Socal - Hike.Beach.Beer.Play.

We took a trip to Anza-Borrego Desert State Park.  We foolishly tried to do a exercise run but it is the desert and it was hot and it didn't go very well.

"The Slot".  Slot canyon entrance.  It's hard to find this road that is marked with a small small sign, then you drive down sandy terrain for a bit and you're here.  You'd never know it was here unless you stumbled into it somehow or saw this guys website http://californiathroughmylens.com/slot-canyon-anza-borrego-state-park

oh what a fortunate time to have made it into the canyon.  the light.

I didn't pose this, I'm not that lame.

I saw a lot of this.  Jen looking up waiting, wondering when i'm gonna stop climbing stuff

There was a family in that truck.  The dad told the 16 yr old daughter that she could check out the canyon next time they come back because she didn't have the proper footwear on.  she had black leather boots on.  It takes 10 minutes to walk through the canyon so 20 min round trip.  The daughter just lazily took it and they got in the truck and left.  How sad.  I feel bad for her but do I?  I feel bad for that whole situation.  Anyway Slot Canyon was pretty awesome.

was I staring off into the mountains contemplating?  Or was I eating XXXtra hot Cheetos?

we raced from desert to ocean and caught the sunset at Encinitas beach where they Amtrak tracks run along the beach.  Literally as soon as the last bit of the sun set below the ocean the 15 or so people that were there on the cliff bounced out.  This is one of the perfect places to see the sun set.

The next day near Encinitas beach.  It was cold.  It was fun?

Stone Brewery is in Escondido.  They have this beer garden area.  Pretty sweet deal

this thing was pumping out some kind of waste product.

Churchill's gots beers!  And darts, and a darts league that is serious about darts.  We are not serious about darts but were able to play.  Taps are not labeled and are handblown glass.

this is what excellence looks like ladies and gentlemen, my 3 bullseye final round for the win.

and if you needed to see what excellence is again this is it ladies and gentlemen.  In a game of high score 20s are your bread and butter.  Threading the needle.

you guessed it, Mexican again, at Puesto in San Diego.  Taco tuesdays a pretty sweet.

The toughest shot at Tiki Town Adventure Golf in Mission Beach is the pineapple windmill.  That said on a 5 star scale Tiki Town gets 2 stars.  Most of the holes were to put it nicely non-inventive, and in reality just straight on or par 2 holes that were basically the same.  Really weak creativity and challenge.  2 stars for being the nicest most well kept mini golf course i've played on.  I played mini golf throughout my youth across the Delaware costal area so I have to keep my mini golf nose in the air.  So that's it for Southern California.  It's been nice, a little too nice.  After a few days I felt the urge to "do something".  I guess the New York rat race is running through me now.  The adventures continue back in New York.

Socal - Newport Beach

Went to Newport Beach area to meet my old pal (and actor) Justin Chon and wife cuz he lives around there.

ahi poke at Bear Flag

visited the tide pools at Little Corona Del Mar

this hole has a mouth

all that uni

some kind of conservation study it looks like.

Socal - Joshua Tree National Park

Joshua Tree National Park is named for the Joshua trees that are all over there.  It's huge.  It takes 4 hours to drive through the whole thing.  

we started with Mexican food at this big grocery store, the Northgate Market in Escondido.  They have a food counter area with all Mexican clientel.  

Joshua tree is a climbers heaven

lost his tail

Barker's Dam, built to water cattle, fought over by good guys and bad guys, ranchers vs miners vs cattle rustlers and every combo there within.

It's completely silent out here, it's a big star gazing location because it's so far removed there's little light pollution.  I was taking in these petroglyphs and then the old guy next to me farted.

I "bouldered" a lot and got up pretty high.  It's pretty scary because one mess up and you could be dead or paralyzed or something.  Jen said I was like an 8 year old kid running around and climbing on everything.

Keyes view.  You can see the Salton Sea on the left

the Joshua Trees

a little oasis?

Skull Rock.  You can just drive right up to it.

The Cholla cactus garden full of Cholla cacti.  We got there at just the right hour so the sun hit the cacti spikes and made them glow.

A sign warns not to touch them and for good reason.  Jen had to try and kick one and it got stuck to her shoe and they i tried to get it off with my shoe and then we both had super tenacious spikes in our shoes and we had to sit there and pull them out.

The sun was setting and we raced through the rest of the park for the Salton Sea.  It was pretty cool zooming through the winding roads as the sun set in the park

The Salton Sea is a dead sea,  I guess after flooding this sea was formed and somehow got salinated and everything in it died and the resort town around it went to crap also and now it's a hang out for hippies, meth vans, and weirdos.  

this was just on the shore as soon as you look down.  It really is a dead sea.

I'm guessing this is crusty salt mud that laps up on the shore