In our lives, balls happen more often than they were ever sought at Netherfield but not more often than they were ever sought by us. Most recently, we attended Old Glory’s Century Masquerade Ball.
The Century Masquerade Ball gave Jason and me an opportunity to gather our gauntlets, don our doublets, and say “hi” to those triplets. Thankfully, our medieval attire did not require me to collect my corset. (I am an outlier amongst time-period proponents- I hate wearing corsets.)
We weren’t the only medieval masqueraders at the ball.
Vintage dances may be an oddly-frequent occurrence in our lives, but that doesn’t mean we don’t have a ball at these balls. Thanks Old Glory for giving us an excuse to display crown and sword and prance unforlorn.
When I was younger, I thought going to Lagoon was the coolest, even the globs of gum coating Dracula’s Castle could not dissuade me from that belief. I’ll admit, as an adult it’s not as thrilling, and my visits to that entertainment park have been infrequent in my last decades. Yet, I was completely game for getting dizzy with my family when my parents decided to take the clan to Lagoon as a Christmas present.
The Tidal Wave was one of my favorite rides as a kid; it hasn’t lost its uphill.
Our group was large and only stayed all together for short stints.
That day in the park, memories spun as rides carried me and my family members in circles, upside down, and sideways. The Tidal Wave, the Terroride, and the Log Flume were all still moving along, recalling giddy childhood moments. Nostalgia and butterflies mingled as Jason and I screamed with nieces and nephews on roller coasters, the first coasters for some, and strolled through the park’s kaleidoscopic bustle.
It wasn’t a warm enough day for the soaking received at Rattlesnake Rapids to be welcomed.
The grandkids agreed that the highlight of the day was riding Rattlesnake Rapids with Grandma. She cursed profusely whenever she got splashed, a surprise that amused and delighted the kids… those raised by her weren’t as surprised.
It’s not every day you get to be scrambled with your grandma.
It was ridiculously difficult to convince my mom to go on the Space Scrambler, but she loved it. Mom, I told you so!
You are never too old to have your attitude lifted as your body is thrown into the air on a metal spire or shaken about on a bumpy rollercoaster, especially when your fellow shaken are some of your favorite people. Thanks Mom and Dad!
It was Jason’s turn to plan our anniversary outings this year. He asked if I was up for going to Big Sur, and I said sure, even though I didn’t know exactly where that was. Here’s how our explorations of that vaguely-defined section of California’s coast materialized.
We stayed at the Sanctuary in Marina, which is right on a blustery but beautiful beach.
First thing is first. What is Big Sur? A town? A park? A VIP? No, it is the slice of the California shoreline roughly between Carmel and San Simeon. It is rocky, dramatic, and distinctly remarkable despite its imprecise boundaries.
Our first day in California, our anniversary, we spent walking along Monterey’s Cannery Row, a cute touristy area lined with little shops and lapping tides. We ate lunch on the pier, drenched in unexpected sunshine, while the waves sent jellyfish fluttering about below us. We chuckled at the sea lions barking rowdily to one another on the Coast Guard Pier. After a walk through the succulent-covered sands of the Marina Dunes Preserve, we feasted on Mediterranean fare at Dametra Café in Carmel. Spontaneous dancing, delightful serenades, and the best Greek salad I’ve ever eaten were all part of that memorable meal.
The Bixby Creek Bridge, built in 1932, is one of the biggest single-span bridges in the world.
Keyhole Arch, Pfeiffer Beach’s most interesting feature, appears unextraordinary until viewed head on.
The next day felt big indeed as we took in Big Sur. If one were to drive nonstop from Carmel to Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park, which is only a portion of Big Sur, the ride would just take an hour; it took us all day. The stops along this route were plentiful and plenty distracting. We decided to start with our top priorities and see what we had time for after that. Turns out, we didn’t have time for anything after that.
We stopped at the Rocky Creek and Bixby Creek Bridges. Bixby, a 714-foot-long arched structure, is claimed to be the most photographed bridge in the United States, but how do you calculate that? It was an aesthetically-pleasing arc whatever its ranking. We ate dinner at Nepenthe Restaurant, a secluded establishment along the way, while hovering 800 feet up on a seaside cliff. It was gorgeous! Pfeiffer Beach was our next detour. This beach was rather unusual with its famous Keyhole Arch and purple sand. The last thing we were able to fit in before sunset was a short walk to view McWay Falls. McWay Falls is an 80-foot waterfall that splashes onto a pristine beach just beyond the reach of the surf. It sounds like the fabricated setting of some bad island romance flick, but it’s real, and it was not bad.
McWay Falls spouts right into the ocean’s waiting waves.
We started the last day of our short vacation at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. The Monterey Bay Aquarium is often regarded as one of the top ten aquariums in the United States, a ranking it deserves. The sea otters were my fav! (No surprise there.) Three otters were in the exhibit that day: Gidget, Selka, and Rosa. The rest were off mentoring others of their species. The otters were bigger and longer than I had imagined- weighing about half of me- and they never stopped moving. Otterly adorable!
Yes, the sea otters were this adorable.
We could easily have spent a couple days gazing into the aquarium’s kelp forest and learning more about Monterey Bay’s habitats, but we were soon off to Carmel Mission, Carmel Beach, and 17-Mile Drive. 17-Mile Drive is a scenic ride through ritzy Pebble Beach and a half dozen of the fanciest golf courses ever conceived. Some of our favorite points of interest along those miles were Ghost Tree, Point Joe, and the Lone Cypress. The sea wasn’t the only thing restless on this peninsula; the air seemed rather rushed as well. Consequently, we were unusually motivated to keep many of our stops brief.
Carmel Mission was founded in 1770. Its extensive grounds are pretty and peaceful.
The Lone Cypress, said to be the most photographed tree in North America, has been a registered trademark of the Pebble Beach Company for a hundred years.
For those headed to Big Sur, however you define that area, keep in mind a couple things. The food is awesome! Make time to eat lots of it! And be prepared to be colder than you anticipate. With forecasted temperatures in the 60s to low 70s during our visit, Jason and I brought shorts and tank tops. We should have brought coats instead. Brrr! Seventy degrees isn’t very pleasant when you factor in exuberant coastal breezes and frequent fog.
The ominous twists of this Monterey cypress, bleached by years of wind and salt, begged to be photographed.
I didn’t have any expectations of Big Sur, since I didn’t know much about it before this trip. So, to say my expectations were exceeded wouldn’t really mean anything. Instead, I’ll just say that it was a good trip full of scenic waters and tasty food. Sure, I’d go back to Big Sur.
Recent Comments