28.

sheesh, that guy i married is 28-years-old.

starting to feel like time is against us, so much to do and so little time.

 i feel like we're racing the clock, which is a stupid race because we're sure to lose.

we've been wanting to bring our mountain bikes to santa cruz for a while now, having heard so much about the singeltrack in the area, and were certainly not disappointed.

it is a pretty incredible experience to go zipping along through the redwoods, the trails are incredibly smooth and fast.

there was a woodies on the wharf event happening over the weekend.

although by the time we finally made it downtown (traffic was a bit of a cluster cuss) it was woodies in a parking lot for us.

i'm not usually that into old cars, but there is just something extra special about these iconic surf-era cars.

we ended our weekend getaway with a stop in san francisco to pick-up a range spotted on craigslist. made us feel somewhat justified for taking four days off of house work. it's hard to leave guilt-free these days with such a mega-project on our hands.

the range is bright shiny and beautiful, can't wait to get the sucker in our new kitchen.

birthday weekend

denver's birthday is this weekend

we're planning on celebrating the best way possible...in his book anyways,

surfboards and bikes included.

Costa Rica, part III

Our absolute favorite part of Costa Rica was on the Pacific side near Dominical. Once we arrived, we knew we'd never want to leave. We spent over a week surfing at Playa Dominicalito but also really enjoyed some breaks farther north as well. Denver's parents own a beautiful lot (that we got to see in real life for the first time) just south of Playa Dominicalito and we're really hoping that someday soon there will be a house to call our home-away-from-home. Our vacation was fun but it would of really been perfect if we had a place to stay and readily available projects to keep ourselves busy in-between surfing and exploring. 

surf camp (instructor not included)

We had just finished a surf session in Santa Cruz, CA. It was one of those one-step-forward and two-steps-backward kind of days. I was close to tears and ready to throw in the towel on the whole "learn to surf" project. As I struggled to extract myself, one limb at a time, from the tightly adhered neoprene wetsuit I dreamed of a surf camp.  A warm water surf camp, no wetsuit needed. Costa Rica ended up at the top of our list that day and we promised ourselves that someday, we'd go and experience the clean beaches, warm water and empty waves. Someday actually happened.

We spent three and a half weeks with nothing on our agenda each day but a surf session or sometimes two, depending on the tide. We zigzagged the countryside traveling from one break to another and found plenty of time for exploring the land.

Costa Rica was far more beautiful and more diverse then we expected. From the dry grassland to the high altitude tropics and amazon like jungle. Denver spotted almost all the living creatures that were on his wish list. Plus a few bonuses.

We started our journey in the Guanacaste province of Costa Rica. The province is ubiquitously  termed a tropical dry forest and sees little rain and more consistent heat then other provinces. We spent the most time in the dusty and charming town of Nosara surfing Playa Guiones. 
 

Costa Rica

Playa Guiones, Nosara, CR

 three and a half weeks well spent.

our adventure has been well documented (and then some) on Instagram under thickworld

Warming the bones

There's been lots of good skiing and lots of good winter thus far. We really can't complain. However, when I saw that the forecast for Santa Cruz was sunny with a high of 75 we packed up as quickly as possible.  It's kind of amazing to drive four hours, out of the heart of cold and snow, to then find yourself laying on the beach in your swimming apparel. There was a pretty big swell that hit Santa Cruz on our second day which certainly threw off our surfing groove but we took our boards out each day and chalked it up to a learning experience.

Instagram is really getting the better of me.  I did manage snap a few photos with the real camera one morning from the beach just below our campsite. They're so much more satisfying then the quick iphone photos.

Surf & Turf

Three days off

Two perfect days at the beach, sunny sky and decent swell
One perfect day in the backcountry, sunny sky and fresh fluffy snow

Zero complaints

It's a good life

We put our house on the market nine days ago and have since been trying to "not live" at home. It seems like showings are spaced about an hour apart during the day...just long enough to make a mess that needs to be cleaned up before the next showing. It's a little like living in a fish bowl with all the curious drive-bys and house-circlers. Now if only all these viewers would make us a decent offer. To be honest, there's something to be said about a selling frenzy and I didn't realize how hard it would be to turn down an offer, even a low-ball one, when it came our way.We decided on a set amount that would make selling worth-our-while before putting the house on the market and we're sticking to our guns.  If the house doesn't sell in the next 21 days, we'll give it another go next spring. Stick to the plan, sister.

In the meantime, since staying home is the pits, here's to being out-of-town. We were able to spend another four days at the beach, surfing in the mornings and doing whatever-catches-our-fancy all afternoon. AND finally making happy hour at the Seabright Brewery in Santa Cruz. Monday-Thursday happy hour includes half-off appetizers. I'm talking a pile of calamari, a bucket of clams, and a plate-full of salmon bites AND a drink for each of us, for under 20 bucks.

There's been enough of my tears this week to last us both a lifetime. Some stuff is sad, some stuff can't be fixed. Although the combination of waves and a surf board and half-off appetizers does make for a pretty good band-aid. We are both freshly reminded of Grace, freely given, and ridiculously expensive.

 

Arcata & The Redwoods

My family all convened in Arcata, CA for the weekend (save Travis, Karen & Melody, far away in another land). We hiked through Fern Canyon and around Trinidad. We tide-pooled, built sand castles, ate yummy crepes, drank local brews & squeezed in a few brisk surf sessions. We admired the magical forests, towering trees and an impressively cold ocean.

Our lifestyle improves 10 fold when my parents are around, comfy warm beds, hot showers and delicious food. Dad & Mom are seriously some of the most generous people I know. Frugal with themselves and quick to share with others. While generosity doesn't come easily to my natural self, I'm trying to pick up a few tricks of the trade.











 

jokes on us

It was getting dark and we were starting to lose hope.  We had driven around for almost an hour and a half looking for a place to park and sleep. False leads and the dream of an "amazing & free overnight parking/camping spot" are going nowhere. All three of us are tired and a bit frustrated. Denver spots an empty driveway above the highway and quickly spins the wheel.  We find ourselves on an empty hillside. The piles of garbage make a convincing case that the area isn't patrolled or private property. We look around at each other; old couches sit slouching into moldy decay, a string of burned-out Christmas lights grace a nearby bush.  It's certainly not inviting but we didn't have many options. No one wanted to shell out $35 for some campsite. If there even was a campsite still available at 9pm on Friday night of Labor day weekend. We unanimously decide to call it a night and make camp. 

About fifteen minutes later we see some lights down the hill near the entrance. Afraid that we'd be locked in or told to leave I just decided to be proactive and go say hi. Off I trotted down the hill.  It was just a couple of lineman and they didn't seem to have a problem with our location, "it's fine if you park, just be sure to close the gate up nice and tight when you leave," they said. I nod my head happily..."yes, yes, It will be the best lock-up you've ever seen." So relieved that they weren't going to kick us back out on the highway.

As they start their trucks and prepare to leave, two of them walk over to where we're reading in the car.
"Don't forget to close that gate" they remind us."We've been splicing some stuff down there, and don't want anybody to get into it."
This seems slightly odd, as the power lines are on poles fifty feet off the ground, but we are eager to please.  "Of course," we say, "we won't forget."

The next morning we wake after a rather uneventful night, save for Jocelyn having a fright because of the moonbeams glinting off of a piece of garbage that looked like the beady eyes of a small and dangerous animal. As we drive out to the highway we pause to close the gate. As I step out of the car I realize that something is amiss.What used to be the gate is a mangled piece of wreckage; rusty and about six feet away from the hinges.This gate has clearly not been closed in years.

Whoever says linemen don't have a sense of humor needs to pay a visit to the crew in Santa Cruz.

San Onofre

All the hard-working and busy family members graciously let us steal away for a few hours each day to experience some of the best waves and weather we've seen all year. The water was warm, 68-70 degrees, the sun was shining and the swell just got better as the week went by.

Weekend

Really pretty hooked on our surf weekends, the days go as all days should go

Early morning coffee and fresh donuts

Paddling into the cold foamy water. The slap of the waves and the smell of neoprene in the morning sun. Focusing so intently on catching waves and riding waves. Watching the other surfers look so effortless and talented. Arms and shoulders refusing to make another paddling rotation. Waiting for the last ride to shore and hoping to call it quits on a good note.  Hands and feet so numb from the cold that it's hard holding onto the board and walking up the stairs.

Warming up on the sand with a good book

Hiking through the redwoods, checking out tide pools, running on the beach trail

Camping in the back of the car undisturbed and for free

Waking up and doing it all over again

Paddling

Two paddleboards are on our wishlist but until those wishes are granted we decided to use our long boards. It was a little rough on the knees and we certainly looked like gapers but it was by far the most enjoyable upper body workout I've yet to experience. We feel so blessed to live in such a beautiful place!

Santa Cruz

We couldn't of asked for a better weekend at the beach, with calm winds, sunny skies and a highs in the 70s. Denver is actually starting to look like he's surfing, I'm still just catching a few waves now and then. We spent a few hours in the water each morning and after warming up on the beach jumped in the car and headed down the road for some new sites. The tide pools in Monterey kept us busy for hours, deciding to leave is so hard as there is always the possibility that the next pool will hold some magnificent creature. North of Santa Cruz in Point Arenas we found nice hiking trails and beaches that were covered with hundreds of elephant seals. Elephant seals are crazy creatures, always barking, harassing each other, and piling in heaps on the sand. The outlet malls in Gilroy also kept us busy for hours. I personally find that outlet malls are a bit like tide pools, there is always a possibility that next store will hold some magnificent sale. Denver doesn't seem to have the same feelings.

Baja