Since beaches in California are all considered public access... as long as you start from a publicly accessible location (Lex knows that one), I wanted to test the theory with my beach. With the wharf as one starting point I began walking north along the sand- ultimately towards Santa Cruz. I didn't get that far. Walking through sand is slow going. Especially since after a mile up the gentle silty soft sand gives way to rough, uncut large-grain, sink-your-feet-in sand. Plus I knew that going out as far as I could would only be half the battle...I would eventually have to return!! So, I just ventured out a little over four miles and once you pass the "swimming" beach (known for its calm waves and easy access parking), and the two hotels/condo sites, there really aren't any people out and about. Instead I found some incredible bones- skulls, vertebrae and femurs that had washed up on the sand, along with some incredibly gorgeous dunes and powerful and lovely crashing waves.
It made me feel like I had to do some serious pondering, reflecting, big picture kind of stuff, instead, I sunned topless and watched a hawk circle in the sky.
On the return, I met up with a fisherman who was chatty, and since I had neither seen nor spoke to anyone all day, I enjoyed his company for a while. He baited his line with the sand crabs he had just caught on the foamy shoreline, then threw in his lines. I have been surprised that there are so many fisherman along the shore, casting their lines into the breakers. I mean seriously, what insane fish is going to be catapulted and summersaulted through crashing waves?? Well after about 40 minutes, and nothing more than a tangle of seaweed in the line, I felt vindicated and headed on home.
