Living at Pajaro Dunes Resort for three months was a pretty incredible experience and an amazing way to finish up our West Coast chapter.
In addition to waking up every morning to foggy sunrises and the waves crashing, we said goodnight every evening to stunning sunsets. That did not dissapoint. The children loved the close proximity to the beach and often spent their “recess break” down in the sand. While the beach tends to be quite windy, it is very quiet and worth throwing on an extra sweater and relaxing on the soft sand.
Every morning, Curt would go for a walk along the beach and be greeted by his “Pajaro pets” – sea lions, seals, dolphins and maybe even a whale…jury is out on that one!
Friends have asked how we stumbled upon such a gem. In September, we spent a long weekend at Pajaro Dunes Resort, celebrating Sadie’s 13th birthday. Covid birthdays were tough and a big one like becoming a teenager, needed some kind of celebration. We fell in love with the area and swore we would come back. Little did we know, that five months later, we would be moving in! Fun fact: that weekend in September, is where Curt and I shared our idea of moving across country with the kids and we had our first discussion. By the end of the weekend, everyone was on board-ish!
Top Five Faves at Pajaro Dunes Resort
Alison: the feeling of instant relaxation, as we pulled into the gatehouse – no matter what was going on in San Jose or Cary. Oh and having the bedroom patio door open every night to sleep to the sound of the waves!
Curt: scheduling morning walks on the beach…every day, allowed him to appreciate what was in front of him and start his day off right.
Lexi: how close the beach is to the condo and she could go boogie-boarding any time she wants.
Liam: how gentle the waves were so he could play in them. (side note: we had a great experience purchasing second hand wet suits from O’Neil in Capitola, CA)
Sadie: loved how relaxing it was at the condo and learning to boogie-board.
Two Thumbs Up!!
We highly recommend the Resort area. Find a long weekend and book yourself a stay. Or better yet, with things opening up a little more in the state, grab another family and enjoy an amazing beach stay. Alternatively, if you need a place to stay for a few months, check out their off-season rates and move in. We stayed at Pelican Point in September and lived at Shorebirds. I think I prefer Pelican Point but Shorebirds was fantastic. A couple of things to note – when staying at Pajaro, you are quite remote. Everything is about 10+ minutes away so make sure to pack those s’more ingredients. In addition, if you are a coffee drinker, make sure to bring your fave, to enjoy on the patio. Oh and if Larry is working at gatehouse, please tell him Wortmans (115) from North Carolina say Hi.
