Hi everyone! We are back from our week at the ocean and I am refreshed and rejuvated (and older!) We celebrated my birthday this week with a trip to the central coast of California, my home state. It was wonderful! There were no crowds, we relaxed, we drove, we took a million pictures, we shopped, we ate some yummy food, we drank a lot of coffee, we walked, we wore sweaters, we breathed fresh air….. In other words, it was perfect! I had a really nice birthday!
I am most me, and most calm, when I am near the ocean. I crave it, actually. I need the air, and the sounds and the colors! I was born at the ocean and it has always held a special place in my heart. I am never far away from the majesty of the Pacific. There are so many wonderful memories for me when I think of the sea. I thought I would share some of my photos from our trip, in a photo essay today – to show you the place that I call home – my beautiful California! Land that I love. We traveled about 300 miles from home, southwest, to Pismo Beach, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Cambria. I really love road trips! My hubs is a good driver, and I feel like a princess with my blanket and pillow on my lap and a Starbucks for the road. We always have a good time together when we travel like this.
We arrived at the beach in the afternoon and took some photos up to and including Sunset, on our first day…. These first few snaps are from Pismo Beach.
Who doesn't love crisp white chairs against a field of blue ocean and green grass?
Only God could make these gorgeous colors! These are my favorite hues….blue, teal, aqua, celadon…. It's a dream!
You've heard of Flock of Seagulls…. Well, what about Flock of Pelicans!!!??? This was crazy!
Incoming!!!
Looking North up Highway 1 from Pismo Beach, at sunset….
This couple was having some beautiful sunset portraits taken…
The next day we drove around Paso Robles to see some wineries and some scenery. We found this old chap guarding his sheep! Wh-what??!!
And these cool mossy trees covering the road. It rained in the morning and everything was wet and pretty and fresh…
Vineyards in Fall splendor!
Majestic Oaks standing guard over the grapes…
This is where we stayed – The Apple Farm Inn – in San Luis Obispo. It was a great place to stay! Beautiful gardens, great rooms, good food, nice gift shop! We loved it.
The gift shop was all decked out for the holidays. I bought A LOT of cute stuff!!
The gardens at the hotel…
On my birthday we drove South to Santa Barbara and Montecito. We stopped to look at the GIANT waves!!
We made a quick pit stop in Solvang for some tasty treats and to stretch our legs.
We took the back roads and saw these gorgeous clouds the entire day!
There is nothing more quintessentially California than a beautiful grove of Palm Trees! This is the waterfront in Santa Barbara.
When we were driving around, we found this jewel box of a church in Montecito. It was really so beautiful!!! Mt. Carmel Church.
This was the courtyard of the church – in front. Beautiful hibiscus flowers.
And the inside of the church…
The next day we drove North – up to Cambria. There is a large population of Elephant Seals and we stopped to check them out! These guys reeeeealllly know how to chill out! LOL. They were all laying on their backs soaking up the sunshine. Very cool.
"I Love You, California" — California State Song
I love you, California, you're the greatest state of all.
I love you in the winter, summer, spring and in the fall.
I love your fertile valleys; your dear mountains I adore.
I love your grand old ocean and I love her rugged shore.
Chorus
When the snow crowned Golden Sierras
Keep their watch o'er the valleys bloom,
It is there I would be in our land by the sea,
Every breeze bearing rich perfume.
It is here nature gives of her rarest. It is Home Sweet Home to me,
And I know when I die I shall breathe my last sigh
For my sunny California.
I love your redwood forests – love your fields of yellow grain.
I love your summer breezes and I love your winter rain.
I love you, land of flowers; land of honey, fruit and wine.
I love you, California; you have won this heart of mine.
I love your old gray Missions – love your vineyards stretching far.
I love you, California, with your Golden Gate ajar.
I love your purple sun-sets, love your skies of azure blue.
I love you, California; I just can't help loving you.
I love you, Catalina, you are very dear to me.
I love you, Tamalpais, and I love Yosemite.
I love you, Land of Sunshine, half your beauties are untold.
I loved you in my childhood, and I'll love you when I'm old.
Thank you for letting me share part of my life with you!
Be sure to leave a comment on my last post for a chance to win a prize!
Also, my first Weekender feature will be live on the SSS Blog tomorrow!
Comments
30 responses to “I love you California!”
I completely enjoyed your gorgeous photos of your amazing week away. Thanks so much for sharing your birthday with all of us! I think I need to go add some of these places to my bucket list!
Wonderful way to celebrate your birthday! Terrific photos!
Love the photos! Santa Barbara is such a special place. I spent many summers there with my older cousin and her husband who treated me to a week of fun every summer. My grandparents loved Solvang and took us there several times. Such great memories! I never intended to live this far from the ocean; I crave it, too. We do live in a beautiful state–just hope we get some rain.
Stunning photos . . . .thanks for sharing this beauty!
Happy birthday!! Your photos are so beautiful! You are so talented and have such an eye for capturing beautiful things.
LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE it Wanda..would so much love to visit you …..and your State…
SO happy you had such a great time..I would have too seeing the photo’s
I am so like you I love the colors of the sea/ocean and the air …feels so good…
Thank you for taking me with you on this tour/holiday….
Hugs Holly.
Happy Birthday Wanda! What a wonderful relaxing birthday trip! I’m envious! We live in Ohio but love California. Thanks for sharing your photos, they are lovely!
Thanks for sharing your fabulous pictures with us, Wanda. So glad you enjoyed your trip.
Sweetie,
What a lovely birthday trip and a beautiful homage to your home state! I loved seeing the photos, they are gorgeous and make me want to visit even more than I already did! I am so glad you had a nice trip and hope you feel relaxed and refreshed. Thanks for sharing with us.
Hugs,
Maureen
Thanks so much for sharing these beautiful photos. It was a gorgeous trip down memory lane. I, too, was born in Newport Beach and spent most of my life in CA and will always consider it home. I’m so happy you had such a wonderful birthday!!!
Loved your trip of photos and sharing of your story today Wanda! Sounds just perfect to me! Funny to hear folks out West get so excited about getting to don on a Sweater, and to see clouds! Ha! My best memories are at the Ocean as well, I also love how open it is, the smells and the sounds of the boats coming and going out of the harbor is something I grew up with in the Summers. Love it!
What a wonderful Birthday celebration, Wanda! Thanks for sharing these beautiful photos.
Thanks for the gorgeous tour! Beautiful.
What a great trip! And your photos are absolutely gorgeous! You definitely have an eye for beauty.
How truly beautiful!! I was born near the ocean too – in Goa, India. I feel like I have a connection to the majestic blue. It just makes me feel complete when I’m around it.
Love your pictures. Belated birthday wishes, dear. 🙂
Xo,
~Varada
Wow, what a beautiful and peaceful looking getaway!!!
What a fabulous Birthday week you had! I always love your pictures and I think you did yourself proud with this memorable collection. You’ll enjoy them for all the years to come.
It looks like you had a fabulous time on your trip! Central Coast is home to me too…
Beautiful photos of our state! Next road trip you need to check out the northern-est part of the state and see the majestic redwoods, the elk and our very rugged coastline. A whole different kind of beautiful! Of course you’ll have to dress in layers you never know what kind of weather to expect. And of course visit me at Scrapper’s Edge in Eureka where I work and get crafty!! 😉 So glad you had a wonderful time and are rejuvenated. You positively inspire us! Blessings!
Love your pictures! What a lovely place! I just told my husband I would like to go there in January for my birthday! Thanks for sharing such a wonderful experience! Hugs, Frances
Wow, after looking at your beautiful photos, I feel like I have just been on vacation. I’ll bet you feel totally recharged after that trip. I live in Southern California and I don’t like it that much, but the further north I go the better I like it. Thanks for sharing your photos. I truly enjoyed them.
What a fun birthday! Loved all the beautiful pictures. I live in paradise, beautiful Santa Barbara. I feel so blessed. Every February we meet up with my cousin and his wife in Cambria for a week and do a lot of what you and your husband experienced in that area. They are from Sacramento, up your way. In fact, she is the person who got me going on card making many, many years ago. She frequents the Paper Garden. Thanks for sharing your birthday trip pictures!
What a great birthday week photo blog. Thank you for sharing the beauty of California. Your photos captured the beauty of the ocean and fall. You inspire me!
oh i totally understand your love of california. i’m a cali girl and have never left the state. you were so close too – i’m just about 40 min south of Santa Barbara. you were in all of my favorite spots. celebrated a birthday in Cambria a few year back. perfection! loved your pictorial!
How great to see your photos and read about your trip! My husband and I were recently out in San Luis Obispo ourselves visiting our son and DIL. We didn’t get to see and do as much as you, since we were only there a few days. I can see why you love it.
Wanda,
Thanks for sharing, beautiful pictures of beautiful places. It’s funny how the Internet connects us, I feel like I know you. 😉 I’m so happy that you had this blessing of time away with your husband…..and happy birthday!
Wow, so beautiful. Thanks for sharing. I love the ocean, too, but I am stuck in the midwest. Hope to make a trip to the CA coast some day.
Thank you for bringing us along on your trip with these gorgeous photos! Happy Birthday, dear friend. We are so happy you and Mark had a memorable time! Xoxo B&D
Gosh, I love your photos! I’m taking a photography class (basic) right now, hoping it leads to the purchase of a better camera with more capabilities. I’m in Mariposa just outside Yosemite. Lots of photo ops here, too!
Oh, Wanda, you make me want to go to California!! My husband is from Santa Barbara area and I’ve never been there. For shame, I know. Your pictures are so wonderful and I just want to walk into them! If I lived near the Ocean, I’d make Mike buy me a $600 Hecs scuba suit, so I could scuba dive and not have to worry about he sharks! LOL My crafty supplies would just have to suffer. Ha! I have been to SanFrancisco (I have 1 amazing photo of the light house on the Rock), Lake Tahoe briefly when there was snow on the ground while visiting Reno, NV. And we drove to the coast one time, from Grants Pass, OR (also where Mike grew up as a tween) just got through the pass before they closed traffic for snow, toured Hwy 101 and the Redwoods and spent an amazing day running up and down the Pacific coast in the drizzling rain with our kids, 4th and 8th graders at the time. Which, I’ve prob. all said before, but your pictures stir up these great memories with our kids, now 26 and 30 with babies of their own. Thanks for all you share! So glad I can get over here, even if it’s via a different browser, I really wish Apple would get their act together! Love Ya, Wanda!