Beach Getaway: Part I

       Dillon Beach is about an hour and thirty minutes north of San Francisco, on the outskirts of a charming town called Petaluma. I use to go camping there with my parents and during the Summers of highschool, I'd make day trips there with my friends. We liked to believe that we were "surfer chicks," but really we just sat on the beach, eating if my memory serves me correctly. Dillon is similar to most Northern California beaches in that it's windy, foggy, and the water is C-O-L-D. It's a far cry from the schmancy beaches of Southern California. Picture instead a few surfers in the water, dogs running amuck, and lots of hoodies.  Because we would already be in the Bay Area for Easter, we figured it was the perfect time to make time for a beach retreat.
       The drive to the beach is refreshing. Picture green rolling hills, cows, sheep,  and old barns. We love seeing green.

       The small village doesn't offer much in the way of hotels, so we opted to book ourselves a small cottage on Vrbo. The moment we opened the door we were so pleased with our decision. We had mapped out directions to get to the beach (in case my memory failed me), and as we pulled into the town and our cell service dropped to non-existent, we realized we had the house key but didn't know where the house was. Dangit.
       We decided to take a shot and pulled onto a road. Within seconds I spotted our place straight ahead. And we couldn't be happier to see it.

A charming red door greeted us.

Cherry, the owner, had left us several treats, 

including gourmet handmade chocolates.

an Easter treat for Nolan,

and baked goods to enjoy with coffee.

Funny enough, Cherry's handwritten notes did become a running joke 

for us, as we found them ALL OVER the cottage

(the shower, toilets, linen baskets, etc). 

The cottage had two bedrooms 

Both more charming and airy in 

person then I had expected.

And the sheets!

Call me a hillbilly, but I didn't quite

understand what all the fuss was about

 thread counts until this trip. 

Jon and I are investing in a sheet upgrade STAT.

The best thing about the cottage, were the ocean views.

The living room, dining area, and kitchen were all open to the ocean.

The house was decorated with lots of art by local artists.

My favorite was this hanging bird sculpture.

I'm thinking of recreating this as a mobile in the future.

Our cottage was located just steps from a path

 that led down to the beach.

Luckily, my husband is a saint.

He humors me and goes on lots of walks with me.

At one point during the trip he even 

started singing a little diddy about my liking of walks. 

So we walked.

Our many walks were perfect for taking in all the charm of the neighborhood.

I loved the succulents that were all over the village.

My black thumb and Tahoe temperatures make it hard 

for me to keep them alive at home.

These succulent beds were from our front garden.

These may end up framed on our wall pretty soon.

Part II to follow soon!