Exploring Half Moon Bay and the Fitzgerald Marine Reserve
So this post is kind of a mish-mash of things. For the wedding, my family decided it would be cheaper (and more fun) for us to skip getting hotel rooms and rent a house together for the weekend. We ended up going with this place, which worked out really well (and was about 2 minutes away from where the bride was staying).
Looking out the back porch. It was pretty foggy most mornings.
Our house was high up on a pretty steep road. Liz and I brought our running shoes, but sadly we never ended up running while we were on vacation. The incline won.
Jahnu and Jasmine, both watching the same episode of Heathcliff on different devices. The future is now.
And because it’s been over a week and I still can’t seem to get the theme song out of my head, I’m going to inflict it upon you. Maybe passing it on to someone else will get rid of it for me:
The main living room. On our last night here, me, Liz, Stacey and Shane stayed up way too late watching Stigmata. Despite us having to wake up at 4AM, we ended up watching the whole thing to the end.
A fancier living room that we didn’t spend much time in.
The day of the wedding, Liz and I drove around a bit to check out the area. We ended up by the coast, parked near a golf course, and found our way down to the beach.
It was pretty interesting to look up and see people putting, along the cliffside.
Liz, looking out over the water hoping to spot a seal.
Another view of the cliffs (and golf course).
Not that interesting a photo, but a good example of high tide.
The day after the wedding, we went out exploring with Stacey, Shane, and the kids. The spot we found (thanks to our relatives) was the Fitzgerald Marine Reserve (and holy URL, Batman).
We were told to come visit at low tide, to see all the tide pools and whatnot. We spotted this guy, walking along looking for his dinner.
Jahnu and Shane, exploring along the rocks.
Liz and Jasmine, jumping across a small pool.
Originally, we were told to head south as there was the promise of seals. But after crossing over a wide expanse of wet rocks (a pretty difficult terrain, even for the adults), we decided to turn back and head the other direction.
Stacey, Liz and Jasmine, stopping to examine some small hermit crabs.
We lucked out along our travels, and came across a volunteer from the Friends of Fitzgerald Marine Reserve. She led the kids over to an area where she had spotted a starfish.
An area along our travels, covered in mussels.
Another view, for perspective.
Sadly, though we spotted some seals… they were pretty far away. This was close to the end of our trek, as it was getting darker (and wetter).
Liz posing with me and my crazy hair.
A fun family outing. The entire time, the kids were screaming to both Stacey and Shane: Look at the shell I found! At a distance, it was hysterical to hear their excited shrieks, echoing all the way down the beach. Each time they found something new, they screamed it out to the heavens.
It was a delightful reminder of the joys of discovery, and how much wonder the world contains. Something us adults tend to forget, all too frequently.
Related:
Shedd Aquarium, 2006
I DID see a seal!!!
Liz (November 4, 2012 at 10:19 pm)