From Cali to Tex Mex

Driving from California to Texas was a test. When they say there is nothing on I-10, they mean it. It is one long and often windy drive.

The drive from California to Austin, TX can be done in as little as 27 hours if driving straight through. With rest stops and sleeping, it took us more like 3 days from Los Angeles to Austin.

The highlights of the drive included Brad's little cousins dressing up in mullet wigs, stumbling across El Dorodo Hot Springs, AKA "the best place to get naked" in Tonopah, AZ and a giant metal bird at a New Mexico rest stop

The lows included watching a line of cars full of families leave a state prison after visiting hours, Coming down with a bad cold and contemplating the idea of having to spend an extra sick day in a motel room that looked like it had been staged for an Alfred Hitchcock thriller.

Facts:

The El Dorado Hot Springs are located seventy-five miles east of Quartzite, leave I-10 at Tonopah--Exit 94;

New Mexico visitor centers have free wi-fi, coffee and tons of tourist information. They don't make rest stops like that in California!

The hill country roads in Texas are actually more lush than California's Gold Country. Wild, eh?

Barrels and Pylons

Another beautiful day and great head high surf for southern California. I met up with my good bud Kevin Mobley in Hermosa Beach this morning, and the north side of the pier was empty with people, but plentiful with waves. It wasn't as big as the day before, but the weather was warm and the waves were kind. I was shocked to see Kevin take a nice wave right through the pylons that hold up the pier. He didn't even flinch, as he paddled out he looked at me as if I was supposed to do the same thing. I laughed, the last thing I need right now is shoot the pier and come up short. The pylons are covered with mussels that act like Velcro if you get to close, I did not want to be the other side of the Velcro.

I managed to get in the right spot as a nice set wave rolled through, I stood up, a couple of pumps down the line later I crouched down and got barrelled for what felt like 6 seconds, but was probably only 2-3. This made my day, heck this made my week since I can only count on 1 hand the amount of times I've been barrelled.

Hope to do it again tomorrow.

Lucky Hour

County Line Delivers at High-Noon

Good surf prevailed on Saturday morning with pulsing northwest swell building. It was a lazy start with light wind and water growing textured.

Sunset was working; a promising sign that just up the coast we would find fewer crowds and bigger surf... hopefully. With our fingers crossed we saw playful waves but not the size we had hoped for.

Checking a few spots on the way we thought we might have been shown up once again... but just as we pulled away from County Line a macking 7 foot set rolled through. There was a burst of laughter from the tailgating locals on the bluff as 70% of the line-up got drilled on the inside.

It looked like luck was on our side! We pulled over, suited-up and scrambelled over the rocks into the sweet sweet surf. The water was crystal clear and warm for February; the wind mellowed and an off-shore breeze picked up. Everyone surfing enjoyed 4 to 6 foot waves with plenty to go around.

The End

Hangloose