A Trip Along the Coast - Part 1

In April, we were able to have the ultimate excuse to get away for a few days: we needed to do a little favor for a cousin of mine by delivering a table to her...in Northern California.  And so, we packed our bags and away we went....up the 101 (the California Coast) with kids in tow.  We discovered a few things along the way....

1.  The drive is longer than taking the 5 North, but SO much prettier.

2.  Jonathan gets car sick on the winding roads of the coast.
3.  When traveling with little ones, stop often...even if it is just to run around for a minute.

Eating our picnic lunch.  "Ham" anyone?!

Running off said lunch using the old "I bet I can beat you up the stairs" bit

"Christian, I bet you can't climb that bench and get down 5 times in a row."

"Show me how high you can jump off that bench!"

4.  The Pacific Coast Highway is closed close to Carmel...which is just south of Santa Cruz.  This means that you have to drive 40 minutes or so BACK SOUTH and take a fire road as an unmarked detour.  One lane.  No guard rails.  Straight up.  (I nearly had a nervous breakdown when my husband kept looking at the view of the ocean.  Apparently I'm afraid of heights.)

It was CLOSED.  Washed out from the rains.  It would have been nice to know this an hour previously.

I begged hubby to stop and take his own pictures of the view.  I couldn't stomach it.  (This is what it looked like driving up the mountain.)

And we drove up as high as the clouds.

The detour took us through a valley which was also an Army base.  Not a bad view, eh?

5.  Though we are all good sports, 15 1/2 hours of driving with little ones is a bit wearing.  We were so thankful to arrive in Santa Cruz that night, and all slept VERY well.

No sweeter view than this.