I had last Friday and Saturday off, and really wanted to get out of the heat. We first talked about going to Tucson and driving up to Mt. Lemon for a picnic, then spending the night at the base of the mountain at a hotel and getting some pool time in. Then, we heard that the forecast was for rain both Friday and Saturday. That ended the picnic and pool idea!
Alec suggested San Diego. Well, that's all I needed. My heart had already packed its suitcase and was waiting by the front door! So we booked a room in Carlsbad (biggest, cheapest room I could find on 3 days notice.
We picked the girls up from school an hour early, and headed out of town. Alec decided he would be bored and opted not to go at the last minute. And we decided to take the new car to see how she handled the long drive. She did great, and I especially loved taking photos from inside the car, via the sunroof!
We didn't get to the hotel until 8pm, then headed out for some dinner. We went with a Mexican restaurant, and was a bit disappointed. Well, that happens sometimes. At least we did not eat at a chain! Then we went for a drive along the coast, hoping for a night time walk on the beach, but it was around 11pm at this point and super dark. And we're not familiar with the area, so we decided to play it safe and head back to the hotel instead.
Saturday was jam packed! Mark and I went to hang out by the pool for a bit, while the girls lounged in the room and took their time getting ready. For some reason, they haven't wanted to go to the pool with us the last few vacations. Katie's hair being one reason.
We checked out of the hotel and headed to the Carlsbad Outlet Mall. Everyone got $20 to spend. Mark picked out a new football jersey for $20, Emma chose 2 new cases for her i-touch for $21, Alec was lucky to get a pair of Fossil sunglasses for $20 (after many photo messages with Mark modeling), Katie kept her money to use another time, and I scored with a Fossil watch that I have been wanting for over a year. It retailed at $135, but was $29.99 at the outlet store. Then, I got to take another 25% off. So, it ended up costing me $22.50. Sweet!
Next we took a leisurely drive down the PCH to head Blick's Art Supply in Little Italy and then lunch at Anthony's Fishette at the Embarcadero. We sat at a table by the water and watched all the boats in the Bay. Pure Paradise!
Finally, at 5 pm, it was time to hit the beach. Ended up at Mission Beach. It was crazy busy, like I have never seen it before! May have had something to do with the heat (I've never been to San Diego when it was so hot and humid, even at the beach). Yeah, I know. Just what we were trying to avoid. The girls went in the water about waist deep and jumped in the waves, while Mark and I just went in to our knees. The water was warm after the first few seconds and I seriously regret not changing into my swimsuit and heading in further. I missed my opportunity to swim in the ocean. I'm afraid October will be too cold!
Then it was time to head home. A little later than we planned. It was about 8pm, and we stopped for coffee, and had a change of heart. Mark agreed to get another hotel room and leave in the morning instead. But, we were not so lucky! No hotels left in the city! It was crazy! We stopped at 3 only to be told they were sold out, then I pulled out the I-pad to try hotels.com, but there were 4 hotels in the area with a room available. Yes, I said 4. And they were charging crazy prices. The Best Western in Chula Vista wanted $750. Seriously. Best Western. Chula Vista. The room should have been under $100.
Back on the road, and onward to Yuma. We did stay at the Radisson in Yuma. It was midnight and we were ready to crash. And I'm starting to have trouble seeing at night. A bit more strained. Gosh, I hate getting older! But then we only had to drive 2 1/2 hours in the morning. Mark had to leave for his football draft 10 minutes after we got home, and I left for work 30 minutes later. Too crazy!
Lessons learned:
1. do not attempt to go to San Diego for 1 night. 2 nights need to be the minimum.
2. do not assume the beach will be cool (temperature wise).
3. do not assume the beach will have less that a million people fighting for space in the sand.
4. sometimes your luck runs out (perfect parking spaces all day long, but no hotel room to be found).
5. you can add eyelashes to your car's headlights. Yep. Saw it on the PCH.
6. shopping for bargains can be fun.
7. sometimes you just don't feel like taking so many photos. it's OK. really.
8. i still love San Diego and would move there in a heartbeat if Mark would join me.
9. we need to save up some money and splurge on a new mattress. loved the ones at both hotels.
10. sometimes finding an entire display of markers can make you stop breathing. like the Pitt pens.
11. one tank of gas in Lexi is all it takes to get home from San Diego.
12. traveling with 2 kids is WAY different than traveling with 4 kids!
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