Mini Holiday: Avila Bay

Last week I finally had the opportunity to go away on a mini holiday. I did it on the weekdays before  Veterans Day so to avoid the crowds. These little mini holidays are something I look forward to year round with my family; sometimes we have them up to 4 times a year, others we'll skip on it. This was the second one for this year.

I was particularly excited with this holiday since we were going to one my favorite places in the world; Avila Bay. It's a quiet little city with a beautiful view of the California Coast and plenty of wildlife. I hadn't been back for almost a decade. The first time I had gone was the week when I started dating Eugene, and we both had to go our separate ways that weekend and I was lovesick the whole time of my visit. This time I was able to show him the sights I saw and what made me miss him even more. I considered this trip a pilgrimage in my life and a beautiful way to see how my life has grown.

 

 The way that these holidays work is that my parents book a week with their time share and they head out ahead of us. Eugene and I usually enjoy the couple of days catching up on the work and the peace and quiet that the house has to offer with just the two of us. I like to use these as writing retreats and just order take in or live off of tv dinners. About midway through the holiday, Eugene and I will drive up and spend an evening overnight at the resort. In the morning we'll go out on a family outing and enjoy the sightseeing and local attractions. By the time the evening rolls around we'll pack our stuff and head for home. We usually get another few days before my parents come back. So far this process has been working for us, giving everyone the space they need to refresh themselves. We left afternoon and spent 3 1/2 hours on the road and made it by nightfall; the place was enchanting even then...

 

In the morning I got up extra early since the excitement was getting the best of me. I love the coast! I love the power that the sound of water has over me; I'm both energized and calm at the same time. Enjoying the morning I got up early, grabbed a cup of tea, and read my meditation book greeting the sun slowly creeping to life on the resort balcony. 

The chapter was about organizing ones life and understanding the schedule that you make for yourself. This really hit home for me as there has been so much on my plate. The solitude helped me to get a few things sorted on my end. I was greatly appreciated. I wish that I could do it more often; I've even considered making visits to the coast a bi weekly practice of mine. Of course it would be the ones closer to me though...

When I was finished I went and made breakfast for the family.  What's awesome about vacation condos are the fact that they're set up like apartments with a full kitchen. The ones that we stay in even come with dining sets for four and a basic cooking tools like pans and pots. This saves my family a fortune during breaks like these, we usually only eat one meal outside each day. The rest we cook simple things inside. This is some thin cut steak with asparagus, buttered toast, and scrambled eggs. My mom also brought some cheese which I had with apples and crackers for my breakfast with tea; it was absolutely yummy!

Eugene and I finished early and head out to walk on the beach to give my parents the chance to get ready. Besides, we hadn't touched the coast since we arrived! By now the morning was lighting the waves.

Before we left we grabbed some tea from the Community Room. I love the mural on this fireplace. Avila Bay is famous for its Seals and Sea lions. I think I want to make a mural like this in a bathroom someday...

We drove my car into the little village area.  One of the highlights of the trip was driving my car up to the resort and back. I'm in love with my Scion XB! The previous owner was a professional set designer and customizing cars was his hobby. When I got it, it was well equipped with all the trimmings making for an enjoyable ride. Playing new music and long conversations always makes for great quality time in the car. My car, Pantomime (so I lovingly named it), has sort of become my thinking capsule. 

Eugene was blown away with the sight. I was so happy to share it with him! I can safely say that right then was when my Thanksgiving had started, I felt so blessed to be with this man for soon to be a decade of my life. We grew up together and have gone through the impossible and back. I still get the flutters when he looks at me, this I am thankful for.

To make things even more magical someone had the wonderful idea of adding swings and a slide to the beach. I've never seen anything like it, I was super giddy to try. There's something really unique of having a relationship with a man that didn't grow up in your culture, one of which is sharing stories. Since Eugene had arrived to the States when he was 11, no one had really ever taught him how to use a swing. I got to teach him, and what a great view to do so. He succeeded without the help of me pushing. I really enjoyed that time with him and its a memory I now cherish.

When we had our fill of the swings we started to make our way to the water. It was soothing and breathtaking...

 There was a little marsh under the resort's cliff-side. So we went and took a look at all the wildlife for awhile.

Soon enough I got the call from my mom that they were ready to head out. It was just about time for lunch and we had worked up quite the appetite. Washing my flip flops I was ready to head out. My parents had rented a Fiat 500 and I was so curious as to how it drove.

Next stop Arroyo Grande!

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Out & Abouts: Eaton Canyon

As the weather gets cooler I want to get out more. The whole summer consisted with Love rushing to my house and us dashing to a cafe for some AC and iced tea. You can guess that that got rather dull rather quickly. So when the sticky SoCal heat mellowed out a bit, I've been running a muck outdoors as much as possible. I've also been dreaming about tranquil scenery with my stressful career; rolling hills and sweet strolls through greenery and fresh natural scents.

My puppies were getting cabin fever; it's been almost 3 months without a good run. I've been feeling guilty about it but there's not much you can do when it was constantly 100 degrees outside. I wanted to make it up to them so I made sure to pull out all the stops.

I brought my pups to Eaton Canyon, which is nestled at the foot of the hills of Sierra Madre. I remembered hiking to the giant fountain and back when I was younger, and I never took Love through there. With the fog and light rain, we were guaranteed that there would be no sticky unpleasant sweat and heat to bother us. When we got there I was so surprised at how packed it was! We barely found parking, and when we did we were surrounded by groups of hikers. There was no way that we were going to have a tranquil walk with that crowd, so we opted for the next best thing and took a light stroll near the nature center.

It did the trick! I was welcomed by the sweet smell of wet earth mixed with buckwheat and sage blossoms. That smell is so heavenly to me and marks a huge chuck of my childhood. I enjoyed the sound of wildlife and the light stroll through the picnic areas and little trails. I also got to give the pups a little extra time to stroll about and sniff things without such a big crowd around us.

The trail was short so we took our time, we made sure to take every little route. One thing that was memorable was the Outdoor Classroom which was basically a small amphitheater with a fire pit. We dreamed of using it for outdoor plays in the Spring; something we will definitely look into. The thought of it was an adventure in itself. Love saw his first look at California Quails as they flew over his head and started to run in a line. A little fact is that I LOVE Quails, I think they're one of my most cherished animals. It was so wonderful to hear their little beeping noises again and share it with him.

At the end of the day the pups were completely wiped out and slept early. I hope to bring them out more to outing like this. Next time we'll take the hike to Waterfall for sure! It was just the right bit of tranquility that I needed.

-Stef

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