It was a long flight with a very active Rose and a diaper debacle (try changing a blow out on a wiggly toddler in an airplane bathroom with NO changing table!!) After landing in San Diego, we made our way to our rental car, installed 3 car seats and were finally on our way to the resort. We got a wicked deal on a week's stay at the Welk Resort in Escondido, just north of San Diego. The resort was named after North Dakota's very own Lawrence Welk. Did I ever mention Lawrence used to date my great-grandmother?!?
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| A statue of Lawrence Welk |
By the time we arrived at the resort and settled in, it was time for bed. Our room was a 1 bedroom, 1 bath, with living room, dining room and full kitchen. The early morning risers (Shane and Cole) took the pull-out couch in the living room while the rest of us night owls stayed in the bedroom. Sleeping was a bit rocky - Rose was not fond of the pack-n-play but eventually she dozed off.
On Day 2, everyone was excited to see the sights! We decided to spend our first day at a little coastal town called Oceanside. It was about a 45 minute drive from our resort although it was only 15 miles away - lots of traffic and winding roads made the ride a slow one.
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| Ready to drive to the beach |
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| The pier to Ruby's Restaurant |
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| Owen gazing at the ocean |
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| Waiting for our food at Ruby's |
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| Being silly while waiting for lunch |
After lunch it was time to hit the beach! The kids loved running around on the sand and into the water, even though the water was FREEZING!
Rose was especially excited and had absolutely no fear when it came to the ocean. She would run at full speed directly to the water!
We eventually made it back to our resort, got the kids fed and then it was off to the pool! Rose loved playing in the splash pad while the boys swam. She kept bending down to sip the water right off the floor - she loves drinking water wherever she can find it! She's one silly girl!
The girls eventually joined the boys in the pool - there was much fun to be had splishing and splashing about!
We all warmed up in the hot tub before heading back to our room.
We capped the night off listening to music while roasting marshmallows and nibbling on s'mores. What a fabulous way to end the night!
On Day 3, we drove to La Jolla to take in some more scenic sights of the ocean.
There were some adventurous trails to get down to the beach, including steep staircases and giant boulders. So while the boys set off on a trek to find surf and sand, the girls took a leisurely stroll and enjoyed the views.
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| Owen already on the sand while Shane & Cole climb over the rocks |
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| Enjoying the beach |
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| Owen getting his feet wet |
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| Rose waiting for the boys to finish up and find a beach she could enjoy too! |
The boys finally made it back up after their adventure and we continued on our way to the Children's Pool. The Children's Pool used to be a place where the kids could come and swim safely protected from the waves. But the sea lions discovered that it was also a great place to raise their young. Now the pool is only open to sea lions and birds while the human visitors gaze on from afar.
We continued on and eventually we found a staircase that wasn't nearly so treacherous and were able to make our way down with 3 little ones plus a stroller. The kids loved running on the beach, feeling the sand between their toes and watching the waves roll in.
Little did we know that on the other side of the small beach area were several sea lions. The sea lions were snoozing away with their little pups curled up next to them.
We left La Jolla after grabbing dinner. The kids were exhausted!!
Day 4 started with a relaxing morning at our resort with breakfast and some screen time.
Then we were off to San Diego. Our first stop was lunch. We found a great place literally on the water. If you looked through the cracks in the floor boards, you could see the ocean!
After lunch, it was time for a SEAL tour. We loaded up into a big boat with wheels and took off down the streets of San Diego. The kids liked the driving part of the tour, but they LOVED when the vehicle drove right into the ocean and away we sailed! We saw all sorts of Navy ships and many adorable (and smelly!) sea lions.
On Day 5 we voyaged down the road to Legoland, a theme park full of, you guessed it, legos!! They had giant characters, animals and even replicas of famous buildings all made out of legos.
There were amusement park rides galore, complete with lines and lines of people! Since standing in line is not our little ones idea of fun, we only went on a handful of rides. The boys had a blast driving lego cars, and Owen even got a Legoland Driver's License. Cole's favorite ride was the roller coaster. We waited in line for at least 45 minutes just to go on a 2 minute ride! But he had a blast and once it was over immediately wanted to ride it again. We even stumbled upon the perfect ride for Rose - so we all a boarded the choo choo train. The playground and sand box were also big hits. We stayed so long we nearly shut the park down.
Day 6 was spent at the San Diego Zoo. We were excited to escape the long lines of Legoland and spend some time strolling around the zoo. They even have a bird sanctuary named after Owen - Owen's Aviary!
Alas we couldn't completely escape the lines. In order to get a glimpse of the panda bear, we had to withstand a 60 minute wait. I'm not sure how we survived the wait, but we did! Along the way, we also got to see a very sleepy red panda, which looks more like a raccoon than a panda.
Finally the moment arrived and we laid our eyes on the panda bear. She was a mama bear, but her cub had grown too old and now lived separately from her on the other side of the wall.
Owen and Shane were pretty excited when Mama Panda decided to relieve herself in front of their very eyes. Of course Shane snapped a photo and Owen highly suggested I post it here. So there you have it...panda poo!
On the other side of the wall, Baby Panda was snoozing away without a care in the world right next to the the glass railing.
Everyone's feet were feeling the pain from all the walking so we hopped on the gondola that lifted us high into the air and brought us back to the beginning of the park.
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| Cole enjoying the gondola ride |
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| Owen, Rose & Jess in car #25 |
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| "Can I bring him home?" |
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| "Do I have to pet this thing?!?" |
Since we had made it all the way to the Australia exhibit to see the koalas, we just had to take a peek at the kangaroos. The female was hiding behind a bush eating while the male was conked out front and center. Cole kept asking if it was dead. No honey, he's just sleeping.
Day 7 was our last full day in California. We gave the kids the option of choosing what they wanted to do. Owen declared loudly, "Go back to the very first beach!" And so we did! We drove back to Oceanside to enjoy the beautiful sights of the great Pacific Ocean. But before hitting the sand, we grabbed lunch at the Lighthouse Restaurant near the marina. The clam chowder was divine!!
Owen was very insistent that we go to the very same spot on the beach that we went to last time. The kids loved it! They ran on the beach, waited for the waves to come in and soak their feet, made sand castles and enjoyed the fresh ocean air. We were all wet, covered in sand and loving every minute of it!
The next day we bid a fond farewell to California and headed home. We had nearly reached our destination when Rose and Owen finally nodded off, just in time for the landing. What a wonderful vacation filled with memories that we will treasure forever.
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