Not the Beach Nor the Ocean

I don't know what you call it but out this way when you're heading to the ocean it's called going to the coast.  It's not the beach.  It's not the ocean.  It's the coast.

If you called it going to the beach it could be any beach on a river, lake and maybe even the ocean.  Going to the ocean is a close second to saying you're going to the coast.  Those who live close to the ocean usually say coast.

Don't ask why.  It's just one of those things.

It's like where we used to live there's a river close by.  If we were headed there to go swimming, partying, or just fooling around we'd say that we're going to the River.  Everyone knew where we were headed.  To the River.  Now if we said that we were going to the beach no one would really know where we were going.

Me:  Going to the River, Mom.

Mom:  Don't you drink beer and come home shit faced.

Me:  (With both fingers crossed behind my back)  Yes, Mom.  I learned by lesson last time.

Here are some more shots of the trip last weekend to . . . . to, . . . go ahead and say it....RIGHT!  To the coast.

Top photo:  Grace and her dad cruising the coastline looking for shells.

Everyone things California is shoulder to shoulder people regardless of what you're doing or where you go.  Hells, bells.  In Northern California a beach that looks like this in the middle of the day is not uncommon.

The property the family owns is close to where this photo is shot.  It's maybe a hundred yards away.  There's ocean access for the homeowners in the area which most use to either fish or dive for Abalone.

Dawn and Grace are pictured here making their way down the hill to the ocean.

Most of the way down the hill is by rope.  Grace, in her white hooded jacket, has no fear of doing this or many other things involving heights or sharp cliffs.  Her dad is at the bottom all ready for some heavy duty dive for ocean snails (Abalone). Click on the photo to take a closer look.

Not many have access to this beach.  It's only for the residents or owners of property in this tiny subdivision.  Many of the owners are older and too frail to make it down the rope and making it doubly difficult to pull themselves back up the hill.  This means there's snails galore that make for easy picking.

I just love going to the coast.  It's a lot better than going to the beach and to the ocean.