Our trip to L.A. was a blast! I am so, so, so glad that we finally went because it was definitely worth it! We had so much fun with my brother and Kristyn, and I'm happy to color in a new state on my map!
We arrived Friday afternoon and headed to baggage claim. Zack surprised us by walking up while we were waiting; we thought he would have to pick us up real quick, but he had been waiting there for us! We drove about an hour to Long Beach, where Zack and his girlfriend Kristyn live. That night we enjoyed catching up, eating delicious BBQ at a place close by, and relaxing.
We stayed with them in Kristyn's cute studio apartment and took up the whole floor space with the air mattress. We didn't mind being close :) Zack had to blow it up using his car, so this is him walking it down the street back to the apartment for us!
Day #2:
We walked to a well-known local place, Chuck's, for breakfast. It was refreshing to be able to sit outside, in the perfect 70's-80's degree weather with no humidity. Not only that, but their apartment is a block from the beach. So awesome! The food was great and fueled us for a packed day of sight-seeing that Zack had planned for us.
Zack's work, CBS studios!
Hollywood Walk of Fame
Chinese Theatre
La Brea tar pits
Venice canals
Venice beach
We also walked the boardwalk in Venice where the atmosphere is the complete opposite of the canals. It was lively and eccentric, busy with a myriad of people and street performers. We drove down Rodeo Drive, as well as around a few residential streets in Beverly Hills. The mansions are amazing!
Day #3:
After attending their church, we drove a couple hours out to San Diego. We spent the whole afternoon in Balboa Park, which is full of museums, cultural events, gardens, and music.
Botanical gardens
Col and I went to the model train museum while Zack and Kristyn enjoyed the photography one.
Japanese garden
We drove back, listening to the World Cup on the way. That night we had dinner at a delicious local Mexican restaurant. We had lots of guacamole (gotta have avocados when you're in CA!), and all of our food was very good!
Day #4:
After all of our driving around, we stayed in Long Beach for our last full day. We spent the day walking a 3.5 mile stretch of beach there and back to a boardwalk area, where we enjoyed lots of laughs in the hat shop, little shops, and ice cream. I of course got sunburned for the first time on the whole trip (go figure, on our last day). Kristyn was kind enough to make us a yummy dinner when she got home from work that night, and we relaxed together, wishing our time there wasn't almost over!
Can you imagine living a block from this every day?!
My "little" bro and I
Hubby and I
The Queen Mary
California was great! I do understand the frustration of all of the traffic, but it was a wonderful place to visit. Our time with my brother and Kristyn was much needed, and I soaked up every minute, especially since we usually only see each other once a year. We came back feeling refreshed, and a getaway was just what we needed after our tough year of adoption ups and downs. Thank you so much Zack and Kristyn for taking a long weekend to show us around and letting us take up all the extra space in your apartment! :)
