Punkport in Cali (Pt. 1)

Alright, for those of you unaware, my little sister Kendall visited us for her spring break!  It was her first trip out to Cali, so naturally, Amanda and I wanted to show her the best time ever.  Result: multiple blog posts with many many many pictures.  So, enjoy the first installment (and Mem, you can officially stop asking for pictures!)...

Naturally, Kendall left a warm and sunny Kansas and arrived in Cali in the midst of one of the dreariest weeks I have seen since we moved out here.  To negate the rain, we decided that the first order of business should be an indoor activity.  The Monterey Bay Aquarium is supposed to be one of the best aquariums in the country, and it definitely lived up to its reputation!  Fishies galore, along with some hungry penguins and frolicking otters kept the three of us fixated for a solid 4 hours before we made our way home.

 

   

After a day in San Francisco in which I was a terrible photographer and totally forgot to take pictures, Kendall and I had a beach day.  Above, we are exploring the rocky cliffs near Santa Cruz.  The mother in me didn't want Kendall to be so close to the edge! 

 

As we made our way up the B-E-A-utiful highway 1, we stopped at a random beach to eat lunch and watch some surfers brave the cold and choppy water.  After lunch, we continued our drive up the coast and made our way to a marine reserve where we walked (gently, so as not to crush the hermit crabs) around the tide pools.  We gazed at crabs and touched anemones and watched seals sunbathe on the beach (again, forgot to take a picture of this...my bad).

Our day ended with a drive across the Golden Gate Bridge and a short trip up the neighboring hill for an awesome photo-op.  A successful vacation, so far...although my car would beg to differ.  More to come soon!