Big Sur & Monter

The boys did not do much research before we headed out to California.  When we got there, Pumpkin said that he wanted to go hiking.  So, off to Big Sur we went.  Our first stop was the Andrew Molera Beach Trail.

We drove further down CA 1 stopping at Big Sur River Inn.  It was lovely with lots of activity.  We snagged burritos there for lunch.

Yes.  Pumpkin did hike in his Chaco's.  He got them for a graduation gift from his girlfriend.  He's wearing them as much as he possibly can!

This is the Big Sur River Inn.  I love the chairs right next to the river.

 

There wasn't any stopping them.  We headed down to Pfeiffer Falls and did the valley view & pfeiffer falls trail.  It would go from cool to hot as we climbed/hiked.  The boys were troopers making sure their mom could keep up.

 Pfeiffer Falls, Big Sur, CA

 Pfeiffer Falls Valley View, Big Sur, CA

We managed to gather up some energy and walk around Monterey that evening.  We found the Coast Guard base, walked the wharf, and looked at a few boats.  We'd willingly come visit Pumpkin if he gets stationed there!

Carmel

After deep sea fishing, we headed down to Carmel.  Gorgeous!  We only did the beach.  Someday, I'll come back and stroll through all the shops and walk by all the beautiful cottages.

 

We stayed to watch the sunset and then headed to a local, casual place for burgers.  I actually ended up passing on the burger and ordering an iceberg wedge salad.  I can't say we are very observant.  It took us until dinner to realize Pumpkin and the Big Guy were wearing the same tshirt, different colors.  Had to take advantage and use the pano feature on the iPhone.

Deep Sea Fishing

Months ago, we decided to take a family vacation to California.  This was our "last" big trip before Pumpkin heads to the Academy.  His only request was to go deep sea fishing.  I made the reservations for the three of them thinking I'd let them have some father/son time.  We got in late and had to get up early to meet the boat.

Still smiling...

Got their poles...

Ready to depart...

Apparently, the ocean was very rocky.  The Big Guy and Peanut did not fare too well on the seas!  However, once they "fed the birds," they felt much better.  The advice they got was to look at the horizon.  They were looking at some lovely houses on the Pebble Beach coastline!

Peanut was glad to be back on land!  

 Fortunately, Pumpkin did okay.  His future in the coast guard will have some rough seas!  They say down waiting for their fish to be cleaned.

 A reporter was on the boat doing father/son stories for Father's Day.  Fortunately, she waited until after the fishing to interview The Big Guy.  She recorded the interview and still botched up his name and his statements.  You can see the published story here.  

 It is a learned skill to clean a fish...

 We ended up with three bags of fish.  We took one across the wharf and enjoyed it for lunch.

The Big Guy is not a big fan of fish, but he enjoyed this fresh stuff.  It makes a huge difference.  We all liked it blackened the best.

We froze the other two bags and successfully brought them home with us on the plane.  We will have to have our own fish fry at home!  Other than the rough seas, the guys had a great time.  When they start talking about it now, they end up laughing so hard they are crying.  I am so grateful they got to do it!