Imperial Beach

When I went to California this summer, we stayed in Imperial Beach the longest. My aunt lives in the Palm Gardens complex which is about a 30 minute walk to the [Imperial] beach. The beach is gorgeous and we went at the time as a sand castle festival was going on. I remember there being a sea turtle made simply from sand and sea shells (for eyes). Seeing all the artistic things people have made from sand makes me want to be artistic and make cool things about of the littlest things.

Walking on the beach really made me fall in love with California. I feel like it's something about the way the waves look as they come to the shore. It amazes me that nature pulls currents toward the shore and how people have made the sport of surfing from those waves. I've learned that early in the morning is usually a great time to surf, also when the wind isn't that strong. Also if you just take a couple deep breaths, feel a sensation of peacefulness and bliss.

Other little perks of the beach is that it's great to run as the sand provides a little more cushion than hard concrete which could help with some back cramps or back problems that might occur from running on concrete. Also it takes a little more effort running in the sand than it takes to run on a steady, flat surface therefore making it a better workout. I was fortunate to run a few early mornings before it got too busy and it was one of the best feelings I have felt in a while. I'll admit, sometimes running gets really boring, but if you have a beautiful scenic place to run then it'll be more fascinating and more fun. Living in Tiffin there isn't a lot of beautiful places to run, so running to the beach was fascinating for me.

On the beach, there's a pier where people would fish and at the end of the pier is a small shack that serves strictly fresh sea food. I was fortunate to try some of the food, I'd personally recommend the fried shrimp. My mom ordered the fish and chips (the most basic thing you could get at a sea food shack) which I munched off of and I'd rate it an 8/10. My family and I went around like two in the afternoon and we waited in line longer than the time it took for us to order our food and eat it. That being said you can assume their food is pretty good however pretty pricey, the fried shrimp was about 10 dollars and I only got eight pieces.

Also IB (Imperial Beach) is really close to the Mexican border and you can see Mexico. At night, when all the lights are on, Tijuana (the part of Mexico you can see) is so beautiful. I would compare the sight to like a football field when the lights are on and the sun is down. It's fascinating to think that you're looking at a different country just from where you are. In Iowa you don't have the opportunity to do that.

My sister and I at the Imperial Beach and at the sea food shack.