April 10, 2021

 

 

Such a relaxing, fabulous spring break spent in Newport Beach.  As usual, Darren found us a great airbnb.  It was right by the beach and a great home base. It was Darren, Rylie, Camrie, Sadie, me, Tanner, and Kenzie.  Mason had school.

We left Sunday and stayed in Beaver Dam.  Hit Joshua Tree on Monday on the way to Newport.  Tuesday was beach day.  Wednesday was beach and whale watching or Reptile Museum.  Thursday we went to Sea World.  Friday was one last beach day.  Drove home on Saturday.  What a great family vacation.  I loved hanging out with the fam and enjoying some sand.

Things to remember:

• Delicious breakfast by Sandee (and dinner last night) to send us on our way. 
• "Now it’s a road trip." - Kenz says as we’re making sandwiches on the bumper of the car. 
• Dip road. 
• Playing tourist at Arch Rock.
• Girls singing along to the Jonas brothers driving through Joshua tree. 
• Common raven. 
• Dolphins! 
• Rylie brave enough to go boogie boarding. Twice. That was enough. 
• "Sun’s out buns out."
• Darren got some good drone footage - even some dolphins from our beach. 
• Red Robin comes through for dinner. 
• “Chapter 1 - Rylie and the Great White Whale”. 
• Rylie wanting to see a "great white whale".  Or a blue whale that she then researched.
  
• "Nature's purest form."
• Rylie’s swollen eyes. 
• Girls trip to Bonzai Bowls. 
• Also to Milk and COOKIES. 
• Not a whale watching trip - a dolphin watching trip. 
• Dolphins really do jump along side the boat. 
• D and Sadie talking about tortoises. 
• Sea World limited entry means letting as many people in as would fit even though there are no rides open. 
• Learning that the kids have issues with Sea World and their treatment of animals - after we bought tickets. 
• Biff was still funny and the dolphins were cool. Penguins were also cool. 
• Thank goodness the shark exhibit still said “prepare to walk” as Ry said it’s her favorite part of Sea World. 
• Park endurance was way down.
  
• Walking to lunch for the adults. Sessions sandwiches for the Randalls and Hook and Anchor for D and I. 
• Tide pools are cool and creepy at the same time. Rylie found a sea anemone that had a half eaten fish in it that was sticking out. Fun fact - anemones do in fact eat fish. 
• Book time at the beach. 
• A few more dolphins for a Cali send off. They were quite close to the shore. 
• Evening beach time - sigh. 
• When Darren pretended to have a fish in his hand and the sea lion was looking up with his mouth open.
• Rylie ordering 2 apple juice refills.
• Darren running over a cone in the Sea World parking lot - on purpose. 
  
• The man in the sequin purple jacket by Bonzai Bowls.
• Kenzie hearing Camrie fart for the first time.
• Rylie’s ultimate middle seat sacrifice to get Sadie to play marbles.
• Drone following. (And high fiving the dolphins.)
• Getting tornadoed while enjoying some last beach moments. 
• "I only cried once this trip" - Kenzie.  We then decided that of course there were a few tears, but less than most trips.  

Some of my favorite pics: