Another Beach Experience

Milt, Brian and I went to the beach again.  On June 22 (Monday), we drove to The Inn at Otter Crest.  We arrived a little before sunset.  We hauled all our stuff up the hill to our room, went on a short hike to Devil's Punch Bowl, and went back and watched a movie.  Then we enjoyed the sunset.

Tuesday morning, low tide was at 7:30?  So we got up and went out there. The tide pools were awesome.  We went on the beach towards Devil's Punch Bowl so we could see different tide pools than we had seen in June.  Low and behold, you could climb all over the rocks INSIDE Devil's Punchbowl.   There was a whole wall with starfish just hanging all over it.  Anemones too.

When we got back, Milt had a nap while Brian and I went swimming in the pool.  It was a little chilly in our apartment and outside, but the swimming pool was nice and warm.  It felt good to get inside.  Brian forgot his goggles so we didn't stay too long, which turned out to be a good thing because I forgot to put sunscreen on my face.  My nose was red and right around my hairline was very tender and red.  Brian got a LITTLE red too.  We climbed the thousand stairs back to our place.  

Milt was working in the afternoon, so Brian and I hiked over to Devil's Punch Bowl (968 paces according to the sign, however Brian counted 1,111).  On the way back we took a smaller trail, but ended up at The Inn at Otter Crest anyway.  

Wednesday, we went to Yakina Lighthouse area.  They were supposed to have some great tide pools, but they weren't nearly as spectacular as the ones just down from our beach place.  They did have cobblestones though.  They are small lava rocks that are roundish and smooth.  They are all over just above the beach near the lighthouse.  They are a little hard to walk on because they roll when you step on them, and they were on an incline.  Most of them were probably about 6 inches in diameter.  (These ones in the picture are in the water, but you get the idea.)

On Thursday, we headed out to go hike to Drift Creek Falls.  After a 45-minute drive up a narrow winding road, we made it to the trailhead.  It was cloudy and threatening precipitation (I say that because it could have been rain or mist).  We put on our hiking boots and hiked to the falls.  There is a suspension bridge you go over to see the falls.  The hike was only a little more than a mile and there wasn't too much elevation gain (but some).  It didn't rain until we had been by the bridge for a few minutes.  Then it started to sprinkle, but we headed back.  The rain quit and every once in a while there was a mist or slight amount of rain, but not too bad. Back at the car, there were some people just arriving, and they asked us about the trail.  They happened to be from Utah with married children and one on a mission.  (The children weren't with them, of course.)  It's a small world.

THE banana slug

That was the end of our excitement until we go to NEW YORK and get to see most of our kids because we are going to the Hill Cumorah Pageant!!  Cant' wait to see you all again.