San Diego 2013 {a photo post & what to do while you're there guide}

I haven't blogged much with our new addition, and I also am trying to shift this blog to specifically D.I.Y. Projects and Travel based posts.  In keeping with that new outlook, I've decided to share our recent family vacation photos {without the kids faces, as usual} to give you a feel for traveling activities with kids, our style of travel {mostly minimalist} and of course places to see while in San Diego.

Husband packed the car, and we were off...

{no drinking on the beach folks!}

This year we stayed on the Bay side of Mission Beach.  This was our view when we arrived...

We had a private patio which our toddler enjoyed. 

Thankfully, we were able to share the cost of this rental with my sister's family and my younger sister along with a contribution from our parents.  This allowed for a vacation we might not have otherwise been able to afford on such short notice.

Lots and Lots of Grandma time {along with the rest of the family} 

In honor of the Supermoon I wore my Teeki Moon Pants.

The middle ball of light is the moon {the two on the right are lights nearby}

On the second day we headed to Old Town San Diego.

almost bought one of these sailor outfits for my Sister-in-law's not yet conceived child.

I love these scarification pieces on these agave plants.  The artist and anarchist is all about it, the naturalist sort of feels bad for the unwilling plants, but at the same time appreciates the fact that the plant recovers and thrives even with its scars.

Above; Instagram of a Mexican Chocolate Coconut Latte from Cafe Mono {which I liked most!}

Below; Salted Caramel Latte from Better Buzz Coffee 

The next morning when I came onto the patio my sister alerted me to this:

Have you ever heard of paddle board yoga?! I was eager to try it.  I didn't end up taking a class, although I highly recommend it if you're at all interested.  Instead, I rented a paddle board {actually used my sister's} and did a private lesson for myself.  I plan on buying a board and teaching classes at our nearest lake once I'm certified!

Tree pose is much harder on a board.

After yoga, everyone needs dessert...

I brought all these goodies to make s'mores but they didn't have a fire pit so I just tossed them in the oven at 350*f for about 15 minutes and tadaa! S'mores!

Cards Against Humanity for Game Night

More private patio time and Sonja was playing with all sorts of toys, these plastic ducks reused from a fundraiser were a hit, and look at that girl re-purposing her helmet into a bowl. One object, many uses!

Squeezing out some water absorbing play balls all over the patio, "Look at my painting, Mommy"  it's like she's the first one to think of Action Painting {actually it was Jackson Pollack}

Another great thing about this trip was the Cousin time between Sonja and "her boys"

Since we were so close to the Catamaran, we {and various family members} rented boats, paddle boats and these little lounge boats.

We also rented paddle boats!

I highy recommend The Mission Restaurant for Breakfast.

I love their Cinnamon French Toast

My mom watched the girls while Husband and I enjoyed a date night at one of my favorite resturants in Mission Beach Narraya

On our walk back we spotted some sand art!

Of course we also did a proper beach day while there...

...to introduce Vera to the ocean.  While on the walk I found this amazing flower, and Sonja enjoyed some beach time with Daddy.

Once everyone else had headed back to Phoenix, we took the day to explore La Jolla, an area I like more than Mission Beach...

This area was a rocky beach with an amazing view.

The water in this area was also a clear blue green, much prettier than Mission.

Artistically, I was fascinated with this single pink flower.  All alone in a blanket of green.

So it got a close up.

While we walked, we saw a wedding ceremony taking place in this park:

Another great thing about this area and beach path were these little squirrels totally NOT scared of humans at all, and had to be practically kicked away, but adorable all the same. Can you see them?

if not, here's one:

And another...

With all this attention to living creatures, Sonja noticed these ants and requested a photo of them:

And this little seagull was happily walking around this picnic area.

Seriously, these rocks!  They look like something Antoni Gaudi would have used as inspiration for one of his buildings.

and speaking of art, it always makes me happy to see people creating art in public spaces.

After walking around, we started to get hungry so we headed up the street and found a little cafe called The Living Room, everything about this area of town felt very European and this cafe really did us in. These macaroons and pastries were just a few of the delicious items on the menu.

And who doesn't love a red velvet couch?

clockwise; hazelnut, pistachio, chocolate.

After lunch we continued on to the Museum of Contemporary Art {La Jolla}.

I didn't take many photos as requested but I did take a few!

I'm not going to lie, it was a little unnerving standing under this explosion of boats, I sort of expected it to come tumbling down on top of me.

The view from the back of the museum, onto the cliffs and beach {where most of the first La Jolla pictures were from}

After the museum we headed back on our 6 hour drive back home to the Valley of the Sun.

Thanks for reading about our vacation, I hope some of the images inspire you to find something fun in the San Diego area or anywhere you might be traveling.

-Jenn

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