Thursday, July 27, 2023

Balboa Pier

 I had a birthday a couple weeks ago. Yes, I'm at that age where I would prefer to totally forget about birthdays. Just ignore them altogether. But I did get to choose where I wanted to go out to dinner. I chose getting a burger (or something similar) at the end of the Balboa Pier. For me, it's more about location, view, and a comfortable casual setting than the actual food. A place where flip flops and T-shirts are appropriate attire.
You can just barely make out the Ruby's restaurant at the end of the Balboa Pier in this photo. Lilly & I are checking out the waves. It turned out to be a crummy day for boogie boarding (sorry Lilly!). Water was uncharacteristically cold and the waves broke right on the sand, which can be dangerous. On the plus side, it was delightfully cool. While the more inland areas cooked in the extended heat wave we are having, the beach was cool (even a little cold when we first got there).
 
Pretty sky (photo by Lilly)
 
Since the waves were bad, we opted for a late lunch rather than dinner.
 
I love spending time on a pier, surrounded by the Pacific Ocean on three sides. Watching the fishermen and the surfers is always enjoyable.
 
If you live in a hot area, stay cool and stay safe! I've been hearing that this could be the coolest summer of the rest of our lives. A very scary thought! I would say let's all move to the beach, but it's already very crowded at the beaches, not to mention the price of real estate is ridiculously expensive. Plus they have their own problems, with rising sea levels and coastal erosion. I guess we all need to just stay put and make the best of it!
 
Thanks for stopping by!
Linking with Skywatch Friday

39 comments:

  1. Happy birthday. I'm the same. As I get older it gets less exciting, just like another day.

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  2. Something different but still nice to see. Over two weeks it's my turn to ignore or not.

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  3. Happy B-day! I'd rather have dinner at a brewpub than a fancy restaurant any day.

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  4. So nice to still see a Ruby's someplace. I love that restaurant. And eating on the pier is the best. Happy birthday.

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  5. Happy Belated Birthday! Great pics. You sound like a lot of Florida retires when it comes to clothes. My "uniform" is t shirt, shorts, and sandals. If it is cold (for Florida), I put on slacks.

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  6. That diner looks so funky. Love the vibe.

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  7. The sea often has a breeze which is cooling. It’s been anything but cold though. Happy birthday.

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  8. ...this beach bum loves the looks of this!

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  9. What could be sweeter than hanging out with Lilly at the beach on your birthday. Love the umbrellas through the window-glass photo! Happy birthday!

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  10. Happy Birthday ~ What a great place to celebrate ~ awesome photos ~ and Lily ~ Xo

    Wishing you good health, laughter and love in your days ~
    A ShutterBug Explores,
    aka (A Creative Harbor)

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  11. What fun pictures. And Happy Birthday!

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  12. Wow! That would be my choice too. Permit me to wish you a happy birthday friend and many, many more! Aloha

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  13. good choice! and happy belated :-).

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  14. I've got news for you: I've been ignoring birthdays for years but it doesn't work; I still keep getting older. As there's no escape the best thing is to enjoy the day, preferably in the company of young people.

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  15. Happy Birthday! My husband turns 30 every year, and I wonder if that is the recipe for not getting older ;-)
    Beautiful photos from the beach.

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  16. Wow--- There's someplace I haven't been for a very long time!!

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  17. Oh, I do hope you are wrong about things getting hotter and hotter every year as that would be unbearable. Stay cool and comfortable - and a late happy birthday :) xx

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  18. Happy birthday, Peter. You chose a nice location and wonderful company for the occasion.
    June was very hot overhere in the Netherlands, but July is rather cool and rainy at the moment.

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  19. We are destroying our planet just for a bunch of money.
    Happy birthday! I and my husband were born in July as well.

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  20. happy Birthday
    Age is just a number to me
    Have a wonderful weekend

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  21. Looks like about the best of birthdays to me. You have me thinking about our restaurant with a patio by the river. We like to have breakfast there, and it's past time, but we have to pick a morning when the temperatures are not too hot and preferably when it is somewhat overcast.

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  22. I love the beach waves. They are excellent therapist

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  23. Hay que celebrar el cumpleaños, como se merece. Es un día muy especial. Muy buena la foto del muelle.
    Feliz fin de semana.

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  24. Gosh! Reminds me of the Ruby's that used to be at the Newark International Airport, except with a fabulous view.

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  25. Happy belated birthday to you. I would have loved that location, too. Listening to waves is so enjoyable.

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  26. This post made me smile. I'm headed to the beach in one week and after the July we've lived through in Phoenix, it will be a welcome get-away. I hope to have a burger and a shake at Ruby's Shake Shack (actually I think it's called the Crystal Cove Shake Shack but Ruby's owns it). The burgers are great and I have a craving for a banana chocolate shake.
    Happy Birthday to you!

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  27. Happy belated birthday!! I love southern California beaches. It seems like the beach areas are generally not as hot as further inland.

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  28. Happy Belated Birthday! I like spending my birthday at the beach too. Coolest summer? Yikes!

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  29. The last birthday I had to celebrate was my 14th.
    My Brother calls me and Ingo has it in mind, too, but I never care.
    Yes to places you can go with flip flops and t-shirt :-)
    And this is a beautiful view!
    "Hottest" month here, 62F. One of the worst summers. Hope August will make up for it...
    P.S. To another great year in your life, loads of hikes :-)

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  30. Happy belated Birthday, Peter! I agree with your thoughts about birthdays; flip-flips and T-shirts are my favorite choice for relaxing birthday dinners. Look at this amazing place, 3 WOW for it.
    This summer 2023 it's a crazy thing. We have a lot of rain (which is good for nature and our reserves of drinking water). But for nearly ten years we haven't had it. And yes, in Lower Saxony it's "cold" like a summer in the 70er or 80er.

    Stay happy and healthy.

    isabella

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  31. Happy belated birthday! It sounds like you made the most of your special day at the Balboa Pier. The view and atmosphere seems fantastic. Sorry to hear about the disappointing waves, but it's great that you still had a good time with Lilly.

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  32. Happy birthday! Love So Cal beaches. I've been to several, but never swam in them. It's hot here in Chattanooga area - mid 90s since last week. Stay cool!

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  33. I've been out of commission for a bit, and realized I hadn't stopped in at Spare Parts for some time, so this morning I decided to binge what I've missed. I appreciated this post because Balboa is where my mother's family "summered" back in the twenties and thirties, before her mom and step-father moved up to Olancha. Even better, though, were the previous several desert posts--especially the wildflower coverage. We didn't manage to travel west this year, so I'm glad to have a way to enjoy it all vicariously. Keep up the good work.

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