Meandering the Outer Banks with Ghost Crabs, Forest Spiders and Dread Pirate Diane

Part 3 and last in a series: No one visits North Carolina’s Outer Banks to go hiking. The narrow string of sandy barrier islands runs for 200 miles but never measures more than 3 miles between sound and sea. At 91 feet, Kill Devil Hill is the highest peak. Most nature trails stretch for less than a mile. We gave hiking a shot anyway. Continue reading “Meandering the Outer Banks with Ghost Crabs, Forest Spiders and Dread Pirate Diane”

Mercado de Colon in Valencia, Spain. Dan Page / CoastsideSlacking

Road Weary in Valencia, Spain, We Refresh with Gulliver in the Garden and Paella at the Beach

Part 6 in a series:

There comes a moment during most vacations when the travelers are ready to go home. For us, that day arrived in Valencia. We were weary of old towns, bored with cathedrals and battlements, and frustrated by our substandard Spanish. So, we went native. Continue reading “Road Weary in Valencia, Spain, We Refresh with Gulliver in the Garden and Paella at the Beach”

McWay Falls at Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park. Dawn Page / CoastsideSlacking

Road Repairs Restore Big Sur Thrills South to Gorda; Where is Everybody?

Half the fun of visiting Big Sur is the drive. And the newly opened bridge at Pfeiffer Canyon means the good times are back, at least as far as Gorda. For now, think of Highway 1 southbound from Carmel-by-the-Sea as a curvaceous 65-mile cul-de-sac with a view. It was so nice we drove it twice. Continue reading “Road Repairs Restore Big Sur Thrills South to Gorda; Where is Everybody?”

Quest for a Coastside Labyrinth Travels from a Quarry to Lands End and Back Again

Why walk a labyrinth? Actor Jeff Bridges, who portrayed the ultimate slacker in “The Big Lebowski,” offers this:

“With a labyrinth, you make a choice to go in – and once you’ve chosen, around and around you go. But you always find your way to the center.”

Nice centering metaphor. That is until someone completely lacking in inner peace pitches the labyrinth’s border stones into the ocean. Bummer. Continue reading “Quest for a Coastside Labyrinth Travels from a Quarry to Lands End and Back Again”

Martins Beach, near Half Moon Bay, California. Dawn Page / CoastsideSlacking

What’s so Special About Martins Beach? We Crash the Gate and Sashay Past a Cop to Find Out

If the landowner had never blocked access to Martins Beach, we probably never would have heard of this controversial stretch of sand south of Half Moon Bay, much less visited. So, what’s so special about Martins? We decided to crash the gate and find out. Continue reading “What’s so Special About Martins Beach? We Crash the Gate and Sashay Past a Cop to Find Out”

Waterfall at Garrapata State Beach. Dawn Page/CoastsideSlacking

Visit the Beach and Bluffs at Garrapata; With a Name Like “Tick State Park,” it’s Gotta be Good

The Coastside founding fathers stumbled upon a sweet brand when they came up with “Half Moon Bay.” Who can resist, right? But 100 miles to the south, the bureaucrats who named Garrapata State Park and Beach missed the mark badly if they were trying to evoke seaside romance.

Garrapata — that’s “tick” in Spanish, as in the eight-legged blood-suckers — deserves better. Continue reading “Visit the Beach and Bluffs at Garrapata; With a Name Like “Tick State Park,” it’s Gotta be Good”