Los Angeles

Sunset at Santa Monica Beach in California

Two weeks later and here we are in Los Angeles again. For a while, the 3rd Street Promenade in Santa Monica was a serious draw for movies, food, books, and street life. At some point, Mark Shimer joined us; come to think of it, this was probably the weekend we convinced Caroline to go to Six Flags Magic Mountain, and with knees quivering, she rode Superman – and liked it!

Mark Shimer and Caroline Wise at Santa Monica Beach in California

No matter when and where, my wife will always try to get her shoes off for a walk in the water, add some golden sunset, and it all lends itself to a perfect day.

Los Angeles

Burning hay bales in Blythe, California

These burning hay bales near Blythe, California, are the only reminder that the weekend was spent in Los Angeles. No other photos were taken, and my memory is not good enough to figure out any of the details.

Maybe we took in a movie; maybe this was the weekend we stopped in at Disneyland for half a day, visited a museum, met with the family, or visited Little India or one of the other ethnic centers in Los Angeles; who knows?

Southern California – Day 3

Los Angeles, California

Headed out towards Valencia, California, to pick up our old friend Mark Shimer to spend some time with him today. These are the mountains around Ojai, which is one of the cutest small towns in Southern California.

Mark Shimer, Caroline Wise, and John Wise on the California Coast

We made it out to Pismo Beach because it has a beach and we could walk along the ocean. After a beautiful self-indulgent long weekend in Southern California, it was time to point the car east for our 550 miles (885 km) drive home to Phoenix, Arizona. Getting home after midnight can be a drag, but it’s all well worth the effort.