Vegas, one more time.

Our last stop before we made it back to Utah was in Vegas to visit my oldest brother and his family. We've been to Las Vegas many, many times and it never gets old-- only because my nephews are there. I love these kids! While we were there we went to a hockey game. I've decided that I really like going to hockey games. Vegas was playing against Alaska so you can guess who won.... The team that can probably practice more because they actually have ICE where they live. At home we built a fort to relax in and watch movies and play cards and board games. My eight year old nephew seems to beat me at Mormon Bridge with every hand he is dealt. When my tough two year old nephew discovered the fort he came in to terrorize everyone. This kid can beat up a ten year old if he chooses to! I don't know how he does it-- it must be that adorable face that leads his opponents to believe they are safe, then he attacks. It's funny, and annoying.

Down to San Luis Obispo

Driving back down the coast was just as beautiful and impressive as it was driving up a few weeks earlier. We stayed in San Luis Obispo which I discovered I've been pronouncing wrong my whole life. It looks Spanish, but locals pronounce it "San Lewis Obizbo." But drop the Obizbo part and that's the way it is supposed to be said. I found out that I actually have a cousin there so we met up and got to know each other. We ate good food and enjoyed the amazing SLO farmers market. We saw artists painting gorgeous scenery and just to stop and take a picture. We enjoyed multiple stretches of California beaches and saw a guy almost tip his sailboat over. Once again, I will admit that I would like to live in California- If it was a million dollars cheaper filled with a million less people.

Livermore & Santa Cruz

I have to mention one more time-- taking the back roads is awesome. There are parts of northern California that are ridiculously gorgeous. Multiple times Jake and I have considered living in a tree in the woods here. If I had millions of extra dollars I would definitely have a vacation home in "Nor Cal." We were lucky to spend a few days with Jake's cousins in Livermore. We had a couple of family dinners with games, lots of laughing, music made with cereal bowls, and a haircut.

In Santa Cruz we couchsurfed with a dreadlocked Reggae lover who took us to see some surfing and a cemetery. At the ocean there was this bird and otter playing together that was cracking me up. The otter would dive under the water then pop up about 20 feet away from the bird, then the bird would fly over to him/her and hang out for minute before the otter would pop back under the water again. They looked like they were having so much fun together that they didn't even notice the surfer in the water. 

Here I am obsessing over a cemetery one more time. Santa Cruz has a pretty awesome and pretty creepy graveyard. The back of the cemetery slopes uphill into the woods with heavy foliage and lots of nature noise. Awesome, and creepy. Old headstones are so much more ornate and eye catching than what seems to be permitted these days. If they allow it, I think I want to have bells and whistles on mine. I love the inscription on the last stone. "He was a colored man and willed all his property to Santa Cruz School District No 1. Rest in Peace." Simple, sweet, and telling.