We've had so much going on lately that I haven't had the time to finish posting about our trip to San Diego. Kent was out there for a conference and since we were to pay for the hotel anyhow, we opted for a week long vacation. We stayed on the glorious island of Coronado which I LOVE! It had the wonderful feel of a quaint old town, well kept and with beautiful upper class homes each unique in it's design. The atmosphere was friendly and laid back from both residents and visitors alike. It was definitely a place I would return to again and again.
The view from our room at night. The string of lights is the bridge that crosses over to San Diego. I must admit the first few times across I was rather disconcerted with the fact there was only thick concrete between me and several feet of air and water. After crossing it several times I learned to enjoy the view a little more.
While Kent's first few days were spent at the conference, the kids and i puttered around the beaches, parks and shopping areas. They played so hard in the mornings that both needed a nap in the afternoon where I lounged cross-stitching or reading to my heart's content.
In the afternoons and early evenings Kent and I took the kids to just about every farmer's market we could find. It's amazing what you can find at these places where there is a demand for it. Glorious fruits, ripe from the trees, all kinds of citrus (the satsuma oranges that Keila must have eaten 5 a day) to rarer fruits, like longan, cherimoya and guava. After sampling we bought some of almost everything. The cherimoya was something I'd never seen before. When ripe, it had a rich fragrance, the fruit inside was a creamy beige with black seeds throughout about the size of an almond. The fruit was custard like in richness, sweet and exotic. Apparently Mark Twain said it was the "most delicious fruit known to man". I'd have to agree, I have never had anything like it. I'd tasted guava before in all the fake flavored drink from Mexican restaurants and had never really been fond of it. Kent convinced me to buy one and we both regretted not getting more of it. It was wonderful.
There were a ton of stands of homemade crafts and goods, jellies and pasties. We had intending on keeping the trip cheaper by cooking our meals in our timeshare but we must have spent a ton on pastries and our waistlines showed it. One evening we bought a Bosnian potato, onion pie, some baklava and some middle eastern rice dish along with something called a dosa. Apparently the dosas (plural?) are a staple of South India, they resemble a tortilla, but thinner, more like a crepe and are made from rice and lentils. It has a wonderful nutty flavor and this couple had 'Americanized' it by filling it with all sorts of things, sweets ones like mango-ginger chutneys, fruit and chocolate peanut spread to savory ones filled with cheeses, avocados and curried veggies. It was a huge hit with all those that have gluten allergies. While it was a little pricey, it was worth the experience and I've already downloaded a few recipes to try out at home.
The final two days were spent at Legoland. Up until this point, Isaac has been too cautious a child to try out rides of any sort and I know Disneyland would be a total waste on him. Legoland seemed like the place to break him in and included plenty of fun for Keila.
These were signs all around the park that were rather amusing. :0)
This was one of the few rides Keila could go on and she LOVED it! We went on it over 7 times the first day and 4 more the next. While it only went round and round, it did whip you pretty good around the corner and I loved that Kent captured this right at that moment. You can see Keila practically saying, "Whoa!"
While Keila rode her little plane, Isaac played in an enclosure that shot Nerf balls around. He could have stayed in there all day!
Isaac rescuing Kent from a shark.
We went on a little boat tour that showed us some of the best of their Lego creations. I got so use to seeing animals and buildings made of the famous blocks, that I mistook a very still crane to be also made of Lego. Our boat moved near it and it suddenly cocked it's eye at me startling me a little. I had to laugh, until the lady behind me gasped, I guess I wasn't the only one!
Keila loved all the Lego people and animals, insisting on getting up close to give them a kiss.
Isaac was a little dubious of this slide, but with some firm guidance from Kent, he came down and ended up enjoying the ride. In the end, he went on everything that he possibly could, even the rollercoaster. The picture that they took was hilarious, it was the one ride he didn't like and you could tell because his little body was pressed in close to Kent's and his horrified expression as he looked on to the terrible fate he and Baba were about to experience made you feel bad that he went on it. He couldn't understand why Kent and I went back to it the next day and firmly shook his head when we invited him to come along, saying, "No way!"
Isaac had the opportunity to drive his very own electric car. He was award his very own license. I cringe to think of the day this will be reality!
Mr. Policeman Isaac forcefully commanding Keila to STOP in the name of the law!
Digging for dinosaur bones. Keila ended up burying herself, as if the arch of sand wasn't a clear enough indication to you!
Our tickets also included the aquarium next door. The kids were rather worn out by then, but as usual, I enjoyed petting all my favorite sea animals. I love the bubbles they made for the kids to get into and feel like they were surround by the sea.
It was a wonderful trip and one we hope to repeat again soon.
