Sunset over the Sea Cliff Beach in Aptos. The wrecked ship is the SS Palo Alto, which was intentionally sunk at the beach. It used to have a pier that led out to it. The ship was briefly an amusement with a dance floor and swimming pool. That venture failed quickly. The ship was then used as a fishing pier. The wooden pier out to the ship was destroyed only a few years ago in 2023.
Started my Thanksgiving Day with a trip out to the coast to see the sunrise at Capitola Beach.
Calfiornia poppies at the Gamble Garden in Palo Alto
A white tulip at the Gamble Garden in Palo Alto, California
Panther Beach is my favorite spot on the California coast between Monterey and San Francisco. On this evening, it was a beautiful drive down the coast to Panther Beach. Panther Beach used to be hard to find but when I arrived this time, I found a big parking lot under construction. The new parking lot makes me think the beach will no longer be a hidden gem that one has to know about to find.
The Keyhole Beach Arch at Pfeiffer Beach Solstice lights up at sunset on the days around the Winter Solstice. This is an amazing natural phenomenon. Humans have built structures over the centuries on a solstice alignment but natural structures on that alignment are even rarer. This particular day was quite cloudy which muted the effect but it was still something special to experience.
Amid the festive buzz of December, with everyone gearing up for the holidays and Christmas, I find myself drawn to celebrating the winter solstice as well. It’s fascinating to think that Christmas owes part of its timing to ancient traditions, specifically the Roman festival of Saturnalia, which aligned with the solstice. For me, the solstice is a moment of reflection, awe, and connection to earlier human societies, best spent watching the sun dip below the horizon along the coast. However, with rain in the forecast for December 21st this year, I decided to get ahead of the weather and made my pilgrimage a little early.
Egret in flight at Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge
Most of the trails are currently closed due to the South San Francisco Bay Shoreline Project but there’s a short portion of the boardwalk open where it’s possible to see egrets and other birds.
