Stepping into History

How often do you get to wander back into history, nibble on historic recipes and holiday treats, and meet local authors and artists? Well, if you live in Monterey: at least once a year at the State Parks' Christmas in the Adobes event! Last year was the first time we attended and the boys wanted to go again. What a fantastic opportunity for enrichment and family fun.

We saw Riley's classmate Lina perform "chinches" (spelling?), a dance inspired by the squishing and sliding through bed bug juice at the Custom House...

 We ran into Linda Yamane, the Ohlone master basket weaver we met last year, at the Pacific House and she let Dylan try on her goose feather headress...

We ate Scottish oatcakes at California's First Theatre and snagged the recipe...we drank horchata at Casa Serrano...

We met Randall Reinstedt, local historian and prolific author, and the boys picked up two of his books that we didn't already own; Robert McNamara, Riley's mandolin teacher, was performing at the Larkin House; the boys made button yo-yos and devoured gingerbread at the Cooper-Molera Adobe; and we ended the adventure by eating clam chowder overlooking the harbor. 

Amazing evening...but I have to say that my favorite part of the evening was when we were walking back to the car, Dylan asked me, "Mom, what did you learn tonight?" That's how we always end all of our adventures - reflecting on something that was new to us - but it was first time that he initiated the conversation.

I learned that the First Theatre was originally a boarding house. The docent there explained to us how hinged clapboards swung down from the ceiling to create individual rooms and the poorer guests climbed the ladder-stairs to the top floor where they could stay (and eat in the morning) for twenty-five cents. The boys are excited to attend a performance there when they reopen in 5 years. Me, too!

California History

I have lived on the Monterey Peninsula, on and off, for almost three decades. I know that Monterey was the first capital city of California. I have walked by most of the buildings along the path of history countless times. However, the number of things I know about this history-rich area is severely lacking. Sad, I know, especially so since I actually have a degree in U.S. History. But as Riley - and every other fourth grader in the state - delves into the history of California, so will I.

Yesterday I chaperoned his field trip to the Cooper-Molera Adobe. It shares a parking lot with my usual haunt, Trader Joe's; though I am there at least two or three times a week, I have only ventured into that state park-run building and garden two or three times ever. What an amazing experience with docents leading us in branding leather pieces, embroidering flowers on burlap, making sisal rope, and more! Riley has agreed to help me embroider a few things for our Thanksgiving table. It's nice that he seems to be enjoying learning about California history as much as I am.

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!

China Camp State Park

August 2009. The first time we went to China Camp State Park, I picked it because it was close to home - within two hours - and we had never been there. I figured it would be a good destination for one last camping trip before school started and I liked the historical importance of the site. And, truth be told, I do pick destinations based on food. I love to be in the Bay Area on a Sunday; whenever we're close, we always brunch at the Thai Buddhist temple in Berkeley.

The weekend that we had reservations at China Camp happened to be a big party. I can't remember whose birthday it was, but there were Chinese dancers, lanterns adorning the historical structures, birthday cake, and the Grace Quan, a reconstruction of a Chinese shrimping junk was docked there.


The boys asked very nicely and were allowed to board. It helps to be cute, I suppose. But I think the rangers also appreciated the boys' curiosity and thoughtful questions.

After we learned all about the history of that Chinese fishing village, we biked our camping gear in to the sites...even Dylan.

We spent the afternoon and the next day exploring the park. We biked the trail then stashed our bikes and explored the coastline in foot. What a great park!

I'm extremely saddened to see China Camp State Park on the closure list.

First Family Camping Trip

Though Jake and I love camping - we camped with our respective families growing up; we camped together throughout our courtship and early marriage; he's camped all over the country; I've camped all over Europe - camping was not in the cards for a few years when the boys were really little. I just couldn't fathom being in the wilderness with two little boys in tow who were still in diapers.

Looking back at these photos of our very first family camping trip, they still look really little, but during the summer of 2005 Riley was potty-trained and we had hiking packs to lug them up and down trails. It was totally doable. So I prepped them by reading P.D. Eastman's Fred and Ted Go Camping - ad nauseaum. We did a dry run, in tents, in the living room. And, yes, I got them flashlights that roared as part of the deal.

We camped at a private campsite near Pescadero but spent most of our time exploring nearby Butano State Park. 

What a great place for boys of all ages! Girls, too. But it was a veritable forest primeval with towering redwoods, menacing sword ferns, tangles of blackberry bushes. And to satisfy their desire for creepy-crawlies, we found squishy banana slugs in the redwood duff and reclusive newts in the creek. The boys were captivated.

Butano quickly became a family favorite. We've camped there a few more times, though one trip was a disastrous five-hour trip. But that's a story for another post.

California State Parks Closures

Last month it was announced that 70 California State Parks would be closing to help balance the state's budget. There are close to 300 state parks that cover almost 1.5 million acres. The closures, according to the state parks department, were selected based on attendance statistics and historical importance. Here are the parks on the chopping block...

SHP = State Historical Park. SP = State Park. SB = State Beach. SRA = State Recreation Area.

Anderson Marsh SHP
Annadel SP
Antelope Valley Indian Museum
Austin Creek SRA
Bale Grist Mill SHP
Benbow Lake SRA
Benicia Capitol SHP
Benicia SRA
Bidwell Mansion SHP
Bothe-Napa Valley SP
Brannan Island SRA
California Mining & Mineral Museum
Candlestick Point SRA
Castle Crags SP*
Castle Rock SP
China Camp SP**
Colusa-Sacramento River SRA
Del Norte Coast Redwoods SP
Fort Humboldt SHP
Fort Tejon SHP
Garrapata SP**
George J. Hatfield SRA
Governor's Mansion SHP
Gray Whale Cove SB
Greenwood SB
Grizzly Creek Redwoods SP
Hendy Woods SP
Henry W. Coe SP
Jack London SHP
Jug Handle SNR*
Leland Stanford Mansion SHP
Limekiln SP**
Los Encinos SHP
Malakoff Diggins SHP
Manchester SP
McConnell SRA
McGrath SB
Mono Lake Tufa SNR
Morro Strand SB
Moss Landing SB**
Olompali SHP
Palomar Mountain SP
Petaluma Adobe SHP
Picacho SRA
Pio Pico SHP
Plumas-Eureka SP
Point Cabrillo Light Station*
Portola Redwoods SP*
Providence Mountains SRA
Railtown 1897 SHP
Russian Gulch SP**
Saddleback Butte SP
Salton Sea SRA
Samuel P. Taylor SP**
San Pasqual Battlefield SHP
Santa Cruz Mission SHP
Santa Susana Pass SHP
Shasta SHP
South Yuba River SP
Standish-Hickey SRA
Sugarloaf Ridge SP
Tomales Bay SP*
Tule Elk SNR
Turlock Lake SRA
Twin Lakes SB
Weaverville Joss House SHP
Westport-Union Landing SB
William B. Ide Adobe SHP
Woodson Bridge SRA
Zmudowski SB

Since we started camping with the boys in 2005, the state parks have been our family's summer vacation destinations. We've done at least three 1000+ mile trips, camping at different state parks each night. We celebrate birthdays and anniversaries at the parks. We've even clung to a cliff's edge camping site during a Valentine storm on the Big Sur coast. Whenever we can, the boys complete the Junior Ranger program at the park. It's been a great way to see the state, to see different environments from the redwoods to the desert, and to spend time at a slower pace, enjoying each other's company and getting lots of fresh air and sunshine along the way.

I've starred the parks we've visited, double-starred the ones we've visited multiple times. Over the next few days, I'll be going back to look through trip photos. And I'll be telling stories about the places we've visited and what we've learned...because everywhere we go, the boys learn things and we learn things. Note: neither of the state parks above are on the closure list, but they could be in the future.

What a travesty to be losing access to these natural wonders!