Bout this time last year I had this ... itch. I can't really expain it, I just get this NEED to go out on my own. To take a trip or get out of the house with the girl(s) and just take some time out to be ME. It gives me a chance to just break out and do a little bonding with the girl(s), take some time out to just be myself and be a mom to my girl(s), stuff I had time for when I was single but not so much anymore. So every once in awhile it feels good to just get OUT.

One of my oldest friends lives up the coast about oooooh 7-8 hours from here in just the most BEAUTIFUL area of this state. I had so much fun visiting her last year that when I was talking to her one Wednesday last week I thought to myself "Hmmmm ... I think I'll go up tomorrow :-D" or something like that. So I talked to DH and though the thought of missin me for like 3-4 days was UNBAREABLE LOL he knew how great it would be for me :-D Probably because I kept saying "BUT THINK OF HOW GREAT IT WOULD BE FOR ME!!!!!" about fortyhundred times.

So Friday morning I loaded up the car, loaded up the snacks, loaded up the baby (the girls were on a trip with their dad) and we were ON OUR WAY! I actually didn't think it would take as long as it did, but the drive itself was SOOOO PRETTY! I went out through the bay area and decided to take the 101 up through the Napa Valley and O.M.G. you guys ... it's absolutely stunning. Um...I would have pictures, but everytime I even LOOKED at the gorgeous countryside I started AHEM vearing off the road. But we made it! Without pictures, but we made it :-D

And I was welcomed with open bottles - I MEAN - arms! Oh it was so nice after that LONG afternoon of driving to relax! She and her fiance made a great dinner and after Lil Miss was tucked in to bed we ventured outside for a bondfire.

There place is awesome. The house opens up in the back to a FREAKIN FOREST, I kid you not, a forest of redwoods! It's something right out of a scary movie I swear! We sat in camping chairs around the fire for HOURS just talking, laughing and getting soaking WET! That's the thing about the north coast, it's FOGGY! The fog was so thick that night that it made this mist that wasn't exactly cold, just wet. It reminded me so much of where I grew up, to me that's home :-D That's what the beach is SUPPOSED to feel like, to me anyway ;-)

The kids had a great time too. They have a little one that's almost one year old and Lil Miss had a GREAT time being the older kid ;-)

Saturday morning after a HUGE breakfast we headed out for the Hippy Market - I MEAN - Farmers Market!

It's held in a city just up the road from them in the heart of the downtown area. It's in a beautiful town square covered in grass and trees. But seriously ... HIPPY CENTRAL. I WISH I could have taken pictures of the stuff I saw you guys ... here's just a snippet ...

• A train of 20something GUYS walking through the square silently holding signs that said "FREE HUGS"
• A hippy chick with the LONGEST dreads I have EVER seen, holding a half naked toddler, and a blue tooth in her ear
• The guy walking with a rooster (hehehe) on a leash and one under his arm
• The hippy guy and gal dancing with a hankerchief in the middle of the grass while trippin on SOMETHIN

So that's just a little snippet for ya ;-) GREAT place for people watchin though! We picked up some great produce for beach snacks and dinner that night and then we were on our way to the beach!

Moonstone Beach is soooo pretty! It was a beautiful day for some beach time.

So my friend and I popped a bottle of a great french white wine I brought with me. Lil Miss had jet lag or something and wanted nothin to do with ANYthing so she laid down.

Her little friend wasn't havin it though LOL

I sat down to enjoy the sun and salty sea air and she came up and laid down in my lap. She actually fell asleep for about an hour! Again ... the beach related narcolepsy that pleagues my children.

For dinner we went to a local pizza place and brought back the BEST chicken, white sauce, bacon something 'r other pizza and OHHHH BABY it was good. We stayed up late again talking and giggling like little girls do and I don't know, there's just something theraputic about it. It reminds me of being a girl and doing girly stuff and just laughing like we hadn't a care in the world. Good stuff.

The next day was a little more cloudy and iffy so we first went to walk through the zoo. The kids had a great time and its just the cutest little zoo ever! It's donation based and surrounded by HUGE sequoias. It's just so pretty and RIGHT in the middle of town!

Then we walked through the flower garden next door and let the kids run around, the place was in full bloom and soooo pretty. There's a beautiful gazebo that my friend and I (or maybe it was just me) decided she and her fiance should get married there :-D hint hint winky winky

After the zoo we ran to the store and got some picnic supplies. Then we went to a spot about 5 minutes from her house. It was so awesome there. There wasn't really any wind, just overcast and a slight chill to the air. It felt so great though cause back home it was supposedly 100*ish. So she and her baby and me and mine sat and enjoyed the afternoon listening to the waves and playing in the sand.

And ... yeah ... thanks Lil Miss ...

We went home and had dinner, put the kids to bed and went back outside for one last bondfire. We were up way to late again, but Lil Miss slept in the next morning anyway so that was ok.

After breakfast, I loaded up the car and got ready to hit the road. I had a hell of a journey ahead of me but I was kind of excited to be heading home.

And this! This was an off shoot of the freeway called the "Avenue of Giants - Alternate Scenic Route". I saw it on the way up but this time I decided to take the scenic route and see what it had to offer.

Miles and miles of the most beautiful trees and coastal area I'd ever seen.

I had the best time on my little road trip. It was nice to have time to just be a silly girl and have fun with my silly girlfriend :-D It was good for me to have some time to myself too and some time alone with Lil Miss, we don't get a whole lot of that.

She enjoyed it too ;-)