Luckily, Jonathon had substituted for another professor earlier in the semester, so he returned the favor and took Jonathon's Wednesday class. We left on Monday night after Jonathon was finished teaching, drove 4 hours, and stayed the night in Mesquite, Nevada. We have never gone the southern route before, but from Provo, it is only 15 minutes longer than the northern route, and avoids the Sierras where they were expecting a big storm. It was fun to go a different way because we were able to see new sights and cities. We drove through Las Vegas, drove by cactus trees in the Mojave Desert, saw Edwards Air Force base where they land space shuttles, saw lots of wind turbines outside of Barstow (our favorite ghetto town with really yummy donuts), watched oil wells near Bakersfield, and enjoyed the rolling hills and farmlands of the Central Valley. I thought the orange trees and almond trees were particularly interesting. It ended up being an 8.5 hour trip from Mesquite, so we arrived in Salinas just in time for dinner.
The kids are getting to be great little travelers, and we didn't have any problems. They got along great (for the most part), and we didn't have to stop very much at all. For the vast majority of the trip, we listened to Harry Potter 6 on audiotape. Andrew was so excited to finally be allowed to listen to it, and paid eager attention the entire time. We also listened to some conference talks, and the boys watched a few movies.
Grandpa and Grandma greeted us enthusiastically, and the kids immediately headed out to their huge backyard to jump and play. Aunt Teresa's family came shortly after we arrived, and the kids played non-stop with Hayden and Paige. Aunt Teresa was awesome and made sure we had delicious meals the entire time. That night we enjoyed chatting and relaxing from our long trip.
The next morning (and every morning of our trip), the kids were up at 5:30 AM because of the time zone change. Grandpa was up soon after though, and he and Hyrum made special cowboy cookies with red and green sugar. Those early morning hours became a special time that Grandpa spent cooking with each boy individually. Andrew made sugar cookies with him, Christian made pineapple upside-down cake, and Hyrum got another turn and made bran muffins for one of our breakfasts. I'm so glad the kids had this special one-on-one time with Grandpa and that he took the time to make great memories with them. All of their cooking creations turned out great and were gobbled right up.
The first morning (Wednesday), we decided to head to Monterey to the Wharf. Monterey is one of my very favorite places in California. It is still small enough that you don't feel overwhelmed with people, and you get that amazing old town feel. We decided to rent a big bike and pedal down to Cannery Row. We had been warned that the big 5 passenger bikes (surreys) were difficult, but since Hyrum can't ride his own bike yet, we decided to make it work. We all hopped on and pedaled as hard as we could. It was pretty tough and slow going, but Jonathon powered us forward. We made our way to Cannery Row, only stopping for a break once or twice, and then walked around some of the fun shops. The boys were particularly enthralled with the candy shops. Then we headed back to return the bike. We didn't know it at the time, but the path to Cannery Row was all slightly uphill, so the return trip was much easier.
After we returned the bike, we walked down the wharf. Every time we went to the wharf when I was growing up, we always took pictures at the same spot overlooking the marina. So to follow tradition, I made everyone get a picture at the boat harbor. It is such a beautiful spot. They grumbled a little bit, but eventually cooperated. Then we started exploring all of the fun, little shops on the wharf. The boys were allowed to get one souvenir during the trip, so they were anxious to find something perfect. Andrew quickly found what he wanted... a new pocket knife that said his name and had a picture of the wharf. Since he is a brand new Cub Scout, I thought it was the perfect thing for him. He bought it and was happy with it the whole rest of the time. We walked all the way to the end of the wharf and looked out over the bay and enjoyed the perfect weather.
Then Grandpa and Grandma arrived to eat lunch with us. When I go to Monterey, I always get clam chowder in a bread bowl. It is a specialty in Monterey, so every shop offers their own secret recipe. I always taste all of the free samples from the vendors as we walk. It is just part of the wharf experience. No where else can compare to clam chowder on the wharf. It was as good as ever, and the low carb diet was forgotten for the day (for the whole week if we are being honest :)The other thing we like to have is squid and chips. It's always fun to get the kids to try it. Christian had several pieces this time without even having to be paid to try it. Haha!
The little restaurant that we always eat at (Abalonetti's) has teal walls. I love sitting at their outdoor patio and taking pictures in front of the teal walls. After our yummy lunch, we headed for the beach.
The day was the perfect Spring beach day. It was warm, but not too hot, and there was very little wind. It was also overcast, so we didn't have to worry quite as much about sunburns. There were a few people at the beach, but it was far from crowded. As usual, Andrew was the first one in the water, and he didn't come out until we had to drag him out an hour later. He is my little beach bum and loves running in and out of the waves and playing in the sand. I think beach pictures are my very favorite to take. The colors of the ocean, sky, and sand are so serene and beautiful, and everyone is happy at the beach. I spent the majority of my time taking pictures and enjoying the smell of the salty air.
Grandma has had some trouble with sciatica in her back and legs, so I wasn't sure if they would be able to go to the beach, but there is just something about the beach that calls to you, and she couldn't resist. She and Grandpa spent some time walking in the sand and watching the kids play. I took this picture of them and immediately fell in love with it. The colors, their pose holding hands, and the sailboats and kids playing in the water in the background... It was all perfect.
After a little over an hour, we packed up and headed back to Salinas. That night the kids played on the trampoline and helped grandpa build a fire to roast marshmallows.
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