Okay, I admit that the last-minute trip to Monterey may have been a hair-brained idea. But our little crew needed to do something a bit hair-brained. Desperately. Who would have known that our trip was doomed?
Erica and I were going a bit stir crazy after a week of the stomach flu working its way through our kids. So when Thanksgiving week arrived and the kids had a break from school, we determined that we’d set off on a pre-Thanksgiving adventure. It must include a car ride and an overnight stay to be fully efficacious, we figured.
After knocking Yosemite off the list due to a rainy forecast we turned our attention to Monterey on the Northern California coast. Sunny, unseasonal 74 degree weather, ocean vistas, and a Ghirardelli Ice Cream shop were all within reach.
We booked a cheap hotel and packed bags for the whole family. After all, we’d leave the next morning. We even cancelled our kids’ dentist appointments for the morning so we could set off that much earlier.
I’m not sure our kids knew what hit them that morning as we whisked them away into our van. We tantalized them with visions of the beach and a bag full of snacks, so nobody complained.
A few hours later and we were there…
Beginning at the Old Fisherman’s Wharf in Monterey, without any sand in our shoes.
Fisherman’s Wharf in Monterey is pretty much only Clam Chowder restaurants. Which is awesome.
Liam kept an eye on things. Or he would have if he had a quarter for the machine.
I got the feeling this bird was the only passenger this boat had seen in a decade.
We took a seat after wandering up and down the wharf. Ashton’s patience was wearing thin. Or was his hunger wearing fat?
I suspect this sign was planting the idea more than it was dissuading them from it.
Unfed wildlife.
Moody shot.
When your kid volunteers to pose for you. I think the thumb indicates he’s happy about standing against a rock wall. I love this guy.
A rare sighting of my three kids embracing at Fisherman’s Shoreline Park.
Here’s what most of the Oswald sibling photos become by the time we’re finished. She’s one patient mamacita.
Checking the shot. And wondering how long she wanted to hold the shells the kids were collecting.
Who’s leading who? Evidently our youngest knows where to go…in a city he’s never before visited.
I had promised everyone a trip to see some sand dunes, which excited the kids despite not knowing what sand dunes were.
They started down the path with shoes on…
…Until shoes became inconvenient.
Okay, okay, I was excited about the dunes too. For photographic reasons.
We didn’t quite know what to expect when visiting Marina State Beach in late fall…
…And what we got was stunning.
Ashton had given up on being exasperated and settled for being plain ol’ happy.
The joys of sand.
Lifeline.
Kali taunted the waves as though she had any hope of staying dry.
Running into/from waves is what kids are made for.
Totally overexposed, and I’m alright with that.
High-tailing it at high tide.
Unscripted solid gold.
That’s one way to keep warm.
Just 30 minutes before we told them not to get too close to the water. Kids: 50, Parents: 0.
When the water takes a turn running away from the kids.
The gulls play all the same games as my kids. I’ll bet there was a meal in it for them, though.
One last charge along the shoreline before the long walk back to the car.
A boy and his dog stood atop a faraway dune as we trekked back up the path.
For all the crushing weight of sand, some beautiful plant life had grown up underfoot there at Marina State Beach.
A vain, final effort to get sand out of his shoe before getting in the car. Parents, you know what I’m talkin’ ’bout.
So wait. Why did I so ominously claim that our trip was doomed?
Everything went swimmingly up until bedtime that night, when Erica’s stomach began to churn. Was it bad chowder? Were the Thai Drunken Noodles we had at dinner spoiled?
Erica started fighting her own bout of the stomach flu in our small hotel room with three hyper kids. The opposite of a getaway. We couldn’t outrun that stomach bug no matter how far away from home we drove. This made for one of the longest nights of Erica’s life.
Morning finally arrived. We called off our plans to explore Cannery Row–and yes, even the Ghirardelli Ice Cream shop–to get Erica back home to rest. The kids understood, since we still made good on our promise to let them take a quick dip in the hotel pool before leaving. We dried off and piled back into the van for our drive back home. The Oswalds left Monterey just as quickly as they had come.
We had no shortage of adventure despite the fact our trip was just a sliver of what we had hoped. Well, maybe I shouldn’t speak for Erica, should I?
We’ll do better next time, babe!
What are some of the best memories you’ve made in Monterey? Sound off in the comments below…
2 comments
Looked like an amazing little trip until the stomach flu…. Beautiful shots! Beautiful family! Love the way you tell a story, so many talents!
Thanks so much for the kind words, Nichole. I’m definitely blessed to be dad and husband to this crew!