Back to Ocean Beach

Last time the Nomads were in Ocean Beach, it was at the terminus of our long road trip. We hung out there for a few weeks, trying to recharge after getting beaten down by the desert. We never really did recharge, so we drove back to New Jersey and reintegrated into society. But our son Colin and his lovely girlfriend Jenn still live in OB, so we figured we would fly out for a little post-Christmas quality time in SoCal. Funny thing was, it was colder in SoCal that weekend than it was in New Jersey. The Astral Nomad curse is powerful. By the way, cold in SoCal means high 50's/low 60's so this was nothing too tragic. Besides, I love California!

The standard Ocean Beach vista. No too hard to take.

OB is kinda quirky and nothing says quirky like a decent sized

protest by Idle No More. The Nomads say Right On!

Here's Colin and Jenn looking over the menu at this

hip Sushi/Tapas pace in OB called The Joint. The

food was really good. Seems like a weird combination

but it really rocked. Pro Tip: The mushroom and goat cheese

polenta. So good that Astral Wendy didn't even stop to

photograph it.

Our hotel balcony. I can assure you I was not

thinking about work. In fact, I was in the state which

is the pinnacle of human existence: thinking of nothing at all.

When in OB the Astrals always stay at the Ocean Beach Hotel,

a little old school place right on the beach and about two blocks

from Colin's apartment.

You'll be Neptune and I'll be Poseiden

and we shall play all day below the sea.

A pecking order of one.

Looking out towards Mission Beach. There are three beaches just

north of San Diego: Pacific Beach, Mission Beach, and Ocean Beach or

as they are known locally PB, MB, and OB. The joke is that this

stands for Probably Bums, Mostly Bums, and Only Bums. There are

definitely street people in OB, but they are very mellow. Hey, man,

it's California.

A more elaborate pecking order.

The pacific sea vegetation is pretty wild. This bulb is about 8 inches

in diameter. 

First day we had to hit the Dog Beach. Faithful readers of this blog

will probably remember my hit single At the Dog Beach. 

Please feel free to sing along at home:

"At the Dog Beach, Oh yeah! Dog Beach"

The sun was nice and warm but the baby head must be protected 

at all costs.

Astral Wendy never lost her hippie cred.

Tie-dye? Check.

Peace sign? Check.

Fetish necklace? Check.

We took a drive down to the Cabrillo National Monument,

an elevated peninsula south of OB and west of downtown San Diego.

A pretty spectacular landscape indeed. Hard to believe it's so

close to a major urban area.

Colin and I hanging out at the tide pools.

Downtown San Diego from the top of Cabrillo, with Coronado 

in the foreground.

Colin and Jenn.

In Vino Veritas

From out on the OB pier. Lot's of people were surfing. And it

was pretty damn cold just being on the pier.

Sea cliff apartments just south of the pier. Every time we look

at these, we are quite tempted to just go sign a lease. Balcony sitting

is a favorite Astral Nomad pastime but our view in New Jersey falls

immeasurably short of this.

Hello Commander. Yes, everything is in order.

From out on the pier, we caught a glimpse of a seal. Dude was

messing with Astral Wendy's head as he dove every time she tried

to get a shot. She finally bagged him.

Ready! Steady! Go!

Flipper! Is that you?

Colin's friends in San Diego come from all over but quite a few

come from the great state of Massachusetts. It was 

play-off season so we to catch the Patriots.

Here's Dan and Cole playing the Super Fan Brady Bunch.

Yummy!

Speaking of yummy, I grilled up some nice hot Italian

sausages at half-time.

The other side of the super fans Cole and Dan.

Coming home after the game we caught this great western sunset.

This really never gets old.

From there to here, from here to there, 

funny things are everywhere!