Road Trip: Girls Only Day 2

Day two dawned nice and bright.  After breakfast at our hotel we headed to the Monterey Bay Aquarium. We had to make a pit stop for some Oragel as poor Lene Bean had been hit in the mouth and it developed into quite the open wound.  It looked painful and actually swelled up a bit.

The aquarium was cool!  So much to see and a lot of hands on activities.  After about four hours we headed out to dine at a Food Network Favorite.

Poor Lene, they didn't have straws due to their effect on the sea life.  She was a mess.  It hurt to eat and drink, but she was a trooper and made the best of it.

As if all the sea life scenery wasn't enough, we adventured along the way to our hotel too.

Wild and free childhoods

Moonstone Beach

To be young again and carefree...

Always jumping in full force.  Love them!

Day two was another action packed, exploring kind of day.  These girls were up for anything!  Julia and I shared the task of driving and it was just such joy: all of it. . .except the wifi wasn't working in our room, but hey.  Can't have everything all the time!

Notable mention:  we went to Cambria for dinner.  It was a Mexican Restaurant and Lene Bean and Layla were talking in accents while we waited.  Lene decided she was going to stay in character the whole time we were there...which she did.  As we left, the table beside us (with early twenty-somethings) was already nearing their car talking about the girl, who "didn't look British at all, but was Beyond British."  She was on cloud nine.  I loved how they made it a point to talk loud enough so we could all hear and they were complimenting her not making fun of.  It meant the world to her 12-year-old heart.

Crazy Cuties

Messages in the sand

Road Trip: Girls Only Day 1

 This month we had the opportunity to go on a road trip that was EPIC  (Anjalene's word).  For the first time in her 12 years, she packed her bag and headed out on the open road with only me, her dear friend since kindergarten, and her mom.  We loaded up in the Prius at five thirty in the morning and hit the road.  Let me begin by saying, this is way out of my comfort zone.  Ernie is my trusted touring companion.  I do a great job riding shotgun and keeping him company, but this?  So not me but so glad I did it!  We had a blast!  The best part was, we had a light agenda, which meant we were open to all kind of other stops along the way.

In Solvang we had the best crepes and the girls tried on these cute Dutch outfits.  They had too much fun giggling in the dressing room trying to put on all the pieces.

Next, we stopped in Avila beach because. . .well, Avila.  We had to show off our best camping trip ever to our friends!

Then we drove into downtown San Luis Obispo to gum alley where Layla and Anjalene left their mark.

J and L were gracious enough to encourage a stop into my Aunt Katie's home where we ate lunch.  She enjoyed our visit so much.  I just love this lady.  I rarely see her, but her life has been filled with sadness: lost both her sons in a drowning at Morro Bay, and has lost two husbands to sicknesses too soon, and at eighty-nine she smiles through it.  I loved spending some time with her.

 Morro Bay was the next stop.  It was dreary there.  I think the thought of my cousins struggles in that sea made me just a little sick to be there.

But the girls, ran on the sand and dug looking for crabs.  Every beach we stopped at they got wet frolicking in the waves and laughing deep, hearty laughs filled with absolute fun and joy.  It was a most beautiful sound!

 After miles and miles of lush fields, we might have had to backtrack 15 miles for gas.  My heart was in my throat as I thought, "I should have listened to Lene when we left san Luis Obispo."  I was not really aware how the prius did on gas, apparently I thought it would be even better than it was.  Actually, I had no idea how far we had actually driven as our day was broken into so many little stops.  It was the smallest, scariest gas station you ever did see with only three pumps.  Luckily the girls were asleep so they had no idea of our little snafu.

The girls swam and went in the sauna when we reached our final destination: Monterey.  I fell asleep before showers were even completed.  It was a fabulous, fun, full day!