The Summer without the Gulf

The last official weekend of summer is upon us.  For some it means one last beach trip or lake weekend, for me it means the beginning of the most magical time of the year.  College football.  Fear not though, this is not the post in which I gush about college football and all the wonderful aspects of it.  I'll save that for another day.  

However, as this Labor Day weekend approaches, it occurred to me that this summer was the first in my 23 years on this Earth my toes will not have touched the Gulf of Mexico.  Living in Atlanta is conducive to many outdoor adventures but the beach, specifically the glorious Gulf, is less attainable than I'd like. My short trips home this summer didn't allow time for a day trip down to St. George Island and the trip down to 30A is a long haul from here for a weekend.  

My soul yearns for water, so this has by no means be a water-less summer, just Gulf-less.  I am a creature of habit and don't like change but, as this pretend adulting business is full of change, I adapted and found other ways to satisfy my need for time on and around water.

Overlook at East Palisades!

The summer kicked off with a Memorial Day hike at the East Palisades Trail in the Chattahoochee National Recreation Area.  We followed the portion of the trail that hugs the river and takes you to a tall outlook point.  All manners of rafts and people were taking advantage of the river that day.

The next weekend was spent on the Atlantic, big and beautiful in its own right but nowhere near what the Gulf is for me.  Swimming in the Atlantic is always a tad more fun than the Gulf just because of the wave size. Really there's nothing to disparage about the Atlantic because it's still salty water and ocean breeze.

View from Shelby Street Pedestrian Bridge in Nashville

A mid-June trip up to Nashville let me spend time on the Cumberland River listening to country music and wishing we'd rented a pontoon to listen from.  I'm a fan of cities built on rivers, even though the rivers aren't always such fans.  Just seems to make it less industrial and steely and take you back to what life should be.

Only way to do Fourth of July!

Gold Branch along the Hooch

Mid summer saw many water bodies.  A trip home for Father's Day meant time on the Wacissa.  A quick trip to Lake Martin.  A family reunion on the West Coast meant lots of waterfalls and time in the Pacific.  Other weekends full of hikes at various trails along the Hooch.

Towards the end of July, I spent a weekend with my nephews who live west of Atlanta. We took advantage of the wonderful hospitality of old friends who live on Lake Carroll.  The Saturday was spent jumping off the dock, learning how to paddle board and paddle boat, and catching up.

My younger nephew is an expert paddle boat captain!

This last weekend of August I spent a glorious 24 hours at Lake Hartwell with a good friend.  Saturday we were on the boat and visiting friends.  I attempted skiing for the first time in years and definitely felt it Monday morning.  Sunday morning was a rainy day but the perfect rain for sitting under the covered dock with coffee and a book.

Summer 2015 may have been Gulf-less for me but I have learned and fully accepted that all water, not just the Gulf, has the same sacred effect of calming and restoring mind, body, and spirit.  So I suppose all there really is to say is "Go jump in a lake" or river or pool or ocean or sprinkler!

One Giant Trip : Part 3

I recently returned from a ten day and much needed vacation to California with Mom and Dad.  It was filled with giant views, a giant city, and my giant family.  I'll be chronicling the trip in three parts over the next few weeks.  

Day 8 : Cousins Galore

A drawn out breakfast with lots of coffee and chatting was a wonderful slow down from all the touristing.  Facebook allows us to keep up with the general goings on but you can't beat the face to face. Passing around the little ones is never a bad thing either.

Lady killer in the making!

I took a hike with my uncle, cousin, cousin's wife, and their little one.  By hike I mean a stroll along the rocky beaches that line the Pacific.  There was a great trail in place that was smooth enough for the walking stroller.  The great part about family reunions is the different combinations of people you spend time with throughout.  Catching up with a cousin who is in an older generation and just returned from living abroad was a treat.

Lunch was once again a drawn out meal {pretty normal for this side of my family} and no one was really in any hurry to be anywhere.  Until the kiddos were ready to move on, the adults (and pretend adults) were content.  The afternoon was filled with Skip Bo, a new game for me, and puzzles.  Puzzles are such a wonderful thing to gather around because they require just enough concentration that small talk falls by the wayside.  I am of the opinion that some of the best conversations come out of the craziest puzzles.

Gotta love a place cool enough for summer bonfires.

Dinner was followed by s'mores, wine, and fun on the hammock and beach volleyball court.    

Day 9 : Seals and Matching Shirts

The second full reunion day everyone headed in different directions are breakfast.  Some headed into town to the aquarium, others to the pool, and others down to Pebble Beach.  I spent the morning attempting to swim in the Pacific.  Let me tell you - it's cold.  I specifically packed a one piece bathing suit and was still frigid.  My cousin and I couldn't convince any of the under 6 age group to try past their tippy toes but some of the over 50 had already taken the plunge.

Mr. Seal! (He's the black bump in the middle of the photo.)

After lunch, three of us headed to kayak Monterey Bay.  We rented kayaks from Adventures by the Sea and had a beautiful ride.  The giant kelp forests were crazy cool but we wanted to get past them because paddling in them was tough.  Apparently, they don't like that.  The wonderfully nice owner of Adventures by the Sea came out and told us it was much easier to paddle on the shore side of the kelp forest.  I'm very glad he told us because when we were headed back we ended up within about 15 feet of seals.  One very happy Florida girl!

7 of the 14 Granny V grandkids.

Slurpees {because National 7/11 Day, duh} and we made it back just in time for family photos.  Thanks to two very efficient cousins with beautiful photography skills, we got all the necessary combinations of family done pretty quickly.  Four generations were represented at this reunion!  The evening was wrapped up with the younger generation finishing off the beer and wine.  

Day 10 : The Last Hurrah

Breakfast was followed by the first round of goodbyes as many people started their treks back home or on the way to the next stop of vacation.  Gathering and packing into my cousin's car (the one who lives in the Bay Area) before three of us headed back to the City.  We wound up a mountain to a fantastic bar for a beer before dropping one cousin off at the airport.  A quick sushi dinner before I headed to the airport rounded out a fantastic trip out to the west coast.  I know I'll be back soon!