Just Another Day in Paradise: "The Coldest Winter I Ever Spent....

Was a Summer in San Francisco" is a quote supposedly said by Mark Twain, but according to snopes.com that is false. San Fran was not the coldest I have ever experienced; however, it was a chilly change from the beaches of St. Martin. A few months back, I found an incredible deal on airfare to San Francisco and immediately asked my cousin, Mike, if he wanted some guests over Memorial Day weekend. He said yes and we booked our trip. Mike and his wife, Carolina, and daughter, Krista, currently live in Pacific Grove, CA (Monterey) on Ocean Dr. (fancy!) with one of the most beautiful views to wake up to. Mike was like a brother to me while I was growing up and during this last trip I reminded him of several of my childhood memories with him....walking home from school, all of us kids watching Home Alone at the movie theater, going camping, etc. He has always watched out for me....well, for all of us because he was the oldest of the "eight of us." I could write a novel about memories from my childhood, but not today.....

So, Buck and I flew out to San Fran, rented a car and drove to Pacific Grove to spend a couple of days in Pacific Grove/Monterey/Carmel. Mike and family were wonderful hosts showing us all of the sights. It was so nice to have our own personal tour guide on vacation! To Mike and Carolina we are very grateful. Krista, you made our hearts smile and miss our own little guy at the same time. Next time we will bring him along!

The View from Their Home- Beautiful!

We attended Sunday Mass at the Carmel Mission

Surfing Competition in Carmel

Krista walked her puppy around Fisherman's Wharf with us. Adorable!

Seals hanging out at Fisherman's Wharf

Stunning View in Carmel

The Lone Cypress - A Landmark on the 17 Mile Drive

Us and the Lone Cypress -
Fun Fact: Pebble Beach has trademarked the image of the Lone Cypress. Seriously!

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Monday we visited Point Lobos State Natural Reserve and did some exploring.

I am King of the World!

Awww :)

A spectacular beach we hiked down to see.

Me playing with the camera - this is a view down into a canyon framed by pretty flowers.

We sadly left Mike, Carolina and Krista and headed back to San Fran for a couple of days. We drove over the Golden Gate Bridge to Muir Woods.

Muir Woods is the only old-growth coastal redwood forest in the Bay Area and one of the last on the planet. It is estimated that nearly 2 million acres of forest just like Muir Woods once covered a narrow strip along the coasts of California and Oregon. The tallest coastal redwood at Muir Woods is about 258 feet, approximately the height of a six-foot person stacked head to toe 45 times. The average age of the coastal redwoods at Muir Woods is between 600 to 800 years, with the oldest being at least 1200 years old.

Tree Hugger - not really, but I did start the recycling program at one of my jobs (another fun fact).

TALL

Kent Tree - Fallen

They said some of the redwoods could reach up to 20 ft. in diameter.

He saw the chance to climb a fallen tree.

We saw tons of wildlife as we were leaving the woods- deer, quail, turkey

Muir Beach

Muir Woods was my favorite part of San Francisco. The woods were peaceful and beautiful. Someone made the comment that Muir Woods was like going into a church and I have to agree. We enjoyed a nice two mile hike that was quite steep at times. Because we took our time, we didn't get to our hotel room until very late Monday night, but it was worth it! Our hotel was near Union Square in San Fran, so we did our fair share of walking for the next couple of days. It was rainy both mornings, but we didn't let it stop us! The weather did clear up for our tour of Alcatraz, The Rock, where we really enjoyed the audio tour.