Mike and I just returned from a week-long trip to sunny Southern California with my family. We could not have asked for a smoother vacation - the weather was perfect, everyone had a great time, and it was not busy at all!
The trip was originally planned because we were unable to make it to Florida for my dad's family reunion. So, we had our own 'reunion' on the west coast. We were able to visit with members from both my mom and dad's families. It was great to visit with relatives that we had not seen for a while - I don't think that I had seen one of my aunts and her family for nearly ten years!
We decided to stay in St. George on our way to California, especially since we didn't leave until after work on Friday. As it happened, Mike's mom was staying in St. George for the weekend with her fiance and Mike's siblings, so we were able to meet them for a delicious breakfast at the Bear Paw Saturday morning. We then continued on to Mira Loma, California, where we stayed with my Aunt Shirley until Monday morning.
My parents booked a stay for us at the Castle Inn...it is right across the street from Disneyland, so we were conveniently close to the park. We also had a five day hopper pass, so we had plenty of time to see everything without being rushed. As an added bonus, the both Disneyland and California Adventures parks were hardly crowded. Most rides had a five - ten minute wait, and I think the longest wait was maybe thirty minutes or so. We didn't have to use any 'fast passes' at all! Our package also gave us two "Magic Mornings" where we were able to enter the park before it opened to the general public.
The newest ride at Disneyland is the Finding Nemo Submarine Ride. Because it is so new, it was definately the most popular and always had the longest wait. We were fortunate to be able to get in line during one of our "Magic Mornings" so we only had to wait twenty minutes or so - otherwise the wait would have easily been over an hour! Besides experiencing the Finding Nemo ride, I also went on the Hollywood Tower of Terror Ride for the first time. Unlike Mike, I am not always huge into big drops and rollercoasters, but it was still fun.
Besides spending time at Disneyland, we also went to the beach. We chose Corona Del Mar so that we could explore the tide pools. I cannot express how much I love the beach! Hearing the waves crash against the shore, feeling the sand between my toes, smelling the salt water...it is all very therapeutic. While we were at the beach, Mike and I tried to fly a kite that we got for Christmas. However, there wasn't enough wind to keep the kite flying for more than a minute or so.
So, it really was a great trip to Southern California. The last time that Mike and I went was for our honeymoon. I always love to visit Disneyland and the beach...I don't know that it will ever get old for me. I will work on getting pictures from our trip posted on the blog - I have a few, but I need to get more from the rest of the fam's cameras.
Also - a big shout out and thank you to Mike's sister, Mandy, for watching Mookie and Faline and taking care of things at home for us while we were away. She did a great job and we really appreciated her help!
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