Our weekend exhale is enjoyed from a very beautiful location.
Thursday we headed north to Morro Bay, enjoying a four-generation family reunion, with a nice mixture of campers at the state campground and several of us more comfortable NOT sleeping in a tent.
The majority of time we are at the campground, which means no Internet, so this is my first chance to check in since we arrived.
We anticipated seasonal fog, but instead have been treated to mild, cloud-free warmth. Two hundred miles from home it’s noticeably cooler, especially when sitting under the trees at the campground, but as long as I have sunshine I am grateful.
I’m also not worrying too much about Darwin. You see, it might sound silly to think of being overly concerned about an African Sulcata Tortoise. He really can manage for himself quite nicely.
He comes out of his house in the morning, forages a bit, takes a nice leisurely walk around the yard and then when he chooses, puts himself back into his house for a long nap.
But occasionally we find him exploring new places we aren’t so sure he should navigate.
A tortoise doesn’t need to climb steps onto a deck. I worry about the law of motion…what goes up…
Not sure he knows how to get down!
But I’ve arranged for his care…he needs a babysitter when we’re gone.
And I do enjoy the night sky when we are away from city lights.
It seemed a good idea to capture the almost-full moon in anticipation of tonight’s Supermoon– fog could still roll in!
Have a wonderful weekend…and I hope you get a clear view of that beautiful moon, too.
breathelighter 
Glad to hear you’re having a good time… and yes to capture the moon tomorrow night… hope the planes are flying nearby for that special capture again… enjoy the rest of your journey…
We have had such a wonderful time, Rob. It’s always hard at the end of such an event to say goodbye to the family I probably won’t see again for a while! Time to head home now. 🙂
Wait … Morro Rock is on Morrow Bay? … or do I have the wrong place in my mind? 😉 Have a wonderful time and hope you get to enjoy the moon. Hi to all!
Yes, Frank, Morro Rock is on Morro Bay. My computer changed the spelling to Morrow…there is no Morrow. LOL! So the rock is on the shore of Morro Bay. We had three wonderful days of bright, sunny clear skies…and today the fog swooped in. Perfect timing as everyone is headed home! 🙂
So glad you reminded me of the super moon! Sounds like a great thing to share with the kids and a perfect night for a glass of wine on the patio with Mike after the kids are in bed. Hopefully our clouds lift in time! Enjoy your trip away. I just love Morrow Bay! We need to get back out to Cali one of these days. We used to take yearly trips there. Haven’t in a while. I better remedy that. 😉 And love the shot of Darwin. You know I adore that little guy! Have a great time Debra!
I do hope you were able to view the Supermoon, Kristy! I think I was able to get a better view of it from Morro than I would have from home, so I was quite pleased! I didn’t know that you were so familiar with travel to California! I hope you will make another appearance one of these days! I would love to give you so nice recommendations. 🙂 ox
Enjoy the sights and family. Keep taking those wonderful photos, I think I’ll paint one or two. Ellen
It’s beautiful up here, Ellen. Maybe sometime you can take a road trip with us! 🙂 Wouldn’t that be fun? ox
The moon is gorgeous!
Be well your tortoise!
Thanks for sharing with us!
🙂
The moon is beautiful all the time, isn’t it! We ought to look up as often as possible. 🙂
My grandmother used to tell me that. 🙂
It all sounds very wonderful, but you’ve got me worrying about Darwin now too! 🙂 Have fun!
My girlfriend has sent me several encouraging messages that Darwin hasn’t even missed us! LOL! Thank you for sharing concern with me Johanna…it makes me feel a little less like I’m being silly. hahaha!
Have a lovely time, Debra. I hope you’ll take lots of pictures and share. That is such a jaw dropping coastline. I’m hiking with you in spirit. xo
We are having a wonderful time, Andra. We will be home tomorrow…and back to reality! This is a perfect place for you to visit sometime. I’ll have to give you some added info and encourage that. 🙂
Go over to Baywood Park and shoot the sunset from the little park…I have had some great luck getting sunset images at that location. I also shot some nice ones at Sweet Springs Nature Preserve looking back toward Morro Rock.
Thank you so much for the recommendation. I’m going to try to do that!
I’m sorry to say that I don’t think I’ve ever visited Morro Bay. I will put it on my list of places to go. Thanks for the reminder.
I’m surprised that you don’t know Morro Bay, Ginny. This would be a wonderful place for us to have a little reunion…it would be a perfect half-way mark for Kay, too. Let’s talk about that! 🙂
Prettiest little town in the world! Enjoy!
Morro Bay is just wonderful! I feel so fortunate to have the chance to visit…if I could get up here more often I surely would! 🙂
Glad you’re having a lovely weekend away . . . without worrying about Darwin.
Enjoy the “Super Moon”
I did get to see the Supermoon, Nancy! I was so glad I had a good view…I understand that had I been home, a cloud cover would have stood in the way! 🙂
Oh, that’s right I was thinking it was Sunday evening–thanks for the reminder. Enjoy the Super Moon from your get-a-way!
We were able to really get a beautiful view of the moon, from the campground! I don’t think I’d have had nearly the perfect view from home. I felt so fortunate! 🙂
Debra, it was delightful to wake up to this lovely post. (It was 1 degree celsius here this morning – 33 F)
I do so enjoy being a companion, albeit an invisible one, as you journey through life. Thanks for carrying me along via your computer.
Hope you continue to have a wonderful time.
Hugs
Tricia
I am so glad you were traveling with me, Tricia! Your morning temperature did sound rather chilly to me! 🙂 We have had a delightful time. We have had wonderful family reunions through the years, and part of what makes these even more special now are all the babies. New generations getting to know one another! That has really warmed my heart this time. Back to work and reality as we leave for home tomorrow morning! I’ll have many photos to share, I’m sure, so I thank you, as always, for being such an encouragement. It makes me very happy to share with you. ox
Too much cloud cover here to be moonstruck tonight, Debra, BUT, we were in a long line of traffic on a country road, that was at a dead stop. Our car was close enough that we could see what the problem was; a slow moving turtle crossing it. One of Darwin’s cousins, no doubt. Glad he is home with a sitter.
Enjoy your vacation/reunion.
Oh my goodness, Penny! How funny about the turtle, but I’m so glad to hear that he was safe! It must have been funny to see him holding back traffic! We’ve had a lovely time, thank you. We’ll travel home again in the morning, and probably not see most of these dear family members for at least another year. It was a special time, indeed!
I’m glad you found a sitter for Darwin. You’ll have a much better time not worrying about him and he won’t get lonely. It sounds like you’re in for a very nice time this weekend. The campground sounds like the perfect spot for a reunion with its lovely scenery and relaxed atmosphere. Have a wonderful time and enjoy the light of the slivery moon.
Our family has gathered for several years at various campgrounds, John, and I this is our first time in Morro Bay. I think we have all agreed that this is the new spot for years to come. It’s been really a wonderful time. We are not coming home until tomorrow, but everyone else left by noon today…it’s a little quiet after so much family activity. We did get a beautiful view of that gorgeous, large moon last night. I’m so glad we did! Apparently at home there was a heavy cloud cover. I hope you had a good weekend, too! I’ve so lost track of everyone for a few days…time to get back and see what everyone else has been up to! 🙂
No Supermoon for us here at the East coast of Australia. We’re having a lot of rain right now. Glad you have a good time. Love the pictures. Thanks for sharing. And I’m sure Darwin is going to be all right. 🙂
My girlfriend has kept me informed of Darwin’s well-being, and has given me plenty of reassurance that he is just fine. It’s my own silliness that obsesses over him, I’m sure! The moon was pretty beautiful last night, and I felt fortunate to get a good glimpse. I understand from others that had I been home I would have missed it! Apparently we had a heavy cloud cover, too. 🙂
We have so much rain and low cloud that we are missing the super moon. So disappointing. I like the look of the scenery of your getaway. Looks very peaceful. I’m sure Darwin will be absolutely fine xx
I will probably be sharing photos from this little trip for quite some time, Charlie. I have such a love for this part of the coast, and we don’t get to visit as often as I’d like. So sorry you didn’t get to see the moon for this particular event, but I think the moon is pretty gorgeous every evening! 🙂
It was cloudy so no – but amazing event anyway Debra!
I think you’re right, Jim. Even when we don’t see the moon, or a particular constellation, just knowing it’s there is often enough for me. Frequently we simply have too much light or too many trees and an obscured view, so being away from home has made this Supermoon special for me. We will be back to reality tomorrow…getting away with family has been a lovely opportunity! 🙂
You really know how to live and enjoy the beauty of California. I am an early riser, so I saw the super moon at 4:30 this morning as it headed down to take cover behind the hills on the other side of the canyon. As advertised, it was large and beautiful.
I’m sure you have beautiful night skies, Inger. I was so glad to have the chance to take some nice photos of the Supermoon. At home it isn’t always possible because there are still so many lights even in my neighborhood, making it harder to capture complete dark! There’s nothing like the desert night sky! We have had some beautiful weather and lovely sights…home tomorrow, and back to work! Back to reality! 🙂
I think it’s been said already, but no go for the supermoon back home. It was too overcast, although it was quite bright outside. Glad you are enjoying your trip!
Others commented on the “no go” for the Supermoon, but they aren’t local, Janine, so I didn’t realize we were so overcast at home! I ended up with some gorgeous photos last night, so now I’ll feel very fortunate. The fog did roll in today! We have had unusually beautiful weather, however.
Beautiful pictures, trees and shore, and Darwin too, such a great shell.
Thank you! I’m glad you enjoyed the photos. This particular part of California is really beautiful! I could easily spend more time here. 🙂
Oh, that moon is beautiful and your other pictures ful of light, Debra. This is a very feel-god cyberplace to come. Hope you enjoy the rest of your time and the sunshine persists. Here’s hoping Darwin hasn’t had any wild parties while you’ve been away.
My girlfriend keeps me up to date with how Darwin is getting along, Kate. I like to hear that at the end of the day he has gone back to his warm home. 🙂 I have really enjoyed being with family in such a lovely location. Thank you so much for the compliment on the photos, too. It’s a beautiful location. Back to “reality” tomorrow. 🙂
A family reunion sounds wonderful and the weather looks good. Have fun!
Thanks, Meg…we are having a wonderful time. We will be in Morro for one more day, but all the other family left this afternoon. It’s a little lonely now…but a nice place to be. 🙂
Love the campground at Morro Bay! You got lucky with the weather. 🙂
Thanks for taking time out to share ~ LOVE the photos! Stay safe & I look forward to more ♥
Hi Debra,
I thought I’d pop over and see what you’ve been up to and I’m so glad I didn’t miss this post. Gosh what a lovely tradition for your whole family to spend a weekend away every summer, and because everyone was camping I assume everyone shared the cooking.
You inspired me to go to Morro Bay the last time you went there and shared the pictures of the area… You said you weren’t in a tent? Does the campground have cabins?
Some of us rented homes for the weekend–there are many in the area for rent, and reasonably priced. Others stayed in a little Inn right at the edge of the state park. And then the intrepid campers held two large spots inside the campground. We had freedom to explore the area, but always returned to spend time together at the campground. Meals were most often shared. Fortunately there are several very experienced campers in the group! 🙂
Morro Bay looks like a great place for a family reunion, and beautifully captured in the photos. And I think it’s very nice for Darwin to go on a little exploration in new territory. May the fog stay away!
The fog didn’t appear until the very end as most of the family was leaving for home! We were so fortunate! And yes, had a lovely time, Otto. Thank you! 🙂
Beautiful pictures!! Love them! Hope you’re having fun on your travels!!
What a gorgeous place to escape from your current heatwave, Debra. DH and I saw the supermoon as we were driving here from the ferry late on Monday evening. It was very impressive!