relaxing weekend?

 A few months ago we found a groupon for a hotel in Pismo Beach.  We bought the deal thinking it would be really great to get away for a long weekend...nice and relaxing.  We were fools, fools I tell you!  It is never relaxing traveling with an 18 month old!  Now I know why my parents never really looked forward to family vacations (7 kids-aye, aye, aye!)  To Dieter's credit we did take the long way to get there by driving on Hwy 1.  We found this little rest stop with a very pretty view before we cut over to get to the coast.  It was windy and I just think Dieter's expressions in a windy situation are hilarious!

Above, he is demonstrating the Tomahawk Chop.  He can't get enough of that move!

We also decided to stop at one of the Missions.  There are several throughout California and we haven't visited any yet so we thought this was a good opportunity.  This Mission is in the movie Vertigo with Jimmy Stewart.  

 Dieter's shirt says "Lil Stinker".  He lived up to that shirt during our vacation!

 Beautiful views from Hwy 1.  I just love California!

 Our next stop was Morro Bay, close to San Luis Obispo.  This is where we should have vacationed.  It was so pretty.  Dieter loved the beach and we found a ton of sand dollars.

 Close to Pismo Beach is a little Danish town, Solvang.  It is a very charming town.  We drove there for breakfast (there famous danish pancakes), which was delicious and drove out of town with some danish pastries!

 This shoe is outside a shoe store in Solvang and gets a lot of attention.  

 Dieter would have been happy if we would have just camped on the beach.  He wanted to spend every waking minute on the sand or in the water (which was freezing cold).  He threw many a tantrums when we tried to go back to our hotel room.  He threw one too many tantrums so we decided to go home a day early.  He was pretty much an angel on the ride home.  Apparently, he did not want to go on vacation. 

Dieter turns everything into a baseball game.  Sticks and rocks on the beach make for the perfect baseball props.