Weekend Getaway in the Woods

We snuck away for a little weekend getaway at an Airbnb in the mountains.  The house was in the Santa Cruz mountains, and it was way out of the way on a windy road deep in the forest.  The view from the house was pretty amazing. That's the ocean in the distance. 

The house was...rustic.  It was a funky place with lots of quarks, but it was in a great location so we tried to roll with and appreciate the scenery.  

The house sat on the top of a large piece of land.  Shortly after arriving, the dog, kids and I drove down the road on the property to explore some.  We found some interesting stuff, like this little theater space in the woods. 

How many faces do you see?

There were lots of campsites down the road.  I told the kids this was a cult gathering.  After seeing all the tents and RVs, the kids appreciated our rustic lodging more. 

Evening walk with Tom and Mousse.  

The next day, we did some more exploring on the property. 

But it was hot and not everyone was loving it. 

We all love the beach (especially Mousse), so we drove down the mountain and arrived at the coast.  

Beautiful day at a beautiful beach with beautiful people. 

Nothing makes Mousse happier than a frisbee. 

Very nice outing with mom and dad. 

The house had a bedroom in a loft.  Leo didn't want to stay up there, so he stayed downstairs with Tom and I stayed upstairs with Serafina.  Mousse didn't like it too much when I went up there and left him down below.  Here he is waiting for me at the bottom of the stairs. 

After we packed up today, we headed to Santa Cruz.  We got there just before the crowds and managed to find parking.  Serafina and I took a walk along West Cliff. 

Tom and Leo took Mousse down to the beach.  It's a beach full of friendly dogs, but all this dog cares about is that frisbee. 

See?

Tom's beach selfie. 

Windy, but warming up. 

Handsome beach bum.  

After the beach time, we headed to a brewery with dog-friendly outside seating.  This was the first time the kids had been at any time of establishment in 15 months.  It was Mousse's first time ever.  They had a pop-up pizza place and we had a delicious lunch.  

We tried to keep Mousse busy and happy, but he got a little restless towards the end.  I think with some more practice, he could be a good restaurant patio dog. 

Of course, we hit our favorite ice cream shop on our way out of town.  We came home happy and exhausted from our weekend adventure.