The sun is shining as we pulled away from Sunset Beach toward San Clemente. We drove to our next home in San Clemente to pick up the car and return the Huntington Beach car back. We unloaded the car and Larry opened the garage to get the new car out. Larry hollered, "Honey come out here and look at this old car"...in a disguised upset voice...that I knew was not really upset!
Well low and behold we had a two seater Mercedes Sport Coupe with a convertable roof....His pulse picked up an extra beat and his eyes sparkled at the thought of sporting this car around for the next week. Life just gets better and better with each new adventure. Anyway, we headed back to Sunset Beach to take the other car back and then we headed down Route 1, the coastal highway, our new territory to explore for the day.
The wind was blowing madly...so madly that sand clouds were all about in the air. Not a good day to be out walking. No surfers either. The ocean was a torrent of white caps...so much white foam roaring in that the scenery of the beach was awesome.
We drove through Huntington Beach, Newport Beach, and took a side trip down to Balboa, a peninsula of beach homes, rentals, and mom and pop hotels. On the back side of the pensinsula, sailboats were anchored in rows. This was a great little harbor for mooring your boat for a quick trip to the Pacific Ocean. Gorgeous views around every corner, if you could see around the beach homes.
We stopped in San Juan Capistrano to take a stretch....with the wind blowing feriously....we took a little walk...gosh, it was chilly. Anyway this was a beautiful walkway along the cliffs through a multimillion dollar neighborhood...reminded us of LaJolla....we happened upon an open house and went to take a peek. The house was built on the edge of a cliff and was is such ill repair....blistered paint, rust, smelly carpet, everything looked like it was still 1958.
The originally built in cabinets, kitchen appliances, even an old TV from that era was left in one of the rooms....Nothing had been changed and was in the original state of when it was built. Four bedrooms, three baths, one car garage, formal living/dining room with a fireplace upstairs and a family room downstairs. The owners had not used it for 25 years holding out to sell it for a rezoned condominium that never got rezoned. How much for this clifftside gorgeous view? 8 million $$$ and the rea lestate saleman said that the new owners would probably knock it down. MIND BOGGLED!!!! We ran back to the car as fast as our feet could carry us!
On we drove to Dana Point, where Richard and Pat Nixon walked when they lived there. We drove on to our final destination, San Clemente....Home Sweet Home for the next week.
Our San Clemente house has a fantastic view over the tree tops out to the Pacific Ocean. It sets up on a hill above the town about five blocks from the beach. The sunsets from the deck are phenominal. On a clear day you can see Santa Catalina Island, 30 miles out in the Pacific. There are days that the sky and water are the same color making it impossible to see where one ends and the other begins. Sailboats and fishing boats dot the sea coming out of Dana Point. Every minute of the day, it is just wonderful to take in this view.
Our new home has three bedrooms and two baths with a great room and hugh windows that open up to the spactacular view of Dana Point and the Pacific Ocean. The kitchen and baths have been updated with granite, tile and new appliances. Four huge flat screen TVs, computer, and loads of great books and CDs to look at. We could just sit here a for weeks and enjoy the view, movies, books, and ....each other....a very romantic get away.
This home has beautiful oil paintings. The water, the palm trees, the red roof homes look just like here in San Clemente. Here are photos of a few:
Views from our home
You can see Dana Point to the North
This view is to the west with the Pacific Ocean meeting the horizon.
Larry and I walked the neighborhood up behind the house. More gorgeous homes and the hill never ended. We went up and up with no relief for half and hour and finally said "Uncle". Ocassionally you could get a little view of the ocean but the huge homes swallowed up every inch of the scenery, unless you happened upon a vacant lot. We have walked several neighborhoods in the San Clemente area. All have been neat and well groomed...enjoyable to stroll through. We have looked at the prices on the ones for sell and they are quite pricey....way over our budget so we gathered this was a high dollar area to live in.
Midday on Wednesday, Steve Bailey, Kyle's dad, drove down to visit with us for the day. Wanda, his mother, could not come because she had a doctor's appointment and she was also keeping Mindy's child. We had lunch out on the deck where he spotted a friend driving by. The friend came over and they shared a few war stories. We drove out to Dana Point and walked around the restaurants and watched the seals, pelicans, and boaters go by. The weather was perfect...probably the warmest day that we have had in California...temps in the 80's. So nice!
Came back to the house and had some liquid refreshment with cheese and crackers. Steve left after the traffic died down. What a great visit!
Larry and I walked the San Clemente Pier after dinner...It was the warmest night...We arrived just before it got totally dark and the palms against the the dark blue sky was so stunning with the sound of the wave crashing into the beach. We even walked up the beach a ways in the dark passing serveral campfires and meandered back to the car through a neighborhood. So wonderful! So romantic! Such a terrific day!
We enjoyed a walk downtown, San Clemente.
Grab the credit card and run...they even provide a place for the man to sit and to wait!
We enjoyed seeing so many unusual cars sporting around in this neighborhood...
This one is a Dena...so cool!
Larry and I have had some super walks in San Clemente. One day we walked about two blocks to the south and came across the wonderful San Celmente Golf course. Beautiful homes, sites of the ocean and lots of chances to watch golfers along the way. Another day we walked down Main Street through all the shops and restaurants to the pier. Beautiful flowers hung all the way down the street on lamp posts. Benches dedicated to lost love ones were placed strategically to provide hikers a place to rest...much needed for the road was on a bit of a hill. We enjoyed the palm trees that swayed in the breezes that rose to the sky and provided a scenic view to the ocean.
One day we walked the path along the ocean. The path rose up along the cliffs beside the train that ran by the ocean. Endless views of the ocean, palm trees, and beautiful plants made this journey a delight. We also explored the farmers market set up along main street. Hundreds of locals were purchasing gorgeous fresh cut flowers, fresh fruits and veggies, homemade jellies, soaps, candles and unique items such as orchids,local wines and baked goods. We enjoyed walking in different areas of San Clemente each day. Our hike each day went by so quickly with all things to see and do along the way.
This bench says it all!
On Saturday we explored San Juan Capistrano, where they welcome the swallows back every year on the journey from Argentina. Parked the car and walked into town. There was a parade going on....western style....no motorized floats. Lots and lots of gorgeous horses...Tennesse Walkers, Painted, Appaloosas, Work horses....cleaned up and just looking their best....and strutting their stuff...high stepping, prancing, sidestepping...so well trained.
Wonderful costumes....Western style cowboys, ladies in full dress of western times, authentic Indian costumes, really spectacular! Wagons, Stagecoaches, old horse drawn Fire Engine, Canoes on rollers filled with children, on and on... School Marching Bands, Hawaiian Hula Dancers...So interesting and so entertaining. Larry and I found a great spot and just sat watching for almost three hours...got a bit of a sunburn on the face.
What an authentic stagecoach all shined up!
About a dozen spinning canoes with Brownie Scouts in them...dads rolling them along.
These Appalossas were about the prettiest that we have ever seen! Their markings were awesome.
What a great old fire engine!
Zoro and his senorita were even there!
Gorgeous painted ponies!!!!
The end of the parade had a Mardi Gras type of affair with lots of costumes, music, dancing in the street, and the spectators joined them dancing down the street. It was a shoulder to shoulder happy mob! So much fun!
We walked up the street to see the Historic Mission where the swallows gathered in the bell arches passing a bluegrass band and further up the street a blues band that was out of this world. We had to dance to several tunes... the music was so good, people scooted in shoulder to shoulder with others dancing in the streets, Italian food aromas filled the air for this area was an outside/inside restaurant. It was so much fun and a great friendly atmosphere.
The old mission
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| The new mission |
What a blues sound....could have sat for days listening and dancing to the beat!
Rover even enjoyed the day....What a smile!
We walked on up the street further to find Hispanic music. On the way back to the car we found electronic sounds and a country music band area as well. Lots of tented food vendors lined parking lots. People were everywhere enjoying the perfect weather and all the entertainment. It was just plane awesome!
Lilacs...so fragrant on our walk back to the car
We left and drove to Dana Point, up, up, up to the very top of the cliff. What a view! Walked the trail along the cliffs and spotted dolphins and kayakers out in the ocean. Sailboats were heading back into the jetty. Locals were paddle surfing up and down the jetty. A large harbor held rows and rows of yatchs and sailboats. Large homes sat on top of tall cliffs...we could see where mud slides had been slowly wearing away the cliffs and these homes would eventally have a big problem. The view was endless and phenomenal. What a fantastic day!
Dana Point Yatch Club and Jetty
Mansions on the baron cliffs
My MAN and his RIDE
Lovebirds on Dana Point
The end of another beautiful day...
