A nice break

That was nice.

What with all the outsourcing drama the first half of this year, this was a much-needed vacation. We rented a vacation home in Irish Beach, a small Northern California coastal community. It's very quiet and a great place to unwind; coincidentally, it's where we honeymooned 25 years ago, so the timing was appropriate.

We have returned many times here, but never in August, because it's typically cold and foggy. But the weather cooperated for the most part and was in the low 70s most of the time. When we had fog there was still good visibility, so we had no problem seeing the ocean. We rented the Arena Vista home, which was up on a hill, with a good view looking down the coast.

I like this area because it reminds me of rural Michigan where we had a summer cottage when I was growing up. Change comes slowly, if at all, here; like Michigan, the countryside is much how it was 25 years ago. In that respect it's very un-California-like, where our empty lots sprout houses, not weeds. It's also remote: groceries come from a small general store 10 miles south in the town of Manchester, population 462 I think - the sign has not been changed in the last 25 years.

Many of our friends and family would not be excited about a vacation in these parts: "There's nothing to do!". And if you're looking for urban excitement, this is not the place. But if you don't mind time spent walking along the ocean, communing with nature, or curling up with a good book - you can't pick a better spot. What it lacks in nightlife it makes up for in the raw beauty of the ocean, and a quiet calm that settles over your whole being.

Boring? For some, yes. But for us it was just right.


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