(Trek) Montgomery Woods

Marco told us that he would be in Ukiah for a few days on business. Yep! We went with him. Ukiah is a small town, but has a cool vibe. Some of our friends told us to check out Montgomery Woods and we were not disappointed. Montgomery Woods is the home of the world's tallest tree. This state reserve is located in the Coastal Range has many groves of redwood trees and fern forests. Redwoods are big trees. In fact, I was awestruck most of our hike by the immensity of these old trees. There is a three mile trail that loops through the reserve. The boys and I hiked only a portion of the trail. I found it was a bit rough (fallen trees over trails) and there were a lot of little trails off the big trail. And the mosquitoes! The boys had a great time hiking the trail with their walking sticks (swords) and we ended the hike with a picnic and splashing in the creek. Warning: the road between Ukiah and Montgomery Woods is really windy.

(Trip) Blueberry Picking

 School is out and it's time to travel! The boys and I went blueberry picking on our most recent visit to the Grandparent's house. I highly recommend checking out the Restoration Oaks U-Pick Blueberry Farm outside of Buellton. The blueberry season runs approximately from June to August. In an hour we picked three buckets of berries, but probably ate as many off the bushes. That night I made lemon ricotta pancakes and garnished them with fresh blueberries.

After blueberry picking we drove a mile down the road to Nojoqui Falls for a picnic lunch and small hike.

(Trip) Point Reyes

For President's Weekend we wanted to take a little trip. I started planning my typical way-by opening Google maps. My goal was to find a place that we haven't visited before within a three hour range. I settled on Point Reyes National Seashore.

With a few minor detours, we arrived at Bear Valley Visitor Center around 11 p.m. on Monday morning. We toured the visitor center, got the junior ranger booklets and went for a hike on the Woodpecker Trail. We were also able to visit the ranch where they raise Morgan horses  for park rangers to use throughout the park.

Hiking along Woodpecker Trail

Next stop was the 21 mile drive to the lighthouse. The drive pleasantly meanders along Tomales Bay and then turns westward and continues through hills covered in munching cows. Usually there is a bus that transports to the lighthouse because parking is so limited, but it was canceled that day. The day was absolutely amazing: clear and no wind.

Point Reyes coastline

Getting to the lighthouse is not for the weak or lighthearted. Once you get to the visitor center for the lighthouse you must descend 300 steps to the actual lighthouse. Joaquin and Marco stayed at the top and Mateo and I made a pact to descend and ascend without complaining. It was worth the hike. We saw three whales and were able to tour the original lighthouse.

Descending the stairs

Point Reyes Lighthouse

300 steps back to the top. I didn't have any breath to snap pictures. Mateo and I encouraged each other to keep going. In fact he had more stamina than me.

Our last stop in the park was Drake's Beach. Drake's Beach is named after Sir Francis Drake who beached the Golden Hind upon the shores.

We live in a beautiful world.

Drake's Beach

Drake's Beach

Postcard Collage

Have you ever envisioned something thinking it was the coolest, most creative idea ever? A moment of brilliance that would awe your friends and family? And... half way through the project you wonder WHAT IN THE WORLD WAS I THINKING! I'm not sure if I love this collage or think it's the tackiest thing ever. Either way, it's done and hanging on my wall. 

Materials Needed: 24"X36" canvas ($13 on sale at Michael's), black spray paint ($1), glue (had on hand), and postcards (collected over the last 23 years-priceless), Modge Podge ($5 with 50% off coupon at Joann's)

1.     Spray paint entire canvas with black paint. Paint edges too. Choose the windiest day of the year to do this first task. (I think half the paint is somewhere floating in our atmosphere).

2.      After paint is dry begin placing postcards on the canvas to get an idea of your layout. Take some pictures and then take a break to think about how awesome your project is going to look when finished

3.      Begin gluing post cards directly to canvas referring to your picture. I used Aileen's Tacky Glue and was not pleased with the results. After doing some research, I think a spray adhesive would work best.

4.       After glue has dried, cover the postcards with a layer of Modge Podge. I put the Modge Podge on too thickly causing the post cards to look wavy.I wonder if another sealant would work better?

5.      Taa Daa!

6.      Begin to realize that taking a few minutes to think about your project would have resulted in a better outcome. Hang it up anyways and think it doesn't look too bad from far away.

Here are some other ideas for displaying postcards.Evidently, I'm not the only one in the world who has moments of brilliance.

(Travel) Sequoia National Park

Our summer camping trip is booked!We're meeting up with the Bolin family the first week of July for some camping and trekking in Sequoia National Park. To prepare for the trip I've read the National Parks Service tips on dealing with bears. Apparently we're guaranteed to see a few. Hopefully these encounters will be from afar and not up close. I'm looking forward to hiking with the kids, swinging in a hammock and visiting with some good friends.It may seem a bit strange to book a camping trip six months in advance, but some of the more popular attractions fill up fast or have waiting lists! Have you started planning a summer trip?

Penny Collectors

When I first started traveling in my teens I was determined to purchase a mug as a reminder of the places I'd been. It seemed like a very utilitarian type of thing. This was not very practical to pack and I quickly changed to postcards. I have a pile of postcards that are currently being displayed in an interesting way. I'll share the outcome of this project in a later post.  Our two young boys collect elongated pennies. Elongated pennies are pennies flattened and pressed with a design. It's a cheap souvenir at a mere 51 cents and usually the boys can choose their own design. They both have their own penny collector books to display their souvenirs. What is your favorite souvenir? Do you have a way of organizing or displaying your souvenirs?

(Travel) Avila Beach

Shorts in December!

Let me describe a place that is like paradise. It never seems to be windy or foggy. The kids happily dig in the sand, chase sea gulls and splash in the water. Avila Beach is our favorite beach to spend the day. Arrive around 10 a.m. to get a decent parking spot and pack a picnic lunch. I guarantee that you will never want to leave. Avila Beach is located about 10 minutes from San Luis Obispo. You may find the Avila Beach Sea Life Center interesting. They have about eight small tanks displaying local sea life. Friendly docents helpfully provide information about the critters and give opportunities to gently touch the animals. It is small, but worth the visit if you've never had an opportunity to touch a swell shark or star fish. $3 for adults and $2 for kids 3 and over.

(Trek) Buttermilk Bend Trail

January second found us trekking the Buttermilk Bend Trail in the South Yuba River State Park which is commonly known as Bridgeport. This trail extend along the rim of the South Yuba River giving a beautiful vista of emerald clear water and mild rapids. The trail is very easy for little legs to maneuver. Of course, we didn't stay on the trail the whole time. There is a steep path down to the river about a quarter mile down the trail. This leads to a spectacular spot with large boulders and a close up view of the river. We all commented that this would be an awesome spot to return to in the summer for a swim.

(Trip) California State Railroad Museum

I've resisted visiting the California State Railroad Museum for many years. I do not have a fascination with trains like a certain three year old that I know. I was pleasantly surprised by the experience. I was swept away by the historical significance of railroads on Californian and American history. The museum has plenty of experienced docents to explain features of the trains and answer questions. My favorite part was touring the sleeping and dining cars; the cars gently rock back and forth as if you were traveling on the train. The second story features a Thomas the Train play area. This area was quite popular with the younger set, but everyone happily shared the six train tables and many trains. We left the museum with the commitment to take a family trip by train. We considered visiting my brother in Oklahoma until we calculated that it would take us 52 hours to arrive! Children five and under FREE.