Seacliff State Beach - Day trip

This afternoon we decided to go to Seacliff State Beach along Route 1.

The water was cold but just right and the afternoon sun and breeze were perfect!

We let the kids play in the wet sand while adults played Frisbee. Did the usual "norukku theeni" (eat savories) and then came back. There is a "concrete ship" that was built in the early 1900's when steel was in short supply in the US. The ship is in a very bad state and we are not allowed on it anymore. Only the pelicans have visiting rights (you can go till the ship on the pier).










It was a day well spent.

We will strongly recommend this beach for a half day or day trip.

ps. Parking is 10 bucks and they accept checks or cash only. Don't forget to take sunscreen!



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The kids grow older, the photos get better..

Someday I should learn to ride a motorcycle and go on Route 1...







Compare to pictures from two years ago..

This photo goes into the Sisters at Play collection (1, 2, 3 )...




Hope they come back to look at this blog when they are all grown up.



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Together

As the group of ten made its way up from China Cove, we saw a couple cross us on the precarious stairs.

A minute ago, there was a lot of noise in that small space with three generations trying to communicate over the waves. Once we crossed over, the couple went and sat on that log.. and we caught them enjoy that moment, for a fleeting few seconds before we moved on.

Told San that someday when we feel that our nest is empty because our kids fly away, we will be that couple!

Now, if you are ever ever planning to go sit on that log or on that cove, or on any other coves along this most amazing coast, please...






Thank you!



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A day on Route 1 - Lets make that A fathers day on Route 1

We spent Father's day on Route 1, with my in laws and the cousin family.

Just tired and sunburnt after a long day at state parks and beaches. The sunburn mostly happened while sitting in the van in very slow moving traffic on the freeway with no access to sunscreen. Should start carrying a "dupatta" like the ladies to cover my face in situations like this.

Here are some pictures from the trip (more follow if time permits later this week)

First, a portrait of a Seagull.




Manged to get up close and personal with a few of the gulls on Bird Island in Point Lobos State Park..




Two more gulls, got real close at Sunset Beach (which was off of Route 1 in Watsonville).

The trick to getting them close seems to be :

1. pick a nice spot
2. park your butt there
3. select gull
4. wait patiently for it to do something
5. (ignore cries of kids and wait for gull to cry instead)
6. keep gull constantly in focus
7. click, click, click..




Finally a photo of one of the chicks, from daddy's own little nest..




We had a great father's day, with every kid on every beach, trail, state park parking lot, wishing all the dads in our group, a happy father's day.

The girls made sure that every adult male on the path was wished. It was hilarious to see them wish a boy who just sprouted a mustache (possibly doing a summer job)"happy father's day!".

Steve jobs threw a small spanner in the works, but all said and done, today was a day well spent. Three dads enjoying the company of mothers and kids, especially mother nature! Hope all the dad's who read this had a nice father's day as well.


Here's to being Daddy!






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Please save state parks in California

A virus has infected the laptop and that has translated to a day of gardening.

Had to borrow the wife's laptop for this urgent post.

All those trips to route 1 might become nasty experiences.

The Governer is now cutting down 80% of the state parks and wants to "close" them!

If you can pack a quick lunch and want to spend <30$ on gas, you could have a real good day trip along the beautiful coastline within 2 hours of the silicon valley area for a park fee of 6 dollars today.

This is a lot better than spending 60 bucks a ticket to some theme park!

Please please please support the save the parks initiatives. Please contact your local politicians to get this thing repealed.

Click on thi link to send a support email or use any other initiative that you know of.

Please...

We do not want these nice forests with redwoods, creeks and beaches to be trashed. Sometimes I feel that the only good thing we are leaving behind for future generations is these state parks. Now that is also at risk!

Pleasssseeeee...


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Final roundup of Mendocino Photos

The last of the photos from Mendocino trip.

The Skunk Train which took us most of day two. Get on the train if you want, but make sure you take lunch with you, especially if you are a veggie desi! It is a good four hour ride on a train that was built in 1918 and is still being maintained and run. One of the oldest pieces of machinery owned by the US Railways that is working.







Just at the edge of Fort Bragg they have built this little tress over the river entry point into the ocean. It is a memorable walk, especially if the weather is nice.




The train ride in the open got back so many memories of the Varanasi Express going through the jungles of Madhya Pradesh for hours on end.. Betul to Itarsi Junction to Katni to .... Need to get back on that train sometime!




Fort Bragg, Mendocino coast, strongly recommended for a day or weekend trip.



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Presentation

Finally took the time to hunt for a free photo editing software on the web and it was worth the time.

Photoscape was the perfect choice.

Crop, edit contrast, add a frame, a text marker..

The same photos look a lot more professional. It is like magic!

Some photos from the recent trip..

Saw this broken fence that streched as far as the eye could see at the Point Cabrillo lighthouse










Route 1 goes across the Little river that goes into the ocean through a small beach




Looks like years roll by and they play the same..




There was absolutely nothing special about the rocks and pebbles. Yet it fascinates the kids for a long long time!




In love, with the sunset on Route 1..




A few more photos follow tomorrow.

Viva Photoscape!


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Mendocino Coast

The last time we were there to take in the sunset at the glass beach in Fort Bragg, San was 7 months pregnant and it was going to be our last trip before Jr. was going to make her grand entrance.

After almost 7 years, we revisited Fort Bragg, the Mendocino coast in northern california (3 hours north of San Francisco) and a bunch of memories.

Had a great time with the kids. Now that all that non stop driving on windy roads for hours on end is over, it is time to literally chill with my girl Volini.

Leaving you with the panorama shots. Like the saying goes, a stitch in time..










Tried that one lying down on the ground under the bridge on the sand sweeping from left to right. Next time, have better ideas for this shot.. there are very few places where there is such an opportunity to be directly under the bridge to take a panoramic shot like that.. (just have to pick a cloudy day..)






















Except for the botanical gardens which closed so early we saw all the main points of interest over the 25 or so mile coastline.

It was a strenuous trip but we made it back within two days and still had a day to recover!

We have some choice glass pieces to show for the trip as well. Here is a shot of the glass on the beach (all courtesy of old glass bottles dumped thirty years ago on the shore and letting the waves do their job).




The glass beach is strongly recommended!


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Point Reyes Lighthouse

If there was a place that captures "Are we there yet?", it is the Point Reyes Lighthouse.

You start seeing signs for the lighthouse a good 21 miles away and the adults and kids start asking "are we there yet?" and after driving and driving and more driving, you finally get to the "ledge".

Then of course there is the climb down to one of the most amazing lighthouses we have seen! How they built this thing on the mountain face is just beyond me.

The coastline is just spectacular from the top of Point Reyes.

Here are the stitch shots.

The lessons here... when aiming to complete the grid with a shot of the sky, the focus went hunting.. should keep it to manual focus as well going forward.

Please note, these are not taken with a camera with "stitch mode" where you get to see a side by side screen split on your LCD! (the old S30 used to do that and stitching was so easy). These pictures are being taken with a Canon EOS 400D and I have to remember where the previous shot ends and the next one begins. Just using the old software to glue them together! Now that all the technicalities are out of the way... here!





Here is the vertical stitch that missed the sky because of focus hunting (there were 12 photos.. 3 vertical sets of 4.. but!!!!! incomplete.. someday when I compile all these composite shots, there will be a "best known method" that works consistantly)




The magnificent California coastline...


and finally, the girls on a bench on top, enjoying the breeze!


A memorable trip. Should go there again in nine more years and see what the experience is like!


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Nine years later....

Sundar and San go to one of the first places they visited as a newly married couple. A place which forever holds great memories...




We had a great time. Well behaved kids, nice drive, perfect day!

There will be more pictures (stitch ones). Current laptop memory seems to be the limitation. Also the whole lighthouse climb and back was enough exercise!





Was worried that the little one might make me carry her all the way back.. But she did 260 of the 300 steps back on her own and made daddy very proud!

As we were going there, we told the Jr. and the little one about how this was a special place for us.

Jr. : We were not there when you came here before?
Me : No. It was only me and mommy. We were just married.
Jr. : We were not there when you got married!
Me : That is right
Jr. : (continues to extend the first statement with a corollary).. if we were there, then you would not have gotten married , right?
San : probably NOT!
Me : ROMSLOLWDOWRORO!

that was Rolling on my seat, laughing out loud while driving on windy roads on route one!

Kids, sure change your life, almost always for the better.


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Pigeon Point and Gazos Creek

A photoblog of the recent trip to Pigeon point lighthouse and Gazos Creek.

Two more spots on California State Route 1, that made our hearts lighter. Thanks to the cousins for pointing us to the lighthouse!



















The kids really enjoyed the walk around the lighthouse, because it was extremely windy. They also loved playing in the creek where the water was warmer than the ocean water just a few feet away. But the tide comes in very fast and before you knew it, we had to make a retreat to the restaurant.
















Taking pictures of the lighthouse with the fog definitely requires a tripod, so the pictures shown here are not exactly great. There will be another attempt, hopefully soon.

Also, the stitch shot of Gazos Creek from the parking lot has exposed another weakness of this method. A constant setting for exposure results in an over exposed picture on one side of the ocean and an underexposed picture on the other side. Might possibly need some software trick to adjust the pictures individually before stitching them! You can see the fog rolling in towards us, the creek going into the ocean, the restaurant on the other side of the road, all in one shot. You can even see the lighthouse on the right side, if you squint a little. Just that the light was not captured right across the 20 shots from left to right. Better luck next time, I guess..

Would definitely recommend these places for a day trip, if you are in the bay area.


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