Malibu, California on a Sunday Morning!

I recently discovered a new set of stairs to the beach. It’s been two years and 8 months since the Malibu fires swept through the area, and these new stairs are part of the reconstruction of an area I can walk to from my house, known as Leo Carrillo State Beach.

Straight on from the stairs is this view. I am as familiar with this area as I am with the back of my hand, and am forever amazed at the constant yet ever-evolving tide that changes the beach landscape from one day to the next.

Walking left are these massive boulders. According to the strength of the tide, there is always drama happening, and I wait for the waves to crash against the boulders as if I were waiting for fireworks to light up the sky. At certain angles, the waves collide with these timeless boulders. They erupt in a misty-white plume that paints the blue sky, and I think of time and tide and it’s ceaselessness, and the fact that the ocean’s anchoring constancy is something I can always count on.

A closer view

And closer still. At this spot, I take my shoes off and wade knee-deep in the water until my heartbeat aligns with the tide’s rhythm.

I use this South end incline to get to the cliffs above for an elevated view of the Pacific Ocean. From the cliffs, you can literally see the curvature of the earth. There have been days when the wind is at such a fevered pitch, it’s hard to keep my footing, but on other days, when the air is still, I stand and look out to forever.
This is the view from the cliffs. There are two trails to take from the spot where I’m standing to the lifeguard station you see at the end. One trail hugs the edge, while the other meanders in serpentine fashion through the indigenous landscape, which changes month-upon-month. My favorite time is spring, when the yellow mustard seed and coreopsis is plentiful. All around, a vibrant yellow lifts my mood.
A closer view. It is high tide in this photograph, which creates a series of coves.

This photograph was taken from the top of the stairs not far from the lifeguard station to a cove on the south side of Leo Carrillo State Beach. The cove is a perfect arc, and during low tide, you can walk along the coastline to the stretch of beach on the other side of the lifeguard stand.

A view of the cove from the sand.

A cove view from the life guard stand above. The yellow flowers you see here are coreopsis, which look like bouquets of daisies.

This is the serpentine trail that cuts through the landscape on the cliffs of Leo Carrillo.

The view at the end of the path that looks South: because my camera lens faced into the sun, this photograph darkened

This is another path that leads from the lifeguard stand to the asphalt that leads to Leo Carrillo State Beach’s campgrounds, which is tucked in a heavily wooded canyon, and which you can’t see from the side of the Pacific Coast Highway.

This is the view of the Santa Monica Mountain foothills on the other side of the Pacific Coast Highway– across from Leo Carrillo State Beach. I wanted you to have an understanding of that which can be seen as you drive through Malibu along the Pacific Coast Highway. These photographs were taken in Western Malibu, and it is a quiet, rural area I feel as if I have all to myself, save for the height of summer when people come to the beach. This area is not as popular among tourists as other parts of Malibu ( such as the infamous Zuma Beach) because it is far out, almost at the Ventura County line. As part of the California coastline, the area is specific, peculiar in nature, and part and parcel to the place I call home.

And here is a video taken of the tide at Leo Carrillo State Beach in Malibu!

Seaside, Malibu, California – YouTube

11 thoughts on “Malibu, California on a Sunday Morning!”

    1. Yes, Liz! Today is unusually hot, but it’s nice! I understand we’ll be back in the low 60’s in a few days. But for now, it’s like mid-summer. And your daughter is in a wonderful area. She’s minutes from La Jolla, which is a town I love!

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  2. I was aware of the fires in Malibu, Claire. The construction of the new stairs is good so people have easier access to the beaches. Your photos are great. You posted photos of the area from different angles to give us the perspectives of the area.

    There was a forecast of Santi Ana wind. I hope it’ll be brief.

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    1. The wind is blowing now, but it’s not with that infernal heat that the Santa Ana winds typically bring. We’ve lived in Malibu for 20 years, and those winds are beyond all! October seems to be the worst month for them. I’m impressed that you know about them! Are you in California?

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      1. I live in Orange County, Claire. I’m terrified by the Santa Ana wind, the fires and mud slider every year.

        The wind right now is not Santa Ana wind yet because it’s blowing in a different direction.

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    1. Our friend’s son and his family live in Ojai. He is a teacher. The fire burned part of their house and many wings of the school. After the evacuation, he stayed around to help the students’ families while his wife who was, at that time in California for just a few years, drove the young kids on the surface streets from where they were to Orange County and stayed with our friends until her husband came. They stayed for over a month until the school reopened. The community helped to bring in bungalows as temporary classrooms.

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