OH HEY, BEACH VACAY

I swear. Every year I increase the number of Cali photos that I post. I can't help it; we make some amazing memories in that place. This was suppose to be our low-key year but let's be honest... I can't do less than 4-5 days near the ocean. I'm part mermaid. And I'm already missing the sea.

TUESDAY: DAY ONE

left home at 7 am and headed to Anaheim

CRAZY confusion with our HomeAway rental

got rental home details squared away before epic meltdown ensued

ate lunch at In-N-Out

headed to Newport and took ferry boat to Balboa Island

bought our weight's worth of taffy at Balboa Candy

headed home to Anaheim for dinner

WEDNESDAY: DAY TWO

had an early start and an easy breakfast to be out the door quickly

drove out to Newport to meet up with our friends, who live in TX

hung out at the beach all day, enjoying the water and company

ate the most delicious tacos for lunch

dug deep holes in the sand and shared strawberries

returned home in time to grill up hamburgers

THURSDAY: DAY THREE
dashed out the door and went down to Little Corona Del Mar
enjoyed eating donuts on the beach
explored the tide pools and found crabs and sea hares
got home in the early afternoon to clean up
visited the Packing District in Anaheim
browsed the shops and ate some ice cream
made personal pizzas for dinner

FRIDAY: DAY FOUR

ate breakfast before going to Bolsa Chica Beach
HANDSTANDS IN THE SAND
played on boogie boards and splashed in waves
collected a bunch of gorgeous sea shells
ran a few miles barefoot on the beach (me and oldest two)
dug around for sand crabs
got home in the mid-afternoon and played card games
had hot dogs for dinner

SATURDAY: DAY FIVE
had a quick breakfast while packing everything up
drove out to the Long Beach area and passed through the shipping wharf
visited Cabrillo Marine Aquarium (a donation only research aquarium!)
saw hundreds of creatures, both alive and preserved
got attacked by a humpback whale
had lunch near Cabrillo Beach before the 6 hr ride home
cried because Arizona doesn't have an ocean

Somewhere, there is a photo of me next to that same whale at the age of 11. If I can locate it, I will definitely do a compare and contrast...