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This weekend was beyond fantastic. I love all of the spontaneity; it’s been a while since I lived life with no time constraints from work. It’s just an overall wonderful feeling, truly a breath of fresh air.
On Saturday, we drove to Half Moon Bay. I packed up a lunch for all of us, and off we went. The dogs had a blast running and rolling around in the sand. It was definitely a windier day than most, but we still had a great time. It was pretty hilarious trying to watch Maui and Hilo run against the wind; their ears would stand straight up, hehe. After playing in HMB, we headed South into Santa Cruz.
Yesterday, we decided to drive down the California coast just for the heck of it. We were planning on leaving on Monday morning and going down the boring way, but why not take our time, drive down Highway 1, and enjoy its beauty?!
With clear visibility for miles, we spotted tons of marine life, whales, otters, and seals to name a few. The views are absolutely breathtaking, right?! I don’t think I could ever get sick of the ocean’s beauty.
Next month’s vacation can’t come any quicker. *sigh*
I look forward to my weekends. They pretty much get me through the work week. This past weekend, I thought it would be fun to gallivant around Golden Gate National Park. (Yes, Teresa and Ann, I went some place exciting over the weekend, haha.) I’ve been there many times before, but I wanted to go more specifically to see the Marin Headlands; that part was unfamiliar to me.
I’m so glad we went because I had a great time soaking up some sun and getting some fresh air. First stop, we went to the Marine Mammal Center. It was heart-wrenching to see all of those sea mammals sick and injured due to human stupidity, but it was also heart-warming to see that they were being cared for by some of the best marine biologists in the area. Each mammal (usually elephant seals, harbor seals, and sea lions) gets their own confinement area with a deep wading pool; it’s basically a hospital for sea mammals where they recover before being released back into the wild.
After checking out this center, we thought it would be fun to hike out to Point Bonita Lighthouse. We had heard so many wonderful things about this place that we put it on our must-see list. Here’s a glimpse of our hike over the weekend:
If you’re ever North of San Francisco, I suggest checking out this hidden gem. It’s beautiful. Bring sunscreen though because you can easily get baked on this short hike. Oh, and make sure to go early because parking can get crowded. There’s an additional parking lot about 1/2 mile from the trail head; that’s where we parked, and the walk to the actual trail head wasn’t far at all.
PS: Sean and Nat, I can’t wait.
The past weekend was exceptionally fun. We took a trip out to San Francisco to hit up the California Academy of Sciences. My older brother had never been, so we thought it would be fun to check it out on his birthday weekend. It has been a while since the last time we went, so I was pretty stoked to go.
My favorite part of this place was definitely the aquatic exhibits. Sea life has always been so intriguing to me. Perhaps it’s because I looked up to Ariel (the Disney mermaid) as a little kid, haha! Now, if mermaids were only real… 
I suppose sea dragons and seahorses of the deep blue will suffice.
On another note, not much has changed in the California Academy of Science’s exhibits, but I still managed to learn something new.
If you are ever in the area, you should check this place out. It’s definitely worth the visit.
That’s it for today.
PS: Happy early birthday, brother!
I will never get tired of the California coast. There’s always something or some place new and exciting to explore. A couple of days ago, we decided to drive down the coast again, and this time we found this fun little stop off the side of the freeway. It’s amazing that this old bridge still allows cargo trains to cross it.
Not only is there a bridge with train tracks, there’s also a pedestrian walkway for people to enjoy the views. Here are a couple of pictures that were taken:
By the end of our slight detour, the dogs were non-stop panting, exhausted! I can’t fault their “out-of-shapeness”; it was pretty toasty outside. Besides, miniature schnauzers have thick coats of hair on their bodies. Plus, it doesn’t help that Maui and Hilo are in dire need of major grooming, hehe.
…and after half of a day of driving and exploring, we safely arrived at the hotel. I love this picture of my family.
It’s time for me to go back to my old ways – living life on a whim.
I’m tired of walking on eggshells, so I randomly decided to go on a small getaway down the coast of California. The coast never ceases to make me feel free. It truly is a place of serenity for me.
…and driving around Malibu wasn’t so bad either. I especially loved the afternoon walk at the bottom of the canyon. Watching the sunset and the dogs eager to explore new territory was definitely a perfect afternoon.
When we’re not out gallivanting and enjoying the beautiful scenery of California, we are relaxing back in our room. Maui and Hilo have become especially acquainted to our temporary home away from home.
Yup, that’s what life looks like right now — dining at fancy places, resting and relaxing in a fabulous place, and exploring new places. I’m so not complaining about this trip, well except that I haven’t tried a new white wine yet, haha. It’s Day 3 today, and I’m hoping for more beautiful memories that await.
