We never went to Sea World while we were living in San Diego despite being a few miles away and hearing their fireworks show every night during the summer. I wanted to take the kids but with all the controversy about killer whales in captivity, I decided to stay away.
However, I had always wanted to take the kids since I remember going as a kid and remember what a big impression it made on me and how it gave me a love of the ocean as a young kid.
The kids and I watched “Black Fish” together and talked about whether it was right or wrong to keep animals in captivity and decided not to go. So we were delighted to hear that Sea World was going to phase out keeping their orcas in captivity and decided that now we felt right about visiting the park.
We started off by visiting the orca and dolphin show that was happening right after we entered the park. The orcas are such magnificent creatures and I was taken by their power and size.
Then we went to watch the orcas swim. This was a really cool experience as some of them came right up to the glass over and over. The kids seemed to love seeing them up close.
From there, we went to a Sea Lion and Otter show. We LOVE otters in our house so there was no way we were going to miss seeing one. He was adorable and the sea lions were great too.
Then we wandered around the park and rode some rides. We also found a spot where the kids could feed and pet sting rays which they loved.
Then we wandered over to the penguins because Mara loves penguins!
From there, we wandered to the arctic exhibit to see the polar bears and beluga whales. Mara fell in love with the beluga whales! We spent a long time at tank level watching them swim.
We also met a walrus that kept swimming up to the glass and flipping right in front of the kids.
All in all it was a great day at the park and I was glad that the kids could fall in love with the ocean animals.
Once we decided to go to Oregon and San Diego for our summer vacation, I started pushing to go to Universal Studios in LA. Beckett and I had just started reading the Harry Potter books in the spring and I was completely sucked into the Harry Potter world (Chuck and Mara had already read them). I think I was more excited than any of us to go and soak up all things Harry Potter.
We had early access (7am) to the park, but given our late night arrival, we didn’t get to the park till 8am. No worries though as it was still pretty empty. We made a bee line for Hogsmeade and to the 3D ride, Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey. I was pretty nervous riding this as I’ve repeatedly heard how nauseous people get on it, and given how motion sick Mara and I get, I thought it could be a very bad idea. However, we really wanted to go, so I sucked down some ginger candies and hoped for the best.
The entrance to the ride takes you into Hogwarts and it’s AMAZING. You see the house point containers, a golden Griffin, the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom, a portrait gallery (with walking, talking portraits that were amazing), the Gryffindor common room, the Fat Lady portrait which talks to you, Dumbledore’s office, the Sorting Hat, and more. It was incredible. It was also incredibly dark so my pictures didn’t turn out.
The ride itself was one of the best rides I’ve ever gone on. It’s part rollercoaster and part 3D ride. At a few points we were “flying” all around Hogwarts and in another we flew into a game of Quidditch (and almost caught the Golden Snitch). At other points, we were in parts of Hogwarts and almost got pummeled by the Whomping Willow and attacked by dementors.
Unfortunately, halfway through the ride, it came to abrupt stop with warning messages sounding. We just sat there in our car waiting to see what happened and after a few minutes, the ride started back up and we were back on our way.
When it was over, it was hard to process what had just happened. We had just flown! And played Quidditch! And soared over Hogwarts! It was SO COOL!
However, we all felt a bit nauseous afterwards and needed to get our bearings again. So we headed to Ollivander’s Wand Shop for the wand choosing ceremony. There was a 45 minute line so I offered to stand in line while Chuck took the kids on the other Harry Potter rollercoaster, Flight of the Hippogriff.
None of us were picked for the wand choosing ceremony but it was still really neat to see. I’m so glad I stood in line for it. After the ceremony, we went into Ollivander’s to pick out our wand. We had agreed to get 1 wand and share it, but both kids picked out different wands so we bought one for each of them. Mara picked out her own wand made of vine and Beckett picked out Dumbledore’s wand. Once bought, it was time to go outside and try casting some spells!
At the wand choosing ceremony in Ollivanders
Description of Mara’s wand
Different character’s wands – really neat to see what they all looked likeMy 2 wizards with their new wandsExpecto Patronum!
There are about 12 different spots around Hogsmeade where you can try out spells with your wand. If you do them correctly, something happens. Of course the kids and I tried every spot and LOVED when the various spells worked! Such a neat feeling!
Let’s see if they work!They work!
After trying out our wands, it was time for lunch at the Three Broomsticks! This place was so cool and it felt like stepping right into the movies. I kept expecting to see Snape come down the steps or Harry to walk in.
The Three Broomsticks
We ordered a Butterbeer with lunch and the kids went nuts for it. It reminded me of very sweet cream soda but was good. The kids could barely suck it down fast enough.
Butterbeer gets a Thumbs Up from Beckett
After lunch it was time to wander around Hogsmeade. First stop, Honeydukes! Man is this place a feast for the eyes. Beckett wasn’t nearly as interested in the candy as Mara was, and he made a beeline for the Pygmy Puffs in the adjacent Zonko’s.
HoneydukesPlease can I have the ginormous pygmy puff?!? Please?!?
From there, we took our time in Hogsmeade just wandering into the various shops, casting spells at the different locations and soaking up the wizarding world.
Hogwarts ExpressOwl post
Once we covered everything in Harry Potter world, we left to explore the rest of Universal Studios park. First stop, Lard Lad Donuts for the giant Homer donut! We got the pink Homer donut and a giant chocolate one. Quite tasty!
Then we popped into a special effects presentation, wandered through Springfield (Simpson world), did the Movie Studio tour, popped over to the Despicable Me world, and took in the Waterworld stunt show.
KrustyThe purple minion kept chasing Beckett around – it was hysterical
As the day was winding down, we headed back to Hogsmeade. We rode Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey again, this time it didn’t glitch, and thoroughly enjoyed it the 2nd time around too. Then we picked up a ton of souvenirs before reluctantly returning to the muggle world.
Beckett and his Pygmy Puff
The entire Harry Potter experience could not have been better. I was blown away by how realistic everything was from the shops and souvenirs to the moving portraits to the wands casting spells to the town. And ride was just incredible – I really felt like I got to fly and play Quidditch and I swear I touched the Golden Snitch. We all really felt like wizards for the day.
I now really want to take the kids to the one in Florida!
We were lucky enough to go to Legoland 3 different times while we lived in San Diego.
The first time we went for Beckett’s birthday. The kids had a blast driving the cars, riding “The Dragon”, trying the Apple fries, riding the “Technic”, wandering around Miniland, and more. We even got to meet Wyldstyle from the Lego Movie!
The next time we went to Legoland was for the kids to do the Kids Marathon Mile race. It’s a 1 mile race through the theme park with tickets to the park after the race. The kids loved participating and we had yet another great day enjoying the park.
The 3rd time we went, only Beckett and I went as it was part of his 3rd grade class field trip. The class did an engineering with legos class and then had the rest of the day to run around the park. Beckett had a blast running around with friends and riding rides with me. At the end of the day he met up with some classmates at the water park where they got soaked. What a fun day and great way to wrap up his 3rd grade experience!
For Mother’s Day, Chuck surprised me with tickets for all of us to go Go-Kart racing. Definitely an out of the box Mother’s Day adventure!
Strangely, the place was pretty darn empty on Mother’s Day. Shocking, I know! Within 15 minutes of arriving, Chuck and I were up. After a pretty quick overview on the rules and how to drive the cars, we got all strapped in and shortly it was our turn. Our race was only the 2 of us. Let’s just say that Chuck got comfortable driving the karts faster than I did but at the end of our 12 laps, his best lap time only beat mine by well under 1 second.
Right after we were done, the kids were up. Their race had about 6 kids in it and it looked like some of the kids had done this before. There were a couple of kids that were a bit aggressive and thought it was a bit like bumper cars (it’s not!). Beckett was a little reckless out there too taking the corners too fast and having a few issues.
Right after their race, it was my turn again. Chuck had asked for us to be separate (I think he was scared to race me again, ha!) so he could take pictures. Due to someone not showing, I got to race myself. Yep, only me on the track. The guys running the place seemed to think I was really lucky as it’s rare to get the track to yourself. At first I was bummed to not have anyone to race against, but once I got going, I was glad to not have to dodge anyone. They have a screen that shows your best lap so I’d check it after every lap and set some goals for myself so every lap I got faster and faster.
She’s going the distance… she’s going for speed
Chuck was up next in a race against about 7 or 8 people that kind of looked like mayhem, but he did pretty well. Then the kids did a final race and we were all done.
We were there over 2 hours but that was partly due to a scheduling snafu with the kids. But we all had a blast. It does take a bit of getting used to but all of us got faster and faster with every lap. We also all left wanting more and Beckett keeps asking to go back.
Definitely another great family adventure!
Oh, and Chuck did do more for Mother’s Day than just this. He got up early to take Beckett to hockey so I could sleep and came home with flowers. And he also took us to a fantastic Moroccan restaurant for dinner where we indulged in chicken tagine, beef kabobs, cous cous and mint tea! Brought back great memories of our trip to Marrakesh last year.
Despite our travels in 2013 and 2014, we hadn’t had an adults-only vacation for about 2 years. Luckily Chuck’s mom Carla came to the rescue, and flew down to babysit the kids while we went to Sonoma and Napa for 4 nights.
Our first night was spent with Chuck’s friend Bonny in Santa Rosa. In the morning we had a great breakfast then got a tour of Bonny’s property including her 2.5 acres of grapes. Then it was off for some wine tasting!
We dropped our car off at Coppola then drove to Stonestreet Winery which is owned by Jackson Family Wineries. Bonny has been here multiple times and knows one of the executives so we got VIP (free!) tastings. We sat outside looking at a gorgeous view as we were treated to both the white and red wines. I’m not usually a big white wine drinker but the one Chardonnay was the best Chardonnay I’ve ever had (I think it was the 2012 Cougar Ridge Chardonnay).
Then it was on to tasting the reds. These were some of the best red wines I’ve ever had. I think it was the 2012 Cougar Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon that was amazing. Smooth, balanced, with many subtle flavors all blending together in perfect harmony. They also brought out a few of the high end “back room” wines. Once again, the red wine, 2010 Christopher’s Cabernet Sauvignon, was beyond words and Chuck and I “fought” over each sip.
The two of us with Bonny at Stonestreet. Wonderful place to relax and enjoy wine!
After our time at Stonestreet, we made a quick stop for lunch and then drove back to Coppola. The best thing about being here was the grounds and all the movie memorabilia. We even got to see his Oscars which was pretty cool. Once again Bonny hooked us up with a free tasting although I didn’t really enjoy any of the wines.
View from CoppolaOscars!
Bonny had to leave us at this point but suggested DaVero which is a small farm and winery. Not only did they have pretty good wine, but they had delicious jam and olive oil. They also had the cutest little piglets we got to see.
We were pretty full of wine at this point (well I was, Chuck was driving), so we headed to Healdsburg for dinner. After a fine dinner at Healdsburg Bar & Grill, we headed to our hotel, the Hampton Inn Windsor, checked in and went to bed pretty early.
On Friday, it was off to Napa! First we drove to Calistoga and had some BBQ before another free tasting (thanks again Bonny!) at Freemark Abbey. The wines were pretty good but since we’d been spoiled at Stonestreet, they didn’t seem like anything to write home about.
Then we drove to Yountville to pick up pastries and bread at Bouchon Bakery. The macarons were a close second to the ones at Ladurée in Paris. So good!
Next up was Cakebread. I had the highest hopes for this winery and paid extra for the special red wine tasting. The wines sounded so good so I figured this was the place to blow the budget. Turns out we were the only ones that signed up for this particular time so we had our own private tasting! Score!
The bad part was that we didn’t like the wines that much. They were good but young (so the guy told us but now I know what a young wine tastes like). They were pleasant but lacked depth and character. They’d probably be delicious aged for a few years but I wasn’t going to buy any at their prices and risk it.
Last on the agenda was a tasting at Domaine Carneros. I picked this place because of the photos – it looked incredible. They also mostly serve sparkling wines, and even though I’m not much a fan of sparkling wine, I thought it would be nice to try something different and mix things up. Actually I should say that I didn’t used to be a fan of sparkling wine until my visit here. They completely changed my mind.
Panorama of the view at Domaine Carneros
Our tasting consisted of 4 sparkling wines – 2 bruts, 1 rose and 1 demi-sec – although we were treated to an extra one. They were delicious. Interesting, balanced, well rounded and with bubbles. Our favorite was the Blanc de Noir which is made from Pinot Noir grapes. This stuff was so good that we enjoyed another glass AND bought our first bottle of wine to take home. The grounds are beautiful and it was such a wonderful place to sit and enjoy a glass of bubbly while watching the world go by.
4 glasses of happy at Domaine Carneros
After our bubbly, it was off to dinner at Ristorante Allegria in downtown Napa. Chuck and I had eaten here once before on our first trip to Napa and it was an amazing meal – one of those meals of a lifetime. We had no delusions that it would be as remarkable the 2nd time but still knew we’d have a very good meal. Boy were we both wrong. We both ordered the same thing as last time, Wild Mushroom Ravioli for me and Gnocchi al Pesto for Chuck, and they were every bit as good as our first trip. I think I spent the entire meal with my eyes closed savoring every single bite and making mmmmm noises. It was that good.
On Saturday, it was Sonoma day. We first headed to Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve to see some redwoods. There was a redwood tree there that was 310′ tall and another was 1400 years old! Incredible. It was such a treat to visit this park and surround ourselves in old redwood trees. Quite amazing.
Colonel Armstrong – 308′ tall and 1400 years oldSee the tiny speck that is Chuck?
Next we headed to downtown Sonoma to check it out. Mara had just been studying the missions of California and her assigned mission was Mission San Francisco Solano which happened to be in Sonoma, CA. So Chuck and I stopped by to take a tour and some pictures to share with Mara.
Mission San Francisco Solano in Sonoma, CA
Then it was time for some more wine! First stop was Imagery which we enjoyed. They had a White Burgundy that I’m still thinking about and now I wish I’d bought a bottle. I did enjoy a nice glass of it while basking in the sun. They also had a couple of other wines I’ve never had before which is always fun.
We had time to squeeze in one more winery, so we hightailed it to Benziger. I really enjoyed their wines as well, especially their Pinot Noir and their Gewürztraminer. In fact, I enjoyed them so much that I had a glass of Pinot Noir while at the vineyard and brought a bottle of the 2013 Gewürztraminer home.
Benziger
Chuck found us a great, little Indian restaurant so we loaded up on Indian food for dinner and headed back to our hotel.
The next morning, it was time to head to airport and head home. After 4 nights away it was definitely good to be back home and with our kids again. But I’m already dreaming of my return to wine country some day.
When we moved to San Diego, we rented a house for a couple of weeks in Mira Mesa. The backyard opened onto a canyon that turned out to be one of the main flight paths of the Marine’s F/A-18 Hornets so we’d hear them and see them flying every day, and every time we’d go up to Mira Mesa after we moved.
I was thrilled to find out that they do an air show every year at the base. Not only is this the base where they filmed “Top Gun” (how cool!) but it’s also the largest military show in the country. The fact that it was about 20 minutes from home made it a no-brainer to go see.
The show opened with an Osprey and some helicopters.
Then we saw the Marine’s hornets, US Army Golden Knights parachute team, and much more.
Then we got to see Sean D. Tucker perform in a biplane. He was extraordinary! I couldn’t believe the tricks he was able to do and he left us all mesmerized.
Next up was seeing a Harrier! We got to see it make a vertical lift off, hover in place, and fly around as well. What an incredible machine! After that , there were other aircraft that performed.
Finally, the Blue Angels were up and they did not disappoint. They flew right in front of the crowd with their wings almost touching and performed so many aerial tricks. Definitely a privilege to see them fly right before our eyes.
In addition to the performers, they had military planes and trucks that we could explore. The kids had a great time seeing the jets up close, going inside an carrier, and checking out the cockpits.
Once the sun set, there was a performance by the Shockwave Jet Truck which runs over 300mph and races the airplanes.
The show finished with a wall of fire which we ended up mostly missing as we left a few minutes early. It was brutally hot that day and we were all wilting after the long day standing in the sun. Unfortunately, we saw part of the wall of fire once we were outside and it looked INCREDIBLE so we were all bummed we missed it.
Kirsten saw a blog post this summer where someone had done a jetpack experience in the ocean, so she said “get me some of that!”
Unfortunately she didn’t get quite that, as I booked her onto something called the Jetovator, which is ridden kind of like a jet ski, but still turned out to be quite fun. She took the plunge at Glorietta Bay in Coronado.
The Jetovator is attached via a hose to a jet ski trailing her in the water. The guide controls the thrust power, while Kirsten managed all the controls.
She found it to be fun, but tiring and her legs were pretty shot after about a half hour of doing this.
For my birthday, Kirsten booked me into a jetpack experience at Mission Bay. The setup was similar in that I got some on-land training, then headed into the water, with my pack being powered by a water hose attached to a jet ski.
I had a great time doing the jetpack. One thing not shown in the pictures was when I got to “submarine”. I just tilted the jetpack forward and dove under the water like a dolphin, leaning back up 2-3 seconds later.
Between the two, it seems as though the jetpack was easier and it’s what we’d recommend if you’re looking for a water adventure!
Sand sculpting has always fascinated me and I’ve always wanted to see cool sculptures in person. So I was super excited when I found out the US Sand Sculpting Challenge and 3D Art Expo was being held in San Diego on the cruise ship pier.
We took the trolley from near our house to downtown and then walked a few blocks to the pier.
The sculptures were amazing! The level of detail was incredible and I have no idea how they defy gravity like that. It was a real treat to watch them work and see the art.
For Beckett’s 8th birthday, he wanted a little adventure. Kirsten found a Trapeze deal on Groupon that cost about $70 for 2 people to have an introductory lesson. Mara doesn’t dig heights, so Beckett and I gave it a shot.
They start with a 10 minute safety and commands briefing, then do a brief on-ground lesson on how to leave the platform, then off we go to the real thing!
Beckett’s Lesson
He was quite fearless in climbing the little ladder that took him up to the platform (about 20 feet high), and didn’t show any reservations when it was time to take off, either.
First off, we just learned to swing properly and dismount. Beckett did great!
The next time around, he hooked his legs up over the bar and swung upside down.
Chuck’s Lesson
My experience started the same as Beckett, with the on-ground lesson, basic swinging, and learning to swing by my legs.
After mastering that, I got the chance to swing and be caught by someone on the other trapeze. I’d have never guessed when we showed up that I could do that within the hour, but it worked the first time!
Nailed it!
This was really a thrill to do. It looked really difficult and I was proud to be able to do something like this quickly. All the other adults did it, as well, so I had no special talent. But it looks hard, and I was really stoked to complete the catch. I felt sore in odd spots for a couple days, but otherwise had no ill effects. So if you get the chance, give it a shot!
After a whirlwind week of deciding where we were going to live, packing, and moving, we decided to leave Hawaii for Christmas and threw in last minute trip planning to boot.
So after finishing packing up our stuff, we turned in our house keys, headed straight to the airport and flew to San Jose, CA. We spent the first night and next day in San Francisco riding the cable cars, visiting the Ghiradelli marketplace and sharing a delicious ice cream sundae for lunch. We ate a real lunch at the pier (clam chowder in a bread bowl – yummers!) and enjoyed watching the sea lions bask off the pier as well.
Cable car in San FranGhiradelli Ice Cream Sundae with the best Hot Fudge on the planetSea lions
After our day, we drove to Carmel for the night. The next day we went to the Monterrey Aquarium. I’ve been wanting to go there for YEARS – ever since I heard about it and their work with sea otters, one of my favorite animals. We finished up that day with some Swiss cheese fondue and spatzle. Yumm!!
Jellyfish @ Monterrey AquariumLeafy sea dragon
The next day we drove the Pacific Coast Highway from Carmel down to LA. As expected the views did not disappoint. And for the most part, the kids took the long, long trip really well.
Pacific Coast Highway view
We spent the next few nights in LA with Chuck’s friend, Julie, from business school. Her son, Jack, is 6 and the kids had the BEST time playing with him! Our LA days included seeing some of Chuck’s friends, showing the kids the UCLA campus, watching a LA Kings hockey game, and general hanging out.
UCLA BruinGo Kings Go!LA Kings game
On Christmas Eve, we left Julie’s and headed to Orange County for lunch with Chuck’s aunt and cousin. Then we drove to San Diego to my brother’s house.
We spent Christmas and the next week at their house and had a great, great time.
Highlights of our San Diego time included a full day at Disneyland. I think Beckett had the best day of his entire life and walked around so happy and excited and kept thanking us for taking him. We all rode Space Mountain, The Matterhorn, Big Thunder Railroad and more. We visited Small World, the princesses, and I think we got to every area of the park.
WeeeeeeBelleWatching the parade in front of Small WorldCinderella’s castleBeing “goofy”
Another highlight was our visit to the San Diego Zoo Wild Safari Park. It’s a zoo unlike any others where the wild animals roam around a big savannah and you can drive right thru it like a real safari.
Best friends – at least for a few minutesWild Animal Park
All in all, it was a fabulous 2 week trip. We did so many things as a family. And we tried to make this trip mostly about the kids but we also enjoyed doing everything as well. I’m so thankful that everything fell into place so we could have this adventure – it’s one I don’t think any of us will ever forget.
