Hello! Long time, no blog. I am currently sitting in the airport typing this, and I am running on 6 hours of sleep, an iced coffee and half a crepe. My cousin got married last night, and there was lots of dancing as well as an open bar (a true nemesis).
I feel very lucky to have been on my trip in California, as there were several hiccups along the way of lost travel companions and finding new places to stay – thanks COVID-19! All in all, it was a great trip, and I got to see a lot of family I haven’t seen since pre-pandemic.
There was honestly so much that happened on this trip, and writing about it all would be more than the length of all my previous blog posts combined. So I’ll just stick to a few highlights, which definitely does not encompass all the fun and all the loved ones visited!
Carpinteria: July 6th – 11th
As a kid, my mom’s side of the family has gone to Carpinteria every summer. I have 8 cousins and 9 aunts and uncles on my mom’s side, so you can imagine the rambunctious fun we have! Carpinteria is a cute beach town, known for its “World’s Safest Beach.” It’s a special place that has been relatively untouched by big corporate chains, and I haven’t had a chance to visit since 2017, so this was truly a treat this year! It is my favorite place – and subject to a lot of my old paintings back when I did art class in high school.
On the second day I was in Carpinteria, my parents arrived from their drive (yes, they drove from Houston to California!) with Elvis. It was the first time I had seen them since January, and it was a great reunion. Queue reunion pics with Elvis below:
Carpinteria was full of beach walks and just enjoying the great weather!
Near the end of the Carpinteria trip, we got to go spend the day with Chris and Del in the valley. I got to meet their sweet cat named Annie, and we enjoyed the views they have of the mountains from their porch!
San Clemente: July 11th – 15th
Next, we were off to San Clemente! On Monday (July 11th), it was mostly a driving day down south, and we spent some time in Long Beach, where my parents used to live (and met!). We killed some time at a brewery and walking along the pier before getting dinner with my Aunt Tina and Uncle Gerard and their kids at a dog-friendly restaurant in Long Beach called The Attic. If you’re ever in the area, I would definitely recommend! They even have entrees for dogs – LOL. They are also infamous for their hot cheeto mac and cheese, which was actually pretty good! We ordered one for the table because it felt like something you just have to do.
In San Clemente, we mostly just hung out here and didn’t do anything too crazy, since some of our plans/planned visits with people did not happen because of covid. However, we still had a really nice time, and I even had a surprise visitor come down for breakfast, all the way from LA baby!
Mid-week on Wednesday, we went to an Angels vs. Astros baseball game in Anaheim. Let’s just say it was embarrassing to be a Houstonian that day! The Angels crushed the Astros, so much that they made so many runs that everyone got coupons for free Chick-fil-A sandwiches, which we of course cashed in on later that week.
On Thursday, Jake arrived at the Orange Country airport, and my parents and us went on a coastal driving loop, making stops at the Sherman Gardens as well as Laguna Beach. The Sherman Gardens were small, but full of diverse and beautiful plants, and there was a cute restaurant in the actual gardens we got to eat at.
Later that day, Jake and I walked along the beach at San Clemente and caught some glimpses of the sunset.
Orange County for my cousin Amy’s wedding: July 15th – 17th
We were off to Orange County for my cousin Amy’s wedding (on Saturday, July 16th). On Friday, my brother flew in again to Orange County (he went home to Texas in between Carpinteria and the wedding), and we hung out in the Balboa peninsula area before checking into the hotel.
Later that night, we got dinner with Chris and Del at this awesome farm to table restaurant called Farmhouse at Roger’s Gardens. I felt like a man ordering a steak entree with a bloody mary. I got spoiled on this trip!
On Saturday, the day of the wedding, we explored an estuary area nearby. As you can tell, Zach and Jake were riveted by the art fair going on at the estuary.
Later that night, we celebrated my cousin Amy’s wedding! She had her wedding at an environmental center, and the ceremony was beautiful followed by a reception full of eating, good company and dancing!
Now it is back to reality. I am about to board my last flight to New York and will face the harsh reality of work tomorrow! Oh well – vacation was a great break! Thanks for reading xo.
Ur mom and the otter ❤️❤️
Looks and sounds like a magical trip! Love all the photos!
Wow – great whirlwind summary of a fantastic time!