We decided to take a road trip up California's coastline for Thanksgiving weekend. We stopped in Solvang first. Solvang is a Danish-styled town with whimsical architecture and plenty of quaint shops, bakeries, and restaurants. Much of it was closed on Thanksgiving day, so we just did a lot of window shopping and picture taking. We figured we'd stop again on our way back home.
I love the Northern European architecture and colors.
We stopped at one of their parks with an adorable playground and fun picture opportunities.
Christmas Gingerbread house.
The boys started playing tag with dad and soon we all joined in. It was a good workout.
We stayed the night in San Simeon and then woke the up next morning and went on a tour of Hearst Castle. I had been there before, when I was a teenager, but it was more impressive to me as an adult.
The kids were amazed and all we saw. We'll have to return and try a different tour in the future.
Next we stopped at a beach where Elephant seals hang out and sun themselves. They are enormous! A few of them were squirming around on the sand, but most of them acted like bolders on the beach.
Most all the long lumps are elephant seals . . . continuing all the way up the beach. They kind of blend in with the sand. We saw at least a hundred.
The coastline was breathtaking to drive along. The weather was sunny and clear most of the way.
We stopped at several turnouts along the way to take pictures.
My favorite scenic stop on the coast was the Julia Pffeifer Burns State Park. It is the most gorgeous beach with a waterfall falling right onto the sand (middle right--it is tiny in the picture). To think that Julia had a house there and had this beach as her private oasis. I'm not sure I would've been as thoughtful as she was and donated it as a state park for all to enjoy. The beach is only for viewing from afar and is closed to all foot traffic to preserve its natural beauty.
This was the view from the other side of her house. We pondered for a moment about what it would have been like to live in a home on this property and gaze out at such spectacular views each day.
Most of the parks were closed in the Big Sur area due to the recent fires that swept through the area earlier in the year . . . and the unstable ground. So, we stopped at one of the only open parks, Andrew Molera State Park. We walked down one of the trails along a small river to the beach.
We skipped stones in the river water as it spilled onto the beach. It was really too cold to wade across to the beach area. Many surfers in full wetsuits did cross over and dared to challenge the vicious waves. They ignored the signs that said it wasn't a good a idea: Beware surfers. Duh.We drove back from Big Sur in the dark. I wouldn't recommend this, because then you miss the coastline views going southbound. Dang. We did get to see Venus and Jupiter all lined up up and reflecting on the water. They were the brightest in the sky because there was no moon.
We stayed the night in Santa Ana, but should've stayed in San Luis Obispo or Carmel . . . we forgot how long it takes to drive the Pacific Coast Highway with all the twists and turns. We didn't get to the hotel until 10PM. It did give us an early start in the morning so we could go back to Solvang again.
All the bakeries had been closed on Thanksgiving, so we stopped here FIRST! Danes make scrumptious desserts, as you well know.
The kids took forever to pick something.
Amara picked the Gingerbread house, but it wouldn't fit in our car. :0( I guess we'll just have to make our own at home.
We concluded our road trip with a stop in Simi Valley at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library. It was a visually appealing and conservative museum with simple and tasteful displays (except for the Air Force One wing, which was amazing). It is a fitting tribute to a fantastic president. The views of Simi Valley and the San Fernando Valley at sunset were breathtaking.
Aleya and Amara pose in front of the piece of the Berlin Wall at sunset.We finally made it home to San Diego around 10PM. We crammed in a lot into our road trip and couldn't have had a better time . . . well, it would have been a little better if the kids weren't fighting and arguing on the way home. SUPER FUN!
