North County And Nearby

Just in case you lost your way, this is Encinitas, baby.  Located on historic Highway 101, Encinitas was rated tops as a surf town by The National Geographic Magazine.  Laid back until the surf's up!

Cardiff state beach is long and deep.  You can walk/run for miles both north and south.  The beach connects northward to Swamis and south to Solana Beach.  Here, morning marine layer is clearing and surfers are ready for action.

We never tire of seeing sunsets over the Pacific.  The Life Guards are closing up shop for another day.

Sunset Cliffs is an outcropping of rocks just south of the Scripps Pier in La Jolla. This panorama covers a basically straight stretch of beach but makes it look like a much greater indent and Bay than really exists.  I think the large stretch of coast line scene from the edge makes a Pleasing iImage.

Southern California is built on a base of sandstone. These cliffs offer endless panoramas of highlights and shadows. Bathed in the orange of a gathering sunset, they make a strong, pleasing image.

The Pier is a La Jolla landmark.  It's closed to the public but instrumental for ocean research. The beach is wide and scenic.

Meaning "The Waves" and what a great location to praise them.  Las Olas is a little Mexican grill across Highway 101 from Cardiff state beach.  A great time to cross the highway and grab a bite and glass is twilight after watching a sunset over the water.

Torrey Pines state reserve offers trails that bloom with wild flowers in the spring.  Combine them with the beauty of the Pacific Ocean on a sunny day and you have a very pleasing image.

This image is in the Torrey Pines state reserve. The reserve is a sprawling area of wild, scenic trails and wide beach next to the famous Torrey Pines Golf Courses and the aerodrome where gliders jump off over the cliffs.  Caught as the sun set, I imagined that this lonely little Torrey Pine tree wanted to be with the humans watching the sun go down on the ridge

 nearby. 

This scene is repeated many times.  A favorite spot for wedding photogs to snap the bride and groom to be.

Southern California, where we live, shows us pretty flowers all year.  But it saves the best show for spring time. We had an unusually unusual rainfall for several days last month and the spring flowers responded with zest.  Wildflowers everywhere. These were in full bloom for more than 100 yards along the Rail Trail in Cardiff-by-the-Sea.

There are lots of restaurants and pubs along and around Highway 101 running through Encinitas. One of the best is the Union Kitchen and Tap. Here, as the sun sets, friends and strangers gather.

California has miles of scenic beeches. Cardiff state beach is one of our favorites. We stroll on the beach watching the sun go down. Every afterglow is different. This image is taken across burms that have been put up to protect Highway 101 from the high winter tides. Ground cover with small yellow flowers adds to a pleasing image.

The fabled Torrey Pines golf course is located right next to the Torrey Pines Gliderport. It is a beautiful stretch of beach and sandstone cliffs paved on the top with the immaculate fairways and greens of one of the worlds most famous municipal golf courses. I caught a picture of this glider along the beach. A Pleasing Image but his kite was blue which blended into the surroundings. Thanks to Photoshop, I was able to change it to a better color.

Torrey Pines state reserve has many wild flowers.  This abstract look at some provides an unusual image many admire.

The San Diego Botanic Garden is located in Encinitas.  It  include over 5,000 varieties of plants from all over the world including tropical, subtropical, and California native plants.  This little waterfall provides a peaceful resit from the workaday world.