X is for "X Marks the Spot": A Free to See #AtoZChallenge Post

Lifesize pirate figurines adorn a house in Newport Beach, California

I'm living in southern California this year, and decided to use my exploration of the area as my focus for the #AtoZChallenge. I'm concentrating on free to see places, though I will include locations that require a parking fee. This is the twenty-fourth post in the series.

I imagine I'm not the only one, but I had to take some creative license to find a place to visit for today's #AtoZChallenge letter, X. I thought of the phrase, "X marks the spot," and went with that. In my research, I learned about a cartography museum, but sadly, they are no longer in operation. Then my mind turned to pirate maps and lo and behold a Google search unearthed the Pirate House in Newport Beach, California!

The Pirate House is a private residence that certainly stands out in the neighborhood. Located at the corner of Marcus Ave and 35th Street, you can't miss it. On street parking is free, though I did have to park blocks away to find an available spot. Be sure to obey the posted signs regarding the street sweeping schedule.

Not only are there pirates all over the exterior of the house, they are also in boats that are docked in the water near the house.

Pirates occupy two boats in the water

The waterfront side of the house has pirates on the balconies

Pirates line the sidewalk on the side of the house

The owner of the Pirate House has certainly gone overboard with the decor! The pirates look like they've come straight out of the Pirates of the Caribbean ride at Disneyland. There is even mention of Jack Sparrow.

A headstone reads, "Captain Jack Sparrow 'Where has all the rum gone?'"

If you're headed to Newport Beach, the pirate house makes for an amusing short stop.

Comments

Ten Things of Thankful: Autumn Edition

It's autumn time, one of my favorite times of year. I just couldn't leave this weekend as a one-post weekend.

Ten Things of Thankful: Last Two Weeks

Grand Prismatic Spring in Yellowstone National Park, as viewed from an overlook I apologize for not commenting on your blog posts this past week; John and I took a vacation to Yellowstone National Park, leaving behind our computers and, to a large extent, cell phone service. We escaped the outside world and just spent time in nature. Though we have friends near Yellowstone (who we love to visit) we made this trip just about us, so please forgive us if we were nearby and didn't stop by. The crowds were minimal (though we did mask up whenever we passed someone on the trails) and we spent our days hiking, taking photos, and watching geysers erupt. Today, we are back home and back to work, and, in the case of my computer, back to old shenanigans like not letting me import my photos. (I was able to add the above photo by using blogger on my phone, but that isn't my preferred method.) I want to write about Yellowstone and have photos I want to share, but will leave that for another

Monday Mentions: Equate Crutches

Have you ever needed crutches? I hadn't, until a week ago. I'm pretty sure I strained a muscle while running a half-marathon. (That sounds kind of cool, doesn't it? I'm not actually that cool; the last time I strained a muscle it was from carrying too many shopping bags at once.) In any case, I found myself in need of some crutches. I sent my husband to the store to get some. Photo: A pair of crutches leans against a wall Not that crutches are all that complex, but because I hadn't used any before, I wondered if I could figure out how to adjust them to fit me properly. I shouldn't have worried. John came home from Walmart with their generic store brand of crutches, complete with instructions. First, I needed to take out a long bolt that went through the hand grip. Then I needed to find my height range, push down two metal pieces, and slide the crutches until the little metal pieces came up in the hole near my height range. (Having two people for this

Thankful Me

Search This Blog