Carpinteria State Beach

September-

Our little trailer sat very patiently waiting for another grand excursion. A beach trip sounded perfect. Stephen hunted for a camp ground far enough away to be exciting and close enough to not waste a day driving, with a beach within a quick walk of the trailer, no cliffs, and full hook-ups. Carpinteria fulfilled all our desires. After the long drive up the coast during which we learned a few more camping lessons, Stephen managed to back the trailer into the tightest, skinniest, most nerve-wracking spot. I am thankful for his calm maneuvering. Four days of sun, sand, and water followed. Laughter and very few tears marked each lovely day. We even managed to eat gluten-free the entire time. As the beach was so close and calm, the older children were given free reign to come and go at will. The little ones bounced joyfully back and forth between the camper and the sand. As it was chilly, they needed frequent opportunities to warm-up before heading out to dig and run and splash some more. We also spent one day in Santa Barbara at the mission. While beautiful, I still love our little jewel at home.

Lessons learned:

Bring more towels

Hmm, I thought there were more but I seem to have forgotten now. 

I guess I'll have to learn them again to remember!

Next time we will spend more time relaxing and romping, digging and building, swimming and walking. We all eagerly look forward to next time.

I really wanted a family photo, but, as you can see, not everyone was thrilled with the idea. :-)