Road Trip - Day 13

During our entire vacation Jacob continued to work out whenever possible which was almost every day. Gotta admire his determination. On his way back from the gym on this day he texted me and said it was muggy out. Ew! We had a whole day planned outdoors and hoped that the heat wouldn't impede us from enjoying it.

We left mom's place around 9:20 am and headed over to the bay. Jacob had been wanting to go on the USS Midway for the last couple of years. The day was sunny, no clouds to be seen and it was quickly warming up.
Riley was excited to get on this aircraft carrier. I wanted to make sure I would be out of the sun and Jacob was looking forward to checking out the lower decks.

We hung out in the hangar for a bit. Riley was excited about all the planes and wanted to get on every single one but only a few were accessible.

It surprised me that not many people were heading to the lower decks. We actually had a good time checking these lower decks out. We had no idea that they had all these different things in here. Good too cause they're sure necessary.
First we came across the chow line. Those mannequins were kinda creepy. Riley kept looking at them, lol.

Then there was the supply department which I didn't get a picture of. Then the chapel. This was cool to see.

Such narrow hallways and you gotta make sure you're paying attention and not forget to raise your legs high enough when you're walking though the door openings. I think I tripped once.

This is the Chaplain's quarters.

Laundry. Probably got so hot in this area. Yuck!

Jacob stumbled across a guide telling us all kinds of stories about that elevator next to Jacob. That's the elevator that was used to lower bombs. It was quite interesting to hear.

This is the CPO {Chief Petty Officers} Mess. Way nicer than the chow line.

Sick Bay. I can't imagine someone getting operated on out at sea. Kinda cool.

Riley's so silly. This was one of the secretary's work area.

Dentist.

There was also a post office and a small toiletries shop and other departments that I can't quite remember. So next time you get a chance to tour an aircraft carrier make sure you check out the lower decks. They're worth your time.

Then we headed up to the flight deck. I liked it up here too, just too bad it was too sunny.

Even after touring the entire aircraft carrier Riley didn't want to leave. He kinda gave us a hard time but we promised him that we were going to a funner place. We wanted to surprise him so we didn't tell him until we got closer to Carlsbad.
But first we stopped at Blaze Pizza which is just like Mod here in Seattle. It was good.

Once we told Riley that we were going to Legoland he got super excited. The weather was warm but not as terrible as it was in San Diego. Probably because Carlsbad is closer to the ocean????

We told Riley that everything in here is made out of lego's. I noticed him intently looking at everything.

After this car ride we got on a roller coaster. Those coaster turns are quite jerk-ish. If you don't watch out you'll definitely get whiplash, lol.

Of course, he had to take pictures next to dinosaurs.

I loved when we came across a shady spot.

He played with lego's for a while. I could have stayed in this covered open area for hours. If only I had a pillow so I could have taken a nap.

This ride called Kid Power Towers was pretty cool. Riley loved it!

I opted out on several rides especially if there wasn't shade because I knew I would pay for it later with a horrible headache. Good thing Jacob doesn't suffer from headaches likes I do. These two enjoyed a sunny boat ride.

Then they headed over to Splash Battle ... another favorite. This one looked pretty cool too. By the end of the ride Jacob's shirt was completely soaked.

Got Riley a popsicle to rehydrate.

Then off to more rides.

Legoland is perfect for the smaller children. Riley's at the perfect age and so he really got to enjoy himself. We did too. The weather didn't bother us so much up here. After hours of being there we headed to Point Loma. We were craving BBQ and another must stop place to eat is at Phil's BBQ. There is a ridiculous long wait though so you gotta have that in mind. Sometimes the wait could be an hour long or longer. We only had to wait about thirty minutes though. Not too bad.

Blurry picture, don't care. The onion rings and ranch are sooo darn good. We really like their baby back ribs. We weren't able to finish the food. Had to take half of it with us.

Riley ate his leftover pizza from lunch.

It was a long day but we didn't feel worn out, thank God. We ended our day like many other days when we used to live here. We would always end our days in Coronado.

It was actually chilly just before sunset but it felt good to me given how hot it had been these last few days we've spent in San Diego.

And here we are. In front of the very place where Jacob and I met twenty years before. Such a special place for us. Maybe one day we'll renew our vows here, God willing.

While we were here at the beach I kept thinking how beautiful it is here and obviously knowing my family and friends are all here made me want to consider moving back but unfortunately we couldn't afford to live by the coast only inland which gets quite hot. I'm talking about 90's and several 100 degree days during the summer. That's definitely a tough decision. I also don't want to live in the South Bay area. I mean, who knows right? No one knows what the future holds. We'll just have to pray about it.

Road Trip - Day 10

Felt so good sleeping at my mom's place. Not having to worry about housekeeping knocking at our door or having to walk through a big lobby full of tourists.
We had breakfast then got started on our day. By now Riley was fully recovered and back to his strong willed child ways.

We first made a stop at Mt. Soledad in La Jolla. We've been up to see this cross since forever.

Then we went to the San Diego Fair. So much traffic getting there but we took the back way and moved along just fine. This year's theme was Mad About the Fair {Alice in Wonderland theme}. Pretty neat.

Since Riley was not able to get on any rides in Santa Cruz we made sure that's mostly what he did here. He loved it! I just love the faces Riley makes ... what can I say, I'm biased, I think he's the cutest little boy ever!

These next two pictures are my favorites. His face is just hilarious. He loved having the front seat on this rollercoaster. I was a bit nervous. We kept reminding him not to stand up or move around. We told him to hold on to the bar super tight. Seriously, after taking these two pictures I had to look away, I was a nervous-wreck.

We're huge roasted corn fans. Love them! and that's the only way Riley will eat and usually finish the corn.

It was a warm day at the fair. We left the fair after a few hours then headed out to grab some fish tacos then went back to my mom's to freshen up. Then we got Riley ready for the beach and off we went.

We met up with one of my good friends and her two daughters. So happy Riley likes the beach.

My friends daughters both play soccer, Riley immediately began playing with them. He even kicks with his left leg. My boy, the only lefty in the family. He can run and kick the ball pretty good.

Smelling the ocean air ... hanging out at the beach in the late afternoon is the best time, the sun isn't so annoying. Plus watching the sunset is the best part.

With my friend Moira. We've been friends since the end of the 8th grade.

This beach has stingrays. This is the same beach that Sydna got stung at several years ago. The lifeguards had to drive her to the lifeguard station and immerse her foot in very hot water. Poor thing.

With my little boy. So sweet but such a handful!

It was such a nice way to end the day. No rush.

We sure miss hanging out in Coronado and doing all the other fun things we used to do when we lived here. It was nice being back.