Thanks Teschers for use of the cabin!

The girls and I headed south to the east side of Big Sur, through the Salinas Valley to Arroyo Seco (Dry dry riverbed).

I have been wanting to explore the area for a while as it is not too far away (2hrs) but is pretty rugged.  As usual with campsites in this area, they are reserved a year in advance on weekends, so we took out chances on a car-camping spot with Plan B being a backpack up the canyon.

As you can see, we were able to get a spot in the primitive camping area with some no-shows.

Sienna and Page were very excited to help me setup the tent.

We then walked down to the day use area of the river for a swim. The day use area is so popular that cars line up from 6am on weekend mornings, and they close the gates by 9am when the area gets full. Most families setup for the day with grills, shades, and tables. The attraction is some nice pools with rocks to jump off. Both the girls swam with me over the pool to a rock and jumped in.

After we walked back to the campsite, we were able to make a fire (for once!) and cooked up a simple pasta dish, followed by toasted marshmallows.

Half the fun of camping is sleeping bags.

On Sunday morning, I decided to try some other places to swim, down the gorge.

It was a 3km walk down a trail, then a technical (ropes) descent down to our own set of rockpools. Page named them Pool 1, Pool 2, Pool 3, and Pool 4. We spent most time in Pool 2.

On the way down, we found some discarded noodles which helped us swim around the deep pools. The girls had fun at the “resort”, playing with their Pet Shops, rolling in the sand, losing Pet Shops, rescuing Pet Shops.

We had the pools to ourselves for a little while and then were joined by some other hikers including our neighbours from the campsite.

Page was very brave, jumping off a high rock into the pool. She even saw a crayfish.

This year’s winter holiday was back to Park City. With the dog and all our stuff, we thought it easiest to drive. We stopped in Reno at the Hotel Siena for our first night, and then on to Salt Lake City to meet Grandma Sam and Katya.

To make the shuttle easier up to Park City, Brendan and Bindi went skiing on Mount Timpanogas.

A long video exclusively of Page skiing at Park City and Sundance –

A big storm came in over Sunday and Monday, so we stayed inside at the Park City Ice Arena

Sienna loved the ice. Not sure she knew how skating was supposed to be done –

We stayed close to Main Street and Bindi took up where Haley had left off. Except Bindi was Park City’s favourite dog who was always willing to roll onto her back for scratch by anyone who wanted it.

Brendan got to ski again with St. Andrew McLean, his guide from Antarctica and SuperMom took the girls out skiing.

Brendan and Alex got back to their first date –

and, after seven years, Alex gets to ski powder with her Bindi –

They did it again up Mill Creek Canyon

Sometimes the girls just wanted to sled and build snowmen –

We drove down the Wasatch Back to the Sundance ski resort. It was uncrowded and beautiful.

Kat boarding, Grandma Sam in the background –

Sienna busted Page out of Jail and escaped by skiing away from the Sheriff’s Posse, down Getaway Falls –

We drove home via Elko and a couple of hours skiing with the Naylors in Truckee.

Winter called us up to the mountains. To South Lake Tahoe this time, where we stayed in a place on the lake, across the street from a sledding beach!

But we didn’t come to sled. We came to ski. We drove up into the mountains to Kirkwood Ski Resort.

Aprés Ski, fourfive-year old style.

Bindi also had a go in the snow. Up Trimmer Peak to ski down the 11.

A fun day visiting friends in Carmel Valley. We ate at our favorite restaurant, The Corkscrew and then checked out a local pumpkin patch. A quick stop at the beach and a cocktail at the most beautiful patio at the Inn of the Spanish Bay.