California was on fire. The forests were burning, grassland was burning, the air was barely breathable. Lightening started one of the fires near San Jose while a gender reveal party got out of control due to some pyrotechnics in the dry summer grass in Orange County. Things were bad. But…

Someday I’d like to go on a photo safari, a real safari with big cats and cheetahs. But until then, I look for opportunities in my backyard. You could argue, and I would agree, that I get a chance for safari when I paddle with whales in the Pacific Ocean.…

It looks like a tropical island; clear water falling over the cliff into the sea, cool, clean, and picturesque. McWay Falls might be one of the most sought-after photos of California’s central coast. Just seeing the iconic photo feels like a vacation or a splash of cold water on a…

The trees are legendary. Old, big, and red, they only grow here along the coast of California, well the ewoks have them but, being in a different galaxy and time, they’re too far away. Sequoia sempervirens, known as the California coast redwood to all but the naturalists among us, may…

The tides and current can be murderous. The fog is legendary. And then there’s that suspension bridge. When you put them together on the wrong day paddling a kayak from the San Francisco Bay out into the Pacific Ocean to Point Bonita could be a recipe for disaster. With some…

I was recently at Morro Bay on California’s central coast. The four-mile bay is a favorite for vacationers from San Juaquin Valley cities of Fresno and Bakersfield to escape the summer heat and enjoy the beach. It is also mid-state situated for Bay area residents to be close by and…

Several years ago, I was at Morro Bay paddling with a friend. We had a great day of conversation and Pacific Coast paddling early in the day. As the afternoon wore on, we decided to go north of the bay to explore. As heat inland drew the moisture toward the…

I was recently at Morro Bay on the central coast of California. In addition to wanting to get away for a few days and try out my newly carved two-piece Greenland paddle, I wanted to take some pictures. Morro Bay was in rare summer form with sunny comfortable days devoid…

Sometimes it’s sunny. Being a California beach, more often the day starts overcast and cool. Surf City (north) is a busy place. From Santa Cruz’s boardwalk with its arcades and carnival rides to the main surf attraction, Cowell’s and Steamer Lane, opportunities in this California beach town are as vast…

A sea port in San Jose? Your kidding, right?  Alviso was established in 1852 is at the south end of San Francisco Bay and early in the American era became the port of entry for goods and passengers coming to San Jose. And why not? The Spanish established San Jose…