There are still remnants of sand in the car, in my carryall bag and in the laundry room.

Such is the sacrifice of a week spent beach-hopping and ocean jumping.

My family and I recently returned from our annual trip to Santa Monica, Santa Barbara and Pismo Beach. Aptly named our SoCal tour, the days are filled with no-rush mornings, swimming in the Pacific, lying on warm sand, shopping and treating ourselves to a few lovely dining spots.

It's also a chance to catch up with some family. My husband, Mitch, grew up in beautiful Santa Barbara, where his mother and sister still reside. Filled with fabulous Spanish architecture, lovely weather and grand sights to behold, it is a place I'm grateful to visit. Some people marry into money; I say I married into Santa Barbara.

This year, we were able to tie a sliver of education to the trip. As a fourth-grader, our daughter, Sofia, studied California history, including some about the missions. Her Belshaw Elementary teacher also did a class reading of "Island of the Blue Dolphins," which has ties to Santa Barbara and its Queen of the Mission. We visited that slice of the past with newly learned info.

We're a good team when on the road. While we live a charmed life, it's certainly lovely to snag a break together.

Sofia's a good traveler, thanks to her tablet and phone, which I call her iPals. Mitch travels a lot during the year writing about great high school athletes, so

Summer is clearly a time when the majority of our community dashes out of town to sightsee, visit family, friends, beloved characters (Disneyland, anyone?). It's a chance for many families to relax, regroup and reconnect after an activity-filled school year. It's an opportunity for some to put away the daily checklist of homework, lunch-making, uniform prepping and studies, not to mention all the sporty side dishes so many juggle.

Before you know it, that school bell will again ring loudly -- waking us from our sweet summer slumber. And, it's sooner than we think -- for Far East County, it's at the end of the month and for rest of us, August pushes us back on campus.

While vacations are grand, a perfect recipe for rejuvenating this warm season can be time spent at home, in local and regional parks, swimming centers, libraries and with friends and family.

As fabulously refreshing and relaxing as our week away was, we were ready to return home.

I don't possess much wanderlust. Home really is where the heart -- and soul -- is for me.

However you spend it, enjoy the rest of your summer.

Contact Trine Gallegos at trineg@att.net.