Big Sur

This last week has been really hard. We’ve been home sick with what feels like the plague (AKA hand foot & mouth disease). Eveleigh got it first, and even though adults don’t typically catch it — I am one of the lucky few who did. And then it spread to Cora as well, and well, it’s not been fun, to say the least. And since it’s super contagious we haven’t really left the house at all, and I am going stir crazy. It’s started triggering my wanderlust and making me crave a trip when we’re all feeling better.

But in the meantime, I thought I’d share some photos from our road trip this summer… these are all from our time in Big Sur, which is the most beautiful stretch of coastline I have ever seen. I love living in this beautiful state because there are so many amazing places to visit, most within driving distance (especially if you’re a road trip lover like myself!).

We drove up to Monterey first and spent two nights there, exploring the town and heading north up to Santa Cruz for a short visit. Then we started making our way South to Big Sur, driving through Carmel and stopping at several scenic overlooks to take in the view. We stopped for lunch at the River Inn and then stopped later for coffee at Big Sur Bakery. If we were sans kids I would’ve definitely stayed there a while longer enjoying coffee & dessert and taking it all in. Very charming & definitely worth a stop! Then we stopped off at McWay Falls and hiked the little trail there. Such amazing views & a great short walk with kiddos. We were also planning on stopping off at Pfieffer beach but we couldn’t find the path and the girls were sleeping, so we kept on going and just stopped off at a few more turnouts. We continued to make our way south towards San Simeon, and visited the Elephant Seal Rookery. Eveleigh loved seeing the Elephant Seals & the super friendly squirrels that were there too!

Big Sur was definitely the highlight of our summer road trip! Hoping to post & share some more photos from the rest of our trip soon. :)

Have you ever been to Big Sur? Would love to hear your favorite spots & places to stay, as we hope to visit again soon (I’m thinking like once every two years at minimum ;))

With love,

Monika

My little gardener

Yesterday I was gone most of the morning on a hike with some women from church. My husband, Ryan,  stayed home with the girls, and him & Eveleigh planted a little strawberry plant we were given as a gift. Eveleigh LOVES working out in our garden & and it warms my heart to see them having so much fun together. Ryan put this video together of their time and it’s just too cute not to share! <3

Hope you all are savoring this beautiful weekend!

With love,

Monika

California Roadtrip: Part 3

The final leg of our road trip had us driving through Carmel, Big Sur, and San Luis Obispo.

Carmel was such a lovely quaint town. We only had time to stop there briefly for some coffee & window shopping, but I’m glad we got to see it. Would be a great spot to return to for a romantic weekend getaway. 

The scenery in Big Sur is some of the most beautiful I’ve ever seen. Pictures cannot capture how stunning it is. The winding roads may have made me slightly nauseous, but it was oh-so worth it. 

After that we finally made it to San Luis Obispo, where we stayed a night with some good friends of the Kelsos. We enjoying a delicious, hearty italian meal in town and ended the night watching Gone With The Wind (though we didn’t quite finish it as we all ended up crashing early).

Ryan and I were so blessed to get to go on this little adventure. We’re so in love with this gorgeous state and enjoy getting to see all that it has to offer. ♥  

Date at the park

The other night Ryan and I headed to the park near our house for some reading & relaxing. There’s this beautiful tree that is perfect for reading under. The weather was amazing and we read & talked until the sun went down. I think I could do this every single night and not get tired of it. Feeling really blessed and grateful that I get to live in this beautiful state.

Joshua Tree National Park

Earlier this week Ryan and I went on a camping trip to Joshua Tree National Park with a group of people from our church. It was an amazing trip filled with a few “firsts”. Our first time going to Joshua Tree, our first time camping as a married couple, and my first time going real rock climbing (not indoor). It was so refreshing to get away and get some time out in nature. We may not have slept very well (not sure how people camp for long stretches of time!) but it was a great trip! Hope to go back and explore again soon.