It didn't take long for us to get going this morning. We checked out early and were on the road before eight (record time for us). Now, I may have been a bit harsh in relation to Santa Cruz. I don't think the parts we saw were representative of the whole. According to the Stormrider Guide, there's lots more to the area than knick-knack surf shops. I should have read up on the area before we arrived. Even so, it wasn't all that bad.
Today we drove from Santa Cruz to San Luis Obispo. There is so much beauty on this drive that even our kids enjoyed themselves. We stopped in Monterey for coffee and then we took on the scenic coastline with its expansive vistas. We stopped to ohh and awe many times. It's best to drive slow and so we made a habit of pulling over to let others pass. The best line of the day came from Andy. He said, "This is fun with a capital F." As we drove past a few choice campgrounds we started thinking about where we might want to go next summer. It was fun to think about a very different kind of vacation for 2006.
One thing I saw today brought a question to my mind in relation to my faith. We drove past a church that had a large stained glass portrait of Jesus standing with his hands out-stretched. Yet it was clear that the face of Jesus could only be seen from inside the church. His arms were out-stretched (and he was facing) those inside the church. Now if you were designing a display for those who happened to drive by the church, which way would you have Jesus face? I'm a bit more inclined to think of Jesus looking out onto the world. I know a case can be made for the need to see the face of Jesus inside the church but I wonder if that message might be lost on those driving by. Just a thought. I'd be interested in knowing which direction you'd choose.
And while I'm on the topic of my recent thoughts, I'm pleased to report that the "dog conversation" has begun in our household. I've never been much of a pet-person but when we were in Lake Tahoe I threw a ball to a yellow lab at the beach for about 20 minutes. I soon fell in love with Cricket and so I started thinking about what a big dog might mean for our household. No plans yet but at least we're in the talking phase (anyone have a good connection with a breeder?)
We arrived in SLO this afternoon about 2 and quickly headed to the pool. The hot tub was hot and the pool was cool. Switching back and forth was great fun, even for Mackenzie who has greatly improved her swimming skills this summer. We then headed into town about 3:15 and we only arrived back at here about four hours later. It's been a great day and I'm glad for this extended time with family.
Well, that's all for now. I'm sitting in the stair well near the second floor because that's the only place to catch the limited wifi signal. The stairs are uncomfortable and so I'm heading back inside. Good night!
