Point Lobos

One day, we planned to go to a Santa Cruz or Watsonville beach, but after seeing the gorgeous weather report for Carmel, we couldn't resist going back that direction. 

We brought cousin Steven along and decided to give the children a new kind of beach experience and hike around Point Lobos. The kids discovered that cliff and cove beaches are just as, if not more beautiful and enjoyable as miles and miles of empty white sand beaches. Check it out:

Our first stops in the reserve were Hidden Beach and the Weston Beach tide pools. 

When I was a kid, I loved Hidden Beach because there isn't any sand once you get to the shore. The beach is made of billions and billions of teeny tiny soft pebbles, coral pieces, bits of driftwood, and seashells. One could sit for hours in the same place sifting though the pebbles collecting treasures of sea glass and itty bitty shells. 

The rock-scapes are incredible. There are cliffs of cooled lava glittered with abalone shells that stuck in them as the lava hardened. There are pits and holes and caves and arches and cracks and crevices that have formed in the rocks from years of waves crashing and rolling over and around and into them, creating spectacular beauty and a wonderful set for little climbers to explore. 

Steven is sitting over a hole in the rock that was shaped like a hammock chair....or if you ask him, a toilet. 

The children searched the tide pools for sea urchins, starfish, and crabs, and each found a few shell treasures to bring home. 

The tide was low and surf was calm and there was a LOT of kelp. 

It turns out China Beach is a sea lion habitat, so the sandy shore was closed for mating season. Isn't the view from above gorgeous, though?! China Cove was a favorite place to go when I was in gradeschool. I have many memories of days spent there with my friend Katy. 

If you look closely, you can see a big fat sea lion sun bathing on the shore on the far right. Corbin is pointing to it. 

Since China Cove was sadly closed, we hiked a little further and went to Garrison Beach instead. Beautiful day. 

We had to climb down about 100 steep steps along the cliff to get to it, but it was worth it for the time on the sand. 

Passing through Castroville during artichoke season on the way home meant we just had to make a pit stop and pick up some artichoke bread, a steamed giant artichoke, and an order of deep fried artichokes from the Giant Artichoke on our way home. Check out Corbin rubbing his belly. I felt the same way, buddy!  It was a delicious ending to another excellent day of vacation.