Sunday, June 14, 2015

the other side of the tracks

I have been spending my mornings working in the garden


and in the afternoon we take long walks on the beach.


So grab your flip flops and look both ways


because we are going to "the other side of the tracks".


The term "the other side of the tracks" usually has unsavory connotations, but in this case it just means we are getting ourselves onto the beach.


"June Gloom" means gray skies, but I like to think of the beach on these days as being bathed in pastel shades.


This is one of Lulu's favorite beaches at low tide because she can chase her ball and play in the surf for miles - actually our round trip walk was 5.5 miles.


I like this beach because the houses vary from quintessential beach cottages right on the sand


to McMansions built for luxury living.


Each time we walk this beach I notice something different


like the buoys hanging along the edge of this blue house


and the little cabana covered with buoys.


These little cottages


are hidden next to a larger house


so I assume they form a compound for a large extended family.


I saw lots of workmen at this house which tells me that the owners are probably getting it ready for summer visitors.


This house


and this house sit next to each other up on the hill


and just below them is a tiny little cottage that sits right on the sand.


I enjoy the variety of stairs people have created to get themselves down to the water -


these look like they have melted into the sand.


I love the old ropes on these steps


that lead up to the cutest cottage


that I can only glimpse from below.


All the steps vary in construction


and height,


but they all serve their purpose in getting the owners down to the water.


Despite it being a public beach,


there are chairs scattered across the sand


just waiting for the owners and their friends to spend the day sitting on the beach.


Despite the haze coating the hillside, it was another lovely day on the beach.

..  ..  ..  ..  ..  ..  ..  ..

Here is an aerial view of the beach on a clear day - obviously not a photo I took.


In case you are in the market, there are a couple of houses on the strip of beach for sale - the cheapest is listed for $11 million.

53 comments:

  1. You are living the life so many of us dream. Thank you for sharing such beautiful photos.

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  2. I love that side of the tracks and taking walks with you. :)

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  3. Love the beach cottage tour!!! Have a great day Caro lxo

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  4. Beautiful houses and walk on the beach! Thanks for sharing.
    Tina

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  5. Thanks for sharing your walk with us. I love the house with the buoys, what a great idea for a beach house. Fascinating the different steps people have created to get to the beach. I've never been to a Pacific beach but it seems to be very different from our Atlantic beaches - we are all sand, you seem to have loads of rocks before getting to the sand. All very flat here. I think in Massachusetts their beaches are more like yours with lots of rocks, but I've only seen pictures. If I lived where you live, I might be persuaded to take regular walks ;)

    Mary

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  6. Replies
    1. I just did some research and there are actually a few houses on that beach in the $4 million range. Of course, they are so bad, that they would have to be torn down before they were liveable.

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  7. Loved going along on your walk! I think my favorite thing is all the different and creative stairs.

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  8. Its fun to see the beach on the pacific side. I've never been to that side before. We always go to the atlantic side since we live on the east coast. those homes are all so pretty! i can't imagine being able to live there always able to see the ocean year round. How nice!

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  9. You know, having been gone so long from California and living in both Boston, Mass. and now in Minneapolis, June is rife with sunshine. But now I remember the June Gloom from way back. When school would let out (during my high school days), all we wanted to do was to catch the bus on Lakewood Blvd that took us straight to Huntington Beach. But when we got there, it was always gray. We learned to wait until late June or July to grab our towels and sandals to head out.

    Now as an adult, I don't care what the weather forecast is to enjoy the beach. For the better part of our stay here in Carmel, it's been foggy everyday, but one particular day it was not. That's the day we caught the beach in aqua and video taped it!

    There is no doubt that the beach is a special place to visit, and TO LIVE BY! OH Carol, these homes and those cottages.....A DREAM! And yes, we've literally gone into real estate offices just to find out what the prices are. HAHAHAHHAHAHHAAHH I told you this was a DREAM only!

    We are loving it. Enjoy another fine day on the other side of the tracks. Anita

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  10. Loved that you gave the other side of the tracks a pleasant meaning! Love walking with you to neighbourhood and homes I would never see. Loved the stairs!

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  11. I will take that little cottage right on the sand please....You are one lucky lady to walk on the beach daily.

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  12. loved going along on your walk! Thanks for re-framing "June Gloom" in my mind, I've been struggling with it lately. Yesterday we ran away to the city to see some sunshine but it's back to the beach today because I love it there. Enjoy the last quiet days before the wedding! jonni

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  13. Rain or shine, the beach is always a treat...and gorgeous real estate still looks fabulous when it's wet!!

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  14. This makes me wish I lived at the beach, wait, I always wish I lived at the beach.

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  15. Thank you for taking us on your beach walk across the tracks. The homes and cottages are beautiful and nice to see. Have a lovely day. I hope the sun is shining.

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  16. Carol, thanks for the walk along the beach. I enjoyed it! Sylvia D.

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  17. What a beautiful beach and those houses are just exquisite! I'd be very happy in any of them :-)

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  18. Ya gotta love that old 'marine layer' ~ better that than inland valley heat ANY day! Next time I visit, we'll go walking...

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  19. You take spectacular photos, Carol! Love being able to enjoy the beauty of the beach and surrounding areas through you, my friend.
    Mary Alice

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  20. A post like having holidays!!! You're living in a fantastic corner of this world. Great shots and indeed wonderful houses.
    All my best
    Elisabeth

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  21. A post like having holidays!!! You're living in a fantastic corner of this world. Great shots and indeed wonderful houses.
    All my best
    Elisabeth

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  22. I would love to own a tiny cottage at the beach, but I hate that they pack the houses in so closely.

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  23. Wow - i enjoyed that walk along the beach with you and I especially like the buoys around the house.

    All the best Jan

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  24. I thoroughly enjoyed our beach tour. I don't get to go to the beach very often, but when I do, I just love it! And i love your neighborhood!

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  25. Wow only 11 million!!!! Love the cute little one sitting right down on the beach. Too sweet. Loved going along on the walk.
    Kris

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  26. Hi Carol, Love your beach cottage tour. Each so unique and charming. Love the chairs on the beach. WOW 11 million dollars! Guess I won't be buying a cottage there. LOL Love the sweet little one on the sand. Thanks for sharing.
    Your garden looks pretty too.
    xo

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  27. Carol,
    My entire comment just left has washed away, I am besides myself. Emotions were released and shared....Oh the sea at the hem of the ocean, it's majestic beauty and mystery released. My son lived ocean front, visits were serene and soulfully rewarding I linger in those memories. I need to return to walk along the shore, gather shells and recall precious memories.
    Carol you and Steve are blessed to experience and rejoice in the beauty of the sea. I see Lulu running - you and Steve hand in hand what a beautiful vision my friend.
    xoxo,
    Vera

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  28. Gorgeous pictures and clear water. Love all the stairs and rocks. You live with such beauty

    Cindy

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  29. Wow Carol...there are some beautiful homes on "your" beach! Such a beautiful place to walk every day. I know you must truly enjoy your walks. If the water brings you the peace and serentiy it does to me, then I know you do. Have a wonderful week...:)

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  30. I love that shot of your garden Carol! It looks so beautiful! And those cottages in your shots are amazing! I could so live there! What fun to walk and see all of these beautiful home! Wishing you a great week my friend! Nicole xo

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  31. HAHA $11 million, yes, that is why my life long dream of living on the beach is only a dream!! But the beauty and comfort the ocean/beach fill my heart with still draw my soul ocean ward! *someday* Would love me a few of those buoys and about 1/2 ton of sand to add to my back yard mural/pool area :) Many blessings, Cindy

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  32. Good Morning
    I just love all those different houses. I think that the one with the same buoys going around was my favorite. I love that they are all so diffenent and the stairs were fabulous. Thanks for sharing those lovely homes and the beach with us. What fun!!!
    deezie

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  33. Nice to go on the walk with you. I see why you notice new things each time. Your garden is looking good!

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  34. Oh my! That's a very nice neighborhood. I love the way you captured the train tracks. I've never seen them or heard you talk about them before. I wonder why there's not more people on the beach. You said it was public, right? Could it be difficult to find parking? Just curious...because our beaches are typically crowded except in the neighborhoods where there is no public parking. I love the house with the buoys. Nice post and good mileage!

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  35. What a lovely tour. So many cute cottages and gorgeous homes! I one the beach cottage look, and so many of these are classics! I love the dark blue board and batten cottage with the rock in front of it. So cute!

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  36. What a nice trek on the other side of the tracks!! How beautiful to see that every day! Love all those cottages! When I grow up I want to have a cute little cottage on the beach! :-) Have a wonderful day!

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  37. I loved the beautiful tour! I imagine all that pretty scenery makes it easier to get motivated to go for a walk!

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  38. Thanks for the virtual trip to the beach! That first photo of houses - the "cottage" right on the sand with the huge deck is my favorite. Only $11 million for the cheapest house for sale now, huh? No problem. I'll take two. ;-)

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  39. Wow, Carol! When the cheapest house in the neighborhood is $11 million . . . that's just bizarre to me:) The best part about that is, that the beach is public property and that everyone rich, poor or somewhere in the middle can enjoy it. This is a very interesting post, thanks for sharing your walk with us:)

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  40. Thanks for taking us on your walk with you. I loved the view and all the different houses.....now to wipe the sand off my feet.

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  41. Wow! Those are summer cottages??? It would make for an interesting walk along the beach.
    I haven't been to the beach yet this year but soon I hope!

    Carolyn

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  42. Just absolutely lovely. It's a good day even with the sun hidden behind the clouds.

    Only $11 million? I'll take two...LOL.

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  43. Thanks for the tour! I'll have to scrap together a few more pennies before I can think about purchasing a house in that neighborhood!

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  44. Another perfect day! Good for you! Can you swim in this beach? Is the water warm enough?
    Amalia
    xo

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  45. You are having happy june days Carol . Those houses OH my ...........
    My daugther is in Miami for 8 WEEKS and she loves it there . I am glad she comes home soon .
    She is such a happy spirit . I am enjoying little shopdates and I love to be able to do that again.
    Next friday I will meet KORALEE . She will stay in Amsterdam for a short time and we will meet .
    I know her from blogging . Saskia my friend here knows Koralee too from blogging and we will go to Amsterdam together .
    Happy june days Carol .

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  46. Oh wow... I could smell the ocean as you took me along on your walk. Sometimes I miss it so much it hurts and this is one of those times. It always reminds me of my grandfather, because he lived in Newport. Which reminds me that I forgot to mention the story of your mother in your garden tour. That's a beautiful memory to have of her and I'm glad she got to she you living your dream.

    Also, I just caught up with you.... your home looks so cute and summery and good luck on your photo contest! I know I'd vote for you ;)

    xo,
    rue

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  47. I'm just going to check my bank account, I quite fancy living there, just a small house will do.
    What a great way to spend a day, working in the garden, then strolling on a beautiful stretch of beach, thank you for sharing the photos.

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  48. I really enjoyed dreaming about each of the houses, only a dream, though!

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  49. I like all the little cottages on the sand and the interesting stairs the owners create to get to the water. As I scroll, I am dreaming of living in each one of these oceanside beauties. Loved the ariel view a lot. Thank you for sharing your beach walks.

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  50. LOL I don't I'll be buying anything on the hill anytime soon. LOL Love the pictures of all the houses and all those stairs. All those stairs. I'd need an elevator. I'm totally out of shape except round.
    ;o)

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