Our Story

Kayaking on Lake Spaulding 🚣‍♂️. . .so happy to be back in the mountains for a little while ⛰🌲!

Reading from the lighthouse logbook 📖 😂. . .
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“1875, August 13, 1st Assistant Mr. Rane refused to work over a ½ day. Said he would not work over ½ day for any man in the Lighthouse service.”
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“1875, November 4, 3rd Assistant Parker left station at 9:00 a.m. without asking permission and remained absent until 6:00 p.m. on November 5th. … Took government horse with him and returned to station drunk and unable to perform his duty that night.”
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“1876, November 1, 3rd Asst J.C. Baker resigns and leaves the station complaining the duties are too heavy for him, an old man to perform.”

Point Reyes has been one of our favorite sections of coastline in California thus far. It’s hard to come up with a reason as to why, but it may be because it is a place that we didn’t read about and, instead, just stumbled upon. Or, it may be the simplistic beauty of this area that makes it so special. . .

It’s not everyday that we hike through fields of flowers. . .making this place all the more special.
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Hiked to Tomales Point from Pierce Point Ranch.

Art has this way of pulling together all of the senses and emotions that we experience in a given situation, whether that be in an attempt to summit a mountain or during a historical event in time.
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We saw the exhibit “No Spectators: The Art of Burning Man” at the @RenwickGallery in DC today and it was phenomenal! These art pieces truly evoked the feeling of freedom, revealing a sliver of what the event Burning Man is all about. . .allowing people to be who they want without the fear of being judged.

The Golden Gate Bridge. . .

Of all the places I’ve been and all the things I’ve seen, there is nothing as special as loved ones. The places will always be there, in some form or another, but the special ones in your life won’t.
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We flew to DC this past week for my brother’s graduation and commissioning, as well as, to visit family.

Cypress Tree Tunnel at Point Reyes National Seashore.

Harbor seals basking in the sun ☀️ at China Cove.

More of Big Sur. . .
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After the past couple weeks of exploring California's coast, we are now covered in poison oak.
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Happy #earthday!

These Sea Nettle jellies were so mesmerizing to watch!

🌲 B I G S U R 🌊

“Boys, I'm not turning I'm headed for a land that's far away Besides the crystal fountains So come with me, we'll go and see The Big Rock Candy Mountains” . . .Listening to the song “The Big Rock Candy Mountain” by Harry McClintock as we head down to the ocean.
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This song has some pretty entertaining lyrics, if you’ve never heard it. It’s a folk song about a hobo’s idea of paradise and plays off the medieval concept of Cockaigne. This song has clearly resonated with many, having made it into the top hits and been referenced in quite a few other books, movies, and songs, such as “Animal Farm” and “O Brother, Where Art Thou?”.
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Reading a little more about Harry McClintock, he was a surprisingly well traveled man for the late 1800s/early 1900s. He was born in Knoxville, Tennessee, but worked various jobs as he traveled the world, allowing him to live in Africa, the Philippines, on the sea, and in China.
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It’s always interesting to realize that every era had similar struggles, just in different forms. And, at the end of the day, everyone just wants a Utopia where they have no worries.

Jellyfish are so beautiful 😊. . .
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We spent the past two days in Monterey and watched harbor seals, visited the aquarium 🦑🐟🐡, and ate some tasty food. Though we didn’t see it, we were told that the seals were giving birth to pups while we were there, so the pups we were seeing on the beach were less than a day old. The aquarium was a suggestion from my father, @fleetwoodbrad, and probably one of the best we’ve received our whole trip…thank you! The town had flowers everywhere throughout. This was probably one of the nicest coastal towns we have ever been to.
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On a side note, Philip went in the nicest porta potty that he’s ever used. It had a full size sink, a regular flushing toilet, and an air-condition inside. All-in-all, he was quite impressed with the quality of porta potties that Monterey had installed. The next day we were in the same area and the porta potty was gone, it turns out that this porta potty was for the actors who were shooting a scene for some HBO show nearby. . .

Loopy for lupin!