Visiting the ocean

No trip to see my parents would be complete without a visit to the ocean as well. As you can imagine, living as far inland as we do, seeing the ocean is a novelty.

So on Sunday afternoon, I went for a drive. The day was sunny and bright, but as I approached the coast, the marine layer (the almost-perpetual layer of coastal fog) became visible on the horizon.

This area is heavily agricultural. I passed fields of broccoli...

...peas...

...and strawberries, among much else.

Approaching the coast, the road was hewn through sandstone (or what I presume was sandstone).

In some areas, the road cuts were deeply channeled, looking like miniature badlands.

But some coastal flowers were blooming...

First glimpse of the ocean.

Naturally, there were lots of ice plants...

...and a few yellow sand verbena.

I climbed down the access path to the beach and strolled along the shoreline.

This part of the coast has relatively few shells, but it seemed every rock was collectible. I have to remember I'm flying home, not driving, so I can't pack five pounds of rocks in my suitcase.

This rock looked like a mini Oreo cookie. Okay, I should probably have pocketed this one (but, regrettably, didn't).

I found a piece of sea glass in a pale, sea-foam green. This one I did keep.

Sand crab carcasses were everywhere.

I found a sand dollar in almost perfect condition.

Later, I found a purple sand dollar, which probably means it had more recently died.

Close-ups of the papillate spines on the ventral and dorsal surfaces.

Color difference between a newly dead sand dollar and an older one.

Fragment of a crab shell, no idea what kind.

Barnacle attached to a sand dollar.

Snowy plovers were everywhere. Portions of this beach are often cordoned off to protect their nesting grounds.

I think this is a western sandpiper (correct me if I'm wrong).

The long-billed curlews were especially fascinating to watch.

Found a sand crab!

You can see it at the bird's feet.

Yum.

The higher portions of the beach were strewn with the fragile paper-thin carcasses of velella (also called "By-the-Wind Sailors"). I didn't see any fresh ones, so I'm guessing they tend to wash ashore later in the summer.

Walking back to the beach-access path, I saw dozens of sand pipers clustered together in an area of only a few square yards. Must have been an exceptionally rich haul of goodies below the sand.

And that was my visit to the ocean.