Hey, That Guy Has On A Gold Bathing Suit...

"I think on-stage nudity is disgusting, shameful, and damaging to all things American. But if I were 22, with a great body, it would be artistic, tasteful, and a progressive religious experience."

-Shelly Winters

My goodness I do find adventure wherever I go. LOL. Last Friday, Alan and I drove down to Santa Cruz to attend the John Waite concert on the beach. I love those free summer concerts, and Santa Cruz is a really fun place to just relax, let your hair down and to enjoy watching people and the awesome seaside scenery. Last Friday however, I saw a little more scenery then I had intended! LOL. We left the house really early that day, so we could see both lighthouses in Santa Cruz, Walton, and the Surfer's Lighthouse and museum. We also decided to take a short ride north on HWY1 to the Natural Bridges beach, because come this autumn, it will be a great place to see the migration of the Monarch butterflies. Also, there is a lot of public art throughout the city and beach areas, and you know me, I can't pass up the chance to photograph public art. :) It's my passion.

When we first arrived in town, we drove down to the boardwalk area, to see the beach, and the crowd. Doing so, would help us determine how much time we had before we had to find a parking place for the concert. It was a cool day, and so the beach wasn't too crowded, so we continued on up the coast highway to Natural Bridges. About three miles or so up the road, I noticed an obelisk, sitting next to two benches that overlooked the ocean and a small cove. We stopped, and as I photographed the art, I noticed that there was a lovely little waterfall situated above the cove, so I moved a little closer to the cliff and looked over the side. Down below were two guys, playing Frisbee. I thought to myself, "Hey...they both have on the same kind of bathing suit. They are both wearing gold. Maybe it is some kind of club. How fun." So, I began to snap photos. The sun was bright, so I set the camera on zoom, and decided to check the photos when I got back to the car. Ut oh!

That wasn't gold bathing suits they were wearing...it was gold birthday suits! YIKES!! I couldn't help it...I started to laugh. It had been a mistake on my part, I had NO idea there was a nude beach that close to the town. LOL. Of course I didn't research it before I went because I wasn't looking for that...it found me! LOL. When I got home, I looked on the Internet, and to my amazement, there are several nude beaches between Santa Cruz and Davenport, along HWY 1. In fact, there are many nude beaches in the Bay Area, and northern California. I also discovered that here is also some etiquette involved, and most of the places have clear postings about how to conduct oneself on a nude beach, but there was no postings where I had been earlier in the day. Hmmm...

I have never actually been to a nude beach, but I have had many, many spontaneous clothing malfunctions. LOL. Never planned mind you. :) I don't know, they just kinda happend. Speaking for myself, it wouldn't be the worst thing in the world to visit a nude beach, and I might do so one day, or maybe I won't. I think it is good when folks can enjoy themselves, and feel good about just being who they are...clothed or not. I wasn't able to find out any information about the obelisk, so maybe it is just the marker for the beach. Of course just because it is a marker, doesn't mean it isn't it art I suppose. Those people were having fun that day, and that is a very good thing in this harsh world. There is a great beauty in seeing anyone simply enjoying a day. The act of living can be an art form unto itself. That's what I like about art, it provokes us to think about how we view life, and encourages us to look beyond the immediate. Sometimes life is art!

Four Mile Beach

Natural Bridges Beach

Concert On The Beach

Sea Lions

Sunset on the Wharf

I saw a lot of fun things that day, including some awesome public art downtown at the Pacific Garden Mall. We never actually made it to the concert on the beach, we had been too busy that day, just letting the day happen. We ended the day with a nice dinner at Gilda's on the wharf, where we also listened to the concert. It was just across the bay, and you could hear the music quite well. I got to hear my favorite John Waite song, "Missing You," which brought back a lot of memories. :)

So tell me, if you happened along a nude beach, would you join in the fun, or simply walk away?

"Every time I think of you, I always catch my breath
And I'm still standing here and you're miles away
And I wonder why you left
And there's a storm that raging, through my frozen heart tonight
I hear your name in certain circles, and it always makes me smile
I spend my time thinking about you, and it's almost driving me wild
And there's a heart that's breaking, down this long distance line tonight
I ain't missing you at all, since you've been gone away
I ain't missing you...no matter what I might say."

- from Missing You

-OndineMonet
"Scenes from Santa Cruz"
Santa Cruz, California
August 11, 2006

John Waite Web Site

Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk