Two weeks ago I got a couple of days to myself, my girls went up to grandma and grandpa’s for half the week. As nice as it would have been to get away during my time sans kids I had a lot of work I needed to do at home. So instead I created a mini-project for myself. Three sunrises, three local spots within 40 minutes from my house. It was a much needed creative exercise to clear my head of my pressing deadlines at the time, and enjoy the beauty around me.
Sunrise #1 – Puente Hills
My first sunrise destination was the closest to me and the one I am most familiar with. It’s the one of my favorite local hiking areas. I actually visited it at sunrise back in January, I wanted to come back to see how different the hills looked in a summer sunrise.
Sunrise #2 Crystal Cove State Beach
My second sunrise was my farthest destination from my house and the least familiar to me. It’s a beautiful state park, and in turn one of the most popular near me. This was the one location that I had a specific place I wanted to be at for sunrise, but I was caught off guard by how radically it changed since I last saw it. I didn’t get the shot I was looking to get, but on the flip side it may have spawned a new project for me.
Sunrise #3 Irvine Regional Park
My third sunrise was the one I have known about the longest of the three, I have many fond memories playing on the playgrounds at Irvine park as a kid, and my girls enjoy the park now. It has only been as an adult that I realized there was places to hike and explore. Before that I had never considered it a hiking destination. Unfortunately, it was another place I had to quickly shift my plans after I discovered the park had made some significant changes to the trails I wasn’t expecting. That just means I have another reason to return.
I hope you enjoyed little sunrise mini-project. Which of the images were your favorites?
Can I choose one from each set? From Puente Hills the Cacti Sunrise; from Crystal Cove, the Cliff Detail; and from Irvine Park, the Oak Tree.