A's Trail Ramblings: Central Coast Cheer

The New Year (I semi-promise this will be my last post about the New Year) is off and rolling and we beckoned the new calendar page in the best way I can think of. I have talked quite a bit about Jake, Roxy and Kyleigh in the last few months, and we got to spend another glorious weekend in their presence. Roxy’s parents recently bought a house in Cambria (one of my favorite places in the world), and that is where we welcomed in 2015.

(I took this one in Cambria a few years ago)

Between delicious home cooked meals, buying produce at a farmers market, exploring trails and new terrain along the coast, zebras and elephant seal encounters, and all-around awesome time spent outdoors in beautiful weather with beautiful people, we also managed to rest, relax and recharge.

(Lost my head at Moonstone Beach, Cambria)

For those who haven’t been to Cambria, or to the Central Coast of California (that’s a lot of Cs), it’s breathtakingly beautiful and it’s peaceful. Sure, there are lots of people and lots of tourists, but there is this year around festive feel and the locals are lovely and welcoming. It’s like Tahoe on the coast. Instead of skis bring your bike and you’ll have the coast as your oyster (there are lots of those, too).

We got into Cambria after midnight on New Year’s Eve, but were welcomed to a beautiful home and caught up with Jake and Roxy into the wee hours. As you know if you’ve read anything about this family, Huck and Kyleigh are besties, and the next few days we couldn’t pry her off his shoulders, back, lap, etc.

(Watching Box Trolls- such a good movie)

On New Years day we drove up the coast a bit and introduced Kyleigh to Huck’s siblings.

They fought and made weird gross sounds, and slept a lot.

We explored San Simeon, and had lunch at a pub in town. Kyleigh and I realized we were sitting in the same places as a year ago when we came, so had to snap a pic...

(November 2013, January 2015)

We walked around and explored. Cambria has lots of local shops and lots of local art, and just walking around is almost calming. I wish I took more photos of town, but I will be back there very soon!

Each night Jake and I cooked dinner, and we relaxed with cocktails, played card games with Kyleigh, and enjoyed the beautiful place.

One morning we hiked along a trail in San Simeon that takes you out to the bluffs, and here we met another elephant seal!

(San Simeon!)

(This big guys was just hanging out all lonesome)

(The walk from the beach)

(The solo black thing poking up a bit from the water is another elephant seal!)

(My new home)

(Olive, Jake and Roxy's pup)

We had lunch in San Simeon at a little spot, then explored the Hearst Castle Visitors Center and it’s Zebras (it’s pretty expensive to actually go, so we passed), and hiked some more closer to town.