Ft Bragg and Family Time

I put the thought out there, during my time of desperate yearning for a coastal trip, and as it always happens...thought becomes reality. I went to my favorite getaway and to my usual spot, but this time I made the trip with my parents and my sister - no kids allowed! It was the first time we all had gone to Ft. Bragg together.

My sister played with her new Nikon camera that is comparable to something a photography pro uses as he/she perches in a tree outside a celebrity's house. Me? I had my little Sony Cybershot that to this day has some pretty cool features I have yet to master. At various points I just gave up taking pictures and let Sister Y do all the work. 2,800 plus pictures later...I just copied her camera card. No one needs to know who really took the picture, do they? (Just kidding Sister Y.)


(photograph taken by ME! LOL)

The first day there was windier than it has ever been during my previous visits. Between the sand pelting you in the face, neck, head, and back and the wind blowing so hard you thought you were going to be swallowed up into the sky like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz, there were many moments of hysterical laughter and silent observation of Mother Nature's beauty. When we weren't outside trying to stand up straight in the wind, or capture the "perfect shot", we were inside playing cards and hanging out.

Some great moments of our mini-vacation...

• The Gambling - We hit all the indian casinos on the way there...and two on the way back (repeats). We didn't take any of our big winnings home...but I was pretty excited when I hit for 404 pennies on a 25 cent pull. Mom, Dad and Sister Y were on a hot streak - winning up to $60 total on nickels and pennies - each of them. Sister Y said "the mojo changed" when I walked up and she started losing. I walked away and she hit for $19. Go figure. It wasn't Las Vegas - but it was a lot of fun anyhow!
• The Cliff House - A beautiful restaurant that looks like a little hole in the wall that is situated next to a trailer park. But when you walk in and descend several flights of dining tiers and sit at full length windows overlooking Noyo Harbor, it is simply breathtaking. We laughed so hard during dinner, I'm certain we disturbed other diners. But Mom's steak and lobster dinner, and its price, made for some entertaining jokes that had us laughing hysterically, right through dinner and into the parking lot when all was said and done.
• Pt Cabrillo Lighthouse - I had hoped that we would see deer as I have in prior trips. We were just about ready to leave (I was complaining of being tired and hungry - not much has changed since I was a child on vacation) when five or six deer came to the grassy area to feed. We sat for what seemed like an hour observing these beautiful animals. Then as we were driving back to main parking area, we spotted several more deer. The pictures are amazing!
• Ft Bragg - The hotel, the ocean, the coastal craggy cliffsides, the waves, the smell of salt in the air...what else is there to say?
• The Trip Home - I hadn't ever seen the "Elk Crossing" sign and joked with Sister Y about how we need to take a picture and email it to her husband, Montana Man, who was working out of town. With that said, I spotted elk on the side of the road. We pulled over...quickly...and captured 23 elk on film, oops...on digital card? Whatever. Then outside one of the smaller cities on the way home, we spotted a peacock on the side of the road. Sister Y was behind the wheel and the screeching tires and crunching gravel sent the peacock into hiding. It was the most beautiful turquoise blue I have ever seen. We are planning a trip to the peacock hiding areas soon for pictures!

But one of the greatest moments happened at Pt Cabrillo lighthouse. It is a half mile walk from the gift shop and main parking lot to the actual lighthouse. The sign says it is a road that can be traveled, and yes it is paved. But when you approach the small road, another sign indicates the road is for handicap vehicles only. "Pedestrians only - no vehicles allowed" Honestly - it was extremely confusing. Dad, Sister Y and I walk down there...only to find a large parking lot, and cars that do not have handicap placards. What? Others have driven down here and we walked a half mile, all downhill but still...we faced an uphill climb the entire way back. All of a sudden here comes Mom driving her truck down the road. When she parks and gets out she says something about it being the off season and if anyone asks why she drove down there she will say she made a mistake and won't ever do it again. Then she said "I say try it - why not". The three of us that were facing the uphill battle thanked her in the end as Sister Y and I rode in the back of the truck (like the old days) to return to my car in the main parking area. We were truly grateful for the ride!

During this trip I was reminded of many things:

• There is nothing to fear if you make an honest mistake!
• Order what you want from the menu - just to say you did it!
• Celebrate the small victories in life and be satisfied with what you won!
• Time spent with family fills the heart in many ways!