Apparently, both of my kids are coffee drinkers now. Ashlyn has been drinking coffee daily since she started high school but had been drinking it sporadically (or whenever she got the chance, as she would say) for at least a year before that. Landon shocked me on this trip by ordering black iced coffee for himself. No sugar. No cream. Just black coffee & ice. After he drank almost half I asked him if he was sure he didn't want some milk or cream in his coffee. He added a splash & enjoyed it but I'm pretty sure he would have been just as happy drinking his black iced coffee. When did they get so old?!
From our outdoor coffee drinking spot we saw a group of sea otters eating & they were soon joined by some passing kayakers...
The kids took a lot of great pictures on our trip...
Our destination for day two was Point Lobos. We made the short drive to Carmel, found a place to park along Highway 1 & then hiked in. Ultimately, I think we ended up hiking around 6 miles. One of my favorite parts of this particular trail is when you have been hiking for a while & you finally spot the ocean peeking through the trees...
I pointed out Highlands Inn where Chris & I went on our honeymoon almost 20 years ago...
The wet winter resulted in rolling green hills & we got to see wildflowers all around...
Ashlyn has always loved water of any kind but especially loves the beach. She liked to boogie board when she was younger & even tried out surfing, which she loved. On the other hand, Landon has never been a fan of the ocean. Even as a baby he hated the sand, was timid near the water & did not look forward to our beach trips. Apparently, he also doesn't like the way it smells. There was a particularly pungent odor when we got to. certain section along the trail & Landon wasn't having it.
I know I say it a lot but I love these kids. We had some of the best conversations along the trail. It really thrills my heart to know that they are so open with me & that we can talk about anything. And they are hilarious. The jokes had my sides aching from laughing so hard.
We loved China Cove & got to see a bunch of harbor seals & their pups swimming in the emerald green water...
Ashlyn got to do one of her favorite things; tide pooling!
We observed sea anemones, crab, sea snails, hermit crabs & even a few starfish. And, BONUS: nobody fell in or got wet!
In her happy place...
treasures from the sea...
Never not doing Fortnite dances. *insert eye roll here*
In the words of Chris, "Never turn your back on the sea!" Landon learned from the best...
Ashlyn even got a couple of pics of me so I actually have proof that I was on the trip too!
After the "Ike's sandwich debacle of 2017" we opted to just bring in snacks instead of purchasing sandwiches that were potentially NOT on gluten free bread. We found an open bench & after a lot of hand sanitizer we filled up...
A bit further up the trail there was a ranger with two microscopes. One pointed at some sea otters just offshore & one pointed at a sea lion rock which was covered with sea lions.
Forever laying on random things (that was just for you, Ashlyn)...
Along with the greenery there was poison oak EVERYWHERE. I didn't think there was a chance that I would get out of there without getting poison oak. Thankfully, I can report that I was left unscathed!
We found a giant tree that had fallen in the winter's rain storms. This is the kids standing up against the uprooted tree base...
After Point Lobos our feet were sore & our legs were tired. We didn't have any definitive plans but settled on the 17 mile drive since it allowed us to sit & we were so close. While most of it is looking at insanely expensive houses we did see gorgeous ocean views...
and The Lone Cypress...
surfers...
& even dogs frolicking in the surf...
Even epic skyscapes...
For dinner we discovered an Italian restaurant that offered gluten free options. Unfortunately, despite Landon's hopes, none of the gluten free options involved pasta. Don't worry, he didn't go hungry & we all had a delicious meal...
And he even got a killer dessert of gelato...
while Ashlyn & I enjoyed lemon sorbet...
A perfect ending to a wonderfully exhausting day.
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