Soul Salvation

Back home after a successful Route 66 trip, though not one I enjoyed much for reasons already mentioned, plus the challenges that come along every now and then:  national parks closed due to political shenanigans, one client hospitalised and not covered by his insurance and a driver who was unhappy with his lot under the tour company's new regime and who told me how unhappy he was frequently and at great length. I sympathise with him and his colleagues but Christ, I got sick of hearing about it.

The group's timekeeping was hopeless, which is unusual for Brits. At almost every stop someone was late, including the sulky driver on more than one occasion. At Calico Ghost Town, a Disneyfied old silver mining community, sixteen of them were half an hour late and I lost my rag with them, resulting in quite a few ruffled feathers. It probably affected my tips and cost me Brownie points but fuck it - I was sick of telling them.

At Long Beach, I got my much needed free day and my rental car and took off for Huntington Beach. It was bliss to be on the pier, watching the world go by and taking photos of the surfers. The  photos came out much better this time around, despite me using exactly the same equipment as last time and the weather being pretty much the same too.

The California Coast never fails to lift my spirits - I can explore anywhere from San Diego to San Francisco (and no doubt all the way to Oregon), have a really great time and come back feeling refreshed. And so it was this time: I returned to Long Beach feeling much better about the way the trip had gone. There may be better ways to spend a sunny Sunday in Southern California but none come to mind.  Shame I couldn't have had another day to drive the coast.

Para-surfing at Huntington Beach as the sun goes down.

Surfing near Huntington Beach Pier

Airborne: Huntington Beach, 15th May 2011

I've led a few Route 66 trips which finish in Long Beach and I get a day to myself, all being well. Usually, I hire a car and head down the coast to try and find the surfers and Huntington Beach is normally the best spot for me as I can go out on the pier and get fairly close to the action.
This time, I brought along a 2x extension tube for my lens which got me close but, unfortunately the autofocus wasn't quick enough to keep up with the twists and turns of the surfers. Out of the 400 or so pictures I took, hardly any are really sharp. I won't be doing that again.
This guy was a long way from the pier and he was flipped through the air by a crashing wave, describing a beautiful arc before coming back down. He looks as if he can fly, which he could, briefly.
Technically, the photo is hopeless but I like it and maybe I'll get the chance to go back soon.