Southern CA with Grandparents!

It had been over a year since Scott was able to go fishing on the Victory with Captain George, so a visit to Long Beach was a must before the summer ended. 

Grandma and Grandpa K flew to Las Vegas and with a truck full, we set out to show Ella the Pacific Ocean. It wouldn't be a trip to Southern California without a stop in Victorville at Los Robertos Taco Shop to gorge ourselves on their Tecate Quesadillas. 

Once we arrived in Long Beach and Scott navigated the oh so horrible lack of parking, we discovered that our AirBnB that slept four turned out to be a studio apartment...oops! Good thing everyone is easy going! Nothing says, "Family Vacation" like your Mother-in-law walking around in her nightgown! Even Ella kept quiet during the night to ensure a good night's sleep for everyone.

We started out the trip with a visit to Newport Beach (which was packed because of the Championship World Cup Game; congratulations France!) and then off to El Moro Beach State Park. What a beautiful beach that Scott and I fully intend to return to with our camper! The surrounding cliffs were impressive, the water was crystal blue and the waves were forceful! Breastfeeding Ella with sand all around, however, was much less enjoyable. 

One of the reasons we chose our AirBnB was because of the location; right on the beach. We had a community patio that was a perfect spot to eat evening dinner and watch the sun set.

The next day Scott and Dad set out early to board the Victory with Captain George. While the fishing wasn't spectacular, the gorgeous day and the friendly company were. They both came back with catches: whitefish, sand bass, and sculpin, which Scott fried up for fish tacos when we returned to Las Vegas! While the boys were catching dinner, Mom, Sara, and Ella walked the area all around Long Beach and gave Ella a day off to do her normal baby things. 

Of all the places in the world that Mom and Dad have been, Catalina Island is not one of them! The following day, we took the ferry from Long Beach to Avalon and enjoyed a wonderful day swimming, walking, and golf-carting around the island. 

We headed back to Las Vegas the next day to enjoy a couple more days relaxing in the pool before Mom and Dad returned to Michigan. The drive home was uneventful (Ella was fantastic and had slept nearly the entire drive) until we reached downtown construction and traffic in Las Vegas on I-15. . Once the car stopped moving, Ella was up and HUNGRY! Without an easy exit, no bottles and only my breast available, I unbuckled and hovered over Ella so she could eat. 

Lessons learned: With lots of sunscreen, a hat, and long sleeves, babies don't burn :) Finding parking in Long Beach is miserable, Ella loves being on the move (whether in the car or stroller), Dad doesn't snore nearly as bad as I thought he did, my family is pretty darn open, flexible, and understanding, I'm one very blessed daughter, wife, and mom.