B and the Banana Slug

We got our introduction to banana slugs when we were out here a year ago and I was going to job fairs...we did a couple of day hikes then and they were EVERYWHERE.  As we were waiting for everyone to get ready to leave the Jewel, we saw one in the parking lot, and I dared to ask the question "What happens if you put your foot in front of a banana slug?  Will it go up and over, or around?"  B dared to answer that question.  Up and over, with a healthy trail of slime.

Big Sur

For our driving day from Santa Barbara to Big Sur, I got a few winery recommendations from coworkers.  Our first stop was Melville Winery, where we learned that you should never taste oak in your wine.

 After a stop in San Luis Opisbo for lunch, we made our way to two more wineries, Sculpterra (not recommended) and Adelaida (extremely recommended) near Paso Robles.  There, we learned that it is good to taste oak in your wines.  Then we made our way over to Highway 1, and once we got an awesome vista and pulled over.  It was quite windy so I decided to have some (perhaps too much) fun with it.

Then things got serious.

 The next day, we took a hike in Big Sur State Park.  It was a lovely walk in the Redwoods with a waterfall and fabulous meadow view.

Watching lizard push ups is one of my favorite things!

LOVE this flower!

 These photos are ordered kind of funny, but you'll just have to deal with it.  The drive up the coast on Highway 1 is incredible!

 And then there was the Jewel in the Forest.  Brett and I found this on airbnb.com, which we can highly recommend (though watch out for additional fees).  Sofanya is an artist who lives in the first floor of a dome house and rents out the top 2 floors.  It was really lovely and peaceful, set off Highway 1 about 2 miles, complete with art supplies, bath salts, and free advice on good hikes in the region.  It was a very restful place!

Birthday Boy

It was hard to say goodbye to the Dome House, but Sofanya gave us a parting gift for B's birthday, a print of a painting called Adam and Eve Begin their Journey, which we are still trying to figure out where to place in our apartment, and we still had a few beautiful hours of driving ahead.  We also stopped at a winery near Santa Cruz called Windy Oaks that I think was my favorite of them all!  And we got to see this lighthouse, which also has a hostel attached to it...our original plan before A&J decided to come out was to stay here, and we probably will make that happen sometime this summer.

It's always tough to end a vacation and come back to real life, but it's made easier for me by knowing I get to see the Nans at the end of the road.  She was well taken care of by a student of mine who checked on her twice (plus A&J did once after their flight in, before driving down to SB) and was as loving as ever when we got home.  I had to work, but B and his parents got to do an extra hike and tour Stanford.  We went out to a really nice restaurant in Woodside up in the hills to the west of us for B's birthday, and that was lovely.  All in all, a wonderful spring break...I love living in California!

Channel Islands Day 4 -- AB and JB join us!

On Day 4, the hair had gotten so greasy that it was time for a braid.

 We ate breakfast, packed up camp completely, and headed to the shore where we'd stash our bags until our 3:30 boat.  Then I read while Brett painted and we waited for B's parents to arrive on the 10:00 boat!

 We took off on a loop hike that involved hiking pretty much straight up first, then flattened out and took us to the coast.

 Where we stopped for a delicious picnic of the fresh food that they had brought with them!

 Very small island in the distance.

 On our trip back, we passed a few oil platforms...there is a lot of oil in the Santa Barbara Channel!