExuFWaZwU153Q=w400-h300" title="Little Italy - Busy Day at Morning Glory" width="400" /></a></div>Noah Unsworthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16787302506440922931noreply@blogger.com03948 Mission Inn Avenue, Riverside, CA 92501, USA33.9841356 -117.37694635.6739017638211564 -152.5331963 62.294369436178847 -82.2206963tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18659481.post-23325205355790097552022-02-06T22:16:04.013-08:002023-05-31T12:40:34.248-07:00Costa Rica Trip to Playa Negra and Arenal Volcano (Sloths, Canyoning, and Surfing)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKLhns2t066kjFBmlu6xZBEMWajrgBlGth5qKFtnCi9L6R73H1GyR4pRL-r-Tm550cfGtRtvRHhnp7JHmXDi1VWxSaQfiUdOlOvQqu2YG1YBiEBoAsv9Hx78OsDvFJ-w6YaAIxMJ7jsO1EhJGL2zIvAlxXv4gfLwxciVsVzx_3Lz4eqJZjaQ/s1834/RobertUnsworth_CostaRica_PlayaNegra_Surfing3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1031" data-original-width="1834" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKLhns2t066kjFBmlu6xZBEMWajrgBlGth5qKFtnCi9L6R73H1GyR4pRL-r-Tm550cfGtRtvRHhnp7JHmXDi1VWxSaQfiUdOlOvQqu2YG1YBiEBoAsv9Hx78OsDvFJ-w6YaAIxMJ7jsO1EhJGL2zIvAlxXv4gfLwxciVsVzx_3Lz4eqJZjaQ/w400-h225/RobertUnsworth_CostaRica_PlayaNegra_Surfing3.jpg" title="Costa Rica - Surfing with my Dad at Playa Negra" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">When my father retired from the construction business five years ago, he moved down to <b>Costa Rica</b> to live in <b>Playa Negra</b>, a small village with dirt roads on the Pacific Coast. All his life, he had dreamed of living in a tropical hut near the beach where he could go surfing everyday. He ended up buying a small piece of property near a world-famous surf break that we had surfed together during a previous trip in 2004. After several postponements due to the pandemic, my wife and I finally had a chance to go visit him. On Thursday, January 20, we took Alaska Airline's direct flight down to the Liberia airport with our nephew, Ryder. Customs took over an hour where we had to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination or a travel insurance policy to enter the country. My dad was waiting outside for us as we picked up our rental car at the nearby Avis and followed him back down the coast to Playa Negra.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijVnmn_MI6vo9Y25t-63rGI45K0WkdHHZnFSZlwwwnbmSHAjv_QjD5oJ1hPfJzeIbscVQeGo0E5DzgGZgLA6BtLApyczWEPILX-4vpehhTYCc2wECWEaKllEHM9qucPUxmqzolCL23x3qAs0tZaajmQDztidosWGZGwcnaGO2t5f0oKx4fmg/s3893/CostaRica0001_LAX.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2918" data-original-width="3893" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijVnmn_MI6vo9Y25t-63rGI45K0WkdHHZnFSZlwwwnbmSHAjv_QjD5oJ1hPfJzeIbscVQeGo0E5DzgGZgLA6BtLApyczWEPILX-4vpehhTYCc2wECWEaKllEHM9qucPUxmqzolCL23x3qAs0tZaajmQDztidosWGZGwcnaGO2t5f0oKx4fmg/w400-h300/CostaRica0001_LAX.jpg" title="Costa Rica Trip - Ryder and Tori at LAX" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAPhcnFjYa0r1JobURTgVw6olaiA5TUhLgq7y1F8XO31ZjUKBbjVtB7dj675nhd-V3dEFlUYSR-SCoMPOHYL3T48pcVn4-HvgUcRj2TXMWtEB5RDskTJ3gxtjgbP1T6uHxOy73gR4CLtRwrfb9djA_ZDNjHo7tVn6wPwZnV1OhqmwEcl34Gg/s3580/CostaRica0008_AlaskaAirlines.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3580" data-original-width="2864" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAPhcnFjYa0r1JobURTgVw6olaiA5TUhLgq7y1F8XO31ZjUKBbjVtB7dj675nhd-V3dEFlUYSR-SCoMPOHYL3T48pcVn4-HvgUcRj2TXMWtEB5RDskTJ3gxtjgbP1T6uHxOy73gR4CLtRwrfb9djA_ZDNjHo7tVn6wPwZnV1OhqmwEcl34Gg/w320-h400/CostaRica0008_AlaskaAirlines.JPG" title="Costa Rica Trip - Alaska Airlines Flight to Liberia" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu3fpVjaXVeybu79VGGkbRquucyHEi4b8g28KMks2nCJigmPsjSt60EJpqoZnRMmkVfnczW72viIBonZZw2AB7mt9XrNHxKw20CtBb8d_YziRscfR7drljFpUMYBw58qiwgLcUlXZ1V7nICY4KqJmD78lv5cDPkrjWmcFcezIZ2LbMLh31uQ/s3955/CostaRica0012_PlayaNegra.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2963" data-original-width="3955" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu3fpVjaXVeybu79VGGkbRquucyHEi4b8g28KMks2nCJigmPsjSt60EJpqoZnRMmkVfnczW72viIBonZZw2AB7mt9XrNHxKw20CtBb8d_YziRscfR7drljFpUMYBw58qiwgLcUlXZ1V7nICY4KqJmD78lv5cDPkrjWmcFcezIZ2LbMLh31uQ/w400-h300/CostaRica0012_PlayaNegra.JPG" title="Costa Rica Trip - Unloading the Bike" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6Jm3toheZjH9Rp8L20soaqUzm1JQJU8QsUgdPZNCZ3h7xI6TOClxw-YwmmibQLhCIwydMpSnNhLnuZtA9NIoZF5qj7Htrt_WPld2iKBJBB9_lWlHVVB9wjg9ai8HiK6VboPJFuoIonYobPldSpVJSr_hDkQcRkAGCHjZrjZlYDs66lXAbaA/s3866/CostaRica0014_PlayaNegra.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2897" data-original-width="3866" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6Jm3toheZjH9Rp8L20soaqUzm1JQJU8QsUgdPZNCZ3h7xI6TOClxw-YwmmibQLhCIwydMpSnNhLnuZtA9NIoZF5qj7Htrt_WPld2iKBJBB9_lWlHVVB9wjg9ai8HiK6VboPJFuoIonYobPldSpVJSr_hDkQcRkAGCHjZrjZlYDs66lXAbaA/w400-h300/CostaRica0014_PlayaNegra.JPG" title="Costa Rica Trip - Ryder and Tori in Playa Negra after Midnight" width="400" /></a></div><p>The last five kilometers were dirt roads as we arrived at his home, <b>Case de Pacifica</b>, after midnight. My dad had left the door open while he was moving furniture around to prepare for our arrival so our room was full of mosquitos. After a few useless swings with the electric fly swatter, I gave up and slept with the sheet over my head. (While they died off quickly, we always had one or two of the little vampires circling around throughout the entire trip.) We originally planned to wake up at 3:30am to join Ryder and my Dad on a Sea Turtle Expedition but after our alarm woke us up two hours later, Tori and I cancelled and went back to sleep until 8:30am. Sitting outside in the morning, I was able to see his property in the sunlight for the first time and get my bearings. The two connected cabinas of my dad's house used to be rental cabins belonging to Pablo Picasso's hostel next door. After the property was subdivided, my father added on a small kitchen and laundry room to his cabinas as well as a detached garage. His current project is a new outdoor patio.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh38_Ak1W4W8cxzzSnfNYsyJM16IIsZ-QCqpwWluYO2ovrSii4MSB4bJsuSU2zfhxJGcmk0x6C-eRkFXmyUrETmc12qPTmAkLogM5n6ucH-76jw7AXs81e97BW04RWrDA3jo3L6QKNcmIiHkqptZam5x2F_xEnZp8kZVx1OxVfmbt7skqwi5Q/s4096/CostaRica0050_PlayaNegra_HouseOfThePacific.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2156" data-original-width="4096" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh38_Ak1W4W8cxzzSnfNYsyJM16IIsZ-QCqpwWluYO2ovrSii4MSB4bJsuSU2zfhxJGcmk0x6C-eRkFXmyUrETmc12qPTmAkLogM5n6ucH-76jw7AXs81e97BW04RWrDA3jo3L6QKNcmIiHkqptZam5x2F_xEnZp8kZVx1OxVfmbt7skqwi5Q/w400-h210/CostaRica0050_PlayaNegra_HouseOfThePacific.JPG" title="Costa Rica Trip - House of the Pacific in Playa Negra" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk38x1vPufdioxM0WMJ-dzX9-7pS2nzF01quWTm3VvuszWsoAP_9ZoZI83y99olFS06UeTbv0nigtMSkWQ37ACjGGMqQK-MJnm2yF3mib5gTk3aKqGrQjd_EX280RN3ZMx5ENYE9OAij-6e19F1tdWY8ZfqGkisRZA9gfZqEXRsT6Q2BY35A/s3520/CostaRica0051_PlayaNegra.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3520" data-original-width="2816" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk38x1vPufdioxM0WMJ-dzX9-7pS2nzF01quWTm3VvuszWsoAP_9ZoZI83y99olFS06UeTbv0nigtMSkWQ37ACjGGMqQK-MJnm2yF3mib5gTk3aKqGrQjd_EX280RN3ZMx5ENYE9OAij-6e19F1tdWY8ZfqGkisRZA9gfZqEXRsT6Q2BY35A/w320-h400/CostaRica0051_PlayaNegra.JPG" title="Costa Rica Trip - Tori outside our Cabina." width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4wiiyuka_2OvER2D8igXnaV3zhh_8kt8K3Rx-IrzrQ6VOEmdP2G-Cwh9VN9do5j4hthS7XJIGMqd_t2IFDjww63G1HGyAHfe3d9liUhNxTwMJa96sRjo_l5wujzeOATPf_ScBOnY9YOBWiwplUmwKyh1vgOX_g0W2I9DGR2xbOzJbglgeTA/s3871/CostaRica0054_PlayaNegra.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2902" data-original-width="3871" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4wiiyuka_2OvER2D8igXnaV3zhh_8kt8K3Rx-IrzrQ6VOEmdP2G-Cwh9VN9do5j4hthS7XJIGMqd_t2IFDjww63G1HGyAHfe3d9liUhNxTwMJa96sRjo_l5wujzeOATPf_ScBOnY9YOBWiwplUmwKyh1vgOX_g0W2I9DGR2xbOzJbglgeTA/w400-h300/CostaRica0054_PlayaNegra.JPG" title="Costa Rica Trip - Playa Negra" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivZmLgotXWZbzh3M2DDY92WLZXlRdM6seo-8eaNNujChcgrNm9QPb_hb_bXs1PTUkNYufA-dV_de_AGFtDsl3m-gTY4grUvM4EqVIkaXF27Y0hTLM9iU8km2avL0IyDyYoKgCGjF-bNoK-cNXlRkkVANjvyKS8mjnjOxrcMDTsezGxGoG9tA/s3726/CostaRica0055_PlayaNegra_Finca_Horses.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2795" data-original-width="3726" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivZmLgotXWZbzh3M2DDY92WLZXlRdM6seo-8eaNNujChcgrNm9QPb_hb_bXs1PTUkNYufA-dV_de_AGFtDsl3m-gTY4grUvM4EqVIkaXF27Y0hTLM9iU8km2avL0IyDyYoKgCGjF-bNoK-cNXlRkkVANjvyKS8mjnjOxrcMDTsezGxGoG9tA/w400-h300/CostaRica0055_PlayaNegra_Finca_Horses.JPG" title="Costa Rica Trip - Grazing Horses on Playa Negra Finca" width="400" /></a></div><p>Hungry for breakfast, Tori and I walked to the nearby <b>Hotel Playa Negra</b>. We saw several horses grazing in the Finca (farmland) surrounding my father's place on our way to the beach. Playa Negra looked exactly the same as it did in 2004, a tree-lined shore with the exposed black rocks of the reef giving the beach its descriptive name. Sitting down at the hotel's cafe, we ordered the traditional <b>Gallo Pinto</b>, a rice and bean dish served with eggs, plantains and a tortilla. I also tried the <b>Pipa Fria</b>, deliciously chilled coconut water served fresh inside it's shell. Walking back, we could see riders preparing for horse jumping competition in the field next to the hotel.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG9JFkXnfzUNu7BTQdKhunufjEIjlWSCKVcWPSYhFUamkYbCMkl8pSZDTJJCI1tG7TjFoWb3ofed7SS98TMjb-jMS2UXwzYTBwm-nh-RV378cwMmB16SCogqHiLXZJpNAyi8h0AKXc3WXzJQYZgH5COiI9hJq_tnd0wxb0aQn_QRCZLnDNfw/s3650/CostaRica0059_PlayaNegra.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2738" data-original-width="3650" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG9JFkXnfzUNu7BTQdKhunufjEIjlWSCKVcWPSYhFUamkYbCMkl8pSZDTJJCI1tG7TjFoWb3ofed7SS98TMjb-jMS2UXwzYTBwm-nh-RV378cwMmB16SCogqHiLXZJpNAyi8h0AKXc3WXzJQYZgH5COiI9hJq_tnd0wxb0aQn_QRCZLnDNfw/w400-h300/CostaRica0059_PlayaNegra.JPG" title="Costa Rica Trip - Playa Negra" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM8mZx-eosxflKI21czOOsjlVc_RKLi8_j-2aFtKrdADtHC7M8HbZhgtxNlRVKGYwFetNbXaPZ6gs-nzjfzzvm0FGZtYu_y3ZpTWxqoZzmhtgkS6vuSNqSgFdxloE4PIolmqqrVg3mYIJ8F47pDQbfcNF3ses7gkQiHz7ZBPwZzU6N-Y_KZw/s3713/CostaRica0064_PlayaNegra.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2782" data-original-width="3713" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM8mZx-eosxflKI21czOOsjlVc_RKLi8_j-2aFtKrdADtHC7M8HbZhgtxNlRVKGYwFetNbXaPZ6gs-nzjfzzvm0FGZtYu_y3ZpTWxqoZzmhtgkS6vuSNqSgFdxloE4PIolmqqrVg3mYIJ8F47pDQbfcNF3ses7gkQiHz7ZBPwZzU6N-Y_KZw/w400-h300/CostaRica0064_PlayaNegra.JPG" title="Costa Rica Trip - Playa Negra" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmjJbyXwYXit2TA6-7RU-rl6JXbK8Xz5yQBi4Tr3K210FdrbEtkrdTko9AVAu873Dj0Xc5RwhExc5_pr7xAshlX9RoTlz0c_x97F_PuOz4DIDNBZzS-mfZENeVseLhDNd4JSuoWw2GibWEULHkcYiothT_QWdfFsoO24A-YStFXx5_fDKrYg/s3501/CostaRica0073_HotelPlayaNegra_PipaFria_Coconut.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2626" data-original-width="3501" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmjJbyXwYXit2TA6-7RU-rl6JXbK8Xz5yQBi4Tr3K210FdrbEtkrdTko9AVAu873Dj0Xc5RwhExc5_pr7xAshlX9RoTlz0c_x97F_PuOz4DIDNBZzS-mfZENeVseLhDNd4JSuoWw2GibWEULHkcYiothT_QWdfFsoO24A-YStFXx5_fDKrYg/w400-h300/CostaRica0073_HotelPlayaNegra_PipaFria_Coconut.JPG" title="Costa Rica Trip - Pipa Fria at Hotel Playa Negra" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioutCFaCCLVtsKIYrqsWi7AfAplARI4CfV2hfSYgcCdaAohKx8eSokz-Nf9IOuDuJhsKcldpQqp5UTK1sTrVwc-USvfLt15ZU9pYWfDmfYYDp0y9aWb-x55-KTVEnJ8X-v_7ztIE_Je2IuYvjvezgTE2MVmO3fpzckESqsjNxabTf5Yjr_zA/s3782/CostaRica0081_HotelPlayaNegra.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2836" data-original-width="3782" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioutCFaCCLVtsKIYrqsWi7AfAplARI4CfV2hfSYgcCdaAohKx8eSokz-Nf9IOuDuJhsKcldpQqp5UTK1sTrVwc-USvfLt15ZU9pYWfDmfYYDp0y9aWb-x55-KTVEnJ8X-v_7ztIE_Je2IuYvjvezgTE2MVmO3fpzckESqsjNxabTf5Yjr_zA/w400-h300/CostaRica0081_HotelPlayaNegra.JPG" title="Costa Rica Trip - Hotel Playa Negra" width="400" /></a></div><p>After relaxing for a bit, we walked into the town of Playa Negra to explore. The town's center is only 400 meters long, with the Corazon Surf Cafe at one end and the Jalapeno Eatery at the other with a mix of mini-markets, restaurants, shops and cabina rentals in between. The dirt road through the town's heart was treated with residue of sugar cane ash that keeps down the dust from the cars driving through. Since we were pretty hot during our walk in the ninety degree heat, we stopped at the <b>Corazon Surf Cafe</b> for a smoothie. It was a relaxing shady spot with good WiFi and plenty of seats under their covered deck facing away from the road with a view of the trees and a dried stream bed. Probably even nicer during the rainy season when there would be river flowing through.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwHBvA-pnJ5jO-Xm_5OZVNiCwa52lR6L1c_tbl70t9zC4OEAbkzcBKPw514VOvfhx5xlYiDFOtSwjmQpjOsDw_wfltTwW1FoJNqAPYNpkvwwt8Mal52PINMAb4x4m3cz-HtBi8kL170XVUS3Rhep1rHlRNBwxp8HX1bYIIo_7oPGBFhetf6A/s4001/CostaRica0103_PlayaNegra.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4001" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwHBvA-pnJ5jO-Xm_5OZVNiCwa52lR6L1c_tbl70t9zC4OEAbkzcBKPw514VOvfhx5xlYiDFOtSwjmQpjOsDw_wfltTwW1FoJNqAPYNpkvwwt8Mal52PINMAb4x4m3cz-HtBi8kL170XVUS3Rhep1rHlRNBwxp8HX1bYIIo_7oPGBFhetf6A/w400-h300/CostaRica0103_PlayaNegra.JPG" title="Costa Rica Trip - Playa Negra" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5-CIsdcfOjwdm_e4v0mlmTZGPrcgwMNKh3uwxl0xNiEVzXfiPfC1TNcldmYuy9_owwjI3674Ld41U0CWmZx9WYBHUSpCqTQf8RSe1LhXdsr6jAddZLByOtzWrLr-EsgtgP-x-BGNRulmz_dgx88ayPKxZj6NuNhqiqHbpVy8BFDjpJrbjqw/s3779/CostaRica0116_PlayaNegra_ShavingBrushTree_Kapok.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3779" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5-CIsdcfOjwdm_e4v0mlmTZGPrcgwMNKh3uwxl0xNiEVzXfiPfC1TNcldmYuy9_owwjI3674Ld41U0CWmZx9WYBHUSpCqTQf8RSe1LhXdsr6jAddZLByOtzWrLr-EsgtgP-x-BGNRulmz_dgx88ayPKxZj6NuNhqiqHbpVy8BFDjpJrbjqw/w320-h400/CostaRica0116_PlayaNegra_ShavingBrushTree_Kapok.JPG" title="Costa Rica Trip - Playa Negra (Shaving Brush Tree)" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmCWMTV9m23RU4r6xNEXOuodLdzbBoisC7M9J1IRPgFurdRGdwGACOIruTYaXOnRgzMn2F0dovq8sSdvQSuGVI4__kTPvuS85GtTS8UEQBO0q1j1p0mbd7Qyt2_GAxvFJXZDbii7XHxg2YsJjoaqC2FBrd7QW6QOUQLWUiPdtA1xVk6cpC2Q/s3728/CostaRica0123_PlayaNegra.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3728" data-original-width="2983" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmCWMTV9m23RU4r6xNEXOuodLdzbBoisC7M9J1IRPgFurdRGdwGACOIruTYaXOnRgzMn2F0dovq8sSdvQSuGVI4__kTPvuS85GtTS8UEQBO0q1j1p0mbd7Qyt2_GAxvFJXZDbii7XHxg2YsJjoaqC2FBrd7QW6QOUQLWUiPdtA1xVk6cpC2Q/w320-h400/CostaRica0123_PlayaNegra.JPG" title="Costa Rica Trip - Playa Negra" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH9I4VpQ4QYYd__0bIzJkIEOAJz1atSSd2UXwpid8FghU-MbhPXhoJD5Sw5Yl-pdKG7JO3qEfgd-DfVhX_lyMcMQB6oJH3p9ru1Hdh2RFr8hg_ED-GfdPYj31f7xku8f50nEeDbkqCAQ3jneQagVs_ris4aNsZwyGPDdMTzAQFCOKYS12iLA/s3542/CostaRica0140_PlayaNegra_CorazonSurfCafe.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3542" data-original-width="2834" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH9I4VpQ4QYYd__0bIzJkIEOAJz1atSSd2UXwpid8FghU-MbhPXhoJD5Sw5Yl-pdKG7JO3qEfgd-DfVhX_lyMcMQB6oJH3p9ru1Hdh2RFr8hg_ED-GfdPYj31f7xku8f50nEeDbkqCAQ3jneQagVs_ris4aNsZwyGPDdMTzAQFCOKYS12iLA/w320-h400/CostaRica0140_PlayaNegra_CorazonSurfCafe.JPG" title="Costa Rica Trip - Playa Negra (Corazon Surf Cafe)" width="320" /></a></div><p>Back at the house, we hung out with my Dad and Ryder under the shaded patio looking out into the tree-filled finca behind his backyard. Occasionally, a mango would fall from the nearby tree to land on the metal roof of the patio with a loud bang. Two male toucans made their daily visit to roost awkwardly against the large bay windows of the Casimar house next door to admire their reflection. If I got too close, they would fly up to roost in the nearby trees. I ended up stepping on a piece of barbed wire when I walked over to take their picture. Luckily my sandal was thick enough so that only a tiny bit of the point poked into the sole of my foot. When the large house was still the Pablo Picasso's Hostel, there was a large outdoor bar where the enclosed room with the windows are now. I remember sitting there in 2004, eating one of Pablo's giant burgers for lunch before going surfing at Playa Negra. Pablo sold his cabinas to my dad before he passed away several years ago.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmtm6C_fTjaJlabGPLOg4gApiWXOFXjjsRH74CKQyHKNaVNBxAXbIBmv1345L7Z-kpVFvVM1dmqcg1N72XHbFZ1gOSb4QuB8Bl-Ve6Qv2jTJMszuB6jWa_kiXg-oq-30hMq-OXJPRyZchRlVBl_2HZpXMbwPkIvgnfs6j8jf0kY0lhN3zpBw/s3720/CostaRica0155_PlayaNegra_Horses_Finca.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2790" data-original-width="3720" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmtm6C_fTjaJlabGPLOg4gApiWXOFXjjsRH74CKQyHKNaVNBxAXbIBmv1345L7Z-kpVFvVM1dmqcg1N72XHbFZ1gOSb4QuB8Bl-Ve6Qv2jTJMszuB6jWa_kiXg-oq-30hMq-OXJPRyZchRlVBl_2HZpXMbwPkIvgnfs6j8jf0kY0lhN3zpBw/w400-h300/CostaRica0155_PlayaNegra_Horses_Finca.JPG" title="Costa Rica Trip - Finca in Playa Negra" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL6-QSyAVTa57z9K_AH-wA_zexDMXAx58_dx_KwV_Zni1BZOXRjXkBVKm_x-kc6Hlxeqh-zF-kd68yUOrgObIMD_pvSpuBaZE4RY2lFO3anlGYkDm462WZRrTLcTQX0xqGFipQ6J8kP4HfPlj8HCmJVtWb9VTr-UMIpKTTb7GWmNK144gG0Q/s4096/CostaRica0172_PlayaNegra_Toucans.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2728" data-original-width="4096" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL6-QSyAVTa57z9K_AH-wA_zexDMXAx58_dx_KwV_Zni1BZOXRjXkBVKm_x-kc6Hlxeqh-zF-kd68yUOrgObIMD_pvSpuBaZE4RY2lFO3anlGYkDm462WZRrTLcTQX0xqGFipQ6J8kP4HfPlj8HCmJVtWb9VTr-UMIpKTTb7GWmNK144gG0Q/w400-h266/CostaRica0172_PlayaNegra_Toucans.JPG" title="Costa Rica Trip - Toucan in Playa Negra" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOzTQdYAVXqya9Rs78BBJtAxL7tUz0-soD-5-UBISZLZJV95aU4ktq2uIA4HsnRtB5HdHhA3q09_PPWXuNrKhIFckymSlKEXWQcSbUHE9h19otdSOtFbOOsHJ2tpH8KXDFG_W9dWWtV1KqFK9xheMHoBjiVpgcGiJmXRtHfa07s9MOX5i9Bw/s4096/CostaRica0179_PlayaNegra_Toucans.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2730" data-original-width="4096" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOzTQdYAVXqya9Rs78BBJtAxL7tUz0-soD-5-UBISZLZJV95aU4ktq2uIA4HsnRtB5HdHhA3q09_PPWXuNrKhIFckymSlKEXWQcSbUHE9h19otdSOtFbOOsHJ2tpH8KXDFG_W9dWWtV1KqFK9xheMHoBjiVpgcGiJmXRtHfa07s9MOX5i9Bw/w400-h266/CostaRica0179_PlayaNegra_Toucans.JPG" title="Costa Rica Trip - Toucan in Playa Negra" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXbuDCGNLIJUoVn1R8BkJF7knA84-zmaQtk2Af4ao_xk3UR457MHV3lBdr-8D2RyWmmdZkCdU7RVr2rIZStiXlA3crf6nevMw5tnEbDxaeG87waLPSDozu4-PowauohQ4KawkOID-ddNl9aekxyS5vhAd77exHxGqCefVklW2T2EEw6Q9KQQ/s4657/CostaRica0185_PlayaNegra_Iguana.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3105" data-original-width="4657" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXbuDCGNLIJUoVn1R8BkJF7knA84-zmaQtk2Af4ao_xk3UR457MHV3lBdr-8D2RyWmmdZkCdU7RVr2rIZStiXlA3crf6nevMw5tnEbDxaeG87waLPSDozu4-PowauohQ4KawkOID-ddNl9aekxyS5vhAd77exHxGqCefVklW2T2EEw6Q9KQQ/w400-h266/CostaRica0185_PlayaNegra_Iguana.JPG" title="Costa Rica Trip - Female Iguana in Playa Negra" width="400" /></a></div><p>Under the walkway outside the kitchen, the local iguanas had made a home. The large male that my dad calls <b>Sherman</b>, tore open the hole and lived there for awhile but now it was settled by a one of his girlfriends. At most times of the day, you could see her sticking her nose out, only coming all the way out to relax in the sun if we stayed far enough way. That afternoon, we saw Sherman, sitting high in a tree, trying to impress a smaller female nearby. I think it was mating season since we caught him several times wooing all the local ladies with his courting display, bobbing his head up and down, sometimes while standing on his back two feet against a fence post. Since my dad doesn't own a car in Costa Rica, instead hiring Pablo's ex-wife to drive him on important errands, we drove to Paraiso with my rental car so he could order bags of cement to be delivered to his house. On the way back, we stopped at the Mini-Super Las Tecas outside of town for his favorite kombucha. The watermelon flavor was my favorite.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDkeNnlNmJ4Qgbjg-EzU6QxCCVDeGTj_yXPJuBb_FfaJTRABGgG3KkXJFz9DjjlpPH3gKdkaGP393QmgA1oHGC3F9s-8d9OiL7mFqImuDuTcrJnl-f5E0Iz_B45DEOwmCmmG2voaUkB6n-U57ERSaNOORbvepfryr5d3nvc3NBvLCGd9b4Ag/s3860/CostaRica0205_PlayaAvellana.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2892" data-original-width="3860" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDkeNnlNmJ4Qgbjg-EzU6QxCCVDeGTj_yXPJuBb_FfaJTRABGgG3KkXJFz9DjjlpPH3gKdkaGP393QmgA1oHGC3F9s-8d9OiL7mFqImuDuTcrJnl-f5E0Iz_B45DEOwmCmmG2voaUkB6n-U57ERSaNOORbvepfryr5d3nvc3NBvLCGd9b4Ag/w400-h300/CostaRica0205_PlayaAvellana.JPG" title="Costa Rica Trip - Playa Avellana" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrgzOQl5QWomJFE9Js7RPwsEvgU37TJAY_7wG2XkZlX_bvYGypudZ23_PXNb3kMRJlqjs1CEZSL69jkVNaZCAn8bgBqQU0SZF-mHSlioIaadsW-nzTQU6FZJmN59AneOM39hcuh3BW0Gm6T1EqAe3gk9iKq6BJwcrvrsMo9hX-uyziITQXAw/s3972/CostaRica0223_PlayaAvellana_Lolas.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2979" data-original-width="3972" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrgzOQl5QWomJFE9Js7RPwsEvgU37TJAY_7wG2XkZlX_bvYGypudZ23_PXNb3kMRJlqjs1CEZSL69jkVNaZCAn8bgBqQU0SZF-mHSlioIaadsW-nzTQU6FZJmN59AneOM39hcuh3BW0Gm6T1EqAe3gk9iKq6BJwcrvrsMo9hX-uyziITQXAw/w400-h300/CostaRica0223_PlayaAvellana_Lolas.JPG" title="Costa Rica Trip - Lola's at Playa Avellana" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdHyHZ4WCw_JnBxTsl_bD-z6Rxua8VhDBaGHJHlFNufSF5zlRJdYWimC3Oupl63OQ-NshbgmSqdmI4Pk6diu8uG1DV6T9k1CTGka8NOhcdTeNetJxFAFhxHwPV9ctgSfN8WjJEwcxOmMEQVuM41Q_TIfusWCgLMKw68RrSdDGxUqlXCD0xNw/s3751/CostaRica0228_PlayaAvellana_Lolas_Cat.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3751" data-original-width="3002" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdHyHZ4WCw_JnBxTsl_bD-z6Rxua8VhDBaGHJHlFNufSF5zlRJdYWimC3Oupl63OQ-NshbgmSqdmI4Pk6diu8uG1DV6T9k1CTGka8NOhcdTeNetJxFAFhxHwPV9ctgSfN8WjJEwcxOmMEQVuM41Q_TIfusWCgLMKw68RrSdDGxUqlXCD0xNw/w320-h400/CostaRica0228_PlayaAvellana_Lolas_Cat.JPG" title="Costa Rica Trip - Lola's at Playa Avellana" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit5hGbhRCCbfkX3S3ITU1hwBwLiAxNCx812ICs1d69N3U3nUDDQiGvkdeGcgYyhRB6S9sxP7hs8X4niyr3xm1rnPh0r_A465LHd0EdOxm6IPegA2IwNuWchDEGoE0pAFOWn9l7F-KBw_C0fjwn_SNKbXKzWsl0RU4-kAPoEc51uPGG4Zjtww/s3740/CostaRica0230_PlayaAvellana_Lolas.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3740" data-original-width="2992" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit5hGbhRCCbfkX3S3ITU1hwBwLiAxNCx812ICs1d69N3U3nUDDQiGvkdeGcgYyhRB6S9sxP7hs8X4niyr3xm1rnPh0r_A465LHd0EdOxm6IPegA2IwNuWchDEGoE0pAFOWn9l7F-KBw_C0fjwn_SNKbXKzWsl0RU4-kAPoEc51uPGG4Zjtww/w320-h400/CostaRica0230_PlayaAvellana_Lolas.JPG" title="Costa Rica Trip - Lola's at Playa Avellana" width="320" /></a></div><p>Back in 2004, my favorite beach in Costa Rica was <b>Playa Avellana</b>. It was a quiet sandy beach with a small food stand serving only pizza and smoothies. We spent several days surfing, swimming and relaxing on the carved wooden chairs under the shady trees. The cafe was named after the giant pig, Lola, who hung out on the beach, cooling off in the ocean and wallowing in the sand. I heard the area had changed but I wasn't sure what to expect when we returned at 3pm on this Friday afternoon. The parking lot was crowded, the beach was busy and Lola's was now a two story restaurant serving a full menu. I heard the original pig had passed away years ago, but I didn't spot the new one as we walked down the shoreline and went for a swim. While Tori, my Dad and I hung out on the beach, my nephew Ryder scouted through the treeline, looking for new reptiles to add to his list. Getting hungry, we got a table at <b>Lola's</b> for dinner. Even though the restaurant had expanded, they still had my favorite feature, the wooden lounge chairs and tables under the trees. The food was really good as we watched the sunset before driving back to Playa Negra.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho0nq31z5RzF9l7Ok-Nb0ENjiD2PwJVP0n1v_-smdUNh6cioyqMI29BKvLXa4KS1wsH5Hg4yjjRICmk_wUUzDEObz-qCZ0TQrUYflrWuOC9toopQGS0EAOfjtH5cWHnLYU0dr-_JQ958CwuQm2c5dFy56dBKKgBYlLkYenGdQAf3OhNfk6TA/s3992/CostaRica0249_PlayaAvellana_Sunset.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2997" data-original-width="3992" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho0nq31z5RzF9l7Ok-Nb0ENjiD2PwJVP0n1v_-smdUNh6cioyqMI29BKvLXa4KS1wsH5Hg4yjjRICmk_wUUzDEObz-qCZ0TQrUYflrWuOC9toopQGS0EAOfjtH5cWHnLYU0dr-_JQ958CwuQm2c5dFy56dBKKgBYlLkYenGdQAf3OhNfk6TA/w400-h300/CostaRica0249_PlayaAvellana_Sunset.JPG" title="Costa Rica Trip - Playa Avellana Sunset" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMwqvzp9tr5MqcFVlLf9xrOg4xpq4Ls5Wo5aYaJPYvpo0x1hW1RyMfH_GAhjBEkGeUhT9_FXAZZWDTkuIQ8Vj-Dm6uHhHlUbb6z7xRAvn5KZxRdYyJvwgDPrYeHgz4nfJQb6dPVk_Kr-atwrmYnVcbUwTXA-HzAfaemhxJzDsyX4q6htg_LQ/s3692/CostaRica0266_PlayaAvellana_Lolas.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3692" data-original-width="2954" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMwqvzp9tr5MqcFVlLf9xrOg4xpq4Ls5Wo5aYaJPYvpo0x1hW1RyMfH_GAhjBEkGeUhT9_FXAZZWDTkuIQ8Vj-Dm6uHhHlUbb6z7xRAvn5KZxRdYyJvwgDPrYeHgz4nfJQb6dPVk_Kr-atwrmYnVcbUwTXA-HzAfaemhxJzDsyX4q6htg_LQ/w320-h400/CostaRica0266_PlayaAvellana_Lolas.JPG" title="Costa Rica Trip - Lola's at Playa Avellana" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2LBeYtbujurtEffrIkkaHdBLalI78H1IlNSXkenc-zDOM4VZmyxuWGbw32h0-3Uf3cq1I_pd1bdGgCmrGABp081n5UmiPMj5vTMkpKabQk24WwSvS0CI6QyugPCHqS_T3g2eEF633oDbXDmsS5uVGjtzBei4eFhh8OVcEEusb664b6QJ9VQ/s3780/CostaRica0270_PlayaNegra_Grasshopper.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3780" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2LBeYtbujurtEffrIkkaHdBLalI78H1IlNSXkenc-zDOM4VZmyxuWGbw32h0-3Uf3cq1I_pd1bdGgCmrGABp081n5UmiPMj5vTMkpKabQk24WwSvS0CI6QyugPCHqS_T3g2eEF633oDbXDmsS5uVGjtzBei4eFhh8OVcEEusb664b6QJ9VQ/w320-h400/CostaRica0270_PlayaNegra_Grasshopper.JPG" title="Costa Rica Trip - Langosta Grasshopper at Playa Negra" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuKUYl-ofT5v0BJENn3nmxVD9NzStAKbX8gbZv2cHRuj4BWcXuRmS2G7qC9pGmp2r0nUmPuH7Uc5nuXD3hR2XDzgoGybfsEi75xdPgKtJr9B354M_7fdpZ9F7Oj6eDdV4tQwu4JYT6HNqibObBbqE3aqbXvEPtg04HVtnhT9rC2YK0oVzspQ/s3690/CostaRica0280_PlayaNegra_Grasshopper_Langosta.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2765" data-original-width="3690" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuKUYl-ofT5v0BJENn3nmxVD9NzStAKbX8gbZv2cHRuj4BWcXuRmS2G7qC9pGmp2r0nUmPuH7Uc5nuXD3hR2XDzgoGybfsEi75xdPgKtJr9B354M_7fdpZ9F7Oj6eDdV4tQwu4JYT6HNqibObBbqE3aqbXvEPtg04HVtnhT9rC2YK0oVzspQ/w400-h300/CostaRica0280_PlayaNegra_Grasshopper_Langosta.JPG" title="Costa Rica Trip - Langosta Grasshopper at Playa Negra" width="400" /></a></div><p>While Tori and I were hanging out with Ryder on the patio before bed, a <b>Red-Legged Grasshopper</b> flew over and landed next to us. Called a <b>Langosta</b> (Spanish for Lobster) in Costa Rica, the giant insect was at least six inches long and they can have a wingspan up to 18 inches. They mostly eat banana leaves and don't bite. Below is the video of the clumsy grasshopper flying into Ryder's head as it circled around the porch. In the slow motion section, you can see my alarmed face in the window's reflection as it flies toward me with buzzing wings.</p><p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/RWm2YmVUtE0" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></p><p>On Saturday morning, my Dad made us scrambled eggs and corn quesadillas (with Quemango Hot Sauce) before Tori and I drove up to the <b>Arenal Volcano</b> for the weekend. Leaving at 10:30am, we headed back north toward Liberia, stopping at the German bakery, <b>Panaderia Alemana</b>, for an apple turnover before getting back on the road. For fifty kilometers, we drove along Highway 1, the <b>Pan-American Highway</b> that connects North and South America, the word's longest motorable road. At Canas, we left the dry countryside behind and headed up into the green hills with giant wind turbines lining the ridge. A shortcut had us descending the other side toward <b>Lake Arenal</b> on an extremely steep and bumpy road filled with pot holes. (We skipped it on the return journey.) Considered one of the foremost windsurfing and kite surfing areas in the world, it took an hour to circle the lake on the winding roads. At 30 kilometers long, it is the largest lake in Costa Rica and it's dam provides 17% of the country's electricity. On the eastern end we encountered a pack of White-Nosed Coati foraging on the side of the road.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVhlWffi4MPLi4Ap1_LG85hUT-m6IRjYZzt61NJg1A1OTr8ifAHZyxR9Ne5PExVnw77u-kNBTgyiTQ-3hPB3bVjio2DvOOH0VopMp7IMWK61P2czhD8oKFyTX6gQr9-BpmnJGQBR1C4D-vTxH-GM8MY5t-inq63Ht4pSogIPfjz98vXg2ltQ/s3560/CostaRica0289_PlayaNegra.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3560" data-original-width="2848" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVhlWffi4MPLi4Ap1_LG85hUT-m6IRjYZzt61NJg1A1OTr8ifAHZyxR9Ne5PExVnw77u-kNBTgyiTQ-3hPB3bVjio2DvOOH0VopMp7IMWK61P2czhD8oKFyTX6gQr9-BpmnJGQBR1C4D-vTxH-GM8MY5t-inq63Ht4pSogIPfjz98vXg2ltQ/w320-h400/CostaRica0289_PlayaNegra.JPG" title="Costa Rica Trip - Breakfast in Playa Negra" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCZUnVATvZPLTAVzcrQMCJYH5aw3o8gFA4X3X9Yl4DHW-Y0FadvpDNJtdaixP763jbLRRK8Bra_QerrkMftWyvSo9GQ5dQedGWaq_jJmBLJm4bHfY4qiEZZaH261NtXCCPsI0O3e6_yLrAQWq43mbvfMD96bAb38RGYXiR677gZeP7CRkcpw/s3568/CostaRica0305_Windmill.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3568" data-original-width="2855" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCZUnVATvZPLTAVzcrQMCJYH5aw3o8gFA4X3X9Yl4DHW-Y0FadvpDNJtdaixP763jbLRRK8Bra_QerrkMftWyvSo9GQ5dQedGWaq_jJmBLJm4bHfY4qiEZZaH261NtXCCPsI0O3e6_yLrAQWq43mbvfMD96bAb38RGYXiR677gZeP7CRkcpw/w320-h400/CostaRica0305_Windmill.JPG" title="Costa Rica Trip - Windmills" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6WSgY_DQaFFqtQwcOUgaSKCPKumWmTKJhSFOzQ_Kywyi5y1Vo8Ft8mt6n7T5wIj9cMZAi11qcgGRQrAgdu18YswWpp9PCEXs4j96SJQoJtrCP58oWT0ZJFg9f2O9LqzMkvREwhpec1UlS5TALAxnf3rzyUE2Tmztej5nsJutkjf9LI2oGnA/s4096/CostaRica0322_ArenalLake.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2144" data-original-width="4096" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6WSgY_DQaFFqtQwcOUgaSKCPKumWmTKJhSFOzQ_Kywyi5y1Vo8Ft8mt6n7T5wIj9cMZAi11qcgGRQrAgdu18YswWpp9PCEXs4j96SJQoJtrCP58oWT0ZJFg9f2O9LqzMkvREwhpec1UlS5TALAxnf3rzyUE2Tmztej5nsJutkjf9LI2oGnA/w400-h210/CostaRica0322_ArenalLake.JPG" title="Costa Rica Trip - Arenal Lake" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWDeHpQRe1WiKChfwqURt9vFeq7AuIID-b7hIJw1hbPG-1Sat7gjQzzkOOWi_SVqW0aVls2k6MrHqD0vxmuOjpAJyivH3YfEKclHraf4Q_opmBisQD_ANGwUciKmsA5C4ce3UytVANuNikyvH6sX3HkEz0ReubTnFFRn4PC1wou54YKn8ibw/s3139/CostaRica0337ArenalLake_Coatimundi.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2352" data-original-width="3139" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWDeHpQRe1WiKChfwqURt9vFeq7AuIID-b7hIJw1hbPG-1Sat7gjQzzkOOWi_SVqW0aVls2k6MrHqD0vxmuOjpAJyivH3YfEKclHraf4Q_opmBisQD_ANGwUciKmsA5C4ce3UytVANuNikyvH6sX3HkEz0ReubTnFFRn4PC1wou54YKn8ibw/w400-h300/CostaRica0337ArenalLake_Coatimundi.JPG" title="Costa Rica Trip - White-Nosed Coati" width="400" /></a></div><p>After checking into our room at the <b>Los Lagos Hotel</b> at 3pm, we drove to the nearby <b>Bogarin Sloth Trail</b>. This plot of land just outside of the town of La Fortuna used to be cleared farmland, but the new owner, Giovanni Bogarin, allowed nature to take its course and a secondary forest sprang up to provide an animal sanctuary. Our original plan was to skip the guided tour and just walk around the forest trails looking for the sloths on our own, but I am glad we decided to pay for the more expensive tour. All six of the sloths we saw were extremely high up in the treetops. Without our guide to point them out, I doubt we would have spotted them, camouflaged within the thick vegetation. With our guide's tripod-mounted telescope, we enjoyed a close-up view of the slow moving sloths.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1idXMG6G_uFfIgzHFYJBW4_WCGpPY9w6DiXhz5W_3ZJQ8CfTv6UNxgGFlk9x5B8YeyMoOiKFi74sJprfjqM4Ix1Zu4CKiALG5Sy6c5VwXiyKgcPMEX4Ha3xe2XS5ILw6s97Xox08ciSKDNKGN7S-Lq84cO3oss3OjsT4jeeT_yLGttz-c8Q/s4032/CostaRica0343_ArenalVolcano.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1idXMG6G_uFfIgzHFYJBW4_WCGpPY9w6DiXhz5W_3ZJQ8CfTv6UNxgGFlk9x5B8YeyMoOiKFi74sJprfjqM4Ix1Zu4CKiALG5Sy6c5VwXiyKgcPMEX4Ha3xe2XS5ILw6s97Xox08ciSKDNKGN7S-Lq84cO3oss3OjsT4jeeT_yLGttz-c8Q/w400-h300/CostaRica0343_ArenalVolcano.JPG" title="Costa Rica Trip - Arenal Volcano" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgGmBXPsv1L0j8mjdj2NJXlayuUv4hvMNC5McdlM8OfDmT3377e5zlwfFsbdtS8LYBTlOhfwuxufBlp1pdr5je2FhcQ564SH6651QwBtLKZLOngcaLMipI1Z8VzoxEG-XPIc4doyb2TzQ_J9tr-G4SfXNx1M9CiDYX3XtuMeYIS21qoKzOIg/s3780/CostaRica0360_Arenal_BogarinSlothTrail.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3780" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgGmBXPsv1L0j8mjdj2NJXlayuUv4hvMNC5McdlM8OfDmT3377e5zlwfFsbdtS8LYBTlOhfwuxufBlp1pdr5je2FhcQ564SH6651QwBtLKZLOngcaLMipI1Z8VzoxEG-XPIc4doyb2TzQ_J9tr-G4SfXNx1M9CiDYX3XtuMeYIS21qoKzOIg/w320-h400/CostaRica0360_Arenal_BogarinSlothTrail.JPG" title="Costa Rica Trip - Bogarin Sloth Trail" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF26ElEpe1sgfT84ppQkY-BxS2dsO8YDxkKBjs7ntCexWehPm3MOOERe1lkIcVLn4MDFP_HzGCOYHULA_Uuf5l4CUlF4NFAN0H42miJM2EeBRw-CkKObTjtgCZtKHUMPzsUvUo5CEnOSGT5_2ebaAYebW_r7l-RRl1g4CO0nap8Yox3l9lAw/s3612/CostaRica0362_Arenal_BogarinSlothTrail.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3612" data-original-width="2709" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF26ElEpe1sgfT84ppQkY-BxS2dsO8YDxkKBjs7ntCexWehPm3MOOERe1lkIcVLn4MDFP_HzGCOYHULA_Uuf5l4CUlF4NFAN0H42miJM2EeBRw-CkKObTjtgCZtKHUMPzsUvUo5CEnOSGT5_2ebaAYebW_r7l-RRl1g4CO0nap8Yox3l9lAw/w300-h400/CostaRica0362_Arenal_BogarinSlothTrail.JPG" title="Costa Rica Trip - Bogarin Sloth Trail" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDU6D-cbiKQhocJ9GNWmKKWibURyrOdC8snga8SBOh9eUY0Z9wwRF1lxaJoAaVd0sGX9hPWTJ5P1DLIuMSllWXE16rGVrxG_7GWoN-NSLhIcyCUQ8Za1wkD7AgGlo5i4DLON9H7yZ3zDkF7Y1O_ZtQlFfUc4e6NOF6ak7C4r2-zw_fAJG0-A/s2616/CostaRica0370_Arenal_BogarinSlothTrail_ThreeToedSloth.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2616" data-original-width="1962" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDU6D-cbiKQhocJ9GNWmKKWibURyrOdC8snga8SBOh9eUY0Z9wwRF1lxaJoAaVd0sGX9hPWTJ5P1DLIuMSllWXE16rGVrxG_7GWoN-NSLhIcyCUQ8Za1wkD7AgGlo5i4DLON9H7yZ3zDkF7Y1O_ZtQlFfUc4e6NOF6ak7C4r2-zw_fAJG0-A/w300-h400/CostaRica0370_Arenal_BogarinSlothTrail_ThreeToedSloth.JPG" title="Costa Rica Trip - Three Toed Sloth on Bogarin Sloth Trail" width="300" /></a></div><p>Along the sanctuary trail, we saw both types of Costa Rican sloths, the two-toed and three-toed. The only nocturnal two-toed sloth we saw was asleep while the diurnal three-toed sloths were still awake. Since it was close to sunset, the three-toed were in the favorite sleeping trees. During the day, they move slowly between different tree species for their preferred leaves to eat or the amount of sun or shade provided by the canopy. In the Instagram video below, you can see a baby three-toed sloth hanging out with its mother. Scroll left in the video to also see the male sloth (with the distinctive yellow-black-yellow stripes running down it's back) scratching itself while hanging upside down from the branches.</p>
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<p>Ryder told us to keep an out an eye for frogs on our trip up to Arenal and we spotted two types during our tour. The first was the <b>Strawberry Poison Dart Frog</b> (also called a Blue Jeans Frog for it's blue legs). While not lethal to humans, it has few predators due to its toxic skin. The other was the <b>Red-Eyed Tree Frog</b> hanging among the leaves. When we got too close, it closed its colorful eyes and tried to camouflaged itself by pressing its green body tight against the leaf. Our guide also pointed out two <b>Black-and-White Owls</b>, roosting in a nearby tree, named for the horizontal black and white strips on their breasts. Flocks of vultures also began settling in the surrounding trees as we neared the end of the tour. At sunset, our guild led us to a clearing at the edge of the forest where we could see the golden light reflecting off the back of the <b>Arenal Volcano</b> and the nearby <b>Cerro Chato Volcano</b>. While the taller peak of Arenal was hidden by clouds, he pointed out that the profile of Cerro Chato resembles a man lying on his back. If you look closely, you can see that he is quite horny as well. Now I can't look at the mountain without seeing the profile.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSp5vdYnaCK00ZOby3GANdj1lXT3gGZqIuSRke25aMx4Zvk_JnR5P5Rz0y7w9Lh-CDnh9gwEkSUi3xIraShlzQbnAsrQqp0dukYIlNTFK_eZvYGvs5H5sekOwlgjjVSlaBP2WAYQF0864GFoKTHxA3aZ5CWIWxWnHWelJRHj6uxCgy2PFNIg/s4032/CostaRica0409_Arenal_BogarinSlothTrail_TorchGingerFlower_Bast%C3%B3nDelEmperador.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSp5vdYnaCK00ZOby3GANdj1lXT3gGZqIuSRke25aMx4Zvk_JnR5P5Rz0y7w9Lh-CDnh9gwEkSUi3xIraShlzQbnAsrQqp0dukYIlNTFK_eZvYGvs5H5sekOwlgjjVSlaBP2WAYQF0864GFoKTHxA3aZ5CWIWxWnHWelJRHj6uxCgy2PFNIg/w300-h400/CostaRica0409_Arenal_BogarinSlothTrail_TorchGingerFlower_Bast%C3%B3nDelEmperador.JPG" title="Costa Rica Trip - Torch Ginger on Bogarin Sloth Trail" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5-aGoxarURzYaRmzzFpS-06KiwlK6jmXWXHjDMDcY5d_Uzqq8sSwR2Z91BLWwLLTpeNg5fO37-Nuc20sDTpLrtQOJU0HClhx2R3htFSOo98UxN08sphitYgzOqiH9iGhMXPmfBTlA66VZxQUdtLPjdrnQkuKzeydgmCR1Gy9DjhLdeJAfUw/s3332/CostaRica0421_Arenal_BogarinSlothTrail_BlueJeansFrog.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3332" data-original-width="2666" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5-aGoxarURzYaRmzzFpS-06KiwlK6jmXWXHjDMDcY5d_Uzqq8sSwR2Z91BLWwLLTpeNg5fO37-Nuc20sDTpLrtQOJU0HClhx2R3htFSOo98UxN08sphitYgzOqiH9iGhMXPmfBTlA66VZxQUdtLPjdrnQkuKzeydgmCR1Gy9DjhLdeJAfUw/w320-h400/CostaRica0421_Arenal_BogarinSlothTrail_BlueJeansFrog.JPG" title="Costa Rica Trip - Blue Jeans Frog on Bogarin Sloth Trail" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHzXMtEpaq1itJIImVYaKw3xMMoJ5NfaJU2e5nHmRl7pF6sdzvwIaqjMhtOWTg0atIRk7ejbS702R_hMyTGMES5CrEYwmfqN7EAseLr_yrBRQwaFTSwqqx7-o80wvZOfL0pe5ZAm1u94g9B48HvqIINBrT9UF811SbkTwWqAB537bBWE1shw/s4096/CostaRica0423_Arenal_BogarinSlothTrail_Vultures.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2728" data-original-width="4096" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHzXMtEpaq1itJIImVYaKw3xMMoJ5NfaJU2e5nHmRl7pF6sdzvwIaqjMhtOWTg0atIRk7ejbS702R_hMyTGMES5CrEYwmfqN7EAseLr_yrBRQwaFTSwqqx7-o80wvZOfL0pe5ZAm1u94g9B48HvqIINBrT9UF811SbkTwWqAB537bBWE1shw/w400-h266/CostaRica0423_Arenal_BogarinSlothTrail_Vultures.JPG" title="Costa Rica Trip - Roosting Vultures on Bogarin Sloth Trail" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggp6c2CbNHvPSMaoRv1u48ZaoUEJ6nM_rxzPN1iT1AgBtm9msUV3DeU53OH0RTF88-ItAbuVmrPLkJEurfGgp-8MjrrMfGBmve_7ww868zXcYd3ql7gvnT0Xz1UcXK0KBjjheT58IYHqYHwnLf3GewxlJ-I4897DcnSszq1r8auNleV4QpcQ/s4096/CostaRica0425_ArenalVolcano_BogarinSlothTrail_CerroChatoVolcano.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2144" data-original-width="4096" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggp6c2CbNHvPSMaoRv1u48ZaoUEJ6nM_rxzPN1iT1AgBtm9msUV3DeU53OH0RTF88-ItAbuVmrPLkJEurfGgp-8MjrrMfGBmve_7ww868zXcYd3ql7gvnT0Xz1UcXK0KBjjheT58IYHqYHwnLf3GewxlJ-I4897DcnSszq1r8auNleV4QpcQ/w400-h210/CostaRica0425_ArenalVolcano_BogarinSlothTrail_CerroChatoVolcano.JPG" title="Costa Rica Trip - Arenal Volcano and Cerro Chato Volcano" width="400" /></a></div><p>Afterwards, we gave Elliot, the Frenchman in our tour, a ride into <b>La Fortuna </b>where we parked and explored the town square. At it's heart is the <b>Cathedral of San Carlos Borromeo</b> across from the small park and fountain where children were playing soccer. When the sky is clear, the peak of the volcano is visible directly behind the cathedral's steeple. For dinner, we went to <b>Restaurante La Parada</b> and ordered the Tipical Casado, the traditional Costa Rican meal of rice, beans, salad, plantains, veggies and our choice of meat. Back at the Los Lagos Hotel, we went for a swim in the resort's hot springs heated by the geothermic activity of the nearby volcano. They have a swim-up bar and over ten pools, each heated to different levels of enjoyment. While they still have two waterslides into their cold pools, I missed the hot water slide that I enjoyed on my earlier visit back in 2004. That closed slide is still visible as a garden planter, sealed off on both ends. What a bummer!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ9RdN7prmbR9UCnMo5lCIiOJem4FgbBIkLBHHAZIPG1LQT6WwJLWgzxfG7hnKVR76hZhSpH9I_tZSPKlpsqkIgVi2nWsgCWAPD0FjKstGLCI-bEtcQKXox3tLZeksW25vAYH9UAqqGUvDRM45IYLnI5KEZbmAWmBI0awPjURPu9ptvqgRjA/s3591/CostaRica0437_Arenal_LaFortunaTownSquare_CathedralSanCarlosBorromeo.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3591" data-original-width="2874" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ9RdN7prmbR9UCnMo5lCIiOJem4FgbBIkLBHHAZIPG1LQT6WwJLWgzxfG7hnKVR76hZhSpH9I_tZSPKlpsqkIgVi2nWsgCWAPD0FjKstGLCI-bEtcQKXox3tLZeksW25vAYH9UAqqGUvDRM45IYLnI5KEZbmAWmBI0awPjURPu9ptvqgRjA/w320-h400/CostaRica0437_Arenal_LaFortunaTownSquare_CathedralSanCarlosBorromeo.JPG" title="La Fortuna Town Square - Cathedral San Carlos Borromeo" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6mhr4_9T28JTbbJ0sNHYithgSJAShZ2FpeanJBLDsbw0Dxnu0aztN8_SKVDo6c3Amp26-3iDpAEWpnG3Ys-rGdHHe8wQOkUg7enlyQvlEHcbNq8KirPxng9cYuOrjY7vLwWfDzIXTJr6hriQVs83XlEtNEEsl0xP6fdqhKXOaHEKwT_tU2g/s4008/CostaRica0441_Arenal_LaFortunaTownSquare_Fountain.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3006" data-original-width="4008" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6mhr4_9T28JTbbJ0sNHYithgSJAShZ2FpeanJBLDsbw0Dxnu0aztN8_SKVDo6c3Amp26-3iDpAEWpnG3Ys-rGdHHe8wQOkUg7enlyQvlEHcbNq8KirPxng9cYuOrjY7vLwWfDzIXTJr6hriQVs83XlEtNEEsl0xP6fdqhKXOaHEKwT_tU2g/w400-h300/CostaRica0441_Arenal_LaFortunaTownSquare_Fountain.JPG" title="Costa Rica Trip - La Fortuna Town Square" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-EBzXJ3rXxdI36I6N0vYwzrvXcMsKcEhXOVMF2kiiG_1W2TKByTNrSQgYF35zwJYJPMUMpVR0a-_DT73XpzRzyYK1NbAn99TFt4tSDj555yWP0wyanaFzO_b7u9M9zLQ2LLORChHOqpM1_Ha_Z3_j8_wF6EiwnPl1BgwBt3FEB8yAPxJUHQ/s3934/CostaRica0449_Arenal_LaFortunaTownSquare_LaParadaRestaurant.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2951" data-original-width="3934" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-EBzXJ3rXxdI36I6N0vYwzrvXcMsKcEhXOVMF2kiiG_1W2TKByTNrSQgYF35zwJYJPMUMpVR0a-_DT73XpzRzyYK1NbAn99TFt4tSDj555yWP0wyanaFzO_b7u9M9zLQ2LLORChHOqpM1_Ha_Z3_j8_wF6EiwnPl1BgwBt3FEB8yAPxJUHQ/w400-h300/CostaRica0449_Arenal_LaFortunaTownSquare_LaParadaRestaurant.JPG" title="Costa Rica Trip - Tori on the deck of Restaurante La Parada in La Fortuna" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmagUjf6oNnbd7k751fbvROFtNplPjOjkWwbyNiARkKcbJHOpJFPQ5i1AvtEOv2wVBore8LcIpdGyUkfGv1e6PAg6ScEZ2s14-fcxAOrp_MMbFZFeNekSQh_D3lHrW_BSPFvKBIuZmQzypEMEu4D61VcgNEZOuJ6Pvj_7NXHFjBK5r3lgtvg/s3917/CostaRica0461_Arenal_LosLagosHotel_Hotsprings.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2937" data-original-width="3917" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmagUjf6oNnbd7k751fbvROFtNplPjOjkWwbyNiARkKcbJHOpJFPQ5i1AvtEOv2wVBore8LcIpdGyUkfGv1e6PAg6ScEZ2s14-fcxAOrp_MMbFZFeNekSQh_D3lHrW_BSPFvKBIuZmQzypEMEu4D61VcgNEZOuJ6Pvj_7NXHFjBK5r3lgtvg/w400-h300/CostaRica0461_Arenal_LosLagosHotel_Hotsprings.JPG" title="Costa Rica Trip - Tori and I relaxing in the Hot Springs at Los Lagos Hotel" width="400" /></a></div><p>On Sunday morning, Tori and I woke up extra early for our <b>Pure Trek Canyoning Tour</b>. We were able to eat breakfast at the hotel's buffet before Pure Trek picked us up at 7am. They switched us into a larger 4WD truck to climb the dirt road winding up into the foothills of the volcano. Tori and I sat inside the cab since the truck bed seats filled up before we boarded. When we arrived at Pure Trek's base camp, we were outfitted with rappelling harnesses, helmets and gloves. After an instructional briefing, we followed our guides along the trail into the tropical forest.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq1asWl9yH_zJN5L9TUdLITmncJ04Yl4F_syWxf2E-E0n9-Cyt4DGEPEP83uqc4JMgQCJWgspMWBWRro7ozVNeDCzPDYY6847z6Rmkr_1eIanEPW8xY6EdC1HLTiQYw0umi8476StXvyeTGZ_EQb6IcRe9CHgoWxHNnk3qNLgBNMmb3hCdgQ/s3825/CostaRica0475_ArenalVolcano_LosLagosResort.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2868" data-original-width="3825" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq1asWl9yH_zJN5L9TUdLITmncJ04Yl4F_syWxf2E-E0n9-Cyt4DGEPEP83uqc4JMgQCJWgspMWBWRro7ozVNeDCzPDYY6847z6Rmkr_1eIanEPW8xY6EdC1HLTiQYw0umi8476StXvyeTGZ_EQb6IcRe9CHgoWxHNnk3qNLgBNMmb3hCdgQ/w400-h300/CostaRica0475_ArenalVolcano_LosLagosResort.JPG" title="Costa Rica - Los Lagos Resort in Arenal" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4PYMg8J243ploNuMUiMAufw3J-f4UDRBcIap2ene-RYW28t2bbQAX-qaFXlyrB5vrEDQgE0sipOF-Fff97aZVvtN6zr3_lLFUN9J4Bs7VU6tF9hg_oMHfLuefKT7b6tj0DCOehp3mARWf2IfZVkJWWAvG09mh9H8sCyS-GBNyFvQeXN1a3w/s3756/CostaRica0490_ArenalVolcano_PureTrekCanyoning_Rappel_Waterfall.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3756" data-original-width="3006" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4PYMg8J243ploNuMUiMAufw3J-f4UDRBcIap2ene-RYW28t2bbQAX-qaFXlyrB5vrEDQgE0sipOF-Fff97aZVvtN6zr3_lLFUN9J4Bs7VU6tF9hg_oMHfLuefKT7b6tj0DCOehp3mARWf2IfZVkJWWAvG09mh9H8sCyS-GBNyFvQeXN1a3w/w320-h400/CostaRica0490_ArenalVolcano_PureTrekCanyoning_Rappel_Waterfall.jpg" title="Costa Rica - Pure Trek Canyoning" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi35mTNeICyZp5siZYa04vh4gSWv2kc0tA5bXD8ef7qqFRUqH3uPbwHFXDPtLw9APtp60HPBWAs_WSRXRdq5yaHqyF6NoGGDUNOpFIDpKYQKea2j2KlDVWDFubpQ-kCiPSVuWf1v3yaw6T3hMlCFVmr4m7wVbDvoEItDrsTPU8LrRI4fP3CdQ/s3720/CostaRica0499_ArenalVolcano_PureTrekCanyoning.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2787" data-original-width="3720" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi35mTNeICyZp5siZYa04vh4gSWv2kc0tA5bXD8ef7qqFRUqH3uPbwHFXDPtLw9APtp60HPBWAs_WSRXRdq5yaHqyF6NoGGDUNOpFIDpKYQKea2j2KlDVWDFubpQ-kCiPSVuWf1v3yaw6T3hMlCFVmr4m7wVbDvoEItDrsTPU8LrRI4fP3CdQ/w400-h300/CostaRica0499_ArenalVolcano_PureTrekCanyoning.JPG" title="Costa Rica - Pure Trek Canyoning" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcZPKmQdfY-mSGX3VVZga2r5jHdR52v6Z2MlL_fs__fw7jsBe5qLug3GT0h5Z2W4LI_RXHBYaQ78EU3Af9upgUnFYK13M1IZTtjySlcPRGNE2_6l4Nl2jVtQ0WPOWAGuCBopTiS9LaAB1_M02QDGQtnhuYWQFHYb4GkcS75Mee1fusuhxJbg/s4096/CostaRica0501_ArenalVolcano_PureTrekCanyoning_Rappel_Waterfall.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2730" data-original-width="4096" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcZPKmQdfY-mSGX3VVZga2r5jHdR52v6Z2MlL_fs__fw7jsBe5qLug3GT0h5Z2W4LI_RXHBYaQ78EU3Af9upgUnFYK13M1IZTtjySlcPRGNE2_6l4Nl2jVtQ0WPOWAGuCBopTiS9LaAB1_M02QDGQtnhuYWQFHYb4GkcS75Mee1fusuhxJbg/w400-h266/CostaRica0501_ArenalVolcano_PureTrekCanyoning_Rappel_Waterfall.JPG" title="Costa Rica - Tori rappelling down 165ft Waterfall" width="400" /></a></div><p>Our first rappel was the longest of the tour, a 165 foot descent alongside a roaring waterfall. Even though I had rappelled previously in the Army, it was never this high. It was pretty scary leaning backward off the platform edge for the first time. While lightly holding the rope above, the mental challenge was allowing my lower hand to release the rope pressed tight against my right hip as I leapt backwards into the air over the deep canyon. I grew more confident with each leap as I slowly descended the canyon wall. My favorite part was looking up at the cascading waterfall beside me. The harness was really digging into my inner thighs as I approached the bottom, but I was having a great time and was doused by the falling water as I descended the last ridge. After Tori joined me at the base, we climbed the 30' ladder up a rock wall and hiked the trail to the next station. The Monkey Drop was a crazy fun zipline with a sixty foot drop at the end into a shallow pool of water.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtiVcpVoSQorvTbfgz37VB1Dt13fj9ZxU6jw8PDJxksHc__WQWEyOuHlIFEXSD3lAAHoVjoqT3fpZs6R3_kcOSvNtAOXQVW3sHeUH9CCKxzB6fcel41s-y5K_L5Jy0gE-SQLKrWP3DsRBIL_ITdyVxrXv2l_N4X6UKbz3rZ7r8tzjhN7-xcQ/s4096/CostaRica0526_ArenalVolcano_PureTrekCanyoning_Rappel_Waterfall.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2730" data-original-width="4096" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtiVcpVoSQorvTbfgz37VB1Dt13fj9ZxU6jw8PDJxksHc__WQWEyOuHlIFEXSD3lAAHoVjoqT3fpZs6R3_kcOSvNtAOXQVW3sHeUH9CCKxzB6fcel41s-y5K_L5Jy0gE-SQLKrWP3DsRBIL_ITdyVxrXv2l_N4X6UKbz3rZ7r8tzjhN7-xcQ/w400-h266/CostaRica0526_ArenalVolcano_PureTrekCanyoning_Rappel_Waterfall.JPG" title="Costa Rica - Noah rappelling down 165ft Waterfall" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMVy9AQ61DhwtA2VBhVCCT78ftqYfMfkVBA8tUD04iVIMSv522CfUMhrtATIOEvEx9MCHS4q4c6Ny-NDvT944Kw9G1QdfId5-5Lo0ZDD0p3VfRIK-GZjz6oGpfM_ZYT82eiqy_qXrgWfhPnJqCneHxlJB0FO-M46jEv8D9FA2Trvl0n4r9rA/s4096/CostaRica0552_ArenalVolcano_PureTrekCanyoning_Rappel_Waterfall.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2730" data-original-width="4096" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMVy9AQ61DhwtA2VBhVCCT78ftqYfMfkVBA8tUD04iVIMSv522CfUMhrtATIOEvEx9MCHS4q4c6Ny-NDvT944Kw9G1QdfId5-5Lo0ZDD0p3VfRIK-GZjz6oGpfM_ZYT82eiqy_qXrgWfhPnJqCneHxlJB0FO-M46jEv8D9FA2Trvl0n4r9rA/w400-h266/CostaRica0552_ArenalVolcano_PureTrekCanyoning_Rappel_Waterfall.JPG" title="Costa Rica - Noah rappelling down 165ft Waterfall" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv3PE1a249ENILUssdtQxR_xNcHuDTKHbgOPFxlgezJ3baIr-pZjfvRh7gicr3hKa-apQNFFI8XTAdVkcnF9tsyE6q4oF7lz6YNjtBslpnyqu48viLXPTDKcBBNVxDVIKwOqqWEkV-ICpB6qAjsTQkTu7TtGyqUJs5RiynQEgWmfcdM2TK9Q/s1920/CostaRica0555_ArenalVolcano_PureTrekCanyoning_Rappel_Waterfall.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv3PE1a249ENILUssdtQxR_xNcHuDTKHbgOPFxlgezJ3baIr-pZjfvRh7gicr3hKa-apQNFFI8XTAdVkcnF9tsyE6q4oF7lz6YNjtBslpnyqu48viLXPTDKcBBNVxDVIKwOqqWEkV-ICpB6qAjsTQkTu7TtGyqUJs5RiynQEgWmfcdM2TK9Q/w400-h225/CostaRica0555_ArenalVolcano_PureTrekCanyoning_Rappel_Waterfall.JPG" title="Costa Rica - Noah rappelling down 82ft Waterfall" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbUwn-hh12717BvOwwDtKsZtVJ21FateXCzg0ipGEizKDp4iHm4NSk2FeaVS1LeZp3e0MvhZtDjlJI8fb30SV_ef3Yu6pROPr303dirzXfUEeLcevKasxRwCjpzmNviggF2iIubNr95-n4T1jvbyoEllVylWGtLNoTj5jVGiS3OIPt7QSuOw/s1920/CostaRica0656_ArenalVolcano_PureTrekCanyoning_Rappel_Waterfall.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbUwn-hh12717BvOwwDtKsZtVJ21FateXCzg0ipGEizKDp4iHm4NSk2FeaVS1LeZp3e0MvhZtDjlJI8fb30SV_ef3Yu6pROPr303dirzXfUEeLcevKasxRwCjpzmNviggF2iIubNr95-n4T1jvbyoEllVylWGtLNoTj5jVGiS3OIPt7QSuOw/w400-h225/CostaRica0656_ArenalVolcano_PureTrekCanyoning_Rappel_Waterfall.JPG" title="Costa Rica - Rappelling down 165ft Waterfall" width="400" /></a></div><p>The second waterfall rappel was shorter at 82 feet, but the cascade carved a tricky path through a tight canyon. I enjoyed navigating between the two rock walls, sometimes straddle the waterfall with my legs. We then had our longest hike along the trail until we reached a short 40' rappel down a rock wall before arriving at our last waterfall of the day. Tori made it to the bottom of the 95' drop with one giant leap, but it took me two rappels. Below are the short highlight videos of the three waterfall rappels and the Monkey Drop Zipline. I was wearing my GoPro for the entire experience.</p>
<p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/KmMEMkWPG8g" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></p>
<p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/__BrnGE5Jtw" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></p>
<p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/h4F1XiPYdH8" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></p>
<p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/DGeHCZ-1pZc" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></p>
<p>After receiving a Costa Rican lunch at the PureTrek headquarters, we were driven back to our hotel where we walked around, exploring the grounds. The resort has its own <b>Butterfly Garden</b> where we watched the giant butterflies using their proboscises to drink juice from the cut pineapples laid out for them inside the netted enclosure. We also checked out the <b>Frog Habitat</b> but we couldn't spot any hidden among the leaves. Rain was threatening as we arrived at the largest ant farm that I have ever seen. Surrounded by water moats, the colony of <b>Leafcutter Ants</b> (Zompopas in Spanish) harvested the leaves from one side of the enclosure, carrying them on their foraging trail across the long branches of a concrete tree to their underground city on the other side of the room. The ants don't eat the collected leaves themselves, instead processing them to act as fertilizer for their fungus crop. Through the glass, we could see the tunnels connecting their fungus gardens. It was fascinating to watch them work as we sheltered from the downpour of heavy rain outside.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMgJ9U3qulMW6OfLshhU6tg7Xf0-TYpjoagshqP0QHwxxTLRLuumAqTE8uIYXfmhzJVo78MudHb7aZU8T7okAUxxxCFzWt3X2YyKHu2D_ivSoOMWCPZzaIYQP5-oiioSTxYy2jxOrP9WLgR1f0E7iZKVtHJNpkLL_deJTzPFOAB7casOF7XQ/s3660/CostaRica0785_LosLagosResort_Butterfly.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3660" data-original-width="2928" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMgJ9U3qulMW6OfLshhU6tg7Xf0-TYpjoagshqP0QHwxxTLRLuumAqTE8uIYXfmhzJVo78MudHb7aZU8T7okAUxxxCFzWt3X2YyKHu2D_ivSoOMWCPZzaIYQP5-oiioSTxYy2jxOrP9WLgR1f0E7iZKVtHJNpkLL_deJTzPFOAB7casOF7XQ/w320-h400/CostaRica0785_LosLagosResort_Butterfly.jpg" title="Costa Rica - Butterfly Aviary at Los Lagos Resort" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrjidC8c9NWKxw3VzOFGykAY_Zy0GhP7v0SpV2t4rsHmdPtagoDXG1UUkaM9XQqg9lpZCU_DXC7AsMzuZtSuVOywKlwSTAO9CY9TvIQMheGL-8KpHGOsbukUHUPHhxQAvga3rd0YnLXmTSLatk2tiALZIuaI4mtsF8gvybSOYl_DymkspwOQ/s3726/CostaRica0809_LosLagosResort_Butterfly.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3726" data-original-width="2982" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrjidC8c9NWKxw3VzOFGykAY_Zy0GhP7v0SpV2t4rsHmdPtagoDXG1UUkaM9XQqg9lpZCU_DXC7AsMzuZtSuVOywKlwSTAO9CY9TvIQMheGL-8KpHGOsbukUHUPHhxQAvga3rd0YnLXmTSLatk2tiALZIuaI4mtsF8gvybSOYl_DymkspwOQ/w320-h400/CostaRica0809_LosLagosResort_Butterfly.jpg" title="Costa Rica - Butterfly Aviary at Los Lagos Resort" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsDULdUd5kxsOR6EkfPliCXAe-g4AUukRVdHL0kMry6us78MLQNXMrIswA53IMulMvG9BVQHY22jdpT3qO_7xk0xCKFh8yx5Q6ubbL_6vQNJqwpN0W-deyMAsuqu5EnHnmd3RTUkMzVIg-kzmJkLl_wlhEtvpI9k6q-c4Z97T_1uINQ6nTUw/s4003/CostaRica0830_LosLagosResort_AntFarm_LeafcutterAnts.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3003" data-original-width="4003" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsDULdUd5kxsOR6EkfPliCXAe-g4AUukRVdHL0kMry6us78MLQNXMrIswA53IMulMvG9BVQHY22jdpT3qO_7xk0xCKFh8yx5Q6ubbL_6vQNJqwpN0W-deyMAsuqu5EnHnmd3RTUkMzVIg-kzmJkLl_wlhEtvpI9k6q-c4Z97T_1uINQ6nTUw/w400-h300/CostaRica0830_LosLagosResort_AntFarm_LeafcutterAnts.jpg" title="Costa Rica - Leafcutter Ant Farm at Los Lagos Resort" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_4E4-wjs5CbcjClQTYwWQHzBnqoY7Z_WEkkrDJnvMU1fczzpcF5gAncFrpRWpd7ixvBrlxA-nvOvUqEF7ui5Q8-WRwW0xumzeUHmcXFSsoM1YrgejBPlDd_mUlpv7kjwwSGeH5_SG_xJhWH9NOhr8qoA8SlpstGwin2cMSCXA-S2CM8jXgA/s3629/CostaRica0839_LosLagosResort_AntFarm_LeafcutterAnts.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2720" data-original-width="3629" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_4E4-wjs5CbcjClQTYwWQHzBnqoY7Z_WEkkrDJnvMU1fczzpcF5gAncFrpRWpd7ixvBrlxA-nvOvUqEF7ui5Q8-WRwW0xumzeUHmcXFSsoM1YrgejBPlDd_mUlpv7kjwwSGeH5_SG_xJhWH9NOhr8qoA8SlpstGwin2cMSCXA-S2CM8jXgA/w400-h300/CostaRica0839_LosLagosResort_AntFarm_LeafcutterAnts.JPG" title="Costa Rica - Leafcutter Ant Farm at Los Lagos Resort" width="400" /></a></div><p>Tori and I wanted to visit the Tabacon Hot Springs, but they were already sold out for the day. Instead we decided to take the <b>Eden Chocolate Tour</b> at an organic cocoa plantation. Our guide, walked us through the farm, showing us cocoa flowers and pods growing from the trees. We also learned how the original Native Americans enjoyed the beans versus the modern way to make chocolate. After the beans are harvested at Eden, they are fermented in wooden boxes and then sun-dried in the Secador greenhouse. After a low roasting and the shells are removed, they finely grind the cocoa nibs and add high pressure to create cocoa powder and cocoa butter. The last step to make Dark Chocolate is to combine the ground cocoa with additional cocoa butter and sugar into a Conche, a rotating aerator that that stirs and smooths the mixture under heat. Milk is added for milk chocolate while white chocolate contains only cocoa butter, milk and sugar. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUlLuRKBQwQFt5ADaML8NSUEceyoVT96ucrHRR75ygYRzjqGUYl3BAspoD2lJuepYcXRUM_MuursbiqzDEIVXvSGVAeCbAV3spHav5uY3SMGmJbT_OmcmrHpEE4N-vPT-5GqumucqyknC9Ho8396WElxD51SBfzjeGCJvcIScrgEB4SRAlCA/s3935/CostaRica0940_EdenChocolateTour.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2952" data-original-width="3935" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUlLuRKBQwQFt5ADaML8NSUEceyoVT96ucrHRR75ygYRzjqGUYl3BAspoD2lJuepYcXRUM_MuursbiqzDEIVXvSGVAeCbAV3spHav5uY3SMGmJbT_OmcmrHpEE4N-vPT-5GqumucqyknC9Ho8396WElxD51SBfzjeGCJvcIScrgEB4SRAlCA/w400-h300/CostaRica0940_EdenChocolateTour.JPG" title="Costa Rica - Eden Chocolate Tour" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_BPSKukGMzqZDIMBKl2Z4EVta9YFCs5bsrzbXzDGyMThps2qjQkdZ5sAUaKmb3H6NieV7Ky7wYq3D3o_ttQzpWunBcGg9QEnjnTrkUc7csVuNzCBGJrMkqwI1LOiv21l9D0MDB823lIF_dWEKwJAe_PbdUuQ_Ici5BKCfcuaQRhmdv7XjJw/s3779/CostaRica0945_EdenChocolateTour_CocoaBean.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3779" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_BPSKukGMzqZDIMBKl2Z4EVta9YFCs5bsrzbXzDGyMThps2qjQkdZ5sAUaKmb3H6NieV7Ky7wYq3D3o_ttQzpWunBcGg9QEnjnTrkUc7csVuNzCBGJrMkqwI1LOiv21l9D0MDB823lIF_dWEKwJAe_PbdUuQ_Ici5BKCfcuaQRhmdv7XjJw/w320-h400/CostaRica0945_EdenChocolateTour_CocoaBean.jpg" title="Costa Rica - Cocoa Pod at Eden Chocolate Tour" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGxe_Z7QGBEeg63by4gM6zg2s_nnpXRrBAX8Yx0_y-kx5aoohPCcrUQwet9Zznb4aQmxXhGhH7UAYicVCjoySJ8Ta4DGbg1J8DoMqJf5YS6ic6VmZIATFQcLMDoYQ5vLLr-hx1NPhoIDLZPLooZAYXBA9V2YfgyjqaKjNyUPZqoWZvqXoknQ/s4032/CostaRica0946_EdenChocolateTour_CocoaBean.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGxe_Z7QGBEeg63by4gM6zg2s_nnpXRrBAX8Yx0_y-kx5aoohPCcrUQwet9Zznb4aQmxXhGhH7UAYicVCjoySJ8Ta4DGbg1J8DoMqJf5YS6ic6VmZIATFQcLMDoYQ5vLLr-hx1NPhoIDLZPLooZAYXBA9V2YfgyjqaKjNyUPZqoWZvqXoknQ/w400-h300/CostaRica0946_EdenChocolateTour_CocoaBean.jpg" title="Costa Rica - Dried Cocoa Pod at Eden Chocolate Tour" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXfS8xSE1lucC-xKiOSdHyKoWTW5n9k-SxcpQRPtaMFYY3xagZLUmnUOI9LPd3UhDSKxQm8ZQZbFN77yWvfPb6woPDIqwx2of2h8hOLGxar-0trWlyAkRas-RGn6_6OnlnMpXcEM5Cd4UcU9Kh_Zwu3ogeYrmzxfOBABPfDN92gX0rkOVolg/s3557/CostaRica0941_EdenChocolateTour.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2665" data-original-width="3557" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXfS8xSE1lucC-xKiOSdHyKoWTW5n9k-SxcpQRPtaMFYY3xagZLUmnUOI9LPd3UhDSKxQm8ZQZbFN77yWvfPb6woPDIqwx2of2h8hOLGxar-0trWlyAkRas-RGn6_6OnlnMpXcEM5Cd4UcU9Kh_Zwu3ogeYrmzxfOBABPfDN92gX0rkOVolg/w400-h300/CostaRica0941_EdenChocolateTour.jpg" title="Costa Rica - Eden Chocolate Tour" width="400" /></a></div><p>We were able to try the delicious melted chocolate directly from the conche with a collection of different toppings. My favorite combination was adding a sprinkle of black pepper and cinnamon. After tempering the chocolaty syrup in the refrigerator, we poured the chocolate into molds to make our own bonbons. While they were hardening, we helped make the <b>God's Drink</b> of the Aztecs. The heated cocoa beans smelled delicious as I crushed them with a stone mortar and pestle while Tori ground them fine with the help of an exercise bike. After adding hot water and sugar, I finished the final preparations of the drink with a wooden Molinillo frother stick as our guide led us all in a chant. Fun Times! Even with the added sugar, the drink had a slight bitterness that tasted good after all the rich chocolate we ate.</p>
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<p>Back at the hotel, we relaxed and watched a NFL playoff game in Spanish between the San Francisco 49ers and the Green Bay Packers. The 49ers pulled out the win after blocking a punt during a defensive battle in the snow. For dinner, we drove into La Fortuna for pizza at <b>Anch'io</b>. I had my first Imperial, the local Costa Rican lager that is called Aguila (or Eagle) after the logo on the label. Since it was our last night at the hotel, I took advantage of their WiFi to download several movies to my iPad since the internet is not very fast back at my dad's place.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6jTAnsc08xUkYw892vmMzv7dr5I0Ll2Wl9nz6CuDPNUxOJY_jJRZPQTpAl1k0GpnW6-6f-SBnAaBi0j1otFDqu3qNnDf_eTQVB_F1u1QvY-7GF2K-ubPJyUEjOY1xAfLg1v62hJRdUh1a69z3k32cERPEksfHR6lp75yXDgsBIQC1xFOZbA/s3520/CostaRica0984_LosLagosResort_ArenalVolcano.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1980" data-original-width="3520" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6jTAnsc08xUkYw892vmMzv7dr5I0Ll2Wl9nz6CuDPNUxOJY_jJRZPQTpAl1k0GpnW6-6f-SBnAaBi0j1otFDqu3qNnDf_eTQVB_F1u1QvY-7GF2K-ubPJyUEjOY1xAfLg1v62hJRdUh1a69z3k32cERPEksfHR6lp75yXDgsBIQC1xFOZbA/w400-h225/CostaRica0984_LosLagosResort_ArenalVolcano.JPG" title="Costa Rica - Arenal Volcano" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTdlkqs2RMDy1RQR334ada-Pxw1gG7UW8srIRxJ7f4Y1GTzINXtjb4VvvuYncDPy5g6EfeULM63ZCrMIWi-mTMPs170C1vbUlPVcLCAQMCLkoeWCMYvB-F87TCq2FunkrBYDxfe_V4ZEtilifhDyrR20qx_X49CI-Nd3_xlKPqfSQVpSxF0w/s4032/CostaRica0985_LosLagosResort_HotSprings_ArenalVolcano.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTdlkqs2RMDy1RQR334ada-Pxw1gG7UW8srIRxJ7f4Y1GTzINXtjb4VvvuYncDPy5g6EfeULM63ZCrMIWi-mTMPs170C1vbUlPVcLCAQMCLkoeWCMYvB-F87TCq2FunkrBYDxfe_V4ZEtilifhDyrR20qx_X49CI-Nd3_xlKPqfSQVpSxF0w/w400-h300/CostaRica0985_LosLagosResort_HotSprings_ArenalVolcano.JPG" title="Costa Rica - Arenal Volcano above Los Lagos Hotel" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4aFES8cFw2kCP4SErgEe1pzdTRwbcpClcgEPqI6D1ZFlSLT19XKgFx4JCsi97jJI3JnEdFobXhgGbY_vRyj21AE6m2hrqeDhrY7wCBa5etbkyfURGH163euTkE9B5MDZjrgmoO8McLxstOnZOlsjN3Chp8b2RFhVZV2b8sZQtAL6VdQg2bQ/s4032/CostaRica0990_LosLagosResort_HotSprings.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4aFES8cFw2kCP4SErgEe1pzdTRwbcpClcgEPqI6D1ZFlSLT19XKgFx4JCsi97jJI3JnEdFobXhgGbY_vRyj21AE6m2hrqeDhrY7wCBa5etbkyfURGH163euTkE9B5MDZjrgmoO8McLxstOnZOlsjN3Chp8b2RFhVZV2b8sZQtAL6VdQg2bQ/w400-h300/CostaRica0990_LosLagosResort_HotSprings.jpg" title="Costa Rica - Hot Springs at Los Lagos Hotel" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU_mWV6ZV39Zcq0H6fcGrbzvXDWk1On6PViq-mbGI25b6d545Ccunjudv5v-fVR7P2Gu3glGW4UDIzBxrR2MA-x7F4DLDsQL8HLFRB1exvZzi09yOOHu1Du3lKFQPZLTSs5jJehwBP8QrJqfpiDmMv7d2-NuwDgquhm4ELiustF_dHI7-MVQ/s3688/CostaRica0991_LosLagosResort_HotSprings.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3688" data-original-width="2951" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU_mWV6ZV39Zcq0H6fcGrbzvXDWk1On6PViq-mbGI25b6d545Ccunjudv5v-fVR7P2Gu3glGW4UDIzBxrR2MA-x7F4DLDsQL8HLFRB1exvZzi09yOOHu1Du3lKFQPZLTSs5jJehwBP8QrJqfpiDmMv7d2-NuwDgquhm4ELiustF_dHI7-MVQ/w320-h400/CostaRica0991_LosLagosResort_HotSprings.jpg" title="Costa Rica - Waterslide Planter at Los Lagos Hotel" width="320" /></a></div><p>On Monday, our final morning in La Fortuna, the skies were blue for the first time. Except for clouds circling the peak, we had a great view of the <b>Arenal Volcano</b> from our hotel before we left for the <b>Mistico Arenal Hanging Bridges</b> in the hills above Lake Arenal. We had tickets for 8am to enter the park and hike the two mile trail through the tropical rainforest. The Mistico Park has sixteen bridges crossing the stream-filled ravines and six are hanging suspension bridges over the larger gaps. The first hanging bridge was the <b>Arenal View Bridge</b>, the highest at 180 feet. The clouds had rolled back in so the volcano was mostly obscured at the time we crossed.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi14HTxIl9j2FB-IN8HT-EOufuGA69rnGimrlXmbHNkFfLD0_LQrHTOo_uwSw7O4ZKEnvuPop8kmutFMvLW-5GUGcyrPsaqAFXd8904MAJ2F9abPbjkYHVPTUj1E5wiqqPbP5lZgG5bSJ_ZDQbGDofRU8s_Gja0ytXmEcVbvJV3MEF4qFVVsQ/s3896/CostaRica1160_MisticoArenal_HangingBridges.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2919" data-original-width="3896" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi14HTxIl9j2FB-IN8HT-EOufuGA69rnGimrlXmbHNkFfLD0_LQrHTOo_uwSw7O4ZKEnvuPop8kmutFMvLW-5GUGcyrPsaqAFXd8904MAJ2F9abPbjkYHVPTUj1E5wiqqPbP5lZgG5bSJ_ZDQbGDofRU8s_Gja0ytXmEcVbvJV3MEF4qFVVsQ/w400-h300/CostaRica1160_MisticoArenal_HangingBridges.jpg" title="Costa Rica - Waterfall Bridge at Mistico Park" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNQ4PsxJK5CxA19HlFdxfC0htj3Fe_SxF612vKTY03wMKBnlv5duFkDYv6002l03jlBOw1eG6zh7rS85KphvWw6Ml6rCPtjkCO0NZIkOPV05EvCJJPnvZ52BUXMPN5tsAwAbNP6eHSroGQ63y0A5GfK5Q1XUnuMEV70adZaLRHfs7EC8-jBA/s4000/CostaRica1162_MisticoArenal_HangingBridges.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNQ4PsxJK5CxA19HlFdxfC0htj3Fe_SxF612vKTY03wMKBnlv5duFkDYv6002l03jlBOw1eG6zh7rS85KphvWw6Ml6rCPtjkCO0NZIkOPV05EvCJJPnvZ52BUXMPN5tsAwAbNP6eHSroGQ63y0A5GfK5Q1XUnuMEV70adZaLRHfs7EC8-jBA/w400-h300/CostaRica1162_MisticoArenal_HangingBridges.jpg" title="Costa Rica - Waterfall Bridge at Mistico Park" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYNlMvso7xwe9xB15A8Cl11xq5ZM7_mWajekYuO2RCEe2Ee2ouV46-1-Qv7jMEZKLY8E6czq9h7_fqS3BzekJHnFjAvfGe31cM8Bon25oKzel_4ZDXIVKn4kmlHWFYekf9Z20JNJY4tC20K-FiIKq8mEjDnzCE_lhcwkQU7QnnpQqFaTNtBQ/s4032/CostaRica1163_MisticoArenal_HangingBridges.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYNlMvso7xwe9xB15A8Cl11xq5ZM7_mWajekYuO2RCEe2Ee2ouV46-1-Qv7jMEZKLY8E6czq9h7_fqS3BzekJHnFjAvfGe31cM8Bon25oKzel_4ZDXIVKn4kmlHWFYekf9Z20JNJY4tC20K-FiIKq8mEjDnzCE_lhcwkQU7QnnpQqFaTNtBQ/w400-h300/CostaRica1163_MisticoArenal_HangingBridges.jpg" title="Costa Rica - Waterfall Bridge at Mistico Park" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx8CaMTL0LmJ8ZTXDjjLIuUeX7x3cGIChHrWtqZIRly_Bu7VW9RZNQ6YI6AvpQtEoDLUBbj8jIhj8if0DvWGAOsspojUA4mBYkQ3aXnerNEfo_yiV_9E_F5TxW_q0Ls1XofFLbQlYsoseBe-qasqu5jXwrQH8A3fsUxVKCyiUIHdJviXhM8g/s3686/CostaRica1172_MisticoArenal_HangingBridges.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3686" data-original-width="2949" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx8CaMTL0LmJ8ZTXDjjLIuUeX7x3cGIChHrWtqZIRly_Bu7VW9RZNQ6YI6AvpQtEoDLUBbj8jIhj8if0DvWGAOsspojUA4mBYkQ3aXnerNEfo_yiV_9E_F5TxW_q0Ls1XofFLbQlYsoseBe-qasqu5jXwrQH8A3fsUxVKCyiUIHdJviXhM8g/w320-h400/CostaRica1172_MisticoArenal_HangingBridges.jpg" title="Costa Rica - Pilon Tree Bridge at Mistico Park" width="320" /></a></div><p>The second bridge wasn't as high but it had a beautiful Pilon Tree towering at one end that gave the bridge its name. The suspension bridges would sway and rock as people walked across them so there was a limit of 15 people at one time. The <b>Waterfall Bridge</b> had the best view of the valley but the waterfall below was mostly hidden under the forest canopy. We were able to get a closer look of the <b>Blue Morpho Waterfall</b> (Catarata Morpho Azul) further down the trail. I started to get slightly seasick crossing the next bridges since we caught up to a large group who would step widely as possible on the bridge to feel safe. This caused the bridge to sway violently up and down without stopping until they reached the far side. For a smooth crossing, the trick is to walk close to the center of the narrow bridge. On our last bridge we saw a howler monkey high in the trees over our heads.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDPTx-xiJgi4cZcmyMFuqbppAmjYBBZInMsTE19awfZBgi_Tj4Q-qskNvUqcd7Al0UbR0SBX-3sA7rJDJCx34SGevfTXcQoW7AeEyAeG-l21o46YGq2oOYBaFJRMfFTfUFFVDdHqus4DBPuAM_Wooswh7hfCnLTRJeXUNwOmwPS0QAN-5LgQ/s3779/CostaRica1214_MisticoArenal_HangingBridges.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3779" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDPTx-xiJgi4cZcmyMFuqbppAmjYBBZInMsTE19awfZBgi_Tj4Q-qskNvUqcd7Al0UbR0SBX-3sA7rJDJCx34SGevfTXcQoW7AeEyAeG-l21o46YGq2oOYBaFJRMfFTfUFFVDdHqus4DBPuAM_Wooswh7hfCnLTRJeXUNwOmwPS0QAN-5LgQ/w320-h400/CostaRica1214_MisticoArenal_HangingBridges.jpg" title="Costa Rica - Blue Morpho Waterfall at Mistico Arenal Hanging Bridges" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEPyhON2zRMOT2PXB47_CggBOuH3a7on2Ut9BN_eheoQbBJKzQPHh7OwqvQ0lqXUERy-a5sL7nX_-Z3gEROrbACLgy0AUSU671cVP78fhDv5hTyeGk2MB0G2JPts2VnLwrWwde-vU89Bz3QrQMHjrCb1Qgv8JuBSkbL9Gty-R_FFUOjl2E-w/s3780/CostaRica1233_MisticoArenal_HangingBridges.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3780" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEPyhON2zRMOT2PXB47_CggBOuH3a7on2Ut9BN_eheoQbBJKzQPHh7OwqvQ0lqXUERy-a5sL7nX_-Z3gEROrbACLgy0AUSU671cVP78fhDv5hTyeGk2MB0G2JPts2VnLwrWwde-vU89Bz3QrQMHjrCb1Qgv8JuBSkbL9Gty-R_FFUOjl2E-w/w320-h400/CostaRica1233_MisticoArenal_HangingBridges.jpg" title="Costa Rica - Ant Hill Bridge at Mistico Park" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0qH2VpfR9CERhd4wovOIcjWHd27S28GHR8DW495_AgJOgFIk4lGH0VT2PR-WmFTyQqKPhqFj5uwP6x4h9UBGAHaiInR49vBfhpP7_pJ1pH0H2sTyT6H4pa2n03U-cRo2igO67uhhyRBN2gaDuLMpPhDs8oOflqOjhAQLCuK6QPjmOdQMM-Q/s3779/CostaRica1240_MisticoArenal_HangingBridges.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3779" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0qH2VpfR9CERhd4wovOIcjWHd27S28GHR8DW495_AgJOgFIk4lGH0VT2PR-WmFTyQqKPhqFj5uwP6x4h9UBGAHaiInR49vBfhpP7_pJ1pH0H2sTyT6H4pa2n03U-cRo2igO67uhhyRBN2gaDuLMpPhDs8oOflqOjhAQLCuK6QPjmOdQMM-Q/w320-h400/CostaRica1240_MisticoArenal_HangingBridges.JPG" title="Costa Rica - Mistico Arenal Hanging Bridges" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFKYN8hyYes6v4x52CpGF8FJkkZjihAMxfjRqHKtfZ0fyZ8ZMAO0py3lo3oIt1XgoV1xFfzzrqjxwDAdvTHTleeNFabgiaBy0uFAHLD9jxRwEfDzamuwqVCkYhC13aIQyfvt2lMgMyYHbOWdHvG7mUMeyWq6lg3aVyroOaMl_JTsMBfwYqIg/s3762/CostaRica1257_MisticoArenal_HangingBridges.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3762" data-original-width="3010" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFKYN8hyYes6v4x52CpGF8FJkkZjihAMxfjRqHKtfZ0fyZ8ZMAO0py3lo3oIt1XgoV1xFfzzrqjxwDAdvTHTleeNFabgiaBy0uFAHLD9jxRwEfDzamuwqVCkYhC13aIQyfvt2lMgMyYHbOWdHvG7mUMeyWq6lg3aVyroOaMl_JTsMBfwYqIg/w320-h400/CostaRica1257_MisticoArenal_HangingBridges.jpg" title="Costa Rica - Jumping Viper Tunnel at Mistico Park" width="320" /></a></div><p>The skies cleared again as neared the end of the trail so we had a great view of the Arenal Volcano from the picnic area near the entrance. The hike only took us an hour and a half so we made it back to the hotel to pack up before our noon checkout. On our drive back to Playa Negra, we stopped at the <b>Macadamia Cafe</b> for lunch at the far side of the lake. The food was really good and their covered patio had a great view of the lake. Tori drove the rental car on the last part of the drive back to Playa Negra to get used to the Costa Rican roads in preparation for her drive to the airport on Wednesday.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6KyGIF_vlCd8wisJjkZtAlxgb9EYgB8ttblzpMXplVgdFZNPHbLYfO0PNooZyEZe08gOwPhGGkOSh0tChVC5tB0RFFDk1LQwXkGQZT_Tj4L688wQuTH8Db6zjm2gnz3Ddi-vDiE47_VGtRS5XLUABUG5Zrq0XQ2xbx-OfHgJAQj2uFMIHaQ/s3977/CostaRica1301_MisticoArenal_HangingBridges_ArenalVolcano.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2983" data-original-width="3977" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6KyGIF_vlCd8wisJjkZtAlxgb9EYgB8ttblzpMXplVgdFZNPHbLYfO0PNooZyEZe08gOwPhGGkOSh0tChVC5tB0RFFDk1LQwXkGQZT_Tj4L688wQuTH8Db6zjm2gnz3Ddi-vDiE47_VGtRS5XLUABUG5Zrq0XQ2xbx-OfHgJAQj2uFMIHaQ/w400-h300/CostaRica1301_MisticoArenal_HangingBridges_ArenalVolcano.jpg" title="Costa Rica - Arenal Volcano" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii1evaFHTQpLs8EKg_ZBu6oW0fB4vrTAreZsFsl5bF7C-GmoBo5rM-W8mwiTbWl4Syt4V_HluZKDx6RWAXCkHDKKDs-3rkX2H6pPQl7ooVhxznBEb1uGFPDSz262xkL2MhPtobrPEtDrzCzhP3beO89h_RDNRvnjPMIpCtJGHDwxrxJejkBg/s3520/CostaRica1303_MisticoArenal_HangingBridges_ArenalVolcano.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1980" data-original-width="3520" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii1evaFHTQpLs8EKg_ZBu6oW0fB4vrTAreZsFsl5bF7C-GmoBo5rM-W8mwiTbWl4Syt4V_HluZKDx6RWAXCkHDKKDs-3rkX2H6pPQl7ooVhxznBEb1uGFPDSz262xkL2MhPtobrPEtDrzCzhP3beO89h_RDNRvnjPMIpCtJGHDwxrxJejkBg/w400-h225/CostaRica1303_MisticoArenal_HangingBridges_ArenalVolcano.jpg" title="Costa Rica - Arenal Volcano" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYCX6JrP-Hi0AWIxoWd2-QEKEu6aZkgbRz7DBC3SBKnWef7Ydu_uByXjV1xlVDbrCSf84NXeRMPZptEFWu7xL08OlJA8f-8IlqADXF3J8a22nYuIQMHzk_ZQxUVC0uixmZFNYbH-tqP1Nn3Y5nLlgMO4y7ojiaEYfefQG3o3GR7-MQFckFiA/s3977/CostaRica1340_ArenalLake_MacadamiaCafe.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2980" data-original-width="3977" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYCX6JrP-Hi0AWIxoWd2-QEKEu6aZkgbRz7DBC3SBKnWef7Ydu_uByXjV1xlVDbrCSf84NXeRMPZptEFWu7xL08OlJA8f-8IlqADXF3J8a22nYuIQMHzk_ZQxUVC0uixmZFNYbH-tqP1Nn3Y5nLlgMO4y7ojiaEYfefQG3o3GR7-MQFckFiA/w400-h300/CostaRica1340_ArenalLake_MacadamiaCafe.JPG" title="Costa Rica - Macadamia Cafe at Lake Arenal" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXUYtit_Yk3k-l_VIwO-UcmXJNhAwZICPFWblp8WUTr7DBSCyUReGXA1tqiXYPpO1ZM9O0Tx5zloEY4lpv7vTMlBsxVqpXjimXea0__O3dbxaRbVbuA58C2o-lUyRHgFa2PkShz2Mh8pgpDF58wGDRfWsySK1-ymORpP9wyYfjln6rSFHhbA/s4095/CostaRica1348_ArenalLake_MacadamiaCafe.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2618" data-original-width="4095" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXUYtit_Yk3k-l_VIwO-UcmXJNhAwZICPFWblp8WUTr7DBSCyUReGXA1tqiXYPpO1ZM9O0Tx5zloEY4lpv7vTMlBsxVqpXjimXea0__O3dbxaRbVbuA58C2o-lUyRHgFa2PkShz2Mh8pgpDF58wGDRfWsySK1-ymORpP9wyYfjln6rSFHhbA/w400-h256/CostaRica1348_ArenalLake_MacadamiaCafe.JPG" title="Costa Rica - Macadamia Cafe at Lake Arenal" width="400" /></a></div><p>We arrived back at my dad's house at 5pm, just as he was receiving his shipment of concrete that we had ordered together on Friday. Two grazing horses wandered up to the backyard fence as we unloaded our rental car. To catch the sunset, Tori and I went down to the beach with Ryder and walked north to the rocky point. In sand above the high tide line, Ryder pointed out the sea turtle tracks leading up to several aborted nests. The empty body pits meant that the female turtles had abandoned their nests before laying eggs. These "false crawls" are fairly common and occur naturally, but they can also occur because of too much artificial light or the presence of people on the beach.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyJ5ltTh4YC2XwO1xQRTF7Cvch-K2w6nlqCjPFYSYKIUdh5nERc0r4RhHllJqNAJpFcX9J2mp1aBLJ7cobGrwBc3-ahFW7DgHBW_rYcSWj9FnkSvCQQmrTFqNgMj4fM-WOJ30C3YTa9bExCknp_ux0EJtWY17x8BlgcFHBagPGAI9mEs8x2A/s3700/CostaRica1355_PlayNegra.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2773" data-original-width="3700" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyJ5ltTh4YC2XwO1xQRTF7Cvch-K2w6nlqCjPFYSYKIUdh5nERc0r4RhHllJqNAJpFcX9J2mp1aBLJ7cobGrwBc3-ahFW7DgHBW_rYcSWj9FnkSvCQQmrTFqNgMj4fM-WOJ30C3YTa9bExCknp_ux0EJtWY17x8BlgcFHBagPGAI9mEs8x2A/w400-h300/CostaRica1355_PlayNegra.JPG" title="Costa Rica - Unloading Concrete at Playa Negra" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb5fsrP2hvps7grZ8jZUG-YazZggE3kDMgn5bExrNxsNFbWYEkK1NLQqKJUF3ct_0hLhIu0J4s_p9b-ElvKQMK-FFS-Op_E0VDWvI584j3awyU3BZPkHRE06hzc44aAtpmBadrYsHi5-PWmmV9vqLCPCKmowNus9HU9ohcC5GM2btYokvpZg/s2809/CostaRica1357_PlayNegra_Horses_Finca.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2106" data-original-width="2809" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb5fsrP2hvps7grZ8jZUG-YazZggE3kDMgn5bExrNxsNFbWYEkK1NLQqKJUF3ct_0hLhIu0J4s_p9b-ElvKQMK-FFS-Op_E0VDWvI584j3awyU3BZPkHRE06hzc44aAtpmBadrYsHi5-PWmmV9vqLCPCKmowNus9HU9ohcC5GM2btYokvpZg/w400-h300/CostaRica1357_PlayNegra_Horses_Finca.JPG" title="Costa Rica - Horses at Playa Negra" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl3LrCzQh_F16AVMCDKSCeyoVJ90hoQk37R9iQTrLMix3hE_JdfIWYm5gr4oq6XX1LOLb4KYodGT8GpsAoS7EJt8M67TmmeF9fjaMP0w20OTLCg5C40YIIusnllH635JQQBFs0iMiJQSVJDuv0iWy0LgjUHwe23zxoXQZFJ8ysEKESpUFKvA/s3911/CostaRica1371_PlayNegra.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2934" data-original-width="3911" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl3LrCzQh_F16AVMCDKSCeyoVJ90hoQk37R9iQTrLMix3hE_JdfIWYm5gr4oq6XX1LOLb4KYodGT8GpsAoS7EJt8M67TmmeF9fjaMP0w20OTLCg5C40YIIusnllH635JQQBFs0iMiJQSVJDuv0iWy0LgjUHwe23zxoXQZFJ8ysEKESpUFKvA/w400-h300/CostaRica1371_PlayNegra.JPG" title="Costa Rica - Sunset at Playa Negra" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigJ9wtzvnrNCtDoga9MG4Vn5zn8dID4o-t2KaVErAUgVd_-PHYIfPxHhw0OZIpfhYrb1fnvfFNaedJnASvxhbbg2bFBpvzTj50UkkYAmMUEsnfy_xVkSj8mNYdA0Ya1hFHGWK2GzO4b7VRxZCMUzbkl3_Ol5wYvxbmf9-ey0nY38QdGQLDeg/s3814/CostaRica1372_PlayNegra.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2858" data-original-width="3814" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigJ9wtzvnrNCtDoga9MG4Vn5zn8dID4o-t2KaVErAUgVd_-PHYIfPxHhw0OZIpfhYrb1fnvfFNaedJnASvxhbbg2bFBpvzTj50UkkYAmMUEsnfy_xVkSj8mNYdA0Ya1hFHGWK2GzO4b7VRxZCMUzbkl3_Ol5wYvxbmf9-ey0nY38QdGQLDeg/w400-h300/CostaRica1372_PlayNegra.JPG" title="Costa Rica - Sea Turtle Nests at Playa Negra" width="400" /></a></div><p>For dinner, we walked into town with my father and Ryder to eat at <b>La Vida Buena</b>. The local restaurant had only reopened in the last few months due to the sudden death of the owner in 2021 to Covid. The food was real good! I ordered the Gorgonzola Steak and Tori had the Primavera Pasta with White Sauce that my dad recommended. After our meal, we walked over to Flori's house so my dad could pick up a big pot of black beans she had made for him. Always keeping his eye out for reptiles, Ryder caught a <b>Slender Blindsnake</b> in her front yard. It was the size of a skinny earthworm, but it had tiny scales.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNqFrLbo2r_P-fgd19ar3UrjI9_RFj6Sd6Cf4wd29pHrb7lQ0XXTszTUx6SSznUiL2217g5oZaSl-Zuf0bj0HBC4Yrbn_NJZmsd8v0WjC55OtfYvhUaBYgfy9SZZLTwjBIp8Qb27PGZbrZcvOBxEzCNC1LGjiSlfPQ9xrGzvW7gxo802KyNg/s4096/CostaRica1422_PlayNegra.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2148" data-original-width="4096" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNqFrLbo2r_P-fgd19ar3UrjI9_RFj6Sd6Cf4wd29pHrb7lQ0XXTszTUx6SSznUiL2217g5oZaSl-Zuf0bj0HBC4Yrbn_NJZmsd8v0WjC55OtfYvhUaBYgfy9SZZLTwjBIp8Qb27PGZbrZcvOBxEzCNC1LGjiSlfPQ9xrGzvW7gxo802KyNg/w400-h210/CostaRica1422_PlayNegra.JPG" title="Costa Rica - Sunset at Playa Negra" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZqYKiPIcK1hrSQ1dL9m0G8dBGBDIdgTdOH0Y0SGB-U-NgPg1o67Hm7PGu_mZKzQ3ayuZs1Bhy59ZRRKqi9yRCtOzHSEnbhSnHDGaJ30ev8_fSNPYaYSI185S8WmPdLk-iu-78wz7itLUKiHXvCqEKaB8jvHBFORM2g6ViAHShmP8Ph-nMWg/s3410/CostaRica1423_PlayNegra.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3410" data-original-width="2728" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZqYKiPIcK1hrSQ1dL9m0G8dBGBDIdgTdOH0Y0SGB-U-NgPg1o67Hm7PGu_mZKzQ3ayuZs1Bhy59ZRRKqi9yRCtOzHSEnbhSnHDGaJ30ev8_fSNPYaYSI185S8WmPdLk-iu-78wz7itLUKiHXvCqEKaB8jvHBFORM2g6ViAHShmP8Ph-nMWg/w320-h400/CostaRica1423_PlayNegra.JPG" title="Costa Rica - Sunset at Playa Negra" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqnKdxkwGvvlHccHKQCQZLWQgQBCnfvC_1vMZ_WDTSBdM0Z6AbPd3lEChk1RvXFGJ4a6l9ybuqPfdBSl_ySIvbVqcJXlW3sEpWuDf2sNoZlq-0IpUwRuxn7A9tt2QAUAFM5ajkjqx1ZFomZApegzyZkp38QB_d9wlCJv_KNZZbAb8w33e8Tg/s3726/CostaRica1433_PlayNegra_LaVidaBuena.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3726" data-original-width="2982" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqnKdxkwGvvlHccHKQCQZLWQgQBCnfvC_1vMZ_WDTSBdM0Z6AbPd3lEChk1RvXFGJ4a6l9ybuqPfdBSl_ySIvbVqcJXlW3sEpWuDf2sNoZlq-0IpUwRuxn7A9tt2QAUAFM5ajkjqx1ZFomZApegzyZkp38QB_d9wlCJv_KNZZbAb8w33e8Tg/w320-h400/CostaRica1433_PlayNegra_LaVidaBuena.JPG" title="Costa Rica - La Vida Buena in Playa Negra" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2EkeznSUaUH5ZJxc2yBAXhAPiB-xtpPvM8Oe8utQodsppwF-_1e_EGrRmxPn5oWGR_FSr59k6_t9s1VJVRlSslJlzKc9mwlncKkqi3nMgp9zWo9PAoooH50ju64dGgCX8x3pgPPIyUnvxOdBpgkLxWetclMUMrb9zdXWp0EyT9vxVzuSaaQ/s3985/CostaRica1440_PlayNegra_LaVidaBuena.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2988" data-original-width="3985" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2EkeznSUaUH5ZJxc2yBAXhAPiB-xtpPvM8Oe8utQodsppwF-_1e_EGrRmxPn5oWGR_FSr59k6_t9s1VJVRlSslJlzKc9mwlncKkqi3nMgp9zWo9PAoooH50ju64dGgCX8x3pgPPIyUnvxOdBpgkLxWetclMUMrb9zdXWp0EyT9vxVzuSaaQ/w400-h300/CostaRica1440_PlayNegra_LaVidaBuena.JPG" title="Costa Rica - La Vida Buena in Playa Negra" width="400" /></a></div><p>While I would be staying in Costa Rica for another week, Tuesday was Tori and Ryder's last day before flying home on Wednesday. My Dad and Chamalia were already hard at work when we woke up, mixing and pouring cement for a concrete pillar of the new patio. Chamalia is a local Tico who works security at the nearby beach parking lot and occasionally works for my father when he needs construction help. As they filled up the wooden form with wet cement, Tori, Ryder, and I walked over to the Corazon Surf Cafe for breakfast. It was closed despite its posted hours so we headed over to <b>Jalapeno's Eatery</b> on the other side of town instead. We had Banana Pancakes and Avocado Toast before returning to the house for the Covid test appointment. With a negative test needed within one day of arrival in the USA, my dad found a mobile service that drives to Playa Negra for $55 per test. After having their noses swabbed, Ryder and Tori found out they were negative within 15 minutes.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7rvc1HbAsjyJV-Pxn9FdJY3Rbon69oCkHiqbEPYRpg0wYMR83WAqs3U4N_Sl_dVF1BKWNaXnujObtl7fclK9HWNEr89Obr0POFc1gfdEWuclByB6JvywIxOPjHBcXN5uPUqQWvVQ6LGdA5v3-UNLaD3lRePRQN-EA94dId2AwN-WtyBZ_Ug/s3901/CostaRica1456_PlayaNegra.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2923" data-original-width="3901" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7rvc1HbAsjyJV-Pxn9FdJY3Rbon69oCkHiqbEPYRpg0wYMR83WAqs3U4N_Sl_dVF1BKWNaXnujObtl7fclK9HWNEr89Obr0POFc1gfdEWuclByB6JvywIxOPjHBcXN5uPUqQWvVQ6LGdA5v3-UNLaD3lRePRQN-EA94dId2AwN-WtyBZ_Ug/w400-h300/CostaRica1456_PlayaNegra.jpg" title="Costa Rica - Playa Negra" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPJKRnxwzQZ5WcW-J9oh0lUWyBiCadTOTfvUGo_SNXSoes0gJG4x6AqvmK96NGvohqZjIcOmn0P8rrrydVJj8lIbHOgdXbUrbc1fxdoA8X36SmhtMNDm0QLdGufAbZvE5fLnyHowmyh2AVxKwQjUQDy1qujLXFjLUOnFA_gKcYgvRQRad8Gw/s3628/CostaRica1480_PlayaNegra_Jalapeno.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2718" data-original-width="3628" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPJKRnxwzQZ5WcW-J9oh0lUWyBiCadTOTfvUGo_SNXSoes0gJG4x6AqvmK96NGvohqZjIcOmn0P8rrrydVJj8lIbHOgdXbUrbc1fxdoA8X36SmhtMNDm0QLdGufAbZvE5fLnyHowmyh2AVxKwQjUQDy1qujLXFjLUOnFA_gKcYgvRQRad8Gw/w400-h300/CostaRica1480_PlayaNegra_Jalapeno.jpg" title="Costa Rica - Jalapeno Eatery in Playa Negra" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje9Lde_bxIyFWPpb6-DK3zNjs1fiMK8U_xx2q5Ky5NESsnS4BEayxH0PIxjOEGrKXmEEG8sPIa1U-wg1tT6aHPltXTpaL8mQv6527O-GaClVFY-nNIF18u3-R21HEMCELcVVLhzy-wiUuzMt-iVD6WmCvtv0k_fmHpl8GzcgV03pBLRE2_6g/s4032/CostaRica1494_PlayaNegra_COVIDTest.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje9Lde_bxIyFWPpb6-DK3zNjs1fiMK8U_xx2q5Ky5NESsnS4BEayxH0PIxjOEGrKXmEEG8sPIa1U-wg1tT6aHPltXTpaL8mQv6527O-GaClVFY-nNIF18u3-R21HEMCELcVVLhzy-wiUuzMt-iVD6WmCvtv0k_fmHpl8GzcgV03pBLRE2_6g/w400-h300/CostaRica1494_PlayaNegra_COVIDTest.jpg" title="Costa Rica - Covid Test in Playa Negra" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQHfYLsRHEoJND7GRglvazpkyMmPOnmdrRu7psinlaN4ZImsnkhcZ2E3aW4EkH0n6HlvojgJUj_tZN4UVN0tF_Kjgs9UnCghMu448vlFTLbwsBLr59NbhwPAguDQfCVmglGxbpV0H1HhLVRRmDyAMSlRDyk7zsiq1dBbnWnGJo06Kq5OLuVA/s3881/CostaRica1509_PlayaNegra_Finca_Horses.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2908" data-original-width="3881" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQHfYLsRHEoJND7GRglvazpkyMmPOnmdrRu7psinlaN4ZImsnkhcZ2E3aW4EkH0n6HlvojgJUj_tZN4UVN0tF_Kjgs9UnCghMu448vlFTLbwsBLr59NbhwPAguDQfCVmglGxbpV0H1HhLVRRmDyAMSlRDyk7zsiq1dBbnWnGJo06Kq5OLuVA/w400-h300/CostaRica1509_PlayaNegra_Finca_Horses.jpg" title="Costa Rica - Horses in Playa Negra" width="400" /></a></div><p>At noon, Tori and I rode the bikes over to <b>Hotel Playa Negra</b> to check out their gift shop and have a few cocktails at the beachside café. Back at the house, we mostly relaxed as Tori did a little packing to get ready for her early flight the next day. (She came outside laughing, saying she accidently drank an ant but she was able to spit it out before swallowing!) At 4pm, Tori and I returned to the beach for a long walk. This time we headed south, passing all the little headlands to reach <b>Playa Callejones</b>. It was only about 4km roundtrip but it was pretty tiring walking on the soft sand as we returned at sunset. For dinner, we picked up pepperoni pizza from <b>La Vida Buena</b> to eat before Ryder left for his second Sea Turtle expedition. Our nephew is an amateur <b>Herpetologist</b>, which is the study of reptiles and amphibians. He has a large collection at home that includes a large iguana named Chewy. Even after he returned from the expedition where he saw hatching sea turtles crawling into the surf, he spent the rest of the night searching for more reptiles in the bushes and trees surrounding the house. At the end of this post is his complete list of all the animals he identified on the trip.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqRKTmjdIAT1Zktv_eBns5AcvSHAmwz3I7WO8cvkYmPxWX-ENsK3NYAHNrHxkSpFHUsTGKMJgRRvuwt0gOGywWt33LqGB8GyXi-NWhxqOU6-MkoXCQtxGorFTpOiZv6xQEpvAqvheAMB5E16Q5XTbgxa_aOy3YC18uBK7GAI1_1OGFCRbwEg/s3935/CostaRica1534_PlayaNegra.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2952" data-original-width="3935" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqRKTmjdIAT1Zktv_eBns5AcvSHAmwz3I7WO8cvkYmPxWX-ENsK3NYAHNrHxkSpFHUsTGKMJgRRvuwt0gOGywWt33LqGB8GyXi-NWhxqOU6-MkoXCQtxGorFTpOiZv6xQEpvAqvheAMB5E16Q5XTbgxa_aOy3YC18uBK7GAI1_1OGFCRbwEg/w400-h300/CostaRica1534_PlayaNegra.jpg" title="Costa Rica - Playa Negra" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGKl5a9mRM0NeTP_F2CDwF1Fx7Ik7AEPnTMXZ-C3YCoh4jftOyEFjLo9Zg4yeHT4x0kbnLAj4OAnrZjv-UwR2WFTN1Zdx_nuB7jxyJisXdeR2dMDYNU5mjnXzZ8crOLMKB_RhCUJ2CGaiP0o4gw8-Ugbz1OwXmwyfSgaRac8gUJMSnJPIM4A/s3977/CostaRica1561_PlayaNegra_PlayaCallejones.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2982" data-original-width="3977" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGKl5a9mRM0NeTP_F2CDwF1Fx7Ik7AEPnTMXZ-C3YCoh4jftOyEFjLo9Zg4yeHT4x0kbnLAj4OAnrZjv-UwR2WFTN1Zdx_nuB7jxyJisXdeR2dMDYNU5mjnXzZ8crOLMKB_RhCUJ2CGaiP0o4gw8-Ugbz1OwXmwyfSgaRac8gUJMSnJPIM4A/w400-h300/CostaRica1561_PlayaNegra_PlayaCallejones.jpg" title="Costa Rica - Playa Negra" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrreOe2LN1E3CCZzLD4NYJ_vZn5gAf5qQ_bx5PXbDibzmYjQT4bRu8iMTBNYMA2mkE1FxpCMvqlR62k-YId-ewpoyaoMcpLgFq7NRAHTC3t7Glaw9aVOWyflMqt-LoVrWKX0rglz7M4YDU3ih0NaUqGFEKkFhW2j41jFYLxG4RKAohIQJJ3w/s3440/CostaRica1565_PlayaNegra.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3440" data-original-width="2752" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrreOe2LN1E3CCZzLD4NYJ_vZn5gAf5qQ_bx5PXbDibzmYjQT4bRu8iMTBNYMA2mkE1FxpCMvqlR62k-YId-ewpoyaoMcpLgFq7NRAHTC3t7Glaw9aVOWyflMqt-LoVrWKX0rglz7M4YDU3ih0NaUqGFEKkFhW2j41jFYLxG4RKAohIQJJ3w/w320-h400/CostaRica1565_PlayaNegra.jpg" title="Costa Rica - Sand Burrow on Playa Negra" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy5-iRBCJH33RcArmR2cre838amJNlKIJmgGk91_PmMJVT-FrJTER-bP44HmlYeJGaDb6RGURV4QRLjN4IeNbzs7vkv3YsZtRPyOvpxLZ8RD3oeeqOOdy9LzaUnNE2_FiMT5N4XoTx1Sq6hMCzV_mXqV2KHm6pk494EPhgK2NN4wm__8n33g/s3423/CostaRica1568_PlayaNegra_PlayaCallejones.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1921" data-original-width="3423" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy5-iRBCJH33RcArmR2cre838amJNlKIJmgGk91_PmMJVT-FrJTER-bP44HmlYeJGaDb6RGURV4QRLjN4IeNbzs7vkv3YsZtRPyOvpxLZ8RD3oeeqOOdy9LzaUnNE2_FiMT5N4XoTx1Sq6hMCzV_mXqV2KHm6pk494EPhgK2NN4wm__8n33g/w400-h225/CostaRica1568_PlayaNegra_PlayaCallejones.jpg" title="Costa Rica - Playa Callejones" width="400" /></a></div><p>Tori and Ryder left at 5:30am on Wednesday morning, driving off in the rental car to return it to the Hertz near the Liberia Airport. For the rest of my vacation, I did not have a car, just walking and riding bikes around Playa Negra. The farthest I biked on the bumpy dirt roads was through the Teak Tree groves to <b>Playa Callejones</b>. Since my father does not want to deal with owning and registering a car in Costa Rica, he hires Flori instead to drive him around when he has errands to nearby towns or trips to the airport. It was a pretty relaxing week, surfing once a day with my dad and hanging out at the house, watching movies on my iPad and listening to podcasts. Everywhere we went, my dad introduced me to everyone he knows in the small beach community.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz7CSpciQBDhIAwbpDy2uGX0Rjek8mUlSdpQJ8fv7t3i6zMjlzDfemAuVjMR32JmFG6WXbEIxt5F5wMTYABAtuuth36viNZYBsr90MkCmmMGOp3s9s-iGHHbrBJRNrLz7X-pdM2g5oaAFgti-QNdBKQ2d92LW_nqnyTI55u4RnjOKjspF_3A/s1080/CostaRica1670_PlayaNegra_SandyBeach.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz7CSpciQBDhIAwbpDy2uGX0Rjek8mUlSdpQJ8fv7t3i6zMjlzDfemAuVjMR32JmFG6WXbEIxt5F5wMTYABAtuuth36viNZYBsr90MkCmmMGOp3s9s-iGHHbrBJRNrLz7X-pdM2g5oaAFgti-QNdBKQ2d92LW_nqnyTI55u4RnjOKjspF_3A/w400-h400/CostaRica1670_PlayaNegra_SandyBeach.JPG" title="Costa Rica - Sandy Beach at Playa Negra" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4LY2yP-sdl5I87ENUYdnNQ05hx0n5UJeH-vBAqk25XNJPVZfH6-7thcGFK1bQIw5iKjkjRP5rSfVVKy6mstrKuyxHtH-D1FkWxuxysxqGTSYWunlkcfo-w6GCqMGPPsgLWNsQc0MLnwHECHh2WctBL-QdzTcjQIg0o6JZ8wNuM4rLHggdcA/s1080/CostaRica1671_PlayaNegra_SandyBeach.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4LY2yP-sdl5I87ENUYdnNQ05hx0n5UJeH-vBAqk25XNJPVZfH6-7thcGFK1bQIw5iKjkjRP5rSfVVKy6mstrKuyxHtH-D1FkWxuxysxqGTSYWunlkcfo-w6GCqMGPPsgLWNsQc0MLnwHECHh2WctBL-QdzTcjQIg0o6JZ8wNuM4rLHggdcA/w400-h400/CostaRica1671_PlayaNegra_SandyBeach.JPG" title="Costa Rica - Sandy Beach at Playa Negra" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGgBo2zpCeQ0YSLsawj_lXqdM9Euo6DbOoItj_PwgfUfMqapyHIJexee6SBFuRBcYF4zucmoNqYAEBfpsyfdsLYejX-g9pLl0HgfH6JP_Hdkp-tbrIIpGy0Z_x3Xv6cTPfrEE7locXp5ZDE7f3RSFCjKO7ONmvADlIyjW5t1ux7WoJGvPsqg/s1920/CostaRica1679_PlayaNegra_Surfing_SandyBeach.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGgBo2zpCeQ0YSLsawj_lXqdM9Euo6DbOoItj_PwgfUfMqapyHIJexee6SBFuRBcYF4zucmoNqYAEBfpsyfdsLYejX-g9pLl0HgfH6JP_Hdkp-tbrIIpGy0Z_x3Xv6cTPfrEE7locXp5ZDE7f3RSFCjKO7ONmvADlIyjW5t1ux7WoJGvPsqg/w400-h225/CostaRica1679_PlayaNegra_Surfing_SandyBeach.JPG" title="Costa Rica - Surfing at Sandy Beach (Playa Negra)" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCtHd39wHk25ir5pntZjnUJF5J62-ye81WSBbEhfNTest37j19rtDw32RpSM_4suQouXUjK0xS4PwCVlssAO5_oDBuUMC2lEQ_8ximk6YABS_1S5yc4Gcr9qEJHFbuZEOYluPrNNDIrS5duTOI6mKCPOqOtqvwaobBecIb11oLngaPQWeGTA/s1920/CostaRica1719_PlayaNegra_Surfing_SandyBeach.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCtHd39wHk25ir5pntZjnUJF5J62-ye81WSBbEhfNTest37j19rtDw32RpSM_4suQouXUjK0xS4PwCVlssAO5_oDBuUMC2lEQ_8ximk6YABS_1S5yc4Gcr9qEJHFbuZEOYluPrNNDIrS5duTOI6mKCPOqOtqvwaobBecIb11oLngaPQWeGTA/w400-h225/CostaRica1719_PlayaNegra_Surfing_SandyBeach.jpg" title="Costa Rica - Surfing at Sandy Beach (Playa Negra)" width="400" /></a></div><p>On my first day of surfing, my father took me to <b>Sandy Beach</b>, the local shore break just south of Playa Negra. Since it has been at least 15 years since I last surfed, we did not go out very far and I practiced my take-offs in the whitewater waves close to shore. Even though it had been awhile, my pop-ups were still quick and smooth. After each wave, I would run back out and catch another as soon as I recovered my breath. While we were surfing, two swimmers were caught outside in the riptide. Luckily, a young guy spotted them struggling and ran over to borrow my board to paddle out and rescue them. Afterward, my dad told me that quite a few people have died from the dangerous rips here.</p>
<p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ugUsF9gAcgQ" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></p>
<p>After two days of surfing at Sandy Beach, we went out at Playa Negra a couple hours before high tide when most of the rocky reef was submerged. I was pretty nervous since the last time I surfed here in 2004, I hit a rock after falling off my board and went over the falls on another wave. This time, it ended up being the best surf session of my life with three long overhead right waves. The next day, I wore my GoPro and caught two more long waves. While paddling out, I was caught inside on a big set wave. I turtled under it and was held down for long time. Every time I was about to rise to the surface, the leash connected to my board would pull me back under. Finally, I pushed off the rocks at the bottom with my feet to break the surface and take a big gasp of air. Whew!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkzRSfuecvvC3OVqk6QFRqsudhNdAADO6hQVPzv5CNywEAxK7QSCxfDU4LMiYBhM_A0Dm3Eq8N0jOREhgC83sSX2RNuxf6Q-5wf01BXzAHZ6pH2XB0yEoeS9VdxiOt77Tf1Eqfm1LgQpq6B1EWxs4kgoEntVcYjlP3Dyn1a6onLOzWNceiFw/s1920/CostaRica2223_PlayaNegra_Surfing.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkzRSfuecvvC3OVqk6QFRqsudhNdAADO6hQVPzv5CNywEAxK7QSCxfDU4LMiYBhM_A0Dm3Eq8N0jOREhgC83sSX2RNuxf6Q-5wf01BXzAHZ6pH2XB0yEoeS9VdxiOt77Tf1Eqfm1LgQpq6B1EWxs4kgoEntVcYjlP3Dyn1a6onLOzWNceiFw/w400-h225/CostaRica2223_PlayaNegra_Surfing.jpg" title="Costa Rica - Surfing with my Dad at Playa Negra" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFY0tqB_IavhyWD2szNX_kNugEHKJuVvwI2Pfpiq-zHN5AftUpFBOur1kHvA-01N9Unlu-wc6h2OtDRRpqAnV-1L8USe4hIp_dy-72Hv3-BsWowBi-dWADWOzKMHwl3RZEDGCc50RjwIX0_Hpcaz6m1nKVZrUp01PhCHfgB8wIMXGGbsYrjg/s1920/CostaRica2232_PlayaNegra_Surfing.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFY0tqB_IavhyWD2szNX_kNugEHKJuVvwI2Pfpiq-zHN5AftUpFBOur1kHvA-01N9Unlu-wc6h2OtDRRpqAnV-1L8USe4hIp_dy-72Hv3-BsWowBi-dWADWOzKMHwl3RZEDGCc50RjwIX0_Hpcaz6m1nKVZrUp01PhCHfgB8wIMXGGbsYrjg/w400-h225/CostaRica2232_PlayaNegra_Surfing.jpg" title="Costa Rica - Surfing with my Dad at Playa Negra" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicOwDDDufgfKLx02SXERJta9GrpaeHjhGnPTk6I5pNKYqcrdNu_OV-0y2bOE84QwO45m2rvDLmF3Q5qN8Tubu8MX1LAryKm_1EaN1z20bKWsPJ2iPSBTgJ82KwT21MRGDyu2dcRt3isog4ZTCQ2NGv_F01XkO48Jec4ZGCz4XpVDKAvNX7aQ/s1920/CostaRica2245_PlayaNegra_Surfing.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicOwDDDufgfKLx02SXERJta9GrpaeHjhGnPTk6I5pNKYqcrdNu_OV-0y2bOE84QwO45m2rvDLmF3Q5qN8Tubu8MX1LAryKm_1EaN1z20bKWsPJ2iPSBTgJ82KwT21MRGDyu2dcRt3isog4ZTCQ2NGv_F01XkO48Jec4ZGCz4XpVDKAvNX7aQ/w400-h225/CostaRica2245_PlayaNegra_Surfing.jpg" title="Costa Rica - Surfing with my Dad at Playa Negra" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEsSxMk3CJYuf0PgWjdjMsEeTIKjUVhRdL3Qd8JVwBCLd0zoybizAl3eUCIta89XKdBp-MUiCNqy6D0AG_bPiYFcl0cy5wNZ9Exv_foG9noLqjMFv8exKzlOqvyGrXk0WQcVeFUr_Wqb_iTISJk81dGyTsp-W1FtoAqqE2N32ZYQ5UxwOCRQ/s1920/CostaRica2246_PlayaNegra_Surfing.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEsSxMk3CJYuf0PgWjdjMsEeTIKjUVhRdL3Qd8JVwBCLd0zoybizAl3eUCIta89XKdBp-MUiCNqy6D0AG_bPiYFcl0cy5wNZ9Exv_foG9noLqjMFv8exKzlOqvyGrXk0WQcVeFUr_Wqb_iTISJk81dGyTsp-W1FtoAqqE2N32ZYQ5UxwOCRQ/w400-h225/CostaRica2246_PlayaNegra_Surfing.jpg" title="Costa Rica - Surfing with my Dad at Playa Negra" width="400" /></a></div><p>It was great to go surfing everyday with my Dad, just hanging out and catching waves. The hardest part of surfing is wave judgement so it was awesome to have my dad's expert opinion on this surf spot. Between his own waves, he would point out the perfect waves for me to catch and the best time to start paddling. While my legs were strong for the pop-ups, my arms hadn't built up the required endurance for long bouts of paddling. On Monday there were bigger waves and a larger crowd out in the water. I only caught one wave that day but it was the best of my trip. It was really long and I was able to maneuver fairly well. Too bad the video was all washed out! I could have caught two other waves but I backed out at the last second to avoid snaking another surfer. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9VyKnoJT16Oxn_ECARkHHYk0rqAU09hkaqx4ABORJWTXdFdGULUf12-MUyv3YuROx-jv5_NvMpkMv3IkaBdkzDuaqXsZArQdhtQ-pt3Kj7pZqgQLOJm9TWedC7KO_qux-c4Zzd0LeVBVF8DjiXthk0kWcuLxjy6n8zldl_Lzhsi8YY-HBkw/s1920/CostaRica2420_PlayaNegra_Surfing.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9VyKnoJT16Oxn_ECARkHHYk0rqAU09hkaqx4ABORJWTXdFdGULUf12-MUyv3YuROx-jv5_NvMpkMv3IkaBdkzDuaqXsZArQdhtQ-pt3Kj7pZqgQLOJm9TWedC7KO_qux-c4Zzd0LeVBVF8DjiXthk0kWcuLxjy6n8zldl_Lzhsi8YY-HBkw/w400-h225/CostaRica2420_PlayaNegra_Surfing.jpg" title="Costa Rica - Surfing with my Dad at Playa Negra" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP2k3Oz3Uo4n4KpUbtCqmhGJu-bgMqwYydW2dPt1ZE9hWbbq5QTaNOwm22j3Yw0sc4QwoaofETmFKHKXNU0hfsn-__1EAsqmJuBDVb-bKG07KsA4qaw2rESooMkdrDvApRZLBobOrGd3N3WkNgc0Tax2K5wMclM-vrJSzlDJr4mpK_CUNHnw/s1920/CostaRica2424_PlayaNegra_Surfing.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP2k3Oz3Uo4n4KpUbtCqmhGJu-bgMqwYydW2dPt1ZE9hWbbq5QTaNOwm22j3Yw0sc4QwoaofETmFKHKXNU0hfsn-__1EAsqmJuBDVb-bKG07KsA4qaw2rESooMkdrDvApRZLBobOrGd3N3WkNgc0Tax2K5wMclM-vrJSzlDJr4mpK_CUNHnw/w400-h225/CostaRica2424_PlayaNegra_Surfing.jpg" title="Costa Rica - Surfing with my Dad at Playa Negra" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGPLWpeEErZeoChvz9BiceM5xjEs_TZPmrZThd1mr_icNQGSE0F_iEdXvQ33MRhYFinF2xCO5NgxyIzh69RZ6FZtMo-PWLBBVBb2OA4n549oL4eeZIJfJzxzz1Src2uXkEw0UFEVFoqg2Hspqqk1zyCFW3avtD8QsO5Pur0yH_Vas9kzGjHA/s1920/CostaRica2658_PlayaNegra_Surfing.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGPLWpeEErZeoChvz9BiceM5xjEs_TZPmrZThd1mr_icNQGSE0F_iEdXvQ33MRhYFinF2xCO5NgxyIzh69RZ6FZtMo-PWLBBVBb2OA4n549oL4eeZIJfJzxzz1Src2uXkEw0UFEVFoqg2Hspqqk1zyCFW3avtD8QsO5Pur0yH_Vas9kzGjHA/w400-h225/CostaRica2658_PlayaNegra_Surfing.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT7PfM_3caxwDp3pA8yPYG5QjVAQz_SCt4kvAatyWkrsrnTa6wIhUMFSVLVuJ2l_xcCYh82D-5v_zDTjB0f9rlkLj7wGazhtM5YuXtpfBiALfsAizRPaRpvIwBcs-jg_03xzAfjhPDJi0BxX_Idn0bBPVh8OVC47SHEfSqYe2oFpuwKStrvg/s1920/CostaRica2659_PlayaNegra_Surfing.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT7PfM_3caxwDp3pA8yPYG5QjVAQz_SCt4kvAatyWkrsrnTa6wIhUMFSVLVuJ2l_xcCYh82D-5v_zDTjB0f9rlkLj7wGazhtM5YuXtpfBiALfsAizRPaRpvIwBcs-jg_03xzAfjhPDJi0BxX_Idn0bBPVh8OVC47SHEfSqYe2oFpuwKStrvg/w400-h225/CostaRica2659_PlayaNegra_Surfing.jpg" title="Costa Rica - My Dad dropping in at Playa Negra" width="400" /></a></div><p>On Tuesday, I caught two more right waves and a steep left. After the fun left, I was stuck inside and had four set waves crash down on me, one after another as I paddled back out. I was so weak after the last one, that I was breathing like a bellows. While I had finally felt recovered from COVID just before the trip started, I don’t think my lungs were completely back to normal for this strenuous activity. After I made it back outside, a sea turtle popped up beside me to say hello. The regular waves were smaller but the set waves coming in were much bigger. After paddling far out with everybody to survive the last set and needing to bail under largest one, I called it a day and paddled in. My chest felt sore for hours afterwards from all the heavy breathing. Wednesday was my last day of surfing and the fifth day in a row. I was pretty pooped out there, but I still caught one decent wave. I had a little bit of PTSD from the previous days so I kept a nervous eye outside for the large set waves.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFTJga7YOIMx36C8HKz042tTwcSoF-Pd0LnipKY82GKbvbD22Bcko8Egapo4FBLE7BO5U60K7BwW33ZpsnvkJ8KIY_x18_foFVTKWnzHFbw8-6zJIfg3yJ2MOh3_j-a0pB_CF0V3AtnDQo78dfGuDVblt6mRmUjFoQKoQJbmbFx8_mT6GaAg/s1920/CostaRica2836_PlayaNegra_Surfing.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFTJga7YOIMx36C8HKz042tTwcSoF-Pd0LnipKY82GKbvbD22Bcko8Egapo4FBLE7BO5U60K7BwW33ZpsnvkJ8KIY_x18_foFVTKWnzHFbw8-6zJIfg3yJ2MOh3_j-a0pB_CF0V3AtnDQo78dfGuDVblt6mRmUjFoQKoQJbmbFx8_mT6GaAg/w400-h225/CostaRica2836_PlayaNegra_Surfing.jpg" title="Costa Rica - Surfing with my Dad at Playa Negra" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitec4G13rkEeNR__0QtVPRO7dZygfEdiv5Kv3K2eQhf95KeOCvsUS1Xw1I8A4BtHmyYIVXMwDAjrJ7pN-J-tmGRVFRrSqcYg2tD1JcT0uzbqYc5UUqE3bt5tioVVEJ-8sYZIteNLSSTup_3sSJOyJShT0k-o1DGr4SeJ3BMpnNdpZqkZD6Og/s1920/CostaRica2845_PlayaNegra_Surfing.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitec4G13rkEeNR__0QtVPRO7dZygfEdiv5Kv3K2eQhf95KeOCvsUS1Xw1I8A4BtHmyYIVXMwDAjrJ7pN-J-tmGRVFRrSqcYg2tD1JcT0uzbqYc5UUqE3bt5tioVVEJ-8sYZIteNLSSTup_3sSJOyJShT0k-o1DGr4SeJ3BMpnNdpZqkZD6Og/w400-h225/CostaRica2845_PlayaNegra_Surfing.jpg" title="Costa Rica - Surfing with my Dad at Playa Negra" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG6Uc2OeOCXDj-3Lol_C7lXP14GVYwcolLBX2vKihfJY1Uwp2ck2kaJHhm4k_y8ceuXC-Hznmask5fAV_H6NTzAyieZDdqWGBTyyhF9TqPAYvJmSXVhNCHcE-zQpH2vOSykE0L3FajsIy7ZyMN5pvRRQmLhXc2PqSoa7VkYRlzUEKsOR3IZg/s1920/CostaRica2851_PlayaNegra_Surfing_Dog.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG6Uc2OeOCXDj-3Lol_C7lXP14GVYwcolLBX2vKihfJY1Uwp2ck2kaJHhm4k_y8ceuXC-Hznmask5fAV_H6NTzAyieZDdqWGBTyyhF9TqPAYvJmSXVhNCHcE-zQpH2vOSykE0L3FajsIy7ZyMN5pvRRQmLhXc2PqSoa7VkYRlzUEKsOR3IZg/w400-h225/CostaRica2851_PlayaNegra_Surfing_Dog.jpg" title="Costa Rica - Surfing with my Dad at Playa Negra" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-6_IHWjcu1i_gtgb4tlfPBzCRqCD7Ul7zhvqvqg41qpDH-8qAF3x241a_w-fxSJTF6ZGVsI2d9RkbSUqdnIlOIf0-bHDweHoT-GHzYouvaj4F3QP95iyLKx3yTxP4o1FIVOnTQKp8dm5UObTAskiOxzFEXSxBzhV17pHjml8ZVltAJpwFJQ/s1920/CostaRica2852_PlayaNegra_Surfing.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-6_IHWjcu1i_gtgb4tlfPBzCRqCD7Ul7zhvqvqg41qpDH-8qAF3x241a_w-fxSJTF6ZGVsI2d9RkbSUqdnIlOIf0-bHDweHoT-GHzYouvaj4F3QP95iyLKx3yTxP4o1FIVOnTQKp8dm5UObTAskiOxzFEXSxBzhV17pHjml8ZVltAJpwFJQ/w400-h225/CostaRica2852_PlayaNegra_Surfing.jpg" title="Costa Rica - Surfing with my Dad at Playa Negra" width="400" /></a></div><p>On two different nights, we went out to dinner with my our neighbors. Nancy and her husband work for Sea Turtles Forever, a non-profit organization, that works to conserve the local marine turtles, protect their nesting habitats and educate the local children. It was cool to hear about their mission and see pictures from Ryder's earlier expeditions while eating pizza at <b>Piko Negro</b>. The restaurant has a cool vibe with lots of custom woodwork. On Saturday night, we also went to <b>Cafe Playa Negra</b> to listen to live music. The owners are Peruvian so I had a tasty ceviche with my Lomo Saltado. Nancy brought along Sophie, a visiting marine biologist from UC Santa Cruz who is working on a proposal to tag sea turtles with satellite tracking.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghbv8VPNVvYD0SlmTYj40pjRm33W_hejFG8YyDAawe2ybMZB_hMSEOm7NcUt5I4dnz-jPsRmY_CaXUOC0GvZjryzHEqx5Xjgi7J9_rvfyoty0n6VDEy7pfrGLC_K8qTzo6oPYseOj9ozx_L5fxFQ7P2iN7GF7FIJTsOiO7X72_5omnz6PaIQ/s2620/CostaRica1584_CafePlayaNegra.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1964" data-original-width="2620" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghbv8VPNVvYD0SlmTYj40pjRm33W_hejFG8YyDAawe2ybMZB_hMSEOm7NcUt5I4dnz-jPsRmY_CaXUOC0GvZjryzHEqx5Xjgi7J9_rvfyoty0n6VDEy7pfrGLC_K8qTzo6oPYseOj9ozx_L5fxFQ7P2iN7GF7FIJTsOiO7X72_5omnz6PaIQ/w400-h300/CostaRica1584_CafePlayaNegra.jpg" title="Costa Rica - Live Music at Cafe Playa Negra" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPfdk9Q-ULPYhQF6xp1zLdrV5-jZgET4J1SC-Tb0YvB7_EyeKQ1IcEprJFeMXWO3R4LnnK_Yvivym7y2u9pKU7ADBaIQMEykuFB1oZQwEN5yUETTWbiZDnxrvXuijunJpDXdlkBN4xNhRy30gFShT3014shWIxgKs3Db0g37njdDclZ0J8Kg/s3706/CostaRica1586_CafePlayaNegra_LomoSaltado.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3706" data-original-width="2965" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPfdk9Q-ULPYhQF6xp1zLdrV5-jZgET4J1SC-Tb0YvB7_EyeKQ1IcEprJFeMXWO3R4LnnK_Yvivym7y2u9pKU7ADBaIQMEykuFB1oZQwEN5yUETTWbiZDnxrvXuijunJpDXdlkBN4xNhRy30gFShT3014shWIxgKs3Db0g37njdDclZ0J8Kg/w320-h400/CostaRica1586_CafePlayaNegra_LomoSaltado.jpg" title="Costa Rica - Lomo Saltado at Cafe Playa Negra" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihkTZUq_rwPCDm9ZsV6AmcaMP4rCUz7LgBaKVnE3apB3ygAW_-UHmb-Idohdqx2iD2wm79xvMZw3EMXmwWxq6xqgL2eK3ZHNotcpSiZtiRY1y4Ei2U24VSY5Tod2s69o6JyDwqHd7uKt4hjhJZtszOzGUrecz3BCZqMLUuNouetbgoj5sI6g/s3338/CostaRica1591_PlayaNegra.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3338" data-original-width="2671" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihkTZUq_rwPCDm9ZsV6AmcaMP4rCUz7LgBaKVnE3apB3ygAW_-UHmb-Idohdqx2iD2wm79xvMZw3EMXmwWxq6xqgL2eK3ZHNotcpSiZtiRY1y4Ei2U24VSY5Tod2s69o6JyDwqHd7uKt4hjhJZtszOzGUrecz3BCZqMLUuNouetbgoj5sI6g/w320-h400/CostaRica1591_PlayaNegra.JPG" title="Costa Rica - Bike riding to the Market" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2kF3T3hdPK3U_-Orko8DadPW_lhhcTa1bg1X-3YnYpSVU3Lsv_pdf3TBuRe3ps7s4k1YQ8vHIFjSsVxXE8oLbOpdokEc9Lk77JG0NlKt7UiOLvIr-oQJ4oKqpIFeCAzF1Cd6H5Du_XktBMnMm5_y9Hd2uavMZx-2Ds6SyCbHe-NB291pz2g/s4016/CostaRica1602_PlayaNegra_MiniSuperLosPargos.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3012" data-original-width="4016" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2kF3T3hdPK3U_-Orko8DadPW_lhhcTa1bg1X-3YnYpSVU3Lsv_pdf3TBuRe3ps7s4k1YQ8vHIFjSsVxXE8oLbOpdokEc9Lk77JG0NlKt7UiOLvIr-oQJ4oKqpIFeCAzF1Cd6H5Du_XktBMnMm5_y9Hd2uavMZx-2Ds6SyCbHe-NB291pz2g/w400-h300/CostaRica1602_PlayaNegra_MiniSuperLosPargos.JPG" title="Costa Rica - Mini Súper Los Pargos in Playa Negra" width="400" /></a></div><p>While my dad travels into the city of Santa Cruz about once a month to stock up on food supplies, we would bike into town to shop for perishables at the <b>Mini Súper Los Pargos</b> market. With the hotplate in his small kitchen, he whipped up many meals for just the two of us during my stay. Eating his hamburgers, grilled cheese sandwiches, and spaghetti with meatballs totally reminded me of my early childhood when he would cook all our meals as a single dad. We would also have rice and beans or a tomato-cucumber salad with every meal. The two local restaurants in Playa Negra that I visited several times was the <b>Corazon Surf Cafe</b> and <b>Jalapeno Eatery</b>. It was nice to have breakfast or lunch at Corazon and enjoy the fast internet on their covered outdoor patio. The Gringo Burrito at Jalapeno with their homemade tortillas is the best breakfast burrito that I have ever had, beating out the Boss Burrito, my current favorite at Bird Rock Cafe in San Diego.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZvW7_VcIIFkKwENqWzTeDGsjfNvk2zk3Wc7MCv6BhBgYfDryqVfkPtH_Y85-RJJfr_NBC_XeE4NdrXp7DaY11yMk1_PSpmirQUV-aR0OgWetxAnyca_sU-a3Qp79lC04K6stbxuSuZZjPvIQCSjt2m2kmX3s-jJKmgLWDoC0S7Ue8lkau0Q/s3982/CostaRica1810_PlayaNegra_CorazonSurfCafe.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2990" data-original-width="3982" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZvW7_VcIIFkKwENqWzTeDGsjfNvk2zk3Wc7MCv6BhBgYfDryqVfkPtH_Y85-RJJfr_NBC_XeE4NdrXp7DaY11yMk1_PSpmirQUV-aR0OgWetxAnyca_sU-a3Qp79lC04K6stbxuSuZZjPvIQCSjt2m2kmX3s-jJKmgLWDoC0S7Ue8lkau0Q/w400-h300/CostaRica1810_PlayaNegra_CorazonSurfCafe.jpg" title="Costa Rica - Corazon Surf Cafe in Playa Negra" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgViyH6yYYRsh1eTumuH87z5vLQxbICVapwWRLl0vbxsCHnqNiym0LItdQ-8GgFqvsf4BoDBMlEK5k3cB5HDi4RVLZ6P1Lvvl7VF9GAPeEl5LUVDPNV5dxatN77pUUuuVd5ce0mgQCKZne0u40cCPVqzDWuBsVhm_xHvxQlJNckel-uRnXJtg/s3947/CostaRica1820_PlayaNegra_CorazonSurfCafe.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2957" data-original-width="3947" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgViyH6yYYRsh1eTumuH87z5vLQxbICVapwWRLl0vbxsCHnqNiym0LItdQ-8GgFqvsf4BoDBMlEK5k3cB5HDi4RVLZ6P1Lvvl7VF9GAPeEl5LUVDPNV5dxatN77pUUuuVd5ce0mgQCKZne0u40cCPVqzDWuBsVhm_xHvxQlJNckel-uRnXJtg/w400-h300/CostaRica1820_PlayaNegra_CorazonSurfCafe.jpg" title="Costa Rica - Acai Bowl at Corazon Surf Cafe in Playa Negra" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEp5zmRHZsWEKYczZyymZQd9mIYBmE7gY87JkCkgL4H4b03Ervrg6Tn8BmGVAuQdWU6f42Yjcr-My-YEvJxwx7O5H5zhOCt7I_LCJlmTZfCfnBO6d6rnuuz7-9P6U5SncT8GXM1jbuW5FLzVFkTLrdqXhqnpGjkW1E5VPClkds2DZ5h1cmfQ/s3995/CostaRica2918_PlayaNegra.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2993" data-original-width="3995" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEp5zmRHZsWEKYczZyymZQd9mIYBmE7gY87JkCkgL4H4b03Ervrg6Tn8BmGVAuQdWU6f42Yjcr-My-YEvJxwx7O5H5zhOCt7I_LCJlmTZfCfnBO6d6rnuuz7-9P6U5SncT8GXM1jbuW5FLzVFkTLrdqXhqnpGjkW1E5VPClkds2DZ5h1cmfQ/w400-h300/CostaRica2918_PlayaNegra.JPG" title="Costa Rica - Jalapeno Eatery in Playa Negra" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwbKQzOzuoOo5ZIAwbYX1mlgON3ASsYKci6qiN3gG8y-H9TMJMXxR-uPDpIMOQES0IktaaiG0I_bO8DO6_mo44rexg8ZXmRApx3ayAKF18Wd7aDQeWXnXYJPSQ16SDidjq5WmKynrRM9c-c9rnzn8_FNOT985sYyuAtftMdGF19HH9aa1e5g/s3470/CostaRica2929_PlayaNegra.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3470" data-original-width="2776" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwbKQzOzuoOo5ZIAwbYX1mlgON3ASsYKci6qiN3gG8y-H9TMJMXxR-uPDpIMOQES0IktaaiG0I_bO8DO6_mo44rexg8ZXmRApx3ayAKF18Wd7aDQeWXnXYJPSQ16SDidjq5WmKynrRM9c-c9rnzn8_FNOT985sYyuAtftMdGF19HH9aa1e5g/w320-h400/CostaRica2929_PlayaNegra.JPG" title="Costa Rica - Gringo Burrito at Jalapeno Eatery in Playa Negra" width="320" /></a></div><p>Playa Negra in the dry season looks a lot like San Diego's coastal environment but filled with different animals. In the mornings and at twilight, we could hear the hooting of howler monkeys in the distance. At night, I needed to play white noise to cover the loud barking of the tiny geckos clinging to the walls. One gecko ran down my arm while I was opening the gate, jumping from my shoulder to the wall. For three days in the middle of my stay, the sky of Playa Negra filled with swarms of dragonflies. Sherman the Iguana and his harem of females were always roaming the property and the gnawing sounds from the giant Variegated Squirrels in the two mango trees was constant. The mosquitoes had mostly died off in my room, but there was always at least one or two roaming over my bed. A Black Banded Cat Eyed Snake coiled up and struck at my dad as we passed, but it is non-venomous. I removed three Slender Blindsnakes from my room and shook my shoes every morning to check for scorpions. One dark night, I almost stepped on a huge scorpion crossing the road carrying its babies on its back.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWteiRqzCU6IC6BAWO-fgvGD6DRMh-Voca4Y6s_NHtejx73FHoar2jDOsaA9ECGod6H2hPCRCgC_24C8urkcznrbCmSfNZ7nn1ecK4ZFCbi1AMmIZ3DtrhvLrVQL9snCmsF3HmZ36QZA-tynW1cZsj_W1Ld0X3m0DALsBcoGVq10dCF3UE9Q/s3713/CostaRica1615_PlayaNegra_Iguana.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3713" data-original-width="2971" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWteiRqzCU6IC6BAWO-fgvGD6DRMh-Voca4Y6s_NHtejx73FHoar2jDOsaA9ECGod6H2hPCRCgC_24C8urkcznrbCmSfNZ7nn1ecK4ZFCbi1AMmIZ3DtrhvLrVQL9snCmsF3HmZ36QZA-tynW1cZsj_W1Ld0X3m0DALsBcoGVq10dCF3UE9Q/w320-h400/CostaRica1615_PlayaNegra_Iguana.JPG" title="Costa Rica - Spiny Tailed Iguana" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC1sBcDdRN4iAtjeRGUCHZbQQ9enxb7jRK5AKdm3DMCVTGsT_ATVAvwZpffWZqkPJBXaIpAQI9o9MtJy-HNiegB9pmC62-QdIOzs1Ri3DhczJC7DRnuYC7NkVb0VN6V5dWEXYqj0kJ0PbeeN9CZU_tffw6fT_UF64IeYtKc5nI3v24hWwT-A/s2878/CostaRica1617_PlayaNegra_Iguana.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2159" data-original-width="2878" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC1sBcDdRN4iAtjeRGUCHZbQQ9enxb7jRK5AKdm3DMCVTGsT_ATVAvwZpffWZqkPJBXaIpAQI9o9MtJy-HNiegB9pmC62-QdIOzs1Ri3DhczJC7DRnuYC7NkVb0VN6V5dWEXYqj0kJ0PbeeN9CZU_tffw6fT_UF64IeYtKc5nI3v24hWwT-A/w400-h300/CostaRica1617_PlayaNegra_Iguana.JPG" title="Costa Rica - Spiny Tailed Iguana" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWUEAh6xOCg9EteG9lLEc4WF2OPayDhYY5g8hQ2LCsV6BbVV7KCzPCTmTuD93UeP2Vh81LwaNI8q2nNmPEa6FS17zHb_lUx-HTzj4krMMvn7rTebKLXKJzv0bOiy4mcqWuaDavrljY4qxwb5JgEFAc0oXwwxz8EH6XBLA3ooJ5LHsI2hJp4Q/s4096/CostaRica1618_PlayaNegra_Iguana.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4096" data-original-width="3276" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWUEAh6xOCg9EteG9lLEc4WF2OPayDhYY5g8hQ2LCsV6BbVV7KCzPCTmTuD93UeP2Vh81LwaNI8q2nNmPEa6FS17zHb_lUx-HTzj4krMMvn7rTebKLXKJzv0bOiy4mcqWuaDavrljY4qxwb5JgEFAc0oXwwxz8EH6XBLA3ooJ5LHsI2hJp4Q/w320-h400/CostaRica1618_PlayaNegra_Iguana.JPG" title="Costa Rica - Sherman the Spiny Tailed Iguana" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK_Ar6a_u8Tj1pChBM0TxAWR-7MisrKAvhJEKwzk_6dYsFjiqrjK9fKYpJl6dFAvQqWQEou3l-g9dUcRJM_T77l3wDTqvDSxfMa2pFluq72DKrTuZzs8RqQrS0hklR5bOqxqAuh2v3HPXwBAiekXvKswUqVOl_Muph9dAxuuyUdteWz1LLYw/s2648/CostaRica2625_PlayaNegra_Scorpion.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1984" data-original-width="2648" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK_Ar6a_u8Tj1pChBM0TxAWR-7MisrKAvhJEKwzk_6dYsFjiqrjK9fKYpJl6dFAvQqWQEou3l-g9dUcRJM_T77l3wDTqvDSxfMa2pFluq72DKrTuZzs8RqQrS0hklR5bOqxqAuh2v3HPXwBAiekXvKswUqVOl_Muph9dAxuuyUdteWz1LLYw/w400-h300/CostaRica2625_PlayaNegra_Scorpion.JPG" title="Costa Rica - Iguana" width="400" /></a></div><p>My dad is always working on a project, currently a new patio outside the kitchen. After pouring the cement for a new concrete pillar on Tuesday, he removed the wooden form and I helped him rebuild it for the next pillar. On Saturday, Chamalia came over in the morning and helped us carry it over and raise the heavy wooden box into it's new location. Before I returned home, we also trimmed the Almendro trees out front. Since my dad's property only has a small septic tank, instead of using the showers in the bathroom, we used the garden hose outside everyday instead. It was less inconvenient than I expected since the weather was always warm and normally it was right after returning from surfing anyway.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHPDCFqqOayEbzCdqXWYercF4JMNRY4X8XUSnJd5qH5HDbrXEHY_wdl5gbnVpCZi4zvLv0LLeY89EkYv150oyR62BCFRO1pA6ZtqkoeSDiw8-fK9mAVPz7T1VjqwMBvJ6GViEDpL0k5hSQWt7mer69MaYmhVsmVYjbggzsO0qM3Edr8bf2Bw/s3514/CostaRica2112_PlayaNegra.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2635" data-original-width="3514" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHPDCFqqOayEbzCdqXWYercF4JMNRY4X8XUSnJd5qH5HDbrXEHY_wdl5gbnVpCZi4zvLv0LLeY89EkYv150oyR62BCFRO1pA6ZtqkoeSDiw8-fK9mAVPz7T1VjqwMBvJ6GViEDpL0k5hSQWt7mer69MaYmhVsmVYjbggzsO0qM3Edr8bf2Bw/w400-h300/CostaRica2112_PlayaNegra.jpg" title="Costa Rica - My Dad and Chamalia setting up the new Concrete Form" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhog86VTG7zOqISqik5p-c_LvhdZjA-hfmIfCWG7Jv3GxK1qa_-E3Vn09iVDgzGfQ8faTjoIQ5_ybWCbIOs_C30l4VaTmn_1XCsJc7_F-7MN-zo0zam40tZRdmyM61Qt1vq_oKHsV-iSVB0LSuCakZomp9E-8PeW60kn8280El-mdjPuj1Sbg/s4032/CostaRica2113_PlayaNegra.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhog86VTG7zOqISqik5p-c_LvhdZjA-hfmIfCWG7Jv3GxK1qa_-E3Vn09iVDgzGfQ8faTjoIQ5_ybWCbIOs_C30l4VaTmn_1XCsJc7_F-7MN-zo0zam40tZRdmyM61Qt1vq_oKHsV-iSVB0LSuCakZomp9E-8PeW60kn8280El-mdjPuj1Sbg/w400-h300/CostaRica2113_PlayaNegra.JPG" title="Costa Rica - Hose Shower" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsTgyTKbL4VskuekLIIFmIUCeqqwZh2ou09PFmbnUltpYEE5BwisbcP0DJrQC_qIj4rSlrGvDWKoMuN8i0q8oq4fjRLwE0iRYYeY7ls2t4KP1hEpCroIBkLlCTGioxAZaJ-176zmSShkC3ZhK1e2DUzI8BNBUBxa8VlBOBO2l5UvVJlpVT6g/s3983/CostaRica2153_PlayaNegra.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2991" data-original-width="3983" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsTgyTKbL4VskuekLIIFmIUCeqqwZh2ou09PFmbnUltpYEE5BwisbcP0DJrQC_qIj4rSlrGvDWKoMuN8i0q8oq4fjRLwE0iRYYeY7ls2t4KP1hEpCroIBkLlCTGioxAZaJ-176zmSShkC3ZhK1e2DUzI8BNBUBxa8VlBOBO2l5UvVJlpVT6g/w400-h300/CostaRica2153_PlayaNegra.jpg" title="Costa Rica - Hotel Playa Negra" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdBkn1tN0pIiD6wD_6bbz4JWyuJUB5JFmdCiz7rDnWApgCzSe7iWC3OnwfVF0IAtrBH15FwcVEVhuNTzpIYrsXXXNIfFV2ndUwC57zGm4wGhoT409ojFZrfOwEIgEdHTfcRlYSoApKjQ1ROogcypD-s32rLwaKs789KPI8gKO77efQCD7BNA/s3603/CostaRica2381_HotelPlayaNegra.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3603" data-original-width="2883" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdBkn1tN0pIiD6wD_6bbz4JWyuJUB5JFmdCiz7rDnWApgCzSe7iWC3OnwfVF0IAtrBH15FwcVEVhuNTzpIYrsXXXNIfFV2ndUwC57zGm4wGhoT409ojFZrfOwEIgEdHTfcRlYSoApKjQ1ROogcypD-s32rLwaKs789KPI8gKO77efQCD7BNA/w320-h400/CostaRica2381_HotelPlayaNegra.JPG" title="Costa Rica - Mojito at Hotel Playa Negra" width="320" /></a></div><p>Every afternoon, I would go down to the beach for a walk and to watch the sunset that set around 5:30pm. It was a pleasant way to end the day and watch the surfers catching the last waves of the day. One day I took down my fancy camera with the telephoto lens to capture the atmosphere of the beach and on another I went for happy hour at Hotel Playa Negra. The daily special is two drinks for the price of one so I ended up enjoying two mojitos.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxhDlvI2Pu2QXfDaL5arbu_Su1LsMHL27rflHLR9_j10d9m4sXEfAmHmFcZhmw1xn4bH7-EdmSfQykd7SwXo3LbCEEStmF5_dAQMeo-VGBRwrf8zy3JYMmXUe_ch1bDTF1f-Njz16NTl8AT3ofWBB2W1BqZKWrepPYo7XTH5-mWv2sAXK_cQ/s3412/CostaRica1920_PlayaNegra_Horse.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2556" data-original-width="3412" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxhDlvI2Pu2QXfDaL5arbu_Su1LsMHL27rflHLR9_j10d9m4sXEfAmHmFcZhmw1xn4bH7-EdmSfQykd7SwXo3LbCEEStmF5_dAQMeo-VGBRwrf8zy3JYMmXUe_ch1bDTF1f-Njz16NTl8AT3ofWBB2W1BqZKWrepPYo7XTH5-mWv2sAXK_cQ/w400-h300/CostaRica1920_PlayaNegra_Horse.jpg" title="Costa Rica - Horses on the beach at Playa Negra" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCKPfVuqN00iiK4_Kk1QJLqw8-e-fwDB4Gz9lKxnfi9hwkwCatJVSNVi8vHrTPIOGfk0pnTiZgeqcGgUKZMkYvwJoTdojpapUSDGqOSAcEOUMn9YLmiHO4C1u_IyEnA9joFflUzwnkDGdZngKYOot75RbbFWs8DLxH0CSm8Qj6C2W2i0Z3BA/s4096/CostaRica1980_PlayaNegra_Dog.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2730" data-original-width="4096" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCKPfVuqN00iiK4_Kk1QJLqw8-e-fwDB4Gz9lKxnfi9hwkwCatJVSNVi8vHrTPIOGfk0pnTiZgeqcGgUKZMkYvwJoTdojpapUSDGqOSAcEOUMn9YLmiHO4C1u_IyEnA9joFflUzwnkDGdZngKYOot75RbbFWs8DLxH0CSm8Qj6C2W2i0Z3BA/w400-h266/CostaRica1980_PlayaNegra_Dog.jpg" title="Costa Rica - Hanging out with a dog at Playa Negra" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigp1luE2cpyNSGIjm-ObWkmM5vAUhM-_CZ4o0-9EgIGIUJz_bys38htFnEcZcSic0jEx52lYZoemIsMLOF--7RpPWRe4DF_sPFeLs-IAqdqaBaAgDB0B60jT79rF2M6gCb46X0ksWte_9CYbOQUqsZ4a6rH64zJyKj0RT2-SvG8ZizwWEhHw/s4096/CostaRica1984_PlayaNegra.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2730" data-original-width="4096" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigp1luE2cpyNSGIjm-ObWkmM5vAUhM-_CZ4o0-9EgIGIUJz_bys38htFnEcZcSic0jEx52lYZoemIsMLOF--7RpPWRe4DF_sPFeLs-IAqdqaBaAgDB0B60jT79rF2M6gCb46X0ksWte_9CYbOQUqsZ4a6rH64zJyKj0RT2-SvG8ZizwWEhHw/w400-h266/CostaRica1984_PlayaNegra.jpg" title="Costa Rica - Rocky Shoreline of Playa Negra" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRIE03ke4Lu4btIXm6k_UdeKX1eeN1eLn3M-YW1omqZjj8G8dTdo6WVnf7_chyjwYknTNcufvcif5QZheb0ZlMKT_Zw5U7KFIQcFW-ztInULlNFcTy8qRwnU3G-VgJ1ZCKSEeZrl_3csHh-91iqyJwoeAtKZF26OCR4lPGOvEjwC4XRQsYeA/s3814/CostaRica2028_PlayaNegra.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2858" data-original-width="3814" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRIE03ke4Lu4btIXm6k_UdeKX1eeN1eLn3M-YW1omqZjj8G8dTdo6WVnf7_chyjwYknTNcufvcif5QZheb0ZlMKT_Zw5U7KFIQcFW-ztInULlNFcTy8qRwnU3G-VgJ1ZCKSEeZrl_3csHh-91iqyJwoeAtKZF26OCR4lPGOvEjwC4XRQsYeA/w400-h300/CostaRica2028_PlayaNegra.jpg" title="Costa Rica - Sunset over the black rocks of Playa Negra" width="400" /></a></div><p>Below are the videos I took of a surfer on the large wave and a rider galloping along the beach at Playa Negra.</p>
<p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/oTZU2QiBAwA" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></p>
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line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0px 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/tv/CfZZvcGpv22/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">A post shared by Noah Unsworth (@noahu)</a></p></div></blockquote> <script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script>
<p>On my last full day in Costa Rica, I woke up at super early for an expedition with Sea Turtles Forever. Sea Turtles like to lay their eggs at high tide on dark nights with little to no moon visible. To avoid startling the light-sensitive turtles, I needed to wear dark clothes that covered my arms and legs and bring a flashlight with a red filter. I was picked up by my dad's neighbor, Nancy, at 4am along with Rey, Sophie, and Katie on our way to <b>Playa Lagartillo</b>. To foil the poachers, the organization hires locals to patrol the beaches and keep an eye out for nesting turtles. The beach was pitch black when we found the turtle tracks and followed them up into the trees to find a Pacific Green Turtle using her flippers to cover her nest with sand.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir7FbfSNRM_6PjI6HGZ3WT9UEFroJEkM_kcq6vP6FF0ALBbWEVSaD_AxH15gseQK6mwghi3S5f7rl7aqUFyqUQlmghi45qdwvb0EVPCcOSJpt7vbnoRwcHULtPSUrQgBwhjIyVhnfd6S2j1NPXBf0qeTJcH9ilKKqHORKoMwPBJmTlBT8skw/s3743/CostaRica2980_PlayaLagartillo_SeaTurtleNest.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2804" data-original-width="3743" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir7FbfSNRM_6PjI6HGZ3WT9UEFroJEkM_kcq6vP6FF0ALBbWEVSaD_AxH15gseQK6mwghi3S5f7rl7aqUFyqUQlmghi45qdwvb0EVPCcOSJpt7vbnoRwcHULtPSUrQgBwhjIyVhnfd6S2j1NPXBf0qeTJcH9ilKKqHORKoMwPBJmTlBT8skw/w400-h300/CostaRica2980_PlayaLagartillo_SeaTurtleNest.JPG" title="Costa Rica - Pacific Green Turtle burying her nest at Playa Lagartillo" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmEPnthGNdTRrnm5fHnei07uRDy0nLdUGbHd9PlAsOIUkjRHJxYjsmZjTVYMHIMjmPp9m64XUbT7uffD4YcSlaQ6mlzO6xYJRyEJLXl_rcY3eDYSVA3CUV0sGOhZ43h_lXmAWdxuCjvE3wjqENP6D6kxUBgn1xzMkcfcLD_pPDB4F3BsAE8w/s3866/CostaRica2994_PlayaLagartillo_SeaTurtle_GreenTurtle.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2897" data-original-width="3866" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmEPnthGNdTRrnm5fHnei07uRDy0nLdUGbHd9PlAsOIUkjRHJxYjsmZjTVYMHIMjmPp9m64XUbT7uffD4YcSlaQ6mlzO6xYJRyEJLXl_rcY3eDYSVA3CUV0sGOhZ43h_lXmAWdxuCjvE3wjqENP6D6kxUBgn1xzMkcfcLD_pPDB4F3BsAE8w/w400-h300/CostaRica2994_PlayaLagartillo_SeaTurtle_GreenTurtle.JPG" title="Costa Rica - Pacific Green Turtle returning to the ocean at Playa Lagartillo" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLmw5Lpg9LHwB0QRJk_GkWw4V4NDZAT2usttSUhMC5amLD1LiwTS1eyC7VUj98QisnmnbTxjWGWU1DX6TvzEqpB7xOOOSCLTQrZOmEI3R6SYXdwmT3F9j5VykoWmHiyk7YoFejeP3_z39d_YtgRYp-xP3aDx8o3r6XCw67NY-mP9RQGM3J2w/s3706/CostaRica2995_PlayaLagartillo_SeaTurtle.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2779" data-original-width="3706" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLmw5Lpg9LHwB0QRJk_GkWw4V4NDZAT2usttSUhMC5amLD1LiwTS1eyC7VUj98QisnmnbTxjWGWU1DX6TvzEqpB7xOOOSCLTQrZOmEI3R6SYXdwmT3F9j5VykoWmHiyk7YoFejeP3_z39d_YtgRYp-xP3aDx8o3r6XCw67NY-mP9RQGM3J2w/w400-h300/CostaRica2995_PlayaLagartillo_SeaTurtle.JPG" title="Costa Rica - Pacific Green Turtle returning to the ocean at Playa Lagartillo" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWqWaxojLFfWCt12vRFMyD9rhNLz2DNhwqCL5mcDeRn9YkrUAa5t1g1pToQxSFfjNSn28NFPH52JXcLI78Ggg1LO9BicYPZko_TpRQmtEBL1pMxuecFr8ac8NmOK7p7N8x5-sLhTwEFS1iwJV8dmCjlImuWMK5fgahO_52acFULp7YPAiW3Q/s9371/CostaRica3030_PlayaLagartillo.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3329" data-original-width="9371" height="143" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWqWaxojLFfWCt12vRFMyD9rhNLz2DNhwqCL5mcDeRn9YkrUAa5t1g1pToQxSFfjNSn28NFPH52JXcLI78Ggg1LO9BicYPZko_TpRQmtEBL1pMxuecFr8ac8NmOK7p7N8x5-sLhTwEFS1iwJV8dmCjlImuWMK5fgahO_52acFULp7YPAiW3Q/w400-h143/CostaRica3030_PlayaLagartillo.JPG" title="Costa Rica - Sunrise at Playa Lagartillo" width="400" /></a></div><p>Just before we arrived on the beach, STF had already tagged the turtle and collected her 67 eggs to be reburied in a hidden location where they can hatch unmolested. While we waited for the turtle to finish her routine, we enjoyed the amazingly bright stars on the moonless night and spotted the Southern Cross. Just before dawn, the Green Turtle emerged from under the branches and we watched her slowly crawl back into the ocean, pausing frequently to rest and loudly breath. It was a beautiful sunrise as we headed back to Playa Negra at 6am. After the early morning, my final day was a relaxing one. I ate another delicious Gringo Burrito at Jalapeño Eatery before the technician arrived for my home covid test. After a last sunset swim with my Dad, he cooked steaks and we watched a movie on my iPad. Flori picked me up at 6:30am and we saw two trees full of Howler Monkeys on the drive to the airport. I had an interesting conversation with a musician on my flight home. He lives in Costa Rica but returns to LA frequently to play his Cello for film scores. He had an instrumental solo in the recent movie, Spider Man: No Way Home.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHY4mZQ4PEamRWPKHoevW4pJICVoxwewM769xJKLAuUrcYKSEXA2w7eJt1HUIhw39bMjas6WNbeQQTvxcOrj7knzBjD3VKiykio6d_HLSK2qgX9Mkub7maPHiriIH9w8pvZW27wixGvPS5Ub2ALiRf3QF9YfB_IPi0yKBZccGDLxgHF1yprg/s3859/CostaRica1631_PlayaNegra.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2891" data-original-width="3859" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHY4mZQ4PEamRWPKHoevW4pJICVoxwewM769xJKLAuUrcYKSEXA2w7eJt1HUIhw39bMjas6WNbeQQTvxcOrj7knzBjD3VKiykio6d_HLSK2qgX9Mkub7maPHiriIH9w8pvZW27wixGvPS5Ub2ALiRf3QF9YfB_IPi0yKBZccGDLxgHF1yprg/w400-h300/CostaRica1631_PlayaNegra.JPG" title="Costa Rica - Easy Street in Playa Negra" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQDVSTUNYWbSHdB6k0m8FLyAKridpivt3uhiOh0PXJ0qdhtY0ozJMmEf8yqhkucNF1UAIwTK7mwfrVPfaJDYfpOPAMC8DQCUFjHPfjFs8-NlNidIrbtVD1CTFEKwo2Z3daCWXB5APxGnp-5RmN1x-bwfwXAoYERX3D6rz5zjEJ690CKd13Eg/s3701/CostaRica1680_PlayaNegra.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2773" data-original-width="3701" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQDVSTUNYWbSHdB6k0m8FLyAKridpivt3uhiOh0PXJ0qdhtY0ozJMmEf8yqhkucNF1UAIwTK7mwfrVPfaJDYfpOPAMC8DQCUFjHPfjFs8-NlNidIrbtVD1CTFEKwo2Z3daCWXB5APxGnp-5RmN1x-bwfwXAoYERX3D6rz5zjEJ690CKd13Eg/w400-h300/CostaRica1680_PlayaNegra.jpg" title="Costa Rica - Easy Street in Playa Negra" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2q5z4rVCsa1q_JTsuF5l2cBayKaKxXWDl-K5dfamLCp5OGILXTRW0nfyHs6svFPaDwYQgdC2z3_dKqwvZbTFdKDXiN34mPdUdCXeKKe8ZEBkPwDCQrfy0eUmg4VyslCT78hki4vIsIsvdRMbv-5N7n0rDnZITLwK_8yN87EgH0f1kYE5r1w/s3757/CostaRica1792_PlayaNegra.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2819" data-original-width="3757" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2q5z4rVCsa1q_JTsuF5l2cBayKaKxXWDl-K5dfamLCp5OGILXTRW0nfyHs6svFPaDwYQgdC2z3_dKqwvZbTFdKDXiN34mPdUdCXeKKe8ZEBkPwDCQrfy0eUmg4VyslCT78hki4vIsIsvdRMbv-5N7n0rDnZITLwK_8yN87EgH0f1kYE5r1w/w400-h300/CostaRica1792_PlayaNegra.jpg" title="Costa Rica - Playa Negra" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgolIPkGc9aOTe0P_2ApYHaSoWu8g17bDGpY083aNOMwNsFPfahuFNjAaOGxb7myY5xsKAgt0k-dDpDzXLM5Fd6E6REvIyIfzKBkYqxn7A-mRx5ENaAB9jj2jpsItAgqEF-Sm56DYDehgDxzzmnvreUrDD-FM8YpaS273ZLWc5UKsTKSJLtYQ/s4032/CostaRica2559_PlayaNegra.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgolIPkGc9aOTe0P_2ApYHaSoWu8g17bDGpY083aNOMwNsFPfahuFNjAaOGxb7myY5xsKAgt0k-dDpDzXLM5Fd6E6REvIyIfzKBkYqxn7A-mRx5ENaAB9jj2jpsItAgqEF-Sm56DYDehgDxzzmnvreUrDD-FM8YpaS273ZLWc5UKsTKSJLtYQ/w400-h300/CostaRica2559_PlayaNegra.JPG" title="Pura Vida Costa Rica - Playa Negra" width="400" /></a></div><p>Blog Link to 2023 Costa Rica Trip - <a href="http://blog.noahunsworth.com/2023/02/2023-costa-rica-trip-big-waves-offshore.html" target="_blank">Post</a></p><p>Blog Post Links to 2004 Costa Rica Trip</p><p><a href="http://blog.noahunsworth.com/2004/03/costa-rica-trip-part-1.html" target="_blank">Part 1</a> <a href="http://blog.noahunsworth.com/2004/03/costa-rica-trip-part-2.html" target="_blank">Part 2</a> <a href="http://blog.noahunsworth.com/2004/03/costa-rica-trip-part-3.html" target="_blank">Part 3</a> <a href="http://blog.noahunsworth.com/2004/03/costa-rica-trip-part-4.html" target="_blank">Part 4</a> <a href="http://blog.noahunsworth.com/2004/03/costa-rica-trip-final-part.html" target="_blank">Part 5</a></p><p><br /></p><p><b>P.S.</b> - A few weeks after we left, my Dad told us that Sherman the Iguana had been killed by the neighborhood dogs. Here is Ryder's Instagram Tribute to our new friend.</p><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CaWKsPYroky/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-radius: 3px; border: 0px; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.5) 0px 0px 1px 0px, rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.15) 0px 1px 10px 0px; margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0px; width: calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding: 16px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CaWKsPYroky/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); line-height: 0; padding: 0px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; width: 100%;" target="_blank"> <div style="align-items: center; display: flex; flex-direction: row;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; 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font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div></div><div style="padding: 12.5% 0px;"></div> <div style="align-items: center; display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px;"><div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px); width: 12.5px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12.5px; margin-left: 2px; margin-right: 14px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px); width: 12.5px;"></div></div><div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"></div> <div style="border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid rgb(244, 244, 244); border-top: 2px solid transparent; height: 0px; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg); width: 0px;"></div></div><div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="border-right: 8px solid transparent; border-top: 8px solid rgb(244, 244, 244); transform: translateY(16px); width: 0px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; transform: translateY(-4px); width: 16px;"></div> <div style="border-left: 8px solid transparent; border-top: 8px solid rgb(244, 244, 244); height: 0px; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px); width: 0px;"></div></div></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"></div></div></a><p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0px 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CaWKsPYroky/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">A post shared by Ryder Unsworth (@ryders_herping)</a></p></div></blockquote> <script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script><p>Ryder's Herpetology List</p><p><b>Lizards:</b> 70+</p><p>7 Spiny Tailed Iguana</p><p>1 Green Iguana</p><p>20+ Anolis Cupreus (copper/dry forest Anole) </p><p>10 Rose Bellied Swift</p><p>4 Race Runner Lizard</p><p>30+ Indopacific /Asian House Geckos </p><p><b>Snakes:</b> 8</p><p>3 Black Banded Cat-Eyed Snake</p><p>4 Annulated Cat-Eyed Snake </p><p>1 Slender Blindsnake</p><p><b>Turtles:</b> 7+</p><p>1 Green Sea Turtle </p><p>6+ Olive Ridley Sea Turtles </p><p><b>Frogs:</b> 4</p><p>3 Brown Foam Frogs</p><p>1 White-Lipped Frog</p><p><br /></p><p>#travel</p>Noah Unsworthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16787302506440922931noreply@blogger.com0Playa Negra, Provincia de Guanacaste, Los Pargos, Costa Rica10.1941905 -85.8303059-18.116043336178848 -120.9865559 38.504424336178843 -50.6740559tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18659481.post-7267691849876712232021-12-19T11:32:00.766-08:002022-01-18T18:18:48.616-08:00Los Angeles Getaway (SpaceX, Chargers Game and AcroYoga in Santa Monica)<p>We planned a weekend getaway to Los Angeles around the Thursday Night Football Chargers Game against the Kansas City Chiefs. Driving up early, we visited <b>SpaceX</b> near SoFi Stadium in Hawthorne, CA. The <b>Falcon 9 Booster B1019</b> displayed outside was their first orbital-class booster to be launched and return for a successful vertical landing. After it’s December 22nd launch in 2015, it was retired and displayed here outside the SpaceX Headquarters. On Tuesday, 12/21/21, SpaceX landed its 100th Falcon 9 Booster. Running alongside the headquarters is the Mile Long Test Track for the <b>Hyperloop Pod Competition</b>. Student Engineering Teams competed between 2015 and 2019 sending prototypes down the partial vacuum Hypertube. The current record for a self-propelled pod on the 6ft. diameter steel track is 463 km/h (288 mph) by the TUM Hyperloop team. While the 2020 competition was cancelled, 2021 was changed to a automated tunnel boring contest in Las Vegas that was won by the Technical University of Munich who excavated a 22 m (72 ft) bore. Before we left, we also saw a new booster all sealed up on the property and ready for shipment.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjgb1Yn0NgbUz2bpq56Z_rAVhXOfzu53jRJ8hgMG5beTLhaHi-nqjPreZVmdu3BaE3fse8mvhN8J7W8UXfoPSqRZbJisJLHnhftqFGfki9G9J1Y6W_UXI3ojV8-givYt3tsU-pS0LRvtSnvxq4LQBy-s2Cdcb0bEEOZDcQfV5AqV7_jaxDmnA=s3979" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2984" data-original-width="3979" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjgb1Yn0NgbUz2bpq56Z_rAVhXOfzu53jRJ8hgMG5beTLhaHi-nqjPreZVmdu3BaE3fse8mvhN8J7W8UXfoPSqRZbJisJLHnhftqFGfki9G9J1Y6W_UXI3ojV8-givYt3tsU-pS0LRvtSnvxq4LQBy-s2Cdcb0bEEOZDcQfV5AqV7_jaxDmnA=w400-h300" title="SpaceX - Hawthorne Headquarters" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEih3oIgzixytp8thVniGvx_EiGVNmq-iYwXXjeeBzu9lIVwT4ix0K7FCpmC2DVoZLaBTNW7eYj2nHNwgqMyRn1EWIr7OG6sfJwamDviGQiGOY1St6pwTm02SQdqAAeuxVUljmHgGLz9Giy6f77_prghkEgVpa87za27OZ8tFjq_pG3o76CX3A=s3992" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3992" data-original-width="2994" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEih3oIgzixytp8thVniGvx_EiGVNmq-iYwXXjeeBzu9lIVwT4ix0K7FCpmC2DVoZLaBTNW7eYj2nHNwgqMyRn1EWIr7OG6sfJwamDviGQiGOY1St6pwTm02SQdqAAeuxVUljmHgGLz9Giy6f77_prghkEgVpa87za27OZ8tFjq_pG3o76CX3A=w300-h400" title="SpaceX - Tori looking up at the Falcon 9 Booster" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgUtqDrQ90AbDXc-7ecvL_xk3preOvoH7YvKk0LRE-8TNZE1RqEXNGjBGrK6oUC7k03eQYJMhfYzS1HrNZn0qmqKY37uqfOmLjA0paKS9WgYw4g2g4SmsZOUo3m8POgoJ5K9s12YkdaMUdpJz9J0Q0bRm-45xm7PUtDTVDT5tfJ2ppIdFbhbA=s4032" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgUtqDrQ90AbDXc-7ecvL_xk3preOvoH7YvKk0LRE-8TNZE1RqEXNGjBGrK6oUC7k03eQYJMhfYzS1HrNZn0qmqKY37uqfOmLjA0paKS9WgYw4g2g4SmsZOUo3m8POgoJ5K9s12YkdaMUdpJz9J0Q0bRm-45xm7PUtDTVDT5tfJ2ppIdFbhbA=w300-h400" title="SpaceX - Landing Gear of Falcon 9 Booster" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgMjQiT7Bav5lvctryFYVcNyYVQQI9lpj8lyC4MRhPsgsuiMMbEHtH-PoiC-CM1ENjuSQ06zEZ6f_OpS3s5EpXx0ohbVwYpkFyUWgc3poXlFMmp5iZtKSIGZVl5JHfd09dnr-EY8AEYPldaAX_bg3TN0Pe-2nb8e9iy7sSMzmxoCpFMuNyQ2A=s3619" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2713" data-original-width="3619" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgMjQiT7Bav5lvctryFYVcNyYVQQI9lpj8lyC4MRhPsgsuiMMbEHtH-PoiC-CM1ENjuSQ06zEZ6f_OpS3s5EpXx0ohbVwYpkFyUWgc3poXlFMmp5iZtKSIGZVl5JHfd09dnr-EY8AEYPldaAX_bg3TN0Pe-2nb8e9iy7sSMzmxoCpFMuNyQ2A=w400-h300" title="SpaceX - Hyperloop Pod Competition Track" width="400" /></a></div><p>After a delicious lunch at Eureka! in the terminal of Hawthorne Airport and checking into our room at the nearby Hampton Inn, we only had a five minute walk to the Hawthorne/Lennox station for the free Metro Shuttle to <b>SoFi Stadium</b>. A light rain started as we arrived a couple hours early, but entering the covered stadium was fast as they quickly checked our tickets and vaccination status. The players for the Chargers and the Chiefs were warming up on the field as we explored the new stadium that opened up to spectators for the first time this year. This was my first time attending a <b>Chargers</b> game since they moved to Los Angeles and I picked a great one as the winner between the two division rivals would take 1st place in the AFC West. While the Chiefs opened up a 10 point lead, the Chargers were leading 14-10 at half time. The 3rd quarter was pretty quiet with only a field goal by the Chiefs, but both teams scored two touchdowns each in the 4th quarter to force overtime with a tie. The Chargers lost the coin toss and the Chiefs scored on their first drive with a 34 yard touchdown by Tight End Travis Kelce. Despite the deflating ending, it was an exciting game and my voice was hoarse from all the cheering. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjKQTEynRMDGbtaXfhaWV7P7MXhBqeF-7j0-g7WUFcATawnQJko66-VZWa6lOVQ4Nfh9gnZ0HLuGhFlg9qAN6RHunSfW4RaqZK3xmdsMgMg_1KheJMghs_QFN5X3-G2EKNpOj5pL62xN2Yi7nSW8FyV5CMzOYbSxymhKWq0027bPdhFLDP4mw=s3799" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3799" data-original-width="2849" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjKQTEynRMDGbtaXfhaWV7P7MXhBqeF-7j0-g7WUFcATawnQJko66-VZWa6lOVQ4Nfh9gnZ0HLuGhFlg9qAN6RHunSfW4RaqZK3xmdsMgMg_1KheJMghs_QFN5X3-G2EKNpOj5pL62xN2Yi7nSW8FyV5CMzOYbSxymhKWq0027bPdhFLDP4mw=w300-h400" title="SoFi Stadium - Thursday Night Football (Chargers-Chiefs)" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgSKIc6WcuQL43ow7QJcAfRsDqkkLS31JB9ctNVLjvotHNxDMg5SrGlQFnlQK1VzWmFNUdcpWhWazT33mDpWQZEgGEj-eMZNwDHYHkNVT3XMgcunmsv_2RotdjTH5fcMNDqhlh2CZBCcaDibUCvyRuMbUl-etx4xkc8HX7oBytKduY7rbhALg=s3976" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2982" data-original-width="3976" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgSKIc6WcuQL43ow7QJcAfRsDqkkLS31JB9ctNVLjvotHNxDMg5SrGlQFnlQK1VzWmFNUdcpWhWazT33mDpWQZEgGEj-eMZNwDHYHkNVT3XMgcunmsv_2RotdjTH5fcMNDqhlh2CZBCcaDibUCvyRuMbUl-etx4xkc8HX7oBytKduY7rbhALg=w400-h300" title="SoFi Stadium - Thursday Night Football (Chargers-Chiefs)" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjj0EOCkhYuasY8-T0eCnLqSryu3gOvhRZ6a8ydAV2uamzKbB9MgK7gf8uS2cicMBFTP5XDO8gakAJRUz2w9gwlRMOuOk85ZcBjEw4g29EE7eLLEIqqKtSGrKPxcsRYo7bki8BKr4BZA0zf70kpIgEyJCw8S6zSKsgNHVvg6YxFfm15ct4MoQ=s3859" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3859" data-original-width="2894" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjj0EOCkhYuasY8-T0eCnLqSryu3gOvhRZ6a8ydAV2uamzKbB9MgK7gf8uS2cicMBFTP5XDO8gakAJRUz2w9gwlRMOuOk85ZcBjEw4g29EE7eLLEIqqKtSGrKPxcsRYo7bki8BKr4BZA0zf70kpIgEyJCw8S6zSKsgNHVvg6YxFfm15ct4MoQ=w300-h400" title="SoFi Stadium - Thursday Night Football (Chargers-Chiefs)" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi7I5wO_NhU5gPTzPqhn75hXkOF_ebqGKB4tuwpFTkVacp3TiRM8How5QFOAhLItTnHSlUXtovOTHG1G27mnK6KT0jQqlzXgY9CHfQQUdjRgHfAG8wUh81OQC56Z3FJN0zywRmob5RKg-7ybrS2aWOST4lrz7DBumTa8fAOvY4VtfSL9ik2KQ=s3969" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2977" data-original-width="3969" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi7I5wO_NhU5gPTzPqhn75hXkOF_ebqGKB4tuwpFTkVacp3TiRM8How5QFOAhLItTnHSlUXtovOTHG1G27mnK6KT0jQqlzXgY9CHfQQUdjRgHfAG8wUh81OQC56Z3FJN0zywRmob5RKg-7ybrS2aWOST4lrz7DBumTa8fAOvY4VtfSL9ik2KQ=w400-h300" title="SoFi Stadium - Thursday Night Football (Chargers-Chiefs)" width="400" /></a></div><p>The Infinity Screen at SoFi Stadium was awesome. Hanging 122 feet over the field, the circular 4K screen displayed 70,000 square-feet of video on the dual-sided board and was visible from every seat in the stadium. Even with our nosebleed seats, we had close-up views of all the action. Sometimes I would focus on the board and forget to watch the actual players on the field.</p>
<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CYEzAV2pDST/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-radius: 3px; border: 0px; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.5) 0px 0px 1px 0px, rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.15) 0px 1px 10px 0px; margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0px; width: calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding: 16px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CYEzAV2pDST/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); line-height: 0; padding: 0px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; width: 100%;" target="_blank"> <div style="align-items: center; display: flex; flex-direction: row;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; 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line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0px 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CYEzAV2pDST/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">A post shared by Noah Unsworth (@noahu)</a></p></div></blockquote> <script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script>
<p>For breakfast the next morning, we walked three blocks from our hotel to <b>Chips Restaurant</b> on Hawthorne Boulevard. Designed by architect Harry Harrison in 1957, Chips is one of LA’s historic coffee shops. With its soaring steel-beam sign, jutting roof and large plate-glass windows, the diner is an example of the space-age style <b>Googie Architecture</b> popular in Los Angeles up until the 1970s. Sitting in our vinyl booth under a photo of James Dean, I ordered the Chilaquiles while Tori had the Huevos Rancheros. It was a sunny morning after yesterday's rain.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhwpjcxx424d9JdLswIqv-miSae9Efu0UseVbGW--fs2zhkTHJu1Wn6loobmPRT7wiJSsPx4tH0DAroFOFbJC_QGPQpBDz9QWdYZMeikXl4SxI_megZrhqPlBE3dKEJEoke91CBNaHbN4T34x0yIvr3NBSg8AZaxzDyn6rykBIuhXT8bjt7SA=s3861" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2893" data-original-width="3861" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhwpjcxx424d9JdLswIqv-miSae9Efu0UseVbGW--fs2zhkTHJu1Wn6loobmPRT7wiJSsPx4tH0DAroFOFbJC_QGPQpBDz9QWdYZMeikXl4SxI_megZrhqPlBE3dKEJEoke91CBNaHbN4T34x0yIvr3NBSg8AZaxzDyn6rykBIuhXT8bjt7SA=w400-h300" title="Hawthorne - Chips Restaurant" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgNMtl_Cqg74_P1_jhp1aEmbFMYFQxWnnooQtq4we3hN0psXLs-arOkLxm-tyg6APZ8GcxaYbhHislF1g3zTeg-DbNJuVEBfXsMlSI_QdLNbF8DvmJ5KiKOjr9k9B6DZnXAVKYWWqDZyWIatbK8PFhhQkLRWLveCbxxzT_zDk3XV-flIIf8Sw=s3938" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2951" data-original-width="3938" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgNMtl_Cqg74_P1_jhp1aEmbFMYFQxWnnooQtq4we3hN0psXLs-arOkLxm-tyg6APZ8GcxaYbhHislF1g3zTeg-DbNJuVEBfXsMlSI_QdLNbF8DvmJ5KiKOjr9k9B6DZnXAVKYWWqDZyWIatbK8PFhhQkLRWLveCbxxzT_zDk3XV-flIIf8Sw=w400-h300" title="Hawthorne - Chips Restaurant" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjVqDh3J7cidPHnw61syeKtPFKjmDnMyZNqpYoFfiFIl49OWZGgIXUGQwM_bb0l9pfMe-8qj079jKccSRFSViwVIp8lpQuDJodm2oRaYw5YSHHFrjDByOoUA00KoWg9NQAHg9zzodYfdV0XRs_a7V1n4W92yiYkFmbXLGI0HbeYXaP5-LRYug=s3396" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3396" data-original-width="2717" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjVqDh3J7cidPHnw61syeKtPFKjmDnMyZNqpYoFfiFIl49OWZGgIXUGQwM_bb0l9pfMe-8qj079jKccSRFSViwVIp8lpQuDJodm2oRaYw5YSHHFrjDByOoUA00KoWg9NQAHg9zzodYfdV0XRs_a7V1n4W92yiYkFmbXLGI0HbeYXaP5-LRYug=w320-h400" title="Hawthorne - Chips Restaurant" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhzj7hiP3akgkB6tE4hzX-eM-6_6S-CPG6XiXNCC5a159NAQx4KQr3sGo9zXAoMoefTt8n4BZqxTLxLNxCYH17YMmlpcN-FJ9LW_4qQPfDrPlDfd98B6-55PYwCoIExxda3WIll5kv9iN55YJbfprq98FQwSlV73jadex6WnrqrNw15ubLkTw=s3901" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2923" data-original-width="3901" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhzj7hiP3akgkB6tE4hzX-eM-6_6S-CPG6XiXNCC5a159NAQx4KQr3sGo9zXAoMoefTt8n4BZqxTLxLNxCYH17YMmlpcN-FJ9LW_4qQPfDrPlDfd98B6-55PYwCoIExxda3WIll5kv9iN55YJbfprq98FQwSlV73jadex6WnrqrNw15ubLkTw=w400-h300" title="Hawthorne - Chips Restaurant" width="400" /></a></div><p>After driving to <b>Santa Monica</b> and checking in at the <b>Sea Shore Motel</b>, we unloaded our bikes and went for a cruise along Santa Monica Beach. Our first stop was <b>The Green at the Original Muscle Beach</b>. Since it was Friday, the grassy space was not crowded with only a few people exercising. As we laid down our yoga mat to practice our AcroYoga, we found a lost passport lying in the grass. Tori and I tried a new Acro pose for the first time and we went through a few of our favorite washing machines. It was our first time playing on this bit of grass that is famous in AcroYoga community. If it had been Sunday, I don't know if we would have found space on the lawn among the gymnasts and acrobats during the crowded AcroJam.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhkNObLVwjcgBrCFvdKpsNvNQXIETzWO_aKNZ8cPxS3h63yqOFv-t384EqQDnlQK3ZJeGDwdDgV6A7kwz9LoiNHldtYNp_D958zR0QrCmIFEuWya8rGyEAUTP1UgKlEw9EDcJQG6QhBQjagVe278wkgVDRgow2Vf_UbEciNCOFsJWxHNOEdrw=s3821" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2863" data-original-width="3821" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhkNObLVwjcgBrCFvdKpsNvNQXIETzWO_aKNZ8cPxS3h63yqOFv-t384EqQDnlQK3ZJeGDwdDgV6A7kwz9LoiNHldtYNp_D958zR0QrCmIFEuWya8rGyEAUTP1UgKlEw9EDcJQG6QhBQjagVe278wkgVDRgow2Vf_UbEciNCOFsJWxHNOEdrw=w400-h300" title="Santa Monica Beach - The Green at the Original Muscle Beach" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgpzjdR-hIpReOsMwUaTv8k-9q9MtL4tfIQ3kEOxa2dpcD4s2wAQbU_sxGNZLvmLXEojWWkT3TFooCf6CUBjKyCA1u695CrgVXlBxnLwSmfIAoIp-a11ntXIF9NgZp6sybsyTw7oREhdxUBhvlJ5FJ4tCCtH49bYtWZSiOKql8q9eFwOmfC3Q=s3602" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2699" data-original-width="3602" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgpzjdR-hIpReOsMwUaTv8k-9q9MtL4tfIQ3kEOxa2dpcD4s2wAQbU_sxGNZLvmLXEojWWkT3TFooCf6CUBjKyCA1u695CrgVXlBxnLwSmfIAoIp-a11ntXIF9NgZp6sybsyTw7oREhdxUBhvlJ5FJ4tCCtH49bYtWZSiOKql8q9eFwOmfC3Q=w400-h300" title="Santa Monica Beach - Stretching out in Happy Baby Pose to prepare for AcroYoga" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj59ypcjiu6bci_AKgp-j-EsvMAXLk6uMzL1fki0Pl1Ar7yiMJaZsAONKigvyb4Xd2pB-CRqnvm-VTdTuZ4g1r6DO54g69_tJA2Fou70t-kuQV09NO1PPxO8V2g9UT4Tg4KFVOl1o1Ev03l1fYKKjiR9o9A65oCqnRCDGA4dUYu64LPJ540Tg=s3062" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2294" data-original-width="3062" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj59ypcjiu6bci_AKgp-j-EsvMAXLk6uMzL1fki0Pl1Ar7yiMJaZsAONKigvyb4Xd2pB-CRqnvm-VTdTuZ4g1r6DO54g69_tJA2Fou70t-kuQV09NO1PPxO8V2g9UT4Tg4KFVOl1o1Ev03l1fYKKjiR9o9A65oCqnRCDGA4dUYu64LPJ540Tg=w400-h300" title="Santa Monica Beach - AcroYoga Pose on the Green at the Original Muscle Beach" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh5BTjNg1skOSUVHkOa4NbBDx5ZUKFDNsW62R9rlDFHxas-tD-OFf5JfMF6HIdBNQ34u-rLdxmFS0gWVLXVdlbo9ELG02MAEMBXLkLxh8_J2FdVNpgFkVK-hb5CV2UqKACFeNnFVxVc1BoY-8MVJNhSck61SzPgCe6kih-djbKGsJbnUF8j8Q=s3989" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2991" data-original-width="3989" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh5BTjNg1skOSUVHkOa4NbBDx5ZUKFDNsW62R9rlDFHxas-tD-OFf5JfMF6HIdBNQ34u-rLdxmFS0gWVLXVdlbo9ELG02MAEMBXLkLxh8_J2FdVNpgFkVK-hb5CV2UqKACFeNnFVxVc1BoY-8MVJNhSck61SzPgCe6kih-djbKGsJbnUF8j8Q=w400-h300" title="Santa Monica Beach - Santa Monica Pier" width="400" /></a></div><p>Below is the AcroYoga video of the Ninja Star and Big Lemoi Washing Machines.</p>
<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CYrU873FoLs/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-radius: 3px; border: 0px; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.5) 0px 0px 1px 0px, rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.15) 0px 1px 10px 0px; margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0px; width: calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding: 16px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CYrU873FoLs/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); line-height: 0; padding: 0px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; width: 100%;" target="_blank"> <div style="align-items: center; display: flex; flex-direction: row;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; 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line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0px 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CYrU873FoLs/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">A post shared by Noah Unsworth (@noahu)</a></p></div></blockquote> <script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script>
<p>After our AcroYoga Practice, Tori and I each took a pass on the Traveling Rings nearby. With 10 rings, this was the largest set we have ever swung on so we only went one-way. Having lost our calluses from Trapeze, our hands were dying by the end. I have been out and back on Swing City's traveling rings at Burning Man but their set has only 6 rings.</p>
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<p>After dropping off the lost passport with a lifeguard, Tori and I continued our bike ride north of Santa Monica Pier along the <b>Ocean Front Walk</b>. We rode all the way to the wooden boardwalk at North Beach before turning around and biking down to Venice Beach. The bike path becomes very windy after we crossed the border into Venice. We rode all the way down to the skatepark and basketball courts before turning around and heading back. The outdoor gym equipment of Venice's Muscle Beach was roped off due to the pandemic. Riding this beach path brought back a lot of good memories for Tori who used to live in the area and frequently rollerbladed along this route with her friend Rachel.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiCSWsdZuYcaeo_z8bL7rYdFe_IaSFayEQIwqRtZsHKtyeekGN_hRdF1Vu2K2E5H0VujNvThH_k0gYtd9LuN5ReOuzEG8c_3rYZoyIXjCGnzdl7XvdVLSaDSPcvo4o6scikwvUvWjRZgy-C8tm32G-sjmTuPfuXevxFKe7aoIECnmmy_dlIIQ=s3786" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2837" data-original-width="3786" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiCSWsdZuYcaeo_z8bL7rYdFe_IaSFayEQIwqRtZsHKtyeekGN_hRdF1Vu2K2E5H0VujNvThH_k0gYtd9LuN5ReOuzEG8c_3rYZoyIXjCGnzdl7XvdVLSaDSPcvo4o6scikwvUvWjRZgy-C8tm32G-sjmTuPfuXevxFKe7aoIECnmmy_dlIIQ=w400-h300" title="Santa Monica Beach - Bike Ride along the Ocean Front Walk" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjBqDN-qwGJ_m9xG7twu6m9R2-2Y_vxKejpfM--smvGhF9jXGfASXldA4aJ4ybhUhoXe8yu_O1hAdJ9HWigKz1KjpugRO7ndgWkaO1HgdGDN6hVofCAUQBEWWbib-VI1KU990ArtATlct68VWm-jawsKFUgHF76FQU9t1FADTHD7N3SLFMvgg=s3958" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2966" data-original-width="3958" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjBqDN-qwGJ_m9xG7twu6m9R2-2Y_vxKejpfM--smvGhF9jXGfASXldA4aJ4ybhUhoXe8yu_O1hAdJ9HWigKz1KjpugRO7ndgWkaO1HgdGDN6hVofCAUQBEWWbib-VI1KU990ArtATlct68VWm-jawsKFUgHF76FQU9t1FADTHD7N3SLFMvgg=w400-h300" title="Santa Monica Beach - Bike Ride along the Ocean Front Walk" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEje0Jw9-KdFf_PTonRI17pIK2V9-l-G1sTQ0jJ3hZ6SPNz2YBWB-Pc4fDSXyI7akPyIzaQVwDRdIUuQWwigtT6yazs9lY1LGqW5LL5PgyaXZlOHs2baFpYnmfnK_OCFe8mt1ScGp-OE0b9sbhAHZOd4aXeX-ACJeLUUW4FovcUGWWP5A7-cQA=s3862" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2894" data-original-width="3862" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEje0Jw9-KdFf_PTonRI17pIK2V9-l-G1sTQ0jJ3hZ6SPNz2YBWB-Pc4fDSXyI7akPyIzaQVwDRdIUuQWwigtT6yazs9lY1LGqW5LL5PgyaXZlOHs2baFpYnmfnK_OCFe8mt1ScGp-OE0b9sbhAHZOd4aXeX-ACJeLUUW4FovcUGWWP5A7-cQA=w400-h300" title="Santa Monica Beach - Bike Ride along the Ocean Front Walk" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjOLnbASZ7CTlW4uqnxwzeeISVhkzJ7twTS_vbon_6Z6ijeUiXdZgxfvmXsnbpVVF3-8OYPqJ_DHlYEi8LZGFbxG7llY8hNrHPP4lZrJ7tW393toWTAeq1s6R4ZxYvfFDySMpZdZyCJ8iI5dDDDeH0kmq8fsGqdevZ19X3z2anWhNse--fw7g=s3711" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2780" data-original-width="3711" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjOLnbASZ7CTlW4uqnxwzeeISVhkzJ7twTS_vbon_6Z6ijeUiXdZgxfvmXsnbpVVF3-8OYPqJ_DHlYEi8LZGFbxG7llY8hNrHPP4lZrJ7tW393toWTAeq1s6R4ZxYvfFDySMpZdZyCJ8iI5dDDDeH0kmq8fsGqdevZ19X3z2anWhNse--fw7g=w400-h300" title="Santa Monica Beach - Bike Ride along the Ocean Front Walk" width="400" /></a></div><p>After biking back to the Sea Shore Motel, Tori and I took a walk along <b>Main Street</b>, checking out all the shops, bars and restaurants. This part of Santa Monica has a nice neighborhood feel, a less exclusive feeling than that of Montana Avenue and much less touristy than the Third Street Promenade. Our first stop was <b>jAdis</b>, a quirky curiosities store filled with antique scientific instruments and sci-fi movie paraphernalia. While many things were for sale, a lot of the displayed items are only rented out as film props. Our next stop was at <b>JuneShine</b> for a drink since Tori and I both enjoy hard kombucha. Even though we had dinner reservations at 7pm, we were too starving to wait after our AcroYoga practice and bike ride so we each ordered one of their delicious empanadas. They were a perfect snack to hold us over as we walked through the rest of the neighborhood. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgZlFR-sqkJOKk-pdiao4EtkoCbCUm1Z9N6Krs5OFvCDECsWYxRsiZsudnz0pXP7FJ2XkqlQFURGFAajLITaIu71zp06LlNn5g8Jcjux22PaISvSZIpJLZIE4Qk264XySsrMHyvFvo3n1ELv81YGyhy1DmaymJUs33SRvcnZ5Q3cJJwdRT-yA=s3687" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3687" data-original-width="2950" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgZlFR-sqkJOKk-pdiao4EtkoCbCUm1Z9N6Krs5OFvCDECsWYxRsiZsudnz0pXP7FJ2XkqlQFURGFAajLITaIu71zp06LlNn5g8Jcjux22PaISvSZIpJLZIE4Qk264XySsrMHyvFvo3n1ELv81YGyhy1DmaymJUs33SRvcnZ5Q3cJJwdRT-yA=w320-h400" title="Santa Monica Main Street - Juneshine" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjtefg1yP-u6XcHneR8eB86sZLda6L5lC8ogff-Eeicpy3qLnO4K_DEipswUhXqc62d1kRoQTs6y5AggzNIwHftwLR1dr0R-12ZMTyZbvYma9Bx47CsReS4sNrffpBiNhSkBG1ynighcoQJAMd-C6SmoQDp8fAK9E0lREsrrNu06c7nyLzF3A=s3779" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3779" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjtefg1yP-u6XcHneR8eB86sZLda6L5lC8ogff-Eeicpy3qLnO4K_DEipswUhXqc62d1kRoQTs6y5AggzNIwHftwLR1dr0R-12ZMTyZbvYma9Bx47CsReS4sNrffpBiNhSkBG1ynighcoQJAMd-C6SmoQDp8fAK9E0lREsrrNu06c7nyLzF3A=w320-h400" title="Santa Monica Main Street - Shopping Cart Christmas Tree" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiRU-f42dj24mDal_aQNI7I84HX4PA0xpqzeVRbzu1g6o9-BeQLZPynwqD5cDKaaPK9TgGXSHf4eFfMw1tVaPE9eO8gTFSh1dxpQW3f6fAvD1VWx84zZsPZEOrSe2RIcaUfP-Yfccs6VHbI2_YSC0ibFUBDEKbrBlUmDsoif59ZqX_-hN08YQ=s4032" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiRU-f42dj24mDal_aQNI7I84HX4PA0xpqzeVRbzu1g6o9-BeQLZPynwqD5cDKaaPK9TgGXSHf4eFfMw1tVaPE9eO8gTFSh1dxpQW3f6fAvD1VWx84zZsPZEOrSe2RIcaUfP-Yfccs6VHbI2_YSC0ibFUBDEKbrBlUmDsoif59ZqX_-hN08YQ=w400-h300" title="Santa Monica Main Street - Sea Shore Motel" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhPTQObD4UnIQ2eVYv14WhwaB4r2dWaoF3D9_hKGb5Zt7NH_W5i8462ncaj4SAeMepUlUyBE_QK_McRvEm5Pyi0XgTG3-XIxaoUDtIvsRDCepBNqa5Ko_QOOzaSLvY-VOgmmqUL-piMhfNG-LvNQMtwNnebnpUwgQ0TXgz33IqbEtLhdHihCw=s3443" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3443" data-original-width="2755" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhPTQObD4UnIQ2eVYv14WhwaB4r2dWaoF3D9_hKGb5Zt7NH_W5i8462ncaj4SAeMepUlUyBE_QK_McRvEm5Pyi0XgTG3-XIxaoUDtIvsRDCepBNqa5Ko_QOOzaSLvY-VOgmmqUL-piMhfNG-LvNQMtwNnebnpUwgQ0TXgz33IqbEtLhdHihCw=w320-h400" title="Santa Monica Main Street - New Orleans Building Clock" width="320" /></a></div><p>For dinner, we had reservations at <b>Forma Restaurant & Cheese Bar</b> in Venice. It was a short walk from our motel and we were given a nice table by the window. With our wine, we enjoyed the <b>Bruschella</b> appetizer, a deconstructed version of bruschetta that tasted delicious and was so much easier to eat this way. Tori ordered the <b>Chitarra Cacio E Pepe</b>, homemade spaghetti with black pepper and extra virgin olive oil, tossed in Pecorino Romano cheese while I had the <b>Fettuccine Bolognese</b> tossed with butter in Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and topped with a beef ragu’. Half way through our dinner, we switched plates to finish off the other's flavorful pasta. For desert, we stopped at <b>Sweet Rose Creamery</b> for ice cream on our walk home.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhxhzh9IL3oNyz3rvwyv-jj9wJMqrspjUwJoidwU1qnE2Z0IkYn6QHzqLOoypwRTpX-BsTJEqBWxEOdAbdgc2RyATcBrLkyjlr5cLEfSwJRzs_DYH2zyCzxr_4_-W05GNcEMWJTbMQ21V5aCdNhj1XKRCxtXFgIauEpiBPqF0WRH3YJ5gBgCw=s3946" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3946" data-original-width="2960" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhxhzh9IL3oNyz3rvwyv-jj9wJMqrspjUwJoidwU1qnE2Z0IkYn6QHzqLOoypwRTpX-BsTJEqBWxEOdAbdgc2RyATcBrLkyjlr5cLEfSwJRzs_DYH2zyCzxr_4_-W05GNcEMWJTbMQ21V5aCdNhj1XKRCxtXFgIauEpiBPqF0WRH3YJ5gBgCw=w300-h400" title="Forma Restaurant and Cheese Bar - Tori" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgBcQM9UuslkfLADrqY0JCwTrGkpFEZ70KFLvR2mP2Yc8qZDdYQcgbBBRplC4nJOIjyigRY21sbuUgONUKUV2v-Qa5-BJo7sYVRVRun0npxMr9YZBhYM58IFx2BR-Rriott6nZzlf8nNKTQT-f0ka_C84oT4j2cGD5r5lt6SIE-BTVNjAmpUQ=s3360" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3360" data-original-width="2688" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgBcQM9UuslkfLADrqY0JCwTrGkpFEZ70KFLvR2mP2Yc8qZDdYQcgbBBRplC4nJOIjyigRY21sbuUgONUKUV2v-Qa5-BJo7sYVRVRun0npxMr9YZBhYM58IFx2BR-Rriott6nZzlf8nNKTQT-f0ka_C84oT4j2cGD5r5lt6SIE-BTVNjAmpUQ=w320-h400" title="Forma Restaurant and Cheese Bar - Noah" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhPBrpNON4yH7NhrhzKKDUmQxMpQFXIc1SzuAgKMyCohvAohaymJqVndXaS0yRrqnAahrt9-bB4wNoA-adqSXiKHEQ35xKdo8XkGAprAicoD4bvZdRQfaCBODQzQlYokbUzyFBRCOS83aMZV_PIpiqFVlMnqjC-M7hMGAGWgeWRYu6HxWDmRA=s3750" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3750" data-original-width="3001" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhPBrpNON4yH7NhrhzKKDUmQxMpQFXIc1SzuAgKMyCohvAohaymJqVndXaS0yRrqnAahrt9-bB4wNoA-adqSXiKHEQ35xKdo8XkGAprAicoD4bvZdRQfaCBODQzQlYokbUzyFBRCOS83aMZV_PIpiqFVlMnqjC-M7hMGAGWgeWRYu6HxWDmRA=w320-h400" title="Forma Restaurant and Cheese Bar - Bruschella" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjILghVW_wJwcZeM79xvjw8Uzc0WlpXVLbSQAZ3yRMUzZuQFg6qTqqUvVp0AUNdNHIsWxw5J_QyF421TE-pv2Px2hr2qQPNVo90_0X7aEtxAyO7Y56n9l8TW-r7JzehXJwa9b0TOMjzGk-X-vxAX-64qT79ABNAuMBf-SmBEkJxB7SfIpzKGQ=s3665" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2746" data-original-width="3665" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjILghVW_wJwcZeM79xvjw8Uzc0WlpXVLbSQAZ3yRMUzZuQFg6qTqqUvVp0AUNdNHIsWxw5J_QyF421TE-pv2Px2hr2qQPNVo90_0X7aEtxAyO7Y56n9l8TW-r7JzehXJwa9b0TOMjzGk-X-vxAX-64qT79ABNAuMBf-SmBEkJxB7SfIpzKGQ=w400-h300" title="Forma Restaurant and Cheese Bar - Cacio E Pepe tossed in Pecorino Romano Cheese" width="400" /></a></div><p>The specialty of the restaurant is <b>Dalla Forma</b>, tossing fresh pasta in large wheels of four different types of Italian cheese. I thought they would bring the cheese wheel to our table, but it was prepared in a separate area, possibly because of the pandemic. Our server did let us know when our pasta was being prepared so we were able to walk over and watch. It made my mouth water in anticipation.</p>
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<p>In the morning, we walked down to <b>Dogtown Coffee</b> for breakfast burritos. Tori had the <b>Vietnamese Iced Coffee</b> with condensed milk while I tried their signature <b>Salty Dog Iced Coffee</b>, a 24-hour cold brew with deep caramel and sea salt foam. The coffees were really good, but the burritos didn't compare to our favorite Boss Burrito at Bird Rock Coffee in San Diego. On the walk back, the murals covering many of the buildings on Main Street really stood out, glowing in the morning light.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgB43LDcUdCKbJnVmWCiuwWmSSlvsls1wXLncQK8Pyb1G6qGUWN7wDXyhJj_5V4RdoywCCaP3B4PXjC88LyqFeFDT1dEl9PKX1TQntobnFx2tl9kZOR2x4MWztYB9SFeq8YLWRkVUoBb3vnf3G-skkNvamIzmA3Nc215kziKZxdE3vHfvgO1w=s3875" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2903" data-original-width="3875" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgB43LDcUdCKbJnVmWCiuwWmSSlvsls1wXLncQK8Pyb1G6qGUWN7wDXyhJj_5V4RdoywCCaP3B4PXjC88LyqFeFDT1dEl9PKX1TQntobnFx2tl9kZOR2x4MWztYB9SFeq8YLWRkVUoBb3vnf3G-skkNvamIzmA3Nc215kziKZxdE3vHfvgO1w=w400-h300" title="Santa Monica - Dogtown Coffee" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgjGX5Nj2aMLHHuA7m-4A67NdoQO55cSLecsnVBcDKGDmzDT3DYpRGAxYp5R8PoOhhOy8l5IXXmobKRYYwa6FDmAgxUGtwDMojnxaYcAvTfcBfkZaSONWTa23DycEGHZmseWWdHOOFXh2vn8QOIM1AneO8RRzSUt6ZmKSq0L39ZMUPQAlpg5Q=s3780" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3780" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgjGX5Nj2aMLHHuA7m-4A67NdoQO55cSLecsnVBcDKGDmzDT3DYpRGAxYp5R8PoOhhOy8l5IXXmobKRYYwa6FDmAgxUGtwDMojnxaYcAvTfcBfkZaSONWTa23DycEGHZmseWWdHOOFXh2vn8QOIM1AneO8RRzSUt6ZmKSq0L39ZMUPQAlpg5Q=w320-h400" title="Santa Monica - Dogtown Coffee" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEggQaYdSQ3N_B4En4YdOXlk6pLgu0lMiz0Nb3fdcN0ipkDPYlxOCehKj2hV6dpyz67yORPy5r7vFfQDWziNRu1ybJGZ7SXhRBVkrrTGZxOYniK3sjWoAvo3--rJgABcG4DyfkUKelKe0BBJDQQnL09YxdMPNoO_fZmLqs5aSDxwsNCTGuux4A=s3938" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2951" data-original-width="3938" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEggQaYdSQ3N_B4En4YdOXlk6pLgu0lMiz0Nb3fdcN0ipkDPYlxOCehKj2hV6dpyz67yORPy5r7vFfQDWziNRu1ybJGZ7SXhRBVkrrTGZxOYniK3sjWoAvo3--rJgABcG4DyfkUKelKe0BBJDQQnL09YxdMPNoO_fZmLqs5aSDxwsNCTGuux4A=w400-h300" title="Santa Monica - Main Street Murals" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEidQiVU3mwZ4cb-Ry1KzjIma_Z_MSITw480eWXgJF61gIwcVRmUUenKGw_5chjmkWuIL3oTNxEoRVUE85kzDK4eUX6w97Jy_fi4VsiENHGkOLlwp-5X_9zAm7NJIheqQwZxtA9xmZboa09Oilg9jXRTtngrenZPCQw-ujFwLg3K0Cp3pwz2Uw=s3955" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2963" data-original-width="3955" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEidQiVU3mwZ4cb-Ry1KzjIma_Z_MSITw480eWXgJF61gIwcVRmUUenKGw_5chjmkWuIL3oTNxEoRVUE85kzDK4eUX6w97Jy_fi4VsiENHGkOLlwp-5X_9zAm7NJIheqQwZxtA9xmZboa09Oilg9jXRTtngrenZPCQw-ujFwLg3K0Cp3pwz2Uw=w400-h300" title="Santa Monica - Main Street Murals" width="400" /></a></div><p>After checking out the <b>Santa Monica Community Gardens</b> on Main Street, we packed up and checked out of our motel. Driving north, we took the California Incline down the beach cliff and drove the winding roads up into Pacific Palisades to visit the <b>Santa Monica Stairs</b>. The long flights of wooden and concrete stairs on the border of the two cities are used for exercise by Angelinos. My legs were really burning as I neared the top. After our stair climbing, we drove over to <b>Montana Avenue</b> for another long stroll along the 10 blocks of the shopping district. We had heard good things about the sandwiches at <b>Bay Cities Italian Deli</b>, so we picked up a couple to take home to San Diego in our cooler. (I am eager to try <b>The Godmother</b> sandwich with Genoa Salami, Mortadella, Capicola, Ham, Prosciutto and Provolone with “The Works”!) </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhp4XQvFDiFyYBcJQOJ5kxj2N_bupHrhvA0SfYtyro7s9G5UPAwV3UUaIbxUW1BkNlWx2StItW4TMMqHxgIGrjsxrIycXQk_Dmw_RYPSxLdimopUm0RijRiJBEoUzuL73SDILR_0smxfaZ3wtHbhQhJo1gu78jjfBOoCHZVL6GzmNiRq8KX5w=s4032" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhp4XQvFDiFyYBcJQOJ5kxj2N_bupHrhvA0SfYtyro7s9G5UPAwV3UUaIbxUW1BkNlWx2StItW4TMMqHxgIGrjsxrIycXQk_Dmw_RYPSxLdimopUm0RijRiJBEoUzuL73SDILR_0smxfaZ3wtHbhQhJo1gu78jjfBOoCHZVL6GzmNiRq8KX5w=w400-h300" title="Santa Monica Community Gardens" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg2IErHZU9a9--ley6c6YrG599XpRoFYQ7imsCyfyXIVdCY_41WwW6CVx2UnnKOz7P-ViHP1BqhFMbzRg0iOxDazfOE94nysq-aEZsjwWRJ9wMabr7MKMYccNoKqUbRBfDacbyb_ufoRvLwcM6Lkb-EIake-2vOSmxiYjokLBPOGn9vwrZ40g=s3780" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3780" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg2IErHZU9a9--ley6c6YrG599XpRoFYQ7imsCyfyXIVdCY_41WwW6CVx2UnnKOz7P-ViHP1BqhFMbzRg0iOxDazfOE94nysq-aEZsjwWRJ9wMabr7MKMYccNoKqUbRBfDacbyb_ufoRvLwcM6Lkb-EIake-2vOSmxiYjokLBPOGn9vwrZ40g=w320-h400" title="Santa Monica Community Gardens" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiJckf9k-5tE0dN6fsxCar4nKspoFteuscF-VZQ2021rnOTlGyn-KPDo3kFkto-v0xMbpdkOjhxI1q6ijnKC7aGeAWyq-BB0R86SIlARa871M6Zm01VYs-jzISrSVUKvUpI2YUZT9PYZVAmqRrkqPt_B9tg5kTIZpRc9k2rPoJyz2YIfPYLuw=s3740" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3740" data-original-width="2993" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiJckf9k-5tE0dN6fsxCar4nKspoFteuscF-VZQ2021rnOTlGyn-KPDo3kFkto-v0xMbpdkOjhxI1q6ijnKC7aGeAWyq-BB0R86SIlARa871M6Zm01VYs-jzISrSVUKvUpI2YUZT9PYZVAmqRrkqPt_B9tg5kTIZpRc9k2rPoJyz2YIfPYLuw=w320-h400" title="Santa Monica Stairs" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgBVMEwSOTgEUsyYBs6Y8GnuMmZiGokr_6wYq-O6aCDLeC-HzwfkG65XVVztd5w6X8SjtpmYl-TFBgunwwsYSA19kw9uFwr8DcWPo7H2P7c9l260Zg41MsmcfpRnCqooiWQH9P3WOVjifWqQ2S554ftPDsAG3rvs_V6tsLoVxt8byNABBAnEQ=s3673" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3673" data-original-width="2939" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgBVMEwSOTgEUsyYBs6Y8GnuMmZiGokr_6wYq-O6aCDLeC-HzwfkG65XVVztd5w6X8SjtpmYl-TFBgunwwsYSA19kw9uFwr8DcWPo7H2P7c9l260Zg41MsmcfpRnCqooiWQH9P3WOVjifWqQ2S554ftPDsAG3rvs_V6tsLoVxt8byNABBAnEQ=w320-h400" title="Santa Monica Stairs" width="320" /></a></div><p>For a late lunch, we had planned to go to the <b>Father's Office</b> in Santa Monica but it is closed until 5pm. Luckily, the Culver City location opens at noon on the weekends so we drove over there instead. <b>The Office Burger</b> lived up to the hype! I would definitely drive out of my way again in the future to have their famous burger made with caramelized onions, bacon, gruyere, blue cheese, and arugula. No Ketchup needed! Tori enjoyed the <b>Fried Chicken Sandwich</b> with her beer. The <b>Chorizo Fritters</b> served with salsa verde were awesome as well. The restaurant sits inside the historic <b>Helm's Bakery</b> building, the site of the large industrial bakery that operated from 1931 to 1969. Helm's bread was not sold in stores, but was instead delivered daily directly to people's homes throughout the city with their fleet of distinctive delivery trucks. Helm's was the official baker of the 1932 Olympics in Los Angeles and supplied Olympics teams for several games in the future.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjBDpMV0329QLEJK1VvEh4ITlxmLO_4u9akfCJY27fRnDNVRfLQX3YP-qkuaFylewPGCQxT_IJfq2XOBLTTgOs84iuLZFcpmxap5ZLMB36OZDgpdCv_AderXJ66EzYJnyG-pKkxi3kFy6SdhOGXVN63vk9FRJGsOucVx8FLQiFWefYCQ3zB3w=s3780" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3780" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjBDpMV0329QLEJK1VvEh4ITlxmLO_4u9akfCJY27fRnDNVRfLQX3YP-qkuaFylewPGCQxT_IJfq2XOBLTTgOs84iuLZFcpmxap5ZLMB36OZDgpdCv_AderXJ66EzYJnyG-pKkxi3kFy6SdhOGXVN63vk9FRJGsOucVx8FLQiFWefYCQ3zB3w=w320-h400" title="Culver City - Father's Office" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg_qwiRL1lBYq4R2sxmND_9wPFlsOcMsFla_sA1Uu3L3a53gkM0d5nd8wM7ZD7Fyti_EjglyeH--BTdM3N_cA3YXwCsNE9OoWtXretaB2-pDYcHiWDZklUUlNYvHXleVU1OR46drjCKDWvPW9vL6uLFqJ2JbesHN1_QOpin0T83Z-61Mg3VKQ=s3698" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3698" data-original-width="2959" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg_qwiRL1lBYq4R2sxmND_9wPFlsOcMsFla_sA1Uu3L3a53gkM0d5nd8wM7ZD7Fyti_EjglyeH--BTdM3N_cA3YXwCsNE9OoWtXretaB2-pDYcHiWDZklUUlNYvHXleVU1OR46drjCKDWvPW9vL6uLFqJ2JbesHN1_QOpin0T83Z-61Mg3VKQ=w320-h400" title="Culver City - Father's Office" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjbkCbuo7BftyNItSXBRfZFB5u8GjG-VnNyDO-2ehbAiL3TDFbL8zCEGpb52Kfm8ChuLJ0tziKFVq8TEmH_XAhufQW63DdfOtvtzyfBLqmETIL983q_u4I8oBulT6yFTw3Dt5hHhsigEKsZdVovtLIax7abGHl2C6I3c1ZYiOqieSJh5rHd6A=s4032" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjbkCbuo7BftyNItSXBRfZFB5u8GjG-VnNyDO-2ehbAiL3TDFbL8zCEGpb52Kfm8ChuLJ0tziKFVq8TEmH_XAhufQW63DdfOtvtzyfBLqmETIL983q_u4I8oBulT6yFTw3Dt5hHhsigEKsZdVovtLIax7abGHl2C6I3c1ZYiOqieSJh5rHd6A=w300-h400" title="Culver City - Father's Office (The Office Burger)" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhn8b5dyAeThxnMiGaGIU3ZDd9E47_55kp4QSPPiQKj74iXW8BlSm2xz1Kkji8QRXRAVx5ZP8Cko-Gr-7mRzvY58dunOxvXI3Zkl-YMxaAbcsRxnxCtPV-AhrxoMCew84c3hVwHwDhG22Wpr7ATHSs_l1T93qgv82aCVCus-1vpGSJ3NnCo7A=s3896" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2920" data-original-width="3896" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhn8b5dyAeThxnMiGaGIU3ZDd9E47_55kp4QSPPiQKj74iXW8BlSm2xz1Kkji8QRXRAVx5ZP8Cko-Gr-7mRzvY58dunOxvXI3Zkl-YMxaAbcsRxnxCtPV-AhrxoMCew84c3hVwHwDhG22Wpr7ATHSs_l1T93qgv82aCVCus-1vpGSJ3NnCo7A=w400-h300" title="Culver City - Father's Office (Fried Chicken Sandwich)" width="400" /></a></div><p>On our drive home, we stopped at the crowded Irvine Spectrum for some Christmas shopping.</p>Noah Unsworthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16787302506440922931noreply@blogger.com01 Rocket Rd, Hawthorne, CA 90250, USA33.9207525 -118.32802465.6105186638211535 -153.4842746 62.230986336178844 -83.1717746tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18659481.post-88136089972701011952021-11-12T13:09:00.406-08:002021-12-09T11:32:40.505-08:00San Diego Zoo (Giraffes, Baboons & Tasmanian Devils)<p>Taking advantage of our yearly pass, we returned on Wednesday to the <b>San Diego Zoo</b>. Since it was winter, the park was much less crowded with all the children back in school. Our first stop was the <b>Outback</b> section where we saw Tasmanian Devils, Kookaburras and the napping Koala Bears from Australia. In the <b>Urban Jungle</b>, we talked to the docent about the Giraffes, watching a mother feeding with her child before she moved over to the pool for a drink. It was very cool to watch as she splayed out her forelegs so her head could reach, spraying the water out in long arcs as she raised her long neck back up to its great height. I have seen this behavior on nature videos but never in real life. Nearby in the center enclosure, we watched a Rhinoceros being fed, using its prehensile lip to eagerly grab the treats from the keeper's hand. This area used to be the Elephant Mesa with elephant rides when I was a child where I had a chance to ride on their broad swaying backs.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8yzcwN27UtPlOOB-I_hvMJlSpYmpTZAJCJ96g1Zp23E0KbYXuNj2xr-afyTiBCoH2ZBWeWSMgJDOvd3DaGE6nkypA3JRKi5twEb2QL2hmLspQkipkTqw-VMW9VY6vnSjnnqLS/s2048/SanDiegoZoo004.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8yzcwN27UtPlOOB-I_hvMJlSpYmpTZAJCJ96g1Zp23E0KbYXuNj2xr-afyTiBCoH2ZBWeWSMgJDOvd3DaGE6nkypA3JRKi5twEb2QL2hmLspQkipkTqw-VMW9VY6vnSjnnqLS/w400-h266/SanDiegoZoo004.JPG" title="San Diego Zoo - Lion Sculpture" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtu29xCegG4KmNm5w6is4jlS9FAEnZvzuRJJhBfcF1pLpHIZYuZnYtE1ladddQCMm-Z8m8YUHx2PXepMADJxouUwj-B6rLXzj6mAhedJmspLmrqK4Ye5FRd5xtVTiNeHzlk06F/s2048/SanDiegoZoo009_TasmanianDevil.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtu29xCegG4KmNm5w6is4jlS9FAEnZvzuRJJhBfcF1pLpHIZYuZnYtE1ladddQCMm-Z8m8YUHx2PXepMADJxouUwj-B6rLXzj6mAhedJmspLmrqK4Ye5FRd5xtVTiNeHzlk06F/w400-h266/SanDiegoZoo009_TasmanianDevil.JPG" title="San Diego Zoo - Tasmanian Devil" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFFPb2fLXQjTQs90rS-iVV4HyCOnYhJtk9j321fUZemx97ltqx0Cw10yfMkm0EiVMzFT7SH72fawGE_SYS0WAEts2ykqfAGqny5vbg_-nX5u4PuQYQvucmaycejqN6QFuw1bPY/s2048/SanDiegoZoo033_Giraffe.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFFPb2fLXQjTQs90rS-iVV4HyCOnYhJtk9j321fUZemx97ltqx0Cw10yfMkm0EiVMzFT7SH72fawGE_SYS0WAEts2ykqfAGqny5vbg_-nX5u4PuQYQvucmaycejqN6QFuw1bPY/w400-h266/SanDiegoZoo033_Giraffe.JPG" title="San Diego Zoo - Giraffes" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWpLyIV3raUV-ChlIyusx5dLAu1I1UV27L0Jy9oae4ngwqYGWeGfGRv-umfb21X9i_pGrvOaAZIa9bgGbWP2tA7l_W4lDTPZSV8agjraVsFn-gNbW1Gkl4RyQp2A7zjbIrZuwF/s2048/SanDiegoZoo045_Giraffe.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWpLyIV3raUV-ChlIyusx5dLAu1I1UV27L0Jy9oae4ngwqYGWeGfGRv-umfb21X9i_pGrvOaAZIa9bgGbWP2tA7l_W4lDTPZSV8agjraVsFn-gNbW1Gkl4RyQp2A7zjbIrZuwF/w400-h266/SanDiegoZoo045_Giraffe.JPG" title="San Diego Zoo - Giraffe Drinking" width="400" /></a></div><p>As we approached the troop of Hamadryas Baboons in the <b>Ethiopian Highlands</b> exhibit, we witnessed a battle royal. We saw a female baboon chasing after a male who responded by trying to mate with her. This pissed off another male and the two proceeded to fight, drawing the rest of the males into a screaming rumble as they fought and chased each other around the rocky enclosure. We saw the anxious keepers keeping a close watch over them until they calmed down about 5 minutes later. We learned afterward that the male baboon patriarch had recently died which upset the troop hierarchy and the remaining males where still working out the new power dynamic. In the nearby enclosure, the Geladas must have been riled up by all the hooting and hollering from the Baboons as they began running around their exhibit as well, shaking the trees and screeching at each other with bared teeth. Even though a nickname for the Gelada is Bleeding Heart Baboon, they are in a different Genus from their Baboon relatives.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5_DdHj-2ZRpv0Ju964HPzXmYnIp2C6janH1b_Rah8RBve2IcZ0Mw0VT8uOa287T_UAl11OPv4qLKK_VIFzwqJE_PKsRhDWAAmFlShBlxY1KUbBQDJdkfILrbNF1Hxldx0H1FE/s2048/SanDiegoZoo057_Rhinoceros.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1364" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5_DdHj-2ZRpv0Ju964HPzXmYnIp2C6janH1b_Rah8RBve2IcZ0Mw0VT8uOa287T_UAl11OPv4qLKK_VIFzwqJE_PKsRhDWAAmFlShBlxY1KUbBQDJdkfILrbNF1Hxldx0H1FE/w400-h266/SanDiegoZoo057_Rhinoceros.JPG" title="San Diego Zoo - Rhino" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6ITLR69a9hLNVXvpK8TjziC5zXZ-OAsE5v0VAHFKo5gbcAgsTV8HDFVx_uGwg9ywuBvmIYHqAa16j0ukA4BziFgyM9EgBnZljMGmASJPwNDdJfNFjIUmCQXYu7ULZ3cMWznSj/s2048/SanDiegoZoo080_Gelada.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6ITLR69a9hLNVXvpK8TjziC5zXZ-OAsE5v0VAHFKo5gbcAgsTV8HDFVx_uGwg9ywuBvmIYHqAa16j0ukA4BziFgyM9EgBnZljMGmASJPwNDdJfNFjIUmCQXYu7ULZ3cMWznSj/w400-h266/SanDiegoZoo080_Gelada.JPG" title="San Diego Zoo - Gelada" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc_gZw23iq3raCr_5y82JhpagqsW94giPJicLr8sRARArvRtncCagzy6aFnmI_gcnmQYHMShbW4x7J6GIPyPARNSU5T4aJkpQuahDmAwHd_SxCAtr0i5VimMzGWohlZyl-TxiF/s2048/SanDiegoZoo089_Gelada.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1639" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc_gZw23iq3raCr_5y82JhpagqsW94giPJicLr8sRARArvRtncCagzy6aFnmI_gcnmQYHMShbW4x7J6GIPyPARNSU5T4aJkpQuahDmAwHd_SxCAtr0i5VimMzGWohlZyl-TxiF/w320-h400/SanDiegoZoo089_Gelada.JPG" title="San Diego Zoo - Gelada or Bleeding Heart Baboon" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfTX1uMrlWM5LZ4o6p_b5We2ok4sYglVDTwD8VYSO3hqD-2R_2og1UJH5aSz7WiMuaeQSHNb3rLGzMAOdFSLlzUfaW2eSrbOErURl0CMZcIKvM16LG6P93ASMWZpfH6zV2bX1y/s2048/SanDiegoZoo099_Leopard.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1364" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfTX1uMrlWM5LZ4o6p_b5We2ok4sYglVDTwD8VYSO3hqD-2R_2og1UJH5aSz7WiMuaeQSHNb3rLGzMAOdFSLlzUfaW2eSrbOErURl0CMZcIKvM16LG6P93ASMWZpfH6zV2bX1y/w400-h266/SanDiegoZoo099_Leopard.JPG" title="San Diego Zoo - Leopard" width="400" /></a></div><p>Leaving the two primate species behind, we wandered the winding trail through the <b>Africa Rocks</b> area where we watched a Leopard feeding on a animal leg and Lemurs from Madagascar climbing the netting of their enclosure. We went through three different aviaries as we climbed the slope of the canyon. The first was filled with birds from Africa like the Taveta Golden Weaver building a nest over our heads and the Exclamatory Paradise-Wydah with long tail feathers that were three times the length of its body. The <b>Parker Aviary</b> were filled with tropical birds from South America like the Toucan and the Andean cock-of-the-rock, the national bird of Peru with it's distinctive disk-shaped plumage of orange feathers on its head.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaqfTqVAkbcha14VnLkA6eU3U8fbaU9j3iB7uoGTKca430yLQz95G70bkre-hA7XWnlggrWbLZ1WzGUPesC-SdV8v4iWglxGR_B7rBcmiPDqgdFsaMfpYCUKPsoWqQKN9LP4yd/s2048/SanDiegoZoo124_TavetaGoldenWeaver.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1639" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaqfTqVAkbcha14VnLkA6eU3U8fbaU9j3iB7uoGTKca430yLQz95G70bkre-hA7XWnlggrWbLZ1WzGUPesC-SdV8v4iWglxGR_B7rBcmiPDqgdFsaMfpYCUKPsoWqQKN9LP4yd/w320-h400/SanDiegoZoo124_TavetaGoldenWeaver.JPG" title="San Diego Zoo - Taveta Golden Weaver looking down from it's half constructed nest." width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjngsPzhlTHsYonXxSoRv2gyYnus0jGj7XCTqvjYghQLCeMIhPTGp_hjV1mO2PxwW_omaGWTjDSg2FoYRrWy-Sp8uqtLIc8wi702SHtr7M0qjmAJbuNotWYHgd-CJzqJdssMtJo/s2048/SanDiegoZoo172_Toucan.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1639" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjngsPzhlTHsYonXxSoRv2gyYnus0jGj7XCTqvjYghQLCeMIhPTGp_hjV1mO2PxwW_omaGWTjDSg2FoYRrWy-Sp8uqtLIc8wi702SHtr7M0qjmAJbuNotWYHgd-CJzqJdssMtJo/w320-h400/SanDiegoZoo172_Toucan.JPG" title="San Diego Zoo - Toucan" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP7RfqStl0zHauiUUzKOLG0QxU5ybjzPEIm2FLPnRw3X0KvIUJu9pjWoRmAFZ3qbjCr6kUi9TSXqCx6Kx4f_oc6vdpgEoOZ9QFmiX8uxfLq1LSsATjL1uSGgIPC1pp3xbU2H4z/s2048/SanDiegoZoo176_Orangutan.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1638" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP7RfqStl0zHauiUUzKOLG0QxU5ybjzPEIm2FLPnRw3X0KvIUJu9pjWoRmAFZ3qbjCr6kUi9TSXqCx6Kx4f_oc6vdpgEoOZ9QFmiX8uxfLq1LSsATjL1uSGgIPC1pp3xbU2H4z/w320-h400/SanDiegoZoo176_Orangutan.JPG" title="San Diego Zoo - Orangutan" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicfPYL915PwccoLgf8Hnq1jIDaAgQZM1drrMzxGS252_23sFf2qvEcNZqZ3BfEt5UMYfDkbqjVkJ8HpupKW4hDhCkKZVjCgLsy7Nif0Xm17K2K-4ExeuDjs2Q4RMwRycP0_Vkr/s2048/SanDiegoZoo199_Orangutan.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicfPYL915PwccoLgf8Hnq1jIDaAgQZM1drrMzxGS252_23sFf2qvEcNZqZ3BfEt5UMYfDkbqjVkJ8HpupKW4hDhCkKZVjCgLsy7Nif0Xm17K2K-4ExeuDjs2Q4RMwRycP0_Vkr/w400-h266/SanDiegoZoo199_Orangutan.JPG" title="San Diego Zoo - Aisha the Orangutan and Sela the Siamang Gibbon" width="400" /></a></div><p>After the aviaries, we walked down the <b>Orangutan Trail</b> to visit the enclosure that the hairy red apes from Indonesia and Borneo share with the Siamang Gibbons. With the two mothers sitting nearby, we watched the two youngest members of the different species wrestle and cuddle on the ground. Sela, the three year old gibbon, loved swinging around a thick rope and landing back onto the nine year old Aisha who rolled around on her favorite burlap sack. Sela was born premature, almost half the weight of a normal newborn, but she quickly gained weight to become a healthy juvenile. When we visited the bear exhibits, they were all empty except for the Andean Bear roaming around its enclosure. It is also called the Spectacled Bear due to the white patterns of fur around its face that resemble glasses. This is the same species as Paddington Bear from the children's books who came to England from the Andean mountains in Darkest Peru.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhyphenhyphenMvNmSD9hCj7SMI5HdLxXLFESN6nTkbQZRr6113RjHDyLwuI2Jha6CM5X9bZgE4lgObzIFD9qjitBBHL79tL4_VLYCrYc_iuI3z74qdD1Lguhh7SaiLPhdXtmMO8QFtSmeIB/s2048/SanDiegoZoo253_AndeanBear.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1639" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhyphenhyphenMvNmSD9hCj7SMI5HdLxXLFESN6nTkbQZRr6113RjHDyLwuI2Jha6CM5X9bZgE4lgObzIFD9qjitBBHL79tL4_VLYCrYc_iuI3z74qdD1Lguhh7SaiLPhdXtmMO8QFtSmeIB/w320-h400/SanDiegoZoo253_AndeanBear.JPG" title="San Diego Zoo - Andean Spectacled Bear" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdn9krQmQMGR88TsTqPc3O3u8TRhEOCW-NnS-XVI1RaOgP6hgv4SZiOHAnVdPum4lUnN6p9b8j1-LHrk_l89uBsJd_zlrG1vHiLpuvHqgwU1AP1hHxJar26vuN-8GmLX8kvtWL/s2048/SanDiegoZoo205_Elephant.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdn9krQmQMGR88TsTqPc3O3u8TRhEOCW-NnS-XVI1RaOgP6hgv4SZiOHAnVdPum4lUnN6p9b8j1-LHrk_l89uBsJd_zlrG1vHiLpuvHqgwU1AP1hHxJar26vuN-8GmLX8kvtWL/w400-h400/SanDiegoZoo205_Elephant.JPG" title="San Diego Zoo - Elephant Dust Bath" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5Mah2jnPZGjQWVylPS58SoAM1tVytnkvLy2AJgf2tscu4pqTIvefR-50ODh8vfOYZfMZRFh3qh2JS21Vh40Ua0FnBMyPz_-ARgvnHKHeQ1NaSEdE6ex9ZW3sazFl-1L7Sb_E8/s2048/SanDiegoZoo239_CaliforniaCondor.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5Mah2jnPZGjQWVylPS58SoAM1tVytnkvLy2AJgf2tscu4pqTIvefR-50ODh8vfOYZfMZRFh3qh2JS21Vh40Ua0FnBMyPz_-ARgvnHKHeQ1NaSEdE6ex9ZW3sazFl-1L7Sb_E8/w400-h400/SanDiegoZoo239_CaliforniaCondor.JPG" title="San Diego Zoo - California Condors" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq3r41qmm4U6HCr54eWoPNlxgdkoGF-T59wWcpmgPMcmyKFQcg93ztEx6hKYTtTsq0VY9lVdgYY2sAmOaUt1k4kXo1SI3g40q6rje-M1ag-sCh-6Rp71oG_rYvI4DiUkMx6lbv/s2048/SanDiegoZoo268_GalapagosGiantTortoise.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq3r41qmm4U6HCr54eWoPNlxgdkoGF-T59wWcpmgPMcmyKFQcg93ztEx6hKYTtTsq0VY9lVdgYY2sAmOaUt1k4kXo1SI3g40q6rje-M1ag-sCh-6Rp71oG_rYvI4DiUkMx6lbv/w400-h400/SanDiegoZoo268_GalapagosGiantTortoise.JPG" title="San Diego Zoo - Galapagos Giant Tortoise" width="400" /></a></div><p>It was a sunny day as we rode the <b>Skyfari</b> aerial tram back across the park to visit the <b>Elephant Odyssey</b>. One of the elephants was playing with the interactive feeding structures while another was using her trunk to give herself a dust bath. In the wild, elephants use this behavior to protect their skin from the sun and repel bugs. We also saw two huge California Condors perched high up in their exhibit before we headed to the <b>Reptile Walk</b> for the last part of our visit. By the shape of their shells, we could identify which of the islands the Galapagos Giant Tortoises originated. By the time we had finished checking out Komodo Dragons in their separate exhibit, we had walked over 5 miles. On the way home, we stopped at El Tianguis for their rolled taquitos, the best in the city!</p>Noah Unsworthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16787302506440922931noreply@blogger.com02920 Zoo Dr, San Diego, CA 92101, USA32.735316 -117.1490464.4250821638211519 -152.305296 61.045549836178843 -81.992796tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18659481.post-61333196506324583972021-11-06T13:11:00.169-07:002021-11-29T13:40:26.502-08:00AcroYoga at Kate Sessions Park (Mount Soledad Cross)<p>Over the last month, we have been holding our AcroJams at <b>Kate Sessions Park</b> on Mount Soledad. Even though most of the park is a sloping hill with beautiful views of Downtown San Diego and Mission Bay, there are several flat spots where we could practice our <b>AcroYoga</b> with friends. This weekend, we tried a new hands-free <b>Shoulderstand</b> pose with stagged legs for the flyer. We also attempted a new <b>Croc</b> pose with straight flyer legs. The higher I maneuvered Tori into the vertical plane, the less stable it became.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEuGU5Gwp0psVswxatonVhcN6a1A3gQeTCOn4XoHj1peY1v1CXl4e1UDy6OioEYi19bG6yrxbi1zp_SGD-6bNI58E7M3zl_slQgY6PKILNPLaofpMLK-bPtDsqOLF8nANRRI_W/s2048/Acro12KateSessionsPark_AcroYoga.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Kate Sessions Park - AcroYoga Shoulderstand" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEuGU5Gwp0psVswxatonVhcN6a1A3gQeTCOn4XoHj1peY1v1CXl4e1UDy6OioEYi19bG6yrxbi1zp_SGD-6bNI58E7M3zl_slQgY6PKILNPLaofpMLK-bPtDsqOLF8nANRRI_W/w400-h400/Acro12KateSessionsPark_AcroYoga.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh89_lqlTMuXGU_UyOEgYZ6P57JfS5gznOpyLbDf6ZZxjseve2SZQYP7vEsEcIK51dzxX76uYqgLRMlZjftl1fAxoM5ja6J8nb2AaMZX36MT2fVBExLtcTt51u_lasLDmh6fBnj/s2048/Acro22KateSessionsPark_AcroYoga.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1639" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh89_lqlTMuXGU_UyOEgYZ6P57JfS5gznOpyLbDf6ZZxjseve2SZQYP7vEsEcIK51dzxX76uYqgLRMlZjftl1fAxoM5ja6J8nb2AaMZX36MT2fVBExLtcTt51u_lasLDmh6fBnj/w320-h400/Acro22KateSessionsPark_AcroYoga.JPG" title="Kate Sessions Park - AcroYoga Croc Pose" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUP8BNn6LHtcmvEO-yKWldZyKp3NOs7HxV3baZI3uuTT8O2FzQ2hrAGxeAv6sDXlFDgZ55XmgO0QnpWU9vHRgjj51Zb2g2PzpsXYuxyhX_zckA2kDoFeB7X56NtMC2QOQkNK-V/s2048/Acro23KateSessionsPark_MissionBay.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1535" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUP8BNn6LHtcmvEO-yKWldZyKp3NOs7HxV3baZI3uuTT8O2FzQ2hrAGxeAv6sDXlFDgZ55XmgO0QnpWU9vHRgjj51Zb2g2PzpsXYuxyhX_zckA2kDoFeB7X56NtMC2QOQkNK-V/w400-h300/Acro23KateSessionsPark_MissionBay.JPG" title="Kate Sessions Park - View of Mission Bay and Downtown San Diego" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1cOONLJUU-6hdShrEryph78KEy7YYO_tAz0fpNZiIeJq3Ufmu_3reyWlui9uNCgMff94ZI2rVO1cIO9Ui1lm0KwM39Af99GQCniCfORiUUFhyphenhyphenVCenT_O51mobj8YDdhg1Ql5C/s2048/Acro24KateSessionsPark_MissionBay.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1534" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1cOONLJUU-6hdShrEryph78KEy7YYO_tAz0fpNZiIeJq3Ufmu_3reyWlui9uNCgMff94ZI2rVO1cIO9Ui1lm0KwM39Af99GQCniCfORiUUFhyphenhyphenVCenT_O51mobj8YDdhg1Ql5C/w400-h300/Acro24KateSessionsPark_MissionBay.JPG" title="Kate Sessions Park - View of Mission Bay and Point Loma" width="400" /></a></div><p>For sunset, we drove up to the <b>National Veterans Memorial</b> at the top of <b>Mount Soledad</b>. With clear skies, we had 360 degree views of surrounding San Diego from the 823 foot summit. To the north, we could see the <b>Scripps Pier</b> in La Jolla and the coastline cliffs all the way to Camp Pendleton. To the south, we had the higher view of Downtown San Diego and Mission Bay. Beyond the peninsula of Point Loma, we could see the Coronado Islands sitting off the coast of Mexico. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5eaLEnVcoThixathUhq1o0kvvqgSUS7Lo_41nfm75OA6bxlbGsmYFiNXKpAt90g0njx5sNUbf_ajVxP1gzrPuakdTDxprqwqhTdFVzxMRTEWlQIzF_kmYbtT_gzR5gFOtoA4t/s2048/MountSoledad10_LaJolla.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5eaLEnVcoThixathUhq1o0kvvqgSUS7Lo_41nfm75OA6bxlbGsmYFiNXKpAt90g0njx5sNUbf_ajVxP1gzrPuakdTDxprqwqhTdFVzxMRTEWlQIzF_kmYbtT_gzR5gFOtoA4t/w400-h266/MountSoledad10_LaJolla.JPG" title="Mount Soledad views of La Jolla Coastline" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK-sdF56lCV0zy2-232FHezn6QYuXg5kojwiSWdA55kyG1jQa9A4TT4t8gGbo09xdF20kbcV9zgHc_b7pHVzGCenoS-uXlQhIK2-JTe3dfkk89Ivh3xLb69W3KLn8cM_VT7xbp/s2048/MountSoledad11_LaJolla.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1364" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK-sdF56lCV0zy2-232FHezn6QYuXg5kojwiSWdA55kyG1jQa9A4TT4t8gGbo09xdF20kbcV9zgHc_b7pHVzGCenoS-uXlQhIK2-JTe3dfkk89Ivh3xLb69W3KLn8cM_VT7xbp/w400-h266/MountSoledad11_LaJolla.JPG" title="Mount Soledad views of La Jolla Coastline" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNZTCGrmzJ8dZhyphenhyphenhi-6hjTECHS6cCnKsBOjCf44W4ltyToVXt4XSxi590R9Khx2gv2qOYA2aaOPMA0uVA-0LOORt7ilexnn-OWpY3Szn1CEBUG6L819zc8Wwk8fNz1G3eszPgg/s2048/MountSoledad24.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1535" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNZTCGrmzJ8dZhyphenhyphenhi-6hjTECHS6cCnKsBOjCf44W4ltyToVXt4XSxi590R9Khx2gv2qOYA2aaOPMA0uVA-0LOORt7ilexnn-OWpY3Szn1CEBUG6L819zc8Wwk8fNz1G3eszPgg/w400-h300/MountSoledad24.JPG" title="Mount Soledad views of Mission Bay and Downtown San Diego" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7lmP5CvqjqmuW4tDoHH_PNGeyfI77qC5YvcGXLb5r6-R0jUbsTdpZ-UppbzkHJ2JJLOrHf7s7sOmJDMPG2Am25t-VRUjH1QkisFcHt9rQw7VBrPCELink7uA4xvkpAmlpHqsw/s2048/MountSoledad32_MissionBay_SanDiego.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7lmP5CvqjqmuW4tDoHH_PNGeyfI77qC5YvcGXLb5r6-R0jUbsTdpZ-UppbzkHJ2JJLOrHf7s7sOmJDMPG2Am25t-VRUjH1QkisFcHt9rQw7VBrPCELink7uA4xvkpAmlpHqsw/w400-h266/MountSoledad32_MissionBay_SanDiego.JPG" title="Mount Soledad views of Mission Bay and Downtown San Diego" width="400" /></a></div><p>As the sun set, it reflected off the ocean-facing windows of the city and illuminated the interior of the giant <b>Memorial Cross</b> at the summit with a warm glow. The concrete cross is 29 feet tall with a 12 foot arm span. This is the third cross built on this site after the first was erected in 1913. After numerous legal battles that repeatedly ruled that the religious symbol on public land was unconstitutional due to the separation of church and state, the plot of land with the cross was transferred in 2015 to the private veterans association that ended its unconstitutional status.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKuP07Yb9b2HmIioobN71Wpzp74JBBlQscKeuMWqo8mz2tkAZW45TKE8JN7sgXErDsCxwUR4s03m6c58zvjooRcZWfGYMCbFPpMA1SkDpiRVhb2UtgP70rG02RL_mitNna_Kar/s1795/MountSoledad55_VeteransMemorial.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1795" data-original-width="1440" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKuP07Yb9b2HmIioobN71Wpzp74JBBlQscKeuMWqo8mz2tkAZW45TKE8JN7sgXErDsCxwUR4s03m6c58zvjooRcZWfGYMCbFPpMA1SkDpiRVhb2UtgP70rG02RL_mitNna_Kar/w321-h400/MountSoledad55_VeteransMemorial.JPG" title="Mount Soledad - National Veterans Memorial Cross" width="321" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB1J2JjpJd5xLRht0e_EQLARPsRyfPIeK5TexBzztlXDMAJ_cxNX09rvpjZkQ_uD2hNy1sDpInCaMaq7xWwnvtOw7tc7uBfXFCTmbinjUhTa6xL8O6CnOjxtpo4oJ37_LpZdpr/s2048/MountSoledad56_VeteransMemorial.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB1J2JjpJd5xLRht0e_EQLARPsRyfPIeK5TexBzztlXDMAJ_cxNX09rvpjZkQ_uD2hNy1sDpInCaMaq7xWwnvtOw7tc7uBfXFCTmbinjUhTa6xL8O6CnOjxtpo4oJ37_LpZdpr/w400-h266/MountSoledad56_VeteransMemorial.JPG" title="Mount Soledad - National Veterans Memorial Cross" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUt33S5V-aR30vRavCY-rfQE1jEjzzlINprzGfCK5uqG-pYEe2FYsINdT5bwDU6JEq78fNIyCrR-HhrJVXDgJERmkqP2Zz3KuyXyC5TQnsa61csn3uAg_Rbo_yERVbQzEj0EH8/s2048/MountSoledad63_PointLoma_MissionBay.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUt33S5V-aR30vRavCY-rfQE1jEjzzlINprzGfCK5uqG-pYEe2FYsINdT5bwDU6JEq78fNIyCrR-HhrJVXDgJERmkqP2Zz3KuyXyC5TQnsa61csn3uAg_Rbo_yERVbQzEj0EH8/w400-h266/MountSoledad63_PointLoma_MissionBay.JPG" title="Mount Soledad views of Mission Bay and Point Loma" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb-WldoySGygZaAwAd6n24Z2PtEQjTdpuzWYClE4YuYv2Wov1k-aY-6rZREhtgbH8UBpnAa1nrRtjiK3tf8_-gmB5EKqH8OS6oquxgyiPLaJA8acj8ME7Lr7xV95ug6NGTmDit/s2048/MountSoledad66_Sunset.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1535" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb-WldoySGygZaAwAd6n24Z2PtEQjTdpuzWYClE4YuYv2Wov1k-aY-6rZREhtgbH8UBpnAa1nrRtjiK3tf8_-gmB5EKqH8OS6oquxgyiPLaJA8acj8ME7Lr7xV95ug6NGTmDit/w400-h300/MountSoledad66_Sunset.JPG" title="Mount Soledad Sunset" width="400" /></a></div>Noah Unsworthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16787302506440922931noreply@blogger.com0Kate Sessions Park, 5115 Soledad Rd, San Diego, CA 92109, USA32.8120392 -117.23814914.5018053638211555 -152.3943991 61.122273036178846 -82.0818991tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18659481.post-26840447664334526292021-08-15T13:45:00.103-07:002021-08-18T18:32:32.162-07:00Leucadia 101 Streetscape (El Portal Underpass & Hamburger Hut)<p>Walking back from a delicious dinner at CHIKO, we decided to walk along the construction zone of the <b>Leucadia Streetscape</b> project. The first section of road improvements looks almost complete on the east side of the North Coast Highway 101 but they still need to add the roundabouts.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZczkdb-dSva3l4Pk1EboGzzC3xeFL5nRwI3G0Ct879zJHV7bYR8OmWjXcJJCvm_bFHDvY3G6-fTOna8wMx1ikuA29ct9rQhzba5xz8KEokCBjY68K3nNHWpLETmeJcZYQeZVR/s2048/Streetscape09_Encinitas_Leucadia.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZczkdb-dSva3l4Pk1EboGzzC3xeFL5nRwI3G0Ct879zJHV7bYR8OmWjXcJJCvm_bFHDvY3G6-fTOna8wMx1ikuA29ct9rQhzba5xz8KEokCBjY68K3nNHWpLETmeJcZYQeZVR/w400-h300/Streetscape09_Encinitas_Leucadia.jpg" title="Leucadia Streetscape" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQtSrOzslHJZU3ey-MBYfjQ-4CGaDrduTSQwuviH904h9r8vphRZo-Equu3ma9ex45vUalS0FqmzNI3sqYhPA6CB39FlrLsLCr7yu9Af_oUvNT5_SG_UUBln2q87BZQWqoV7MD/s2048/Streetscape13_Encinitas_Leucadia.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1535" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQtSrOzslHJZU3ey-MBYfjQ-4CGaDrduTSQwuviH904h9r8vphRZo-Equu3ma9ex45vUalS0FqmzNI3sqYhPA6CB39FlrLsLCr7yu9Af_oUvNT5_SG_UUBln2q87BZQWqoV7MD/w400-h300/Streetscape13_Encinitas_Leucadia.jpg" title="Leucadia Streetscape" width="400" /></a></div><p>While they opened most of the closed roadway the next morning, they are still working on the El Portal Underpass that started in February 2021. When finished, there will be a tunnel under the railroad tracks that connects Vulcan Avenue and the Coast Highway which will allow safe access from Paul Ecke Elementary School to Stonesteps Beach at the top of South El Portal Street.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0z2YDLEfM_u6PtKVMTYq4cboxXa7B3zzZanbgTxoMSJr1CkQqFDllEGm9_OrKh5-68ppE649AyWqT8G_sNeQ5Ja0nrgj6K2SPBkVwvRWRMid79ZqX8hohmb66_OGgYCKyX44B/s2048/Streetscape18_ElPortalUnderpass.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1535" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0z2YDLEfM_u6PtKVMTYq4cboxXa7B3zzZanbgTxoMSJr1CkQqFDllEGm9_OrKh5-68ppE649AyWqT8G_sNeQ5Ja0nrgj6K2SPBkVwvRWRMid79ZqX8hohmb66_OGgYCKyX44B/w400-h300/Streetscape18_ElPortalUnderpass.jpg" title="Leucadia Streetscape - El Portal Underpass" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2c-uyfv3a_I1UkQJsSJHvRdXxBqlLhOsF1g-DJZ6MU2f8NneTEZAQLk-DrZNU826G1MVkPh7NZS719sxvIKoUx9WaMJYP-jV_H4daTvjhVdesv3MM-WDxsRB-LioQctRPxvC0/s2048/Streetscape21ElPortalUnderpass.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1535" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2c-uyfv3a_I1UkQJsSJHvRdXxBqlLhOsF1g-DJZ6MU2f8NneTEZAQLk-DrZNU826G1MVkPh7NZS719sxvIKoUx9WaMJYP-jV_H4daTvjhVdesv3MM-WDxsRB-LioQctRPxvC0/w400-h300/Streetscape21ElPortalUnderpass.jpg" title="Leucadia Streetscape - El Portal Underpass" width="400" /></a></div><p>Two nights earlier, we walked down to the new <b>Hamburger Hut</b> that specializes in Wagyu Beef burgers. We arrived right before the line grew long and we enjoyed our food and wine on the picnic tables outside. Their tasty cheeseburger reminded me of a gourmet In-N-Out burger served on a King Hawaiian roll. While the burgers and fries are the only food items on the menu, they plan to add fish tacos and salads in the future.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRkBm1_4tKKnPLqj0VCBz9iXCK-h3OaF5nL57sUKE1BVt1kZ-giv3rqI2f79PQm_N9qsn_fv9tJPkRozcDY3fA08eB8swiFYALlgS0tqa4Zy2o6doTEgaMK_KCGx_SteF2cMvu/s2048/HamburgerHut01_Encinitas_Leucadia.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1535" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRkBm1_4tKKnPLqj0VCBz9iXCK-h3OaF5nL57sUKE1BVt1kZ-giv3rqI2f79PQm_N9qsn_fv9tJPkRozcDY3fA08eB8swiFYALlgS0tqa4Zy2o6doTEgaMK_KCGx_SteF2cMvu/w400-h300/HamburgerHut01_Encinitas_Leucadia.JPG" title="Hamburger Hut - Encinitas" width="400" /></a></div>Noah Unsworthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16787302506440922931noreply@blogger.com0Leucadia, Encinitas, CA 92024, USA33.0644311 -117.30170714.7541972638211547 -152.4579571 61.374664936178846 -82.1454571