Crystal Cove

Way back in February when summer seemed like an impossible dream I got online and tried to get us 4 or 5 days at the Crystal Cove Beach Cottages. Reservations for August filled up in 8 minutes, but I managed to reserve one night in a 2-person room. Not exactly what we wanted, but we thought we might as well check out this place we've heard so much about, even for just one night. It was truly beautiful and unique. We enjoyed the water (much warmer than our beaches), the quaint setting and the long strip of tide pools just a short walk away. Our room was microscopic - just a full-size bed and a tiny dresser. We fit ourselves in by sleeping the girls sideways on the bed, I took the air mattress, and Mark, ever the Boy Scout, slept in the corner on three sleeping bags - his feet just touched the dresser. It was a tight squeeze, but we did it. After hours at the beach and burgers from the Shake Shack for dinner we finally got the kids to sleep around 9 pm - late for them - and went to bed ourselves. The surf was so loud I kept waking up thinking a truck was bearing down on us.

In the morning we ate our cereal in the common dining room and went for a walk along the tide pools looking for creatures. The rock formations were amazing and we did spy a few crabs, tiny fish and anenomes. There was a beautiful blue dragonfly washed up with the seaweed - dead but so pretty - not sure I have ever seen one like that before. Mark did his Super Mario brothers impression and the kids just ran from one exciting discovery to the next. After a quick shower we loaded up and checked out. Hopefully, we can reserve two or three nights again some time -it's a neat place.





















Isn't it picturesque? What the photos don't show are the torture of getting my kids clean in a tiny shower, Audrey's debilitating boobie rash, frequent and inconvenient potty breaks for Claire, and the long hike from the cottages to the designated parking area. Family fun is not always as easy as it looks. Just had to add that - but it was beautiful no doubt about it.