San Diego part one

We started driving as soon as I was done with work Thursday at noon, and stopped to eat in St George where the car temperature read 112, then we pulled in to Las Vegas around 6pm for the night. It was a sketchy part of town but the hotel had a pool!

 

Then the next morning we kept going to California. We stopped at the outlets in Barstow but haven't been in a while, because they had moved and we went to the wrong spot! Then we tried the outlets in Carlsbad, and Max and Ben really got to pondering about which shoes they really wanted/needed, while I made the mistake of taking the three younger kids into the Disney Store "just to look." Big mistake. Big. ("But I WANT that!")

We got to our AirBnB, which belongs to our sister-in-law Collette's sister Alison, and it was so sweet and charming and in the perfect spot - a mile from Tamarack Beach, and we spent the evening greeting the pacific ocean.

Immediately I felt such calm and peace after such a rough time at work in the last few weeks. Waves and cooler weather are very soothing.

The next day, Saturday, we went over to Kobey's Swap Meet. Again we separated, and, as JB put it, "We each took one for the team." JB helped Max and Ben look around, while I talked and talked to these three little kids about budgets and looking for a good price.

Max and Ben found new hats, and the little kids each got a toy.

Then we drove over to Coronado Island.  What a great place! Very busy, with hard-to-find parking, but being around the 4th of July, there were flags everywhere and the red white and blue bunting on upper balconies and houses. Gorgeous neighborhoods, with lots of bikes and golf carts. That's the only way to easily get to the beach.

Here's James after enjoying a treat of some red Powerade.

The kids took turns on boogie boards over and over. 

Then they all got tired out, and took a nap at the same time! (I was constantly sunscreening the big boys if they took off their swim shirts)

Then we picked up some pizza (JB went in to order and I drove around and around trying to find parking) and we found a park in the middle of town with a great playground and shade.

JB took so many great pictures of the trip, and I have to include this selfie as he rested at the park.

We all slept so well that first night!