balboa island

there is something very exciting about spending an afternoon in newport beach and walking around balboa island. over thanksgiving break, my husband and i were able to have an afternoon to ourselves (thanks to his mom). this is a recount of our first real date in california...

after parking near the pier at newport beach, we took the ferry to balboa island. it was so cool to see all the sail boats and such in the bay.


then it was right to eating balboa burgers and curly fries. fantastic. better than i remember.


while taking a nice stroll through the streets of beach houses and dreaming of the day i get to stay in one again (cross fingers), we saw some cougar pride.


and of course we saw some little row boats. this picture makes me smile.


we bought balboa bars to eat on the ferry ride back. it was yummy and this was all that remained when the ferry stopped.


and here is the ferris wheel that is the symbol in my mind that represents newport beach. i first saw it when i was 10 and i could not forget it.



i love the look of lifeguard posts. maybe its from my love of the beach or watching too mach baywatch and oc, but something about them is so poetic.


husband found a huge bamboo shoot and was very proud of himself. isn't he cute?


oh how i miss palm trees when i'm in utah.


piers have the same effect on me as lifeguard posts. love them!


someday this will be me with my family - just enjoying a nice little afternoon playing on the beach at newport while staying in a beach house on the island. don't know if this family was staying on the island, but they were playing in the sand and it was cute.


this dead tree/large piece of drift wood causing trouble so a lifeguard and some other dudes tied it to the lifeguard truck to be hauled away. the roots were not up to the move so they stayed behind. later they were removed and that was a humourus sight - it reminded of a broom from the sorceror's appritence as it waddled up the beach behind the truck.


this little boy was walking round and round this viewfinder thing (if you know the real name. please comment) and it was just a perfect image.
*plus* check out his shoes! a kid after my own heart.


as the sun set, we said goodbye to one of my favorite places in the world. later mr. seagull. i'll say hi to your cousins in utah.


p.s. i found what i want to do next christmas in the balboa island breeze newpaper.