Vacation 101 Part 2

Pam and John's primary time share is located beachside in Carlsbad, CA.  We headed over there on Friday to take advantage of the amenities such as Free Boogie Boards, Beach Chairs, Umbrellas etc...  It's a nice resort but the benefit to them as John explained to me is that since it's right on the beach it trades well and they are able to take advantage of some upgraded rooms pretty much anywhere in the world because their's is so desired.  Nice.

 

I'm not much of a beach person but once John and I settled down and tapped into our twelve pack the beach got a bit more fun.  The kids were having a blast of course, the beach was perfect.  About 70 degree's water about 65 and the sand warm but not so hot you can't wlk on it.  John and I eventually were required to get into the water as the Bud Lights had finally perculated and were ready to be tapped.  Soon after this we found ourselves drawn to the gentle 3 to 4 foot swells that rolled into the beach.  We talked the kids out o the boogie boards and found that we still enjoyed the simpler things like riding a wave into shore.

 

I mention the beach was perfect.  when I say that I mean that the beach gently rolled out into the waves and the kids could touch all the way out to the swell line.  The waves broke twice once for the boogie boarders and few amateur surfers in the water and then again for the kids near shore so all could have a good time.  There wasn't one single rock to be found sticking out of the sand.  The kids could dig a hole just out of the surf or bury themselves under piles of cools sand.

 

All this time our wives had been partaking in the favorite sport of the opposit sex, shopping.  Finally came buy with fortunately only slightly lighter walltes and more stuff to haul back to the cars.  After the beach we headed up to the resort and jumped into the more controlled and less sandy environment of the pool to cool off and get all the sand out of the tight spots. 

 

That night we BBQ'd up some chicken and relaxed to get ready for our new destinations the next day.  The Lane's were heading home at the end of their vacation and ours was realy just starting.  Our plans, are 'as few plans as possible'.  I've written before that Kari and I like to jump in the car and go for drives and our meandering journey up the coast is just about to get started.

 

We are playing a little game along the way, I found a website sponsored by the state of California that has you go get Treasure Keys from numerous destinations and when they are logged into the website you may win prizes or get discounts off hotels.  We are hoping to get enough to get a free stay in San Diego in the next couple of months.  Our first jump out was Oceanside's Visitor Center and along the way we got delayed by a Parade of all tpes of fire trucks that were barrelling through the streets of Oceanside for no apparent reason except to amuse us.

 

The next stop is Dana Point and the Oceanic Institute http://www.ocean-institute.org/.  This is a Maritime and Biological preserve and museum that has many camps and tours available through out the year. I've looked up information online before because they have two pre-twentieth century tall ships that they offer tours and excursions on for kids.  We're planning on a couple of the excursions for Jacob, I hope one of them can include me because I really want to get on a tall ship and sail it around.  Matter of fact the Tall Ship festival will be in Dana Point September 8 & 9 and they will have a real Cannon Battle out in the ocean, I am trying to get on board one of the ships as a crew member.  For more information go to http://tallshipsfestival.com/index2.html.

 

From Dana Point we picked up a key at the Laguna Beach Art Museum and after fighting traffic down there on a Saturday in the middle of the festival we decided that we would skip others and just cruise along PCH up past the beaches, it's a beautiful Saturday and all the parking lots are full at this point (around 1:00). One of the neatest places we pushed through though was Belmont Short.  I've heard of it before but never been there.  It's a quaint little area jam packed with unique shops, coffee houses, small niche restuarants, and the standard touristy novelty shops.  Unable to break free of the congestion we gave in and jumped on the 710 N at long Beach and too that up past San Pedro and didn't get ack on the 1 until the 10 merged onto in in Santa Monica. 

 

On through Malibu we are coming to some of the most beautiful coastline California has to offer.  The 27 miles of Malibu's coast is spotted with homes but mostly left open to the natural beaches and coastline that draws people to California from all over the world.  Past Oxnard the towns shrink and just out of the a little town called Carpenteria we stop suddenly or the hand painted signs of a makeshift fruit stand.  One of road trips simple pleasures a sampling of local fruits is better than the Ice Cream we got back in Malibu.  Well, maybe not considering I got Thrifty Brands Chocolate Caramel Crunch, over Mint Chip on a waffle cone, sorry Sis, but I didn't move to Arkansas, you did.

 

Beauty is everywhere as long as you're not in a hurry.  That must be our motto on road trips Kari and I are fascinated and excited with every opportunity to take a new path or see what's around the corner, even if that corner is taking us out of our way.  We are in no hurry just overpowered by the urge to take in every new memory we can. On that note Kari takes us off the coast past Santa Barbara on the 154, we've decided to stay the night in Santa Maria where I'm writing this now and the 154 takes us inland a bit.  How were we to know that it would take us into yet another world.

 

The 154 leaves the coast and goes just inland into the Sant Ynez valley.  It is just incredible, rolling hills of grassland with spotted natural trees throughout the area.  Most of the area appears to be used for free range cattle and horses to graze upon with a few spotted ranches here and there.  We come upon Lake Cachuma and have found another place we'd like to come back and spend more time.  The lake is larger than it appears on the map with plenty of room for boating and camping in one of the most scenice valleys I've ever been in.  Theres local Horseback Riding and I'm sure there's some ranch tours and of cours just north of here are the famous Santa Ynez Vineyards, where you can go for wine tasting, and tours.  If you get board or hundry you can go around the corner to Solvang, not a stop for us on this trip but one we've frequented many times in the past and we always enjoy.

 

Finally we arrive at Santa Maria, and we've booked a Motel for just $88.00 here called Town and Country Inn.  Not the Ritz but we are on a budget and just trying to save money to spend on more fun things.  I like Motel's anyway.  They are always unique.  I mean the #1 benefit of a Motel is parking.  Where else can you pull right up to your room unload your things and do the same in the morning.  For $88.00 we got that, two beds a tv with HBO free internet a microwae, fridge and A/C, although you had to choose, you couldn't run the fridge, the microwave and the A/C all at one time they shared a regular two plug outlet so you had to unplug one to use the other.

 

Today we are heading up to San Francisco I can't wait to pick up something new for my brain catalog.  Look for pics real soon.