My Day, My Choice

We don't just camp at our state parks, we spend lots and lots of time hiking in them as well. For Mothers' Day this year, I decided that I wanted to hike a trail we'd never been on before. So I picked the Ridge to Bluffs loop in Andrew Molera State Park in Big Sur. 8.8 miles seemed a reasonable distance. I didn't take into consideration the mile, each way, to and from the Ridge trailhead...or the fact that we had to cross the river.

So, we stripped down to our undies, crossed the river, then hiked almost 9 miles, then crossed the river again, and then hiked another mile back to the car. We barely made it back to town for our Mothers' Day dinner reservation with the Nonni. Whoops.

About three miles into the trek, Dylan demanded, "Did you pick this hike to torture us?" Sure did. I was kidding, but he sat down in the middle of the trail right then and there and cried. I picked him up, dusted him off, gave him a big hug and explained that I didn't want to torture him, but it was my day and it was my choice how I wanted to celebrate it.

We packed in lots of snacks - mini quiche, chocolate-dipped figs, brie, salami, carrots, cucumbers, and fresh berries. Jake even hauled in a bottle of sparkling wine and we had mimosas at the furthest beach in the park.

Happy Mothers' Day to me!