New Year's Eve started off with an auld acquaintance--breakfast with my college roommate Andrea, who was also visiting family in San Jose. It was fun to catch up, although we made a quick escape when the waiters started celebrating everyone's birthdays with a bass drum and tequila shots.
Afterwards, Tim, Kim and I loaded the kids into the minivan and drove to Santa Cruz. I've been to the nearby mountains, but never to the town. We started at Natural Bridges state park, so named for the giant bridge-shaped rock formation on the beach (there were originally three bridges, but two of them have eroded).
We ambled down a tree-lined boardwalk to look at a monarch butterfly habitat, but it was too cold--there were no butterflies. Instead, we headed to the beach, which was teeming with people.
The beach held all sorts of fun activities--climbing rocks, tide pools, and pristine sand for writing on with a big stick. Hannah took over that job, first drawing 2013 in the sand, then enveloping it in a heart, and finally, drawing 2013 and "Dinsdales" next to it. I was about to photograph her artwork when a twenty-something girl interrupted us. She'd been cuddling with her boyfriend about five feet away when she spontaneously shouted, "Cartwheel time!" and rushed right next to us, nearly ruining Hannah's sand drawing.
"I hate the general public," Hannah observed, and I kinda had to agree with her.
The boys had set up a soccer game. They put up goal posts, shredded up the sand to distinguish the playing field, and went to town. I was surprised how many people walked right through their game, and then glared at them when they almost got hit by the soccer ball. One family even set up a photo shoot right next to them, and I kept waiting for the ball to smack someone. Then, a little kid walked by, grabbed one of the stick goal posts, and dragged it down the beach. It was all very amusing to watch, especially when Mark scored a goal, tore off his shirt Beckham style, and danced, eventually morphing into Gangnam Style.
We left long enough to grab some snacks, but were drawn back to the beach for the sunset. It was the last one of the year, and I can't say I was sad to see 2012 go. It was a rough year for me personally (spent most of the year with limited mobility and a jacked up knee, plus I lost my beloved cat) and for Tim's family, who also lost their wonderful dog Sunshine. As the sun set (literally and figuratively, Hannah!), we all breathed one huge sigh of relief, and hoped 2013 might shine a little brighter for us all.
The whole gang was excited to ring in the New Year. We brought it Parisian-style, with dinner at a French restaurant. Brave Nicholas ordered escargot, knowing full well it was snails. Hannah refused to try them, but Mark ate half a snail. He declared it "OK, not great." (I've had them before--didn't have anything to prove tonight!)
We were back home before double digits. The kids hunkered down, ready to watch the ball drop. They actually lasted longer than the adults--Kim went to bed around 10:30 and I lasted until 11. Tim stayed up with the kids, and I could hear them celebrating wildly at midnight. Mark then woke me up to tell me he had his first low blood sugar of the year. Party on!
The best thing about not getting wild on New Year's Eve was how great we all felt the next morning. The kids were sleep-deprived, and for once, I was the first person awake. But I was really excited to spend New Year's Day--also known as National Take a Hike Day--at John Muir Woods.
The park was already crowded by the time we got there at 11. Tim was driving very slowly through the parking lot when a deer suddenly jumped in front of his car. He stopped and we all watched it prance away. That had to be a good sign!
We ended up parking about a mile away from the park entrance, so our hike started off right away. It was sure pretty, even along the side of the road.
But the real beauty was inside the gates. We walked under a thick canopy of giant redwoods, whose height and thickness left us speechless. These were some seriously old trees.
The farther into the woods we hiked, the quieter and darker it got. Hannah loved the little pieces of sunshine she found along the way.
The boys loved everything about the woods--they climbed every tree they could. They scrambled off ahead of us, Sasquatch calls echoing loudly behind them. I'm sure they freaked out more than a couple of hikers.
We hiked for a good while, eventually covering 6 miles in about 2 1/2 hours. It was so serene and peaceful out there. I really loved it, and thought it was a perfect way to start off the new year right.
After our hike, we headed into our next destination, San Francisco. Mark and I checked into our hotel then met up with Tim, Kim and the kids for a late lunch on the wharf. Everybody was exhausted, and we ate our lunch in an unusual silence.
"I'm ready to go home and take a nap," Kim said, and her kids nodded in agreement.
"But honey, we still have a lot to do," Tim said. He rattled off all the things they usually do when they come in to the city. "We have to go to the arcade, walk down Fisherman's wharf, get Irish coffees at the Buena Vista, and ice cream sundaes at Ghiradelli."
Kim looked like she was gonna cry. "Really?" she asked and he just laughed.
"I'm joking," he said. But honestly, we ended up doing ALL of those things, and they didn't leave until four hours later!
So, we got to explore the best of NorCal all in a day--the beautiful mountains, the impressive city. Mark and I returned to the hotel, ready for bed, but happy, and ready for the next day's adventure.
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