Pacific Grove Staycation

We started planning our staycation in late spring. We knew we wanted to get away but didn't want to go far. Pacific Grove/Monterey seemed to be the perfect fit for our family.

After a longer than necessary drive in the car, the girls were READY to get out and play. We drove directly to the Dennis the Menace Park and let them explore and play for 2 hours. We had never been to this park but heard great things. There is plenty of sand, play structures galore and several slides to choose from. Here is a snapshot.

After dinner we headed to our rental house in Pacific Grove. The girls LOVED it and loved being able to explore a new place. Their room had bunk beds, which was a total bonus. It also had various stuffed animals, including a big stuffed dog which they enjoyed cuddling (which kind of made me cringe).

The next morning, we started our day at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Brad and Andrea have a family membership, so we were fortunate enough to use their passes during our stay. It was so nice to explore the aquarium in two hour chunks and come and go as we pleased over the course of three days.

Our first stop was the feeding of the sea otters. They are pretty amazing creatures and the girls had a front row view of the otters. I think this was my favorite exhibit.

The coral reef was pretty amazing too!

In the afternoon, Lizzie napped and I relaxed at home. Trever took Jane and Cate to Lovers Point Beach. The waves were calm and the water was crystal clear. It was a perfect spot for young kids.

That evening we went back to the aquarium to see the jelly fish exhibit before dinner. I LOVE this exhibit and am always in awe of these amazing animals

Up close view of the Puffins!

On Friday we started our day with a large dose of sugar. We went the famous Pavel's Backerei and indulged in quite a few sweets. Our favorite was the chocolate eclair and bear claw. We also enjoyed the biggest donut I have ever seen, compliments of the baker.

Luckily we walked to the bakery and pretty much everywhere during our stay.  The girls did a great job tackling the hills and distance we had to cover.  It wasn't that far but it was significant.

We did one final trip to the aquarium before meeting up with Brad and Andrea at the house. They came for the night and brought their kayak. It turned out to be the perfect addition and we all took turns cruising around the cove at Lover's Point. The water was very calm and clear. So clear that we could see to the bottom.

Trever brought along his surf board and gave the girls a little surf lesson. I don't know who was more excited, Trever or the girls.

Saturday was our last day in Pacific Grove. After packing up the van, we headed to Earthbound Farms to check out the gardens. It was small and simple but the girls loved picking raspberries. There was no cost or limit for picking berries, so we searched for all the delicious raspberries we could find.

And that wraps up our staycation. The girls could have stayed for an entire week! It was such a fun get away and the perfect place to explore with kiddos. Next stop, Grandma and Grandpa's house for Father's Day.