Hiked down to the Dominator shipwreck in Palos Verdes after driving around the whole area searching for horse stables. I came here last year in the spring with my old film camera, but this time could take as many pictures as I wanted.  

A good winter swell was fading away but made this look like a rideable wave - it’s not.  

Palos Verdes surf check Saturday

January 24 & 25 was our second weekend in a row to be stuck home on the boat. It's been awhile between travelling and seeing family/friends that we have found ourselves with the opportunity to.... um, well... we didn't know what to do. I always have boat work but the weather was heating up and I didn't want my maintenance list to get in Mia's way (this time). I woke up and made coffee, "What do you want to do?" "I don't know, that thing that you wanted to do." sarcastically reply. A few minutes go by. "What should we do?"

This questioning bounces around between us for a couple hours until I'm restless and make us get up. We get coffee out, I check surf because last weekend (pre-back-injury) I bought a new longboard fin to try and it's been taunting me all week, Mia's equestrian side has been resurfacing and she's been looking at sensible places to board a horse. Palos Verdes has a few places so we decide to go up there, I know there's good views and trails so I bring my camera... the afternoon is finally planned. After some successful and unsuccessful visits to the horse stables, we hiked down to the shipwreck in PV.

Sunday was even warmer, mid-80's and dead calm. Mia went to the store for beer and snacks and I went and prepared the dinghy for us to cruise around on. I rowed us around the harbor, we got the usual comments from people about chivalry not being dead and how classic the dinghy looks. The tide was so low that people were beaching their skiffs in the middle of the channel and having a big hang out on the shoal. Although the wind was supposed to be strong and it was a small craft advisory, it was basically the most unexciting and safe, warm boating weather we could get here.

Other views from the same perch  

I couldn’t stop talking about how clear it was, almost never can see these mountains and from the top of PV we could see past Catalina and even San Nicolas Island.   

There was a rideable wave though and a handful of surfers gave it a go.  

hard to believe the conditions were this good this close to LA. 

the hike involves a steep and slippery dirt switchback down a cliff and then a few hundred yards of boulder-to-boulder stepping.  

Tried my hand at some long exposure night photography right up from the boat. Turned out pretty cool and I’m now trying to get creative for better shots. 

Long story short my back went out and the pain was significant enough that I gained another new appreciation to be able to walk without wobbling and sporadically losing strength in my legs. I took advantage of it by walking...slowly... with a limp... from the boat to the breakwall just in time for sunset and took these pictures.  

Mia’s cousin Sydney came up with a great idea to invite a group of good people to stay at an Airbnb in St Lucia. Who could say no? We went for 6 days and spent them in the house pool, at a couple different hotel / “public” beaches (the hotels make it very difficult to access the beaches on purpose) and we even chartered a 45’ catamaran and snorkel tour, then I rented a 16 foot Hobie from a resort. Overall it was a perfect balance of lazy relaxation and physical activities that were unique to the location.  

The view from the downstairs bungalow that the birhday girl, Sydney occupied.  

Kait, me and Mia, a patio view, a drone shot of Mia and I from Leif, the hobie sail departure taken by Leif, and Mia lounging in a hammock between the living room and backyard.  

The Airbnb was just outside of Soufriere which was a small town with a natural harbor which yachts were rotating through each day.  

We went to the Viceroy resort which was insanely expensive but offered a nice clean beach between the Piton peaks, and some impressive mega yachts in the bay.  

Trying night shots from the pool deck. The white light coming from the right of the first piton is actually lights from a 298’ yacht in front of the Viceroy resort (Sugar Beach)  

The catamaran charter was half snorkel tour and half booze cruise for just our group. The candid photos are Leif’s.  

The catamaran cruise ended at this beach down the hill from our house so we hung out on an abandoned dock for sunset.  

Playing with reflections from the pool.  

The house was very wide open to the Forrest surrounding it so every night lizards, frogs and other bugs made themselves at home.  

Leif, enjoying the sunset. He and I were technically add-ons to the trip after all the girls already booked and we couldn’t have been happier to be included.  

We went to Joshua Tree for New Years weekend. A big group of us stayed in an Airbnb that Mia found which had a huge backyard stretching into the desert. We drove over to an art installation during the day.  

the art installation was mostly a collection of garbage thrown together in a creative or weird way.  

a lot of toilets, plywood and loosened nails.  

Pretty sure that’s a catamaran standing straight up... a nice looking one too.  

I had my sandals on the roof and totally forgot, drove away at one point down bumpy dirt roads and they must’ve bounced right off

I didn’t actually go into Joshua Tree National Park, because that group outing took place around 6am the first day. But I’m determined to get back out there to see it in 2018, hopefully to camp too.  

This was all in the backyard of the rental, with a fire pit we all sat out by for New Year’s Eve.  

Great way to end a year  

Sophie and Andrew helping each other figure out a new toy  

The caption above applies to basically all the presents they opened. Matching pajamas were an awesome addition. 

By Christmas afternoon everyone was there

A hike on Christmas Eve when Mia was visiting, she got to see Sophie, Nicole and Scott. We hiked the Round Valley loop trail near Morgan Terrotoy which was full of cows and even a coyote 

Andy making sure the toys aren’t edible 

This marked the first Christmas both of the babies were here so there’s just a ton of pictures.  

Mia snapped this photo of me surfing in Shell Beach  

James and I went surfing because the weather was unseasonably warm plus some swell was in the water, we traded boards too so I was trying some nose rides (top right)