Beaches!

CP loved the sand and waves. After the LW and I had finished our traditional pre-trip argument, we were on our way out of town at a little after 3pm. It was a smooth trip and the BioDiesel from the GOGO Mart had the TDI humming down the highway. We made a few stops between here and SD. Once up around Eloy and once over near Yuma. CP was a bit grumpy about being trapped in the seat and we stopped when the LW and I thought we'd go mad. The stop out near Yuma was interesting. Desolation and intense heat struck us as we got out of the car. CP could have cared less though - she was free! We put her in the back part of the wagon and let her crawl all over things. The remainder of the trip there was uneventful and we made it to the Pine Valley Inn by around 9pm. By this time, it must have been in the high 60s there in the hills and it was nice just to have the windows down. As with pretty much any low-cost strip motel there were the WT regulars who didn't give a damn who was sleeping inside because they wanted to let their dogs bark at the night and sit outside everyone's doors and chew the fat until 2am. I'll save dirty diapers for them next time and put them right under their room's air vents. The dogs kept waking the LW up, so she "woke up" groggy.

We bid that place and its noisy inhabitants a hearty "@#$% you!" in the morning and were on our way to the beach. CP enjoyed her little stop at the McD's outside El Cajon and was all set for a morning of toes in sand. We ran by Mission Beach on the way up to La Jolla and were headed up near the kids beach. We walked in the grass south of the kids area and got down near the water for a bit. CP played with a small crab for a bit, but eventually the excitement of all that water was too much for her. We went up toward the kids' area with her in the backpack (thanks Ma!) and it was a zoo as expected, with not only tons of kids, but harbor seals as well. CP didn't care, so we took her down into the little cove just south of there. She had a blast! She got to play in the waves and just kept going back for more even though the water was around 65 degrees. We all had a good time there and after drying off in the grass a bit, CP was ready for a nap and we were ready for some food.

I drove around a bit and found The Spot with the LW's help. It wasn't where I remembered it being, but it didn't matter. We had a good lunch and, as luck would have it, got seated next to some crazy people who couldn't shut up about mixed breeds being allowed into the Westminster dog show. Anyone seen that movie, Best In Show? I swear these guys could have been the basis for the characters in that movie. I didn't feel bad about CP's noise or messiness next to those clowns. The staff was really great to us and made everything good. I think that they could tell that we were tired. After that, we were off to the Birch Aquarium to see the fish and sea critters. CP had a good time at the big windows where there were large fish up close, but was less interested in the smaller windows and crowded areas. There was a display there that discussed the number of pounds of CO2 expelled per 100 miles for different vehicle mpg ratings and different fuels. We were pleased to see that the TDI, when running Biodiesel, was almost off of the bottom of the chart at 11lbs.

By this time, it was about time to check in. We headed up to Del Mar to check into the Doubletree and ended up going through a bit of town and into the mess that is the fair. We made it easily enough though and in no time, the LW was walking back to the car with a big smile and some great cookies. The room was really nice and the staff made sure that CP had a crib and that it was set up. We tried to get CP to take a nap, but I think that all of the excitement of the new place..and the elevator...kept her from sleeping. There was nothing left to do, but to head for the pool. Back in the water again, she was having a great time. It was the first saltwater pool that I've been in and it was really nice. CP seemed to like the lack of chlorine and was just all over the place.

Just when she was done swimming, we headed off to dinner at the Cafe on Park. It was a good place, but once again, the noise got in between the waitress and what the LW actually ordered, which is a pretty funny reversal, and she wound up getting some sort of salmon thing. It's usually me that nobody can hear, and yet this is the second time in recent memory where her order was screwed up. She said it was great though and really enjoyed it. By 930, CP was toast and we didn't hear too much out of her for the rest of the evening.

Sunday morning was quiet and good. We woke up late, for us, and ambled down to the buffet breakfast in the lobby. CP was a bit testy, but I think that it could have been that she knew that there was a beach waiting somewhere out there. I was a bit undecided about which beach to go to and we didn't really have a plan. I figured that the beach just north of Torrey Pines would be good if we could find a parking spot. Well, as luck would have it, the road seemed to lead us right to the beach just north of Soledad Lagoon. It was $8 to park, but that got us a nice spot next to a bathroom and shower and it was worth every cent. I'd advise anyone going to a beach in San Diego to do this exact same thing. It saved us from having to put a sandy mess of a child into a carseat...and we were relatively clean and happy as well. It was about 4 minutes drive from the front door of the hotel, so that helped as well. A warm bath put CP back in sync with the world and we were prepared to start the trip home.

CP did pretty well on the way back home and seemed to really enjoy snacking on goldfish crackers. We stopped a few times for breaks and to make us really appreciate how well the air conditioner in the wagon worked. The cats met us at the door, told us to turn the cooler on, and seemed to ask us why we had brought their little tormentor home with us. The chicks were all sitting near the misters on the coop pretty much asleep, so I just had to close the door before heading in for the night.

This trip, our first family vacation ever, was a hit and a good pre-run for the upcoming cross-country trips that we have planned in the next few months. The way things are going, I see a good many trips in our future in this car. Next time out though....we'll pack along some music or talking books.