Following breakfast and a long goodbye, we are once again on the road. Tata gave us a kite this visit and as we passed the beach near downtown Santa Barbara, I pulled over for a picture, and Caroline suggested we try out our new toy. It takes her about 5 minutes to assemble it while I walk along the water’s edge, wishing we were so fortunate to live here in this incredible coastal community.

Tata and Woody gave Caroline and me a large dragon kite this weekend. From a prior visit, they knew we were looking for a nice kite but came up empty. Tata, on one of her many shopping trips, found this one and was certain it would be one we liked; she was right. On our way home, we stopped near Stearn’s Wharf, walked out to the beach, and Caroline assembled the dragon and put it aloft.

With Caroline at the helm, her smile is as big as the kite’s high. It’s not a stunt kite, but Caroline is having fun all the same as she lets the string out allowing the kite to tug at her grip: A perfect day next to the Pacific Ocean in Santa Barbara. Eventually, she reigns the kite in, and we continue our journey.

Of course, driving home through California is never all that straightforward, and it’s not long before we stop at another beach near Sea Cliff. This time, we cannot pass up the telltale sign of low tide – exposed rocks and grasses next to the surf. We walk along for a half-hour, spotting anemones, starfish, coastal birds, and the occasional crab. Finally, Caroline puts her shoes back on, and this time, we definitely must push on to home if we are to get there at a reasonable time.

We make good on the commitment and, after a couple of hours, are about to reenter the desert near Palm Springs. This snow-capped peak is a great reminder of how fortunate we are: Other places around the country are just leaving winter, while we get to walk barefoot along the ocean after visiting the Botanic Garden and watching butterflies flutter about.

Daylight gives way to a stunning sunset of blues, purple, orange, and red, while another great brief weekend away from Phoenix comes to a close. For everyone who wonders how we can handle so much driving, we ask them back, how can you handle watching so much TV?