Balboa Science Museum - Wednesday in San Diego

Today we did a lot of lounging. We decided that most people wouldn't like to accompany us on a vacation, as we sometimes don't leave the condo until noon. After lots of resting and eating in the morning, we headed up north to the kids' museum.

On our way in, we saw a nice man with a guitar and a money bucket pushing a wheelchair up the hill. As soon as he reached the top of the hill(he wasn't even breathing hard), he hopped into the wheelchair and SLOWLY wheeled himself into the park (looking very disabled at this point) to set up his money making station inside. I've heard of people who make their living begging for money, but this is the first time I've actually seen a person pretending to have a major disability. The kids couldn't take their eyes off the scoundrel!

Inside the museum, we enjoyed hours of block building, experiments, a Dome IMAX movie called "Under the Sea," and a science craft that taught the kids how to use a battery and copper wire to light up the eyeballs of their homemade bug. Ian got very frustrated with his mosquito, said, "I'm not an artist!" and stomped off towards the end of the activity. Nyah happily made a cute ladybug, Cali patiently made a spider, and Carson made a monster beetle with Aaron's help. Great times were had by all!

Coronado Beach Day - Tuesday in San Diego

We looked at the weather forecast this morning. "It will be 65 and overcast the rest of the week!" We were more than a little saddened by the news. Where were the tanning rays we'd dreamed of?

We decided to take a chance and go to the beach and fight the bitter chill. When we got there the sun popped out!




We were lucky enough to catch some members of the Navy out for a morning jog! They were going so slow they weren't even working up a sweat. I think it was just a show for the ladies!

We got a lesson on sandcastle making from a guy named Mike. Unfortunately . . .

My sandcastle didn't turn out quite so pretty!

Morning at the Birch Aquarium/La Jolla Caves - Monday in San Diego continued . . .

The kids saved their money for months so they could pay to go to the Birch Aquarium in La Jolla. It is supposed to be an amazing aquarium. When we arrive they were jumping out of their skin in anticipation of the tanks full of exotic fish. We walked around for about 40 minutes, enjoying the seahorses, mini sharks, Dora fish, etc . . . Then suddenly, we realized we had reached the end of the aquarium. These were the kids' reactions:

Ian:: "It was really cool, but way too small."
Carson: "I don't know. It was really fun, but there really wasn't anything to do."
Cali: "Not worth the money."
Nyah: "What aquarium?"


The kids were disappointed that there weren't any real sharks this size!
In keeping with the "fishy" theme, Ian packed tuna fish for lunch!

Next on the agenda was a stop at the La Jolla Cave. It is located underneath a shop. You go in and buy souvenirs and then pay the owner to walk down hundreds of stairs to the cave underneath. I think when we get home, I may have the kids start digging a pit in our yard and then charge neighborhood children admission. What a great business idea!

La Jolla - Monday in San Diego

We went to La Jolla today -- the Jewel of San Diego. We saw caves, beautiful sandy beaches and lots and lots of seals. It was 68 degrees today, an improvement over yesterday, but still not much sun. I am still pasty white, and don't see that changing anytime soon. The kids favorite part of the day was finding some really interesting trees to climb. Did we really have to drive all the way to California to climb trees?

Carson's Rough Day! . . . Sunday in San Diego

The day started out with Carson getting stung by a bee on his hand. Nyah made him a plateful of baking soda paste (way more than was necessary for 1 bee sting!). After he recovered, we headed down to the beach to search for crabs.

After getting to the rocks where the crabs live, we found out . . . Carson hates crabs! He started screaming bloody murder everytime he'd see one. "I hate those! They are going to bite me. I want to go home right now!"

I wandered around the beach with Carson while the rest of the family went crab huntin'. Aaron made me feel a part of things later when he let me hold his crab!


We met a man on the beach that has lived in Imperial Beach his whole life. I thought this would be a great opportunity to get to know a little bit about the town.

"Where are the best places to eat?" I asked.

"I don't know. I'm from here. I eat at home," my new friend David replied.

A long, rather uncomfortable silence ensued. We both stared at the waves.

"So, where are the best places to go jogging?" I asked, secretly wondering if there were any SAFE places to jog.

"I don't know. I don't jog."

Another uncomfortable silence.

"Wow. It sure has been cold yesterday and today. We came here from Utah. It's in the 80s and 90s there. We can't believe it's only 65 degrees here in Sunny San Diego."

"It's called June Gloom. It happens every year."

Well, I obviously picked the wrong guy to talk to. I didn't get a picture of David, but Aaron did take a picture of his dog!

The kids had a blast on the beach. They had sand in every nook and cranny.


After we cleaned up all the sand, we headed to Balboa Park to check out some free entertainment. We stopped at some porta-potties on our way into the park. When Carson exited his potty, the heavy plastic blue door shut on his ankle, causing lots of blood and even more screaming. Remember, he had already been stung by a bee and scared to death by the crabs. Luckily, I had a small first aid kit in my purse. The band-aid seemed to stop the blood and the screaming.

Balboa Park is one of the coolest places I have ever been. Acres of land covered with museums, grassy nooks and gorgeous flowers. One of the first things we saw was a street performing group called the Steam Powered Giraffe. Look them up on the Internet. Very cool!!!
We next went to the park to listen to an outdoor concert on the largest outdoor organ in the world. The first 5 songs were amazing, but when the kids found out there were 9 more songs, we decided to make a quick exit.

We did some more sightseeing and then ended up at the Botanical Gardens, another free Sunday hotspot!
The big finale in our time spent at Balboa was playtime at one of the local parks. There was a yellow mushroom shaped chair that you could sit in while someone spins you around. Carson hit his breaking point while being spun. More screaming, threats of throwing up, and more, "I want to go homes!" The other kids stood around the mushroom laughing hysterically at his screams. Poor kid. Hopefully he'll make it through the week!

Our Arrival in Imperial Beach -Saturday, May 30th

Aaron and I were so excited to find a great price on a condo in Imperial Beach for our vacation to San Diego. We couldn't believe how lucky we were to find a place right on the beach front. As we drove through San Diego, and kept driving South, I started to wonder about our "great deal."

When we pulled into Imperial Beach, CA, my first thought was, "Uh, oh. We're in the hood!" It looked pretty rundown and my cellphone lost connectivity and started roaming. Not a good sign.

Aaron was a little annoyed with me as I muttered things like, "Uh, oh, kids. Look. Those people are doing drugs." "Kids, now don't talk to that man with the scary looking beard and dog." "Carson, I am going to buy you a dog leash so that you can't leave my side while we are here."

When we pulled up to our condominium, however, I was much relieved. It looked newer and had a locked and covered garage where the bearded man with the dog couldn't enter.

It took us a couple of hours to unload the UHaul we rented to carry our week's worth of food, bikes, toys, and suitcases, and then we headed into town to explore. We were back to the condo within an hour as it was getting dark and we felt a little bit safer inside!!


We saw some really cool replicas of actual surfboards on Palm St. before we headed back to the condo!


The kids' bedroom!


This is a gorgeous view of our condo to the left and the Mexican border that can be seen directly south. It is only a 5 mile jog from us! Fish tacos, here I come!!

Night in Mesquite, Nevada