Summer Days

Life around here is slowing down in some ways {no school} and speeding up in others {beach days, a trip to Grandma's, camps}.  It's good. 

Caught In The Net

Tonight as I strolled around the beach, searching for something new to show you, I glanced up and saw the life guard station and Point Loma through this net.  Instant art!

Coronado has been beautiful and sunny, yet there were few people on the beach this evening.

School is out for the summer here in Coronado, and there is a relaxed, playful mood permeating the island.  Hope you're enjoying these long sunny days! 

It's Hot In Coronado

It is hot, hot, HOT in Coronado today!  I walked on the beach for awhile this afternoon before school got out, but unless you are actually in the water it's a little too warm for my taste.

See the rolling hills in the background of this photo?  That's Tijuana, Mexico.  Yes, we are in Southern California!

Morning At The Beach

Mornings can be a little gray at the beach, but luckily there are always walkers, joggers and beach combers around to liven things up!

 Point Loma provides a constant and recognizable backdrop.

Endless Sun

This is the result of some camera experimentation yesterday at Silver Strand State Beach, across from the Coronado Cays.

Shooting a photo into the sun is always tricky, but I kind of like the blown-out effect in this situation.

I got the acid kool-aid test effect by shooting at 1/1000 shutter speed, f/8, ISO 400 with a custom white balance.

Coronado Beach Volleyball

It's Spring Break somewhere, and our beach is full of happy vacationers this week!  I shot this volleyball game while walking down Ocean Boulevard, soaking up the contagious excitement that enthusiastic visitors bring.

It's good to be back home.

Dog Beach At Dusk

Dog Beach was hopping this evening as dusk faded away to night.  Located at the North end of Coronado beach, Dog Beach is the meeting place for friendly dogs of all sizes.

There's a lot of happy energy here, and it's a hoot to watch the little dogs keeping up with the big guys.

Go Fly A Kite

This was shot at Silver Strand State Beach about 5:00 this evening.

I was waiting for my son's soccer practice to wrap up at a nearby park when I saw this beautiful kite float over the dune.

It turns out people were practicing their kite flying skills for kitesurfing, a sport I haven't tried but love to watch.

Due to the curve of the California coastline you get a nice view of the Shores condominium complex from here. 

Loma and Ocean

I shot this around 8 a.m. last week while riding my bike down Loma, before it runs into Ocean Blvd.  It's pretty quiet early in the day in winter, just after school starts. ;-) 

Seeing views like this everyday makes me so grateful to live in Coronado.

Notice Point Loma in the distance on the right-hand side.  There is a nice state park, Cabrillo National Monument on top that is worth an hour or two visit.

Coronado Beach & Islas Coronado

The beach was alive with joggers this morning when I took this photo, but what I really liked was the clear view of the Coronado Islands (Islas Coronado) in the distance.  You can only see one island in this picture.

Although they appear very close to the U.S., they are actually closer to Mexico, and belong to the Mexican state of Baja California. 

The Islas Coronado are uninhabited aside from a few lighthouse keepers and a small military detachment.

The Beach Path

Spanning the width of the beach from the Pacific Ocean to Ocean Blvd, this footpath in the sand originates next to the Hotel Del Coronado.

I shot this yesterday morning while biking along Ocean Blvd, feeling grateful to live in Coronado.

Surfer Dude

I tried running on the beach this morning in an effort to get in better shape and it was quite a workout! 

Okay, so I walked for an hour and ran a few times, but running on sand is harder than solid ground, so I'd like to think it counts for more... especially since it's Girl Scout cookie season!  ;-)

The surf was fairly high this morning, and I got these shots of a surfer getting a much better workout than mine.

There was a school of big fish jumping near the shore, but they were too fast for me to photograph.  They may have been porpoise, but I'm not sure.

Days like this I'm happy to live in California!

Playing on Coronado Beach

Here's another picture of our fabulous day on the beach yesterday.

There is something soothing and joyful about spending the day by the oceanside.  Even though we live by the water, we don't find time to just hang out there often enough.

I'm not a new years resolution kind of person, but if I were, I'd resolve to spend many more playful days on this beach!

The Sand Creature

The weather was beautiful today in Coronado, so we headed out to the beach with friends to enjoy the sun and surf.

Just before we left (five hours later) I discovered this sand monster creature left by children.  Isn't he (or she) magnificent?!

Coronado Autumn Coastline

As the sun makes its annual Southern migration, Coronado's coastline is even more beguiling.  Some days it is less colorful, but that's when you can really hear yourself think... mentally create...grow.

More To Explore

The sign on this telescope says There's More To Explore, and I just love that sentiment... there's always something more to explore, isn't there?  Even when we think we know a place (or person, or job), there's always more we can discover.

These photos are from the Sun Deck at the Hotel Del Coronado yesterday.  The second picture is the view from the telescope of the Pacific Ocean and Point Loma off in the distance.  You can see the entrance to the San Diego Bay on the far right.  The bay then continues to curve to the right, dividing Coronado and San Diego, until it is behind the Del. 

Surrey Ride Around Coronado

Nothing brings the family together like a surrey ride - everybody pedals!  It's the perfect slower-paced mode for touring the village of Coronado.  I took this photo on Ocean Boulevard, looking out over the Pacific Ocean.