A Wonderland of Self Exploration: My First Time at a Nude Beach (PART 1)

I can still remember the very first time I set foot onto a nude beach. It was in the mid-90’s. I was in grad school in Palo Alto, California. If you’re unfamiliar with this part of the Golden State, Palo Alto is about 45 minutes south of San Francisco. It sits just shy of the bay; only separated by peninsula-bordering mountains. If I had a helicopter, I could fly from Palo Alto and be at the coast in a matter of minutes. But since that was not the case, (I didn’t own a helicopter), it was about a 35 to 40 minute drive traversing up and over these mountains to reach the coast line.

I had heard through some mutual friends that part of the beach was private property and that the owners would allow guests to visit and explore naturism. This had always intrigued me; the thought of going to a local beach, stripping off my clothes to enjoy the open air, warm sand, and ocean waves. I was not only intrigued, but I was motivated to find this place. I felt that it would provide a sense of release and opening. Perhaps a place that would help open my mind, body, and soul to greater things.

I had purposely designed my grad school courses so that most of my classes were in the morning. This allowed me to use the rest of the day to study and recreate. I took advantage of this carefully crafted schedule, especially during the spring time months when the weather was particularly nice in the Bay Area. I would often hop in my Volkswagen Jetta after my last class and head over the hills to what became a place of refuge and personal growth. The beach was called San Gregorio.

[TO BE CONTINUED]