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Wednesday, June 17, 2015

California Recap | Part 2

Have you read part 1? If not, read it first 😉 Continuing with our adventure…
Day 4: Made our way down the coastline into Laguna Beach to enjoy the scenery and shops before visiting Wilson Creek Winery. One word…beautiful! During the wine tasting I started with the White Cabernet Sauvignon. We were told this is one of their most popular and people often buy it by the case. I would describe this wine as sweet, fruity, and delicious. Next I chose another white called Golden Jubilee; little drier, more of an earthy flavor, but good. Skipped over the reds, they’re just not my thing, and moved onto the sparkling wines…oh my! I tasted some of my mother-in-law’s almond champagne, but it wasn’t as good as I hoped. The next three I would purchase for any event I was hosting; the first two for a brunch and the third to serve at a girls’ get-together. First up was the Orange Mimosa and let me tell you it was beyond any traditional mimosa I’ve had (and I’ve had several lol). Next up, Peach Bellini; again, light, refreshing. Finally, the bottle I purchased, although I’m regretting not getting the White Cabernet Sauvignon too, the Sparkling Sangria. What a lovely, light taste. At the winery, the family dogs roam the property and the tasting room so we were greeted by a few of them. Overall it was a great experience and if you plan to do some wine tasting in southern California I recommend visiting Wilson Creek Winery. There are many wineries along the same road so you could easily make a whole day of it!

Beautiful scenery in Laguna Beach
One of the friendly Golden Retrievers having a drink.
Sangria Sparkling Wine
He is the love of my life.

Day 5: The day I was most looking forward to! San Diego Zoo! Rather than bore you with details, pictures below. We were there from opening (9:00am) to closing (6:00pm). After all that walking, drinks and appetizers were in order at el agave, restaurant and tequileria in San Diego, which features over 2,000 tequilas. Yep, you read that right, over 2,000! It was quite a showcase of tequilas! Dinner took place at Eddie V’s. I know some people who rave about this restaurant, but sadly I wasn’t impressed.

The gorillas had a staring contest, the koala bears were my favorite, the baby giraffe was 3 weeks old!
We took the Skyfari to see the zoo from above. (Love my hubby’s gorgeous eyes!)
This is a sand sculpture! How fabulous!

Day 6: Started with a trip to Coronado Island to see the historic Hotel Del Coronado. The hotel has been running since the 1880s with room rates of $2.50 (included 3 meals a day) when they first opened their doors. On the way back north we stopped at the Birch Aquarium on University of California San Diego’s campus. Although a small aquarium, they had some great exhibits and it kept us entertained for several hours. After taking a stroll in the sand and listening to the waves for a little while we opted for Pizza Port in Carlsbad, CA. Delicious and an exceptionally busy spot! I can see why! Winding down the trip we checked into our hotel near the airport and went for ice cream at Hans’ Homemade Ice Cream and Deli. It was after 9pm and the place was packed with a line out the door. I know I’d selected a good place (with the help of Yelp) when I saw the crowd. Each of us tried something different and were impressed, minus the crowdedness inside.

Beach in Carlsbad
Left: Pizza Port       Right: Hans’ Ice Cream

Day 7: Time to head home and it was bittersweet. As I packed my bag I wished I would have gotten a few more workouts in, but that can happen this week, along with many more salads instead of burgers, pizza, and ice cream :). After arriving home, my very hunky hubby had to do some manual labor and change a flat tire on our car. Not the best greeting, but oh well. 

I hope you’ve enjoyed our California recap and the pictures. Hopefully some of you followed my journey on Snapchat. Until next post…xoxo Becca
Monday, June 15, 2015

California Recap | Part 1

Did you miss me? Hopefully last Monday’s and Friday’s post helped hold you over while I was gone. Besides…who doesn’t love to smell good with some fresh fragrances. Need a gift idea for your father or your significant other? Well there ya go…the bonus in last Monday’s post should help solve that dilemma. Go to a craft store over the weekend? No? Why not?! Lots of cute decorations are waiting to be made for the 4th 🙂


But I know why you’re here today, to see how the trip to California went. I’m going to write this in 2 parts so it’s not super long. 

Day 1: Monday morning started off early as we made our way to the airport. Security took longer than usual (Dad, we miss your priority access!). I don’t know if any of you have had the opportunity to fly with priority access, but it really does make things much smoother. I’m sure many business men and women are privileged to have this access and love it. The flight was an easy one…thank goodness because I hate flying.

Upon arrival we met up with mom and dad whose flight landed earlier than ours and headed to lunch at Mama D’s Italian Kitchen. Our neighbor recommended Mama D’s and I am soooooo glad she did. Everything was amazing, including the complementary warm chocolate chip cookies. Since check-in at the resort wasn’t until 4:00 we went across the street to Newport Beach Brewing Company…happy hour prices ALL day. That’s what I’m talking about! After a round of drinks we headed off to the resort. Beautiful place…lots of children though. Maybe I will dedicate a post to a resort review soon. 


Since our villa had a full kitchen we went to Trader Joe’s and picked up a few groceries to make dinner for Monday and Tuesday night. We have a Trader Joe’s in The Woodlands, but it took me going all the way to California to step foot in one lol Then it was wine, cheese, fruit, and leftover Mama D’s for dinner.


Day 2: Hit the gym for a sweat session and it felt so good. Next we took the resort shuttle to Crystal Cove Beach where we planned on having brunch, but Beachcombers had already stopped serving breakfast. Ruby’s Diner‘s website said serving breakfast all day…LIES, only until 11 🙁 So we settled for a burgers and shakes. Then back to the resort for some much needed pool time and a wine and cheese reception. Then for a change of scenery we cruised along the beach and visited a few neighborhoods near there….the homes were adorable. Beautifully landscaped and decorated and I wanted to buy them all 🙂

Crystal Cove Beach
Pool time!
Remember to stop and smell the roses!

Day 3: Rather than hitting the gym, the hubs and I went for a long walk around the resort and to Crystal Cove Beach. We saw a lot of cool ocean critters in the tide pools, surfers, and others exploring the beach. The weather was so strange, cold and gray, not what I pictured of California. The locals called it “June Gloom” and that’s the perfect description. The family had lunch at Javier’s, great environment and the food was good. Took a trip to Balboa Island for shopping and frozen bananas. Apparently they’re famous to the island and we were told to visit Dad’s Donut & Bakery Shop. I had a frozen banana covered in chocolate and peanuts. Certainly a touristy thing to do…it was good but ehhh wouldn’t do it again. We drove north to Huntington Beach, famous for great waves for surfing. Walked the pier and saw a lot of talented surfers. Watched the beautiful sunset. Headed back to the resort to relax and pack for Thursday. Headed to La Jolla. 

View from resort
Left: Frozen Banana     Right: Balboa Bar covered in Oreos
Dad’s Donut & Bakery Shop
Huntington Beach


Second half of the trip coming soon (probably tomorrow or Wednesday)! Until next post…xoxo Becca

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