spring fling

we celebrated the beginning of spring with a little trip to the coast to show our baby the pacific ocean for the first time.

this pretty much sums up her response:


basically upon first sight she was impossibly, unbearably, over-the-moonly ecstatic.



she loved the sand: loved eating it, loved trying to crawl in it, loved burying her toes in it.
she loved the water, the waves: loved galloping through them with me, loved digging her hands and feet in, loved stepping through the froth with her careful tippy toes, squealing with delight. 

she even held a squiggly sand crab, much to her astonishment.





for two days we hung out along the point reyes national seashore: stinson beach, bolinas, olema, point reyes station. gardens, bookstores, pizza, sandy toes, poppies and lupine and iris and pickleweed.




lucy pretended to be a big girl out to dinner with her family at cafe reyes where we had delicious woodfired margherita pizza.



(she was good natured about having to eat pureed veggies instead)




lucy was a delightful road trip companion. she is getting better and better at being chill in her carseat (we've switched to a bigger one) and at playing with toys and looking at books while we drive, and at just generally being goofy and happy and delighted.


which was good because we got pretty familiar with the stretch of road between the scattered towns along the seashore. the long lagoon full of shorebirds and harbor seals, the rustic farmhouses, the bay laurels and oaks and moss, the jumbled wildflowers and green meadows and swampy wetlands.



we stayed in stinson beach at a place called the Sandpiper where I actually stayed with my family as a kid one year on Easter. i remember my parents and all five of us kids, my sister and i young teens, in one room, the entire floor covered with our stuff and my brothers' sleeping bags. the sign is the same but the place seemed a little fancier than i remember, maybe just because the soaps were organic and we had our own coffee maker :) in any case, we loved it, the perfect clean and comfortable get-away.



sunset walk to the beach and the market to buy ice cream.






we enjoyed the gas fireplace in our room even though it wasn't very cold. total indulgence.





it was convenient to have a nice tidy little kitcheonette because there are things about traveling with a hungry eight month old baby that you don't foresee. (well i don't...i sometimes feel like everyone else is better at this stuff, or there is some basic code of childrearing logic that i am not privy to) for example, where to get the warm water to mix with her oatmeal, and even more problematic, how to rinse her dish and very messy face after breakfast...we had everything we needed and she ate meals like a champ! (however, she still prefers to nurse for much of her nutrition)


my favorite thing about the Sandpiper was the lovely garden seating area where we took our morning coffee.




oh luscious scrumptious coastal foliage; i love how things grow so fervently in beachside places, and how hair curls and skin glows and the sun kisses your cheeks. it is my favorite type of climate.


back to point reyes station for more gallivanting, book buying, walk-taking, and coffee drinking.






a group of citizens came together to buy a corner plot of land and create a town commons. doesn't that make incredibly good sense?! Why don't all towns have this? I am sure the good ones do...but placerville is sadly lacking.


we headed out to limantour beach next, spotted a rambling wild coyote along the path, as well as seabirds, butterflies, saltgrass and wild strawberry.

first a snack, then let's get down to business...




the kid LOVES THE OCEAN.





she is a crab after all, born under the sign of cancer.



we ventured back inland by way of Mt. Tam where we stopped to hike a bit and take in the view, and later watched a motorcade of film crew vehicles with police escorts wind its way down the hill.

behind us, the city, the bridge, the bay, the ocean, the hills.




someone's getting verrrrryyyy sleeeeppppyyyy.....


my road trippers.


am i crazy or does it get harder and harder to adjust back to "normal" life as you get older, or maybe once you have children? i used to be all "filled with the glow" and refreshed, now i'm only tired and a bit grumpy having to get back to reality ;)

hope you all enjoyed a wonderful equinox...did anything special go down? and can i just say for the record, I LOVE SPRING.

Comments

Jessica said…
What a wonderful trip! I always love looking at your pictures-our girls are very close in age and it's fun to see the similarities!
anne said…
this looks like a really great time!

i always have a hard time after a trip...post vacation blues.
Unknown said…
that little girl of yours is melt your heart beautiful. she just oozes joy from her beautiful, little face. i feel like i could get more into the spring spirit if it wasn't snowing right now. I live in maryland; this isn't supposed to happen!
Bridget said…
That has to be the world's happiest baby! Another wonderful post - thank you. :-)
Now I'm even more anxious for a spring road trip!
Anonymous said…
lucy the crab finally meets the great mama! well, the OTHER great mama...the watery one ;)

what a wonderful trip! y'all had the best weather for it, it was gorgeous down here too. i wish i'd known you were in the vicinity tho! i totally would have schlepped out to meet you! that sandpiper inn looks like the perfect spot, i'll remember that for future adventures. and i always love the way you take in towns...coffee, beer, books and walk talks. really...what else is there? also, maybe you aren't privy to some travelling with kids tips...but you are also blessed with the incredible cheery baby who can stand road trips (WHAT??)..so obviously you're doing a lot right!

i'm filled with the glow after seeing all your beautiful spring sunshine faces. love to you and the fam!

xo

polly compost said…
YAY!

i've been wondering what little lulu's been up to!

i can see the lushness and freshness of the sea in your photos.

wow.
is that little plumpy crawling??

lucy seems like the ideal traveler.

it's the new normal, at least, right?
i'm so glad you three got to go out on a family date adventure to the sea. linky's a little fish, born in march, so he's got the same fluidity in his veins.

let's picnic soon!
xoxo
shannon said…
AWW! that post was refreshing just to see and read. You are so very lucky to be so close to the beautiful ocean, my boys have never even seen it :( and i have a complete lust with it so they HAVE to visit it soon, while their innocent ways can let their imaginations run wild, and they can BE wild :) Your comment about being filled with the glow made me laugh. It is VERY much having children, and getting older. haha But Heather you do HAVE the glow still!It's in your smile, and now your daughters, and age can never take thsat away.
Amy Beatty said…
holy holy holy.... that fatty dumplin... i can't handle her. she is just a real dream gal. nothing cuter than those tubby rolly things in the sand in that blue outfit!!! what a lovely life you lead my dear. family trips are the best. nothing brings me more joy then to be in the wild outdoors with my lovers. and coming home is nice but sucks too. now you know why we are always gone :) i have the cutest crab picture i need to send your way, for little lucys room. its from that artist you adore. I don't know if you remember but matt and I hit the jackpot one time at DI and got someones whole collection.
Geny said…
What a perfectly wonderful little break! I love the ocean and the beach, it is so refreshing and beautiful! Thanks for sharing the adventures of your little family, Lucy is perfect as always:)!!
Juliana said…
Newcomer to your blog here :) Just wanted to say you picked the most wonderful places for your baby's first meeting with the Pacific Ocean. Stinson Beach is probably my favorite place in the world. And of course your baby is ridiculously adorable!
Teeny said…
Gorgeous place Heather! I remember the first travels with my littles, we once pushed oscar in a pram around a couple of vineyards (we were ambling about the countryside for a wine tasting) - it was refreshing to alter our plans to fit his needs - early dinner, quiet at night for him to sleep - and then early to bed for us as he was still waking during the night. That kind of exposure to our own sudden selflessness and care for another being, made me feel refreshed. Made me feel good about life.But yeah, it's also exhausting right. I think it's having kids. I have single un-babied friends who still live like they're 25 and seem to have long nights and the pep of youth. Thanks for sharing these pics and your stories; they're heartwarming as always. xo
trish said…
delightful and beautiful
red moon arrow said…
Oh Heather Lucy is so bright like the sunshine. I love that you took her to the ocean and those sweet smiles on her face! Oh what joy she must be bringing to your life. Gus and I just made our way thru that area of the coastline the weekend before. We just missed each other! I finally got to see Bolinas which has been on my list for a while. Fun tiny little town. Loved all of Lucy's sweet smiles and expressions through out this post. So happy for you and Darin. You really are a special family. <3 ya!
Milla said…
I love spring too! Mostly Heather Beatty Spring! This looks like the loveliest of times. I've always admired you and Darin for your getaway abilities and it's nice to see that Lucy inherited that gene. What a little champ! I can not wait to meet her.
Anonymous said…
What do you think it's like to get to experience something for the very first time? Something as expansive and moving as the great sea? What did it look like to Lucy's baby-eyes, I wonder?

Such a beautiful trip! Spring has sprung for the Springs!
Jenna E said…
How did I miss this?! Looks like you guys need to take more trips to the beach. Lucy's face kills me, she is so happy. And that picture of you sitting on the bench with Lucy is model worthy, those legs!! Hot momma!!

And yes, I feel the exact same way about feeling exhausted and grumpy when you come back from a trip. We travel 2 1/2 hours every other weekend and I come back totally wiped and it take a couple of days until I feel my self. It's a good combination of age and all that you need to pack and worry about with a little babe.

Beautiful pictures as always xoxox

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