California 2016 day 6/7/8 - catching up

We spent two days at the beach in Bolinas, poking around in the intertidal.  The first day, we didn't know where we were going (we were headed there on the advice of a pt reyes ranger) and coasted into the least hospitable town imaginable with a totally empty gas tank.  The first beach was a short trip from there, and the second was a bit north of town. June particularly enjoyed seeing how you could drop a snail onto an anemone and make it curl up.

The first place we went, the parking lot was more or less right on the beach. The second place required a little hike in.  

Stomping on the foam was very exciting. 

The schlep through the airport was ridiculous.  After we returned the minivan (that we kind of enjoyed), we had three suitcases, two car seats, a pack and play, a couple of carry on bags, and two babies.  Our trip from the rental car garage to check in was not graceful.

California 2016 day 5 - catching up

Visiting neighbors then exploring downtown petaluma.

California 2016 day 4 - catching up

Day four:  heading north up the coast.

This beach will find five ways to kill you.  Terrifying advice:  do not turn your back on the ocean.  

Harbor seal pupping ground at the Russian River. 

True to form, junebug became very attached to this little structure and refused to let us come inside.  

California 2016 day 3 - catching up

California 2016 day 2 - catching up

Day 2: dim sum, beach, then long trek to aunt Kathy and James

Juniper was a much bigger fan of the ocean this time around.

California 2016 day 0/1 - catching up

The flight out was easy. June enjoyed her "phonecalls" very much and was happy to eat treats and watch movies. Minerva was generally pretty easy-going too.  Total opposite of the trip back.  Apparently, it's a much better idea to spend a day sitting in a plane than to assume they will sleep on a redeye.  They woke up the next morning at about 5am.

Styling junebug on the way to the aquarium.  

June first visited the touch tank at the monterey bay aquarium when she was maybe a little over a year old. At the time, she was mostly interested in drinking the salt water. This time around, she was more interested in touching things. 

Totally cool feature: a bunch of anchovies shoaling in a tank full of predators. Every once in a while a tuna would dart in or hammerhead would swim up and the shoal would veer off wildly and change shape.  Pretty good entertainment, of at the expense of a few anchovies.  Juniper was not entertained. 

After a couple hours at the aquarium, we hoped the babies could be coaxed to sleep in the car, so we drove down into big sur.  Pretty spectacular.  

A little hiking.  A lot of annoying "I wish I had someone to carry *me* comments" from folks on the trail.  

Gunpowder

Juniper has a copilot