Day Trip To Morro Bay and Cayucos, CA

Yesterday a few of us local moms (Krissy, Lindsey, and Alyssa who was visiting) and our mostly preschool age kids took a day trip to the beach. It's the same trip the kids and I took last year; my kids have been looking forward to it since last summer.

It took five hours each way to get there. Last year it took four; I think with 11 kids and four moms, everything just takes longer. EVERYTHING. But it was great. We stopped in Lost Hills for a mid-morning park break. It makes the trip longer, but I think it makes the trip more bearable.

Trip IN highlights:

*Out in the middle of nowhere, just passed Chalome, Will announces that "Just around this corner there's a McDonald's sign." Um.... what?!? Sure enough, we go around the curve, and over on the side of the road was a small billboard for Arco gas and McDonalds. I couldn't believe he remembered it. Weird.

*Will really, really had to go to the bathroom. There was no where to stop. I told him to pee in an empty Gatorade bottle. He did. (Boys are so lucky.)

*We had to make ANOTHER potty stop for Ed. It was important.

On with the pictures!

I have been coming to Morro Bay and Cayucos since I was a little girl, and it just doesn't change much. For that, I love it.

Our first stop was Cloister Park for a picnic lunch. The bathrooms are clean, the playground is clean, and the people are clean. It's just north of Morro Bay, right off Hwy 1. After lunch we went and looked at the marshland conservation area to see if there were ducks.

There were!

Jessie looks a little concerned. Could it because of this guy?

On the rocker, singing in time to the motion: " Tik tok, on the clock, and the party don't start..."

After the picnic lunch and play time, we headed into town. We went straight to the Embarcadero.

This little aquarium is so perfect for our family. The cost: $2 for ages 12+, $1 for ages 5-11, and FREE for ages 4 and below. It's also the perfect size- you can monitor almost the whole thing from one vantage point while the kids wander around and feel all indepenent.

For fifty cents a bag, you can feed the seals. This one is a cute, loud, obnoxious thing that won't be quiet until he gets some food. Just like my kids!

Besides all the tanks with critters in them (eels still give me the creeps), there is a display with shark jaws, stuffed sea otters, and whale eyeballs, among other things.

Next, we walked directly across the street to The Shell Shop.

I give my kids one dollar to spend, and they are thrilled! It is a quick trip, as the shop has lots of pretty breakables.

Next up: THE BEACH!

Cayucos! We went on the pier. The fishermen were at a minimum (one?), so the kids didn't really bother anyone.

The kids still make me nervous when they climb up the side and hang their heads over... really, I would jump in after them, but I really, really, REALLY don't want to. We went all the way to the end. On the way back, Elle T. realized you can see the water through the cracks and she kind of freaked out, much to the amusement of her mother and myself. She started to try and avoid all the cracks...on tip toe...

The beach was fun, if not a little windy. The kids dug in the sand, and played in the water. At one point, Ed'd shorts fell down while he was in the waves. He was laughing, I was laughing, the rest of our group was laughing, and the group over to our left thought it was funny. Another time Ed went under the water and came up spitting. He kept spitting as he walked over to me and asks, "You got any fresh water over there?" He had snot and spit all over his face from trying to get the ocean water out of his head.

It was a fun day, and the kids were 95% fantastic.

Can't wait to do it again. The kids are requesting we stay the night next time.