What do you see when you look down at the sand and seashore?

You’ll probably see your feet, but if you look a little harder, you might be surprised. I know I was.

Each of these photos was taken just as I found it; just waiting for me to come along with my camera.

I hope you enjoy the Art on the Beach as much as I did:

(To give you an idea of the actual size of this, I measured this little guy, 3in by 1.5in.)

Like all great paintings and art, you typically always see a new facet of meaning and design aesthetic, you didn’t see the previous time. And each time I look at these pictures, I always discover a new texture, color, sea-shell, or grain of sand I didn’t see before. Now I’m convinced that I don’t have to go to an art museum or gallery to view art:

I can always find it in my own backyard while Travelin’ Local.

I know that many of my readers create their own art:

From the thought provoking and painstaking photography of Kevin, Travis, to Diane C, Lisa, Kim, and Henie, to the literary creative musings of Lance, Paisley, and Urban Panther.

What about you, do you have any art plans this weekend? What art lives in your backyard?

For me, art screams at me every day here at Travelin’ Local, and there’s never enough time to etch my prose and pictures of the many splendorous places I go and things I do; but little by little, what started off as a tiny hobby of mine called Travelin’ Local, is quickly turning into my life’s passion and work.

1. Don’t run with your mouth full.

2. Don’t bury your head in the sand.

3. If it itches, scratch it, but be discrete.

4. If danger is approaching, feel free to fly away.

5. Although I might be a little rusty, I can still get the job done.

What lessons did you learn today?

I’ll be featuring a new weekly column section on Travelin’ Local, called Metro Monday.

Every Monday, after I select the destination for my Travelin’ Local story, I’ll take the specific Metro ride to and from my destination. As part of the story, I’ll share with you my experiences on that particular bus ride, and telling you the best times and places to ride, where it goes, what to see en route, and how the ride was–the good, bad, and ugly.

Los Angeles is known, and for good reason, as the car capital of the world. Ignominiously, it’s host to 6 of the top 20 worst bottleneck intersections in the USA.

However, it isn’t known for its people-friendly Metropolitan Transit System. The purpose and goal of these weekly stories–using the Metro as the backdrop–is to educate the public’s perception and notion that you can have fun here without a car, and for visitors, tourists, and locals, plus you’ll have a much easier time getting around. And you can’t beat the bargain, for only $5.00, you can purchase an unlimited bus pass to ride any metro bus or rail throughout the county for the entire day.

“According to the latest Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) data, more Americans are traveling more miles by bus, and those numbers have been steadily increasing in recent years. And several months ago, the Chaddick Institute for Metropolitan Development at DePaul University in Chicago released a policy study that found scheduled bus service—which had been declining for more than four decades—had fallen by 10.2% between 2002 and 2006. However, it then rose by 8.1% in 2007 and again by 9.8% in 2008. Evidence suggests such growth is continuing.” Source: USAToday

But there’s important work yet to do. As if taking public transportation wasn’t economical, affordable, timely, and an important issue on a national basis, on a household basis, the argument and case for a Metro Monday becomes even stronger due to the recent increase in federal funding for public transportation in the amount of 12 billion dollars, to reduce the reliance on automobiles and carbon emissions.

The Trip

Today my Metro bus route was the 534 Express. It starts at the corner of Fairfax Ave. and Washington Blvd in Culver City, and then makes its way to Santa Monica via the 10, and ends in Malibu.

Planning my trip, I first looked the route up on Metro.net. I printed off the time table for the route, which referenced 2^nd and Broadway in Santa Monica as one of the drop-offs. But I was wrong, or maybe because the timetable used that street for reference, that might have caused the brief confusion. But after walking around a little, I discovered that the Metro stop was on Ocean Ave. where it intersects with Broadway.

After I boarded, the bus ride was great, riding the Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) all the way to Malibu. The sky was sunny, the ocean was aquatint, and I could smell the salt air. I couldn’t wait until I got to the beach.

Which didn’t take long because several of the stops were literally on the highway, so the bus didn’t slow nor did the traffic either.

The beach views were mesmerizing so I got off the bus at Sunset and PCH to take some pictures. I knew, based on the timetable that the buses ran at about 30 minute intervals, so I had plenty of time to walk across the street and shoot.

The corner of Sunset and Pacific Coast Highway has a consistent beach break and this section of the beach is always popular with the surfers.

As I was taking pictures, I couldn’t help notice this man, who after finishing a surf session, was tying his surfboard to the top of his camper. Naturally, I asked him if he would mind if I took his picture.

He enthusiastically responded in the affirmative but with one caveat: He wanted me to take his picture with his own camera. Accompanying Dennis was his trusty dog, Suki.

Dennis is also known as “Professor Sprouts.” He’s a world traveler, a seasoned Hawaiian surfer and author who’s currently writing a book and creating a video about growing organic food for pennies a day in your car, your RV or backpack. He actually lives in Colorado, but travels to LA to sell his jewelry. He loves LA, where he’s never at a loss for something to do.

After 20 minutes of talking and taking pictures here, I headed back to the bus stop and continued my trip north to Malibu. As soon as the bus route turned away from the beach, I departed.

I was now at Malibu Lagoon State Park, which will be a blog post in a few days, but I thought I’d give you a small preview.

After spending a couple of hours on the beach, I walked to the nearest bus stop and waited. In short order, the bus came as planned and expected, and along and off I went back to Santa Monica.

Taking the Metro bus around Los Angeles and to Malibu is fun, green, relaxing, and inexpensive.

Metro Monday is for everybody

The main mission of Travelin’ Local is to visit all those places we love locally, and want to learn more about. Therefore Metro Monday will become a useful resource for people who live here or visit.

They’ll be able to use it as both their guide to being more green and to visit all those great places that Travelin’ Local is known for.

How about you? Do you use public transportation? How about riding on the train?

For me, it’s a great alternative to the car while Travelin’ Local and I wouldn’t want it any other way.

At the end of my bike ride on Ballona Creek, I reached the beach at Playa del Rey. On the beach was a lonely shoe, which upon further reflection, created many questions for me including:

Where did the shoe come from? How did it end up on the beach? Who owned the shoe? Does the tanker and ship in the background have any relationship to the lost shoe? Does this picture create the story behind this shoe? Where’s the other shoe?

I’d love to hear your ideas about this shoe’s story, so in Twitter style, create a 140 character story to let us know what your thoughts about it are.

Please use the comment section to share your Twitter story.

Since it’s Friday, I’m having a little fun today, while Travelin’ Local. I can hardly wait to hear the stories you come up with……………………….:)

Although Torrey Pines was named for the pines trees that have prevailed for centuries, a major part of the park is the ocean and it’s view from the ground level.

I’ve shown it to you from afar, but not up close and personal.

The day I was Travelin’ Local to Torrey Pines, it was Spring Break, so the beach was busier than most normal non-summer weekdays.

Under the careful eagle eyes of the lifeguards, this family was boogie boarding on the waves. The Grandmother, who came prepared with her big beach umbrella and snacks, was also keeping a watchful eye, as the children played in the surf.

In full spring blossom, the cliffs surrounding the beach presented quite a contrast between the flowers blooming against the natural color of the cliff walls. It’s amazing how much color just a simple cliff can have.

If you look closely, you can see the “holes” in the cliff wall. I’m sure that over the centuries, the ebb and flow of the ocean waves caused these holes. I found myself wondering what they will look like in the next thousand years.

I took my shoes off, and made a foray into the shoreline water. Watching the play of waves, sand, and rocks has always been a fascination of mine.

What causes the rocks to be the colors they are? What events have taken place that placed pink, black, and white to appear on this rock?

The old adage that every picture tells a story, so as I wrap up this series chronicling my visit to Torrey Pines, I’ll leave you with a picture that moved me.

These young lovers are acknowledging and appreciating the majesty of the ocean, its power and all-encompassing strength.

Growing up in Ohio, I was very far removed from the ocean.

And then after high school, even though I lived for the next 20+ years on the East Coast, the ocean was somewhere I went for a few vacations, only able to enjoy and appreciate it for snippets of time, but never really understanding its grace and elegance.

Now I live only a heartbeat away from the magnificent Pacific Ocean, which I’m able to visit whenever I want. It’s become a part of me, the sound, the beat, and the rhythm. I can’t see it without being moved.

Do you have a place of seclusion, a place of relaxation, a place of enjoyment that makes you feel this way?

No matter whether it’s sojourning to Torrey Pines, walking high at Coldwater Canyon, going for a bicycle ride at Ballona Creek, or checking out the latest scene downtown, by Travelin’ Local the joy of visiting my “sweet spots” only make them sweeter, because I don’t have to go far, or spend a lot of money to appreciate what others around the world come here for every single day of the year.

When we last left Torrey Pines, I was at the top, looking in all directions.

A few yards down from the trail, I saw that several people were looking out at the ocean; so of course, being the naturally curious person I am, I stopped to see what they were looking at.

Low and behold, as you can see here, dolphins were frolicking in the midday ocean’s sun and were having a swim. Although, they were pretty far from the shore, you can clearly see one of the dolphin’s fins peaking out. Needless to say, I was very excited because I had never seen one in its natural habitat.

The coastal strip of San Diego is more than a hundred miles long, and with its Mediterranean climate of mild wet winters, and warm dry summers, results in a long growing season, and probably the best weather anywhere in the world.

San Diego’s average temperatures, range from a January minimum of 45F, to an August maximum of 80F, with a yearly average of 62F!

Hey, Life’s a Beach.

The majority of rainfall comes during the winter and early spring, with a seasonal average of less than 10 inches.

The salt marsh, pictured above on the right, is a highly productive ecosystem—,creating an extremely important wildlife habitat. It serves as both a nursery for fish and shellfish and a feeding and nesting ground for resident and migratory birds.

BTW, my car is parked in the little strip located to the left of North Torrey Pines Road, so my walk was literally onto Torrey Pines, which is seen from this mountaintop looking north.

Located to the south are Blacks beach and the Scripps Institution of Oceanography pier.

This woman and her companions were using one of the most interesting “Wheelchairs” I had ever seen.

I talked to Susan for a few minutes, and she told me that she was a “Guinea Pig” for this particular model, and loved it. And it’s obvious why:

As you can see from the picture–it’s a beach wheelchair. Amazingly, although it took a little bit of effort to get it onto the hill, once there, I was very impressed with its ability to move on the trail.

Its maneuverability was fantastic as opposed to a traditional wheelchair; which for all intents and purposes, would’ve been near impossible to navigate here; it didn’t get stuck in the sand, and easily afforded her the ability to go where she couldn’t have gone in a normal chair.

I love this idea and I know that Susan did, too; because she told me!

As I turned and reached the final corner facing the beach, I suddenly found myself enclosed in a harbor of pines—, glorious and stunning.

Torrey Pines

This pine is probably the remnant of an ancient coastal forest which has been reduced during the drying period of the last ten thousand years to the sandy soils of the sandstone bluffs and ravines of Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve and Santa Rosa Island. Extensive root systems and blankets of summer fog help the Torrey pine survive and thrive. The continuous winds cause the pines to grow twisted and gnarled creating a blanket of shade for the travelers on the trail.

As my Travelin’ Local sojourn takes me back to Los Angeles, I’ll leave you with this picture. The mixture of deadwood and new wildflowers fascinated me.

Buried in the sand together–the visual contrast between the dead pines and the new yellow flowers is quite striking.

For another look at Torrey Pines, be sure to check out Kevin’s recent visit over at his blog, Kevin Oke Photography. He took ordinary sights and converted them to artwork. It’s definitely worth a look.

San Diego, Torrey Pines, and the next place to Travelin’ Local, will always be etched into my memory. But as for reminiscing, I’m already plottin’ and plannin’ my next local cool spot to visit.

It’s physically located on the north side of the Santa Monica Pier.

Quoting directly from the Veterans for Peace Statement of Purpose, the Arlington West Mission Statement is:

• to honor the fallen and wounded
• to provide a place to grieve
• to acknowledge the human cost of war
• to encourage dialogue among people with varied points of view
• to educate the public about the needs of those returning from war.

It’s overwhelming to see the crosses lined up:

The myriad of personal messages left by individuals here put into perspective just how many soldiers have given their lives for the cause of freedom, which we too often take for granted.

While I was under the white tent pictured above, I talked with one of the members of the Veterans for Peace. I asked him what the symbolism and significance of the red crosses were.

He schooled me real good:

As the number of our American serviceman casualties increases daily, each red cross represents 10 deaths.

The flag draped coffins with the blue crosses in the first picture, represent those who’ve lost their life just in the last week.

As you recall, I when I visited Westwood not too long ago, I encountered a Military Funeral at the Los Angeles National Cemetery.

Because I lived in the Washington, D.C. area for many years, I’ve been to Arlington Cemetery numerous times.

Seeing the rows and columns of the headstones of our fallen soldiers, graphically puts into both visual and symbolic form the reality of the cost of war.

Arlington West left an even larger impression on me because of the simplicity of the crosses in the sand. The idea and act of human hands, each implanting a cross, all lined up in perfect rows, sent a shiver of reality down my spine.

So even while I was at the Santa Monica Pier, for fun in the sun, Travelin’ Local, frequently, can also mean finding remembrance in my heart.

How about your neighborhood? When you’re Travelin’ Local do you encounter things that “bring a tinge of sorrow?”

Although it was slated for demolition in 1973, the community rallied to save it, only to have Mother Nature destroy about ⅓ of its length in 1983 during a huge ocean storm.

And, just like before, the community “rallied around the Santa Monica Pier” to garner and to ensure that it would be a testament to Santa Monica, and it was rejuvenated again–as a result, the Pier was rebuilt, bigger and better than ever before.

With the addition of the Pacific Park in 1996, the Santa Monica Pier, as it now stands today, is host to over 4 million visitors annually. And get ready, on September 9^th, 2009, the Pier will be celebrating its 100^thAnniversary with its fist large-scale fireworks spectacular in 18 years!

For a free day of fun in the sun, these are some activities that people perennially enjoy while at the Santa Monica Pier–let’s check it out:

As you can see, the Pier is definately a crowd pleaser.

Pacific Park

Rides for the entire family

The Trapeze School of New York

The Bubba Gump Shrimp Co.

This gentleman’s name is Goldman, for obvious reasons. When I talked to him, he was very excited about his work, and can be found performing on pretty much any day of the week at the Pier.

I was fascinated while watching these fishermen. Each has their own technique, paraphernalia, and style.

Barnacles

And, of course, swimming.

Typically, there’s so much to do and see at the beach. The Santa Monica Pier is definitely a great place to spend a sunny Sunday afternoon, or the whole day.

And as I was taking this picture, I was thinking about Lisa in Wisconsin…………..:) It was pretty warm this day–in the mid 80⁰’s. It felt like we skipped right over spring and landed into summer. Indeed I think we have, by gosh!

What are your plans for this Easter weekend? I hope that your weekend is loaded with fun, sun, family, and entertainment, as you’re Travelin’ Local.

Ok Mr. Wave, I’m comin’ to getcha!

~Crying Loudly~

Mom, Mr. Wave knocked me over.

Ok, I’m gonna to try this again.

Oh yeah, this is cool!!

Mom, did you see me? Did you see me? I did it!!

Soon spring will arrive, which means summer is right around the corner; which quickly reminds us of our favorite beach pastimes that we like to pursue.

The most natural and obvious responses are water related activities:

• Surfing
• Swimming
• Water Skiing
• Sailing
• Fishing

It’s still kind of cold here—both air and water temperatures–so today there weren’t a lot of people swimming in the ocean.

Since its time to start thinkin’ about summer vacations, the beach, sun, sand, and fun, I wanted to post some perennial ideas of those things we all love about the beach.

Surfing is always a great option, if you travel to a beach where the waves are breaking. I’ve never surfed, but I do like watching surfers. They have so much patience, hovering in the waves waiting for the next set of waves which come like clockwork or even for the “big one.”

These kids are having the time of their lives by also hangin’ on the sand and using their surfboard as a prop. One of the kids has one “bootie” on and one off. They are used to keep your feet warm when surfing in cold water, along with a full wet suit.

The beach portends and offers the ability to relax, relax, and relax some more. 

Catch some rays, read a book, people watch, have a picnic, the possibilities are endless. And you get to enjoy the beauty, sights, sounds, smell, and feeling of the ocean at the same time. It adds an element that’s special and sometimes inexplicably joyous.

Just plop down in a beach chair and let your body absorb the ocean’s push and pull: from checkin’ out other beach goers to feeling the chest thrusting, churning beating of the waves. I don’t think life gets any better than hangin’ at the beach.

Safety first, so don’t forget to bring plenty of sunscreen.

If you haven’t tried it, jogging or walking in the sand can be a very strenuous activity. The sand acts as a cushion for your feet, but as your feet sink in, you have to work harder to keep your speed up. It isn’t easy, and it will use up more calories than walking on grass or the sidewalk. However, the feel of the sand on bare feet is pure and who can argue with the splendorous view.

Look closely at this picture, at the top of the mountains in the right center, you’ll see distant shot of the close up I took while Goin’ Down the mountain.

Another great benefit of spending time at the beach is that it’s perfect for the entire family. Families can bike together, walk, and for the young, build sand castles.

Of course, walking along the beach is as old as the human experience.

Life’s a Beach, so get your winter bike out of mothballs, or if you’re fortunate, fold up your bike and just put it in the back seat.

I’ll be featuring additional ideas for activities you might enjoy at the beach, so keeping thinkin’ fun in the sun, because even though I enjoyed a great morning at the beach on Valentine’s Day, today it’s raining cats and dogs.

You never know what kind of weather Mother Nature’s going to throw Travelin’ Local, but no matter what, seize the day—Carpe le diem!

somebody to see

me.

I am shiny and

curled up like a

cinnamon roll.

I’m rough and

sandy.

I swim

with the

sea and

the sea

with me.

I am

cold inside

so if you

touch me

you’ll shiver and

quiver.

I swim

around the

sea with

animals living

inside of me.

I’m joyful

in the sea

with fishes

and sea

creatures

surrounding me.

I like

being a

shell

because

people

can hear

the sea

inside of

me.

By Melissa, age 7

Brought to you via A Poem a Day

A Poem a Day is part of the organization called Writers in the Schools (WITS). WITS is a non-profit organization that encourages, and engages children in the pleasure and power of reading and writing. WITS writers work in year-long programs in over 350 classrooms in order to help students develop their creative and analytical thinking skills, which are so important in today’s competitive and complex world.

This topic is near and dear to my heart as I used to teach 5^th grade students and am passionate about all things education. I lend my total and wholehearted support for any group that’s helping kids to read and write more often.

WITS’s focus is on inner city kids, but they also offer workshops at art museums, hospitals, community centers, and juvenile detention centers, just to name a few. If you’d like more information on their work, or even purchase one of their books, please feel free to click here.

I was excited to find out that California does have a link to this project, California Poets in the Schools; however, I was disappointed that the Los Angeles County Public Schools does not have a website to feature their students’ work. If you know of such a link, please let me know as I’d love to feature poems by local youth poets here.

I love reading and writing, and am a firm believer that a love of reading starts and home, but continues in the classroom. Does any of your local schools offer and participate in any program like this?

As time goes, I look forward to featuring more such K-12 writings, and I’d love to feature one from your Travelin’ Local schools.

I’m taking a hint from a recent post I enjoyed over at SierraVisions.com which featured a great photo palette of bald eagle pictures, all of whom reside in Starved Rock State Park.

Unfortunately, I don’t have bald eagles, but I do have sea gulls, typically medium to large birds, usually grey or white, often with black markings on the head or wings. They typically have harsh wailing or squawking calls. They have stout, longish bills, and webbed feet.

These pictures were taken in a variety of locations, because you can’t go anywhere in the Los Angeles area and not see the wonders of sea gulls:

Oops, after taking another look, these pictures were all taken at Venice Beach. There’s smattering of a few pigeons in this bright California day.

If you’re planning a trip to Southern California and Los Angeles in particular, definitely be sure to put sun, fun, and shopping on your to-do list. But when it comes time to relax, sitting by the beach, reading a good book and watching the sea gulls is a great way to go.

Until I saw it for myself, I had no idea there was a place to view sea lions and seals in their natural habitat. However, the Children’s Pool along the beach path at La Jolla Cove, offers an extraordinary view. Being able to observe animals doing what comes naturally without the trappings of a zoo in a treat.

After walking along Scripps Pier, I hopped back into my car and drove a little further down the beach to the Children’s Pool, which was originally designed to be a launching place for the children of San Diego to have easy access to the ocean. However, several years ago, seals and sea lions moved in. Needing a resting place, the Children’s Pool offered the marine mammals’ easy access to the ocean, plus a sandy spot for relaxation.

Even though a controversy still reins, most San Diego residents are favor of keeping the Children’s Pool as a reserve for the seals.

The seals inhabit the beach year-round. Amazingly, visitors can walk out onto the breakwater for close-up views of the Pacific Ocean and the seals. Be aware that this beach has no wheelchair access because of the steep staircase leading down to the ocean.

This little guy (at least I think it’s a guy) was just coming back from his daily swim and made his way back up to join his buddies.

I feel fortunate that I was there on Christmas Day so the parking wasn’t too much of an issue, and it wasn’t too crowded, which gave me the time to take a few good pictures. The weather was rather cold, and although I wasn’t really ready to leave, the weather made that choice moot because it started to rain, so I made a mad dash for my car.

I can hardly wait to go back for a longer and more relaxed view of the shore, walk the streets of close to the beach, and visit the wide variety of shops and restaurants that parallel the walking trail, so stay tuned. More is yet to come.