Peek A Boo! And our trip to Morro Bay.

Well, I'm back, after a very unintentional break!  I had not intended on taking so much time off.  Long story short, my dad was in the hospital for lung issues, and has been on a slow recovery back from that.  That is the first thing that threw a wrench in my blogging.  Second, we have been working on getting our foster dog adopted, planning spring vacation, volunteering with the church, and just living life!  So there you have it.  I am going to put the linky parties on hold for a bit, but hope to continue blogging about day to day life here at Dutch Door.

We just returned from our first trip to Morro Bay, CA this year.  The weather could not have been more perfect.  We always do the same things every time, but it doesn't make it mundane or boring.  I love laying on the beach, wading through tide pools (or tadpoles, as my son calls them).  We also look at property from time to time.  This year, we are indulging the idea of a small land purchase.  Just indulging at this point, I'm not even sure we could show the income to get approved for it, even though we could afford the payment.

We usually stay at the Best Western San Marcos Inn.  The rooms are clean, the hotel is quiet, and they have great mini waffles (among other things) for breakfast.  They also have this huge jacuzzi tub overlooking Morro Rock and the sunset.  My son loves splashing around in there.  I was disappointed that I had forgotten my swimsuit, and I was not about to drop $40 for a one-timer at Rite Aid.

Another Must Do is Cayucos, CA.  We always lay on Dog Beach while the kid plays in the sand and the waves.  I love it here because the dogs are loose and they are more than eager to approach and sit a spell with me on my blanket.  I love that!  We also frequent the Brown Butter Cookie Company (free samples, anyone?), and Happy Go Smile.  This year, I made a special order for a Happy Go Love shirt.  That would be my second shirt from this store.  I love it, and the owner is always there with a smile, ready to chat.

A couple of local Morro Bay favorites are Dorn's Cafe, which to this day, has some of the best fish and chips ever!  They look fancy but they are really kid friendly, and they have an amazing view!  The second is the Babylonian Soap Company.  I was disappointed that they were closed this time around, but next time, I'll be sure to stop in for some amazing hand made soaps.  The owner is a beautiful, petite woman with long dark hair and dark clothes.  She has a lovely vintage appeal to her.

I've been going to Morro Bay for almost my entire life.  To me, it feels like home away from home.  I love going into all the local shops and chatting with the owners, listening to their stories.  One of the things I always ask is if they do their own stuff.  Most of them do.  I love to hear how they came to the area and began their shops.  By listening to their stories, in my own way, I can live out their dream of living on the coast, running a little shop.  I would love that.

I always come home inspired.  Inspired to make myself a better person, to work harder to achieve my dreams, and to one day make Morro Bay my second home, instead of my home away from home.

Thanks for reading.  Stick around.  I promise to update more!

Here are some pictures from our trip! I would have loved to take more, but these are all from the cell phone, as my camera is being repaired.

Isn't this garden lovely?