It all started with a 7 am departure from the house, which went well, followed by an 11 am flight from Dallas to San Diego. I'm not going to lie, Dalt and I were pretty nervous boarding the plane with our two youngsters. Merann was with us, and she managed to snag some great seats at the very back of the plane, which meant we wouldn't disturb all of the passengers when the guys started fussing. It went pretty well, even though we had to work to make it go pretty well! Let's just say we were all glad when the wheels hit the ground in San Diego, which was a lot more mountainous than I thought it would be.
We got our luggage and were picked up, and enjoyed the scenery as we headed to the hotel. There was a lot of green, pretty yards, palm trees mixed with pine trees and lots of hills with houses on them. After a quick drop off of luggage we went to Justin's house and checked it out. Kallie made us a ham for dinner, and while it was cooking we loaded up and headed out for a long walk…and I mean long. We needed it though after our day of cramped flying.
We saw Balboa Park, stopped to let the kids play for a bit, including the beautiful buildings, fountain and museums. At one point Cooper said he had to go to the potty. While we were looking around to see which way to the bathroom, Cooper pulled down his pants, ready to 'water' the nearest bush. Embarrassing!!!! It was hard to get him to pull his pants up as we howled with laughter, but we did it and made it to the bathroom in time. That's when we decided we were country mice in the city.
Next morning it was cloudy, cold and rainy, but we made the best of it. We had breakfast at our hotel, where there was a great view from the top!
They were pretty cute! There was even a baby one just born that morning. We looked at them for a little bit and then made it back to the car just in time for the rain to start. La Jolla was a pretty place, very clean and upscale.
Our next stop was Miramar Marine Base, Justin's workplace. It was our first time on a base, so it was an experience. We drove around and looked a little, then the boys did a flight simulator while Kallie and I distracted the kids best we could. I have to brag on Dalton a little…he did great at flying the simulator.
That was followed by lunch on base, at the Officers' Club. It was interesting being surrounded by uniforms and military personnel, I felt a little awkward because I didn't want to do anything I wasn't supposed to, since we dont' know all the military regulations.
Before we left the base we got to see the Ospreys and Justin's office. It was neat seeing all of the aircraft in the hangar and on the ground. We even saw a few take off.
Deciding it would be best to let the boys nap in the car we did a little sightseeing on the way back. We drove up to Point Loma and saw some more beautiful views. It was especially neat because we could see Mexico in the distance, with a shadow of a military ship in front of it.
The boys got a pretty good nap and woke up just in time to go to a children's museum. They had a big time running around and playing with all of the exhibits. The cutest thing were these rolling seats that were decorated like farm animals.
The Hotel Del Coronado on Coronado Island was our next stop. It was a pretty drive across a big bridge to the island, and the historic hotel was very neat. They had displays of pictures from times past and it was really special to get to see the hotel with it's patrons in fancy dresses, big hats and old cars. We made it to the back and were able to get someone to snap a picture of the entire group. I wanted to go onto the beach, but it was just too windy and cold!
Mexican food was our final stop and it was delicious. At one point Ace grabbed my glass and spilled it. That really bothered Cooper. He kept trying to get the waiter's attention to tell him. Finally I told him to say "Excuse me sir…" instead of "Hey you" when he needed something. He told the waiter the problem and then seemed to feel better.
After supper, when we loaded back into the car, Cooper leaned forward and said "Excuse me sir, where are we going now?" to our chauffeur, aka Justin. Pretty funny stuff. When we got back to the hotel, Justin and Dalton hung out downstairs for a bit while the boys and I went to bed. I drifted off to Duck Dynasty….we don't get A&E at home.
Saturday morning dawned and it was our final full day in California. We were going to make the most of it and were ready for the farmer's market early. We walked around and looked at all the fresh produce and goods available. I tasted some yummy toffee peanut butter, but couldn't talk Dalton into buying any. Then it was time for breakfast. The boys shared a banana and nutella panini, and I opted for a turkey, avocado, tomato crepe…yummmmm. As I stood in line to order I asked Dalton for some money to pay. He handed me a five and I told him, with downcast eyes, that I needed some more. He looked at me suspiciously and asked "How much is the crepe?" I replied "$9" as casually as I could, trying to look cool because I was surrounded by people, many locals. His eyes got wide and he said, very loudly "$9 for a crepe!!" and then handed over the money. I was a little embarrassed but didn't let that stop me from enjoying my crepe. It was another of our Country Mouse moments. The farmers' market provided a great view of the ocean and it was serene there browsing and listening to the music.
Saturday evening we enjoyed steaks and asparagus (from the market) and even tried brussel sprouts. Now we can say officially after we tried them that we don't like them. Although Kallie did make some quinuoa that was really good, going to try that here. It was nice to have a place to visit and relax…the beauty of vacationing where someone lives. The boys enjoyed playing together in Karper's ball pit and dancing to his musical animals. I was able to sneak away from the boys with Kallie and Merann to go get some gelato down the street. It was a whole different place at night and this shop, Chocolate, was hopping. It was a tough choice but I went with Peanut Butter and White Chocolate. And let me tell you this Country Mouse really likes gelato now!
The day had come for us to leave. As much as I'd wished we could have stayed longer, the boys were definitely starting to feel the time change and rush of events from the past couple of days. Before we left we ate breakfast at a famous restaurant, Hash House. I heard it has been on the Food Network (a channel I frequent often) We were advised to share and boy were they right! The portions were humongous, even for a Texan! The plates were pretty though and the food delicious.
Because of our big breakfast out we were running just a tad late at the airport. We were a bit worried when we saw the long line to security, but once we made it through we had plenty of time. Ace toddled around making friends and Cooper sat by Auntie M, begging to play a game on her Ipad. We boarded and endured the semi-rough flight home. The exhaustion was getting to Cooper and Ace was just a handful. I'll be honest…another 10 minutes before landing and it would have been total mayhem! But, God was merciful and we made it without incident.
We had a wonderful time in California. Not only was it great to get to see another ocean and part of the country we hadn't been to before, but getting to visit with J, K and K was awesome. I loved getting to be a part of their lives for a little while. Now when I see pictures or they talk about things I actually know what they are saying or can picture where they are. We were so blessed to be able to have the opportunity to go and visit.
"I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you." Genesis 28:15
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