Whenever I head back home to California, I always listen to "California" by Joni Mitchell, and "Going to California" by Led Zeppelin. There is always a bit of "ache" in my heart when I return. This time I returned to the Bay area, which I consider my second birth place. Even though I was born and raised in Long Beach, the "Silicon Valley" holds a very special place in my heart.
The reason for my visit was to compete in the 2014 United States Masters Spring Nationals swim meet. It's funny that I lived within walking distance of the George Haines International Swim Center, but I never swam there. Well, happily, that has now changed. The GHISC has been home to a host of famous swimmers, among them, Mark Spitz. During the course of the Masters meet, we were graced with fast swimming by several past and present Olympic swimmers such as: Nathan Adrian, Anthony Ervin, Darian Townsend, Josh Davis, Matt Biondi, Misty Hyman, and the
list goes on.
But, I am getting ahead of myself. Since I decided to drive to the swim meet from Arizona, my first order of business was to take a little stroll down memory lane. After all, I spent 20 wonderful years in the Bay area and my two girls were raised there. No car trip to the Bay area is complete without a stop at
Casa de Fruta.
 |
| An old farm truck now being used to display Casa de Fruta's wares |
 |
| One of the many gorgeous peacocks that stroll the grounds |
 |
| The view from from the back entrance of the main produce store |
 |
| My girls loved riding through this tunnel when they were small |
 |
| View from the pond |
 |
| One of the peacocks perched in a nice sunny spot |
After Casa de Fruta, I drove through Morgan Hill and San Jose before reaching my final destination of Santa Clara. I stopped off at the pool to sign in and pick up my swimmer's packet.
 |
| Swimmers loosening up for Friday's races |
Later that day, I met up with some of my teammates for a loosen up swim. As expected, Taylor did not disappoint with his custom "Nats" suit, which was made complete with some "flashy pants" for some extra drag.
 |
| Taylor and his 2014 Spring Nats attire |
Later that evening, several of us headed out to Faultline Brewing in Sunnyvale, just a short drive from Santa Clara.
 |
Jonelle, Kate, Emily, Katie, Dave, Marc, Aung Sann, and Taylor
(this fine group represents about one-third of the Arizona team participating in Spring Nationals) |
My first events took place on Friday. I swam the 50 Freestyle, the 100 Breaststroke, and participated in the 55+ Women's 200 Medley Relay in which my team took 5th place.
 |
| Another "Shiny" to add to my growing collection |
On Saturday, I didn't have any planned events to swim, so I headed up to the Santa Cruz mountains for some hiking and exploring. I'll never forget the first time I laid eyes on this beautiful area back in 1980. Fortunately, some things don't change.
 |
The trail beckons.
This trail head is located right off Highway 9, just a short distance from the "Gap" (intersection of HWY 9 and HWY 35).
Can you believe it, this place is less than 20 miles from Santa Clara.
If you click the photo for the full size view, the Monterey Bay and peninsula are visible in the distance. |
 |
Say "Hello" to my little friend, the Banana Slug. Well, not so little. This guy was at least 8 inches long!
If you didn't already know, the Banana Slug is the official mascot of the University of California Santa Cruz. |
 |
I found some very large Owl pellets.
You can see the bone and hair from whatever it was this particular owl had caught and digested. |
 |
| Wild Azaleas in Big Basin State Park |
 |
| A nice solution to a fallen Redwood along the Skyline-to-the-Sea trail in Big Basin State Park |
 |
| I got lucky. Not only were the wild Azaleas in bloom, so were the wild Fernald's Irises. |
After my mountain adventure, I headed back down to the pool to cheer on my team. While walking from our team tent back to the stands, I noticed someone I have heard and read about for years. It was none other than Robert "Bob" Beach. Bob was one of the first Masters swimmers when the organization was founded in 1970 and his life story is quite unique. He was raised by a single mother in 30s Hollywood and they basically lived and slept in their car. Needless to say, at the age of 83, he is still traveling to USMS meets in his car, and yes, he actually sleeps in it. I spent a good 20 minutes having the greatest conversation with him. He is a true gem.
 |
| The legendary Bob Beach and his West coast car |
After the meet, we headed to
San Pedro Square Market in San Jose for some wining and dining. If you're ever in San Jose, you have got to pay a visit to the "Square" -- it will not disappoint.
 |
| Dave, the Breaststroker on the left, and Kate, the Freestyler/Backstroker on the right in San Pedro Square |
 |
I spied this beauty parked nearby in the Square.
As mentioned by the wall plaque, we were just feet from the old Peralta Adobe. |
I was scheduled to swim one last event on Sunday, the 50 Breaststroke, but I decided to blow it off and head down to southern California to see my family. I'm so glad I did. I spent some time with my mother and sister and the following day, I drove to Vista to see my cousins before heading back home to Arizona.
Another successful USMS Nationals meet is safely under my belt.
