Pigeon Point Field Trip/Mini Vacation

Really, how often can you call a field trip with 30 pre-teens a "mini-vacation"?

Probably not often.

However, this one to Pigeon Point Lighthouse was awesome 

and being with Aubrey combined with beach time made it feel like a little get-a-way!!

It was a very windy morning and we spent a few hours (slightly nerve wracking as I sat in the front seat and watched our cute, elderly bus driver "white knuckle" the wheel to keep us on the road) on a bus before arriving at State Park where we enjoyed our picnic lunch and some class members joined such clubs as the Banana Slug Kissing Club.  It was a beautiful little spot, and very secluded from the 28 mile an hour winds.

Afterwards we headed towards Pigeon Point Lighthouse, 50 miles south of San Francisco along the gorgeous Highway 1.  There we learned about where we would be staying (hostels with tempurpedic mattresses on bunk-beds) and what our plans would be.  The kids had some free time and I took a big group down to the beach. 

 They quickly threw off their shoes and ran to enjoy the sun, sand and water.  

The rest of the night was busy with dinner (the kids were in charge of prepping, cooking, and cleaning up) and an educational puppet show put on by the staff.  We froze in the wind, but enjoyed the beautiful sunset, and loud, crashing waves.

Here's our cabin of girls

After finally (lots of giggles and silly stories) getting the girls to sleep...
we were up the next day and off to Ano Nuevo State Park.  

A little info from the website, "The Spanish maritime explorer Sebastian Vizcaino sailed by the point on January 3, 1603. His diarist and chaplain of the expedition, Father Antonio de la Ascension, named it Punta de Año Nuevo (New Year's Point) for the day on which they sighted it in 1603.

Today, the point remains much as Vizcaino saw it from his passing ship. Lonely, undeveloped, wild. Elephant seals, sea lions, and other marine mammals come ashore to rest, mate, and give birth in the sand dunes or on the beaches and offshore islands. It is a unique and unforgettable natural spectacle that hundreds of thousands of people come to witness each year.  Año Nuevo State Park is the site of the largest mainland breeding colony in the world for the northern elephant seal. The males battle for mates on the beaches and the females give birth to their pups on the dunes."

 How lucky I was to spend time with this cute girl!!

 There were many things I giggled about during my time with 30 sixth graders, but this picture is one of them.

If only, you could make a telephoto lens by taking a photo (with your point and shoot) through binoculars!!

We found hundreds of elephant seals, mostly sunbathing.

After we got back to Pigeon Point there was free time at the beach,

 more meal prep and eating, and learning about the specifics of the lighthouse lens.
I was so lucky to hang out with these two friends, Heather and Melissa.  We had some good laughs!

 The next morning was my favorite time during the field trip.  I set my alarm on my phone and Aubrey and I quietly slipped out before anyone else was awake.  We walked along the beach, enjoying just being together.  The sunrise was gorgeous as it's light washed over the hills and onto the water.

I love the beach!  I could sit there for hours.
Aubrey and I held hands and talked and it's one of those times that I'll always treasure with her. 
After the breakfast routine the kids walked to an huge tide pooling area.  Many of them had never been before and loved it!  Especially because they were seeing and touching so much of what they had been learning about.

Aubrey found a beautiful sea star.

The kids packed up, had a final "pow-wow" discussing what they had learned and their favorite part, and took one last look at this beautiful light house, Pigeon Point.

It really was one of the best field trips ever!!