Come Visit Cali (the pacific coast)

Coming out of the woods onto a bluff that drops hundreds of feet into the vast Pacific Ocean is an awesome thing.  It has been seen many times before by many, many people.  But it is still an awesome thing to see how an ocean so big greets the edge of a continent.

Highway 1 twists and wiggles along the California coastline.  We drove until we got to a strip of beach that was wide enough (and safe enough for the littles) to explore.

This is Stinson Beach.  Just a short drive away from Muir Woods and San Francisco.

Plenty of room there to just sit and take it all in or explore the beach for treasures.

Or for signs of Sasquatch.

Look at those footprints! 

And see those logs--no human hatchet has touched them, raw muscle power must have ripped them in two.

We also played a game of advanced hopscotch.

They were the winners.

We tried to replicate the victory leap but our family didn't fare quite as well.

Trek said he was holding all of us up in that last one.  He is pretty strong.

Have you been to the west coast?

Operators are standing by to help you with your reservation!

Come Visit Cali (Angel Island)

You've probably heard of Alcatraz, well, Angel Island is another island in the San Francisco Bay.  We went last summer with my mom.  Taking the ferry to get there was one of the best parts of the day. 

It's so nice to be on the water watching the fog roll out. 

And again at the end of the day watching it roll in.

Don't we look like great adventurers with our packs on?!  Of course, one is for the baby and the other is full of things like goldfish and graham crackers.  All great adventurers take the essentials.

Once you get there, you can hike, bike, walk, run, beach comb, etc.

The views are amazing all around the island.

You can also visit the Immigration Station. 

Angel Island was the Ellis Island of the west from the 1800s into the early 1900s.   Immigrants from hundreds of different countries had to pass through here before going on into the United States.  They could be detained for days, months, or years!  Can you imagine after traveling thousands of miles under all sorts of circumstances (think small boat, big ocean) only to be stopped here with a measly one mile of water separating you from freedom.

They were packed into barracks like the one below.  Something like 80 people slept in this one room wooden building.

Also found at the Immigration Station is a bell to ring.

And geese to talk to.

Elsewhere on the island you can find out about local (present) wildlife.

And some wild life stories from the past.

I would love to go back and try climbing Mt. Livermore (the highest point on the island) or renting a bike to ride around the whole thing. 

Who's coming with me?

Come Visit Cali (Muir Woods)

Muir Woods is just a hop, skip and a jump from San Francisco.

I mean, if you could actually hop, skip or jump over San Francisco Bay.  Instead you get to drive over the Golden Gate Bridge and through the Rainbow Tunnel!  Much more exciting.

Most coastal redwoods have been cut at some point but Muir Woods is one of those protected places that has never been logged.

The trees are enormous and beautiful. 

It has a 1-mile loop hike that is easy to manage with little ones.  Pick up a scavenger hunt before embarking on the hike.  It keeps the kids engaged with the informational signs that are sprinkled along the way.  And there's a prize at the end!  Of course, we also look for tree faces.

And make fish faces at the salmon in the creek.

Armstrong Redwoods is another place to see the Redwoods that isn't too far from us.  Since it is in Sonoma County, we would go there if you choose the Napa Valley option when making your reservations to...

Come Visit Cali (home sweet home)

If you are coming to Cali, we would love to have you stay in our cozy little home.

Remember we live at an adventure camp.

You can try blobbing or swinging or sliding or hiking.

Do you have little ones?

We have a wonderful toddler training program here at the house.

We teach two very important lessons.

#1

How To Make the Most of Bathtime

#2

How To Wrestle

(aka Defend Yourself or Be Thrown into the Couch)

They can also learn about eating locally.

We have blackberries.  And green beans.  And more.

We also offer electives like...

 How To Wash Dishes

and

The Best Way To Wear a Fake Mustache

These are really just the tip of the iceberg, folks.

You are going to have to see it for yourself.

Come visit!

Come Visit Cali (old sacramento)

The next few posts are going to be shameless plugs at getting you to come out to visit us. 

Just letting you know up front. 

We recently had a great visit with some sweet friends who agreed to let me use them in this advertising series called

and when I say 'California' I really mean 'the Gardners'.

come visit the Gardners.

we miss you!

and California is so much fun.  especially with us!

So, when you come to visit, you will most likely fly into SMF, good ole Sacramento airport, where either Jono, myself, or the whole crew will greet you, depending on the number of seats required in the swagger wagon.

Starting with a little history, we will procede to "Old Sac", the historic part of downtown Sacramento.  Back in the day, Sacramento was the gateway to gold country and little part of that world still remains.  We can see the trains...

say 'hi' to Black Bart and maybe the mounties...

and if you time it right you can see it in all it's 1850's glory at

Gold Rush Days

There's also the train museum and candy and the river.

And that is just the beginning!

Stay tuned for more reasons to come visit us in California...