Taking off for San Diego in our PT Cruiser (rented)

The beach in Encinitas

We love Moonlight Beach. I have been going there for more than 20 years now...and never get tired of the 70 degree water, the perfect boogie-boarding waves...even how crowded it can be with 3 to 70 year old boogie-boarders.

Melinda, Hannah, Grace and I can't stay away from this beach. We all did tons of wave riding...and Grace was particularly gung-ho with both jumping the waves and boogie-boarding...she lasted longer than me this time. Our hotel, just two blocks from the beach, has a great pool also. So, it was pool, beach, pool, beach....endless...then watching Olympics in the evening. The girls and I practiced our own synchronized diving, and Grace is always perfecting swimming from one end of the pool to the other underwater, only taking one breath.

Boogie Boarding

Endless hours in the pool

The San Diego Zoo

August 2008 proved to be a better observation opportunity for both koalas and pandas...with some favorite giraffes, elephants and bears thrown in.

Pandas

Here are the three pandas we got to see at the zoo this summer..this one way up in a tree. It was great to see all 3 out and about.

Taking a bath in some cool water on a warm day.

Camping in the Redwoods!

This summer we returned to our beloved redwoods in the Santa Cruz mountains. Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park turned out to be a great place to camp for our little group: Grace, Hannah, Melinda & Phern...something for eveyone. Biking, hiking, swimming, serene nature, cooking outdoors and campfires every night.
First we discovered 'the garden of eden': after a 3/4 mile hike down to the river, late in the afternoon of our first day, we found a great 'swimming hole', where brave young men dived from high, and we swam in the slightly chilly water and slid around on rocks...fabulous!
Lots of bike riding and independence around the campground for Grace and Hannah. From Henry Cowell Redwoods it is a short drive to the wonderful Santa Cruz Beach and Boardwalk for a day of amusement park rides and junk-food eating, and viewing the beautiful beach: Hannah rode 16 rides, Grace 12, Melinda 9 and Phern 6 (after a bad experience with a ride at this year's Marin County Fair I stayed away from most everything; my favorites: the ferris wheel and gondola.) We also spent day at a huge swimming pool/park...cool pool, warm pool, and great slide.
We wrapped up the trip with a hike to secret spot on the river amidst the redwoods for peaceful relaxation and water fun.

Makin' breakfast on a chilly morning.