1)drive 6 1/2 hours to Lemoore, CA to meet up with him
2)spend the night in hotel with there
3)wake up and drive 3+ hours to Monterey, CA to put feet in sand and spend Easter
4)drive back to Lemoore, CA, next day
5)stay 2 days in said hotel with kiddos while he worked
6)bring him back home to Fallon with us when he finished training!
He tried many times to talk me out of "all of that driving" and finally decided I was not backing down when I mentioned the hotel reservations I made in Monterey! I am happy to report that the trip was all that we had hoped for and I even got thanked several times for the bright idea! SCORE!
The kids were troopers and adjusted well to being locked down in car seats, changing rooms/beds, and being forced to do a lot of sight-seeing from the back windows of the van! The trip was educational as we learned that everything that could be grown, grows in CA! The orchards and wineries were beautiful and reminded me of all the work that goes into our produce! I will spare you details of both the sight and smell of a cow "factory" that we passed. Needless to say, I think I want to know where my cow is coming from this day forward!
Monterey is beautiful! Once you get off of the interstate coming from Lemoore, CA, the beauty of the drive is breathtaking all the way into MOnterey Bay. The Naval Postgraduate School is a beautiful campus and a short walk to the shore. Note to my military friends: If you have the chance to go and stay there, it is cheap ($60 for suite), beautiful, and totally worth the drive!
It was nice to be a family again and go exploring together. We toured Pacific Grove, Pebble Beach and Carmel. We even drove south on Highway 1 to see Point Lobos and the Bixby Creek Bridge. I want to go back when the Monarch butterflies are there. Monterey is Butterfly Town USA! We went to the sanctuary but knew that it was the wrong time of year. Matt lost it on this strange old lady who asked for his help then SHOOSHED Madeline and was very rude by demanding my kids didn't touch her Toyota as they were trying to to her our life story! I wish I would have taken a picture of the "Mrs. Doubtfire" look-alike! Wow is all I have to say!
Turns out it was pupping season for the sea lions so we got to witness lots of pups and their families lounging on the rocks and swimming in the ocean. The vegetation there is just so beautiful. I love the wild flowers and ground cover! Not to mention the amazing cliff views! Check out the slideshow below:
Alison had to take a plunge in the Pacific Ocean for the first time that she remembers! (she was born in San Diego and her Daddy walked her along the beach when she was 4 days old) It was so cold that our feet went numb but she played in the water for about an hour until she got smart and surfer changed into warm clothes. Madeline wasn't too sure about the cold. About the time she was deciding what to do, a wave knocked her down! She immediately changed into warm clothes!
While Ali was building sand castles, I got to spend a few minutes with Madeline in my lap. I adore this picture Matt snapped of her and I! They just grow up so fast :(
We were able to score some time at the Dennis the Menace park! This is the coolest free public park I have ever seen. Hours of free entertainment just in time to wind them down for the night! I could have played here for days! You will see pictures in the following slide show of that park as well as the rest of our trip!
ENJOY and Happy Mother's Day to all of the beautiful Mom's in my life! I am a better Mom because of YOU!
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