Hobbits Among the Ents

Our second and last day of camping was in the Humbolt Redwoods, another state park we can recommend.  We chose the Albee Creek Campground, a five mile detour off the Avenue of the Giants.  The road was tight, curvy and rough in most spots, but our reward was sleeping under a grove of old and second growth sequoia.  Again, the restrooms and showers were very nice!

Sunset State Beach

After our time with Gillhams, it was time to book it up north to get to Klamath Falls, Oregon.  Our first stop was Sunset State Beach, a quiet, serene beach south of the more popular New Brighton.  The campground sat nestled up to acres of strawberry fields on the cliffs overlooking the beach, with very easy access to the water, wonderfully clean restrooms and showers ( I know - a state campground!). I can heartily recommend this campground.  It is obviously named Sunset State Beach because of its   premier views of the sunset (duh).   This is especially true if you get in the South Campground.  Our site backed up to a hill with an even more spectacular view.  And just as dusk falls, the bats come out for their hunt.  It's pretty cool.

Good Friends

Good friends are hard to come by, but somehow God gave us the mother load!  PJ gets to see Gillhams whenever he's out in CA.  If he's really lucky, he might get to help out on the latest remodeling project. I don't mean that sarcastically either. He LOVES to break out the tools and work with a good friend. They had never met any of our girls, however.  So when they invited all of us to stay with them, we couldn't resist.  The minute we pulled in the driveway, our kids were off and running without even being introduced, and we didn't see them until the dinner bell rang.  We had a blessed week together playing, eating, worshiping, and laughing into the night.  Thanks, Gillhams!  Love you, and are SO thankful to count you as friends!

Avila Beach

There's just too much fun to be had at a giant sandbox.

Pismo Beach

When I was little, my family would take our dune buggy and head up to Pismo.  It's changed a lot since then, but still a perfect place to do those things every kid should have a chance to do:  play in the sand, find the perfect whole sand dollar, chase the birds, pick that ever sticky sand wedgie, and grab a bowl of some AMAZING clam chowder at Splash Cafe.

Farmers Market

The one thing I miss most about living in Santa Maria is the farmers market.  They have them here in Colorado, but I've been told the downtown farmers market was birthed in San Louis Obispo (SLO).  I believe it. They do it like no one else.  The city closes downtown every Thursday night as farmers and Santa Maria BBQ line the streets and musicians fill the intersections.  You can choose to lazily stroll through, or pick up a tri-tip sandwich, plop your own buns on the sidewalk and enjoy the sights and smells of the latest bountiful harvests.

In the Good 'Ol Summertime

The one thing I wanted to do this summer was simple- NOTHING! We didn't sign up for any sports, art, or dance camps just for sake of having time to be spontaneous. So was I excited when PJ came home and told me

of

a work trip he needed to take to Santa Maria, CA (I loved our time living there)! He wanted us to go with him, and

then tag on another two weeks of vacation to explore and visit friends in Oregon. We stayed with our friends, the Gillhams, then headed up to Klamath Falls, Oregon to see

more beloved friends. So, we spontaneously planned out our route, loaded up the van and headed out on another summer adventure. Thank you, Gillhams, for your amazing hospitality and kindness!