Fort Bragg Weekend

                                          

Greatly in need of fresh, coastal air and some time away from the hubbub of home, we headed west for Memorial weekend, determined to hit ocean or bust. This was our first visit to Northern Cal's coastal hot-spot Fort Bragg since moving to Chico four years ago. We were due. It was the perfect mini-vacation. We enjoyed a scenic and surprisingly quiet 3+ hour drive, thanks to a portable DVD player and The Wizard of Oz. This movie became the theme of the weekend. Once we arrived, David assigned us each characters and we spent our hiking time reenacting the movie. Fortunately we heard it play enough times on the way that we were able to do it fairly accurately. David was the expert and was quick to correct us if lines weren't stated chronologically and correctly. 

                                   

We arrived just in time to catch the sunset over the water and book one of the last available hotel rooms in town. Seriously. It was the only spot with a vacancy sign which changed only minutes after booking our room. For once, luck was on our side. The highlight of the weekend for the boys was play-time in the hotel. We gave them free reign of the room, resulting in serious bed jumping, cap-less markers and coloring books, as well as snacks, strewn about the room,  and an underwear party (Jack wore his underwear over his diaper). Much giggling and exclamations of "This is the most awesome vacation ever!" ensued. 

                                    

                                    

The weekend entailed:
1. A night of pizza and games, including a very competitive round of Dance Dance Revolution between Disco Stu and Hipster Jode.

2. Breakfast at a local diner where we were served the world's most delicious omelette.

3. A hike on the yellow brick road to the Emerald City, more commonly referred to as the Point Cabrillo Light House. Along the way, Dorothy (me) picked up the Scarecrow (David), the Tin Man (Rich) who's impression was impressively believable and the Cowardly Lion (Jack). Then we skipped our way to each historical building along the way singing "We're off to see the wizard...." to which Jack would point towards the Light House and yell "Wiz of Oz!" It felt so magical that David said, "You know, I think it's real. I think this really is Oz," as he tripped and casually stuffed his pretend straw back into his clothes.

4. Glass pebble collecting and rock climbing at Glass Beach. We were shocked to see David's sudden Scarecrow-induced bravery. He climbed tall rocks and explored the tide pools unassisted and unfazed when he slipped into one. For those who know David, this is a major improvement. He has previously been deathly-afraid of uneven surfaces, even crawling up the steps at the playground.

and 5. Shopping

Oh, and the fellow tourists at the Light House were forced to endure my spontaneous vocal rendition of "Under the Sea" in my best Sebastian the crab voice. At least the kids enjoyed it... or pretended to. They are very sensitive to mom's feelings when she is attempting to entertain them. 

There is never a dull moment on a Sorenson Family Vacation and this one was no exception. The kids were better behaved than ever, and we returned feeling rejuvenated. Few things in life are as profound and refreshing as the feel of a crisp ocean breeze, the shimmering colors of the sun setting over water and the sound of powerful waves crashing against rocks. We all need moments to pause the internal chatter of our minds and actually feel (and interact with) the life around us. Nothing seems as effective for this as the ocean. I want one.