Photoessay #1037 - Rio Del Mar

Today we made the Claire Ginsburgh Memorial Visit to Rio Del Mar beach in Aptos on Monterey Bay. Twice, in fact, once this morning and then around sunset.

Even after all these years, an extremely attractive accessible beach. My mother loved this beach from the first time she saw it. In my childhood years, my parents would rent a modest little house close to this beach and we would spend an entire week here accompanied by a box of library books. My mom liked to spend at least half the day at the beach, all the kids and the towels and the buckets and shovels.

Aside: how many years ago did WE stop driving around always with buckets and shovels in the trunk?

Plus she loved to walk the beach at sunset.

A cool morning, a bit foggy, so typical of this area (and a huge relief from the blazing heat of the valley. Likely would burn off. We're staying at a nice B&B up the road. The hostess could NOT believe we were going to the beach today. California wimps. Today's the day, of course we'll go.

The area around the beach has not changed much at all. The 'best' house on the corner right across from the beach is still there though it's been cleaned up and is now a property rental place. The free parking lot with the palm trees. The Aptos creek still there though it seems to have changed it's channel. Not many people there at all when we arrived around 11am. But pretty pleasant to sit on the sand and, sure enough, after awhile the fog burned off and was replaced with mild sunshine. The waves beat onto the shore as always with their hypnotic rhythm and roar. I waded a bit; Dennis and I stayed until early afternoon.'

I had forgotten how the water turned color in the son, to a true sea foam green.

My mom would have been so happy to be able to return here. They never got quite back here, it's off the beaten track a bit. They tried late in the game, my father was sure he could drive over Hwy 17 late in his life. Pleeeaaze!

Hwy 17 is the scariest road around. It was 40 years ago and still is! Which is one reason we took the trip down the valley and went over Pacheco Pass. Not exactly easy either but we completely bypassed the Bay Area traffic.

Afterwards, we went letterboxing for awhile; found 4 boxes quite quickly. One in a little shopping area, one in a little park housing the original Valencia post office, one at a sign in front of an 'egg ranch' and one in a dramatic bamboo only nursery.

Climbing under bushes in new cities grumbles Dennis.

Me standing on Rio Del Mar Beach this morning

And, my public demand, I have posted a picture of me IN THE SURF in my bathing suit at Stinson Beach last Friday. With my cousin's daughter Micolle. So go back a few posts to see it.