Avila Beach Bonfire

The morning after our eventful plane ride we headed North on the 405 freeway. I squinted my eyes, flipped open my cell, and dialed my sis. She already knew why I was calling. I didn't even have to say it. "I know, I know. You had to show up on the smoggiest, hottest, day of the year. Honestly, it's never like this." Right. It was so bad! The 40 mile drive to her house took us an hour and a half in traffic. Once we hit the UCLA area, and I could see the sign for Sunset Blvd, memories started to flood back. I hadn't driven this direction in nearly eight years, when I left California for Virginia. Even then, I hadn't lived in this area in ten years. "Look, look! This is where Mommy first met Daddy!" But Son1 was truly unphased by my excitement. How I loved date nights in Santa Monica and Westwood when we first met twelve years ago! The 405 wound past Mulholland Drive, where we attended church in Bel Air, and into the San Fernando Valley, where I had my first teaching job. "What was that radio station we used to love when we lived here?" Hubby asked. We tuned in, and traveled north. As we left the metropolitan area, out to my sister's house, I laughed. I used to drive this longer route to my house in Ventura County because I loved these mountains. They're hard to see, but they are really brown. I was so surprised!

Eventually the 405 became the 5 North. We pulled off at the foot of the San Gabriel Mountains, to my sister’s exit. We sat in her driveway as the garage door rolled open and my sister and nephew greeted us. It’s amazing how much they have changed in a year’s time! She, twenty pounds lighter and more confident, and he, taller and thinner, looking more and more like my own children. We scrambled around the house to load the car, grabbed a bite to eat, and let the kids explore. Within minutes we were back in the car, heading north on the 5 freeway. My sister and her son were joining us for the 40th Annual Bellenbaum Reunion, for Hubby's family. This year it was held in San Luis Obispo County. Up the California Grapevine, and then down, we switched onto the 166 West, destination, San Luis Obispo County. Round and round we twisted and turned on the 166. We turned and turned, and stopped and stopped. Sometimes the kids were truthful and had to go potty, and sometimes they were not, and we stopped anyway. Son2 was overtired and overly loud. Would the ride ever end?!? It did! The 166 West ended at the 101 North in San Luis Obispo County. Not too much longer we turned off onto the Avila Beach Road exit, and arrived at the welcome bonfire.

Avila Beach is short and sheltered in San Luis Bay. It faces south and is protected by Point San Luis. This is why it was so warm.

"I see Grandma, I see Grandma!" called Son1. I turned my head, and there she was, walking down the boat ramp, toward the bonfire pits. Hubby rolled down his window, and called out to his mother. The doors of our rented van flew open, and the kids clamored out, down the boat ramp. We said our hellos, gave hugs, and joined the party.

Son1 and my sister's little boy

A bonfire was already burning. We helped the kids spear hot dogs and cook them over the fire.

Son2 ate hot dogs, and then some!

Before we had even piled out of the car, Hubby and I had a little talk with Son1. Hubby wasn't going to get in the water, I wasn't going to get in the water, and neither was he!! We told him the water was so much colder than in Hawaii, and he would be miserable. We thought we had him going...but cousins will be cousins....

As the sun began to set over Avila Beach, Son1, his grandmother, and a string of cousins confidently approached the water. The tide reached the shore more intensely, though. A little wade turned out to be far more fun and far more wet.

Soon enough the cousins came out of the water for marshmallow roasting. The Bellenbaums are great about helping out all of the little kids. A big cousin helped Son1 spear his marshmallow, and toast it to perfection.

Together they assembled a s'more. It was his first, and he didn't love it. "Toss it into the fire!" a few people called. But someone begged to rescue it.

Sis scores his s'more

Evening fell, and the kids were far from tired. Grandma T. happily strolled her baby grandson along the seashore. I caught up with them, and a few others at just the right time. We spotted a seal right in front of us, just less than twenty yards from us, riding wave after wave. We called to the others at the bonfire, and several folks rushed to share our excitement.

The evening grew into nightfall. Son1 and his cousin (7 days younger) tried to copy a fort the older boys were building. They worked intently to make their house.

Then they wised up. They invaded the big boy fort and attempted homesteading!

The evening was warm, and full of reunion with those we hadn't seen in a year. The kids were not ready to leave, not one little bit. They were thrilled to play together again this year. I promised Son1 so much more fun over the weekend as we stomped off the sand. Well after 9pm Hubby and I collected our children and our things, and headed for some sleep.