Day #12 - Monterey Bay!

This morning was so much easier than yesterday! We were actually able to sleep in a bit. We got up around 9, got ourselves showered and dressed and made our way to the front desk area where they had a small offering of breakfast. After a bite, we straightened up the room a bit and headed off to Monterey Bay Aquarium. This is one of the nicest aquariums in the United States. It is located in an old Sardine packaging plant on Cannery Row (made famous by the John Steinbeck novel). One side of the building explores the coastal areas, and the other side explores the Outer Bay.

They have a tank in the Coastal side which is three stories tall and holds an amazing array of fish and marine life. There was a hands-on area where Peter got to touch a manta ray, as well as a sea urchin, stiffish and sea cucumber (feels like a giant squishy pillow). We could also look out across the bay and see sea otters swimming in the kelp and watch seals sunning themselves on the rocks.

After a brief lunch, we took a backstage tour of the aquarium. It was fascinating. We got to see the kitchen where they prepare meals (the sea otters eat 25 lbs of fish a day!) and hear about how octopus can be quite troublesome if they don't have the proper edging around their tanks. If they get out, they've been known to get into trouble, like turning on a water valve and flooding the offices of an aquarium elsewhere in California! We were also given some food for the sardines. They had stand at the top of the tank (which is on the roof of the building) and throw the food on the count of 3. Then we ran inside to watch the sardines eat it. It only took them a minute to devour all of it. Amazing!

After our backstage tour, we continued enjoying the aquarium with the masses (and there were a LOT of people there today!) We headed over to the Outer Bay side where we saw their other HUGE tank. This tank had no kelp or rocks. It was just a big empty tank to simulate the big open ocean. This tank was teeming with HUGE fish! There was a tuna swimming around which could easily have fed an entire African nation!

We also saw a special exhibit on seahorses and went to another exhibit where we read about the fish which are in danger of being overfished. Looks like we won't be eating Sushi again for a long time (almost all sushi fish are on the endangered list.)

Once we were finished at the aquarium, we walked back to our car and headed back to the Inn. We got into our suits and walked across to

the beach. It was a chilly day (every day on the coast has been between 58 and 62 degrees!) and so we mostly explored the sea life on the rocks. It was like an extension of the aquarium! We saw a starfish, crabs and sea anemone. Peter really wanted to swim, but the only swimmers I saw were surfers, and they were wearing wetsuits!

We convinced him to come back to the hotel and enjoy the hot tub instead. What a wonderful alternative! After some snacks at the front desk (they were serving lemonade, wine and cheese from 5-7), we had a short dip into the hot tub, and then a quick dress to go to dinner.

Tonight we tried Vito's, a little italian restaurant recommended to us by the front desk lady, and it was as wonderful as Peppers was last night! We all had pasta, which meant we were all stuffed by the end of the evening. He finished the meal by giving us fresh california strawberries. They were amazing! I have to find some tomorrow as we head for Yosemite.

It's been nice to pamper ourselves, but we must forge on now to camp. So, it was one last night of another load of laundry, games by the fireplace, and sleeping in a bed. We've organized our clothes for camping now and are ready to pack the car bright and early. Tomorrow we head into the 90 degree weather and sleeping in a tent. Oh well, it was fun while it lasted!

Day #11 - Route 1 Up the Coast

It is AMAZING what Pancakes can do! I told the kids that if they wanted amazing Dutch pancakes at Paula's Pancake House, they were going to have to HUSTLE and get up. Andy will pretty much do anything for food, and so that got him up! Actually, it got them ALL up! We were repacked and walking to the restaurant by 8:15. I was so proud of them. Solvang is a quaint Dutch town nestled in the mountainous countryside just north of Santa Barbara. We didn't have any time to shop, which was probably a good thing given what we've spent on this trip so far, but we did have time for their amazing pancakes, fresh squeezed orange juice and dutch sausage. Yumm…

Anyway, we were on the road by 9:15, and headed towards San Simeon to see the Hearst Castle. Because it was yet another cloudy day, when the Pacific Ocean came into view it wasn't the amazing "Oooh Ahhh" moment I had hoped for. Oh well, the coast is still beautiful, even on a cloudy day!

We made a quick pit stop in San Luis Obispo. And because we were making pretty good time, we took a moment to see their beautiful Mission. We walked the grounds and admired the sanctuary. It was built in 1772, and it is still beautiful. After our brief tour, we got back in the car and headed north again. We passed the beautiful coastal town of Morro Bay and then, shortly after, we hit San Simeon. It was perfect timing and we had an extra 15 minutes to spare! We checked in and waited for our bus to take us up to the "castle."

It is a 10 minute bus ride up to the castle, and then the tour of the grounds and the house was an hour and a half. The drive up to the castle goes past vast amounts of land that still house cattle, zebras and sheep. While the Hearst family gave the "Castle" to the State of California in the 1960s, the Hearst family still owns the land surrounding it. At one point, William Randolph Hearst had the largest privately owned zoo in America with many different exotic animals on the lands surrounding the house!

On the tour we learned that each of the rooms in his house had a different theme. Many of his decorations were taken from authentic locations. For example, he had an outdoor pool that he decorated in ancient greek columns and statues that he purchased from greek antique dealers. He also had choir stalls flown in to be used for paneling on the walls and he had acquired ancient tapestries to adorn his walls. They say that the castle is a living art museum and that they have 22,000 pieces to be put on display!

Once we were done with the tour, we decided to get back on the road and find some place to eat along Highway 1. THAT was a bad idea! There are very few places along Route 1, and the drive goes slowly as the route twists and turns around the bends of the mountains hugging the ocean. We did stop at one point at a small place where the hamburgers were $15, and bottled water costs $6!! After sitting for 15 minutes with no one willing to help u

s, we were on our way. We finally found a small mini-mart where I stopped and purchased enough food to make sandwiches. We had drinks and chips in the car, so we were able to carve out a meal for ourselves.

After eating, we stopped at Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park for a hike to see a beautiful waterfall which flows right into the ocean. Then it was back in the car again to drive up past Big Sur towards Carmel. We made it to Carmel around 5 and were able to take the 17-mile-drive before we got to our hotel. The 17-mile-drive takes you past Pebble Beach (where we stopped and Steve coveted a round of golf), the lone Cypress which is the symbol of that area, and up past a couple of other famous golf courses (Spyglass Hill and Spanish Bay). Our hotel was just on the other side of the 17-mile-drive in Pacific Groves, on the Monterey peninsula.

Our hotel room is lovely with two queen beds, and a fireplace. But the thing that I am most excited about is the fact that they have a guest laundry! (isn't that sad?) My kids are excited about the hot tub. It is a quick walk across the street to the beach as well. We are supposed to stay one night here, but the kids are begging, and Steve and I are thinking that if they have the space, we could use a breather after the last 24 hours. We'll see.

Meanwhile, we have had dinner at a wonderful little Mexican place called Peppers in Pacific Groves (they had FABULOUS guacamole and very fresh entrees), and then back to the room to pop popcorn (yes, they have a little popcorn popper and popcorn in the room!) in front of the fire while I run downstairs to do laundry. I'm glad I don't have to sit in a laundromat tomorrow morning early! My guess is that we will stay here an extra day and skip one night of camping.

Day #10 - Comic-Con (again)

Today was our second day at Comic-Con. It has been running since we went a few days ago, but these two days were the only days I could purchase back in February! I tried to get everyone going as early as possible, but they were pretty tired from the night before. It took us awhile to wake up, get dressed, get packed, get everything to the car and check out before we could head over to the convention. We ended up getting to the convention around 10, which, given everything else that had to happen, wasn't really that bad!

Andy went off to check out the things he wanted to see, and Emily, Pete, Steve and I walked around the floor again seeing whatever we had missed the first time. We were able to get a bunch of free comic books, which Peter diligently read while sitting in his stroller (isn't this what Comic Con is all about??) At one point, we did come across the Warner Brother's booth where Scooby Doo was rocking out, and Peter got sucked in to join him dancing. He had a great time!

We also saw all the iron man costumes, and the Tron Legacy car. It really is amazing all the cool stuff that's here. After a bunch more purchases and a hot dog wrapped in a pretzel, Pete and I headed upstairs to one of the ballrooms so that we were ready to see a premiere of a new Scooby Doo cartoon. The panel before Scooby Doo was about a show on Cartoon Network called Unnatural History. It was a great show! They showed an episode and then had the actors on to talk about the show. The same thing with Scooby Doo. They introduced some of the vocal talent (Matthew Lelland who played Shaggy in the live-action movie continues to voice him in the cartoons and he was there!) as well as the artists and producer. They discussed how this new Scooby Doo cartoon is different from the past ones, and then they showed the new episode. It was a lot of fun!

Andy had joined us in the ballroom right before the Scooby Doo panel. Once it was over, we decided we had seen everything we wanted to see and it was time to leave this madhouse for our next destination. I knew our next 24 hours were going to be crazy, and I was worried about how much time I had planned for everything. We got to the car and were on the road headed north by 5pm. After a quick stop and an In and Out Burger restaurant (we knew we had to do that at least once while out here), we were on our way.

Traffic towards L.A. was pretty bad, and it took an extra 2 hours to get to our next destination. It was quite a big jaunt, however, to go north past Anaheim, Los Angeles, Santa Monica and Santa Barbara! And Solvang is up in the mountains north of Santa Barbara, and that is never an easy go, especially at night. We finally made it, however, by 11pm. I've been told that there is construction on Route 1, and we have tickets tomorrow for Hearst Castle which is normally 2 hours away. So, sadly, we'll be getting up early and getting on the road quickly to make our 12 noon stop. When I planned this trip, this was the timing I was most worried about. We'll see how the kids do in the morning.

Day #9 - A day off?

Today started quite lazy (well, for us!) Steve went for a run, and I just hung around the room while the kids slept. Once he was back, we got everyone moving. I had decided to save the pastries purchased last night for tomorrow when we'll be in a hurry to get out of the hotel. We got ready and left our room looking for breakfast. Fortunately, we found a restaurant JUST in time, because it was 10:55am, and

they stopped serving breakfast at 11! After a decadent breakfast of toasted coconut and banana french toast with mango-papaya syrup, we were off and walking through the quaint area near our hotel along the waterfront called Seaport Village. We first came across a man who rescued birds. He shared them with us and we gave him a small donation. They were a lot of fun!

We made our way down to the maritime museum where the Star of India is m

oored. We decided to purchase tickets so that we could explore not only that boat, but a submarine and other sailing vessels. The Star of India was built in the Isle of Man, so we defi

nitely wanted to see it! What a BEAUTIFUL boat! Peter thought it looked like a Pirate ship. It was built in the 1800s and used to shuttle cargo and immigrants for about 30 years, then it was used to haul lumber and salmon. It sat and deteriorated for many years before it was restored in the 1970s. It is such a beautiful ship.

After that ship, our ticket also got us into a submarine, and another personal sailing ship. We also saw racing sailboats and the museum which talked about the history of boats in the San

Diego Bay.

When we were done, we started heading back to the hotel. The thought had been that we'd hang out at the pool all day and take it easy. Well, 1/2 way back, we passed the U.S.S, Midway, which is an aircraft carrier/museum, and Emily and I couldn't resist. Andy, however, could. He went back to the room as he was tired of walking. Steve, Pete, Em and I went in and spent the better part of the next 1 1/2 hours touring this amazing ship! AND, we didn't even see it all! What a big vessel. We saw the sleeping quarters, the meeting areas, the main deck where they take off and land, and they had sample planes on the deck. We also took a special tour of the upper flight control deck. We never made it to the kitchen or the chapel, but we were running out of day, and the kids still really wanted to swim! Funny how you start with the entire day ahead of you, with no plan, and the next thing you know, the day is ending!

We hustled back through Seaport Village, where Em and I stayed and shopped for a bit while Steve and Pete went back to the hotel to get into swimsuits. Em and I found these amazing T-shirts which change color in the sun! What fun!!

Anyway, Em and I made it back to the hotel, and the boys were already at the pool. We changed into our swimsuits and finally got our swim in! I had checked with the hotel restaurant and they had a table available for us at 6:45, so we booked that. Sadly, that made our swimming time a bit short, but I knew everyone would be hungry soon.

On my way up to the room to get into a swimsuit, I heard someone in the elevator talking about seeing a star from Lost in the lobby. When I got back down to the pool I told Andy to check it out. Sure enough, he said that she was there (the girl who had played Juliet) as well as the entire cast from V (she is now in V, so that is why she was there). After a long while, he got up the nerve to ask for a photo with her, which she gladly posed for. He was THRILLED!

We showered and made it to the restaurant in time (well, Steve, Pete and I did…the other kids were a bit late) It was a Hawaiian Fusion restaurant, so the food was really rich and wonderful. I had a seared tuna with a malt vinegar aioli sauce, and Steve had a trio of fish (tuna, butterfish and salmon).

After our tummies were full and wallets emptied, we headed back over to the hotel lobby to play some cards and see if there was anyone else famous to see that day. No one famous, but we had a great time AND, when fireworks went off again (yes, they did them tonight as well) we were in the perfect spot to see them! After all the fun, we came up to the room to organize for tomorrow. It's going to be an early day, and we wanted to get organized to check out early. We want to start our second comic-con day as soon as possible!

Day #8 - San Diego Zoo

Today, as you can imagine, started very very late. After everyone got going, we ate (I fed everyone breakfast with what I had here in the room.), cleaned up, straightened up, and headed out. I had asked the front desk the best way to get to Balboa Park to see the Zoo, and he had said it would be best to drive. Well, I wasn't so sure! It took us 20 minutes to get out of the "Comic-Con area." There are just SO MANY PEOPLE here!

We finally made it up to the zoo, parked, paid and went in. And, of course, the first thing I heard was "I'm hungry." So, we stopped for lunch, and then began our tour of the zoo. We really didn't want to zig zag around the zoo like we did with Sea World, so we tried to map out a logical plan. It worked out for us pretty well! We did the children's zoo area first, since Pete REALLY wanted to pet an animal (goats). We saw snakes and spiders, frogs and geckos. We headed onto the Monkey trail where we saw a lot of different types of monkeys as well as a orangoutangs and gorillas.

This zoo is really amazing. And it isn't too spread out. They have it well mapped out so that you aren't walking for miles to get to the next exhibit, and yet the animals all have plenty of space. The highlight of the day were the Pandas and the Koala bears. You just don't se

e them in many zoos. The koalas were so cute sitting up in the eucalyptus trees, sleeping. We ended up timing it so that we were at the back of the zoo by the time we were done so that we could take the tram back to the front. Peter was thrilled.

After the zoo, we headed back into the craziness of the Gaslamp District (definitely THE hotspot of San Diego and where everyone heads after a day at comic-con) and Steve dropped us off at The Yard House, a restaurant the kids were wanting to go to. He drove back to the hotel and then walked back. It took him awhile, so we had appetizers and waited. After a very yummy dinner, we walked back towards the hotel with a brief stop at the grocery store for pastries for breakfast tomorrow.

When we got back to the hotel, Steve and the kids went to the car to get a few things, and Pete and I headed upstairs with the food. I couldn't believe it. I got into the elevator with all the guys from the show Steve loves! (the ones that we were at House of Blues the night before to see) I was DYING!

Of course it would be me and not him! AND, I saw that they got off on 6! As

soon as Steve was back in the room I told him to go get ice on level 6 and perhaps he'd see them! He did!! I was so glad. He didn't say anything to them and seem like a crazy fan or anything, but he was able to walk right past all of them as they were going between rooms down there.

Meanwhile, Pete and I heard fireworks going off over the bay, but they were on the other side of the hotel! So, he and I ran back down to the lobby to try to see them, but we missed them. Hopefully they'll do it tomorrow too. After getting him to bed, I quickly passed out. What a day! Hopefully tomorrow will be more sane.

Day #7 – Comic Con!

I got up early (7am) and headed out to find breakfast cereal (we were not eating a breakfast like yesterday again for awhile!) and get a sense of how things were going outside. It was already a ZOO! I found a grocery store and got cereal and milk and headed back to the room. I told everyone to get up and get moving as thing were definitely hopping outside. We looked out our balcony window and saw a line that stretched all the way to that Seaport Village area!

Once we were dressed and had eaten some cereal, we were on our way. We found a way to get in (thank heavens we already had our badges!) and wandered around inside trying to figure out where to go. The main hall didn’t open until 9:30am, and it was already 8:30, but it seemed as if everyone was already there. There was a large group in the ‘autograph area’ and I didn’t understand why at the time. I figured that one out later. Actually, that is what this day was about. Figuring things out usually too late!

Since the kids REALLY wanted to see a panel of their favorite guys at 11, we decided to go ahead and just line up outside the door and wait until that ballroom opened. That meant that we would see the first panel at 10, and then we would be there ready to go at 11 for the next panel. The panel beforehand was all about the creative process of making animation and comic books, which we found to be very interesting. The kids then found themselves positioned well to see their guys at 11.

The kids with their favorite guys! Rooster Teeth!!

After the panel, we headed downstairs into the thick of it. WOW! This thing is HUGE! And there is every costume one can imagine. We wandered around together for awhile, and then Andy headed off to see the Rooster Teeth booth (the guys he REALLY wanted to meet). We checked out many of the ‘kid friendly’ booths, including the Ugly Doll booth, Legos and Pokemon.

We ended up going past an comic book publishing booth where the artists were drawing cover art right there for you! Emily got an artist to draw her Beaker from The Muppet Show on her book, and Peter wanted the Cars artist to draw Lightning McQueen. That artist was just going on break, so we decided to come back in two hours.

We went on and Emily was able to visit with the Penny Arcade people (they do online comics) and one of the guys drew her a comic character in her book for her. She was thrilled! Actually, she was shaking, she was so excited! We then ended up at the Rooster Teeth booth, and Andy was there. We bought a few things and took a few photos. It was really fun. After some more walking around, we headed back to the comic book booth. The artist was really late getting back, so we waited a long time for him to return.

Meanwhile, Steve had restaurant reservations for House of Blues at 4pm (the guys he follows on the internet were doing their show live later that evening, so he was hoping to get in and get a good seat beforehand), so he headed over there with Emily. Andy wanted to stay and see an XBox panel that was presenting around 6, so we gave him money for dinner and told him he was on his own that evening. The comic book artist finally returned and we were able to get our very own cover art of Lightning McQueen on the cover of a comic book!

After Pete and I were finished, we started to head towards the door. By this time my battery had died on my camera but I decided it didn't matter because we we

re done for the day, right? WRONG! As we were headed towards the door, we walked right past the CBS booth where I saw the entire cast (minus Johnny Gilecki) of the Big Bang Theory! I walked past a few times and tried to get a photo on my sad cell phone, but that is one I will have in memory only, I'm afraid. Oh well, should have charged up the camera last night.

After walking about 5 or 6 blocks to House of Blues, we found Steve and Emily enjoying appetizers. We joined them and ate dinner. Afterwards, Steve was able to go get "Pass the LIne" passes for us because we had eaten there. We went outside where a line had been forming all day for this show and got in the "pass the line" line which was the group to go in first. After being out there about 1/2 hour, they came by asking if anyone was over 21. I told Steve to go, that perhaps he could get inside and get a good seat. Well, he went in and ended up hanging out visiting with others who were fans of the show too.

Sadly, we were still stuck outside for another 1/2 hour! I played cards with Pete, and we were finally allowed in. You know how hindsight is 20/20? Well, if I had only realized that the over 21 crowd was allowed downstairs, and we were going to be stuck upstairs, I probably wouldn't have pushed Pete so hard. I encouraged Steve to stay downstairs because he had a great seat, and we took seats up in the balcony. It was loud and late, and Peter finally just passed out on my lap. The poor guy.

When it was over, Steve was downstairs talking with the guys, and they started kicking us out. I was so glad I had Emily. I had her take all the stuff and I carried Pete. I sent Steve a text telling him we were just walking back because I couldn't' wait. He felt awful. He ran and caught up with us half-way back to the hotel, which was good because Pete was getting SO heavy! He carried him the rest of the way. Talk about a long day! We got to bed around midnight. Oh well, I guess we can sleep in, because I know we don't have to be at Comic-Con early tomorrow!

Cars comic book artist creating cover art for Peter!

Day #6 – Transition Day

Today was another cloudy day in San Diego (I hear it’s sunny here, but I have yet to see it!). I left the house early to get all our laundry done (yes, a necessary evil even when we’re on vacation), and Steve went for a run along the beach. By the time I got back, Steve was showered and had started getting the kids moving. We were packed up and checked out by 10. It was only a 30 minute drive to the new hotel, and we wanted to be there early. We knew it’d be a zoo down there the later in the day it got.

We were able to check in, park the car and check out our room. It’s a king bed with a pullout couch. The children have agreed to share the couch, which, once again, amazed me! The king is so large that Pete will share the bed with Steve and I. This bed is HUGE!

Anyway, once we had checked out the ‘digs’, we were on our way to find breakfast. We found a wonderful little place called Richard Walker’s Pancake House. We h

ad a very filling brunch. Emily got a cinnamon roll pancake which was so huge she said she didn’t know if she should eat it or sit in it (it did look like a circular sofa!) Peter's chocolate chip pancakes proved to be bigger than him! -->

We waddled out of the pancake house and headed back to the hotel. We unpacked a bit more of the car and then decided what our next steps would be. They had early badge pickup for tomorrow’s Comic-Con, but it wasn’t at the convention center next to us. It was at a remote convention center in Mission Bay (where we had just stayed for three nights!) I didn’t want to drive there, because I didn’t want to lose our parking spot. The lot was filling up fast. There was a trolley, so we got online and figured out how to navigate it out to the convention center.

We had a nice ride out, picked up our badges, and had a nice ride back in. Unfortunately, at one point on the return trip, we were supposed to transfer from the blue to the orange line. Sadly, we ended up getting back on the blue line going in the wrong direction! We got off at the next stop and decided to just walk back (we weren’t that far by then). It turned out to be a nice walk. We went through an area called Seaport Village. It’s very close to the hotel and has a lot of quaint shops and restaurants. I hope to get back!

Once back at the hotel with our badges, we got on our swimsuits and headed for the pool. It is a warm salt-water pool, so it is VERY nice! The air was chilly, though, and so I didn’t last long. We all showered and ended up at a restaurant in the hotel. I was hoping to get Pete to bed early tonight, because I know tomorrow is going to be a big day, but I fear it wasn’t early enough. Tomorrow, Day #1 of Comic Con!

^^A sign of things to come...^^

Day #5 – Sea World

We ended up getting off to Sea world a bit late in the morning. I wanted to get a good deal on tickets, which could only be done online. So I had to go to their "business center" (a roomwith a computer, printer and copier) and order the tickets beforewe left. I also purchased their dining deal for everyone which meant paying one price for food beforehand, then eating for 'free' throughout the day at the park. Feeding Andy that way is always a good deal!

We waited to have breakfast in the park, since we had purchased that deal. The rest of the day was spent going to the different shows (the sea lion/sea otter show and the Shamu show), seeing flamingos, sea otters, penguins, and, of course, Shamu. Peter also got to feed and pet a dolphin, which was a highlight of the day for him. All the kids also got to feed and touch manta rays. This really is a nice experience for the kids.

There were a few water rides, which Peter BEGGED us to take. We got SOAKED! And this wasn’t a warm day, either! We pretty much squished around the park after that. Yuck!

After having breakfast, lunch and dinner in the park, we were done. I’m ready to eat better food tomorrow! We got in pretty late, and so just had time to hang up wet clothes (yuck) and get ready for bed. Tomorrow we move downtown!

Day #4 – La Jolla

I have found my place in California, and it’s La Jolla! We got the kids up early and headed up to La Jolla (about 10 miles up the road) for a Sea Cave Kayak excursion. La Jolla is so beautiful, and the beaches are so nice. We found a parking spot and checked in with the tour company. We were given helmets, lifejackets and paddles, along with a safety talk about ocean kayaking. (sadly, I have no photos of this yet because I took them with a waterproof camera that still has to be developed) Then we marched down to the shore. There were about 5 other families with us. It was a nice small group. Andy and Emily were in one Kayak (I kept saying “Really? You’re not going to kill each other?)

And Steve, Pete and I were in another. All-in-all, I’d say we did a really good job. Neither kayak swamped (which was a good thing as the water was COLD), and we stayed right with the guide.

As we began to kayak out, the guide told us to keep looking down. We saw leopard sharks and other fish that were HUGE! As we approached the sea caves, we also saw these pretty orange fish that looked like goldfish. Sadly, I can’t remember what they were called. The sea lions were resting on the rocks. They were mostly sleeping, but a few went for a swim. They let each one of us go into one of the caves with a guide. It was beautiful in there! Really fun, too. After we all got a turn, we headed back towards our launching off point. While we wre waiting, the guide encouraged us to eat some of the eel grass floating in the water. After chewing it for a minute, it was tasted sweet! The experience was one I will never forget!

Once we were back, we decided we were hungry. We ended up at a small restaurant across the street called Barbarella’s. They were still serving breakfast, so we had amazing cinnamon rolls, omlets and fresh berry crepes. After our tummies were full, we started driving along the beach to find a parking spot. We found one, in front of an area of beach that was rocky down to the water, but there was a large sandy beach area once down there.

Emily finds BIG seaweed:

THE WAVES WERE AMAZING! Pete learned to navigate the waves quickly, but they took out everyone’s legs at some point. Andy body surfed, but he definitely took a beating. Pete ended up having the water knock him down and he then “slid” up the beach towards me. All in all, everyone had a LOT of fun. Andy was pretty beaten up by the time we were done. (see the video at the end of this day's blog)

We came back to the hotel and enjoyed a dip in the pool and some time in the hot tub. That helped relax us a bit before dinner.

Once we were de-sanded, de-pooled and clean, we were ready to head back out to dinner. We had heard about a place in La Jolla from a friend and decided to try it. I am so glad we did. The food was wonderful and the views were amazing. We sat outside on the balcony which overlooked the water where we had been s

wimming just hours before! We tried everything from appetizers to desserts. And we all tried each other dishes, as each one was so unique. Appetizers included their famous bean and chicken soup, tomato and watermelon salad and mussels like I have never had them before. I had the sesame encrusted tuna, Steve and Em had halibut and Andy had steak in an Asian soy sauce which was so good! The best dessert we had was a toffee pudding cake.

Our tummies full, we left happy. After a brief stop in a T-shirt shop, we headed home to sleep. Tomorrow we’re going to Sea World. Peter is very excited!

Day #3 – San Diego!

Steve and I were upearly and packing the car before most of Vegas was awake…which was nice because we could easily use the elevator! The car was packed, and children up and moving by 8am (wahoo!) We grabbed breakfast in the lobby (way too expensive) and were in the car and headed out by 9:30am.

It was exactly 5 hours in the car, and we were in San Diego. Of course, the closer to the beaches we got, the more traffic there was. By the ti

me we were in Mission Bay, the traffic was horrible! But it was a Sunday afternoon, and so many locals were there to play for the day. We got checked into our room (it has a kitchen!) and decided to take a walk over t

o the beach.

Mission Bay is definitely a hot bed of youthful vigor and California sunshine. I felt like I had walked into the middle of an MTV Beach Party. Not really what I wanted, but I guess this is part of the California scene. We rode some of the rides at Belmont Park (a lovely seaside theme park that’s been there for over 50 years), and then walked a bit of the beach. It was very crowded. After a brief stop at a grocery store, we headed back to the room.

Steve and I did some research and discovered a nice fish and chips place away from the beach. We walked over the bridge and found it. It was good! It wasn’t fancy (order your food, get it from the pickup window and then sit down), and we were able to eat outside. I think that experience saved the day for us. We walked back to our room and promptly passed out. There are fireworks at Sea World which we can see each night, but tonight we were asleep before they went off. Oh well, tomorrow night?

Day #2 VEGAS!

What a nice leisurely morning, after such a crazy drive! Steve and I got up and went to the exercise area for a good start to our day. We left the teenagers passed out and Pete watching cartoons (good thing it was a Saturday…not a lot of children’s TV choices – go figure!) After our workout, we came back and got everyone moving. We had two free Breakfast Buffet coupons and didn’t want to waste them! After waiting in a very long line to get in (apparently, many had free coupons), we were faced with the biggest buffet I have ever seen for a hotel. There was everything! Fruit, eggs, bacon, French toast, sausage, egg rolls, corn on the cob, crab legs, eggs benedict, omelets, salad bar, desserts, pastries, donuts, side of beef, fried chicken, everything! I was glad we ate a lot, because I knew we were planning on an early dinner.

After we stuffed ourselves, we came back to the room and Andy laid down saying “FOOD COMA!” Well, that didn’t last long! We got into our swimsuits and braved the outside world. The thermometer read 108. I’ve never really experienced 108 before, and it was a HOT. Imagine being in a sauna and never being able to find the door out! The pool felt so nice. But the funny part was that the hot tub felt fine because it was about the same tem

perature as the air! And it was in the shade. We actually found pool chairs in the hot tub area which was nice because you just couldn’t last very long sitting in the sun.

We bounced between being in the pool, being in the hot tub, and sitting in the shade. We got drinks poolside and it was so nice! I said at one point “Look at me! I’m RELAXING!” It’s so very rare, you know.

Anyway, after about two hours, we were done and ready to prepare for our evening (the entire reason we came here!) We headed back to the room, showered and got dressed. After much discussion about where to eat, we decided to eat at Japonais in the Mirage. We made our way onto the monorail and got off one hotel away from our destination. Snaking our way through the casinos wasn’t too bad because they were air conditioned. We really only had about a minute outside as we crossed the street from one casino to the Mirage. I was impressed!

Once inside the Mirage, I went and picked up our tickets, and we took a look at the gift shop. We had some time to kill as the dining room didn’t open until 5 and it was 4:30. Its hard to kill time in Vegas with children, as you really aren’t allowed to ‘stop’ anywhere on the gambling floor. No one felt like walking, and there really wasn’t much to see (unless we were going to go shopping). Anyway, 5:00 finally rolled around and we were seated.

Our meal was incredible! We ordered various tasting items including Kobe Beef sliders, tenderloin cooked on a hot rock at the table, tempur

a vegetables and sushi. Andy did try some things, but he ordered his own steak (of course). After dinner, we went back over to the venue, got in, got some snacks and were seated.

I will not even begin to attempt to explain this show. I will only say that it was absolutely amazing, thrilling, awe inspiring. It was funny, it was sad., but mostly, it was beautiful.

Emily and Peter posing with "The Fab Four"

Once we were done, we hit a spot called Blizz Yogurt. It’s a Yogurt Bar. You pick the yogurt you want, then you pick your toppings and then you pay by the weight. It was REALLY decadent and VERY expensive!

The last thing of the night was Circus Circus. Both Steve and I had wanted to see this casino the last time we were here because we had both been there when we were young. It wasn’t easy to get to this casino. We got off the monorail and had a ten minute walk outside. BAD IDEA! Even though it was 9pm, it was still over 100 degrees. Pete said that when he closed his eyes, they hurt. It just felt like you were being pelted in the face with a blast furnace all the time.

We did make it to Circus Circus, and while I’m glad we did see it, I’m sorry we saw it. It is a hollow shell of its former self. It’s run down, and the clientele there was not who I would want to spend a day with. And it’s funny how big you think something is when you’re young, and how little it feels when you’re an adult! Pete did play a midway game and won a nice prize, so we were thrilled for him.

After a HOT WALK back to the hotel, we were ready to crash. Tomorrow, we’re getting up early and getting out of this God-forsaken town!

Day #1: Travel Day(s)

After months of planning, Thursday ,July 15 finally rolled around and it was time to pack the car and leave. I’ve got to say, I was quite impressed that we did get out of Frankfort 10 minutes ahead of schedule! Shoot for 5, expect 8, and you’re not disappointed.

We’ve never left at 8pm to start a vacation before. In some ways it was nice. We all showered beforehand, because we knew we wouldn’t see another shower until Friday night. We set

tled into the car a

nd headed out. After watching the movie Alvin and the Chipmunks, Emily read a bedtime story to Peter, and he fell asleep pretty quickly. Emily and Andy then just did their own quiet things until Em fell asleep.

It was a long night of stopping every two or three hours. Andy took the 11pm-2am shift, and I had the 2-4am shift. Steve took the 4-6am shift, and then Steve and I proceeded to swap back and forth between us for the rest of the day.

When we changed shifts at 6am, Pete woke up. This made for quite a tired little boy all day. At some point in the afternoon, he fell back asleep for awhile, and we were all grateful. Pete kept seeing McDonalds go by and kept asking to stop all morning. By the time the big kids were awake and we were r

eady for breakfast, there was no McDonalds to be found! It took us quite awhile before we found another one.

After breakfast, the kids played some video games and then did their own thing. Lunch was simply stopping just long enough for me to make sandwiches for everyone in Fresco, CO (just outside of Vail). The kids complained at one point that the car was hot, and it was 75 degrees out! I thought “Oh boy, and tomorrow the high in Las Vegas is going to be 111! They ain’t seen nothin’ yet!”

Dinner ended up being in this nice little town on the western edge of Utah called Ridgefield.

Peter also got to take a break and run around in a park for a bit. He was BEGGING to be done in the car, and we still had 6 hours to go!

After some more video games, some beautiful scenery, and a wonderful electrical light show in the northwest corner of Arizona where a storm was working its way over the mountains, we turned a corner and there was Las Vegas…in all it’s neon glory. We made our way to the Las Vegas Hilton, checked in, (boy this hotel is hopping…probably because it’s a Friday night), got everything into the hotel room that needed to come in (with it being 111 tomorrow, inside the car it’s going to be 130!), and finally was able to take showers and crash. The room is wonderful, with two double beds and a couch for Andy. We are planning on sleeping in tomorrow as it is the first day in a long time we’ve got NOTHING PLANNED until the evening! So its good night for all of us. I’m ready for a long sleep…

It's time to travel again!

It wouldn't be July unless the Bumbas were vacuuming the car, packing the cooler and preparing for another long road trip. Apparently, we just can't stay away from the west coast, because we're headed there again! Here, in short form, is our trip this year. Not as ambitious stop-wise (we actually stay in one spot for three days at a time mostly!), but definitely ambitious mileage-wise (again):

Sat-Sun: Vegas to see Beatle's "Love"

Sun-Wed: San Diego - Mission Bay to relax and soak in pure southern California

Wed-Sun: San Diego - Downtown for Comic-Con and the Zoo

Sun-Tue: Driving up the Pacific Coast Highway to Monterey (seeing Hearst Castle among other things)

Tue-Fri: Camping in Yosemite

Fri-Sun: Snowbird, UT for some summer mountain fun

Sun-Mon: Heading home

I'll be keeping an updated blog again if you'd care to join us on our jaunt. Stay tuned and enjoy!