Camping in Santa Cruz

We went camping in Santa Cruz and stayed at one of our favorite campgrounds ... Cotillion Gardens.  We love that the campsites are surrounded by huge redwood trees and it's walking distance from Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park.  The campground and bathrooms are spotless clean, they have a heated pool, clubhouse and we feel comfortable letting the kids ride their bikes around the campground by themselves (staying together).  It quiet ... I just can't say enough good things about this place.  Such a wonderful place to camp.

We may have to start going to a different beach because every time we go to the beach in Santa Cruz it's freezing ... brrr.  Before it warmed up, we played a lot of 3 Flies Up and enjoyed snacks and a picnic lunch which the kids loved.  I rocked it by the way.  Later in the afternoon, the sun came out and the kids were able to get in the water.  The water was so COLD.  They're nuts.

Tag with Dad.

The Sea Lions like to hangout by the pier.

Awe, so handsome.

We were able to walk down to a little swimming hole that they call the Garden of Eden.  It's beautiful.  We spent 3 or 4 hours here.

Mason spent most of his time trying to catch fish ... finally he caught a little minnow.

Tadpoles!

Holding one of the tadpoles.  Hard to believe that this is the kid that used to be so squeamish and wouldn't touch anything ... especially anything slimy.  "Mom, hurry up!"

Kyla jumping off of one of the rocks into one of the swimming holes.  Mason did it first but I didn't make it over in time to take a picture.  Little did I know that there was so much current, Brian had a hard time staying in that spot to wait for the kids to jump in.  Glad I didn't know.  :-/

Roughing it on Sunday morning.  Cereal and a movie.

We like to have dinner on one of the nights at one of the local brewery's.  Kyla LOVED her first Shirley Temple.