This year, we decided to take a trip to Monterey to celebrate our birthdays. We've been wanting to take Connor to the beach and the aquarium for some time now, and it turned out to be a wonderful trip. This trip had special meaning to me, because I spent a lot of time in the Santa Cruz area as a kid since my grandma lived in Aptos. It brought back so many memories to be back there and it was very surreal to get to bring my kids to my favorite spots. We left Thursday morning and after a couple stops to nurse Maddie, we arrived at the Portola Hotel and Spa. After a quick rest, we went on a walk to Dennis the Menace Park. This is a magical park that has been updated since I was a kid, but many of the original things were still there. Connor had a blast and Maddie enjoyed walking around and breathing in the fresh ocean air.
We then walked around Fisherman's Wharf which was right outside our hotel. We enjoyed watching the sea lions swim, ate fish and chips, and then got some ice cream cones. That night, we went swimming in the hotel pool and spa. Maddie joined us for her first swim, but didn't last long since it was a little cold. Mommy and Maddie cuddled and warmed up while watching Daddy and Connor soak in the hot tub.
The next day, we took a walk along the Monterey Trail to Cannery Row (a little over a mile). It was a gorgeous walk. We ate breakfast at First Awakenings, which was recommended to us by a few friends. Then we walked to the Aquarium. We really enjoyed our time there- Connor loved the sharks, jellyfish, seahorses, and all the colorful fish. I think he especially liked the touch pools where he pet starfish, sea cucumbers, kelp, and sea urchins.
After the aquarium, we had a late lunch at the Trailside Cafe followed by a Pinkberry frozen yogurt (yes... right in front of our hotel was our favorite fro yo spot!) Later, we had dinner at the hotel pub, before I had a relaxing trip to the spa as a surprise from Michael. I got to soak in a tub before my 80 minute massage... it was pure bliss. What made the night even better, was returning to the hotel room to 2 sleeping babies. Michael is an awesome father and husband!
The next day we went to Carmel at Katy's Place for breakfast (another recommendation from a friend). We then drove to the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. Connor loved the rides and was even brave enough to go on the log ride with me... we got soaked!! Michael played a few carnival games and won Connor 2 prizes... he's mighty talented! After the Boardwalk, we drove to Capitola and hung out on the beach. Connor had a blast splashing in the water. Michael walked to Pizza My Heart and brought back pizza for us and we enjoyed a picnic on the beach. Maddie even enjoyed watching her brother play and watching the waves. It was extra special because Michael and I had the same pizza on this exact beach many years ago, long before we married or had kiddos.
Overall, we had a wonderful trip. We made the most out of every minute and made many memories together as a family. As we walked along the beach, a man stopped and gave Connor a high five and then looked up at Michael and asked, "You know you're blessed, don't you?" Why yes we do sir. Blessed indeed!
