California Adventures--Seal Beach

You know, I almost have to laugh when I refer to my time in California as an "adventure".  Other than my aunt taking me on the long drive to Malibu to visit the Getty Villa, I spent most of my time hanging out in coffee shops playing on my iPad, farting around downtown Seal Beach, meandering through the streets taking pictures and swooning over glorious gardens and funky little cottages with million dollar price tags.  Nothing terribly adventuresome there!  But then again, this WAS the first time I have been away from my kids for more than an evening by myself.  So although I wasn't windsurfing or sky-diving, I suppose the "adventure" was  finding myself again!  I think sometimes people don't realize how hard it is to have that inner dialogue when you have kids constantly interrupting that and jamming the signal!  It was an "adventure" in peace and quiet and in not having to worry about someone else's needs.  As a stay-at-home mom, I can tell you, those moments are PRICELESS!  Don't get me wrong, I LOVE my kids big time and I certainly don't regret my decision to stay home with them, BUT it really was so incredibly nice to just have a few days to do what I wanted to do without worrying about who needs to go potty and who's hungry or tired or grumpy.

Welcome to Seal Beach, California!  It's a sweet, little town nestled in between Long Beach and Huntington Beach with a thriving downtown, a beautiful public beach and California's second longest wooden pier and the PERFECT place to laze around for 3 days!

"Slick" the mascot

The Seal Beach Administration Building (Blue skies and palm trees, gotta love it!)

Granted, most of the kitschy little cottages have been bought, torn down and replaced with McMansions, but there are few of the 50's, old-school cottages.  They are of course my favorites!

And although I adore the cottages, this particular beachside beauty caught my eye.  I'm trying to talk Big Daddy into springing for it, but I have this gut feeling the answer's gonna be no.  :(  And in case you were wondering, this IS one home!

Almost every house has a little garden and the stuff that grows there in that mild, salty air is incredible!  Some things I recognized like lantana and roses, but most of the stuff I had know idea what it was, but the streets were just full of color!

I mean really, I haven't seen a rose like this since I lived in Portland.

And the ice plant on the beach!

Downtown has lots to offer, funky little shops, lots of restaurants, and we can't forget the Red Car Museum!

I also adored Brisa's Old Town Garden.  If I could have, I would have bought the place out!  I haven't seen plants that green and gorgeous in years!

There were a couple of antique shops, and I just couldn't resist a picture of this.  I was thinking how cute that thing would be in my backyard with baskets full of petunias or geraniums!

And did I mention the pier?  The longest wooden pier in California?  Needless to say after walking to the end and back with the heavy ocean breezes, I was a bit winded!  So cool though!

And what is the beach without seagulls?

Isn't he a beauty?  This was a lucky shot though.  He flew off moments later!  

At the end of the day, I started walking home around sunset and turned for a last look at the beach for the evening and couldn't help but get a shot of the pier in the far distance with the beautiful, wind-blown palm trees and the moon rising... just stunning.  California was definitely a nice change of scenery!

I hope you have enjoyed my little photo journal of Seal Beach.  I will probably annoy you with another couple of California posts before it's all said and done, but what can I say, I love to travel, I love to take pictures and I love to share my adventures!  Does anyone know how I could get a job with the travel channel?

My Obsession with Old Dead Trees

I'm not exactly sure how it started, but I have had somewhat of an obsession with huge, majestic dead trees for years! Each one seems to have its own energy. And I always wonder, what happened to them. Did they die of old age? Was there a fire? A drought? Lightning strike? Infestation? How did they become the skeletons of the forest? During my recent trip to New Mexico I found quite a few of these wise old trees and felt privileged to take their photos and share them with you!

On the road up to the Sierra Blanca ski slope.
On the way down at sunset.
The following photos were taken at Grindstone Lake just outside of Ruidoso.
This was something I had certainly never seen before!


And although this was not the most impressive dead tree I ever saw, what was sitting on it was beyond impressive!
Old dead trees RULE!

First Dollar

It seems kind of silly, but what the hell? I made my first official dollar this past weekend with my photography business!!! It felt great and I'm gonna frame the damn thing! My aunt suggested that I should get one of those shrines that you find in Thai restaurants to promote my prosperity! If you know where I can find one please let me know! But for now, I just feel lucky that I'm moving forward with my business and it's something I LOVE! I always swore to myself that when the time came to re-enter the workforce that it would be on my terms, doing something that I enjoy. So SCORE!

Almost there!

We've got a name! We've got a website (not that it's up and running at this time), and we had our first "official" photo shoot today! I had the great honor of photographing my friend's brand, new, week-old baby boy! He was tiny and lovely and I couldn't have asked for a sweeter subject! And everything went well! I'm going to spend the next 6 months working my ass off, honing my skills. Goal is to be up and running by the first of the year! It feels so great to be making progress!

Crazy thing? I think I finally know what I'm gonna be when I grow up!

New Mexico Trip part 5--Balloon Fiesta!

The whole reason we go to New Mexico every October is for this...

(well, and of course to visit my Mom!) If you have never been to the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta you are missing out! I take my kids every year and we never get tired of it, especially on those perfect days when the sky is clear and blue and all of those amazing colorful balloons take to the air en masse! My kiddos twirl around on the grass, looking up to the sky, getting dizzy and giddy all at the same time. Whether you're 5 or 35 or 75 or 105, you just can't help feeling like a silly, little kid when you see these things! Especially the special shape balloons, I mean seriously... DARTH VADER and the Space Shuttle!!!
Or what about two-eyed, two-horned, flying purple people eaters?

Maybe fish with lips are more your style? And yeah, that's the moon back there!

Monkey Man digs the turtle with sneakers, while I'm a big fan of the Brazilian Bees (they always hold hands on take-off!)

But I'm a purist at heart. I just adore the regular-shaped balloons with gorgeous rainbow colors!

I mean seriously, can you get much better than that?

So here are a few general tips regarding Fiesta. You have several options on how to get there, you can drive and park at the site. Parking is usually about $10 and the entrance into the park is $6 for people 12 and up. If your kids are under 12 they are FREE! If you choose to drive, expect there to be serious lines, especially if you aren't getting out there before 7am! You can also take the NM Rail Runner and take the shuttle from the Rail Runner to the Fiesta Park. I have never personally done this, but heard from people that it's pretty convenient. Your entrance into the park will work all day, so if you go to the morning ascension, but want to come back later in the evening for the glow, you can get a wristband that will allow you to re-enter the park that day. You will want to LAYER! It is cold as a witch's titty when you arrive, but as the sun comes over the mountains it generally warms up pretty quick. I usually put the kids in long johns, with jeans and t's over them and a heavy sweatshirt or jacket and a hat and gloves or mittens. It sucks when it's dark and cold and your head and hands are freezing! Take a backpack so you have someplace to stuff all the extraneous clothing once it starts coming off! And of course, A CAMERA! This is one of the most photographed events in the world and for good reason... IT'S AWESOME! Take advantage of it and get some cool pics!

So, what do you do after you've woken up at the crack of freakin' dawn (Dawn Patrol launches at like 6:30am), watched balloons for hours and you find that you are absolutely famished? Well, you can chow down on breakfast burritos (yes, in New Mexico they are called burritos and not tacos like here in Texas) or Mini-Cinni's (baby cinnamon rolls served in a sno-cone cup) at the fiesta OR you can pile into your car and head over to Murphy's Mule Barn at 9700 2nd NW to hang with the pilots and crews and eat the most affordable breakfast in town. You might want to try these...

Hotcakes the size of your head just can't be beat! Just be aware, this place gets jam-packed and you may have a wait. And the waitstaff is iffy. They are competent for sure, but not usually very friendly! But the food is GOOD and CHEAP which is probably why it's such a fave with the balloon crews!

So there you have it, the insiders low-down on Balloon Fiesta. It's a great time and a gorgeous event, but if you want to see it and you aren't as lucky as I am with relatives that live in town, you certainly want to book your stay WELL in advance as hotels book up something like 6-8 months in advance! The fiesta usually falls on the first full week of October.

New Mexico Trip part 4--Abo Ruins

So in case you were wondering, yes... I spent 10 days in Albuquerque, so I had plenty of time for adventure! Day trip #3 was out to the Salinas Pueblo Missions area to see the Abo Ruins. For those of you that would like a little more background... Abo, more formally known as "The Church of San Gregorio de Abo" was one of the largest Franciscan missionary operations in New Mexico. The church was built by Indian women and children who were being instructed in the Christian doctrine. While the Indian women customarily built the houses, the men did the spinning and weaving. The pueblo was built by the Tompiro Indians and was settled somewhere around 1150 AD. They made their living trading goods with other pueblos. Around the late 1670's the Spaniards and the Tompiro Indians left due to drought, famine, and Apache uprisings.

We couldn't have asked for a nicer day to explore the ruins. The wind was almost non-existent, the temperature was nice and it was slightly overcast. As it happened, we showed up on the perfect day at the perfect time. Ranger Murt was about to lead an off-trail hike to see the petroglyphs! Petroglyphs! You all know I'm a SUCKER for petroglyphs! My mom and I were floored though, we've both been to these ruins before and neither of us had ever been aware that there were glyphs in the area. What a treat! So I grabbed the camera and off we went! Ranger Murt was full of interesting info and the Monkey Man immediately gravitated to the front of the pack in order to hear everything. He asked good questions and participated a great deal. Ranger Murt later commented on what a treat it was to have a child that was so polite and paid attention and asked relevant questions in the group. That boy makes his Mama proud! I didn't get the luxury of hearing most of the talk as I was bringing up the rear with a whiny Piggy! Oh well, on the bright side, I had plenty of time to take pics!

One of the first things we encountered was a little pond. Nothing terribly exciting, but New Mexico terrain is just unreal. The earth is so red and the foliage is so hearty and tough.

Wild Aster, small and dainty and usually overlooked, but against the red soil it's just stunning!

We encountered all sorts of interesting stuff on the hike. We found a baby horny toad (I was mad I didn't snap a photo of it but I was too busy helping the Piggy get a good look at it), a vinegaroon exoskeleton, skunk scat,

pack rat nests (we saw three, but this one was next to a glyph!)

and let's not forget the totally rare, ever-elusive Felis catus (domestic, short-hair variety)

It was a bit of a hike through the rough but we finally made it to the glyphs and WOW! There were a lot of them and they were super cool. The thing I found most interesting is how different these glyphs are from the ones at Three Rivers in Tularosa and the ones at the Petroglyph National Monument in Albuquerque. These areas are no more than 3 hours from each other, yet the glyphs are very different in each site. So needless to say, you should make an effort to see all three! Here we have a variety of glyphs, you can probably pick out the phoenix and the mountain lion. I personally thought the mountain lion looked more like a fox, but as you will see next, it's not even close! (As always, if you'd like a closer look, click on the pic!)

Fox glyph

The kids thought this one looked like Big Bird, I called it the "Funky Chicken"!

The kids were also mesmerized by this particular glyph, they wanted to hold their hands up to it. I think it was an affirmation of those that lived long before us.

After admiring all of the beautiful glyphs, we headed off on our own to explore the mission ruins. Along the way we found a placard and the Monkey Man took time to read it to his little sister.

The next few photos are of the ruin itself from several vantage points. There was something very electric in the air while I was shooting. I find that many empty abandoned places have a sort of strange energy around them. And even if you visit that place more than once, the energy is always present, yet it's always different. That day, with the overcast skies the ruins seemed to be looming, almost brooding. It was eerie and invigorating at the same time. Very cool.



It was a really amazing day out at Abo. For those of you interested in this type of thing, there are actually 3 different ruins within the Salinas Pueblo Missions. Abo, the one I have discussed here, Quarai and Gran Quivira. From what I understand, Gran Quivira is great for bird-watching. Unfortunately, with 2 young kids, we were not able to fit all three ruins into one day, but they are fairly close to each other and if you got an early start, you could probably fit them all in. We will have to wait until our next trip to New Mexico in order to check them out. You can bet I'll post a full report when I see them!

New Mexico Trip part 3--Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks

So how is it I spent 7 years of my life in Albuquerque and never once heard about this place?!? I only stumbled across it when I was doing a web-search of things to do in Albuquerque and Santa Fe. And boy, was I ever glad I discovered it! Tent Rocks National Monument is just a ways off the I-25 freeway between Albuquerque and Santa Fe. It is located on the Cochiti Pueblo and is very easy to get to. There are no dogs allowed and there is a fee station which charges a minimal $5 per car. The road from the fee station up to the parking lot is about 5 miles of seriously bumpy, washboard roads that I guarantee you won't get over 20 mph on! Make sure you add that to your drive time!

While on this bumpy ass road we came across a real treat! I slammed on the brakes, grabbed both kids and showed them this little beauty...
Since it was out roaming around I can only assume it was a male looking for a mate. He was HUGE and AWESOME! The kids loved him! The Monkey Man was impressed that I noticed him, but then again, it isn't terribly hard to spot a spider the size of a small cat!

We were definitely eager to start our hike once we arrived, so we grabbed our water bottles and backpacks and headed out! You have 2 choices, the cave loop and the canyon trail. The signs are a little misleading, we thought the canyon trail was also a loop, so we hiked and hiked and hiked, then realized in order to get out, we had to turn around and hike the entire canyon back! It was awesome, but probably not the wisest choice with a 3 year-old! But as you will see later, the views were worth any hardship!

On the hike in, this was one of the first formations that we saw. The small rock at the peak looks like a football helmet to me!

A lone manzanita bush

I'm a big fan of old dead trees, so I couldn't pass up a shot of this old guy.

My little Sunshine Girl discovering the tickly flowers of a chamisa bush

And once we got to the mouth of the canyon we found this incredible old tree with exposed roots. You can just imagine the wind and sand and water that eroded away all of the earth around it! It amazes me that it's still standing!

The following shots are various views from within the canyon. At some points it was so tight you had to scoot sideways to get through passages and then it would suddenly open up and blow your mind! The Monkey Man had a great time climbing and crawling through it and the Piggy was not about to be left behind. She stayed on her brother's heels all the way to the summit!




I can attest that this was no easy hike. Lots of places you had to duck or crawl, lots of tight spaces to squeeze through and at the end of the trail it was straight up the side of a mountain, but that's what we were there for, so we did it and these were the amazing views we were rewarded with!


Now I will be the first to tell you the hike back out is a bitch! Getting down from the summit is a little precarious, mostly with a 3 y.o. perched on your back! But although it was a long hike back to the car, every minute was worth it! There was definitely an energy in this place and at times you could swear that the wind was whispering to you as you made your way through the canyon! For me personally, it was one of those adventures that made me so happy that I have my kids! It is because of them that I want to explore more of my world. I want them to see all of the amazing things I never saw growing up. So if you are ever in the Albuquerque or Santa Fe area, I highly recommend that you take this day trip! Oh yeah, be sure to pack a picnic! There's not much in the way of restaurants out there! Happy hiking!