Dunes, Dinosaur Caves, and Donuts

Here was another day spent doing little hikes that were not far from our hotel.  

After walking through a fragrant eucalyptus grove where 30,000 some monarch butterflies migrated last winter, our path led us out to a neat, dune covered, deserted part of the beach.  It was fun to run down dunes and climb twisty trees here.

After that, we checked out the nearby Dinosaur Caves park.  The many arched rock formations and tops of caves are where hundreds of pelicans land and call home.  We'd been watching these fascinating birds fly in packs, ride the waves, and dive bomb the fish they were hunting all week.  We spent a long time observing their colony and trying to spy their fluffy gray chicks.

There was a cool playground here too that was actually open!  Love that my kids are not too big for a good old "floor is lava" challenge across the obstacle course equipment! ;)

 Another local hot spot is Surfside Donuts, so we couldn't leave without trying their unique take on donuts-- we savored banana cream pie, apple cheesecake and French toast flavored donuts!  And we got to the shop by walking there across the beach!