Trip to the coast. - Beware lots of picts!

As a short last hurrah before school started we took the kids to the coast for a few days. On Friday we took them to the Santa Cruz Board walk. They had so much fun - I hadn't been since I was a teenager and was shocked at how crowded it was. The kids had the best time playing games and riding on the rides.






That afternoon we went back to our hotel. John found us a great place in San Jose that was a suite. It had 2 bedrooms, a living room/dinning room and a full kitchen. It had a pool with a bbq area and then there was a breakfast buffet that was perfect with the kids. We spent the evening swimming and playing in pool all together.

The next day we did the funnest thing with the kids. We took them to the Gilroy Gardens. I had never been there, it used to be called the Bonfante Gardens and was originally a horticulture park. Anyway, it is the perfect place to take kids 9 and under. The park was beautiful and clean with rides geared towards younger kids. There was no fried food and vendors every 10 ft. There were water play grounds and normal jungle gyms to play at. There was a banana ride (like a giant boat that goes back and forth) that Charlie must have done 20 times. Because it is geared for younger kids and a little on the expensive side the park wasn't crowded at all - there were almost no lines and if there were any it was maybe a 2 or 3 minute wait. We all had a great day and are looking forward to going back!