the snake won

we stopped in big sur for some hiking and spent the night in a cabin. it was beautiful, obviously, but after all that washington green it felt noticeably drier—sunny, dusty, and a little more determined to scratch you.

then i almost stepped on a snake.

not saw a snake from a pleasant, educational distance. almost put my foot on a snake. i could not anymore after that. my hiking career was over for the day.

so we retired to the cabin with a bottle of wine and pizza and watched our stories on the ipad. nature had made its point; indoor entertainment restored order.

among giants

this was our stop at the redwoods in california, and i think it was one of the most special parts of the trip.

sml and i spent a lot of time just walking and chatting in these forests. there was no rush and not much of an agenda—just ferns underfoot, trees disappearing into the sky, and the two of us wandering through it all.

they are such a marvel. it is hard to stand beside something that old and that tall without feeling a little awed and a little tiny.

i am so happy i was able to do this with sml.

hey you guys

cannon beach is already one of my favorite places. haystack rock, the endless stretch of sand, the ocean mist—every direction looked a little unreal.

the goonies connection made the whole place feel even more cinematic, but honestly cannon beach did not need the help. i could not get over how beautiful it was as the sun started to drop. scott and i just strolled along the water and admired everything, which was exactly the right amount of agenda.

we finished the evening with expensive mexican food for dinner and puffin wine at the wine shack. a slightly extravagant ending to a very good beach day. no treasure map required.