Happy Anniversary To Us!!

Before we left Seattle last February, Clara had said that one place she wanted to go for sure was San Clemente State Beach in California. We have been there perhaps three times over the last dozen years and always enjoyed our time there.

So it was that on Tuesday, April 21st, we were there to celebrate our 52nd wedding anniversary. The campground sits on a high bluff overlooking the Pacific Ocean, and we had managed to get a spot right on the edge (see first picture.) In mid-afternoon we walked up the beach to the pier for drinks, appetizers and munchies at Fisherman's Bar and Grill. Although it doesn't look that far in the picture, the pier is about a mile and a half away – a healthy walk on a very warm day.

I was pleased to enjoy my favorite San Clemente drink, called a "Boneyard," while Clara started out with a split of champagne, all accompanied by a platter of calamari strips.

Later, we had their Happy Hour special – BBQ ribs, baked beans, coleslaw – as well as a "Cottons" (supposedly named in honor of Richard Nixon whose Summer White House was in San Clemente, but we haven't figured out the reference in the name.)

We spent a couple hours eating, drinking and asking each other questions starting off with "Did you ever imagine 52 years ago that you would be . . . "

We took a bus back to the campground (let's not overdo the healthy walking) and enjoyed a most beautiful sunset.

Going to San Clemente

On our way from Hole-in-the-Wall to San Clemente, we went through El Cajon Pass in the San Bernardino Mountains – it was amazing to see all of the snow there, on April 19th, with temperatures in Victorville and LA in the 70's.

Our first outing in the San Clemente area took us down to Oceanside Pier, where we visited the neighborhood pelican and had breakfast at Ruby's, a favorite haunt of Clara's, located out at the end of the pier. On the recommendation of a friend, Clara had the "French Toast Special" – special because the "French Toast" was actually slices of Cinnamon roll!

Whenever I see a pelican (which ain't often in Seattle . . . ) I always remember the lines from Ogden Nash . . . A marvelous bird is the pelican . . His beak can hold more than his belly can!

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Leaving Las Vegas

On Wednesday morning, as we prepared to leave for a visit to Death Valley, Linda, out in the back yard, exclaimed in delight "Come see this!"

Overnight, one of her plain-Jane cactuses in the backyard had suddenly sprouted a bunch of gorgeous blooms – another example of how those ugly and threatening plants exhibit their own special beauty.

Later, as we drove southwest out of town, in our caravan (Linda & Jerry's camper and Jerry's Jeep and us) we remarked again on the paradox of Las Vegas – snow up on Mt. Charleston with above 70's temps in town. We also noted why Red Rock Canyon got its name . . .

As we got up just a little higher on our way out to Pahrump, the snow actually came right down to the edge of the road.