CA trip

My parents celebrated 40 years of marriage this summer. They were married on July 19, 1969, the day before man first set foot on the moon. I've heard them tell about how as they made their way to Canada for their honeymoon, they not only tuned in to this historic moment, but also made sure to find a motel that had color TV. So you could say that as the world celebrated "one giant leap for mankind," broadcast in black-and-white, my family began.

Forty years later, mom and dad continue to take good care of their family. Last month, we took a trip to Southern California together. A highlight of the trip was spending a day on Catalina Island, where we used to vacation every other summer growing up. Back then, my dad's friend had a condo where we would stay for a week. This trip, though we had to squeeze all the nostalgia into one day, we had a good time walking/biking the little city of Avalon. Much of it has changed, but I was also surprised to see all that hasn't. I took TEC and the kids up to the bell tower, out to the Casino to watch the scuba divers, then back near the pier where they played on the rocky beach and floated in the gentle waves (much different from the waves at the other California beaches we visited). Our family was too young to snorkel, which was always a favorite activity of mine growing up. But we did play some miniature golf on the island, something I don't think I ever did back then. Before getting back on the boat, the whole family met for dinner at an old favorite, Armstrong's. What a wonderful place...I hope to go back someday.


On our first evening in California, my mom stayed with the kids and the rest of us went to a Dodgers game. It was fun to see the stadium, and our seats in the pavilion gave us some appreciation for some serious Dodger fanatics (best to leave your non-Dodger gear at home).

For Sunday, we went to church in Torrance, then drove out to Newport to walk around the temple grounds there and get some pictures. SCC was especially excited about seeing a "pink" temple.


Actually, let's be honest. This is how she really felt about the afternoon in general.



The kids really love having their pictures taken together...



We spent a day at Knott's Berry Farm, which was an expected mix of fun, thrill, and exhaustion. It's a pretty good park for our family--lots for little kids to do and enough big rides for TEC and I to enjoy in tag-team fashion, and a little less intense than a Disneyland experience.

And, of course, we had fun playing at the beach. Even spotted some dolphin.

What a fun trip. Thanks, Mom and Dad, for making it happen and for letting us celebrate 40 years with you.