Traversing the coast, without responsibility

Jen and I took a quick trip to Torrey Pines on Monday. She suggested we spend my last Christmas vacation day off together, and plan a mini-adventure. Apparently those spontaneous days spent traversing the coast, without responsibility, are few in number once the baby arrives!

We hiked the gentle and relatively short Beach Trail, passing the wind-swept pines and sandstone outcroppings. The deep blue sea and pristine beach below provided a scenic backdrop.

After a nice, quiet rest on a bench overlooking the endless waves approaching the shoreline, we walked back to the visitor's center, and then took off up Highway 101, sun roof open, 80s songs blaring. Lunch was at Moonlight Beach in Encinitas, one of our favorite escapes.

I'll let the photos do the rest of the talking:

Our adventure in Peru!

Jen and I ventured to Peru this summer, to visit my father's old Lima stomping grounds. He lived there in the 1950s while his father was stationed at the U.S. Embassy. We also trekked to the Andean highlands and, of course, the ancient Inca city of Machu Picchu. It was an awe-inspiring adventure.

The picture here is Jen and me on a ledge at Machu Picchu.

My story about the trip was published in the North County Times. Check it out!


http://www.nctimes.com/travel/article_96253caf-d7bb-5c45-ac2f-cce68c018189.html

checking back in

... and so I'm back after a few months break. Been a busy winter/spring/summer getting my garden in shape (Roses are on their third round of vibrant blooms; squash, sunflowers, carrots and corn are all just starting to flourish. It'll be a few months before harvest).

Then there's the summer vacation planning. Jen and I will tour Peru at the end of the month, with stops in Lima, Cuszco and Machu Picchu. It will be the first big trip since our honeymoon in the Pacific Northwest, and should make for some great photos and tales to share.

Finally, work has kept me on my toes. A recent industry award for an investigative piece was a nice boost. But next week, I jump into the complex and often contentious world of county government reporting, after roughly a year covering a local transit district, one rich with stories about how and where to provide the limited funds for bus and train service across a sprawling and mostly suburban and rural North San Diego County.

That reporting was sandwiched around my coverage this spring of the Amber Dubois and Chelsea King cases -- the North County teens were abducted, raped and murdered by registered sex offender John Gardner. The crimes, which took place one year apart, shocked the region and gripped many in our newsroom, including myself. Gardner is now in prison for life without the possibility of parole or appeal. The girls' families have led legal campaigns to keep children safer. Questions remain in the community about how these tragedies could have happened.

I hope to write again soon, and update the progress of my garden!