Musings

 

The cartoon-like Leafy Sea Dragons at the Birch Aquarium in La Jolla alone make this stop worthwhile - captivating and amusing underwater wonders!

 

La Jolla Cove is home to pelicans, cormorants, seals, and sea lions, each claiming a special spot and ignoring the tourists' cameras.  The cormorants guard nests; male and female parents taking turns brooding.

 

Just off the coast at San Juan Capistrano - the "jewel of the (Spanish) missions", a calming and sublime refuge in a distracted world.

   

The Mission gardens and pools are lovely; this one attracting a single-minded Green Heron.

In LA, the Getty Centre - home to J. Paul Getty's extensive art collection. The angular architecture is grand and imposing; the gardens a softly elegant counterbalance.

 

Finally, Sculpterra Winery and Sculpture Garden in Paso Robles; sculpture by various artists.  Magnificent!

We leave today to begin the trek north filled with a trove of uplifting images of some of the treasures to be found along this delightful coast.