Beach – Page 2 – travellingzombie.com

The Beach

The UK is in the middle of a heatwave! As we live in the north, it’s fairly rare to get a summer with this much sun! I can’t believe just how warm and dry it has been over the past few weeks. Usually we have to dress for the weather in summer, which translates to taking out coats and brollies ‘just in case’ it rains!

As expected, with the beautiful weather arriving just in time for school holidays, everyone heads to the beach to soak up some rays. Pictures of crowded beaches, with people sunbathing in every available gap in the sand have filled our news feeds recently. It made me think about what I like about going to the beach and I have to say; it’s not about the weather!

Firstly, you have to understand that I love the heat. I am a sun worshipper and I can feel cold with a jumper, heating and a blanket; proving that I am not a fan of the winter. However: visiting a beach in the middle of a heatwave is the worst thing that I can imagine! Not only would it be full of lots of people (which as an introvert, I probably wouldn’t be thrilled with) but it takes away some of the power of being on a beach.

To me, a beach is a gateway, filled with possibilities; you can look out across the horizon and know that a different place lies across the water. Even though you may not be able to see land, you know that adventure is waiting, travelling across the sea will take you to adventures in another country, with excitingly different cultures and new friends you haven’t yet met.

The proximity and constant movement of the tide helps me to think and there is nothing better than seeing the stretched expanse of beach lay in front of you – even if in reality, a dodgy fairground is a mile down the road.

Looking at the pictures of people making their way down to the beach on hot sunny days; crowded and loud, makes me think back to the times when I have walked down empty, squishy patches of sand, along the edge of the sea, whilst the wind whistles around my coat. I know which one I prefer.

Somewhere To Belong

Belongs somewhere doesn’t always mean a particular place

The past couple of months haven’t really seen much travel for me and Wandering Beeb. We have been moving house and as anyone who has been through that experience knows, it takes up lots of time and almost all of your money! After lots of sorting and box carrying, we decided we needed some time out and a bit of time away from the house-moving world.

We jumped in the car and took off to Formby beach and squirrel park . We chose Formby because it’s fairly easy for us to get to, has a beautifully clean beach and has a lovely forest area nearby.

After lots of busy weekends, it was so nice to stroll through the forest area. We’d picked a beautiful day (that one sunny day that the U.K. gets each year!) and the sun was streaming down through the trees. We were keeping our eyes pealed for squirrels but we didn’t spot a single one, despite the forest’s name! We did spot millions of magpies though, so that might have provided an explanation as to where all of the squirrels had gone.

Looking up at the tree line, we were struck by how much they resembled the trees in Zion National Park. This led us on to a lengthy discussion about Zion and what we’d enjoyed there – making us reflect on our experiences. Although it wasn’t quite the same (no waterfall to walk underneath and certainly not as hot!), it had a similar calming effect on the both of us.

We’d arrived in Formby stressed out and worked up, but looking at the trees and taking time to appreciate our surroundings instantly made us feel far more relaxed.

As we strolled along the beach, the sun bouncing off the sea and the calm sound of the waves made us take a breathe and slow down for a second amongst the hustle and bustle of daily life. Jumping over the pools of water and slushing through the wet sand, our shoes became drenched and our socks were soggy, but our smiles were much wider than when we first got out of the car.

Before this trip, I was getting ready to write a post for last week’s photo challenge on my place in the world. I probably would have picked Yosemite as my place in the world – however, our visit to Formby made me realise, it’s not a specific place where I feel at home. Instead, it’s being somewhere in nature: tall trees, water, sunshine and good people are what I need to feel at home, the actual location doesn’t matter.

I’d Rather Be….

That little bridge in Yosemite is my gateway to relaxation

This week’s photoblog prompt is, as the title suggests, about something that I’d rather be doing.

When I saw the prompt, initially I was thinking about being on a road trip. Many of the trips we’ve done have included a road trip, travelling from one place to another with a list of places to visit. There’s something about the open road and the promise of somewhere new.

As I was thinking about what to write, I realised that actually, where I’d rather be is by the little bridge.

Stoneman Bridge offers some great views of Half Dome and is the gateway to Sentinel Beach.

The little bridge in question is in Yosemite National Park. Spanning the Merced River that runs through Yosemite, Stoneman Bridge is the gateway to the stunning Sentinel Beach, which offers a secluded little rest stop. It’s perfect for swimming and gazing up at the views of Half Dome. To get to the beach area, hang a left after crossing the bridge, taking the unassuming dirt pathway through the trees until you reach the stony beach.

The pathway through the trees doesn’t look that promising at first but it soon opens out onto the Merced river

This little bridge has become a bit of a symbol for me. The first time we visited Yosemite, we’d spotted the area the day before heading up Half Dome. Seeing that it was a fairly secluded spot, we planned to come back the day after our big hike to rest and swim in the water. It became cemented in my mind as a place to relax and now every time I visit, it’s on my ‘must do’ list.

Surrounded by huge granite cliffs, Sentinel Beach is the perfect place to relax.

Usually, when people say places are ‘magical’ I start to think that they are exaggerating, or at least prone to being a bit dramatic, however, for this location, I think that the word fits. Particularly as this was the setting for our closest encounter yet with a deer.

We backed off slowly, giving it lots of space but still managed to grab a couple of photos.

We were playing frisbee on the beach. It was later on in the day and there were very few people around. I could hear some voices on the other side of the banking and looking up, I realised that they were all pointing over to our group with their cameras in hand. Not one to think that I’m ever good photo material, I immediately looked behind me to see a deer silently wandering out of the tree line on to the shore. I let the others in our group know *quietly* and we slowly moved back, keeping a respectful distance from this beautiful animal. It stood fairly still, exploring the ground and the water for, what felt like, five minutes, while we gaped open-mouthed at the opportunity to be so close up to something this stunning in the wild. After a few minutes, it wandered away, returning into the trees as stealthy as it arrived.

Like a ninja, this one sneaked up on us, wandering really close to us as we sunbathed.

We spent the rest of the afternoon floating in the river and soaking up the last of the day’s light. Freezing cold at first, the water soon warmed up and it was so peaceful to hear the sounds of the water in such a beautiful setting. Yosemite’s granite cliffs surrounded the river and it was such a stunning view from the middle of the lake.

Housekeeping Camp can be seen just through the trees on the bank of the Merced river.

Stoneman Bridge is my gateway to that relaxation spot in Yosemite. I know that as soon as we reach the bridge, the little pathway will lead us through to the river and the small stony beach. On any given day, that is where I’d rather be.

Where would you rather be? Let us know your favourite places in the comments 🙂

An Unscheduled Road Trip: Santa Barbara

How I fell in love with Santa Barbara

I’m not going to lie, driving from Yosemite to LA is a fair distance and despite the curvaceously stunning coastlines of the Big Sur, there comes a point where you just have to pull over and take a break.

Twice we’ve stopped at Santa Barbara for a couple of hours to break up the drive and although it wasn’t on our list of places to visit, I have found that I’m completely in love with the place.

The first time we visited, I saw a grand total of a multi-story car park, a sandwich shop and the view from the top of the Court House. We were racing time to reach our next overnight stop and didn’t have much time to see the sites. This was a functional visit – loo break, food and a change of driver. The main reason for choosing Santa Barbara as our impromptu stop was because we googled interesting locations along our route and Santa Barbara was listed as a location for Michael Jackson’s house. This felt like an interesting adventure. We thought we might be able to see it from the rooftop of the County Court House – spoiler alert: we couldn’t. The view was lovely however and the Spanish colonial style architecture made it feel like we were in a little European town rather than in the USA. Despite the short visit, the bright streets and sun-drenched rooftops made a quick stop-off somewhere to remember.

The second time we visited, we had a little more time and were able to explore further. We found the main street entirely by accident, twisting and turning through narrow, boutique-lined streets.

Heading up State Street, we came across the La Arcada Courtyard. It was here that I lost my heart. The centrepiece of the courtyard is a stone fountain, complete with an abundance of turtles lazily plodding onto the rocks in the summer sun. We sat by the edge of the fountain watching the light bounce off the water as the turtles clambered over the slick rocks and each other, jostling for position in the warmth.

Peeling ourselves off the hot fountain edge, we wandered through the streets, stopping to marvel at statues, shops and tiled walkways. It felt like an art-lover’s paradise, with expression and passion everywhere you looked. The life-like statues (something that would usually creep me out) perfectly fit the activity on the streets and added to the bohemian atmosphere.

Eventually the grumbles of our tummies won the argument with our brains and we agreed to head for lunch. We stopped at a little restaurant on the square and the food was incredible! It might have been the time on the road talking but I probably had the best salad ever at that little restaurant.

After lunch we headed down for a quick stroll on the beach to check out the sand sculptures. Walking along Stearns Wharf, the sun was reflecting off the water and it was a refreshing walk along the pier to burn off our food. I loved the close proximity of the beach to the shops and town centre and the whole place had a really chilled out, centred vibe.

We only had a short time in Santa Barbara but it was one of those places which makes ‘winging it’ on the road really pay off. It’s such a beautiful place and I’d love to spend more time there exploring, as I feel that it has much more to offer than we managed to see.

Where has been your best unscheduled stop? Has it lead to any unexpected adventures? We’d love to hear them in the comments!