Adventures in California

It started out like a pretty typical 4th of July, a short road trip, followed by some quality time in the great outdoors, sweating to death in the summer heat. I went on a hike with some friends in Castle Rock State Park on the Saratoga Gap & Ridge trails and the views out across the valley were absolutely breathtaking!

We left the heat inland and headed to the marina in Santa Cruz where we boarded the Wind Goddess- our sea worthy home for the weekend. In typical west coast fashion, the weather fast forwarded a few months to the dead of winter once we got out on the water. Who would have thought I would regret not wearing my long underwear in the middle of July? Then again, I have done this a few times before, I should really know better at this point.

Despite the cold, the moment I stepped on the boat, my mind was thrown back to our time in the Grenadines. (Can we pleeeeeez go back soon???) Thoughts of walking barefoot on the deck, in a bikini, staring out at turquoise waters kept me warm during our ride across Monterey Bay.

Hundreds of sea lions were waiting to greet us at the sunny marina on the other side. Unfortunately, the combination of Dramamine, cold cold wind, and the rocking boat lulled us all into a pretty boring stupor, but we mustered enough energy to take a tour along Cannery Row and enjoy some fish and chips.

We awoke Monday morning to thick fog and even colder temperatures, but it turned out to be quite a blessing in disguise. With the sky the same color as the water, every bit of movement or change in color was pretty easily discernible and our sailing adventure turned into a full on eco-tour. It wasn't just the weather on our side; according to the whale watching fleet in this article- some strange circumstances had randomly drawn a reported 200 some whales to the bay that day- an incredibly rare occurrence that hasn't been seen for some years now. We were able to get up close and personal with minke, blue, and humpback whales, along with porpoises and harbor seals- an amazing experience I'm not likely to repeat anytime soon. Thanks to Captain Rose for once again making these sorts of adventures possible!

And thanks to Michael for sharing some of his pictures with me!