Every year for as long as I remember my parents and I would come down to La Salina, in Baja California, for a family vacation. Most of the time we have friends come with us to enjoy the clean beach and the quiet of our house. The day would usually start around 6:30 AM when my friends and I would climb out of our “tent” and run down the stairs to wake the parents up.
It would not be long before we hit the sand to search for sand dollars, shells and other beach finds. We would just walk and walk and wonder what it was like on the other side of La Salina. We walked the full mile toward La Salina and, when we reached the lava rocks, we saw all kinds of things. In the holes and crevices of the rocks were sea urchins, mini crabs, sand snails, and underwater plants. It was much like a petting zoo but for sea creatures and the best part – it was always there, unchanged.
I enjoy it because people donʼt know about it, so it stays untouched and real. It may not be worth it to others to walk that extra mile, but it is to me. The memories of going with my friends, and the sentimental value of the shells washed up on the shore make it worth doing. Whenever I bring new friends down here, I take them there and create another memory.
Meghan, age 17, won first prize for photography at the Del Mar County fair this year with this photo.