Fernando Ramirez

The Children’s Pool in La Jolla, also known as the Casa, is a small beach partially protected by a seawall. The seawall was built in 1931 with the intention of creating a protected area for children to swim and play. These days the area is home to seals and sealions who inhabit the beach year round.

Last Sunday I made a trip out to La Jolla to take some photos after dark. I brought along my tripod and cable release and made my way down to the seawall. I was pleased to the beach was nearly deserted as space is at a premium out on the seawall. I was originally concerned as I needed the space to extend the legs on my tripod for stability in the wind without creating an obstacle for other visitors but this turned out not to be an issue.

( Click for a larger photo )

Here is a collection of nine of my favorite photos taken in 2010. Enjoy.

Wave Swinger, Del Mar Fair

Perseids, Anza-Borrego Desert

California Two-spot Octopus, Chula Vista Nature Center

Cabrillo National Monument

Tyto the Barn Owl, Chula Vista Nature Center

Downtown San Diego

Milky Way Galaxy, Anza-Borrego Desert

South Bay Salt Works, Chula Vista

The Strip, Las Vegas

In the early morning hours of December 14th, the Geminid meteor shower reached its peak. After dinner on the 13th, I met up with friends (aka party riders) and we hit the road, destined for a location far away from the city and its light pollution. All but one of us had spent the day taking finals so we embraced the open road. We drove for about two hours until we reached our first destination, the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. The moon set was scheduled for about 12:30 AM that night, leaving us with an hour until the sky darkened.

The night air was much cooler than I had anticipated but thankfully I brought an extra jacket, blankets and a warm drink. Meteors were darting across the sky in every direction. After the moon disappeared behind the mountains, we began driving home, heading up the mountains past Julian to the 79, stopping again not far from Lake Cuyamaca. The skies were not as clear as they had been for Perseid meteor shower back in August but my fellow travelers and I agreed that the large number of meteors we were seeing more than made up for the hazy conditions. We must have seen one meteor every 30-60 seconds, often times many more.

We remained in the Mount Laguna area for another hour before the frigid air and strong winds got the better of us and we decided it was time to go. We arrived back in Chula Vista at about 4:30 AM, exhausted but happy. It was a great way to start the winter break.

To view more photos visit the gallery below.

Gallery: Geminid Meteor Shower 2010

View Larger Map