When we go on vacation, Dave and I like to go some place warm, ideally with a beach. After telling Linus we weren't "those people" who go to Hawaii every year and our plan to rent a beach house on the Washington coast fell through, we thought San Diego sounded like the perfect solution.
Using VRBO.com, I found a great condo in Mission Beach across the street from the beach.
 |
| The view from our condo. The best part of waking up and going to bed every day. |
 | |
| The kids, especially Eileen, battled heat rash. We tried to keep them shirtless as much as possible. |
The trip down wasn't bad, but I would give a major thumbs down to Dollar Rent a Car. I don't think I will ever willing use them again. We had a couple hours to kill before we could check in to the condo, so we went to Old Town. Old Town is very touristy and reminiscent of Sedona. There was a really great artisan fair going on that day and we found ourselves having to use restraint not to buy everything. We came away with two t-shirts, a print, and a glow in the dark spider bracelet. I'd also like to give a shout out to the staff of Cold Stone. We didn't have enough cash and they gave us the ice cream anyway. Of course we went back later, thanked them again, and left a massive tip.
Days 2 and 7 San Diego Zoo
The San Diego Zoo is HUGE. Despite spending two days there, we didn't come close to seeing everything. It's also built in a canyon, so the hills are tremendous. There are moving walkways in a few parts, but it was still a serious hike around the zoo. I wouldn't be surprised if they forgot about certain animals. We would find exhibits we had somehow missed walking back through. The humidity was hard and we found ourselves willing spending $10 for a lemonade (it did have free refills). The pandas were cool. Linus is convinced he saw a baby panda (he didn't, it was behind the scenes with its mom).
 |
| Linus was very excited about the bug zoo. The reptile walk was also a big hit. I saw a large bird eating tarantula and ran out of the building. |
 |
| baby cheetah stalking its prey |
 |
| baby cheetah is ready to enjoy the kill |
 |
| play area by the elephants. We spent a lot of time there because it was shady and had a place to sit. |
 |
| photo by Linus |
 |
| hitching a ride on a giant tortoise |
 |
| After going to the San Diego Zoo, Linus decided he was going to be a safari guide. Good thing I brought a button shirt to wear! He begged us to buy him an official safari outfit and pith helmet at the gift shop. |
The zoo also has a safari park further away but we decided to leave that for a future trip. The zoo is inside Balboa Park which has tons of museums. With only a week in San Diego, we only had time to drive through Balboa Park.
Day 3 La Jolla
This was probably Dave's and my favorite day. We drove up to La Jolla Cove, about 15 minutes away. We saw lots of sea lions and pelicans. Dave and Linus went snorkeling. Linus LOVES snorkeling. The swim lessons have really paid off and given him more confidence in the water. We had him wear water wings while snorkeling to just make it a little easier to stay afloat while snorkeling. The kids and I played on the beach.
 |
| Linus snorkeling. |
After lunch in town, we were getting ready to leave the restaurant when we noticed Eileen had a blow out. It was bad. Very bad. We ended up hurrying back to the car. As we walked, poop dropped out of Eileen's shorts and onto the sidewalk. It smelled like horse manure. I pray nobody wrote down our license plate number. We wiped her down in front of a lawyer's office (insert joke here).
Days 4 and 6 LEGOLAND!
I was so excited for Legoland that I could barely sleep the night before. It's not quite as magical as Disneyland and it is definitely pales in comparison restaurant-wise. Nonetheless, we had a great time. We all loved the water park. We did a full day the first day. The second day was actually better because we had a better sense of the park. Linus loved roller coasters and water slides. He went on almost every ride that he was tall enough. I think he recently had a growth spurt because Dave and I were both surprised that he made it on ride requiring you to be 40 inches. Eileen was too short for most rides, but she was tall enough for this one airplane ride and rode it more than ten times.
 |
| helicopter ride |
 |
| Eileen liked riding the boat at Fairy Brook. |
 |
| She takes boating and fairy tales seriously. |
 |
| Eileen passed out in the stroller both days at Legoland which was great. We sent Linus on rides she would want to go on but was too short while she slept. She never knew. |
 |
| fraternizing with another tourist |
 |
| meeting a lego guy |
 |
| unimpressed by the Diving Beetle ride |
 |
| Eileen climbed this cargo net with no help. |
 |
| Star Wars Miniland is pretty darn cool even if you hate Episodes 1-3. Don't worry, there is no Jar Jar Binks. |
 |
| Little bit of love on the Duploland train. |
Being in Legoland, we felt obligated to buy Legos. Eileen got a duplo set to add to our collection (no pink legos here). Linus got his first little Legos, Batman and the Joker.
If you want to go to Legoland, here's what you should know:
- it's not as much fun if you are under 34 inches. Lots of rides require you to be 36 inches, some even taller.
- lines are much shorter after 5 pm
- they have lego play areas for kids to play with while parents wait in line
- one kid kit from a restaurant/food stand will feed two kids although you might add an extra drink.
- there are lots of opportunities to get wet even if you don't go to the water park. We found it way easier the second day when we just came with our bathing suits already on. There are large family dryers.
- they allow a parent swap on rides, ie. I could go on a ride with Linus, and then Dave could go on the same ride without waiting in line again. Pretty sweet.
- the sweet spot for kids going to Legoland is probaby ages 4-9.
Day 5
I planned day 5 to be a rest day, secretly hoping we might make it to SeaWorld. Eileen puked all over herself in the car. It was a day of rest, vomiting, heat rash, and legos.
I love being on the beach with my family. We all got really into road building. Our condo provided beach toys, beach blankets, umbrella, kick boards, and chairs. We were set.
Eating in San Diego
Eating in San Diego was sometimes a little tricky. By staying in a condo, we saved a lot of money making our own food. Of course, we had to go to a few restaurants. It was vacation after all. It was tricky because Linus hates Mexican food and it proliferates throughout San Diego.
A few of our favorite places were: Fred's Mexican Cafe (I LOVED their San Diego salad), Porkyland (cheap, delicious, large portion Mexican food), Mission Coffee Cup in La Jolla, and Mission in Mission Bay. I really enjoyed the San Diego influence on food--black beans, brown rice, avocado, steamed broccoli. It was soooooo good. We went out to The Counter one night even though it was a bit of a drive. I still mourn the loss of the Ballard location. It was worth driving to Del Mar.
Eileen
Eileen did great on the trip. She really went with the flow despite having us mess with naps. She was a real trooper despite having a horrible heat rash the entire time. Even puking and crazy poop didn't seem to shake her too much. Her vocabulary exploded while we were there. Not knowing local radio stations, we didn't bother to turn on the radio in the car. Eileen used the opportunity to provide the music. Her top 5 songs: Hush Hush Mommy Charlotte (her take on the old song, hush hush sweet charlotte), Twinkle Twinkle, Lullaby and Goodnight, Butterfly Driving a Truck, and Sailor Nonsense.
Final Thoughts
It was a fun trip and really relaxing. Linus threw a few tantrums, but it was significantly less than last year's trip to Hawaii. Is this what happens as you near age four? I can no longer go on vacation without the assistance of Google maps on my smartphone. I like San Diego, but I don't think I want to live there. I would miss the evergreen trees and mountains. Linus didn't want to leave, but seems relieved to be home. I'm glad we were fortunate enough to be able to go on vacation. I feel renewed and ready to greet fall. If you're wondering where all the cute family shots are, they just didn't happen. Instead, we did find the time to have some fun in the photobooth at the San Diego Zoo. I think they turned out pretty well :)
No comments:
Post a Comment