We rose a bit later as we had no plans and Deborah’s conference was over. It was also headed into another weekend here in California, my second weekend here, and a new set of folks, all with kids, were appearing to head to Disneyland. It feels like the hotel is rolling over its guests. Deborah reheated her eggs from yesterday, and I had cereal with a sliced banana. I made coffee, of course, with the coffee pods.
We spent the morning together, unhurried, and headed out to the Sherman Library and Garden in Newport Beach. We had little traffic and soon arrived, parked in their (we never see this) free parking, showed our eTicket, and then spent the rest of the morning walking in the garden (about half of it unavailable as they are reconstructing the cafe and updating the garden). The focus on the remaining plants was on succulents and cacti, then green fern-like plants. There was also a collection of orchids, huge bamboo, and bonsai plants. The library was open to us; we got a pass when we showed our tickets, and the art by one artist reminded me of some of the older art at Disney. We then learned that the artists had worked on some of the early animations and other Disney projects.
The library’s focus seemed to be raw information, with thirty years or more of registry books and studies on the shelves. I sat, after a while, in a chair in the stacks next to Cost Mesa lists of residences and businesses that went back to the 1800s (One set was stamped by a funeral home, which needed to know, I guess, where their ‘customers’ lived or once lived). Another ten years were stamped by a plumber. Definitely a research library and not your usual place to get the latest SciFi books or read a current magazine.
We tried Summer House for lunch, and I watched some of the USA game against Australia. The USA would lock in its place in the 32-elimination round today. My BLT was above average (I get a better one at Lucky Labrador’s in Portland), and Deborah had a huge turkey burger.
Next, we traveled to Balboa Island without difficulty, following the advice of someone we met yesterday to park on the island for free and take the ferry to the peninsula. We walked the few blocks to the ferry. The vibe of the area was safe, almost intense, like a gated community, and I commented that it felt like Stepford Wives had found an island. Later, we saw a real estate listing with homes priced $3-15 million.
We took a car ferry (handling about three cars at a time) for $2 each to the peninsula, which had a beach-and-pier feeling, with young gals in bare feet walking around and feeling safe. I stopped by Balboa Inn, half a block from the beach, and learned that a decent room there costs $350 per night. Not insanely priced. Resorts were double that, and there were options in the $ 4,000-a-night range. I picked off-season for the price as shortages would like drive up prices now.
We walked through the carnival-like area, then to the pier, and out into the Pacific. Out on the end, I caught a glimpse of some whales, but I could not see them return to show them to Deborah. We skipped getting more food at Ruby’s, which is at the end of the pier.
We skipped getting our feet in the ocean, as it was roaring and crashing, with folks often running back up the beach slope to avoid being knocked down or covered in the white water. It is very cold water. The beach was more like a sand-built dike, with you walking down into the surf. With the shape angle, the water returns fast and feeds the next wave. The sound was loud!
Next, we returned by ferry (another $2 in cash each), walked back to the car, and started to leave Balboa Island, but there was an easy parking spot in front of a Frozen Banana shop, and we thought we could not refuse divine intervention. We each got one. The banana, while frozen, is more like a frozen ice cream bar and is edible. Deborah got some merch to take home. An episode of the TV show Arrested Development was filmed here.
We also visited the local museum, where we met some friendly locals who enjoyed the story of the impossible parking space and the obvious divine need for frozen-banana consumption. We bought some cards and a sticker there.
Next, we tried Lido Village Bookshop. I nearly ran down some folks crossing the crosswalk while I was dodging another car pulling out. Too many things to deal with at once. I stopped the car in time, thanks to Deborah’s callout that there were people near. I managed, slightly shaken by the close call, to park in a garage (hitting one curb, but with no damage), and we got to the bookstore, tiny and stocked only with new books, before it closed, without further incidents.
After some study, I found that the store had bookmarks in some of the books describing them, and I soon picked out The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro. I remember the movie and thought it a good read (it was also the shortest of the books they had by the author, two were marked with their notes). I also got my $10 parking validated to zero with my purchase. Not a bad deal.
Next, by a slightly convoluted path, we changed directions mid-way to have dinner at Season 52. A new chain, to me, of restaurants often found at high-end malls. While not cheap, the food was excellent and cost about the same as what we had been paying for lunch without drinks. Deborah and I had wine and a snack of humus, pita, and artichoke hearts, and then dinner with dessert at a table. It took 40 minutes for our table, but we got seats at the bar. And yes, I did see more soccer at the bar.
Dinner was shrimp and grits, though not true New Orleans style (which I make myself from my classes), it was still good. Much like a deconstruction of the original and then simplified. Deborah had cedar-planked salmon, which was delicious. We had two mini-desserts. With us full and sleepy, we headed back to the hotel, and I wrote out postcards and cards before passing on writing this blog last night. I woke up often, and my dreams, though forgotten, were vivid, and I think about traveling with Deborah.
Thanks for reading!
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