Tag: Ocean

Better than the Aquarium: Tide Pools at Carpinteria State Beach, CA

I have a thing for starfish. I find them beautiful and fascinating, even more so when I can see them in their natural environment. One of the coolest, mind-blowing experiences I’ve had this year was watching sea life in the tide pools at Carpinteria State Beach in Southern California.

Maybe I find these animals so amazing because they are not part of my daily life. As a mountain mom, I grow tired of seeing deer, wild turkeys, blue jays and hummingbirds. They’re always around. But sea stars, anemones, crabs and harbor seals? That’s something to see.

On our visit to Carpinteria State Beach tide pools little g was most excited to find this baby sea star hiding in the sea weed, but my favorite animals were farther out – the harbor seals that rest on the rocks near the shore. Below is a photo, but you have to look closely – their camouflage is pretty good.

Finding different kinds of wildlife gave me a chance to see nature through the eyes of my children. Watching anemones curl into themselves, and explaining the empty crab shells we found on the beach, gave me the chance to explain what a food chain is.
Encouraging little g to touch with care, and look for snails under the shells she found gave me a chance to watch exploration and discovery through her eyes. Having Big E tell ME what camouflage means made me realize that kids pick up a lot without me even really trying.

 

Exploring the tide pools at Carpinteria State Beach was better than any trip to the aquarium. Not only did we get to see unique and interesting wildlife in their natural habitat, but we got to explore and discover new things as a family.
Read about last year’s Carpinteria adventures here and here.

 

Fun in the Sun and Trying New Things, Carpinteria State Beach, California

 

What I love most about traveling is experiencing the newness of it. Vacations are powerful parts of life because we get out of our everyday stresses and routines and open ourselves up to experiencing life a little differently.


 
My kids may get to learn and grow in new ways daily but for me, it takes breaking free from the daily pressures of life to try new things. On our beach trip to California, while the Big E and little g dug, swam, splashed and ran I tried a few new things of my own.

Now, it’s not as if I’ve never boogie boarded before, but since I live in the mountains and not the beach, the times I’ve gone have been few and far between. THIS trip to Carpinteria State Beach in California offered me a chance to put my rusty skills to the test. I caught wave after wave on my little piece of foam and each time I felt the thrill of slightly controlled speed.

 
That thrill of riding the edge of speed and danger is the same feeling I get snowboarding, the feeling that I’m truly alive for that short moment. Joy complete with happy smiling and shouts of glee accompany me in those moments. That is why I choose to be a Mountain Mom. To combine this joy with the joy my kids have given me. I hope you all enjoy it too.

 
More Posts:
 
 
Carpinteria State Beach from 2013. This one too.
 

Beach vs Mountains: Carpinteria State Beach Campground Review, California

I love the mountains, except for one thing – the ocean is a day’s car ride away! Because it’s so far, when we go to the beach, we stay at the beach. That’s what I like about Carpinteria State Beach in Southern California. There’s not many places were you can sleep so close to the big ocean blue. 

Even with 200 sites, Carpinteria State Beach Campground is busy place. Reservations are snatched up the moment they become available (six months in advance) so make sure you’re on the ReserveAmerica website early if you want a spot. Plus, it’s not cheap. An individual site runs 45.00 a night minimum, not counting hookups, extra parking or tax. 

With that said, Carpinteria State Beach Campground is one of the best places around for family beach camping. The mile long beach is sandy and beautiful, with a smooth, consistent break that’s great for boogie boarding. Plus the morning tide pools are amazing (more on that in my next post). When you’ve had enough sun for the day, kids can bike around the campground road and along the nearby community trail to the park’s playground. 

On our trip we stayed with Mountain Dad’s sister and several family friends at the Heron Group site, located next to the showers and with easy access to HWY 101 and the Carpinteria community. The flush bathrooms and showers were cleaned regularly, although with hundreds of people using them daily it was hard to tell at times. 
One word to the wise – lock up your food. Raccoons, seagulls, chipmunks, birds, and many other critters are fearless when it comes to raiding your cooler. We had a raccoon devour all the eggs from one cooler, leave muddy paw prints in another and while cleaning up the mess a seagull came and stole a string cheese right out from under us. 

The views from other beaches may be prettier (I’m not a huge fan of oil rigs in the distance, but I am a fan of driving so I guess I can’t complain too much) but Carpinteria State Beach Campground is still worth a stay. Even our mountain family had a blast.
Carpinteria State Beach Campground Info
Location: 12 miles south of Santa Barbara on US 101 take the Casitas Pass Road exit heading west. Turn right at the light, then left on Palm Avenue. Follow Palm all the way to the ocean.
Price: 45.00 – 290.00 per night depending on individual or group sites. 
Benefits: SO close to the beach, hot showers, flush toilets, picnic table, family friendly and the tidepools are amazing.
Drawbacks: Price, lots of people and fearless scavenging animals
MORE POSTS!
Our stay at Carpinteria State Beach from June 2013. This one too.

Carpinteria State Beach, California

Playing at the beach is the perfect way to spend a summer day. But since I live in the mountains, I don’t get to as often as I’d like. On our recent trip to Carpinteria State Beach in Southern California, we camped at the coveted Carpiteria State Beach Campground. Reservations for this campground sell out six months in advance, but luckily the tot’s aunt had an extra space and invited us to use it.

The beach at Carpinteria is known to be family friendly. I was pleased to see a gentle surf and plenty of sand and seashells to hunt. I was less thrilled with the oil rigs out in the ocean, obscuring an otherwise perfect view of the unending horizon.

The campground has private bathrooms, outdoor showers and kitchen sinks, plus warm private showers at a quarter a piece. The walk from camp to the ocean is less than thirty seconds, and was the closest I have ever been to living at the ocean.

Big E and little g joined their cousin Eden for some fun in the sun and the sand. The highlight of their trip was chasing waves and digging, digging, digging. Perhaps that’s why my tent and sleeping bag were covered in sand for the entire week.

When they weren’t playing at the beach, the tots spent time playing at the Carpinteria State Beach’s playground, which was a quick walk or bike down the campground trail. We also enjoyed quick trips to the nearby Foster’s Freeze, as well as a longer drive to visit Old Mission Santa Barbara. There we enjoyed perusing scenes from the recent chalk art festival, while little g napped in the car.

If you have a chance to visit Carpinteria State Beach, do it. My only complaint was the sand accompanying me everywhere, including into my sleeping bag and tent. Next time, I might try an RV.