March 10, 2015, Dana Point- I began the day innocently enough, letting myself out of the apartment of two young men, who were already at work, making two trips from hallway to car.  My first stop of the day:  Fletcher Cove, at Solana Beach, one of the few Southern California beach towns I had never seen up close.  Fletcher Cove Park was busy with several parents and children, as San Diego County has Spring Break this week, as does Arizona.

I chose to investigate the south strand of Solana’s public beach area, part of the one-mile stretch donated by the town’s developer, as well as the “Dog Beach”, even further south.

Note that the tide was coming in, quickly.

This walkway evoked Crystal Cove, further up the coast in Newport Beach.

Not sure of the name of this bird, but it was a curious, friendly sort.

Colour is found is the most unexpected places.

People persist in living on the edge here, as elsewhere in SoCal, and for a premium.

The tide reached its high point, as I crossed this ledge.

Solana’s colourful cliffs are kin to those of the desert, which is actually not so far away.

It appears sea gulls have found it hard to maintain a chevron.

A mother pointed out to her daughter, that sometimes plants can appear lazy.  Fletcher Cove has this relaxing park, near its central overlook.

As with so many SoCal towns, Solana Beach has something to offer a repeat visitor: The north beach of Fletcher Cove;  maybe in July.

I drove up the coast to San Diego County’s northernmost strand:  San Onofre.

This is a State Beach, so it’s a $15 day fee.  San Onofre is a surfer’s beach, and there were many people in the water.  Kayakers abounded, and while there were mainly single adults here, a smattering of families were enjoying the relatively calm water.

Surfer music, palm trees and replicated Hawaiian totems cast an South Pacific aura.

The state beach lies between the gradually-being-decomissioned nuclea power plant, to the south, and Camp Pendleton, to the north.  Walkers are allowed on the north end of San Onofre Beach, which is inside Camp Pendleton, provided they remain below the berm cliffs.

I ended my beach day with a brief visit to familiar Dana Point Harbor, where I met my friend, Janet (not pictured).  While waiting for her, I made note of the clarity of the harbour water,

and of several pelicans, who were chasing fishing boats that were coming into the marina.

Janet and I did not see our favourite blue herons, though there were tell-tale nests in the thinned-out eucalyptus.  We visited for a while, then I headed inland- to the different magic of the oaks and pines.