Road Trip to San Diego!
Now that we have a kindergartner we had to start planning family vacations around the school calendar. This year we decided to stay fairly close to home and drive to San Diego for a little getaway. It is only about 4 hours away and only Shaun had been there before so we figured it was the perfect family spot! Although we are not golfers we stayed at the Lodge at Torrey Pines. Wow, what a great hotel! Nice and quiet and over looking the ocean on one side and nestled into the pines trees on the other.
What a cozy and comforting place!
Just after sunset.
A little glimpse of the golf course.
Sunset over the ocean.
Our little balcony nestled in the pines.
Dinner time outdoors by the pool.
Our first night trying out the pool.
It was supposed to be 82 degrees, but when it is only about 60 degrees outside that sure felt chilly!
"The Hot Pool" as Larkin affectionately named it.
The kids decided that after that first swim in the regular pool they were going to spend the rest of their week in the "hot pool" otherwise known as the hot tub. We were all okay with this!
LEGOLAND Here We Come!
Our first stop was to LEGOLAND. What a fun place! Larkin could ride most everything and Brayden could pretty much ride on what he was interested in. Not to mention all of the cool things that can be built out of MILLIONS of Legos.
Posing with the giant Lego pumpkin!
Earning her LEGOLAND driver's license.
Driving the helicopter with Daddy.
Flying the airplane with Daddy.
Posing with the Lego donkey.
Sack race time!
Next Stop Sea World
The next day we headed to Sea World. The kids loved seeing all of the different animals and some of the cool animal shows. The week was actually pretty quiet so it was nice not to have wait in many lines.
Getting a close up of the dolphins.
Pretending to be a polar bear in his den!
Look who else was at Sea World!
Tea cup time with Daddy and the kids LOVE it.
Mommy does NOT do these types of rides!
The Torrey Pines Preserve
After a day of LEGOLAND and Sea World we thought we would take it a little bit easy. Shaun and I each had massages in the morning and took turns playing games and relaxing with the kids. After a relaxing morning we decided to take a family hike at the preserve. The weather was a bit cloudy, but it was fairly warm and the kids needed to get out and run around a bit anyway.
Beginning our hike.
Picture time with Daddy!
And with Mommy.
Almost there!
Wow it is a LONG way down.
The final steps to the ocean.
After about 3/4 of a mile we arrived at the ocean!
Daddy looking up at us from the ocean. What a view!
My favorite fellas!
Heading back to the car.
Stopping for a little rest and to make some silly faces on our way back to the car.
Love my crazy little family!
So there are no more pictures from our hike, but shortly after this lovely picture was taken we felt a drop of rain. Then there was another and another. This turned into a complete downpour. About five minutes later Larkin began asking why the rain hadn't stopped yet. Evidently she is only used to Arizona rainstorms which last about 2 minutes. Much to her surprise this particular rainstorm continued until we were completely drenched and freezing and even after that. We may have also chosen to take the longer path back to the car (somewhat unintentionally) so our little hike turned into a very long, slow jog in the rain. The kids actually handled it really well and Shaun showed off his super star hotel skills by drying all of our clothes with a hairdryer. Yes, that was a very long process! It is definitely a family outing we will always remember:)
The San Diego Zoo
Our last stop was the San Diego Zoo. What a cool place. Pretty much saw every animal imaginable and most of them we saw several times. There are hundreds of pictures of these animals, but those will have to wait for another entertaining post. It was also a nice and sunny day which made everything perfect! Below are some of the pictures taken by the photo people at the zoo.
Popping up to say hello with their new friend!
San Diego was a great place for a family vacation. We will definitely have to visit again soon.
Plus, October is kids free month which makes everything even better!
