One of the Most Beautiful Places in the World

Last Friday, Brian and I drove to LAX to drop the girls off on a flight to Houston. Yes, I said "drop them off". They flew unaccompanied to Houston. That's not the first time they have flown without an adult, but they were still a little nervous. Of course, everything went as it should and they arrived in Houston on time, where Mimi and Grandad were waiting to pick them up.

After the flight took off, Brian and I spent the rest of the day driving. We drove back to Bakersfield, picked up our luggage and Heidi, dropped Heidi off at the kennel, and then drove to Carmel. It was a long day of driving, but Brian reminded me that we have driven even longer just to see a football game. Keeping it all in perspective!

When we arrived in Carmel at about 7PM, it was very foggy. We expected the mornings to be foggy, but not the days or evenings, so we were nervous about whether or not we would be able to see the coast. Thankfully, the next day we woke up to clear, sunny skies and the weather was perfect the entire weekend!

We started our day on Saturday with a hike along the coast in Point Lobos State Natural Reserve. It was amazing!! The pictures speak for themselves. California's Central Coast is one of the most beautiful places in the world! One of the coolest things at the park was that we could see the marine life. Volunteers were stationed throughout the park with telescopes focused on sea otters, seals, sea lions, and nesting birds. It was a beautiful day and we enjoyed taking in the scenery. 

Next we drove to Monterey for lunch at a restaurant on Cannery Row. After a quick walk, we headed back to Carmel by way of 17-mile drive. We stopped at Pebble Beach for a quick look around and a little shopping. After returning to Carmel, we started the "Wine walk" with tastings at 3 wineries.

The next day was our Carmel day. We started with a visit to the beach, and then did a walking historic tour. We spent the afternoon at a great little bar, watching the Tech v. TCU College World Series game. Unfortunately, Tech lost, but it was not an elimination game. After the game, we went down to the beach for a nice walk and great people-watching. We finished out our evening with dinner at a  rooftop restaurant.

Monday was another beautiful day. We drove down Highway 1, making frequent stops to take in the scenery. At Big Sur, we stopped at River Inn and sat for a few minutes in the chairs in the river. I thought about how fun the girls would have thought that was! Our next stop was lunch at Nepenthe restaurant, where we sat at a bench table over-looking the ocean. It was hot, but the scenery was great.

Back on Hwy 1, we drove another 10 miles or so before stopping at Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park. We hiked the waterfall trail which was amazing! Our final stop along Hwy 1 was an unexpected one. We stopped to see over 100 elephant seals resting on the beach. There were a few swimming in the water, and 2 were fighting in the water. I love seeing marine animals in their natural habitat! We will definitely bring the girls back to see that!

We spent our final night in Paso Robles. We did one final wine tasting at Grizzly Republic wines and then had a delicious meal at The Hatch. Everything was outstanding! This whole trip was fabulous. I'm always thankful when Brian and I have the opportunity to take a trip by ourselves, and I'm so glad that we still have so much fun together after 17 years of marraige.

Roommate Reunion!

It's been about 4 years since I've seen my college roommate, Laura. I'm so grateful that she traveled all the way out to California to spend a long weekend with us!

She and her daughter Eva arrived on Friday afternoon, our first day of summer vacation. We spent Friday evening and all day Saturday around the house--swimming, chatting, and relaxing. Saturday afternoon Laura and I relaxed by the pool while the girls swam and Brian grilled pork chops for dinner, served us margaritas, and adjusted our chairs and umbrella for shade. Laura said, "Brian, I couldn't get better service at a 4-star resort!"

Katie and Eva hit it off right away, before we even made it home from the airport. They really enjoyed each other throughout the weekend, playing Harry Potter, swimming, doing sand art, making pom-poms, and being sweet little girls.

Sunday we decided to escape the heat wave and take everyone to the coast. It was 104 degrees in Bakersfield and only 70 degrees at Avila Beach. Unfortunately, we didn't realize how cold that would feel with the coastal breeze. We loaded up the car with beach chairs, an umbrella, Heidi, and a cooler full of food, ready to spend an entire day at the beach...and we didn't even last 3 hours! Avila Beach is a cute little town with shops and restaurants that we piddled around in before calling it a day. Although it was chilly, and the water was freezing, the coast is always beautiful and lovely, and worth a visit.

On Monday we took the girls to Rush Air Sports, an indoor trampoline and obstacle course facility. They had so much fun trying all the different obstacles. That Eva is a little monkey! She did a great job with the climbing wall and the obstacle course, inspiring Katie to keep trying. Sarah burned some energy on the trampolines, perfecting her double back-handspring-back tuck.

After Rush, we headed to the mall for Eva to get her ears pierced. She was so brave and they look beautiful! I'm glad we were able to support her as she experienced that rite of passage.

Laura and Eva left Tuesday morning for a long day of travel back home. It was such a perfect visit, a little bit of adventure and a little relaxation. Katie made a new friend in Eva and Laura and I picked up right where we left off, like it was yesterday. Spending a weekend like that with a friend who knows me inside and out (and still loves me!) is just what I needed. Now I'm re-energized and encouraged to continue seeking friendships and developing relationships here in my new community. Laura's visit was such a blessing to me and my family! I hope it was a special time for her and Eva too!