2017 Cayucos Polar Bear Dip

At high noon today, screams erupted in unison as hundreds of scantily clad souls ran willingly into the frigid waters near Cayucos Pier. The Annual Carlin Soule' Memorial Polar Bear Dip provided a crowd of gutsy participants and curious onlookers an exceptional way to ring in the new year—San Luis Obispo County style.

Now in its 37th year, this California Central Coast tradition brought people together who thought nothing of plunging into the wintry waters of the Pacific Ocean. Some adorned themselves in spunky costumes, many wore summer bathing suits, and a scant few donned wet suits. No matter what their attire, they all melded harmoniously when rushing the icy waters in this long-standing tradition.  
My first year to attend this quirky event, I immediately felt caught up in the fervor after arriving at Cayucos State Beach. Diverse characters wandered the sand; some costumed in bright hats and punky wigs, others sporting their polar bear pajamas. From Santa Claus to super heroes, from a band of pirates to a family of pink pigs, from Elvis Presley to Hugh Hefner and his surly bunnies, I eagerly followed them all, snapping photos of this spunky crowd. 

When the time neared 12 o'clock, I snagged an optimal spot on the pier and waited for the announcer to give his booming go-ahead to start the polar bear dip. The gutsy participants charged forward, making their way into the brisk waves. Amidst the joyous screeches and wails that soon exploded as the new year washed ashore, I understood the allure of this intense SLO County deluge.

This annual tradition allows some to be creative, many to be brave, others to be curious, and more than just a few to experience pure elation. Not a bad way to start 2017. Happy New Year!

Click the video above to view some of the fun from this year's polar bear dip!

San Luis Obispo County Public Art Festivals

Creativity is contagious throughout San Luis Obispo County. As we “moove” into the autumn season along California’s Central Coast, 101 life-size fiberglass cows stand gleaming in various locales around the county. 

CowParade, an international public art event that raises money for local non-profits, brings sponsors and artists together to create expertly crafted bovines. One-of-a-kind works of art such as “The Vineyard Diva,” “Dia de Los Toros,” “Moo with a View,” “Joie de Vivre,” and “Cow-a-fornia Cow” are on display until May 2017, when they will be auctioned off to charity. 

To track down SLO County’s embellished cattle, visit CowParade’s website for a trail map.

While you’re out exploring the cow trail, consider heading north on Highway 1 to visit the offbeat coastal community of Cambria. The annual Cambria Scarecrow Festival unleashes the power of imagination during the entire month of October. Over five hundred whimsical scarecrows greet visitors outside Cambria and San Simeon businesses, where folksy creations like “Queen of the Sea,” “Barb-B-Crow,” and “Buttercup,” are definitely not your average straw decoys.

If scarecrows and cows can transform into public art, then why not surfboards? The sleepy seaside town of Morro Bay is hosting its third annual Surfboard Art Festival. Used surfboards are revamped into artist canvases, and almost 30 boards are on display in various sponsoring Morro Bay businesses. Click here for a map to find where these swell boards will hang through the beginning of December. You can bid on these tubular works of art at their December 3rd auction, with proceeds benefitting Morro Bay in Bloom.

Hopefully you’ll find time to visit these amped up San Luis Obispo County public art festivals, where imaginative cows, scarecrows and surfboards display artist’s visions, create community spirit, and ignite your creative senses. Enjoy!

"Dia de Los Toros"
Artist: Brandy Maynard
Sponsor: Oso Libre Winery

"The Vineyard Diva"
Artist: Mary Clark-Camargo
Sponsor: Cambria Tourism Board

"Cow-a-fornia Cow"
Artist: Kerry Donlan-Bowen
Sponsor: Ranchita Canyon Vineyard

"Joie de Vivre"
Artist: Debbie Gedayloo
Sponsor: HWY 101 Communications

2016 New Year

Morro Bay Jetty, January 2016

My divulgence for the New Year: I don't know that I'll be continuing this blog. Later this year I'll be launching a site dedicated to spirited travel, where I'll be sourcing writers, editing and sharing their work, as well as contributing my own stories. Since I have always fit writing ventures into the nooks and crannies of my free time—while making a living doing something completely different—I just don't have time for everything.

Once I introduce my new blog to the world, you will be the first to know. In the meantime, you can follow my visual pursuits of California's Central Coast at Elizabeth White Photos.

I hope one day I'll be able to continue my chronicled food and wine exploits around San Luis Obispo County, as I am always inspired by my flavorful surroundings. Until then, I leave you with one last experimental recipe: crock pot short rib ragu, the perfect meal for a brisk winter day. 

Slow cooked to perfection, the rich tomato broth—augmented by the nuances of orange zest, Italian herbs, locally-grown carrots, red wine and garlic—envelops seasoned beef ribs that cook for several hours until they melt off the bone. Serve this robust wintry dish over a bed of pasta along with a glass of your favorite red wine.

Enjoy!

SHORT RIB RAGU RECIPE

Serves 4 - 6 people

Ingredients:

• 2 - 3 pounds bone-in beef short ribs
• 1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
• 1 onion, peeled and sliced
• 4 - 5 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped in large pieces
• 4 large carrots, peeled and cut in large chunks 
• 1 cup beef or vegetable broth
• 1 cup red wine (use wine that you like to drink)
• Zest of 1 orange
• 2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 bay leaves
• Pinch of red pepper flakes
• Salt & pepper to taste
• 12 oz. dried pasta of your choice
• Parmesan cheese for serving (optional)

Instructions:

Season your short ribs liberally on all sides with salt and pepper. 

Heat butter and olive oil in a skillet on medium heat and plop in your short ribs. 

Don't crowd the ribs or they will steam and resist crisping. 

Let them sizzle for a few minutes on each side until they lightly brown. 

Meanwhile, peel carrots and layer them on the bottom of

 your slow cooker and turn the setting on high. 

Get your your onion and garlic peeled and chopped.

When the short ribs are browned, place them on the carrots. 

Add the onion, garlic, and red pepper flakes to the pan over medium heat, sitrring frequently for about 10 minutes until the onions soften and start to slightly caramelize. 

Add red wine to the pan, stirring occasionally for 5 - 10 minutes, 
until the liquid reduces by half. 

While the onions are finishing, zest your orange. 

In a medium sized bowl, whisk the tomatoes, tomato paste, beef broth 
and the Italian seasoning with the orange zest. 

Pour the tomato medley into the slow cooker, covering the short ribs. 

Add the onion-wine mixture to the crock pot and adorn with bay leaves. 

Put the lid on and cook for three hours on high. 

Then turn the heat to low and cook for another five hours. 

Since this recipe melds for a total of eight hours, you'll want to start it early in the day.

When you're ready to eat, boil some pasta water and cook pasta al dente.  

Turn off your slow cooker, grab some tongs and place short ribs on a plate. 
The meat will be so tender it will fall off the bone!. 
Use a fork to shred the meat, and discard any fat.

Use a spoon to gently skim any fat off of the top of the ragu, 
then place the shredded short ribs back in the slow cooker and stir. Remove the bay leaves.

Serve up your pasta and ladle with the rich, warm flavors 
of this savory slow-cooked short rib ragu. 

Or better yet, throw together a melt-in-your-mouth lasagna.

Until we meet again—eat hearty and healthy, drink merrily in moderation, 

live life thoroughly with plenty of local and exotic zest!

Cambria: Fiscalini Ranch Preserve

San Luis Obispo County is wrapped up in a cold winter's spell. 

But the wintry conditions didn't stop me and some of my clan members from braving the elements on Christmas Day. For our family's Yuletide hiking adventure, we bundled up in fleece jackets and headed to the Fiscalini Ranch Preserve. 

Situated on the bluffs of Cambria, this northern Central Coast cache is full of ecological treasures that span over 400 acres. With an immense network of trails that transport hikers along jagged cliffs and clattering waves, then up through grassy hills and hulking pine trees, this wide open preserve is a splendid place to explore no matter what time of year. 

Following are a few glimpses of this SLO County haven, which I hope you are lucky enough to traverse. Click here for more information and directions. 

Wide open spaces and wide open skies. 

Verdant grasses from the recent winter rain. 

A fortuitous winter rainbow!

2016 San Luis Obispo County Calendar

2015 is going, going...almost gone. 

I've put together a small calendar that includes some of my favorite San Luis Obispo County ocean scenes that I was fortunate enough to capture during the past year. If you'd like to order one, just click on the picture below. 

I hope your holidays are full of love and laughter and that 2016 is the year that all of your dreams take flight. 

Thank you for stopping by throughout the year!

Guanajuato, Mexico: Dia de Muertos 2015

A vendor's tablecloth in Guanajuato City, Mexico. 

I'm a human being first, an anthropologist second. At the end of October, I took my two selves to the state of Guanajuato in central colonial Mexico.

Leaving behind the comfortable surroundings of San Luis Obispo County, I delved into another country's tradition: Dia de Muertos. 

Day of the Dead—the Mexican holiday of remembrance that falls on the first two days of November—was remarkable. As an anthropologist, I keenly observed ornate altars and lively celebrations dedicated to departed family and friends. As a human being, I reflected on life and death. 

I am still processing my recent journey and will have more stories, pictures and videos to share, but for now I have this to say: Death is inevitable. Life is grand. Remember those who are gone and how you want to be remembered.

An altar at Universidad de Guanajuato. 

Pismo Beach Sunset: October 8, 2015

Over the last several years I've witnessed many breathtaking sunsets throughout San Luis Obispo County. But last Thursday's nightfall in Pismo Beach is one of the most divine displays of light I have ever seen—it literally brought me to my knees on the sand. 

As the sun started its twilight descent, molecules and small particles in the atmosphere scattered, generating a light show in the clouds and over the water that captivated everyone on the beach. Intense hues of gold, pink and lavender lit up the night sky.

Following is a short video of this symphony of colors. You can view more images from this dazzling evening by clicking here. 

2015 Cambria Scarecrow Festival

During October, you never know who's going to show up in the free spirited town of Cambria. 

This year's Cambria Scarecrow Festival brings eccentric characters like E.T., Frankenstein and Tinkerbell to San Luis Obispo County.

In its sixth year, this festival attracts scarecrow enthusiasts who roam the thoroughfares of Cambria's bohemian villages in search of magical stuffed creations. 

Here's a peek at this year's visitors, who will line Cambria's streets through the end of October. 

I hope you find time for a visit!

Click here for more information on the festival. 

Hundreds of scarecrows are on display now through October 31 in Harmony, 

Cambria, Moonstone Beach Drive and San Simeon. 

One-Pot Farmers Market Pasta Recipe

My one-pot pasta recipe is a mouthful of easy. 

Made with fresh ingredients that I picked up at a San Luis Obispo County farmers market, this mixed-up seasonal dish is ripe with end-of-summer goodness and will carry your taste buds directly into the fall season. 

By throwing together the bright flavors of sweet red onions, colorful bell peppers, juicy crimson tomatoes, freshly-dug garlic and fragrant basil, this carefree dish bustles with flavor and is a snap to throw together. 

Prep your veggies, saute your onions and bell peppers, pulse your tomatoes and garlic, then let your pasta pot do the remainder of the work. As the vibrant ingredients bubble away with vegetable broth and dried noodles, all you have to do is keep an eye on the pot and stir every so often.

Maybe the best part of all? You don't have to drain the pasta. Just serve and indulge. 

One-Pot Farmers Market Pasta Recipe

Serves: 4 - 6

Ingredients:

1 large onion, sliced

2 cups sliced colorful bell peppers

2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt & pepper to taste
1 1/2 pounds ripe tomatoes
4 garlic cloves, peeled
2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning

1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
Pinch or two of raw sugar

4 cups vegetable broth

12 ounces dried spaghetti (I used pasta made with pureed tomatoes and carrots to pack in even more veggies and color)

1 cup torn fresh basil leaves

8 ounces fresh mozzarella

Grated Parmesan cheese to taste

DIRECTIONS:

STEP 1: Get out your large pasta pot and heat up the olive olive oil over medium heat. Throw in your onions with a little salt and pepper and sweat for about 5 minutes, stirring every so often. 

STEP 2: Add the chopped bell pepper and stir, letting the mixture sweat for another 5 - 10 minutes. 

STEP 3: Add the tomatoes and garlic to a food processor along with a pinch or two of salt and pulse until melded. 

STEP 4: Add your tomato mixture to the onions and peppers. Then add the red pepper flakes, Italian seasoning, and raw sugar. 
Stir and bring the heat up a little. 

STEP 5: Bring your veggie medley to a simmer and let it bubble for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. 
Taste and adjust for seasonings, but don't over-salt as you'll be adding broth. 

STEP 6: Add the dried pasta and fresh basil. 

STEP 7: Add the broth, turn the heat up and bring it to a boil. Let it rip for 7 - 10 minutes, until pasta is cooked al dente. Stir the pasta frequently during this process as it keeps the ingredients from sticking to the bottom of the pan and also allows the starches to release and thicken up the flavorful sauce. 

STEP 8: Once the pasta is finished cooking and reaches al dente, taste and adjust for seasonings again. 

STEP 9: Serve up, top with sliced fresh mozzarella and shredded Parmesan cheese. 

A mouthful of easy!

San Luis Obispo County: Humpback Whale Euphoria

A humpback whale swimming near San Simeon Pier. 

Avila Beach. San Simeon. Morro Bay. Cambria. Pismo Beach. I've lost track of how many times I've spotted humpback whales along San Luis Obispo County's coastline this summer.  

Regardless of the number of times I snap photos of these gargantuan mammals, the sight of them gracefully frolicking along California's Central Coast never loses its magic. 

Last Wednesday I was in the right place at the right time. While standing on San Simeon Pier, three whales followed bait balls of fish around the cove. The trio included a mother and calf, who thrilled visitors from all over the world by lunging up out of the water together in perfect unison. 

Over the Labor Day weekend, I got wind that at least ten whales were feeding in Pismo Beach. What a sight. With so many whales spouting and lunging in so many places just past the pier, it was difficult to know where to point my camera. Just as I was about to leave, one of the giant beauties put on a grand lobtailing show. The whale dove down—leaving its tail in mid-air—smashing its flukes into the water over and over again.  

Following are a few videos of this past week's whale sightings. Enjoy SLO County's humpback euphoria. 

San Luis Obispo County: Hot August Days and Nights

Shell Beach sunset on August 29. 

San Luis Obipso County's fiery month reached a glowing finish. 

Some of the August highlights—both good and bad—included 2,400 acres burning just south of Santa Margarita in the Cuesta Fire, a great white shark chomping on a woman's surfboard in Morro Strand State Beach, humpback whales feeding along the Central Coast, and scorching sunsets lighting up the sky. 

Hats off to the 1,800 brave firefighters who brought the fire to a halt. Kudos to the gutsy Los Osos resident who swam to shore after the feisty shark bit her surfboard. Thank you to the giant mammals who continue to entertain us. Gratitude for the opportunity to witness kaleidoscopic evening skylines. 

Following are a few of my photo highlights for this hot August month.

 (sorry, no shark pictures) 

August 1: The juvenile humpback whale that's been feeding around San Simeon Bay since mid-July lunged up right in front 

of me while I was standing on the pier. A moment I'll never forget.

August 5: The Morro Bay sunset seduced everyone in its wake with a red-hot sliver of color. 

August 13: "Junior" the whale couldn't get enough to eat in San Simeon. 

August 17: The Cuesta Fire fumed up the San Luis Obispo skyline. 

August 29: On my second great sailing adventure this summer, I witnessed the after effects of a giant 

humpback whale breaching near Avila Beach. Boom!

August 30: This complacent humpback whale danced along Cambria's Moonstone Beach. 
August ended on a very cool note.