We escaped for a quick five days at Crystal Cove State Park. We were just here 10 days ago, but it is one of out favorite places…
We pulled out of Redlands at about 1:30 pm, arriving at the guard shack at 2:46 pm. They are VERY strict about the 3:00 pm check-in time, so I threw myself of the guard’s mercy, explaining, “I’m sorry we are early, but there wasn’t enough traffic…” He acquiesced and checked us in. By 4:00 we were set up and the rain began.
We were soon joined by two couples from our high school days, plus another Airstream couple who is camping with us. We enjoyed Happy Hours inside the Villa, as the rain rattled on the roof.
However, just before dinner we stepped outside to see the sunset:
After dark we returned inside for dinner and some great wine. As the hours passed by we enjoyed catching up and laughing about old times…
Monday morning dawned bright and sunny, with blue skies all around… The traditional walk along the beach happened despite the cool temperatures (42 degrees…):
The tunnel under Hwy 1 is both a beach access path and an outflow for rain run-off from the hills above. This was our first close-up glimpse of the surf line…
Phil and Steve braving the elements:
Low tide reveals many more rocks than usual:
Lynda on the rocks:
On our return walk atop the bluffs we pass by the historic Shake Shack:
(I could show these same photos every day because we take the same walk every day…)
Later in the day I walked out to the edge of the campground for some shots of the coastline:
And a nice view of the Villa…
The rest of the day was spent relaxing and puzzling; I watched an old movie and worked on planning our trip to Louisiana in March. Happy Hours arrived at 5:00 and we enjoyed a cozy evening in the Villa.
Tuesday morning started out much the same as Monday. The weather is gorgeous but frickin’ freezing – 42 degrees when we left to walk the beach at 8:30 am.
It’s always fun to see these small water fowl along the way…
Lots of rocks are exposed at low tide. Beyond is the historic zone of the 1930s era cottages; these cottages have been restored and are available for rent through ReserveCalifornia.com. It is virtually impossible to get a reservation…
The final 17 cottages are currently being restored. New foundations are installed on deep pilings, new infrastructure, roads, and utilities are being installed, steel frames are added to meet current building codes, and all the old materials, inside and out, are restored and reused to maintain the 1930s look. The restoration of the 17 cottages is costing $17,000,000 – you do the math…
Crystal Cove consists of 3.2 miles of beach and 2,400 acres of land, all donated by The Irvine Company to the State of California in 1999…
Wednesday morning started out much the same as Tuesday. Except the weather, while still gorgeous, has turned cloudy…
Rain is expected to start at noon and to continue for 5 days…
Along our walk back to the campground we pass by these houses (about 130 condos) on the hill above the Crystal Cove Shopping Center. These were done by my office, TCA Architects, Inc., almost 20 years ago. They appear to be holding up nicely…
The rest of the day we stayed cozy in the Villa, listening to the rain on the roof… Happy hours occurred.
At about midnight the rain started in earnest. It rained HARD for 12 straight hours, with bouts of very heavy wind. Being inside an aluminum tube, with plastic skylights, the noise was deafening!
Thursday morning we stayed in due to the rain. Happy Valentines Day! Finally a little after noon the fog/low clouds lifted and the rain slowed to a drizzle. We ventured outside:
The sea was angry, my friend…
The stream that becomes a two foot wide channel through the tunnel under the highway has become a torrent. The rangers closed the day-use area to keep people from being swept away if they tried to walk through the tunnel…
The surf continued to tear up the beach and sweeping the sand out to sea…
The evening of the 14th we enjoyed Happy Hours again, this time with special Valentines Day Cocktails: We each had a Boulevardier, served with caviar on a blini, and for dessert were chocolate truffles and more wine…
It was a good evening…
Friday morning was beautiful again. We couldn’t do our normal beach walk because the tunnel under the highway was still flooded, but we did a work around. The beach was a mess, loaded up with seaweed and kelp, but it was otherwise clean…
After the walk it was time to clean up and hitch up. We were back in Redlands by 2:30… We even saw some green fields and hills and orange groves in Redlands on our drive home…
Next week we go to San Clemente State Beach, and the week after that we have a club rally at Pechanga…
And an enjoyable time was had by all…
And an enjoyable time was had by all…
Adventures in the Villa 