Trick-or-Treating during Covid Halloween

 Covid-19 Halloween 2020!

With so many people working from home (due to COVID-19), this year's Halloween decorations were more elaborate and perhaps a bit more macabre than in previous years. In addition to beautifully carved pumpkins. We saw many skeletons, graves, witches, zombies, and other ghastly creatures.

Walking around our regular workout route, we marveled at people's effort to set up such elaborate Halloween displays.

We encountered a few trick-or-treaters - but fewer than in past years. All of them were wearing face masks (in addition to their typical costumes).

Many decorations had light and sound effects that would trigger a closer approach.

There were a few Halloween parties in our neighborhood. Candy was usually spread out on carpets to avoid contamination.

One of the houses even had 3 bands playing, starting at 7:30pm. We stopped by to listen to one of the bands. It was a group of really young kids playing hard rock - but not any songs I knew.

We put our candy outside our house, but not too many trick-or-treaters stopped by. Alex ended up eating some of it.

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Enjoying Santa Cruz

We returned to our usual routine after returning from our long staycation at Laguna Beach. 

When I heard (from Trey) that Alex's Firewire Tuomo v4 surfboard repairs were complete, I drove to Santa Cruz's Midtown Surf Shop to pick it up.

I made it a fun day by walking with Inna on West Cliff Drive, from the Lighthouse to Natural Bridges.

We enjoyed the overcast skies, the perfect temperature (65F), and the calm ocean on this windless fall day. We saw lots of cute dogs on the walk and many people exercising. Due to the lack of waves, there were few surfers in Steamer Lane.

After the walk, we ate lunch at Laili in downtown Santa Cruz, CA.

After waiting for about 20 minutes to sit down, we were finally seated on the beautiful patio. We started lunch with Cardamom Honey Iced Coffees and freshly baked Naan bread.

Being a bit hungry after the long walk, I decided to order a 1/2 portion of Greek Salad and a Grilled Chicken Flatbread (Parmesan, apricot chutney, dates, pomegranate, mint). 

The flatbread was marvelous, and both Inna and I delighted in its flavors.

Inna selected the Pomegranate Chicken Kabob and enjoyed the delicious chicken and saffron rice.

We had a wonderful lunch at Laili and would be happy to return again.

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Improving Surf Paddling

After surfing for many weeks at famous surfing spots in Laguna Beach: Thalia Street, Rockpile Beach, Newport Beach, San Clemente, and Trestles, I realized that my surf paddling could use improvement. 

I discovered Rob, a local surf trainer, teaches proper surf paddling techniques. He runs a website called surfpaddling.com. He is based in the San Francisco Bay Area and offers online and private lessons.

I contacted Rob and discussed various training options, selecting the Level-1 Paddling Technique 4-session bundle.

4 sessions (~3 hrs each): Pool, Ocean 1, Pool/Lagoon, Ocean 2

Included:

• Level 1 Paddling Technique Lessons and Coaching
• Before/After Paddling Analysis
• LIFETIME Access to the Surfing Paddling Academy Level 1 Online Course. Begins a ter the last session.
• Guided Drill and Practice
• Breathing for Paddling
• Commentary and Practice Assignments for Continued Practice
• Two Ocean Application Sessions
• One additional Level 1 Technique Coaching Session

I purchased it on October 21, 2020. I look forward to improving my training in the upcoming sessions.
My first surf paddling session has been scheduled for Sunday, October 25, 2020, from 1:30pm to 5:00pm in Novato, CA.

Sunday, October 25, 2020

Assignments:

• Watch the beginning 3 videos in Module 1 in the Online Course to get an overview (Discover the Fundamentals, The MAP REVEALED!, Muscle Memory Method Overview).
• Module 1 –
• Watch Step 1: Get Horizontal
• Visual Cue:  Keep the nose of the board at the surface of the water on average to cut the frontal drag. 
• Once positioned in the sweet spot range of the board, practice using the other techniques to modify horizontal balance while you paddle (head, feet/legs, chest press). This is supercritical. If the nose rises more than an inch above the surface, use these techniques to drive it back down. Use these techniques to bring the nose back up if it is below the water's surface more than an inch. The goal will be to keep it at the water's surface to an inch above average. 
• Practice -  Step 1 Drill 1: Horizontal Balance Drill Dryland out of the water on an exercise ball.
• Practice - Step 1 Drill 3: Horiz. Balance Advanced Dryland
• Practice – attached thoracic spine exercises to 1. Increase mobility in your thoracic range. 2. Increase endurance 
• Feel free to contact Jim Cegelnik, DPT, with any questions about these exercises. Just mention you are taking the Level 1 course from me, and he can provide some assistance. 
• Watch Step 2: Keep It Together
• Practice – feet together, using the lower back and glutes to control lateral balance control.
• Module 2 –
• Watch Step 3: It's All About The Entry
• Good hand entry form. Continue to slice the water, and make sure the fingers enter first. 
• Practice Entry Point – 8-12 inches in front of your face. Mindful practice for now. Use tape or a sticker at that location to remind your brain subconsciously. 
• Practice Entry Angle - 10-15 degrees for shortboards using the efficiency stroke. This angle is the water's surface to your elbow (with no broken wrist). Elevate the elbow and drive it forward underwater to break frontal drag. Slice through the water!
• Watch Step 4: Making Magic Happen
• Practice Drill: Catch-Up - Enter and extend. Be streamlined. 
• Progress from a 2-second pause between strokes to a 1-second pause to simply replace the hand in front with the other.
• Work on moving between the various "gears" (1-3 for efficiency stroke) like on a car. 
• Module 3 –
• Watch Step 5: The Clock We Need To Be Able to Understand – we will cover this more in the next session. 
• WATCH Dryland Underwater Armstroke Drill SPECIAL. We will cover this in the next session.
• Watch Breathing For Paddling Mini Course (it is one of the Bonuses in the Online course):
• Exhaling slows the heart rate
• The belly breathes from the diaphragm. 
• Meter your exhale, like blowing out through a straw, controlled. 
• Practice 2 counts inhale, 6 counts exhale on land.
• Practice land activities such as walking, jogging, rowing, etc., and maintain 2 in, 6 out. Progress to 2 in 4  t when under more exertion and 2 into 2 out at max exertion. 
• Practice land activity – medium to high exertion, go to the ground on the stomach, and practice slowing the heart rate down while in the paddling position. 
• Practice while paddling the above rhythm in sync with paddling strokes
• Try to exhale when applying force and inhale in between.
• Relaxation pattern (when waiting for waves, at home, not moving):
• 2:00 total (or longer if you like)
• 2 sec inhale
• 2-sec hold
• 10 sec (or longer) exhale
• Relax into this

NEXT SESSION: Sunday, November 15, 2020. Meet at 8:00am.  Lo tion: The Hook, anta Cruz. Based on conditions, it will be somewhere in between us. I'll tell you a few days before or even the night before via text and email. In this session, we will focus on applying the above techniques to the ocean, on energy conservation, and introducing concepts for the next Pool/Lagoon Session. 

Sunday, November 15, 2020

Great day today. Surfing with you was a lot of fun. Here's a summary of  what we discussed, as well as assignments for next time:

• Horizontal balance is coming along. What was really great to see was that your horizontal balance looked better at the end than at the beginning, which means you made unconscious adjustments. Remember, we want to nose between an inch below and above the water for that board, averaging at the water. Today was lumpy, so you would have liked it closer to an inch above the water, and in the second half of our session, I saw that more often.  
• Practice 20 minutes with your shortboard every session and catch waves on your longboard for the rest. Continue this every session to get hose repetitions on the shortboard, paddling around and paddling for waves. Then, after about 20-30 minutes, switch onto your longboard and practice the longboard technique of catching waves. Consistency will be critical.  
• Focus on the four techniques we've worked on so far:
• Horizontal Balance
• Lateral Balance
• Entry
• Lengthening the Vessel
• In this order. Balance is the foundation for everything.  
• You can practice transitioning to the power paddle stroke (sprint) between waves during a lull. Or, in between waves, you can practice any of the above techniques.

New Paddling Links

• Surf Pro Techniques - Chapin Kreuter 
• BONUS - Helpful Tips From My Surf Coach Friends 
• Salty PT - Jim Cegelnik DPT 
• Surf Body Connection - Shane Carpenter DPT 
• Surf Simply - Costa Rica

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Hiking Dipsea Trail

Having last hiked the Dipsea Trail in September 2016, I was eager to experience the raw beauty of untouched wilderness again. I was especially keen to revisit the rainforest, with its lush vegetation and moss-covered trees.

Although the Dipsea Trail has multiple entrances, I decided to start the hike from the intersection of Highway 1 and Arenal Avenue in Stinson Beach. The trail meanders through the beautiful Mt. Tamalpais State Park on the way to Muir Woods.

When we arrived at around 10:30am from Sausalito, parking was already full, but we managed to find a spot for my Sienna minivan on the Panoramic Highway/Shoreline intersection. I put on my hiking shoes, grabbed my water, camera, and hiking poles, and we embarked on our journey.

Since I did not pre-download the Google Maps for the trail, I couldn't access Google Maps on my iPhone, so I had to follow the trail directions.

Instead of taking the Steep Ravine Trail to the Steep Ravine ladder (one of the highlights from the previous hike), we followed the Dipsea trail, first walking over open spaces with low grass, reaching an eventual treeline.

We continued our walk toward the Veteran's Bench, reaching a much-needed water-fountain to replenish our water bottles.

Here is the Strava recording of my hike:

The hike was very long, with many steep ascents and descents. Ultimately, we were thoroughly exhausted, and Inna's knee started to hurt.

Dipsea Trail Hiking Report

Highlights

• Beautiful trail with lots of ferns, redwoods, mosses, and tall trees
• Water refilling station (refilled our two water bottles twice!)
  
• Parts of the trail are heavily shaded
  

Lowlights

• Lots of long uphills  
• It can be a bit crowded, with lots of people hiking 
• No cellphone service, could not use Google Maps for trail navigation
  

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Enjoying Sausalito

For our 19th wedding anniversary, Inna initially booked two nights at the Timber Cove Resort (a bit North of Bodega Bay). However, a few days before our arrival, when she inquired about the weather and activities, she learned that ping-pong and a few others were discontinued due to COVID-19.  

Since the drive to Timber Cove would require 3+ hours, we explored other alternatives. After reviewing the availability of hotels in Carmel, Monterey, Pismo Beach, and Sausalito, we settled on a night  (Saturday) stay at the Cavallo Point Lodge in Sausalito, CA. We have been to Carmel this year but have not visited Sausalito for many years. Revisiting the area would be fun and offer us a chance to hike the Dipsea Trail.

Saturday, October 17, 2020

After a breakfast of blueberries, strawberries, and yogurt, Inna and I packed our car with a few essentials (some clothes, hiking shoes, cameras) and started our drive to Sausalito. The traffic was light, and we arrived at Cavallo Point Lodge around 12:30.

Inside the main building, we checked in and were assigned room #2503 in building 1561. We were told that free E-bikes and Lexus 3-hour test drives were available. Since the main restaurant was booked for dinner, we made lunch reservations instead. We asked the receptionist to reserve Poggio Trattoria at 21:15. We parked near our building and unloaded our car. It was a walk to our building on a partial gravel path.

After resting in our room, we walked toward the Cavallo Point Restaurant for lunch. Putting on our masks, we were seated on the second-floor veranda. Since the kitchen switched to the dinner menu at 14:00, we rushed to order brunch entrées. I selected the Mozzarella Scramble, while Inna selected the Crab Salad. 

It was scorching outside, about 85F (unusually hot for Sausalito), and I was trying to find shade to avoid being in direct sun. However, the entrées were delicious.

After finishing lunch, we decided to try renting E-bikes for a ride to Sausalito. However, all the E-bikes were rented out (what a disappointment), so we drove to Sausalito instead. We parked in the main parking lot and paid for two hours of parking.

Our first stop was Lappert's Ice Cream, one of our favorite Hawaiian-based ice cream chains. It's been a long since we tasted Lappert's and were looking to cool off in the sizzling weather. I ordered a cup with Mint Chocolate Chip & Kona Coffee, while Inna selected Kauai Pie. Lappert's ice cream tasted delicious but was of higher quality in Kauai.

We walked around downtown and were surprised to see so many tourists. Most restaurants and shops were open, although a few were notably closed. Strolling through the waterfront, we found a few properties for sale. Out of curiosity, we examine one listing closely. A 3-bedroom waterfront home was listed for $2 million. We were surprised that prices have dropped so much.

After exploring a few downtown shops, Inn and I decided to visit the Heath Ceramic Factory, which is about 1.5 miles away. We found a long line of people waiting to enter when we arrived. Due to Covid019, only a few customers were allowed inside. Unfortunately, we were too late and were not allowed inside.

Despite the disappointment, we visited the Golden Gate overlook before sunset. The drive was not too long - perhaps 15 minutes at most. When we arrived, we were treated to spectacular views of the Golden Gate Bridge and the surrounding area. There were multiple viewpoints, and we stopped by each one.

As we observed the Golden Gate Bridge, I spotted a lone windsurfer sailing the length of the bridge. There wasn't enough wind on this hot October day, but plenty of wind for him.

At around 18:00, while we waited for sunset, we decided to eat an earlier dinner, as we did not like eating so late (our concierge made dinner reservations for 21:15 at Poggio Trattoria). Inna searched Google and found Piatti Restaurant near Mill Valley, which had openings at 18:30. It was well-rated, so we decided to eat there instead. (It was a mistake - Poggio is a far superior restaurant despite its lower ratings).

We arrived at Piatti at about 18:30, located next to the Ferrari Dealership. When we walked in, we were offered an indoor table near the window - all the outdoor tables were taken. Although we asked to be seated outside, Piatti staff could not find us another table. Besides, this particular table was over a cold air vent and was very unpleasant. We asked to be moved again but had no luck.

For an appetizer, we ordered a Butter Lettuce salad, which we shared. It was alright. For the entrées, we both ordered Pappardelle Bolognese (Piatti is supposed to make its own fresh pasta). The pasta was of average quality for Northern California. 

We also ordered a Tiramisu dessert, but it was also just average. Overall, we were not thrilled by the slow service, the inability to change our table, or the pasta quality. We will be unlikely to return again.

Sunday, October 18, 2020 

We had a reservation for breakfast at 07:00, but Inna was so tired that we only woke up around 07:15. At around 07:40, we walked to the Cavallo Point Restaurant and ordered our breakfast.

Inna selected the Croque Madame, and I ordered the Cavallo Point Breakfast (two eggs, toast, and chicken sausage). The breakfast was delicious, and we were prepared for the long Dipsea Hike from Stinson Beach to Muir Woods.

After breakfast, we checked out of our hotel (picking up a few croissants to eat during the upcoming Dipsea Trail hike) and packed our Toyota Sienna. 

I will review the Dipsea Hike in a separate blog post.

After the hike, we returned to Sausalito for dinner, stopping at Poggio Trattoria. We were quickly seated outside and offered free sparkling water. As we were pretty thirsty from the Dipsea Hike, we were delighted with free sparkling water.

Reviewing the Poggio Trattoria menu, we shared the Verdura Mushroom Pizza and the Tagliatelle pasta. Unexpectedly, both the pizza and pasta were quickly served. We found the pizza, especially the cheese and mushrooms, fantastic, and the pasta with shrimp was also quite delicious. 

We also really loved the Affogato for dessert. It was so delicious with vanilla gelato and chunks of orange, covered with a freshly made cappuccino.

Overall, it was a fantastic dinner for our 19th Wedding Anniversary to make up for the sad affair at Piatti yesterday. We're sure to eat there again when we revisit Sausalito.

After dinner, we decided to return home. However, on the way home, we noticed a lot of fog hanging by the Golden Gate Bridge and decided to revisit the Golden Gate overlook. In about 15 minutes, we were there, along with so many other tourists and photographers, trying to find a parking spot and then rushing to take photos of the fog rolling over the Golden Gate Bridge as the sun was ready to set.

The fog was so cold and wet. Although I had my jacket on, I was still miserably cold!

Sausalito Trip Report

Highlights

• Hiking Dipsea Trail
• Beautiful room at Cavallo Point Lodge (but a bit overpriced)
• Breakfast at Cavallo Point Restaurant
• Dinner at Poggio Trattoria in Sausalito
• Viewing Golden Gate Bridge from the Golden Gate Viewpoint

Lowlights

• Dinner at Piatti in Mill Valley (avoid!)
• Early closure of Heath Ceramic Factory
• E-bikes not available at Cavallo Point Lodge (limited availability)
• Sweltering weather on Saturday

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Repairing Ripcurl Wetsuit

Inna purchased the 4/3 mm Dawn Patrol wetsuit in medium-tall (MT) size for Alex from Ripcurl in Santa Cruz on September 2, 2020. Alex grew so much that he was no longer fitting in his medium Ripcurl wetsuit.

After surfing for about a year (60 sessions), the seams in the back of the wetsuit started to come apart. We decided to drop it off at the Ripcurl shop in Santa Cruz for repair. The Ripcurl shop mailed it to the Ripcurl headquarters in San Clemente on October 10, 2020.

When I called (1-800-842-2875) on October 20, I was told by a Ripcurl associate that Ripcurl's repair facility was backed up. 

Update on 11/5/20: Still no update from Ripcurl, and their email is not accepting further inquiries.

My tag number is #08616. 

Ripcurl Repair Status

Highlights

• Even though my wetsuit was just over one year old (beyond 1-year warranty), Ripcurl repaired it eventually.

Lowlights

• Dawn Patrol required repair with less than one year of use
  
• Ripcurl does not answer their emails very promptly. I finally received a reply a week later.
• Ripcurl is backed up for repairs (3-4 weeks)
  

On Monday, November 23, 2020, I finally received a call from Ripcurl Santa Cruz that Alex's wetsuit had been returned (repaired) and was ready for pickup. It took 7 weeks, but the repairs were well done.

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Repairing Firewire Tomo v4 LFS

During one of his latter surfing sessions at Rockpile Beach in Laguna Beach, Alex damaged his Firewire Tomo v4 LFS surfboard.

When we returned to Santa Cruz on October 10, 2020, we dropped off the surfboard at the Midtown Surf Shop for repair. Since BE Sanding was very busy, we let Trey repair our board.

On Friday, October 23, Trey messaged me that the board had been repaired for $90.
I will try to pick it up on Saturday, October 24, from the Midtown Surf Shop. 

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Apple Watch Nike SE Edition

After returning from Laguna Beach, I needed to replace my broken Apple Series 3 watch that stopped working after multiple surfing sessions. Although it is supposed to be waterproof, it really isn't.

I decided to try trading in my Apple Series 3 watch, and Apple offered $100 as a trade-in value. The new Apple Nike SE watch was sold for $309. At first, Apple refused to provide me with anything for the watch, but later, Apple honored their $100 trade-in value.

Apple Watch Nike SE Review

Positives

• 32GB for more accessible system updates
• Faster OS updates
• Battery life seems a bit longer than Series 3

Negatives

• Higher price

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Last Week at Laguna Beach

Monday, September 28, 2020 - Rosh Hashana

After waking up in the morning, around 7:30am, I decided to walk to Heisler Park to enjoy the beautiful beach as part of my daily exercise routine. Being Rosh Hashana, I skipped breakfast and lunch.

In the afternoon, around 12:00pm, Inna and I walked back to the main beach in Laguna Beach for a pleasant stroll on the sand. We enjoyed the calm ocean waters and watched some of the surfers trying to catch shore-break waves. On the way home, Inna stopped by a clothing boutique while I stopped by Whole Foods to purchase a small container of half-half and a gallon of water (for tea).

In the evening, Inna planned dinner at Beachcomber Cafe at Crystal Cove Beach in Newport Beach. She made dinner reservations for 8:00pm, but I hoped to eat earlier. When we arrived, I dropped her off and parked my van in the adjacent parking lot. 

Inna had already taken some fantastic sunset photos, and we strolled around the mostly empty beach, enjoying the cool, refreshing Pacific Ocean water.

We asked the receptionist at Beachcomber for earlier dinner time. He promised to text us when a table would become available. We sat in our beach chairs, enjoying the warm fall night.

At around 7:30pm, Inna received a text that our table was ready, and we returned to the Beachcomber Cafe. After reviewing the dinner menu, we ordered the following items:

• Inna: Hot Tea, Baked Bleu Tomato Soup, and Diver Scallops as the main entree
  
• Boris: Hot Earl Grey Tea, Baked Bleu Tomato Soup, and Shrimp Carbonara  as the main entree

Neither Inna nor I liked the Baked Bleu Tomato soup. It was pleasant but nowhere as good as the tomato soup in Oak Restaurant.

However, both of our entrees were exquisitely prepared. I liked my Shrimp Carbonara; the shrimp and the pasta were also quite tasty. Inna liked her large scallops a lot, too.

We enjoyed a delightful dinner under the stars, with the sound of the ocean in the background.

Tuesday, September 29, 2020

 Alex and I woke up early in the morning, hoping to surf at Rockpile Beach, as Surfline.com promised 4-6 foot waves. However, when we arrived around 6:50am, some surfers left, and the waves didn't look very impressive. After looking for a few minutes, we decided to observe the waves on Thalia Street.

Many more surfers were on Thalia Street, but the waves were mostly beach break, closing out quickly. We decided to return home, resume our sleep, and try again later in the day.

I walked back to Rockpile Beach in the afternoon (11:00am - 12:00pm). While the number of surfers was more significant, the waves were small, with occasional sets of 3-4 foot waves. It didn't seem much different from the morning, except the fog had burned off a bit, and the air temperature was much hotter.

Alex and I returned to Rockpile Beach in the afternoon to try surfing there. The waves were much better, and given the hot air temperatures (85F), Alex decided to surf without his wetsuit (only using his swim shirt).

The waves were quite large when we started surfing, and I immediately caught one nice ride. Later, the waves diminished, and I didn't get many more chances, though Alex did much better. However, under the extensive wave sessions, I broke another surf leash during one of my dives.

It wasn't our best surfing day, but we still had fun.

 

Wednesday, September 30, 2020

In the early morning, I walked to Rockpile Beach. There were a few surfers out. 

After returning home, I made delicious coffee in the French Press, and Inna later stopped by to purchase pastries at Moulin (our favorite local patisserie on 248 Forest Ave).

 In the late afternoon, after work, I surfed at Rockpile Beach. I  caught a few waves, but nothing especially outstanding.

In the evening, we enjoyed another beautiful sunset.

Thursday, October 1, 2020

I walked to Heisler Park in the early morning, enjoying the beautiful weather.

At lunchtime, I surfed for two hours at Thalia Street. I had a few short rides, but the waves were small and hard to catch. Plenty of surfers were out there; is the school still in session?

Since I had a lot of meetings, I dropped Alex off at Rockpile Beach at 4:00pm so he could also surf for two hours. I returned home to continue working.

For dinner, we ordered burritos (to-go, online) from La Sirena, which were delicious as usual.

Friday, October 2, 2020

In the early morning, I walked to Rockpile Beach. A few surfers were surfing, but the waves were smaller than on Thursday (the previous day).

At noon, Inna and I walked to Laguna Beach and saw a few surfers riding waves on Thalia Street. It was nice to stroll through the cool ocean water at noon!

At 3:45pm, I took Alex to Rockpile Beach, where he surfed for 2 hours using this Kym Thompson 6'6" surfboard. 

He caught a few nice rides, and I managed to record one of his rides on my Canon G7x camera. Ocean waves were 3-4 feet and weren't too busy.

Here is a Canon G7x video of Alex surfing at Rockpile Beach.

After I dropped off Alex, I drove Inna to Fashion Island at Newport Beach. Inna looked into the Apple Store but could not walk in as appointments were still required. She did discover an exceptional new gelateria - Bacio di Latte. She raved about the delicious gelato she was eating.

After I finished my meetings, I returned to Rockpile Beach at 6:30pm to pick up Alex. Alex was a bit late coming out. He had a fun surfing session. After he changed out of his wetsuit, we drove to pick up Inna at Fashion Island. It should close at 7:00pm, but that only applies to major stores like Macy's.

We parked at the Fashion Island parking lot and met up with Inna, who was enjoying her delicious gelato. We decided to try eating dinner at the nearby burger joint - Hopdoddy Burger Bar. Inna looked at the online ratings, which were quite positive, so we decided to wait in line to order our burgers and get an assigned outdoor table.

We were assigned table #81 outside and ordered the following items:

Boris: Buffalo Bill Burger, Strawberry Margarita
Inna:  Magic Shroom Burger, Strawberry Margarita
Alex: Big Parma Burger, soda

While burgers were delicious (better than SuperDuper in San Jose), fries were even better. However, the Margaritas were unimpressive. We like quality Margaritas, and the ones we ordered at Nomad's Canteen in San Clemente were much better.

After dinner, we stopped for delicious gelato at Bacio di Latte. Inna wasn't kidding; Baco di Latte's gelato was better than the gelato at Grom and Eataly!

Boris & Inna: Pistachio, Belgian Chocolate, Cream in a medium cup
Alex: Hazelnut, Chocolate in a large cup

 

We returned home and enjoyed delicious hot tea. I was tired from the workweek and went to bed around 11:00pm.

 Saturday, October 3, 2020

In the morning, we woke up early, at around 7:30am. I took a shower, shaved, and dressed. I ate yogurt with blueberries for breakfast, followed by freshly ground coffee in the French Press with toast and a remaining pastry.

At approximately 8:30am, we started our 30-minute drive from Laguna Beach to San Clemente. Although traffic was relatively light, we encountered many race cars on the road, including multiple Ferraris, Lamborghinis, Audi TTs, McLarens, etc. Californians really love their foreign sports cars.

After finding parking, I took a beach chair and umbrella, setting it up on the north side of the San Clemente Pier so that Inna could swim (if she desired). Afterward, Alex and I drove to the Trestles parking lot ( a few miles away), parked our van, and got ready for surfing. It was already quite hot outside, and Alex and I rubbed in a lot of suntan lotion. We walked about 15 minutes to Lower Trestles Beach, where we launched into the cool water.

Alex was surfing on his Kym Thompson 6'6" board (his other Firewire Tomo v4 6' board was damaged). I was surfing on my Wavestorm 8' with a new leash (the other being broken). The waves were not as large as last time, but there were a few sets of large 5-6 footers. Alex caught many excellent rides. At first, I could catch waves, but they kept falling off. Eventually, I was able to see the waves and continue my rides. 

After we finished at around 12:15pm, Alex and I walked back to our Sienna minivan, changed our clothes, and drove back to San Clemente to pick up Inna. A Trump rally was going on, in full swing, and we could not find parking. Many people were carrying Trump signs, and there was plenty of police presence, but everything was organized well. I didn't realize it was possible to support Trump in California (given the strong Democrat presence in San Francisco and Los Angeles).

I asked Alex to leave the van, help fold the beach umbrella, and bring the beach chair back to the truck while I circled around the area.

When I picked up Alex and Inna, we decided to eat in downtown San Clemente, in our favorite lunch spot - Nomad's Canteen. Although it was pretty hot outside, we ate outdoors, hoping to find shade behind the umbrella. 

Inna and I ordered Margaritas while I drank lemonade. I ordered Grand Guacamole with Chips for our appetizer to get started (Alex and I were pretty ravenous from our long surfing session at Trestles). For entrees, I was adventurous and selected the Scallop-Peno Quesadilla (although a bit spicy with jalapenos, it was delicious). Inna picked her tried and actual Jaco Poke Bowl. Alex ordered a carne asada (beef) and quesadilla (which he couldn't finish).

After our delicious lunch, we returned home for some rest and relaxation. When Inna and I had rested for a few hours, we decided to watch the sunset on Laguna Beach's main beach. We noticed how crowded it was as we walked to Heisler Park - one of the better sunset-viewing locations. People were walking all around; some were picnicking, others were relaxing, and others were playing.

After finishing taking multiple photos of the gorgeous sunset (and I also managed to take a phone call from the lone server at Rockpile Beach), we headed to a small beach immediately adjoining the sunset viewing area.

When darkness started to creep in, we returned home, stopping by Whole Foods to purchase Pellegrino and a gallon of spring water.

We enjoyed the calm waters of the Pacific Ocean and watched the boogie boarders and swimmers enjoying the beach.

 

Later in the evening (around 9:00pm), we walked back to Laguna Beach, stopping at Carmelita's Kitchen de Mexico for dinner. 

I ordered an amber beer and a Tostada salad (delicious), while Alex ordered a Chimichanga, and Inna selected a Seafood Enchilada. 

We really enjoyed our Mexican food and the free chips and salsa provided.

For a quick bite of dessert, we stopped by Dolce Gelato for delicious gelato. Inna and I shared multiple flavors, including chocolate and Irish, while Alex had his own pick.

Sunday, October 4, 2020 - Our Last Day!

I hoped to wake up at around 6:30am for an early morning surf session with Alex. However, we were tired from the previous day and only woke up at 7:30am. After getting dressed and eating breakfast, Alex was excited about surfing at the Rockpile because of the favorable Surfline.com swell forecast (4-7 feet).

We drove to Heisler Park, and I parked my van at the Rockpile Beach entrance. We stepped out of the truck to check out the surf. We saw many large rollers sweeping the beach and got somewhat excited. We changed into our wetsuits and took out our surfboards.

After rubbing on plenty of sunscreen (it was already sweltering), we paddled into the surf. A few surfers were out, and we positioned ourselves to catch some waves. Alex was quite successful immediately, while I took longer to see my first wave.

I managed to catch a nice left-hander wave, and I had an enjoyable ride on the face. A bit later, Alex and I shared a left-breaking wave, and it was fun to surf together. We had a great time and caught a few more waves, though I did manage a few spectacular spills.

After finishing surfing around 10:15am, we returned home, took showers, and started packing. Fortunately, Inna already packed her clothes, and she also managed to purchase a few pastries from the nearby Moulin patisserie. We enjoyed our last delicious breakfast with hot coffee (from the French Press).

After breakfast, we continued to pack our minivan for our return journey to San Jose. We had such a great workcation at Laguna Beach that we did not wish to return home. Fortunately, the drive to San Jose (mostly on highway US-5) was uneventful, and we made it home at 7:00pm.

Last Week at Laguna Beach Trip Report

Highlights

• Walking on Crystal Beach in Newport Beach
  
• Surfing at Rockpile Beach
• Surfing at Trestles
• Dinner at Nomad's Canteen
• Freshly baked pastries from Moulin
• Newly-made gelato from Bacio di Latte.

Lowlights

• Damage to Alex's Firewire Tomo v4 LFS surfboard (from Rockpile Beach)
• The long drive home from Laguna Beach (7 hours)
• Crazy Southern California drivers
• No freshly baked bread in Whole Foods (unlike San Jose)
• Two broken surf leashes

 

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