Southern California - December '24

We decided to take a break for December and settle into a 500 sq ft condo across the street from the ocean in Huntington Beach. It was palatial compared to the comfy ~80 sq ft Plumbean of the last 4 months. A month of mild southern California climate, daily long runs, walks, birding and rides whilst people watching, and toes in the afternoon sand, was a perfect break from our van life - which had become a little more challenging as the days got shorter and chillier with the season.

The neighborhood offered the Riip Brew Pub, Taco Tuesday's, a surfboard rental shop, and a Trader Joe's all just a short walk away! The 62nd annual holiday boat parade was a local treat as decked out yachts meandered along the canals that feed into the ocean.

We were thrilled to visit a number of cousins, uncle and aunt, a few lifetime dear friends, but best of all spend Q-time with our Sal in their environs. A boat trip 30-miles west of Long Beach to Catalina, where a sweet cousin inhabits the home built by her father, after her grandfather pioneered and homesteaded the Island at the turn of the century, showed us the Cinque Terra-like splendor (Italy) of the Channel Islands - mostly a protected conservation land mass literally in the middle of the Ocean. The views up high, with not a soul around us, on the Trans Catalina Trail were spectacular including far off San Clemente and San Nicholas Islands - but one could barely see the coast of California on the horizon. We didn't get to see one of the few hundred wild bison (imported in 1924 for a Hollywood film) roaming around, but did see a Catalina Fox (a small cute version of the grey Fox), not found anywhere else in the world.

But before our beach retreat and cleaning out Plumbean, we first journeyed from AZ across the desert and mountainous range through the southeastern part of the golden state. We camped in the massive Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, marveled at the endless dark skies, hiked a few miles north of the border on the start of the Pacific Crest Trail (where an idea hatched to hike the full thing in '26? :-)), slept amongst the famous Dr. Seuss like J trees of Joshua Tree National Park, witnessed the Acorn Woodpecker in Cleveland National Forest poking holes in the giant Lodgepole Pine to store acorns for later consumption, hiked around the Mount Laguna area, strolled through San Juan Capistrano Mission, and camped a few nights in several of the California state parks directly on the beach, including Silver Strand in Coronado, where I spent many school vacations visiting grandparents, coming from Boston as a kid.

The new year will bring much new (continued) adventure, as we head back to Arizona, fly to Mexico and, then east to Texas. We are very grateful to explore this vast and stunning portion of North America and connect with loved ones along the way. Happy holidays and New Year!