California Part 4 - Crystal Cove
Behold!
![DSC02573](https://farm1.staticflickr.com/703/21150352934_1275a176f6_z.jpg)
Heaven on earth? This is Crystal Cove State Park in California. We discovered this gem of a beach when my sister suggested we visit Laguna Beach for the tide pools, and we penned that in the itinerary. But then I started to fret about my kids finding seashells because it was their number one goal for our trip {they didn't know about Disneyland}. So I Googled, "can you find seashells at laguna beach", and one of the first results was a review for Laguna's next door neighbor, Crystal Cove State Park Beach. People were raving about Crystal Cove and the shells.
Then, I read the part about the historic district, and we were sold.
![California 2015](https://farm1.staticflickr.com/605/21539549772_03dbf5947e_z.jpg)
We parked, hiked down the hill, under a tunnel, and found ourselves in a 1930s beach village.
![California 2015](https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5672/21362898198_1cb18985ee_z.jpg)
There were many people there, but it wasn't crowded the way the Santa Monica Pier had been.
![California 2015](https://farm1.staticflickr.com/588/21539522532_51561f6ce2_z.jpg)
It was. Beautiful. (o✪‿✪o)
![DSC02567](https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5640/21151991853_106f57d91e_z.jpg)
![DSC02576](https://farm1.staticflickr.com/576/21761365242_429e02a864_z.jpg)
{A tiny crab.}
![California 2015](https://farm1.staticflickr.com/624/21524531666_7a58da84ec_z.jpg)
{Posing like Ariel.}
![California 2015](https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5650/21362883208_cda9f11feb_z.jpg)
![California 2015](https://farm1.staticflickr.com/762/21539517812_b1884aff43_z.jpg)
The sand was solid, much easier to walk on than Santa Monica's. The gulls dropped {what I think were} blue mussel shells and the girls collected many. But the water was the best, a sweet respite from the heat while we watched the sun set over the Pacific.
![California 2015](https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5746/21363807539_24b563a047_z.jpg)
We saw a few tide pools with a few sea creatures.
![California 2015](https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5682/21550721115_9d48c6e12f_z.jpg)
![California 2015](https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5796/21363798119_bab91e9b74_z.jpg)
![California 2015](https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5703/21539480032_d47fbb0f55_z.jpg)
![California 2015](https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5720/21362822838_37cc73d21c_z.jpg)
![DSC02608](https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5753/21761398812_0fb57f39f8_z.jpg)
![California 2015](https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5640/21539519892_efce3fbb50_z.jpg)
This was almost our last photograph of Paxton. Thanks, Papa!
![California 2015](https://farm1.staticflickr.com/782/21539531612_111c346714_z.jpg)
{Kidding.}
![California 2015](https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5761/21363774839_37aa9eed4b_z.jpg)
I don't really have much to say, I think the photos speak for themselves. Justin and I experienced a really corny moment where we had stars in our eyes and sand everywhere and we said, "This was long overdue." Everyone does that at some point on vacation, right? {Say yes.}
![California 2015](https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5777/21559429611_2325c2676e_z.jpg)
You can rent a place to stay right on the beach. We might have to add that to our bucket list. The state park was set up to prevent a large resort taking over this piece of beauty. Instead a very vintage looking village is the only building that's been done here.
![California 2015](https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5764/21539453782_c76fa32ab7_z.jpg)
It was hard to leave, not knowing when or if we'd splash in the Pacific again, but we faced a hike back up to the parking lot in the dark. {Not so bad, turns out for a buck or two you can hop on a shuttle from the village to the parking lots.}
![California 2015](https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5743/21539448282_f128a9306d_z.jpg)
I think everyone who is familiar with California can name their favorite beach. Now I have mine.
![California 2015](https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5639/21539442632_95acce6f70_z.jpg)
We toyed with the idea of joining this wedding celebration...
![California 2015](https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5636/21524432816_24ac3c0199_z.jpg)
...but we were hungry for more than wedding cake. So we crossed another California to-do off our list.
![California 2015](https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5702/21524429806_d8bd4a050d_z.jpg)
In-N-Out. Yaaaaaassss!
![California 2015](https://farm1.staticflickr.com/599/20927881084_4e017cd70e_z.jpg)
I call this Passed Out, Pacific Style.
![California 2015](https://farm1.staticflickr.com/594/21539430592_5717d7637a_z.jpg)
I've been missing this place ever since.
![2015-09-28_01-38-58](https://farm1.staticflickr.com/708/21169757294_c69fbf6af8_z.jpg)
Cheers,
Heather
See more of our California 2015 trip:
Part 1 - Santa Monica Pier
Part 2 - The Getty Center
Part 3 - Erickson Family
To Be Continued...
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