You can get to San Clemente by train.
It's not fast but it gets you here. I have ridden it once in my pre-blog days. 😍
There is an unmanned train station right downtown.
The beach walk south from the train station to the pier is wonderful.
However since I was towing my 30ft trailer I didn't take the train, obviously.
Peerless Stroll:
Camping days usually start with a coffee while walking the pier. It just never gets old.
Today I met a new friend on the pier. This guy was not at all shy. I immediately christened him Jonathan.
As in Jonathan Livingston Seagull.
Jonathan Livingston Seagull a fantastic light easy read, it's also a wonderful audio book narrated by Richard Harris and a movie which I haven't yet watched.
Driftwood:
I later walked the beach. It has been stormy lately and the beach is strewn with driftwood of all shapes and sizes.
Look at this piece.
I wondered where this had floated in from and imagined it coming down from Portland or Seattle after years and years at sea.
I thought about the loggers pulling a double handed huge saw blade through this timber when it was a tree to cut it down....... then I looked more closely and saw it was actually cut down using a modern chain saw.
But feel free to make up your own story about where it came from.
Bamboo and Bamboo Roots:
Now these next two pieces of flotsam fired my imagination for a bit longer:
I imagine this growing in someplace exotic like Japan and breaking away in a storm to head for California. Because eventually everyone longs for California.
This opened up another kettle of fish I had to research.
Where does bamboo grow?
Shiny Objects and Artistic Skill:
Further along I was distracted by a beautiful clam shell.
No significant thoughts on this other than it was / is pretty. And in it's day was probably tasty.
Artistic skill then entered my brain probably inspired by this local artist.
Who :
1. Sees a rock as a shark head,
2. Goes home gets paints, brushes and other painting paraphernalia
3. Lugs it all the way along the beach and then
4. Paints this for us all to admire ?
Thank you artist person I admire your diligence, effort and skill.
I wonder if the artist is the same person who each Christmas puts decorated Christmas Trees along this stretch of beach ?
Driftwood Architecture - an evolution of sorts.
Random bundles of drift wood began to turn into structures like this.
It's hard to see that as a structure but up close you got the idea.
Here the emerging skill is evident, cross beams could eventually lead to roofing.
A skill finely honed and tuned. The inhabitants, who I assumed were hobbits, had just stepped out when I took this shot.
This next one I am not buying as an act of nature.... but it's cool.
Looks vaguely like a Joshua Tree.
Visitors from up north - Obviously.
These two bikini clad young ladies were obviously not California natives as it was way to cold to be cladding skimpy swim wear and posing for social media photos.
I am guessing they were Minnesotans or maybe Canadians chasing their geese.
Sunless Pier:
The next day was rainy and cloudy, but still walked the pier. Uncommon here in SoCal usually. But I think the view is still spectacular.
Jonathan was there today as well but he didn't feel like being photographed.
I have been visiting this Pier for about 6 years now and I carry my camera each day. It wasn't till 2019 that I discovered these interesting views of the pier. I am not sure what that says about my spacial awareness but I am glad I found the views eventually.
Updates:
Another day by the pier, it was Saturday, I noticed this tiny wee girl in a wet suit carrying her surf board. I was so impressed I asked a by-stander was I seeing this properly. The bystander laughed and said yes she thought so.
A moment later the young ladies Dad arrived armed with a massive camera and lens.
That is him on the LHS of photo on pier looking down at the 3 wee surfers.
The young girl was his daughter and she is 8 years of age. She was surfing with her sister aged 9 and their cousin aged 11. The 8 year old chased fewer waves, caught more waves and was more athletic.
