Cabin in the Woods

Over the second weekend of December, C and I drove south with some friends to a cabin in the woods.  Now this cabin was really in the woods--it wasn't just tucked away in some trees, a couple miles outside of town.  It was hidden in the hills of Cayucos--reached only by several miles of dirt roads; roads that snaked back and forth and up and over and under. . . and off the proverbial grid.

It was the cabin of a friend's grandparents--rustic, full of character, well lived in and well loved. There was no TV, no computer, minimal cell service and no wireless . . . But there was lots to do. 

Over the course of the weekend a badminton net was erected, a portion of the yard was turned into a kickball field (although a game was never played), olives were picked and walnuts were cracked and eaten.  There was Pictionary, ping pong, persimmons and pie. We hiked, bushwhacked, explored, played, napped, talked, cooked and ate (and ate and ate). And the dogs (Darwin, Dexter and Buckwheat) got to romp and roam.  They sniffed all corners of the property (and picked up a few ticks in the process), chased deer and (badminton) birdies, ran to their little hearts content and come night, they slept very soundly.

In the evenings, we gathered in the living room where we enjoyed the cabin's various amenities (such as a wood burning fire place, buckets of Legos, a banjo, and several issues of Alaska Magazine) and perused the extensive collection of mixed tapes with titles like "100 Songs You'll Always Love".  Then, at the end of each night, we slipped into an enormous hot tub and unwound under an enormous sky.  Up in the remote hills of Cayucos the night was inky black, the stars were plentiful and, by sheer luck, our visit to the cabin in the woods coincided with the tail end of a meteor shower.  Nothing beats a really good shooting star, except maybe getting to catch it from the depths of a hot tub that's sitting outside of a cabin in the woods. 

Finally, on our last night, a bonfire was carefully laid out (and was unceremoniously doused with fuel).  It was really warm, super bright and no one got hurt! It was the perfect end to a great weekend. 

Below are some photos from the weekend (taken with my now old Canon):

A place to sit.

Bushwhacking.

Hiking in the hills behind the cabin in the woods

In the hills there was a little frog.

And higher in the hills there were views clear to the ocean.

And so many other hills.

And after all that hiking, Buckwheat had to catch his breath. 

At the cabin there were persimmons for the picking.

And a banjo to strum . . .

And Dexter was there, too (the cabin is a dog friendly place!)

After you pick persimmons, you might want to make some persimmon pie.

(See, you're in the Woods.)

Also, there's an old fire truck parked in the driveway.

And homemade signs

And a shed that looks like it's from the Wild West

Here, this is what the cabin looks like.

It contains all sorts of treasures - like these old Fischer Price Little People . . .

And it can house a hole gang.

Buckwheat loved the cabin

(and I love my boys).

Here was the bonfire we made

. . . the end.

Every once in awhile it's good to really get away.  I think we could all use a little more time at a cabin in the woods.