Thursday, May 14, 2009

Santa Cruz

On Mother's Day a group of us ventured south to the beautiful beaches of Santa Cruz where we shared the soft white sand, clear blue skies, and warm sunshine with many other beach bums...

We're almost there...

Here's the view from the parking lot...

That's our gang's territory...

The ice plant flowers were in bloom...

Don't forget a towel...and lots of sun screen...

Got to have munchies too...

You'll see lots of seaweed washing up on the shore...

An umbrella is a necessity to provide shade and protection...

The water was way too cold for the "older" folks, so they just watched...

There are lots of interesting patterns engrained in the rock formations...

A pleasant bike path takes you all the way into town...

There's a bird santuary on the rocks, so you can't climb on them...


We enjoyed the crashing waves...
 
These guys have a great view from their balcony - 
I wouldn't mind calling that "home"...

Here's the view looking east...

The bridge rock...

That's as wet as I was willing to get...

Natural Bridges State Beach provides picnic areas, showers, and easy beach access. No alcoholic beverages allowed, though, and the water's very cold so be prepared! Click here to read more about it.

5 comments:

Ebie said...

A beautiful beach, lots of interesting things going on. I always ask myself, why are our beaches along the Pacific cold?

chrome3d said...

I would like to hang out there too. Those bridge rocks are always small wonders.

eLIZabeth Floyd said...

What wonderful shots! You really captured the spirit of the area.

Girl Tornado said...

I just love CA beaches. So beautiful, whether it's south or north. They all have their own unique beauty. My sister and I spent some time in Santa Cruz... also in Laguna and up north near Mendocino.

Now you've got me wishing I could pay my sis a visit. :)

christinamg said...

Love the beach pictures. Makes me want to get out the beach cruiser! :-)