Getting ready for a vacation is a bit like the storm before the calm. Wrapping up work projects, making sure our daughter’s caregivers have everything they need, setting out-of-office email replies. Oh, and packing, which is usually the final thing we do before we head out the door.
At last we were off to the airport, knowing we were on vacation but not yet feeling like it.
Thankfully, reminders of a tropical getaway were abundant:
And the scenery. Ocean, flowers, lush tropical foliage. It was too good to be true:
The only problem? It was too good to be true.
We never ended up in Hawaii.
That storm before the calm? Well, turns out it was an actual storm.
We knew that we were likely headed into some rain for our five-day getaway to Maui. But it would be a warm rain, right!? I mean, we would be in HAWAII! We had plans to lounge on the beach, hike, and scuba (amazingly, it would’ve been a first for Allison).
We set out for the airport hotel, only to learn that the rain in the forecast was now a tropical storm named Lala, picking up steam and predicted to hit the Big Island hard as a category 1 hurricane a mere 36 hours after we were supposed to land.
But we weren’t going to the Big Island, so we would be fine, right? Wrong. Flood, wind, and power outage warnings for our Maui destination seemed to get more serious every time we checked.
So we made the call to cancel, 13 hours before our flight was supposed to take off. Not an easy call, but the right call. Hindsight and all.
Exhausted and cranky and not fit to make any decisions, we put ourselves to bed in the airport hotel like two wrung-out toddlers.
We were mildly less cranky when we woke up and decided to “make the most of it!”
After evaluating the disappointing breakfast options at the airport hotel, we decided to pack up the car and find something that felt a little more vacation-worthy. Thanks to a cute little cafe in San Bruno that served up my caprese avocado toast with a purple orchid garnish, we practically felt like we were in Hawaii.
A meandering drive down Highway 1 brought us to Año Nuevo State Park for a beautiful coastal hike to see elephant seals in the distance.
Santa Cruz didn’t disappoint; aloha spirit welcomed (taunted?) us everywhere:
With four days, the open road, and endless possible locations, we learned that while we prefer not to have our days completely planned on vacation, we do like to know where we're sleeping each night.
Left to the whims of Airbnb availability on a summer weekend, we ended up at a sweet cottage in Point Reyes Station, less than 60 miles from where we live.
While it wasn’t an exotic location and we felt more like locals than tourists (“oh, we’re from over in Sonoma”), it turned out to be exactly what we needed. Quiet. Calm. Quaint.
Absent of wind and rain, the usually foggy and chilly Northern California coast welcomed us with mid-70s weather. Perfect for naps, reading, and uninterrupted conversation that’s difficult to have in our busy day-to-day.
It wasn’t Hawaii. It wasn’t practically Hawaii. It was better.
Thanks for being here,
~Allison & Lyle