California: Part III (The Finale)

I can't believe we're nearing the end of our trip! We've been here for almost a week and seen so many things, but there still is so much more we'd love to do.

Yesterday, Branna and I went up to the Conference Center with Branyon. Branna, being the only child there, stole the show. (Of course, it also had to do with how cute she is. ;) ) She got all sorts of fun stuff from the vendors and enjoyed getting to see the fun telescope mock-ups. But after an hour or so, Branna was tired of being inside, so we took a break.

Taking a Break

Today, while Branyon was at the conference, Branna and I walked to a nearby park. She was VERY glad to get out of the hotel room and even more than that, to see other kids. As soon as she saw kids, she ran over and started playing, calling them her "new friends". Seeing her get so excited made me realize how much she misses her friends at home.

Even though we've all had a great time, I think we're ready to be back home and have the normalcy of every day life. I think if Branna knew who Dorothy was, she'd agree with her that "There's no place like home!".

Playing at the Park (Angeles Mountains are in the background)

California: Part II

On Saturday, we decided to head down to the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach. We all really enjoyed getting to see the fish and animals. I think mine and Branyon's favorite part was seeing the tunnel aquariums that you could walk through and see fish swimming above you.

Branna's favorite part seemed to be the lorakeets. (Of course she liked the birds the best at the aquarium. :) ) She was really excited about them flying freely around her and that she got to feed them nectar. I was surprised at how calm she was while she was feeding them.

The aquarium also had a really neat sea lion and seal visit. They were all very active and kept swimming right up to where Branna was standing.

One of the last exhibits we looked at was of the jellyfish. They had several different kinds, but Branna was most interested in the Moon jellyfish.

Sunday was a restful day, but we did end up having a couple of interesting things happening. Our route to church service took us on the historic Route 66. This road goes through San Marino, which is the city where Fresh Prince of Bel Air and Father of the Bride took place. The city was beautiful and the houses were gorgeous!

California: Part I

We are in California! I guess this could be considered our first real family vacation. For those who may not know, Branyon is attending an astronomy conference and Branna and I were able to tag along.

We left early Wednesday morning and got to our hotel outside of Pasadena just after lunch, Calfornia time. Branna did good on the flight, but she wasn't quite as impressed with flying as I thought she would be. I guess she's still at the age where she doesn't fully comprehend what's going. It seemed like she thought we were just in a car.

Branna on the Plane Before Take Off

Leaving Texas in near 100 degree weather and going to visit Southern California, touted for it's warm, sunny weather, I didn't think it was necessary to check the weather. I realized as we left the airport, that that was a mistake. The temperature hasn't gotten much over 70 degrees and has been rainy! We have still been having a wonderful time, even though we're the only ones without jackets and pants. :) (We only packed summer-type clothes...woops!)

On our first full day, we visited several places. The first was the Griffith Observatory where we were also able to see the Hollywood sign. The observatory wasn't open when we got there, so we weren't able to go in. We would like to go back at some point before leaving to at least see a planetarium program.

Hollywood!

The Griffith Observatory

Pointing Out Jupiter

Our next venue was to travel part of the Pacific Coast Highway. We started in Malibu and ended at the Channel Islands National Park in Ventura. Our first stop was just outside Malibu at the Leo Carillo State Beach. Branna had her first ocean encounter there. On top of being cool outside for June, being in the Pacific Ocean, the water was quite cold. The temperature was a shock at first, but after a while, Branna had a blast playing in it. We found lots of hermit crabs and even a sea urchin!

Branna's First Steps on the Beach Looking at the Ocean
Drying Off After Being Knocked Over by a Wave :) She Found a Hermit Crab!

Examining the Sea Urchin

Our next stop on the Highway, was at Channel Islands National Park. While we weren't able to visit any of the islands, we could see them in the distance. After visiting the Visitor Center, we took Branna to a near-by beach for one last swim.

Riding a Seal at the Visitor Center

Playing in the Water, Again