12/20/2006, Playa del Carmen.
Walking Up From the Beach
Walking up from the beach at Playa del Carmen towards the main shopping drag on Quinta Avenida. There's a new church going in on one side of the street, just opposite the main bus depot. From here there is a mile or two of shopping going north, or you can walk into town heading west.
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12/17/2006, Playa del Carmen.
On Point
Another view from south of the hotel, along the gorgeous beach at sunset.
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12/17/2006, Playa del Carmen.
Tidal Pools at the Point
Just before sunset I took a stroll south on the beach and found this spot, with a living tidal pool right at the point. A great place to watch the sun go down after a day of sun and drinks!
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12/17/2006, Playa del Carmen.
On Point
Our hotel in Mexico, the Mayan Palace, was right on the beach south of Cancun and north of Playa del Carmen. We spent the majority of our time lounging around the pools and beaches. This view is from a few hundred yards south along the beach, at a small point where you could look back and see the hotel, or further south towards a small fishing village harbor.
More panos soon!
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12/17/2006, Playa del Carmen.
Underneath the Pier
Closed for repairs since the last hurricane, the hotel has a pier that looks like it's used for parties and other events.
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12/17/2006, Playa del Carmen.
First Day on the Beach
Our first day in the sun was low-key and pleasant. We spent most of the day checking out the huge pools and rocky beaches at the resort. Here we are vegging under a big palapa on the beach, waiting for our first round of drinks.
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12/17/2006, Playa del Carmen.
Exploring the Beach
Our first day in the sun was low-key and pleasant. We spent most of the day checking out the huge pools and rocky beaches at the resort. Here Julia is carefully stepping through the tidal pools at the nearest stretch of beach to the hotel.
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10/14/2006, Leo Carillo State Beach, Malibu
Picnic on the Beach
Friday night and into Saturday morning it was dreary and wet in Los Angeles, but just after noon the skies cleared and nature beckoned. We scrambled to get out of the house quickly - grab food, cameras, blankets, Archie - and hit Highway 1 north to see where we might land. It only took us about 30 minutes and we decided to stop at Leo Carillo State Beach just on the north end of Malibu... we played with Archie a bit, then setup a sheet on the sand and had a picnic - veggie turkey on rye with the works, and a great salad to share. We just lounged around all afternoon watching the kite surfers, and when it looked like rain was about the hit again we climbed in my Element with the seats folded down and just kicked back some more! We left after sun down, and on the way home picked up cups of Pink Berry's (newly) famous frozen yogurt. What a great, lazy Saturday in SoCal!
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Some of the best weather of the year hit us over the weekend - deceptively overcast in the morning turned into high clouds, blue skies, and colorful sunsets. I took the chance to head down to Santa Monica for some sunset panoramas using my monopod rig.

This weekend Julia and I went to Catalina Island, along with her parents Boyd and Lorna, to join my father and friends for my stepmother's birthday dinner. We got a few hours of snorkeling in both days, and the usual bounty of excellent food - the entertainment was done on my father's friend Don's boat, about 80 feet of first rate galley and lots of party room. Several other families were staying there, while we crashed on my dad's sail boat - a bit more my style.

Two Harbors, Catalina Island, Pano 1
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Two Harbors, Catalina Island, Pano 2
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Two Harbors, Catalina Island, Pano 3
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From the Banning House at Two Harbors, Catalina Island, Pano 4
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