Clara was on Spring Break from school the last week of March. Chris also took the week off from work so we could have some much needed quality family time. We decided to take a trip to the beach that first weekend. So we packed up the van and headed to Morro Bay, which is just under 2 hours from our house. We had a great time. The weather was gorgeous and the scenery was unbelievable...sorry for the overload of pics; there's just too many beautiful things to chose from!
You could see spring everywhere along the freeway on the way to Morro Bay. All the hills were vibrantly highlighted with oranges, yellows and purples.
Chris pulled off at one point to pick some flowers. Aren't those orange poppies beautiful?!
Morro Bay
Jonathan taking a break as we hiked down to the shoreline.
The first beach we stopped at was not a sand beach, but all pebbles.
There were these huge incredible rock formations on the shoreline, and tide pools with anemone and crabs. We tried hard to find a starfish, but no luck.
That's an anemone in the center of the picture.
A crab in the center of this one.
Some of the rock formations formed little caves. We had fun going in and exploring all the crevices.
Chris and the kids up on one of the rock formations.
More anemones
Crashing waves
This picture doesn't do justice to how awesome this rock was. There was so much movement in the layers and shape of it - it was amazing!
Me and the kids on that same rock
This picture makes me laugh because it is so true to how 95% of our family pictures turn out. Clara striking a sassy pose, Jonathan stomping in a puddle and Matthew distracted by my necklace...and me just holding my pose in the hopes that at some point all 3 kids will happen to look at the camera at the same time...and Chris will catch it!
Collecting pebbles on the beach
One of the coolest thing about beaches here on the west coast is the flowers and succulents that grow on the dunes. 
Morro Bay
Succulents
The second beach we stopped at was a sandy beach. Here's Clara and Jonathan walking out to the shore. They couldn't wait to make a sand castle!
Almost to the shore
The sand was a really cool color and texture. Not the white powder I'm used to.
Chris and Matthew on the beach
Jonathan LOVES the beach
Clara's sand castle
Chris and Matthew helped Clara build a moat
Jumping over the waves
Love this pic!
Running from the waves...Oh, to be a kid again!
Clara found a ladybug on the beach
Ladybug
Brave squirrels live in the dunes.
Jonathan's footprint
Beach baby!
So happy
Love the angle Chris got on these next couple pics
First time Matthew feet touched sand at the beach!
First time he dangled his feet in the Pacific (it was very cold - he was not a fan!)
I miss living closer to the beach
Matthew's sandy feet
Exploring, just before he tried to eat it!
That night we went to a fantastic seafood restaurant. The thing I miss most living here in landlocked Lemoore, CA is seafood (thunderstorms are a close second). Even when we get a chance to go to the coast, west coast seafood is just not the same. I would kill for some blue crab and gulf coast shrimp! The restaurant that we went to that night came closest to satisfying this 2.5 year long craving I've had for good seafood. Clara even discovered that she REALLY likes clam chowder, but still we got back to the room and had to break out the fruit so the kids could fill their tummies before turning in for the night. 
The next day we actually hung out in the bay. We took a tour on a 'yellow submarine'. Well, it was actually only a regular boat with windows in the cabin under water so we could check out the fish!
The landmark rock in Morro Bay
After our yellow submarine tour we headed out to 'Elephant Seal Vista' to check out the seals on the beach. It was the end of mating season so all the larger males had already left the beach, leaving behind the females and pups to begin molting season.
There were hundreds of them along the beach!
They used their flippers to throw sand on their backs. The signs along the beach stated no one was quite sure why they do this, except for the obvious guesses: camoflauge and cooling.
Chris and the kids posing on the boardwalk. In every picture I took of Jonathan at 'Elephant Seal Vista' he has his mouth open like this because he was 'talking to the seals'...art, art, art.
From the other direction
"Art, art, art, art...."
Clara with the seals
Cool tide pool
On the way home we stopped off the freeway to take a picture of Morro Bay from up in the mountains. If you enlarge this photo, you can see that 'landmark rock' just to the left of center at the top.
We had a great time and can't wait to go back this summer for more fun at the beach!
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