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

Templeton and Pismo Beach

On the Friday of my trip to the central coast I drove north to an office in Templeton.  The drive itself was so beautiful and a nice change of pace, as I had been going south daily.  Going north meant going up in elevation and it was a stunning drive where I even saw long-horn cattle.

Templeton, CA

Looks like the Windows home page!

These pictures just make me smile...such beauty

Clouds rolling in

After work, Eric and I went to a couple of wineries on our way to dinner in Pismo Beach.  Our first stop was at Chamisal.

It's a great blend of Indiana farm country and California sunshine

 And then we went to Ventana Grill on the coast in Pismo Beach...just in time to catch sunset.

Old spiral staircase that used to be attached to the restaurant

This seagull got a great spot to watch the sunset

And there it goes

"May your trails be crooked, lonesome, dangerous, leading to to the most amazing view. May your mountains rise into and above the clouds."  ~ Edward Abbey


"We are tied to the ocean.  And when we go back to the sea, whether it is to sail or to watch - we are going back from whence we came."  ~ John F. Kennedy