Road Trip - Central California Coast

This past weekend was my 20th high school reunion in Anchorage - yikes! Yes, I'm THAT old. A few of my girlfriends from high school still remain close and were pretty much rearing to go all the way up to Alaska for the reunion, family and all. But when it came right down to it, we decided who we really wanted to see was each other and not necessarily in Alaska. So we picked a nearby place we've been wanting to explore and set about on our own mini reunion. We picked Central California Coast - the towns Monterey, Carmel, and Big Sur. Having already been inspired by those towns for my Spring 2008 collection of Eco-Spacedye knitwear (with color names Carmel and Big Sur), I was anxious to actually see these beautiful coastal towns up close and personal, and gain new inspiration for Fall '09.

First stop, Monterey. This in particular was for the kids, with the famous Monterey Aquarium and Cannery Row as the main attractions. Also, a little side trip to the Dennis the Menace park (coolest kid's park ever) and a paddle boat ride on El Estero Lake. Monterey is famous for it's June Gloom weather. Not necessarily the warmest Summer weather, but luckily I had been forewarned and packed accordingly. You pretty much have to dress in layers so throughout the day you can shed clothing as it warms up (by the way, Stacia's thin knitwear is perfect for such layering!)

Next stop, the 17 mile drive through Pacific Grove, Pebble Beach, and Carmel. One picturesque vista after another along this winding drive that took us through the pine tree-lined roads and down to the pristine beaches on the coast. If only our Santa Monica beaches were as clean and beautiful! We wandered down to the Asilomar State Beach in Pacific Grove to enjoy the serene beauty of an untouched beach. Only the die-hard surfers clad in neoprene from head to toe would dare go in this chilly water. The upside is the cold water deters the usual beach-goers and therefore the sand and water are clean and free of cigarette butts and styrofoam (at our local beaches here you see more trash than seashells!) We also made a quick stop in Carmel along the 17 mile drive. This quaint little town, slightly more inland, reminded me of New Hope, PA with it's Tudor-style, fairytale architecture and charming little shops. My favorite stop along the drive was the Lone Cypress tree (pictured above), all alone out on a huge rock in the ocean. I can already envision Fall '09 spacedye colors - Cypress, Monterey, Grove, Spruce, Pine, Spyglass (that one's for you Jodie!)

Finally, the best for last, Big Sur. You couldn't dream this stuff up. The view from all angles was to die for. I jokingly coined a picture of my husband and I with the Big Sur coastline behind us as our "fake" Big Sur backdrop. The views were just too perfect to be real. Talk about tidepool heaven. Wish I could hike down there with my wet suit and gear to explore those untouched tidepools with star fish, seals, and otters galore. The only drawback was the ash falling from the sky and the whiff of smoke in the air from the local fires. It was hard to tell what was marine layer and what was smoke.

The highlight of the trip, besides the vistas, was our tricked out minivan that we borrowed for the road trip. Not necessarily design inspiration for me, but I have to admit the pimped up Town & Country Limited minivan made the ride more upscale. With dual DVD players, map system, leather interior, and swivel second row seats, it made hauling four kids a pleasure. Although I did get a little carsick in the back seat and mainly road in the rented mini van with my girlfriends while the hubbies and kids road the T&C. Check out my husband's review of the Chrysler Town & Country Minivan on the LAtimes.com auto blog - pretty much sums up our vacation.