Big Sur & Monterey

We took off for the coast this weekend when Michael unexpectedly had Friday off. It was such a happy and smooth trip and I wish we were still there! We drove a southern route to the coast, went up Highway 1, explored state parks and Big Sur, then stayed in Monterey Friday night. Here's our plan so I can remember our fun weekend!

Friday:

Drive: from Fresno to south of Big Sur, through Coalinga

Limekiln State Park: Hare Creek Trail and Limekiln Trail

Julia Pfeiffer State Park: McWay Falls (we took turns while the boys slept) and Partington Cove Trail

Pfeiffer Beach

Bixby Bridge

Monterey: Clam chowder outside on Cannery Row (Bennett had a sad fall down some concrete stairs, poor cutie) and a perfect hotel set up for us at Bide-a-Wee Inn (the boys had their own room within our room, which we did not expect. I love when they sleep well in a new place!).

Saturday:

Breakfast at the Inn, then a walk along the coast from our hotel. (Michael and I both agreed we would finally be regular runners if we lived there...)

Point Lobos State Reserve: Sea Lion Cove, Bird Island, Whalers Knoll, etc.

Drive home through Los Banos

Dinner at Tofas before fully hitting reality again

It was such a fun weekend that I barely remember what we did during the week before that... Just the usual! Still no faucet, the hose life is feeling rough around here. Mr. T is settling into his life here pretty well. Kitty randomly got caught in our blinds and that was sad/scary/weird and I have some scratches to prove that I tried to help (but was no help). She worked it out. 

Westin and Bennett are such good hikers and so fun to be with. I loved our weekend together.

Can you spot the sea lions?

Morning walk along the coast in Monterey.

Deer spotted outside our hotel!

Bixby Bridge

Cows living the life on the coast.

Bennett took a little while to get used to walking in the stream but then he was all about it.

Pfeiffer Beach

These boys could have played here all day.

Tunnel on Partington Cove trail.

Partington Cove

McWay Falls

These boys were out after Limekiln State Park, so Michael and I took turns hiking to McWay Falls and let them get some rest.

Limekilns in Limekiln State Park

I love these boys!

Westin was pretending to be a mountain lion. Later we saw a garter snake and Michael told him what it was called, and for a while after that Westin said, "I'm a gardener mountain lion!"

Hare Creek Trail

Highway 1 Driving!

Our drive out was through so many random roads and farms and fields. We were worried we were never going to connect to Highway 1 because it felt so random, but it worked!

Michael had to make a presentation for work so Westin had his computer out "working" too.

Sometimes if you have really bad manners, you can't sit with us.
Jk, we love you Benny. But you have to eat soup outside now if you won't let me feed you.
...can you tell it's tomato soup? :)

Westin's buddies, Annie and Ellie.

Mornings with Mommy was rain and cloud themed, and I thought her decorations were so cute. They do such a good job.