Carmel River State Beach

This video captures that location where my fiancée and I will be married in July. It overlooks Point Lobos State Reserve, where we had our first kiss. Yes, a very romantic spot. The second half of the video contains a special 360º view of the beach, mountains, and lagoon where the Carmel River empties into the Pacific Ocean. It was here that the 1769 Portolo Crespi Expedition erected a cross to signal their supply ship that they'd gone back to San Diego. In those pioneering, something like a cross would be the only sign that Europeans would recognize as a message.

Asilomar State Beach

Sometimes you need to be safe in the harbor, other times you need to go to the rocky shore. The vital, edgy, and cantankerous shores of Asilomar Beach remind me that at times there's very little cushion for some of life's challenges. But in the midst of challenge lies opportunity. The tide pools swell with foam and waves at high tide and starve from moisture at low. The creatures that live there must have a strategy to take life's ups and downs in stride. If I'm going to get through the dry and turbulent times, I'll need to do the same.