The Pacific Ocean is less than an hour’s car drive away. After crossing from Riverside County into Orange County via the 28 mile Ortega Highway mountain pass and traveling through San Juan Capistrano,

Doheny State Beach is only  3 miles away. Oil tycoon, Edward L. Doheny, donated this beach property for public use in 1931. This was California’s very first state beach. In 1963 the beach received its official name. (en.m.wikipedia.org)

Jeff and I first visited the ocean with our dogs on November 3, 2015.

We returned by ourselves on January 12, 2016, a warm and sun sparkled day. Surfers practiced their wave maneuvers, paddle boarders skimmed the surface of the ocean, and beachcombers, like us, found interesting stones and shells carried to and fro by the waves.

What a wonderful day, mesmerized by the sound of the water, the fresh sea smells, the sight of sparkling blue ocean interrupted by frothy white waves, and the feel of the strong receding waves pulling my flip flops off my feet! We romped, played, explored, and enjoyed!