Faraway Places Just Down The Street

Yesterday was the last day of my weekend after an exhausting work week.  Not having really gone anywhere all weekend, I wanted to get out a bit and take some photos.  So I decided on the beach, even though I seem to always be there~  But as I arrived on the Pacific Coast Highway, ready to take a right turn to go to my usual spot, I ended up turning left!  Let's go somewhere new!!  I ended up driving all the way down to Crystal Cove State Park and spent fifteen minutes or so winding around mountain roads in ritzy Newport Beach/Laguna Beach neighborhoods.  But on the way back home, I came across a nice looking lagoony type place, so I quickly turned in, made my way around and into it.

Boy, was I surprised~  I was driving along, and all of a sudden, the road before me became one lane wide, with a bike lane to my left.  It was a lovely scenic drive around these wetlands.  After I got back home, I figured out the name of the place is the Upper Newport Bay Nature Preserve.  All along the route, there were these signs prohibiting people from passing.  But who can blame them though, right?  Its a nature preserve afterall~

I saw all sorts of creatures from crabs, to these lil crustacean things, to lizards~  There were tonnes of nice plants around, too!

And I rarely take portraits of my beloved car, so here are a few~  She never lets me down~

And last, and certainly least, is a self-portrait~  I guess the lesson is that sometimes, you gotta get lost to figure out where the heck you're going!