California Dreamin'

I can't escape the fact that I'm a California Girl. Yeah, I was born in Nebraska, and when I moved to England in 2004, I swore I would never live in California again. I learned something in my return to the Golden State in 2006--you can take the girl out of California, but you can't take the blonde highlights, great smile, and love of the ocean out of the California Girl.

What most non-Californians don't realize is that most of the West Coast is rocky and ferocious. In my travels, I've met a lot of people who think of California as one huge beach with lots of girls in bikinis. The surf is always up, the sun is always shining, and it never--never--rains.

I take delight in setting them straight. California's landscape is as diverse as its people.

But yeah, we have our beaches, and the beach and boardwalk at Santa Cruz definitely top the list of fun-in-the-sun places to visit in California.

Last fall, I took a day trip to Santa Cruz with the marching band from my school. Part of my duties as a music teacher have been to lead the drum line, which is, of course, attached to the marching band. I went along to support my kids, and because a day at the beach is never a bad thing. After following them on the parade route, I spent an enjoyable afternoon wandering along the beach and the Boardwalk.

I did my amateur best to get some "artsy" shots. The following are my best attempts.