We ended up staying in La Jolla, just across from the San Diego temple, where Ryan and I got married. The lights were gorgeous by night and the window and architecture were gorgeous, as always, by day. Every time we drove by it, which was probably about thirty times, the two littlest would exclaim: "Look! It's the temple! That's where mom and dad got married!" It went from being adorable to sweet to funny to annoying in the thirty passes. But how can you complain?
We arrived on Saturday, 12/27 having packed up all of Christmas before we left. We worked very hard on the 26th and 27th so we could come back to a clean, organized house. I hate having to stress on a vacation about all the stuff I have to do when I get back so I always try to clean and get everything ready before we leave. When we got to San Diego, we checked in and went to eat at Fridays. The hotel had a fireplace, so we picked up a log at the reception desk and had a very cuddly, popcorny, movie night.
The next morning, we went to Old Town and sought out the church's visitor center for the Mormon Battalion. I had been there before when I was probably in high school. But, alas, it was not meant to be, it was being reconstructed. Oh well. I tried. We wandered through Old Town and had fun looking at all the displays and shopping in the old stores and seeing the beginnings of California history.
In the candy shop, Madison discovered a whole section dedicated to huckleberries. She was in heaven as that is her favorite thing in the world. I loved the picture of the girls in the covered wagon. They thought it was so hard to get in it for the picture. Imagine riding in it?
Next, we went to El Indio. This is a little diner that invented the taquito. It was featured on the Food Network "Diners, Drive Ins and Dives."
We figured it might be fun to try. We loved it! The sauces were all really good. The chips were so phenomenal that we had to buy some to bring home.
We loved everything. I would have preferred that they use a Mexican white cheese instead of cheddar on everything, but nobody else seemed to mind. Besides, they had Orange Bang which is the classic drink in a really good place. It reminded me of the kind of place by dad always loved. The line went out the door (about 40 deep) by the time we left.
Next stop: The Del. I have always loved the Del. The classic coned architecture. The red and white. My parents went to eat dinner there on their honeymoon (they could not afford to actually stay there.) The history. It is 120 years old and is the iconic symbol of the beach hotel. Copied many times. Filmed many times. I had to take the girls. I had showed them the movie "Some Like It Hot" a few months ago, so they were prepared for it's beauty and appreciated that it had a history. Here is a little something from the website:
An American Treasure in the Heart of Southern California
The History of The Hotel del Coronado
As a National Historic Landmark, the Hotel del Coronado has a rich and colorful heritage that sets it apart from neighboring Coronado hotels. From Marilyn Monroe to Charles Lindbergh, from state dinners to the ghost of Kate Morgan, The Del is an American treasure with more than 120 years of fascinating stories to tell. Today, we invite you to create new great memories at this cherished hotel in Coronado.
BABCOCK & STORY
The Del's visionary founders - Elisha Babcock and H.L. Story - dreamed of building a seaside resort that would be "the talk of the Western world." Since then, the resort has become a living legend, visited by celebrities, dignitaries and U.S. presidents. In fact, publisher Rand McNally recognized the Hotel del Coronado for enjoying "more fame and historical significance than perhaps any hotel in North America."
PRESIDENTS & PRINCES
Eleven U.S. Presidents have visited The Del, starting with Benjamin Harrison in 1891. One of the resort's most famous visitors was England's Prince of Wales in 1920. He would later become King Edward VIII, only to give up his throne in 1936 to marry Coronado divorcee Wallis Spencer Simpson. Many have speculated that they may have first met at The Del.
AMERICAN LEGENDS
The Del has played host to some of America's greats, including Thomas Edison, L. Frank Baum and Babe Ruth. Famed aviator Charles Lindbergh was honored at The Del in 1927 after his successful trans-Atlantic flight. At this lavish banquet, a replica of Lindbergh's "Spirit of St. Louis" circled the enormous Crown Room ceiling.
HOLLYWOOD CONNECTION
Hollywood has been making movies at The Del since 1901. In 1958, The Del was the backdrop for the comedy classic "Some Like It Hot," starring Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon. The resort has also seen a steady stream of celebrity visitors - from Charlie Chaplin and Humphrey Bogart to Brad Pitt and Madonna.
THE GHOST OF KATE MORGAN
What Victorian resort would be complete without a resident ghost? Kate Morgan checked into the resort on November 25, 1892, and never checked out. Reports of ghostly happenings, all thought to be connected to the death of this beautiful young woman, have been circulating at The Del ever since.
The next day we went to the San Diego Zoo. Monterey, who still has the inability to pronounce all her phonemes at the age of four, frequently says things really cute. She can't really pronounce San Diego. She kept calling it Sandy Lego, hence the title of this post. Luckily, because the connection to Lego and knowledge that Legoland was nearby, she thought she went to Legoland.
We met my brother's family at the zoo and proceeded to have a wonderful and playful time with all the interaction. We really do love spending as much time as possible. Each of the kids rotated through each of the cousins and the zoo and animals were merely a backdrop to the antics.
We rode the bus and the sky tram and saw a bunch of animals. We waited in line for the pandas. My favorite. Some people thought the line was a little too long. Some people have no appreciation for how special it is to see a panda up close. Some people need a little attitude adjustment before we go back.
Anyhoo ... we had a great time.
Afterwards we went to the hotel and swam. It really wasn't swimming weather, but seeing how they live in Connecticut, it was swim weather to them. So we all jumped in. Well, they jumped in and I took pictures. Afterwards, we went to Islands. A nice big group in a big booth that seemed a little small, but we called it cozy.
Cousin Megan spent the night in our room. We met again at the San Diego Temple for a photo shoot, and little song and dance routine.
One last stop to El Indio for some more yummy food. Good Mexican food is hard to come by in CT. The best they have is Taco Bell. And that ain't no joke.