Using "epic" as a description is always risky...as Marcel the Shell with Shoes On says "compared to what?!". For our little family, this vacation was a big, impressive, and memorable...so yes I can use the word epic. This was the first time the boys had been on an airplane, the first time they had ever seen - let alone been in the ocean, this was maybe the 2nd time they have ever stayed in a hotel, and heck we don't even eat out very much! We try to keep things pretty simple around here...but every once in awhile you need an epic vacation so memories can get seared into their little brains!
I loved that I was there for the boys first plane ride! (I was there for Miriam's too, and with her when she saw the Atlantic ocean...but this was her first time swimming in an ocean) I still love the belly flipping lift off and set down of the airplane. So fun to experience it with the boys!
Plus... the stewards and stewardesses gave them ROOT BEER and pretzels. The RB is considered a big treat around these parts (they drank it daily I believe on this trip).
.
We flew into Long Beach Airport...a small, easy to manage little airport with art deco style. Cute little place I would totally fly into there again. We rented a car and drove 30 min to Laguna Beach. We stayed at the Art Hotel, a cute locally owned hotel across the street from the Crescent Bay beach.
While Darin stayed to let Soren sleep in the next morning, Miriam, Byron and I found the beach access across the street. After wave chasing, and some tide pool looking, we walked back to find Darin and Soren awake and ready to go. So we got in our suits and walked through Heisler Park to find some breakfast.
We spent a bit too much time taking in the ocean views, and finding the sculptures in the park so by the time we found a restaurant for breakfast we were STARVING.
We decided on the Orange Inn which doesn't look anything like this picture...but this is what it looked like when it opened in 1931. We got the kids "the best blueberry orange muffin ever!" to hold them over while I waited in line for our food.
We walked down to Cleo Street Beach for a breakfast picnic.
I ran up to Main Beach to buy sand toys and rent a body board.
I think we played for 3 or 4 hours...the kids loved wading out in the waves, playing "bubble run" with the sea foam, running to grab the sea kelp to build a garden (with Bub's sea turnips), I throughly entertained Darin with my body board attempts. He has to admit I got one or two good waves in (and a couple not so graceful tries). Everyone took a turn getting buried in the sand.
We were completely wiped out, and sunburned by the afternoon so we caught the Trolley back to our hotel rather than walking. We showered, rested and then caught the Trolley back to Main Beach for the kids dinner choice Johnny Rockets.
Soren never did fully recover from the beach.
My family took a vacation to Laguna Beach back in 1993, we ate at this very same Johnny Rockets so this one was for the kids and my Dad who wanted us to stop by for old times sake.
Darin and the boys took the Trolley back to the hotel while Miriam and I walked up to Ralph's grocery store to pick up breakfast for the next day and some snacks. We gratefully caught the last Trolley back to our hotel so we didn't have to walk with grocery bags!
The kids fell in love with American Ninja Warrior that night in our hotel room before we all turned in.
