New sensation

I grew up in the low-tech era where you got most of your dating advice from Penthouse forum or pop songs. One song went like this: “ .. if you love her .. you must take her .. somewhere where she’s never been before.” I found it most valuable. Take-out food on a picnic table at Mount Saint Mary’s in Palos Verdes offers a panoramic view of the Pacific Ocean from what looks like farmland. Good dinner date. Who hasn’t seen the inside of a restaurant before? Thousand Steps in Laguna was like no other beach in Southern California. You could walk through a cave, float in Grecian-like pools carved out of stone then dive off a low cliff and take a short swim into a secluded cove. Not for the faint of heart but definitely more exciting than sunbathing. The reservoir in the Hollywood hills is a rarely seen oasis above Los Angeles. I once had a date tell me she felt high just being there. Another told me she was dreading the traffic going back. It was lost on her. One time a girl started undressing me at a rooftop dance club in Long Beach. It was our first date. A new experience beats a fancy restaurant anytime. It alters the senses and shifts your perspective, which can even put someone like me in a better light.

coastal zone

offshore conditions at Butterfly ..crystal

Thousand Steps

Grow site

Humboldt County

California Coast

California’s top 10 beach hotels and places to stay on a budget by Anna Stothard:  Few places are as synonymous with the beach as California, but staying on it can be expensive. So here’s our pick of 10 affordable and brilliantly located beach pads, from campsites and cabins to budget inns ~> [ X ]