At Peace On the Sea - Anacapa Island

 My mind is spinning with presidents, justices, women's rights, healthcare, etc. So I decided to go back to a couple of weekends ago to our peaceful trip to California, and more specifically, to the Channel Islands.  As we cruised the 15 miles out to Anacapa Island, the dense fog was trying to hold on to the ocean's surface, but we were still able to see a pod of dolphins jumping at the bow. As brief as it was, it was (as always) an incredible sight to see and started the day off perfectly!

As we arrived at our dropoff spot, Keyhole Arch, we donned our face masks and were helped into our tandem kayaks by the awesome crew of The Sunfish (GoWildBlue.com). We went into just a handful of the nearly 135 sea caves on Anacapa. Sometimes we had to duck, sometimes we had to go 1 or 2 kayaks at a time, but every time we were surrounded by beauty.

The best part of the day, though, actually, it happened twice, was when the harbor seals played peek-a-boo with us as we sat in our kayaks! They came up so close and looked at us with those puppy-dog eyes as if asking us to play with them! Then they would duck back underwater, swim around our kayaks, and pop up again. It was truly amazing and an experience I will never forget. 

Map of Anacapa Islands and our 5-mile journey

Brown Pelican coming in for a landing

Many brown pelicans!

One of the sea cave entrances

One of the harbor seals playing peek-a-boo!

 I see you!

Inside looking out

Emerald Cave

All the sea kelp!

Sea crashing against the rocks

Our awesome guide, Phil, showing us how this kelp is used in toothpaste

Loved all the colors on the walls contrasted with the aqua blue water.

Further inside the cave - lit by Phil's headlamp

Phil leading me and my whale water shoes into the depths of the cave

In 1932 the Anacapa lighthouse was completed on the Eastern island, almost 20 years after it was begun.

Anacapa Arch. Once we passed through it you could smell the strong scent of the sea lions!

There were sea lions on these rocks and that aqua blue water was incredible! Like a liquid jewel!

Photo of Eric and me taken by our guide, Phil

"We are like islands in the sea, separate on the surface but connected on the deep." ~William James

"The sea, once it casts its spell, holds on in its net of wonder forever." ~ Jacques Cousteau

Morro Bay

I was recently lucky enough to work on the central coast of California, a part of Cali that I had not previously visited.  What a beautiful area!  I was first going to post one blog of photos but I took so many, in so many different little cities where I visited doctor's offices, that I decided to break it down into a few different blogs.  This one is from my first day where I drove to Morro Bay.  It was actually a rainy and overcast day, something that is as rare to them as it is to us here in Phoenix.  But the clouds make a nice addition to the photos and I didn't get too wet.  I hope you enjoy!
 

Morro Rock in the distance

Those who walked before me!

Birds skimming the bay

Kayak

A bit of sunshine between rainfalls

Tiny little flower so I had to write LoVE around it!

What a perfect spot to watch the sunset!

Next I went over to the harbor

I love all the lines

Kayak rental closed up for the day

The on-and-off rain didn't stop the paddle boarders

On my way out I saw this kind of swamp land...very pretty

Stay tuned for pictures of the sand dunes and wine country and sunset on the Pacific!



"We live in a wonderful world that is full of beauty, charm, and adventure.  There is no end to the adventures that we can have if only we seek them with our eyes open."  ~ Jawaharlal Nehru