A passing thunderstorm skirted the Santa Cruz coast line on this day. Four Mile Beach. March 2023.

Canon 7D Mark II
Canon EF 17-40mm ƒ4L
ASA 100.

I'm pretty sure Big Mike can be described as the comic relief from a recent trip paddle boarding around Lake Tahoe.

Often, he was hiding in his UPF nike swim sun layers, a bucket hat, gloves, and some of that 100 SPF spray, but on the final day of the paddle, he went shirtless and just made me laugh the entire time!

here's to good friendships and some humor in the world!

I'm going to drop more info on how you all can recreate this adventure for yourselves, but right now it's time to rest the shoulders and flip through some of the photos snapped along this trip.

for context, my best buddy and I just spent 5 days stand up paddleboarding around lake tahoe and the total miles was 62 miles. We cut a few bays to save time, which shaved off roughly 4 miles in total

I think 5 days was kinda brutal and would suggest something more like 7. Also, securing camping before hand is the logistical nightmare, but do able. Just make sure you paddle really hard... we failed on day 2 and had to ask for permission to sleep on somebodies beach (not recommended)

Important gear:

SUPs obviously

Nike Swim dry bags were amazing and very durable!

Jetboil for coffee in the mornings... so needed

Sun layers and sunscreen! The sun zapped our energy often

If you have any specific questions, please ask away and I will make sure to include those in the trip report

Have a great day ✌️

Right now, my best buddy and I are SUPing around Lake Tahoe. This is our third morning in to what will hopefully be a 5 day journey.

roughly 72 miles is what we expect to paddle, so waking up early is kinda important as we are on inflatable SUPs and didn't train for this paddle LOL

Funny backstory to this spot, we had hoped to make the paddle to our campsite, but a terrible headwind stopped us in our tracks, so we rolled up on the shore, explained what had happened to the owners of the land and asked to sleep on "their beach" they said no and yes at the same time.

They pointed to a river and said that it was public land, don't come onto their beach. So, that is what we did.

let's drink some coffee and get a move on!

We finally made it to Filoli this June, and wow... I don't think I was prepared for how magical it would feel. We just kept wandering from garden to garden, and I honestly didn't want it to end. There's something about that place that makes you slow down and just be there.
At one point I got to talking with one of the horticulturalists who works on the grounds, and I couldn't help but stop and thank him. The care and love that goes into every inch of that place is so obvious once you're walking through it — it's not just maintained, it's tended, if that makes sense.

Lone Cypress

Don't like the unusual humidity these days from this unusual weather pattern, but the sunsets are nice

I recommend coming in June for the Lavender Bloom Fest

On the drive to Santa Cruz down Hwy 1 we stopped at this little beach.

Taken May 2026 from the Inn Above Tide

Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes near Stovepipe Wells