21 February 2009: The beach stretches out towards tiny Pismo village.

21 February 2009: This woman was strolling along the beach, one of many who were using it for their morning play or exercise. The picture didn’t really come out how I wished, but I liked the way she was reflected in the watery sand.

21 February 2009: We were aiming for SLO, but stopped here, at Pismo Beach, because it was dark and the fog was coming in. A short walk had me right down at a large, open beach. It was busy with people walking their dogs or children, a play beach, surrounded by dunes, rather than spectacular. [...]

20 February 2009: The early morning beach was crammed with sea birds, presumably scavenging for worms and things left behind by the tide. I passed a happy-looking man who was sitting with his coffee and newspaper, contemplating the loveliness ahead.

20 February 2009: Refugio campground is just a few steps away from the State Beach, and you can see the ocean from where you sleep. The beach is a pleasant, white sandy cove which was populated by many birds and lined with palms.

16 February 2009: The coast up that way is lined with lifeguard stations. Nobody was attending them at this time of the year, but I guess in the summer these beaches are absolutely buzzing.

16 February 2009: Looking back the way I came, the sea was bashing the rocks as the wind got up. By the time I returned to camp, I’d had more than one soaking. ;)

16 February 2009: The storm had thrown up swathes of seaweed. That stuff used to freak me out when I was a kid…the texture is just plain weird. Now, it’s just part of the sea-thing.

This photo essay is part of a series. Here’s the first one. 08 March 2008 Sandy Beach is a Solano County park, a well-kept place which really does adjoin a sandy beach, albeit one associated with the river and the Delta. The morning after we settled in, I wandered down to the river and discovered [...]