The Tide Pools (Thursday)

Here we go...another favorite outing!  Again, minutes away was another state park called Montana de Oro.  We read in our homeowners' suggestion binder that a morning trip to the tide pools, before the tide came in, was not to be missed.  Like most of our destinations, it took a little walking to get there.  We put 1000 miles on the new van and probably 10 miles on the girls! :)

This is what most mornings looked like-- gray and foggy with sweatshirts needed.  It was exactly the break from triple digit heat that we were dreaming about!

A sign welcomed us to the Corallina Cove and excited us for the things we were going to see.  We did find everything on this sign except the octopus!

Loads of mussels.

Big crabs scuttling around and hiding in cracks.

Dozens of starfish!  Some this orangish color, some purple.

 We gently pried the first starfish we found off the rocks.  Delia was terrified to touch it.

But, the more we found, the less scary they became.  At the end of the morning, both Ella and Delia held one.

Grandpa and Ella explored on their own for a while.

We learned from a school group guide that it was okay to touch the anemones.  We squealed and giggled as we tickled them and their sticky tentacles clung to us right before they closed up tight to protect themselves.

We all shared the wonder at how this vast "field" of rock and slimy seaweed could contain so much hidden life.  At first we'd walk right by the shallow pools, but as we stopped and studied it and stayed still for a while, we'd start to see urchins hiding in the shadows, anemones dancing, hermit crabs and snails poking out of their shells and walking, little fish zig-zagging and starfish blending into the rocks! 

Overall, Thursday was a great day.  After the morning at the tide pools and naps in the afternoon, we headed over to the Farmer's Market in San Luis Obispo.  This was another crazy sight to take in with its live music and food vendors-- kind of like a healthier Taste of Chicago, but with hippies and zombies roaming around!  A peek at Bubblegum Alley and the gaudy Madonna Inn, some infamous SLO attractions, rounded out the evening.