Camping in Big Sur

I just had a wonderful 6 days in Big Sur, CA.  For those of you who have never been there, it is a magical place.  It's where the Redwoods meet the beautiful California Coast. 

                                      Don and me. Ok, we're camping ~ don't look at my hair!!!

We have been going to Big Sur since our three daughters were tiny, and now we take our grandchildren too. They are actually the 4th generation of the Arbenz clan to make the annual pilgrimage to Big Sur.  Don camped there as a child with his family.  We always stay at the same campground,  Big Sur Campground and Cabins - a wonderful private campground with a stream running through it. Our grandson jumped off the same big rock into the same swimming hole that his Mom and Aunts did when they were little, and his Grandpa did when he was a kid!!!

There's my little guy jumping into the icy cold swimming hole!!! 

We spend alot of time down by the river, usually the menfolk have to do some sort of manly thing and build a dam, and the girls enjoy the sun and magazines, and floating down the river in blow up boats or inner tubes!

We always take some excursions to nearby trails and hike to waterfalls or a beach!  We were blessed with absolutely beautiful weather - blue sunny skies - my favorite! We went on a hike through an old logging tunnel that came out to the ocean!

Oh My Gosh!!!  This is the most amazing tunnel, with beautiful old wood!  All of you who love old wood like I do, will instantly know how much I loved walking through the tunnel and touching the old wood!!!

One of our favorite days was spent at the beach.  We all had a good time in the sun- I love collecting things on the beach - shells, sea glass, rocks, driftwood, etc. My grandaughter started collecting shells too, like Grammy!

Little Finley's treasures!

My treasures from Montana de Oro when we were there the weekend before!!!  Fun!

My favorite people in the world!  Wish Tess and Luke could've come too!!!

At night, we all pitch in to make dinner and of course we make s'mores or churros afterwards!

Don is getting ready to cook!!!

Mack cooking some chicken!  Soooo good!!!

                                                                 

And, grilled vegies!!!!

                                                                             

The campground has very strict rules about "quiet time" and it is strictly enforced from 10 pm to 8 am.  They always have to remind us to be quiet - we don't mean to, but Dominoes, Speed, and Farkle can get very competitive in our family!!!  We also love sitting around the campfire and talking until late -midnight or so! Three of the nights, we had little visitors in our campground - racoons and skunks!!!  I didn't get any pictures because I was running to our trailer!!!

Don and I snuck off one afternoon and I stopped at a couple of  places along the highway to get inspiration for my yard!  I wonder if I could grow hydrangeas like these????  I'm going to try!

So wonderfully beautiful!!!

I love this little pathway!  Now I just need to get a redwood forest!!!

We also went on a treasure hunt one day. My son in law heard about "geocaching," which I never heard of before! It's a secret treasure hunting world - so fun! Mack found out there was a "geocach" buried by an albino redwood tree in Big Sur!  We found it!!!!  It was an old tin can with little treasures and notes with dates of when people found it. There was a ring, an army man, some coins, etc.  You can take a treasure, if you leave one!  Then you put the tin back and let the next treasure hunters find it!  Besides everyone getting excited about finding it and what was inside, we got to see an albino redwood tree!!! Of course, we left one of our own tin cans with treasures in it in Big Sur- I'll never tell!!!

So much fun to see what was inside!!!

                                             Wow!  Look at this beautiful Albino Redwood!

It's so wonderful in Big Sur and we always have a great time!!!  We've already booked spaces for the next couple of years!!!  Can't wait!!!!

Ayla, Mack, Finley, and Mackai!  Love them!!!!

Mollee, Jose, and Scarlett (little sissy on the way!!!)  Love them too!!!

Ok, so were you thinking this would have something to do with antiquing???  I draw the line when we're with our family! So I came home with no antique treasures to put in Down Home, but I came home with the best treasures of all ~ a full heart and special memories I'll treasure forever!!!  As far as antiquing goes...yeah, I'm on my way- gotta get a fix!!!!