It was so nice to get the opportunity to take the drive from Seattle to WI to meet our new niece, Jovey. We were a tad worried due to driving in February, but we remained safe and lucky. Our family thought we were flying in, but we wanted to surprise them and bring Leland (whom grew up with them being around, and meet the new pup!). The drive ended up going by pretty quickly considering that it was 31hrs, and the views were beautiful. Here is a quick summary of our lovely trip, and photo’s of our beautiful new niece!
One of the best parts about long drives is seeing the terrain change. Going from mountain passes, to some sun shine and flat lands, to just white space for miles upon miles. It keeps the drive interesting! Most people (including myself) can get so lost in daily routines, stresses, worries, & responsibilities…and these drives make me slow down. Look around and appreciate the world we live in. It is therapeutic to me.
Nothing is better then being rewarded with a colorful sunrise after being on the road for nearly 24hrs. It is so refreshing.
Arrived!
To freezing, freezing weather- but nonetheless, we made it!
Before our trip was over we decided to drive to The Bluff (which we try to do every visit home). And our visits here have become more and more adventurous as winter goes on. Joel and I got stuck in the snow when we came out during christmas time, and then again, during this trip. But, we keep making the haul during crappy weather to visit his Dad. This time around, we had the help of his Mom and Sister. Could be pretty bad, as no one really goes to this location during this season, but we have embraced the challenges and come home with great stories!
Then it was back to the road home….
Barnacle
Due to this time of year, I have not given my blog as much attention as I should, or need to. So, I am sorry for the slight procrastination on my end but very excited to finally show images from my adventures on highway 101.
Some of the areas we explored (especially with the way the weather was) reminded us of Iceland. It was such a nice and familiar feeling- I could of spent hours here!
The redwoods have such an incredible spiritual feeling when you just stop and look up. Soak it all in. These trees are remarkable! Could of spent days there.
As the sun started to set we headed to a nearby cabin in the redwoods to rest. It was so charming and incredible to wake up amongst the largest of trees.
So, we watched the sun set over the bridge then drove a bit further on the coast and found a sweet little cabin for the night. Turned on the fire, had some wine and pizza and slept the night away till the morning .
Big Sur blew our minds. We only had a day to see the ‘edge of the world’ before heading back to San Fran (where we had a hotel reserved for two nights) but it was so worth the extra driving. We just look forward to returning with more time on our hands next time.
Time to turn around….
Because we didn’t have more time in San Fran, we made sure to jam pack our days with adventure. The weather was perfect and the city was alive!
No shock that we would be on the hunt to find ourselves some good coffee on our stay…
Last night exploring!
Then the morning came. We had to pack up the car, check-out at the hotel, grab food & coffee, and start our long drive home. BUT we made one last stop.
In preparation for this trip I bought my first Nikon camera. I couldn’t pass up their new water-proof interchangeable lens, point and shoot! SO, all these images are taken with my new toy. Enjoy! 
Beach DAY!
After a long first day … we were all tuckered out! We relaxed, ate some amazing food, and started planning for the next day of sunshine. We all knew we had an incredible week ahead of us.
The next morning my Mom and I went kayaking (her first time) as well as sailing. I was so proud of my Mom because she doesn’t know how to swim, and she didn’t let her fear get her in the way. It was nice to have some of that one on one time on this trip with her.
…back to the beach!
Beaches Resort did such a wonderful job being kid friendly, but not in an over the top kind of way. And these lovely characters were spotted here in their throughout our stay. It was so cute seeing how excited the kids got when they saw them!
For Valentine’s Day, Joel planned a candlelight dinner for us by the ocean and I had planned a massage during sunset (on the balcony) It was so relaxing! Afterwards we grabbed Hibachi and ended our evening walking along the beach during a full moon. During our night walk we saw two huge manta rays. Was so exciting, and a great Vday if you ask me! 
Our last night & morning!
by andrea
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