California Vacation 2010, Part I

We passed this Volkswagen and camper on the road, then it pulled in next to us at a rest stop. Ethan was excited to see Herbie; Alex thought it was a race car. Obviously, he didn't notice it was going about 40 miles an hour when we passed it.


Our first stop was Las Vegas and it was 112 degrees. I've never been crazy about Vegas (although I have had some crazy visits there). I definitely don't like it with kids. The crowds make me nervous (trying to keep track of three little ones), not to mention the cigarette smoke, traffic and the heat. Luckily, it was just a place for us to spend the night and then move on.
We spent a few days in Los Angeles. David and I attended his friend, Rob's wedding (another post) while the kids had a sleepover with their Uncle Michael and Aunt Haruna. They had a great time. After that we continued the week with all the tourist attractions.
We spent a long but fun day at Disneyland. Emma had just told us her favorite character is Goofy and then we walked through the gates and there he was. A good start to the day.

Emma was crossing her fingers that she and Ethan would get picked from the audience to participate in the Jedi Training Academy. The lucky ducks got picked!

Ethan received some special tips from a Jedi trainer . . .

Then he battled Darth Maul

Emma battled Darth Vader

Proud Jedi Training Academy Graduates:

We visited California Adventure for the first time. Everyone loved the water ride but I got drenched and they got a little bit wet. My underwear was still wet when we got back to the hotel that night. I know, too much information.

Later in the week we visited a fun place in San Diego called Belmont Park, located at Mission Beach. We spent time at the beach then the rest of the day at this cute park. After the up-and-down-thingy and the tilt-a-whirl I nearly puked; however, a yummy cone of pralines and cream seemed to help.

The day proved to be completely exhausting . . .


We weren't done yet . . . another day was spent at Legoland. We had heard mixed reviews about Legoland but found it to be just right. In two years Ethan will find it boring but this year was perfect. The rides were fun, lego displays were impressive and it was not crowded.

We ended the week with an overnight stay in St. George with Amy and Bill. The kids loved swimming in the pool, especially after a long ride in the car. I'm sure that's why hotels have pools--not for the parents but for the kids to get their wiggles out!