Big Sur

It was time for our annual pilgrimage down the coast to Big Sur.  We left early Saturday morning and headed south.  Lorien had left a day before we did (playing hookie from school) with the Wright's.  

Uncle Alan, Aunt Heather and their kids came down to camp with us.  We tried to simplify our Big Sur experience this time and were fairly successful.  We managed to whittle our camping gear down to fit into two big bins instead of one gigantic bin and two big ones.  It felt like a win for me.

Lorien pretty much becomes one of the Wright family while at Big Sur.  I took baby Willow for a walk around to find Lorien and say hi.

                                         

We all loved having baby Willow around.  She gave us something to coo at while sitting around the fire.  

                                          

We took a little hike up to some waterfalls Saturday afternoon.  There was a fire a few years ago down and Big Sur.  It is interesting to see the wild coming back after the fire.  

                                         

Last year, we bought a hammock to bring with us camping (only Big Sur).  This year it was another big hit with the kids.  They figured out how to swing each other really high!  I don't think any of the adults ever use the hammock to relax in...it is purely a toy for the kids.

                                         

Wyatt spent a lot of his time off with friends too.  It was great.  He mostly bought candy at the general store and tried to light things on fire around other family's campfires.  

                                         

It was another great Big Sur trip.  We only stayed one night and headed back home Sunday.  We left earlier than we usually do.  Other years we leave late at night, or at bedtime and have empty roads home.  This year we left after lunch and ended up sitting in traffic for most of the drive home.  It kind of stinks living in such a populated area sometimes.  

One of my friend's did send me a couple of pictures of Lorien.  I seriously do not see her over the weekend.  She is off having fun with friends and I think that is great.  It was nice to see what kinds of fun she is up to when she is away.

She has good friends and I love them.

                                         

Oh, the traffic was so bad, at one point we pulled off the road and went down to explore the seaside.  Well, Will, Colter and I went exploring...the bigger kids stayed in the car to watch the movie.  It was a cool look out spot.  Will climbed the rocks and Colter and I watched for bugs and birds.  You can see a pile of cars on the road to the left of Will's head.  Traffic.  Ugh.  

                                        

This might be the last year we do Big Sur.  The school calendar is changing and next year finals will be around Memorial Day weekend.  It will be hard to justify a weekend camping when our high schooler is supposed to be studying for finals.  Maybe we will try for a different weekend?