Balderramas in California 2024: Days 5-7 – Northern Bound

After a whirlwind four days in Anaheim, we checked out of our room and headed to LAX to fly to San Francisco. My sister Amanda and her family live in San Mateo and were kind enough to host us. The three-leg flight from Denver to LAX to San Francisco was cheaper than a round-trip flight from Denver to LAX. With a mid-afternoon flight, it enabled us to sleep in, get packed up, and have a pleasant flight.

After getting picked up by my brother-in-law, David, we visited their house for the first time; then, we all ventured out to walk around Moss Beach. There, they had these incredibly spooky Cyprus trees that got etched into my mind. All of the kids loved playing in them as well.

My dad also lives in northern Colorado and met us for dinner at the Old Moss Distillery. It was great to see him and catch up.

We headed out to Santa Cruz on Saturday to experience the beach and boardwalk. It was quite a contrast to be at the beach in northern California compared to San Clemente earlier in the week. The colder temperatures didn’t stop the girls from wading into the water and playing along the beach with their cousins. We also enjoyed chocolate-dipped ice cream and a fried potato twist on the boardwalk before having Thai food for dinner that night.

With our trip ending on Sunday, we took the day to play in my sister’s backyard pool and enjoy more family time before boarding the plane to head home.

I wish we could have spent more time in Northern California, but the girls had to return home by Monday morning. We’ll need to plan a return! It was a blessing to travel with my girls, make more memories, and enjoy our time as a family.