Hiking

Today's plan was to visit 3 national parks close to Monterrey. There are many along the 1 so I read about them and picked two that I thought we'd enjoy. The third got on the list yesterday when Isaiah, the whale expert, enthusiastically recommended it to us. We left right after breakfast.

Our first stop was the Julia Pfiffer Burns park, it was the farthest away and then we'd work our way back. 

Unfortunately the day before a camper accidentally set a forest fire with his cooking fire.  The fire was out of control and burning across the top of the mountain range, we drove through lots of smoke and we could see the fire burning as well as the firefighters who were there to put it out. It was a terrible sight to see so much destruction.

The Mcway waterfall is the highlight of the Julia Pfeiffer Burns Park. It was only a short hike until we saw it and it was definitely worth the drive!

After that we went to Big Sur. The trees were beautiful, we took the trail by the river and enjoyed it very much. Rob made a little fishing pole and actually caught a fish. While he was fishing I sat with my feet in the water and read, and thought, and looked at the beauty. I read the parable of the olive tree and then we talked about it while we walked back to the car. How to be good fruit? How to help others become good fruit? These are the questions that keep one up at night.

Our last stop was Point Lobos. It was both of our favorite stop. Everything is so breathtaking and beautiful. There are no words to describe it, and the photos barely do it justice. They don't capture the light dancing on the top of the water, or the sound of the waves crashing, or the smell of salt and pine and a certain dryness that is so California. You can't hear the sea lions barking or the gulls crying overhead. You don't see the shadows dancing or feel the cold air on your skin or catch, out of the side of your eye, the glimpse of a branch or rock or stump that for a second looks like a frog or a dragon or a fairy!

We saw lots of beautiful birds: today's list included several types of sea gulls and two different kinds of plovers, hummingbirds, quail, a blue jay, a lot of loons and a cute little brown bird whose name I don't know and a black oystercatcher with his bright red beak. It was so fun!

It was a super nice day. Peaceful and beautiful. We stayed out hiking from place to place until our stomachs insisted we stop for dinner (lunch was forgotten).

I can't wait for the kids to get home, although Hannah says they are having a great time and aren't ready yet, but I am also really glad we had these few days alone to enjoy each other's company and this beautiful world.

One thing that has surprised me is how many different languages we have heard spoken on this trip. From Hearst Castle to the boat to the breakfast room or trail we have heard more of foreign tongues than our own.