Straight From the Bottle

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  • Ten Days of Summer: Part Three

    (continued from Ten Days of Summer Part One and Part Two)

     

    Okay so obviously I need a second vacation from my first vacation because a week later, here I am, wrapping up my Ten Days of Summer post(s) and I'm scratching my head trying to remember what we even did. (Lucky for me, there's flickr which I'm religious about updating, to remind me so my brain doesn't have to do as much work.)

     

    Before I bust out the rest of my San Diego fun tips, I would like to make clear that the only way to enjoy a vacation is to HAVE a vacation. Planning activities to do every second isn't necessarily the way to go, as evidenced by my panic attack during the second half of last week when I became Queen of the Walking Dead.  Not joking. So just keep that in mind, maybe. Learn from that which has tripped me. Remember to relax. Ahem. 

     

    Day Six: Wednesday - The Train

     

    Today doesn't count because it was Hal's 35th Birthday so I took the train home to L.A. to surprise him on the set of his show and spend the night with him Sans kids. (Hubba.) So although I did spend the day childless, I do recommend taking day trips with the kiddies via Metrolink or Amtrak Surfliner (Metrolink is 1/3 of the price so you might want to check them first.)

     

    IMG_5415

    passing through San Clemente on the Amtrak Surfrider (missed the Metrolink!) which rides along the coast from San Diego to San Louis Obispo

     

    We were planning on taking the train (Metrolink, obvy) from Encinitas to the new Children's Museum downtown on Sunday (which I have heard nothing but amazing things about but have yet to experience firsthand, btw) but never got around to it because of the whole exhaustion-omg-we-need-to-rest-now-methinks situation.

     

    I'm a huge proponent of train travel. It's relatively cheap, environmentally friendly and so much fun for both children and adults! Plus, day trips can feel like full-on vacations when you're packing backpacks instead of the family car. 

     

     

    Day Seven: Thursday ...

     

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  • Ten Days of Summer: Part Two

    (continued from Ten Days of Summer: Part One)

     

    Day Three: Sunday:  Sunset Picnic on Moonlight Beach

     

    Archer feeds Fable

     

    We spent most of the day Sunday splashing around my parent's pool which isn't exactly a public destination (although I do recommend it!) and then later that afternoon picked up some fish/mushroom tacos and headed down to our favorite beach, Moonlight to dine on blankets as the sun set. Tres, tres belle.

     

    Sunset

     

    Beaches are their most beautiful at dusk, much like people are. And Moonlight is the perfect beach for a picnic because the parking is plentiful and there are no steps. (There also happens to be a fantastic playground in the sand, just beyond the beach volleyball courts.) Of course, I'm slightly biased as I spent every summer of my youth frolicking along its sands but still. It's an amazing place.

     Her View

     

    Day Four: Monday...

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  • Ten Days of Summer: Part One

    We arrived in San Diego Thursday for our home-away-from-home summer vacation, sadly minus Hal who is still working as I type this on a Saturday night because that's how he rolls and we all cry because we miss him like mad.

     

    We traveled south to my parent's house because it's summer and we don't quite have the funds to hop a plane to Hawaii or Amalfi or anywhere that isn't free. Archer has ten days off between the last day of "junior preschool" and the first day of summer school which meant HOW THE HELL AM I GOING TO ENTERTAIN TWO KIDS FOR TEN DAYS ALL BY MYSELF? VACATION TO GOOEY AND PAPA'S HOUSE!  

     

    So here we are. And it is lovely. I thought it might be kind of fun to blog our to-do every couple days here on SFTB as kind of an impromptu what-do-do-in-San-Diego list I decided to put together in the last two minutes of writing this sentence. 

     

    As you may or may not know, I grew up in north county San Diego and regularly spend time down here with my family and old friends. I've written lists of my favorite things to do in Los Angeles, my home of ten years, but never written a cohesive list or reference guide to my favorite San Diego activities. So here is a calendar of awesome summer to-dos in real time. 

     

    Day One: Friday: SeaWorld

     

    SeaWorld was kind enough to comp a trip for the kids, my parents and me, and it was awesome. It was also the first time I'd been to SeaWorld since I was fourteen. We went all the time as kids but it was especially fun returning as a parent. And a trip to watch Archer scurry down the rabbit holes of my childhood.

     

    Whereas, I always loved Seaworld for its sea creatures (specifically petting sea cucumbers in the tidepools so fun) Archer was more interested in rolling down grassy knolls with my dad:

     

    Papa Teaches

     

     ... Dancing around picnic tables for an hour:

     

    Picnic Tables

     

     ...and of course, riding the "boxes in the sky" over the bay:

     

    Red Letter Day

     

     He also enjoyed dining with shamu...

     

    Sham WOW!

     

    ...and OF COURSE the kid's play area formerly known as Captain Kid's World:

     

    Bounce!


    So much fun and yet... the "boxes" were BY FAR the high point of Archer's afternoon:


    So Happy

     

    (In fact I'm pretty sure shamu was the only animal Archer cared about and he cared for all of three minutes. Needless to say he's not the animal person his mother is...)

     

    All in all, SeaWorld was pretty badass but the crowds were kind of annoying. Also can we please talk about how many bad tattoos exist in theme parks? Seriously, people. The Calvin and Hobbs pissing on a Chevrolet sign on your shoulder? Might want to wear a shirt sleeve on that arm no offense. 

     

     Day Two: Saturday...

     

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About the Blogger

rebecca woolf

Rebecca Woolf in LA

Who says becoming a mom means succumbing to laser tattoo removal and moving to the suburbs? This young writer and mother of two gives it to you Straight From the Bottle.

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