Rancho Palos Verdes
Walking along the edge
A strategic hop on the freeway - golden hour - mid morning just after rush hour, a few twists, a couple of turns and I arrived at a small piece of paradise tucked away in plain sight. Abalone Cove Shoreline Park, appeared in pieces from the long stretch of road before I entered the parking lot. Once I opened the car door, the ocean breeze rushed through me, the vibrations of the waves crashing on shore settled in my ears. I felt light years away from LA, it was just me, the Pacific Ocean and oh yeah - Esther.
Esther, my forever sista friend (19 years - give or take a year) and partner in hiking. She had Friday off and I thought it would be a great idea to take our hiking adventures to the beach. Before tackling the trails, we both agreed to have breakfast first and headed to Terranea Resort for luxury and sustenance. So, we got back in our cars and went a 1/4 mile up the road. Outside on the patio at Catalina Kitchen, we talked, laughed and savored our food. I ordered the shrimp & grits topped with a fried egg. I was pleasantly pleased with my choice (everybody can't master "grits magic" and transform them to a creamy state of perfection). We got lost in the "Terranea Cloud" of comfort and maybe stayed an hour past our plan.
Once we landed back at the park, we were ready to hike! At the beginning of the trail, you descend into dry brush, rocks and a variety of caution signs. Along the way, there were plenty of squirrels zipping in and out of the shrubbery. A few stopping to inspect your path to see if you dropped any tasty treats - side note - never feed the wildlife. The short path ended at rocky terrain on the beach (okay maybe we went the wrong way or took a detour). We opted to take it all in, inhale the ocean spray and melt into the view.
After a few moments and Instagram posts, we continued to trek the rocky beachfront and got back onto the hiking trail that gradually ascended up the cliff. The two mile adventure ended on the main road. We opted to walk back along the roadside to visit Wayfarers Chapel and to take in more views of the ocean. This was a great way to spend a Friday afternoon and I will be back to Rancho Palos Verde and explore more of the coastal beach nooks and of course hiking trails.
