After months of being cooped up at home and slightly losing our minds (maybe more than slightly), we decided it was time to switch up our scenery. Ronnie wanted to surprise me for a belated anniversary trip and planned it all himself- for the first time ever. I'm the planner and planning vacations is one of my favorite things to do, so it was admittedly a little hard for me to let go of the reins here, but also it was exciting! This trip was a little easier to plan, since everything is closed and we wanted to stay put as much as possible and cook our own meals. Hello 2020.
Ronnie refused to tell me where we were going since he wanted it to be a surprise. I begged and begged for a clue so I would have an idea of how to pack so finally he relented and told me there would be "beachy weather". We live in California so that wasn't really much help. We agreed to stay pretty close to home so I had a few ideas of where we could be headed, but really the clue didn't help much. So I packed a bag, or two, full of clothes that might work and hoped for the best.
I had a feeling we were heading to Cambria and I am so glad I was right! Cambria has to be one of my favorite towns in California. It is beachy, but feels like a small town and is situated at the bottom of small mountains in some areas. We normally stay right on the beach which is nice, but as a huge mountain lover, I'm glad Ronnie picked a place a little further up, nestled at the bottom of a windy mountain.
Our beautiful Victorian Airbnb had the most serene back deck area that almost felt like a treehouse. Within hours of arriving we had already spotted two bucks and a doe so I was already so excited. We would soon find out that a mama and her two babies would be regular visitors to us while we lounged on the deck. I loved it! We definitely don't have deer where I'm from so I appreciated every second.
I loved how much wildlife we had all around us and with the beach just a super short drive away. It truly was magical.
I'm not kidding when I say we spent the majority of our time on the back deck. The weather was perfection, the view was amazing and it was exactly what I was needing. There was a barbecue on the deck,different levels of seating and tables to eat at so we really had very little reason to leave at all.
Moonstone beach always has the best assortment of colorful pebbles, sea glass, shells and driftwood. I bring a bunch home every time we go and I love admiring all the colors and textures.
We enjoyed walking on the beach and doing a little bit of hiking on the bluffs above. The views were incredible!
We did venture out a few minutes outside of Cambria to the teeny tiny town of Harmony to pick up some glassworks and pottery.This town is so so charming and full of so much character and artisan shops. Harmony itself has a population of only 18 if you want an idea of how small the town is. It truly is one of a kind a definitely somewhere you need to stop when you are in the area.
A block away from our Airbnb was the center of the small town. I enjoyed freshly made cinnamon rolls from a little cafe there almost every day. Cinnamon rolls on the beach have to be my favorite!
We had the most relaxing time and definitely were so sad to leave, but we were recharged and ready to get back to reality. It was a different kind of vacation this time from what we were used to, but the change of scenery and our wonderful stay at the Victorian Castle were exactly what we needed!
