Sunday, July 18, 2010

An Afternoon on the Palos Verdes Peninsula -- Part One

This is "dear hubby."  Coni is letting me be the guest blogger this weekend...she needs a break...

Since we were little kids we loved the beach. Coni and I grew up spending our summer vacations at the Oregon Coast with our respective families. We both developed a love for seeing the ocean, and driving along the coast is one of our favorite pastimes. This weekend, we felt like it was time to take the beautiful, scenic trip around the Palos Verdes Peninsula. It is one of the most beautiful areas in Southern California. With views from the high cliffs looking down to the peaceful ocean, and Santa Catalina Island on the horizon, the drive around the peninsula is breath-taking. Here are some of the views from our afternoon on the Palos Verdes Peninsula.

 Our first stop was a high atop a cliff with panoramic view. From here if you look north (on a clear day) you can see all the way to Malibu.

 If you look to the west (and through the haze) you can see Catalina Island

Down below is a hidden cove that the local surfers hike down the trail (you can see it running diagonally down the side of the opposite cliff wall) to surf long running waves when there are swells out of the northwest. (But only locals!)

We were parked next to a beautiful 1929 Ford. I had to stop and talk to the owner. He restored the car from the ground up. It was absolutely perfect!

 Further along on the peninsula (just past where Rosanne used to live), there is another little hidden cove that is a favorite of local divers. A dive boat was there and in the background Catalina is peeking through the haze.

The greater Los Angeles area is technically a coastal desert region. If it weren't for all the irrigation, it would look like this...arid land right up to the ocean.

One of our regular stops on this drive is the Point Vincente Interpretive Center. This center is a counting location for tracking the whale migrations. 

The bulletin board warns visitors about the Whale Crossing

All of the visitors are hoping to see some whales (but it is not migration time)

Looking from the observation deck to the south, is the Point Vincente Coast Guard lighthouse

The beautiful grounds at the Point Vincente lighthouse

The drive continues...tomorrow...

No comments:

Post a Comment