California
Little House on the Ocean. February 2015. San Diego, CA, U.S.A.
I am back home in San Diego for the holidays and one stop I like to make is at the historic Crystal Pier in Pacific Beach. These Cape Cod style cottages sit on the pier for visitors to rent for a stay above the Pacific. Crystal Pier was built in the 1920s, followed by these cottages in the 1930s. They are particularly unique because these accomodations are the only one of its kind along the California coast line.
San Diego, Winter Wonderland. February 2015. San Diego, CA, U.S.A.
I never knew what a "real" winter felt like until I moved to the east coast. Growing up in San Diego was a dream. The days average about 70F/21C and, being a desert city, the evenings can dip pretty low, but never ever below 32F/0C. San Diego has an average of nearly 3000 hours of sunshine per year so even when it is cold and crisp, the sun is typically shining.
I took this photo during a visit in February. While the east coast is bracing for snow storms, this southwest corner oasis looks like this. In fact, the chilliest part of of San Diego may be the Pacific Ocean*.
Pictured here is a pier on Scripps Beach that is located next to the UCSD Scripps Institution of Oceanography campus in north La Jolla. The pier is closed to the public, but the beach is not. Scripps Beach is quieter than its southern sister La Jolla Shores so if you are looking for a beach that is more peaceful and one that locals retreat to, Scripps is a good place to go.
*In fact, let's hope it stays this way. Donald Trump, climate change is not a hoax.
Blaze of Glory. San Diego, California. March 2015.
"The first stab of love is like a sunset, a blaze of color -- oranges, pearly pinks, vibrant purples..." - Anna Godbersen
Brake It Down. San Francisco, CA. March 2015.
This mural caught my eye as I was walking in The Mission district of San Francisco yesterday because of the stark contrast between the two levels. I love how the lettering sits perfectly between the plain and the colorful. The Mission is one of my favorite neighborhoods in the city because of the numerous works of public art on display. You cannot turn a corner without seeing a splash of color and lots of character. This is just one of many I captured in my short stroll between a cafe and my BART stop. There will be more to come!
Mother's Rocking Chair. San Diego, CA. March 2015.
Last year, my parents made the tough decision to sell our house in San Diego. It was the house my sister and I grew up in and a place we had called home since 1986. My mother put down new roots in a smaller house in San Diego and kept many family touches that make a house a home, including this rocking chair. My parents bought this chair for their tiny UC Santa Barbara "married student" apartment in 1980 shortly after my mother moved from Taipei to join my father while he was attending grad school. Two years later it was the rocking chair my mother sat in to care for me and many years later, my sister. I have very fond memories of this chair am happy to report that my mother still uses it today.