Final days in CA--pt 1

Well, we've been home for a week and I didn't get to tell you about the rest of the CA trip.... let's see, where did we leave off.... I can't be as detailed but more of the highlights :) Day 8 was a dream come true for Dan. For his entire lifetime, Dan would flip through the family photos and see the 1969 Bouges family trip to CA... and several stories and photos stuck out in his mind... including his brother and sister next to the redwoods of Muir Woods. So we took our car rental and drove up north to Marin County (home of George Lucas I hear)....
It was a long and windy road up a steep mountain (without guardrails!!). But totally worth it (as I say this as I didn't have to do the driving :) Click above to get info on the state park of the redwoods... and click here for photos of our trip. It was a great day to relax and enjoy the peace and beauty of nature. Evan of course LOVED it... he's a big fan of nature and the outdoors. So needless to say, he enjoyed running on the boardwalked path or the rocky trails (uphill) for enjoyment.

And there is more than just redwoods at the state park.... just beauty. It was such a serene day that gave us a relaxing day amongst the hectic days of site seeing we've already had.

Our last full day in CA found us in beautiful Monterey, CA. So many people told we should go but we were hesitant to spend 1-2hrs on the road for the beach.... but we are so glad we got to experience the beautiful coastal CA. The town reminds me of Newport, RI. The beauty, the small town feel and the look of money. We skipped the aquarium (which I hear is fantastic). But we were limited on time and wanted to make sure we get the most of our time. So we ended up on 17-mile Drive. You may know the 'lone cypress' or the ghost tree or the PGA Pebble Beach!!

Again, we had a GREAT relaxing day. I think the hustle and bustle of the city just makes you "busy"... but the serene surroundings of nature gives you peace.