It's no secret that I LOVE to travel. There is something in my DNA that screams explore, take leaps and try new adventures. I find joy in observing other parts of the world. There is something to be said about watching and learning how others live on this beautiful planet we all share. This New Years week was another chance for our little family of five to explore more of the state we live in. California has a crazy amount to offer. From beaches, to cities, to massive trees and cliffs. It's gorgeous. This trip had us all in awe several times. It's one of the most beautiful trips I have ever taken.
We left on Quinn Marie's birthday, December 30th, for the ocean. It was a breath taking drive on our way to Pismo Beach. The mountains, hills, orchards and vineyards were stunning.
So green!
We took our time getting there. We were in no rush which felt so nice. We stopped and had lunch and relaxed. We left home later than we normally would and got in later than we would have wanted to but we wanted to enjoy the journey. Not rush it. Plus, we wanted Quinn to have some time to have a birthday and ride her bike.
The kids were so excited once we arrived at the beach. We grabbed our coats and headed for the water. Playing in the sand is an absolute favorite for these three littles of ours. They love making sand castles and digging.
Testing out there sand castle skills.
Joy!
This beach had awesome sand. It packed down really well.
The pier.
Pres and the boys down by the water. They enjoyed watching the brave surfers. It was a chilly night. I was impressed that there were any surfers at all.
Quinnie running on the beach.
We got there at the perfect time. The sun was setting so beautifully.
Crashing waves.
Run Quinn run!
Taking turns to slide down the sand piles.
It's safe to say they had sand everywhere! Haha. They had so much fun!
Pismo Beach baby!
Watching the surfers from the pier.
A look at Pismo from the pier.
The other side of the pier.
Beckham was being a little shy but the rest of us were all smiles :)
Happy Birthday Quinn Marie!
After walking the pier we headed to dinner to celebrate Quinnie's special day. We happened upon this fabulous diner. The food and service were great! Quinn picked an oreo milkshake for her special birthday treat. We sure do love that little girl of ours!
The next morning we decided to head to a delicious cinnamon roll bakery. Where they specialize in, you guessed it, cinnamon rolls. They were divine! Absolute perfection. Once our bellies were full we took the kids to a park. It was called Dinosaur Park :) They were in heaven! I had to grab a few things from Walmart so I dropped Pres and the kids there. The park was right by the ocean but sat up on a cliff. They had walking paths and look out points. It was a really pretty place to enjoy the morning sun.
Three little Clarks in a row!
Jackson Scott
Beckham boy :)
This was right off of the park. I loved all of the benches they had around. You could sit and listen to the waves crash against these massive cliffs. It was very peaceful.
Waiting for us to catch up :)
Pismo Beach
December 31, 2019
Another shot from the park. What a coastline!
From Pismo Beach we headed towards Cambria. Preston has a co-worker that lived in San Luis Obispo so he let us in on some cool places to check out along the way. As we drove through Los Osos we found a road that led us through these gnarly trees. They were so cool.
Once we made our way through the trees we found this quiet yet gorgeous beach area.
We were tucked in by these cliffs all around us. The kids loved this beach! It had different "sand" as well. It was more like tiny pebbles.
We stayed here for quite some time. It was stunning! The sound of the waves crashing echoed all around you. They were huge waves too. It was absolutely beautiful!
Huge birds decided to make this rock area their stomping ground.
A part of the cliff tapered into the water on the other side. We saw a couple of people sitting up top taking in the sights and sounds.
Once we could pull ourselves away from this beach we kept on our journey to Cambria. We were all getting hungry for lunch. As we pulled into Cambria we stopped at a Mexican restaurant. While looking up places to eat, this place was highly rated. It was also known as a hidden gem. It wasn't in a location you would normally find. You would have to know this place existed to get there. It was in an industrial part of town. The food was pretty good and the service was great. We enjoyed our burritos and quesadillas but I wouldn't say it was better than the Mexican restaurants in El Paso :)
Ready to take on the next adventure we headed to Hearst Castle. I went back and forth quite a bit on going and I am so grateful we did. We weren't sure the kids would enjoy it plus, it was an hour long tour...EEK! I was nervous to say the least that the kiddos would get bored and want to be done 10 minutes into the tour. Luckily, this ended up being a favorite stop on the trip for everyone.
We got to the castle just in time to catch one of the last tours. Since it was New Year's Eve they were closing early that day. We bought our tickets and headed to the bus that would take us up to the castle. The boys were so excited to ride a bus, haha.
I snapped a cute little photo of Beckham while we waited for the bus to take off. It was a much longer ride up to the castle than I had imagined. A lot of winding and turning. The owner built the path to the house around the trees rather than cutting any down to make a straighter way. We saw a ton of cows on our drive up. Hearst owned a ton of animals (mostly exotic) at one point but had to sell them off eventually. He had his very own zoo which housed a polar bear, giraffes, zebras and several other animals. The castle still owns and operates a ranch to this day hence the cows.
William Hearst was an American business man, newspaper publisher and politician. He is known for publishing papers with human interest stories and big headlines. The headlines usually being a little more flamboyant to sell more papers. He was a master mind when it came to capturing an audiences attention. With his new found success he made millions of dollars. Something out of the ordinary for someone living in the late 1800's - 1950's. Our little crew had a chance to find out what he did with all of that money :)
Pulling up to the castle.
This is where the tour started. We went through that cool door on the right by the vase that would look good in my library;)
Heading up the stairs.
I wasn't sure which tour to book. There are several to choose from. The most common tour to book for first timers is the grand rooms. However, that tour can hold up to 50 people and I didn't want to be shuffled in a crowd with the kids. I decided to book the suites and library tour allowing only 15 people. Safe to say it was a good choice. We enjoyed the smaller numbers.
You can definitely tell this man lived well. The ceilings were done with such intricate detail it was fascinating to look up as much as it was to look around. This was the first guest room we entered. Typically this would be a room shared by a married couple. You were only allowed to stay in these rooms as a couple if you were legally married.
The view from the sitting room.
The ceiling and sitting room for the couples room. There was an adjoining room on the other side of the sitting room for another couple to stay. The sitting area was the common area for the couples.
Artifacts, rugs and artwork were all beautiful.
The detail in these rooms could leave you wondering around forever. From the door frames to the bed posts and dressers. It was stunning to think about the amount of time it took to do all of this.
Another look at the door way and a door that led into another part of the house.
A view from the hallway. This hallway had more rooms off of it. They were rooms used for those that were single.
All of the single ladies stayed in these dorm like rooms. They shared the space and a bathroom. The bachelors slept in the cottages outside of the house so there was no chance of misbehaving :)
The library. Oh the library! My favorite room by far in the house.
Tons and tons of books lined the walls. It was such a beautiful room.
I wasn't allowed to use flash photography so this picture came out a little darker. I was trying to show the size of the room. It continued on behind me as well. It was beautiful. A large fireplace was on the wall in the middle of the room and tons of sitting areas. This is where you would have found me :) A diet coke, a book and a fire roaring in the fire place. That would be my happy place!
Another shot of the library from behind where I stood. The vase in the top corner was from around 800 A.D. I felt like I was on Beauty and the Beast, haha. Belle would love this library :)
He too had a sitting area in between his room and his wife's room. Her room was just as big as his with her own bath and closet as well. Their sitting room was very pretty. They had a fire place and large couches, a desk and vases all around. The tour behind ours was catching up so we had to hurry through, I couldn't grab a picture.
As Mr. Hearst took on more and more newspapers, magazines and journalism he wanted to work from home more. This was his conference room/office. He made several calls from in here and did a lot of his bigger business deals later in life from this room. Behind me was a massive fireplace. Books lined the walls and I loved the windows. This was another favorite of mine.
A view of the coastline from the castle.
This was one of the last rooms we were shown. He called this room the celestial room. It was the highest room in the house. It was gold colored all around it. This room was built in one of the bell towers. You could close the drapes and it would be pitch black for a peaceful night of sleep. This would have been my room :) A twin room was in the other bell tower. These two rooms also had an adjoining sitting room.
At the end, the tour guide had everyone in the group applaud the kids for their awesome behavior and a job well done. They each beamed with delight that she remembered their names and that everyone clapped for them. It was the cutest thing to see. I was one proud Momma that day.
A view from the palace's front door.
A bell tower.
One side of the castle.
Another view of the coastline from the castle.
These are the cottages the bachelors would sleep in.
The view from the other side of the castle.
The pool.
Statues and fountains were seen in various places around the castle.
Another view of the pool. This is called the Roman pool.
He also had an indoor pool. The Neptune pool. This pool was gorgeous!
Beckham boy checking out the pool.
The diving board.
Hearst Castle!
I am so happy we made this stop on our trip. It was cool to see. Basically it was a massive house built with a ton of money, haha. After our tour Preston and I decided that if we had that amount of money we would have used it a little differently than Mr. Hearst, haha. His home was unbelievable but it is not something I would have chosen for myself....well, maybe the library :) If he would have asked us to stay we would have definitely said, "Yes!"
From the castle we headed to elephant seal vista point. It was only a few miles from the castle so it was the perfect stop to hit before heading back to our hotel. The sun was just setting when we parked the car. It was the best time of day to check out these huge mammals.
That's not a rock in the center of the picture, it's an elephant seal chilling on the beach.
Laying around.
The sunset was magical! It was absolutely stunning!
One elephant seal coming in from the ocean.
Another shot of the setting sun.
Calling out for his friends, haha. I was impressed with the volume these guys had. It was loud.
You can see why they call it elephant seal vista point. There were so many!
They are not the cutest looking creatures but they are really fun to watch.
Trying out for his modeling debut.
A dad and his daughter checking out the scene.
I loved capturing the sunset.
Jack checking out the seals and elephant seals.
Quick shot of the crew with the painted sky!
A lighthouse on the edge of the coast.
Dad and Jack ready to chow down.
Once we had enough of the seals we headed back to Cambria for dinner. We found a cute restaurant and enjoyed our time. We sampled their very own jam and bought some to go. It was delicious. We grabbed a few treats and went home for a much needed sleep.
Me and my Beckham boy. Q was there too. I just forgot to snap a picture of her in her high chair :)
Our hotel had a fireplace in it. That was a welcoming treat after hanging out by the beach with the wind against us. We turned it on and we all fell asleep rather quickly leaving Pres up alone, haha. What a way to welcome in the new year :) We completely forgot it was New Year's Eve. The kids and I fell asleep around 8:30p and Pres followed not much longer after that. It was a fun, adventurous, non stop kind of a day. Perfect if you ask me.
That next morning we filled up on a free breakfast from the hotel and headed to the beach. The waves were crazy big this morning leaving us in awe as we watched them slam into the rocks. The kids LOVED this. We all had our pj's on and took a stroll on Moonstone beach.
There was quite a bit of drift wood along the way.
Someone even fashioned a tent out of the wood. Jack and Beckham thought this was so cool.
One more with Quinnie :)
We all climbed up on this huge rock and watched the waves for several minutes. No one wanted to leave. Then the waves started getting to our rock so we figured we'd better go or we'd be wading in water while trying to get back to the path.
Beckham on a rock :)
Love this.
Jack as close as we'd let him get. This kid is starting to become a little more fearless.
The waves coming in.
These waves were unreal. They were massive. It was so fun to watch them.
The boys walked ahead leaving Quinnie and I to do a quick pose for the camera. Love her duck/kissy lips! She is too cute!
Wild succulents growing all along the path way.
One more shot of Moonstone beach.
Now off to Big Sur! We really enjoyed our time in Cambria and we were really looking forward to checking out Big Sur. Going from beach life to life in the woods. Big Sur is surrounded by huge Red Woods. I was really excited to be up in the trees. The drive up to Big Sur did not disappoint either.
I couldn't get over the waves. I totally understood why Jack found them so mesmerizing. Pictures just don't do them justice.
We made a few stops a long the way. This was one of my favorites. I thought this area was beautiful.
Taking the hidden trails to see some gems.
The sun was a little bright but oh how I love these people.
Taking a minute to climb some trees. Beckham accidentally got hit with a branch while walking so he missed out on the tree climbing. Poor kid. No worries, he's totally fine and fully recovered :)
On our drive.
You can see the road on the left that we took. It hugs the coastline.
Another stop on our way.
We took a quick potty break at this secluded beach. They had restrooms and everything. Not many people where there which was great. It was quiet and peaceful.
Beckham building rock towers.
Checking out the trails.
It lead to this little stream.
A shot from Beckham's tower.
Always climbing.
Back on the road again.
A cool bridge.
Brothers!
This is Bixby bridge but there was some construction happening so we couldn't stop to see it. It looks a lot like the other bridge above though.
McWay Falls
When the waters pulled back, the sound of the waterfall hitting the sand was incredible. It was so loud. Coming down with a force.
We made it to Big Sur! I think we got to the lodge just in time. I may have used all of my "Pres, pull over. That's breath taking!" cards up :) Honestly, Preston was awesome and super patient with all of my requests to "ooooo let's stop and see" and he'd pull over for me every time. Love that man!
Beckham running! I love being in the woods. The trees are so cool to look at and there's such a peace about being there. These redwoods did not disappoint. They were massive!
Trying to get an idea of how big that trunk actually is.
Tree Tops
There was a canopy of trees that were like a blanket over us as we walked around the lodge. The smells were incredible.
We got into the lodge around 4pm. Unpacked the car and walked to the gift shop to check it out. We also put our name in for reservations at the restaurant. The kids picked a little toy and I grabbed a deck of cards and we headed back to the room until dinner time. The trail I really wanted to hike was closed due to flooding. Sadness. Instead we walked around the area and played games in our room. One of the cool things about this lodge was that there was no wifi or TV's in the rooms. They wanted you to get out and explore or actually communicate and play games as a family. I thought that was cool. They had Uno in our room and tic tac toe and checkers at the lodge.
Quinn in all of her cuteness waiting on dinner.
The boys patiently waiting.
While we waited for our meals the waiter gave out a few things the kids could play with. We also received the most delicious basket of home made rolls and butter.
Pres and I in our happy place with our cute little humans to entertain us.
These two! Haha!
They made glasses with these bendable straws that they were given. It was so funny watching them each try them on and want a picture.
After an exceptional dinner we all played tic tac toe for awhile. Pres and I couldn't get over how great the dinner was. It was obviously a little more pricey than what we had hoped for but the food was phenomenal. I didn't mind as much that we had to pay a little extra. It was scrumptious! Hats off to the chef!
Tic Tac Toe for the win!
Once we were back in our room I got out the deck of cards and taught the kids how to play slapjack and war. They were so excited! I loved every minute of this. It was so fun to watch how excited they'd get. They would all laugh and laugh when someone accidentally slapped a Queen or King. It was so fun! We really enjoyed our time at Big Sur. We wished we could have gotten out a little more and explored though. All of the things we wanted to do were closed due to weather.
We woke up to wild turkeys right outside our door. Everyone was so excited! The kids kept saying it's just like Grandma and Pops house! Haha.
They hung around for a few minutes and then made their way down the mountain. They were cool to see. The coloring on the feathers were pretty.
The view as we drove to Monterey.
I brought breakfast for the crew so we could load up quickly and head to Monterey. This is the last stop on our coastal trip. The kids were looking forward to checking out the aquarium.
And just like that, we were at Monterey Bay Aquarium.
Little reef sharks.
Quinn exploring a whole new world ;)
Giant fish.
Beach birds that stand on one leg while resting. The aquarium is literally right off the water. It was fun having the ocean as a backdrop.
Checking out the reef fish.
A play place.
Penguins
My favorite were the jellyfish. Such beautiful creatures.
Baby jellyfish.
We enjoyed the aquarium but felt it was way too pricey for what you get. I think Pres and I have been a little spoiled as well, since we've done the Shed Aquarium in Chicago. No aquarium we have been to compares to that one. I don't think we will do aquariums in the future. It was fun but not worth the money spent, and our kids would rather see mammals I think.
On our way to lunch the kids asked me to take a picture of them with the Rocky Mountain Chocolate bear :)
We ate lunch right on the water. It was gorgeous!
Two cuties.
Oh and two more ;)
The wharf.
So many boats.
We sat on the beach and watched the surfers. These were all kids learning how to surf. The boys were so interested. They each decided that they would be 12 and then try to surf :)
Monterey coast line.
Cheering on the surfers.
We sure love the beach.
Digging, digging and more digging.
Burying each others feet in the sand one last time before heading home.
The drive home was just as beautiful as the drive on the way to Pismo beach. There were tons of farms, mountains and hills. I really enjoyed this drive. It was breath-taking several times. We talked a lot about what we saw and our favorite things. Jack decided he wanted to live by the ocean when he gets older. He says that he will have a job one day so he can live by the beach in San Francisco or on "Maui island" :)
We came down from around this mountain and bam! This incredible landscape around San Luis Reservoir was right before our eyes!
What an amazing sight to see! These mountains and hills were just stunning. Absolutely gorgeous!
We got home right around 5pm that night. We unpacked got everyone ready for bed and the kids were asleep by 6:30pm. They had quite the adventurous few days. No napping and constant go, go go. They were ready for a deep sleep in their very own beds. I am so grateful that Pres and I have the kids we do. They make traveling easier than expected. I am so happy that they enjoy the trips as much as we do. Both of the boys said the castle was their favorite part and Quinnie said the elephant seals were hers. Jack loved watching the waves crash. Beckham enjoyed climbing the rocks. Quinn also loved walking on the beach and "seeing all the stuff" as she puts it, haha. Pismo Beach was the winner for Preston and me. I also enjoyed the castle and drive. Staring out the window while snapping pictures was awesome! We are so grateful we could take this family time away. A time to decompress, breathe, enjoy great food and company while bonding a little closer as a family. 2020 we are ready for ya! Where will our next adventure be?? Who knows, but I do know that there will be one :)
