I think we brought the bad weather with us. It has been rainy, unseasonably cool and very windy.  We finally had two sunny days at the end of our week here. On the first day we took a bike ride. I thought my endurance had improved until we turned to come back and found we had been pushed by a tailwind. Now that it was a head wind, it was much tougher going!

Walking proved easier in the afternoon when we crossed the dangerous Pacific Coast Highway on foot and walked through the Bolsa Chica Wetlands and Ecological Reserve. Lots of water birds and very serene for being along the highway.

The following day, which luckily for us was the best weather day of the week, we went on a whale watching cruise. Even though gray whales are migrating, we only saw one small one. But we did see two types of dolphins and a pile of sea lions on a buoy.

Balboa Island coast

Gray whale

Pacific White Sided Dolphins

Don't they look cozy?

While waiting in line, we met the people in front of us, two couples—one from Michigan and one from California. They had known each other for 20+ years. They told us their heart-warming story of the California woman, back in the '90s, being an anonymous bone marrow donor to their son who had a rare form of leukemia and even with a bone marrow transplant was only given a 5% chance of living. He is 30+ years old now and completely cancer free. She was matched shortly after giving her sample and has never been a match since!

Enjoying a cool but sunny day in Newport Beach.