Moonstone Beach + Heart's Ease

Oh boy, I'm going home this weekend to finally celebrate my birthday with my parents! My Mom asked me if I wanted to do anything special, and I told her I wanted to go to Moonstone Beach! When I was growing up, my Grandmother lived in Cambria, this sleepy beachside community about 30 minutes up the coast from San Luis Obispo. We would always make trips up to Moonstone Beach, about 10 minutes from her house. It was this gorgeous little bay with a big meadow and low cliffs next to it, and it had the best and smoothest stones scattered all over the beach (hence the name?).

Anyways, there is this bar and grill there too (appropriately named Moonstone Bar and Grill) and I told my parents I want to go get brunch there and sit on the patio and watch the waves, and then go on a walk on the beach afterwards.

On the way home I know we'll make a stop at Heart's Ease in Cambria. It's this adorable little nursery/garden/herb + gift shop that my Grandmother used to work at. She was a phenomenal gardener and lover of the outdoors, and she passed that love onto my Dad, who in turn passed it to me. Whenever my sister and I stayed at my Grandma's house, she would take us to Heart's Ease and we would get pampered by all the regulars who came in. The best part was getting lost in the garden and playing hide and seek in the giant hollyhock flowers.

(Notice the huge pines that line the ridge behind the gardens.)

Images via heartseaseshop