Up the Coast

After a day among the towers of downtown Los Angeles, I headed west until the city gave way to the coast. I followed it up to Pacific Palisades, where the mountains meet the sea.

The sky stayed gray, and the beach was nearly empty. Lifeguard towers stood watch over the long curve of sand, and the hills faded into the mist up the coast. A lone surfer headed out past the waves while the gulls took the shore. Up along the bluffs and fences, the wildflowers were everywhere, with California poppies in bright orange and yellow daisies turning toward whatever light they could find.

For someone who had never been to California, this was the moment it felt real. Standing at the edge of the Pacific, with the whole country behind me, I understood why people come west and never leave.