Feels good to be back in California! :) When last we left off, John and I were in the quiet and beautifully green woods of Big Sur. We woke up in our little cabin in the woods and set off for an early morning hike at Pfeiffer Falls. The two-mile hike lead to a valley view first, then down to a pretty waterfall. I was so glad we were there in the morning – the towering redwoods made it feel a bit like we were in an enchanted forest. Rounding a corner in the trail on our way back up, I found myself face to face with a baby deer!! She didn’t seem at all concerned at the sight of me, and continued her leisurely walk down the trail. Once she was about six feet from me, though, she decided that it might be unwise to walk directly past me, so she cut through the switchback instead. We watched her continue down the trail to the waterfall at a stately pace, open-mouthed. I don’t think I’ve ever been so close to a deer! We grabbed a yogurt and granola parfait to go from the state park lodge and brought it back to eat by the Big Sur River at Glen Oaks before getting back on the road. Our next destination, Carmel, was only about 45 minutes north of Big Sur. We stopped at several turn-outs along the way, including the famous Bixby Bridge (to the left in the photo below!). As you can see, it was another beautiful day, but windy on the Pacific Coast Highway! We arrived in Carmel with time to walk its shaded and lovely streets before sitting down to lunch. To us, Carmel felt European, classic, and sedate. The feel is definitely more “old money” than