Very often, weekend mornings at our house start with “Daddy Sandwiches”, comprised of egg, cheese, and bacon that apparently only my husband can make correctly. Dad informs the troops that today is a “Daddy and Daughter Day.” When the girls ask Dad where he is taking them this time he just smiles and says, “We are going on an adventure!”
This means that they will disappear for a while, reappearing with sweaty, dirty faces, mud-caked shoes and smiles reaching from ear to ear. Both girls spill over to give an account of their special day with Daddy.
Here are some of their favorite Monterey County adventures:
Kayaking at Moss Landing
The water is still and clear in the Elkhorn Slough making kayaking an easier feat then in the bay. Otters and birds, too numerous to count will surely grace you with their presence. The ratio for this adventure is 1 adult per 1 child for the tandem kayaks, and children need to be 5 and over. My older daughter simply loved this special date with Daddy. Her favorite part was watching a dolphin swim under their kayak!
Check out Monterey Bay Kayaks (montereybaykayaks.com) located in Moss Landing for information on renting a kayak.
Overnight Camp-Out
More than once Dad has packed up the car and taken the girls on an overnight adventure. It has been an excellent opportunity for our kids to learn how to put up a tent, how to make and keep a fire, and how to survive without Mom. The girls love to cook hotdogs on a stick and devour S’mores. Daddy usually brings a favorite chapter book to read by flashlight before lights go out.
In the past, camp-outs have been held at Andrew Molera State Park, but the campground is currently closed until further notice due to damage from the fires and flooding. Unfortunately, most of the Big Sur camp groups are currently closed or unreachable.
However, Veteran’s Memorial Park in Monterey offers a less-involved, closer to home option. The forty drive-up campsites are first come, first serve and are equipped with tables and fire pits.
If you can plan ahead, it is wise to make reservations at the many other campgrounds from Monterey to Santa Cruz. Check out Fremont Peak State Park south of San Juan Bautista, for primitive campsites under the oak trees and excellent views of the Monterey Bay. Another gem is Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park in Santa Cruz near the Roaring Camp Railroad (an adventure for another day perhaps). My kids are fascinated by the John C. Fremont Tree, a particularly huge redwood hollowed out by fire, located in Henry Cowell.
Archery Class in Salinas
My husband takes my older daughter every few Saturdays to the Jim Cox Archery Shop in Salinas (28 Quail Run Circle, Suite D, Salinas). Weekly lessons are offered every Saturday at 10:00 am and 11:30 am. They provide the bows, arrows, and an eight-lane range. Her favorite part of the lessons is getting to pop balloons. Between lessons, both girls practice with Dad in the backyard, shooting rubber-tipped (safety) arrows at a homemade target.
Going to the SPCA
My husband is extremely allergic to cats but my girls can’t get enough. They love everything about them. The girls are often found wandering the house, meowing and lamenting their bad luck that we can’t get a kitten of our own. One of their favorite Daddy-Daughter Day adventures was a trip to the SPCA for Monterey County (1002 Monterey Salinas Highway, Monterey). They were invited to pet and hold the kittens and puppies. My girls went from room to room in pure bliss, visiting each and every kitten. They also visited the smaller dogs and made friends with a puppy named “Plum”, who they still talk about almost a year later. Luckily a few hours with the animals didn’t aggravated Dad’s allergies too much. He got bonus points with the girls for taking them there, “even though he was allergic.”
The Home Depot Kid’s Project
Many weekend adventures start at The Home Depot. I’d be remiss if I didn’t at least mention that the first Saturday of the month, all Home Depot locations offer a free workshop for children of pretty much any age (though younger kids need a lot of parental help and recommended age is 5-12). Most projects make use of hammers, nails, wood glue, screws, and paint. Supplies and paper instructions are provided free, as well as a Home Depot apron and a pin to commemorate the project. My kids have made flower pots, picture frames, boxes, wagons, trucks, airplanes, and much more. This is a very popular event, so Dad likes to make sure he gets the girls out early so they can get a space at the workbench.
Downtown Monterey
My husband and girls like to wander around downtown Monterey, exploring the gardens and enjoying a lunch of hummus, veggies, and chicken strips at Peter B’s in the back of the Portola Plaza Hotel. It features a nice outdoor area and great kid’s menu. Often the adventures are as simple as a trolley ride to Cannery Row to buy a single gumball at IT’SUGAR. We love this place because there is no minimum candy buy.
In the end, it doesn’t really matter what they do, the girls love their special time with Dad and of course, Mom loves it too!
Jenny Delja is writer of fiction and nonfiction, as well as the dedicated mother of two girls, an avid cook and homemaker, a tree hugger and outdoor enthusiast, and a compulsive crafter. She currently lives in Monterey.
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