After a long day of driving, we arrived and found the house to be just as cute as it looked on the internet. It was only a block from the beach. It was nice and open, and accommodated all 13 of us quite well except that one "bedroom" was actually a loft (Poor Danny, Shannon, and Connor!). The rest of the night was spent settling in and eating birthday cake for all the recent birthdays.
On Monday morning, we went to check out the elephant seals. They are so huge that when they are out in the water they look like giant rocks. When they are on land, it is really neat to see them fight.
Afterward, Nic, Max, and I enjoyed a nice lunch and fudge in Cambria. Then we took Max to the beach. He was crazy! As soon as he got there, he was screeching with delight and wanted to run straight into the water, which he later did. At one point, he fell on his face right in the water, but after a few minutes he was ready to run right back in (with close parental supervision, of course!).
We spent the next morning exploring Morro Bay. We got there pretty early in the morning. None of the tourists were there yet, and we took a long walk and watched all of the businesses getting ready for the day. Then, we rented a surrey to ride out to Morro Rock. I always wondered what the baskets on the front are for (because they aren't good for holding stuff!). Turns out, they are made as a seat for little children. Max pretty much only got to be in the basket for a picture because it freaked me out to have him riding up there. He rode along in the Baby Bjorn instead. On our ride, we saw lots of sea lions and otters. It is such a beautiful place with lots of wildlife.
In the evening, we walked from our beach house down to the pier in Cayucos. The tide was coming up and at one point we ran out of beach! We had to time our crossing to prevent getting too wet.
In the morning, we kayaked out to the sand spit in Morro Bay. In the middle of the bay, there is a large bank of sand. It connects to the land miles away and has a narrow peninsula that extends out. It is a really easy little paddle across the calm bay. We also got to see the sea lions up close, as they were swimming near our kayak. Max didn't like his life jacket, but he did love exploring the strangely soft sand on the sand spit.
While Max and I were taking a nap, Nic and the others went down to the beach. They found a giant hole (no one was around) and used it to bury each other. After awhile, a 13-year-old kid comes down and really rips into them for ruining his hole that he'd been working on for two days. Oops!
The next morning, Max woke up early. So, we headed to San Luis Obispo to hike to the cement 'P' that is on the mountain above Cal Poly. The trail was much steeper than I remembered. The views were beautiful, but the P was hideous close up. Years and years of paint were built up on it. We followed our hike with a yummy breakfast at one of our favorite SLO restaurants, Big Sky.
In the afternoon, we took a drive through See Canyon. First we stopped at the Avila Barn and checked out their cute animals. Then we were on our way. The views were beautiful, as always. Some day, Nic and I want to have a house out there!
We came back around to San Luis Obispo just in time to meet everyone for dinner at Woodstock's Pizza and a stroll through the World Famous Farmer's Market. The farmer's market in SLO isn't just fruit and veggie stands. All the local restaurants have booths. There are musicians, puppet shows, booths for causes, balloons, and lots of people. I love the fun atmosphere.
We had to stop off at the Gum Wall (aka Bubble Gum Alley) . On our second anniversary, Nic and I made a heart on the gum wall with our initials in it. Now, for each anniversary we add another heart (the collage below shows the progression). This year was a lot easier because we had helpers. Usually we're about to puke from chewing so much sugary gum!
We spent Friday morning at beautiful Montana De Oro.
In the evening, my parents watched the kids while we headed out for date night! Nic went all out. He brought me flowers, took me to a beautiful restaurant with amazing food and views, and we followed it up with sparkling cider, cherries, and gummy bears while watching the sunset. So romantic!
Saturday was the Walk to the Rock. It is about 5 miles from Cayucos to Morro Rock. We used to do it as kids, and I think it was easier then. This time, it was so foggy we couldn't see Morro Rock at all. Without a landmark, it seemed like we might never get there. But we made it!
We spent our last night having a bonfire on the beach. We roasted hot dogs and marshmallows and even saw dolphins. It was a great end to a great trip!
3 comments:
wow what a fun trip! I loved the part where you destroyed that kids hole at the beach. sounds totally like something i would've done. OOPS!
You were very busy! That sounds like the perfect extended family trip--something for everyone.
That sounds so wonderful! I love the bubble gum wall. That area does sound like a wonderful place to live.
Post a Comment