On a Boat

"Hey! Are you going to be at the beach tomorrow?" I hit send and waited for a reply. After two days of errands, chores, and climbing the walls, the kids and I needed to get out of the house. Anne had mentioned that she was going to be at the Beach House over the weekend and I wanted to see if she and Collin were interested in company.

Turns out she already had some, but they were more than happy to add their number. Anne suggested a trolley ride in Morro Bay.

I saw her trolley ride and raised her a kayak trip.

 

To which she replied, "With kids?"

 

After explaining I wasn't talking about taking on the waves in the ocean but was picturing a gentle ride across the bay, she was game.

 

We got dressed, packed a picnic lunch, and made it in record time. After the heat of home, the cool fog was a welcome relief. We got the kids suited up with their life jackets and then, putting Joseph in front and Elizabeth in the middle, I stumbled gracefully into the kayak.

 

 

We paddled across the bay, watching dolphins frolic and pelicans diving for fish. The Bay was almost glass smooth. Except for where the kids were splashing with their paddles.

 

Photo courtesy Anne

 

Note: Single paddling of a tandem kayak with two smaller paddles randomly hitting the water is a great arm workout.

 

 

We made it across to the Strand, racing Anne and Collin who had the additional help of Anne's friend Scott. We won, but only because we beached our canoe at the furthest outcropping of sand. Some might call that cheating. We called it strategy.

 

Unloading from the kayak, we took off our shoes, grabbed our snacks and started the trek across the nearly deserted sand dunes.

 

Photo courtesy Anne

 

What ensued was cliff jumping, hot lava dodging, sand people finding, Storm Trooper dodging, and sand dune sliding.

 

 

We ate our peanut butter and jelly sandwiches - heavy on the sand - and continued our trek to the other side of the strand. After jumping in the waves, we made the long hike back to the kayaks and slowly fought the tide back to the rental shop.

 

After a hearty lunch and the trolley ride, the kids and I headed home. Exhausted, slightly fog burned, sandy, and sore.

 

But it was a great day.