Beach Preview

Next week we are going on a family vacation to the beach but this last week, the kids and I drove to visit my good friend Rose and her family who moved to Murrieta a few years ago. After a nice evening at their house (including dinner, bike riding, and a viewing of Pitch Perfect, which Rose had never seen), we woke up the next morning and headed out to the beach (about an hour away).

Rose took the kids and I to this particular beach last year too. She claimed it was magical and I was skeptical to the say the least. However, after spending the day there, I was a convinced. This year's trip only solidified its' standing as being magical, especially when we got to park in a parking lot FOR FREE!

On the bluff overlooking the beach and we came prepared with our boards. Isn't Jadyn the cutest surfer chick ever?



Swami's does require that you go down just a "few" stairs to get to the beach. Bonus; the climb back up counts as your workout for the day and will leave someone like me with sore calves for FOUR days afterwards:



But so worth the smiles as the kids ride some "tasty" waves:







Alas, the magic cannot last forever. Once closer to home, it was quite apparent that there was yet another wildfire, which although over an hour from our house, still brought smoke and ash our way. This has been the 4th fire so far this summer. I am over it!:



Having such a good day with friends like this is bittersweet. We had so much fun but it makes me sad that they no longer live close by.

However, it definitely got us excited to be at the beach for 4 straight days next week. Can't wait!