Two thumbs up for Costanoa

This past weekend, Dan, Nate and I took a one hour drive to what felt like millions of miles away: a resort on the coast about 20 miles south of Half Moon Bay.

Costanoa: http://www.costanoa.com/site.php

On the way down, we visited the lighthouse at Pigeon Point. The lighthouse itself is falling apart, so you can't actually go up it, but it's still very picturesque.

We also stopped for lunch at the beach, Nate's first beach. And that first day it was sunny and gorgeous! Though it was foggy the rest of the time, we didn't mind. That's what the HMB area is known for.

We stayed in the lodge at Costanoa so that we would have a separate room to put Nate's crib in (bathroom), though there are log cabins and tent cabins where you share bathrooms. It was divine. We were on the 2nd floor, Nate loved the balcony.

He also loved wandering the premises. Here he is strolling with his bike helmet on.

Aside from the fact that Nate completely reverted back to waking up a few times each night, it was a very relaxing vacation. I got a massage, and even took time out on a hike to kick back. Claire, this picture's for you since it's an Adirondack chair.

We went on a couple neat hikes. One was in the mountains, the other through sand dunes to the ocean. Here are the vibrant rocks near some tide pools.


Nate even let me take a turn carrying him in the backpack. He didn't fall asleep for me as he does with Dan, probably because I'm a bit less confident with 30 pounds strapped to my back and Nate was fearing for his life.

How cool is this terrain? Nate and Dan hiking in the distance.



We also went on a bike ride. Nate sat in the Wee Ride, and we got a bunch of comments about how adorable he was. But he tired of the ride halfway through and decided to give Dan more of a workout by pushing down on his knees every time he pedaled.


Nate's favorite hobbies on our trip were:

1. Climbing the stairs like a big boy (but with lots of help from Mom and Dad)


2. Not sleeping in his Pack 'n Play, but instead reaching for the toilet paper to decorate his space.


3. Carrying around a plastic bag full of melting ice.


4. Trying to interrupt a game of Giant Chess.

5. His most favorite activity at Costanoa: dragging the room phone around by its cord.

I really like these couple shots from the beach. He would run towards the waves in excitement and then beat a hasty retreat when he realized the waves were then coming after him. Dan was always there to scoop him up.

I am pointing out sea foam, not the dead bird or dead seal that we happened upon (yes, dead seal).

As I mentioned, Nate likes to pass out when Dan is carrying him. I'm following the 2 of them up this mountain and all I can think about it "Man, that's got to hurt his little neck". But he never seems to mention needing a massage or a chiropractor, so I supposed it's fine...

Click on this picture to enlarge it and see the giant drool bubble :)

On the way home, we stopped in Pescadero for lunch and a quick visit to this goat farm where we bought the most amazing goat cheese. Although Nate's going to file a formal complaint about the unfriendly goats.

Farewell, Costanoa, I hope to see you soon. Adieu.