From our 2023 update, explained below. Caroline and I dipped into Guelaguetza Oaxacan restaurant for brunch today which included a michelada.

Famous for their moles (pronounced Mo-lay), I was able to snag a sampler even though Guelaguetza was still serving breakfast.

Before we headed back to Phoenix, we had to get in one more walk at the beach. How we ended up at Leo Cabrillo State Beach, which is near Thousand Oaks and decidedly not on our way home, I can’t say. Sadly, no other photos exist of this day, and so what else we did today will remain a mystery.

Update: the above is false, though the name of the beach is likely correct. Here, on 25 December 2023, when I’m updating this, due to some circumstances surrounding Facebook reminding us of things, we discovered details of this trip we thought were lost. The photos above this one of the Pacific were taken from Facebook, as the originals are lost.

This is the elixir for the eyes of those who live in arid spaces.

With feet in the sand and head in the clouds, Caroline was about to step forward…

…into the sea so her feet would carry memories of the ocean for the best Xmas ever.

Update: in the original post, I thought that this was the end of the day and that from here we must have gone home, wrong. We had dinner reservations at Tar & Roses in Santa Monica. What follows was found on Facebook.

We are at Zuma Beach.

I don’t normally like sharing food photos, especially ones that are this poor, but considering that we thought we’d lost so many details about this Christmas trip, I’m including my yummy lamb belly in chutney with mint. Don’t forget people; blog while you can, as sooner or later, too much is easily forgotten.

The night ended in Santa Monica with a late-night walk down the pier. And to think that I thought we were on the way home.