So, since I am trying to cram two weeks into this post while using free internet at a coffee shop in Auckland, I've decided to go with a list style post.
Oregon:
- Catching up with Sara - We had two wonderful dinners with my mom's childhood friend Sara, it was wonderful to see her and for Charles to meet her. We enjoyed seeing Salem, where she lives, and took a day trip to Pacific City while using her place as home base. Thank you so much Sara for the hospitality!!
- Pacific City - a wonderful stop for a day of staring at the ocean, painting, hiking, climbing the HUGE sand hill, and eating some good food on the beach.
- Eugene a.k.a. Tracktown USA - Charles is a fan of the legendary Steve Prefontaine, (you can read more about his story by clicking here) so we spent one morning in Eugene checking out Hayward Field and the Oregon campus and seeing the sites that helped Prefontaine become a world famous distance runner.
- Drive down Hwy 101 - After Eugene we headed for Coos Bay and then drove all the way down the coast into California and looped up through the redwood forests.
- Catching up with Susan and Dave - We were invited by Susan (Sara's sister) and her husband Dave to visit them at their home in the tiny town of Takilma, Oregon. Their house is the last house on the left before you hit California (true fact). We had a great meal of freshly caught salmon and veggies from their garden. We checked out Dave's glass blowing studio and learned the story behind the fire truck they keep on their property. I hadn't seen Susan in probably 15 years, but it was great to catch up and felt like no time had passed. Thanks Susan and Dave for the wonderful time.
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| Pacific City, Oregon |
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| Dave, Susan, me, and Charles |
You can see all of our pictures from Oregon by clicking here.
California:
- Redwood National Parks - We spent a day driving through the redwoods in Northern California. I had been to the parks years ago, they left me in awe then, and still do today.
- Fort Bragg - We stopped in Fort Bragg in the Medicino area of California as a stopping point on the way to Santa Cruz. We picked this town because they make Red Seal Beer, which is one of Charles' favorites. The brewery and the town were great to explore. The best part was a little art gallery we found called the Northcoast Artists Gallery, where we received the recommendation to visit the Point Cabrillo Lighthouse.
- Point Cabrillo Lighthouse - A beautifully restored lighthouse and homes of the lighthouse keepers. Charles did a painting, I did some journal writing. It was a beautiful and peaceful place to hang out.
- Drive on State Hwy 128 - From the lighthouse we took a great drive on 128 through the wine country and rolling hills of California. It was an unexpectedly beautiful drive on our way to Santa Cruz.
- San Francisco - we drove across the Golden Gate Bridge on our way to Santa Cruz and stopped for a few photo ops on our way.
- The Smiths - we made it to Santa Cruz a couple of days before Tracy, Matt, Hazel, and Finley had to leave to go back to Houston. We had a great time hanging out with them at the Long Marine Lab and watching Hazel and Finley play in the waves at the beach. Thanks for letting us crash your family vacation!
- The Suttons - We enjoyed coffee time with Gail, Mark, and Brett (Tracy's brother) every morning at the Kind Grind. We were lucky to be able to stay with Gail and Mark even after Tracy, Matt and the kids headed back to Houston. Thank you so much for letting us use the beach house and enjoy Santa Cruz with you!
- Paul and Meredith - We picked up Paul and Meredith in San Francisco so they could road trip with us down the coast to Los Angeles for the wedding.
- Half Moon Bay - we stopped in Half Moon Bay to check out the world renowned surf spot, Mavericks, and then had a great lunch by the harbor.
- Beach, Boat Races, and dinner with the Suttons - We got back to Santa Cruz in time to squeeze in some time at the beach and watch the Wednesday night boat races. Then we had a lovely dinner with Gail and Mark at the Crows Nest. We lucked out and got a great table on the patio overlooking the water with no wait at all! Something Gail said has NEVER happened to her in all the years she has been visiting. So, I figured it was blog worthy!
- Big Sur Drive - We packed up the car (which took some work, since we had Paul and Meredith with us) and headed for Santa Barbara. We stopped in Carmel for a few hours for some coffee, a walk through the town, and some window shopping. After a short drive down 101 from Carmel we had lunch at this great little spot recommended by the Suttons, the Rocky Point Restaurant - the views are amazing!! The curvy, cliff edged highway continued to lead us down the coast with beautiful views made even better by the music accompaniment that Paul and Meredith provided. They had loaded their iPhone with a playlist for Charles' birthday - songs from every decade and Charles had to guess the artist, song title, and date the song was released. We stopped one more time for a short hike in Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park to see a waterfall spill into the Pacific, then we continued on to Santa Barbara.
- Santa Barbara - Paul and Meredith planned this portion of the trip as a pre-birthday celebration for Charles (since we will be on this trip on his actual birthday). We spent the evening exploring State Street in Santa Barbara and spent the night at the Hotel Oceana. The next morning, as a continuation of the pre-birthday celebration, Paul and Charles went stand-up-paddle boarding and Meredith and I went sea-kayaking. Thanks for the water activity adventure, we really loved it!
- Los Angeles and Jesse and Lizzie's wedding - After weeks of travel we finally made it to the final U.S. destination. We were greeted by Charles' parents, Tom and Gwen, and many other family members. The wedding weekend was full of visiting with family and celebrating the happy couple. The rehearsal dinner, the wedding ceremony and reception, and the Sunday brunch were all perfect! It was great seeing Paula and Rick, Janet and Robbie, Sally and Mark, Susan, Sarah and Javi (so happy about their recent engagement!!), Alexis and Matt, David, Zack, and of course the bride and groom.
- Vicky and Charley - the wedding festivities concluded and we headed to Hollywood to see Vicky and Charley for a few days. They recently relocated to Los Angeles from Houston for their jobs, so it was fun getting to see their new home, and explore the neighborhood with them. Thank you so much for letting us stay with you, it was so good to see you both! We miss having you in Houston, but your new place in L.A. is awesome!
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| Long Marine Lab in Santa Cruz with Hazel and Finley |
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| In Carmel with Paul and Meredith |
You can see all of our pictures from California by clicking here.
So that pretty much sums up the last two weeks. As you can see, we have been crazy busy, and that is why I wasn't posting. I promise to be better from here on out.
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