After almost a week I've recovered enough to write an article about the trip to Dana Point on my blog at www.nwkayaking.net which includes a few photos. Including one of the celebrated berm; a vertual sand tsunami. It looks even more impressive in the photos. LOL I should add a couple more things about my impressions of Southern California. We drove for 90 minutes at 60mph (no traffic on Christmas morning at 7am) through unremitting cityscapes. Hardly a vacant lot, even. This place is BIG and while it becomes less dense south of San Onofre, from Dana Point northwards it's pavement and buildings all the way. A serious comment on our culture. The second impression is that the area seems to be one of options. In almost every facet of life there are options and the most obvious options circulate around traffic laws. After about the two hundredth car passed me at 90mph plus (in speed limits of 65mph) I knew that if California could only give out traffic tickets to all these people their deficit problems would be erased overnight. Turn signals: optional. Speed limits: optional. Stop signs: optional. Stop lights: optional. Crosswalks: optional. Highway repairs: optional. I lived in this area in the 1960s and I seem to remember drivers who were pretty careful and courteous. This, apparently, has ended. Too bad. I don't want to sound negative because the trip was fun and the CKF gang, as always, was welcoming and cordial. My wife, who I'm sure had not looked forward to meeting a group of kayakers, was talking about learning to roll on our way home. This is a girl who had never, until Monterey, even put on her drysuit.She went an entire year without paddling in 2008 Now she wants to go back down to San Onofre and surf and spend more time with the sea otters in Monterey. Of course, she uses my F-1 but I'm happy to let her. There is a lesson in here for those of us whose significant others have lost their zeal for kayaking. Take 'em to California to meet the CKF gang and then paddle with the sea otters at Monterey and see what *that* does to their interest levels. Happy New Year, y'all, Craig Jungers Moses Lake, WA www.nwkayaking.net *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************Received on Fri Jan 01 2010 - 12:02:57 PST
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