San Diego
In my head, trips to see family & short weekend getaways don’t count as Family Vacations. This makes my husband crazy, but he was willing to go along when I started whining about another trip suggested we take a trip to San Diego. (thanks, honey!) I picked SD because (a) it had beaches (b) same time zone and (c) fun stuff to do! We weren’t disappointed.
It ended up being a WONDERFUL trip. The hotel was great, weather was perfect and everything went very smoothly. Madeline turns 2 very shortly, so it was great to sneak in one more trip with her as a lap infant. (Not looking forward to having to buy a seat for her, even if she is a little big to be on my lap…) So, vacation: time on the beach, a free day at Sea World, a trip to the San Diego zoo (FREE for active duty military) and dinner with lovely friends. Oh, and more beach time! *sigh* I just LOVE the beach. We also loved San Diego. Sure wish there was some way J could get stationed there. 
J & I were surprised at how much we enjoyed Sea World. We knew Madeline would love it, but it ended up being quite fun for us, too. Madeline loved the shows – she’d clap every time the whales or dolphins jumped. Too cute. We’re very grateful for the Here’s to Heroes program – thanks, Sea World!
The SD Zoo is amazing. It’s HUGE – big enough to have shuttle buses that run all over it. It was wonderful to see koalas, pandas, hippos, etc. Madeline is also still talking about how we gave crackers to the giraffe. I loved the Hippo Beach – it’s neat to be able to see the hippos thru the glass as they’re in the water.
Probably my favorite part of the trip (ok, of ANY trip) is BEACH TIME. I just love being near the ocean and listening to the waves while soaking up the sun. Yes, I know it’s bad to tan. Yes, I slather my kid in sunblock. I consider it a victory that Madeline came home just as pale as she left! That said, I still just love to be in the sun.
I can’t believe I didn’t get any pictures when we dropped by my friend Christine’s house for dinner. She has an adorable home just north of Balboa Park. She & Steve were such gracious hosts – and fed us some amazing carne asada! It was wonderful to just visit & catch up. Madeline enjoyed playing with Christine’s extensive collection of racing bling. Girl does love her finisher medeals. I hope we see them again soon!!
More pics here.