Wanderlust for One

The world on your own terms

California

Hooked on Ricky’s Fish Tacos in Hollywood

by

I drove past it three times before I decided I must be in the right place. After all, when Yelp directs you to great Mexican food in Hollywood, there are a few things you expect, the least of which is that the establishment in question is housed in a building. But there I was, standing on the edges of what looked like a private backyard party under a white pop-up tent just off … [Read more...] about Hooked on Ricky’s Fish Tacos in Hollywood

Wildlife of Coastal California: The Elephant Seals at Piedras Blancas

by

Just a few miles north of Hearst Castle along the Pacific Coast Highway--if you're driving with the windows open--you may catch a bit of a strong, "organic" scent on the wind. I'm not talking about the salty, seaweed-y aroma of the ocean. The smell I'm describing is worse. Much worse. What you're probably experiencing is the awful stench of the elephant seal rookery at … [Read more...] about Wildlife of Coastal California: The Elephant Seals at Piedras Blancas

Mesmerized by Morro Bay, California

by

Sitting on an angular boulder white with splattered bird droppings, I sent a sweeping gaze northward along the coast, blue sky blending almost seamlessly into wheat-colored hills before melting into the turquoise waters of the Pacific. A flock of gulls squawked and shrieked overhead, their shrill calls nearly drowned out by the roar of waves carrying surfers toward the shore. I … [Read more...] about Mesmerized by Morro Bay, California

Channeling My Inner Explorer on Santa Cruz Island

by

Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Grand Canyon. Yosemite. Yellowstone. Rocky Mountain. Olympic. Zion. Grand Teton. Acadia. These are only a few of the crown jewels of the United States’ National Park Service. They are among the most well-known, well-loved, and well-visited of the parks, their names alone conjuring visions of vast unspoiled natural beauty and their splendor … [Read more...] about Channeling My Inner Explorer on Santa Cruz Island