Unfortunately we left later than expected for our trip to Santa Cruz and we grossly misappropriated how much time to account for based on traffic so we were later than expected. We were off to stay with Matt and Christy, Josh's second cousins, who live just outside of Santa Cruz in a lovely area called Boulder Creek which is more in the mountains. Our drive was mission based and uneventful until we turned off the main highway and realized our gas gage was on empty. We started driving up to their place when we realized that there may not be a gas station ahead and we were at risk for running out on what we thought could be a remote road (we couldn't see many houses and had no cellphone).
Trying to be responsible, we decided to turn around and go to a gas station that our GPS directed us to. We headed up another unlikely remote road for about ten minutes before we realized our GPS satellite was going in and out and was clearly taking us the wrong way. Not knowing what else to do, we made the decision to continue the twenty minute drive up the windy cliff-filled roads to Matt and Christy's address with the hope that we could at least get close enough to find their place on foot. We eventually arrived and literally as we pulled up our gas gage gave the final warning that we were completely out.
Feeling sheepish about arriving so late and with absolutely no fuel, we were welcomed into Matt and Christy's home with smiles and "no worries." Apparently we had also forgotten to mention Diego so we surprised them with our furball! It was so nice for me to meet them for the first time and for Josh to reunite with them as it had been several years. I honestly felt that I had met them before since they were so friendly and open. We had a wonderful evening enjoying each others company and wine while sharing stories and updates for each side of the family.
The morning started early as both Rider and Zane are avid sports players and both had games or practices that day. Since we arrived late the night before we hadn't yet had a chance to see them and we enjoyed a quick breakfast together before heading off to Rider's basketball game. We had a lot of fun watching Rider play and we cheered his team on even if it didn't seem too competitive because all the players on either side knew each other and were friends. Being so tall, Rider makes an excellent point guard for his team.
After the game and before Zane needed to be picked up, Matt and Christy took us to a beautiful park full of redwood trees. Native to California, these trees are absolutely remarkable to see as they are the largest and tallest trees in the world! It's not unusual for an older tree to be over 300 feet tall and thousands of years old which is mind boggling to think about! We had the good luck to meet up with a chatty volunteer who was a plethora of knowledge and stories. Rider was excited to show us his favourite tree which was so big that the middle of it was carved out to be a honeymoon suite! We all teased him about being crazy in his shorts and t-shirt while we shivered underneath the trees but he promises that he is impervious to cold (I wish!).
Walking through the park had us all working up an appetite so after we picked up Zane we headed to a popular Mexican restaurant. As soon as you pull up to the place it is obvious it was going to be great since it was fairly small and lined out the door! The best part was the authentic corn tortilla and their amazing homemade salsa. With our stomachs full we set out to do some quick errands and head to the Santa Cruz boardwalk.
Santa Cruz was beautiful with the sun shining and the water sparkling. Together we tried to spot sea lions or otters with no luck but we spotted a lot of interesting birds and watched one hunt and devour a frog or a lizard (it was hard to tell). Matt, an avid surfer in his youth, was able to point out some popular surf breaks and teach us more about his sport. We enjoyed the beautiful stroll but more than anything we simply enjoyed getting to know Matt, Christy, and the kids.
After a little parental convincing, we stopped by an ice cream shop for a treat before Rider had his next sports engagement. Zane and I decided we made the best choice with the traditional chocolate chip cookie dough! Being the coach, Matt and Rider trucked off to practise and the rest of us headed back to Boulder Creek where we successfully made it to the gas station in our car (albeit with Christy following in case we didn't make it!).
The evening was very relaxed and enjoyable with Christy cooking an unbelievable meal which she made look effortless with her expertise. Not only was it delicious but incredibly healthy- trust me, I was taking notes! We enjoyed wine and the plentiful food before playing several games of UNO Attack with Rider (Zane was off at a sleepover) where the McKenzie team was shamed by not winning a single round! Strangely enough the last time we played UNO was in Udaipur, India at a cafe so we should have been more practised!
Since the previous morning was busy we all had a lazy morning sitting around the kitchen table and sharing stories. Christy returned with Zane who had stayed up until 4am and promptly passed out in his bed to catch a few hours of sleep before baseball practise. For our send off Matt and Christy provided us with an amazing home cooked breakfast with the hope that we wouldn't have to eat much again on the road that day and it definitely worked!
It was difficult to leave but we were so glad that we had been invited to stay and while I enjoyed meeting everyone for the first time, Josh loved reconnecting. It's a funny thing with family because it is so easy to feel instantly like you've known each other forever. Hopefully the next time we all reunite will be sooner than the last, especially with the west coast connection and I know for sure that sunny California has not seen the last of us.
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