Forest and Beach

Saturday was another jam-packed day of our San Francisco Bay getaway.

After breakfast we all went our separate ways.  Son Brian and Hubby Tony went to the apartment complex gym, and DIL Nicole went for a run.  I walked to the market to pick up some produce.  When everyone was back home and cleaned up, we piled in the car to start the day's adventures.

It was the nicest weather day so far. The sun was shining and the forecast called for a high of close to 70 degrees.  Our first stop was a state park south of the Bay area that had a nice walking trail through a grove of giant redwoods. It was awe-inspiring how tall and old some of the trees were. Before we left the apartment Brian and Nicole made sure we had enough layers to keep us comfortable in the cooler forest. When we got out of the car the t-shirt I was wearing was warm enough. As I entered the shady area I added a sweater, and then a light jacket on top.

After our redwoods adventure we got back in the car and headed farther south to Santa Cruz, a city on the Pacific Ocean.  Our ultimate destination was the boardwalk and beach.  Even though it was only January most of the rides, food booths, and shops were open. We passed on those, though, and headed toward the beach, where we sat down on a couple of beach towels and enjoyed the warm sunshine. I got brave and rolled the legs of my pants up so I could walk down to the shoreline. The first few waves were mild, so I moved a little closer and was unprepared for the next bigger one that soaked the bottom of my pants. It was all good, though, because the sun dried them before I left.

Eventually it started cooling off, so we packed everything up and headed back to the car. The ride back was uneventful. When we reached the apartment we regrouped, then went out to dinner at a Israeli restaurant. The food was Middle Eastern with a twist. We ordered hummus, chicken and vegetable skewers, and several sides. When the food came we put all the plates in the middle of the table and everything was fair game.