E N G A G E M E N T
On the afternoon of May 7, 2016 Morgan and I took a small trip down to Abalone Cove off Ranchos Palos Verdes in California. Little did she know that my camera bag held an engagement ring hidden amongst my other gear. When we arrived the day turned out to be much hotter and sunnier than expected, the grey skies and rain having come and gone a couple hours before. Nevertheless, we made the short trek down the trail from the parking area to the seaside full of rocks and tidepools and headed to where I was originally planning to pop the question. At low tide (and only for a small window of time thereafter) there was an exposed path to a fairly large sea cave on the tip of Portuguese Point that only really holds 2-3 people at a time so we could be alone when I took a knee. Unfortunately it was not meant to be as the lifeguards warned us of the unstable rocks in the cliffs above that had recently started to let loose into the ocean. As the afternoon sun started to beat down more and more, we took a second trail back to the car, visiting the top of the bluff above the cave and then walking back along the road above the coast rather than along the rocky beach again. I had been foiled once and had sweat more than I have since I moved to California, but I had a backup or two up my sleeve.
We returned to the car and headed back north towards Malaga Cove and Roessler Point. Fortunately for me, we had the whole day to ourselves without any car events or barre classes to keep us on a timed schedule. We once again packed up my camera bag and headed down to the coast from the parking lot, a steep 4 story decent in the form of about 50 yards of paved ramp. Along the way I finally started taking some photos to remember the day by and got some really neat results. We took a small walk over the rocky coastline and settled into an alcove where I eventually set up my camera to "take a picture of us" (which I had recording video the whole time.) After a surfer came down the hillside and ventured off into the ocean leaving us the sole inhabitants of about a half mile of beach, I knew the time was right.
Overall the adventure we had was absolutely perfect regardless of the setbacks and heat in the first part of the afternoon. I couldn't have planned it better.
She said yes.
As always, please click the photos below to view them in high resolution.
