Thursday Jan 25, 2024 South Carlsbad Beach State Park to Hawthorne, CA

Deb here. We both slept so well, aided by the wonderful sound of the waves crashing on the shore down below the bluffs. We woke up to a misty and sprinkly morning, but the rain ended and a weak sun came through. We ate our breakfast of yogurt, granola, and banana with the van door open, a view of the ocean, and the sun shining in the van. All in all pretty darn perfect.

Today’s plan was to visit an old grade school/high school friend of mine at her home in Hawthorne. Maggie Read has lived in California since 1980, and has owned her home in Hawthorne for 20+ years, and we had lots of questions for a CA local. Maggie had recommended that we leave the campground by 11’ish to avoid heavy traffic, and by the time we leisurely ate our breakfast and made a stop at McDonald’s to use the WiFi and publish a couple of blog entries it was time to get on the road.

We opted for a hybrid route of Rte. 1/101 and the 405. The traffic was manageable, and driving along the coast was stunning. We enjoyed passing through San Clemente and Laguna Beach, stopping in Laguna at a Ruby’s Diner for a great lunch. I’ve been so impressed by the huge amount of CA coastline that’s open for public use. By the time we made it to Maggie’s home it was 2 p.m.

After a tour of her adorable home and beautiful yard (complete with a mini-vineyard and lots of unique features), and meeting her dogs Fenway and Cooper, she loaded us in her car for a grand tour of the beaches and beach towns nearby. Maggie knows the area so well, having lived in many different towns and apartments in the area before purchasing her home in Hawthorne.

We started at the south end of the chain of beaches and worked our way north, ending at El Segundo Beach after stops at Redondo Beach, Hermosa (my favorite), and Manhattan Beach. Great tour by a local!

Back home to Maggie’s place by 5:30, and she made delicious ceviche with shrimp and crabmeat. While we munched on this with chips she drove to LAX to pick up her friend Tracy, who flew in from SC and was joining her on a weekend in Palm Springs. Once Tracy returned we ate and drank some more, had a great time chatting with Tracy and Maggie, and finally turned into our cozy van at 10 p.m. A lovely day connecting with an old and dear friend!

99 nights in the van