Today Valerie and I invite mom to join us at Ocean Trails Reserve for a Mother's Day Weekend hike. Due to the pandemic, this is our first time seeing her this year...for several months really. We followed the mandates and didn't even get together with her over Thanksgiving! Mom received both doses of Moderna earlier this year, but our second dose won't reach full efficacy until her birthday...so we're still playing it safe

Still, this is the closest we have been to mom since the pandemic began...and we're thrilled to be out and about with her

This is mom and my first time following the Catalina Trail to its western end. Valerie came this far when we first ventured here earlier this year, but I ran to Point Fermin instead.

There is a path actually continues along the cliff to the south, but we've decided to hang out here for a bit

Clubhouse of the former Ocean Trails Golf Club

U.S. Flag near the Clubhouse

This is about as close as this tiny bunny and squirrel let me get to them before they dash off

Northwest view from a patch of grass at the western end of Founders Park

Terranea Resort to the cave in Sacred Cove

Sunset Trail to Rancho Palos Verdes Beach

Horizontally, the wide angle lens on my Samsung Galaxy S21 has just a slightly wider field of view compared to my Canon 28-70mm at its widest setting...and offers considerably more vertical

The S21's ultra wide is REALLY wide...and here I've cropped the vertical simply because it looks better

If given the choice of using the telephoto mode on S21 versus an L Series lens, I'll go with the DSLR every time

Founders Park, Clubhouse, and flag

As we head back to the south, we can see the trail Valerie and I both took down during our first visit here. With mom already feeling a bit wiinded from hiking along the top (and experiencing a touch of vertigo when looking over the edge), there's no way she would attempt this trail. It's not bad going down, but I definitely regretted going back up at the START of one of my long runs.

This is as far east as we plan to go

Prickly

I think someone is really happy to be spending time with us again

So nice to see mom looking so happy

Mom and I both order the Good Stuff PV's mothers day weekend special...blueberry waffles, bacon or sausage, and eggs

I take a shot with my smartphone just in case the DSLR had issues focusing this close. When I want to force myself to not rely on the phone, I put the 28-70mm 2.8L on the 5DII. The DSLR's lens basically offers the same reach, but with narrower depth of field (hence why I was concerned with getting things in focus).

BACON! I usually like mine a bit more crisp though

Valerie opts for a Vegan Tofu Scramble

Valerie and I can count on one hand how many times we've dined at a restaurant since the pandemic began, but it is so special to share this outing with mom