A fantastic hike along the coast to a most magical destination.
After last year’s experience, we were hesitant to go back to Alamere Falls. But we’d put it on the T-shirt, so we kinda had to try it one more time. We made a point of meeting and leaving earlier from the school, and it made a big difference.
We actually got the last parking spaces in the lot, which was great. (Later, we saw cars parked over a mile away down the road!) There was no line at the bathroom, and the kids were great hikers. As usual, we enjoyed all the little microclimates along the way–sweeping vistas down the cliffs, damp areas around ponds, shady rainforest areas, and more.
The shortcut scramble down the cliff to the falls was crowded, but not unmanageable. And although the tide was high, the sun was bright and warm, and it was nice to be around the spray from the falls. Several kids got all the way in. Others enjoyed chasing around on the beach, digging in the sand, or just relaxing in the sunshine.
The walk back to the cars is always a little slower, but clouds had moved in, providing us a little shade, and we were blessed with a wonderful tamale meal with cold drinks and cake in the parking lot. The day was such a positive experience–the way we remember it being, so maybe we’ll keep it for now.
Our year comes to a climax this month with our camping trip to Yosemite. Let us know if you’d like to join in the fun!
The smiles in this video… Such a fun time at the falls.