It’s another photo mash-up today as I link up with Like Mother, Like Daughter for {pretty, happy, funny, real} and with Cari for Theme Thursday: Recess. With summer coming to an end and everyone going back to school we had one last chance to enjoy a family recess! We decided to try a new hiking area that we haven’t been to in years. (Literally, the last time Brian and I have were there we had no kids and were starting to worry that we’d never have a baby! LOL.) We visited Jacks Peak in Monterey, CA.

{pretty}

Brian and the kids were getting a little far ahead so I had to run to catch up. (And I use the term “run” loosely.)

Better.

{happy}

Fall is my favorite season and I was surprised and happy to see leaves turning already!

Don’t you love the sound of leaves crunching under your feet?

Nice.

I pumped up the color a little bit to make the leaf pop. 🙂

{funny}

Andrew was collecting a few small rocks for his endless collections and John-Paul wanted a piece of the action. Not satisfied with puny pebbles, he chose two rocks that he named Peppa and George. It was cute until he made me carry them when he could no longer lift them.

While they were collected rocks, Brian and I were looking for strong walking sticks because we were freaking out over all the “beware of mountain lion” signs. I googled “what to do if you meet a mountain lions” and then stumbled on the mother of all walking sticks. I felt like Gandolf ready to yell, “You shall not pass!” Either that or I’d do some Darth Maul moves with a double sided light saber.

Actually we turned around, walked back to the parking lot and drove over to the other side of the park where there were more people who could call 911 if my stealth like moves didn’t work.

{real}

The second trail lead us to the actual “Jacks Peak,” which gave a gorgeous view of the bay, despite the fog that was rolling in (and sitting over the ocean.)

And even though we were on a recess, that didn’t mean we couldn’t learn something new. The sign said, “You should have a spectacular view of the Monterey Bay providing it is not foggy. At this point you are standing near the top of Jack’s Peak (elevation 1,068 ft), the highest point of land on the Monterey Peninsula. Jacks Peak is named after David Jacks, a Scottish immigrant who arrived in Monterey in 1850 and became a very successful businessman and landowner. Today, David Jacks is better known for the creamy white cheese his local dairies produced, which became known as ‘Monterey Jack’ cheese.”

So there you have it! The next time you have a delicious piece of Monterey Jack, think of me with that walking stick. 😉 (But not while you’re eating. You might choke if you laugh.) Oh, and when you come by for a visit, after paying at the entrance, make a right if you want the trail that leads to the great view. 🙂

Thanks to Cari and LMLD for hosting!

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