Wandering Wednesday … Free Pass

No, it’s not about THAT free pass … LOL!! Did you know that you can get a free pass for the California State Parks using your library card? I saw this on instagram, looked it up, and headed over to my local library to see if they had passes (you can actually see online who has passes and what parks are included, but you can’t put a hold on them) To my delight there were numerous passes available, so I snagged one. It’s valid for one week, you can’t renew the pass you have (each has it’s own barcode), but if there’s another pass available, you can just check out a different one for the week.

Every once in awhile I decide to really take advantage of the place I call home and do those things that tourists pay big money to do in my own backyard. My reason for getting the pass was to visit Crystal Cove State Park, a stunning recreational playground, complete with amazing vistas, beach access and two restaurants. It is $15.00 to park at Crystal Cove and I wasn’t going to spend that to go for a walk and have breakfast, no matter how beautiful … but with the pass it’s free!

… if you walk down, you must walk back up!

Well, I went for said walk along the bluffs overlooking the ocean, sat on a bench and read for a bit, then continued my walk over to The Beachcomber restaurant for a delicious breakfast. I’m not much of a breakfast person, so I was planning on getting their mouth-watering beignets with whipped cream and chocolate sauce. It’s basically just fancy donuts, right? Anyway, their special was a BLTA with sun dried tomato aioli & arugula on a squishy brioche bun. Okay, that sounds like a delicious lunch … even if it was only 8:30 in the morning … and seemed like a much less sugary choice than the beignets. It was served with their yummy rosemary potatoes. I’ve been to The Beachcomber many times, a restaurant literally on the sand, where you can hear the waves and occasionally see dolphins very close to shore. It’s the best place to take out of town guests when you really want to show off everything Southern California has to offer, but it’s not someplace I go regularly due to the $15 parking fee. I think that’ll change now! It’s pretty crowded in the summer, but it was practically empty on the gorgeous morning I dined there last week. If you want to go during peak times, make reservations. You can also go to the Bootlegger Bar or reserve a firepit for a fun evening. If you’re there at sunset you’ll get to witness the “salute & raising of the martini flag” celebration! There’s also another restaurant overlooking Crystal Cove on PCH called Crystal Cove Shake Shack. Another great choice!

Take advantage of the touristy things where you live!

Sadly, as I write this, fires have ravaged Los Angeles and we’ve all heard of too many friends, and friends of friends, who have lost their home. It is devastating and heartbreaking. If you can help, here are a few links to charities that are taking donations … World Central KitchenThe American Red CrossCalifornia Fire Foundation & Disaster Relief Fund … and you can find many more here.

3 Comments

  1. Library passes are the greatest! Here in Connecticut you can get passes to most of the museums in Connecticut and New York City. They are limited so not always available, and you have to remember to go get them!

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