Torrey Pines (Brrrrr!)

My experience with Southern California for the last five years has been sitting on a cold and windy beach in coats and blankets watching Scotty surf. I've tried to surf a handful of times, but it's just way too cold, even with a wetsuit! Look at the picture below! I'm wearing the exact same set up I wear during a snowy Utah blizzard. The humidity makes it even worse. I actually LOVE the cold... in UTAH... in the WINTER. I am not impressed by the wind and chill when I expect to be on a sunny beach. That is all.

Although I think it's a myth, apparently Southern California beaches do get warm and sunny. I look forward to the day that myth can be dispelled. Peter enjoyed digging in the sand for a bit, but ultimately it was another cold and windy beach day. 

Santa Monica Pier

We made our way down to San Diego, and we still were in shock at how well Peter did in the car for all these hours! I swear he gets more restless going up to Kirsten's house thirty minutes away from home. But right around the time we passed Santa Monica Pier, Peter was ready for some lunch and a diaper change, so we decided to make a little stop. We didn't ride any rides or really hang out too long; we just enjoyed a little sun. It was actually kind of stressful! Peter likes to walk on his own, and I was really anxious trying to keep right by him so he didn't get lost. So... fun for a bit, but maybe not again for a long long time. 

I managed to find some dippin' dots. So that made it a worthwhile stop. 

Peter was fascinated by the roller coaster, or "choo choo."

SB Zoo

I lied. I wasn't finished with the Santa Barbara catch up. We went to the zoo!

The SB Zoo is so cute and small. We had so much fun! Peter loved the train, was so excited to see the giraffe that came pretty close, and had a lot of fun wandering around. He almost touched a flamingo that was walking along the path, but got pretty nervous about it. Can't blame him. He can touch a flamingo some other time. 

The Rest of Santa Barbara

I'll wrap up the Santa Barbara portion of our trip with the adorable picture below. Peter had so much fun at Scott's parents' house, especially in the little playhouse that they bought for his arrival! He loved sneaking up on the cat, observing the dog from a healthy distance, spending time with Gramma and Grampa, and taking walks. It was a fun visit, and a wonderful Easter weekend! 

We are Mildly Obsessed with Peter and Charlotte

Remember when Charlotte came to visit? 

These two became very good friends while Charlotte and her parents came for a ski trip and stayed at our house for a week. It's a win win. We love Andy and Jen, and Peter loves spending time with Charlotte. It was fun to see them again shortly after their trip. I'm pretty sure Charlotte and Peter remembered each other. 

I probably took more pictures of these kids than the rest of our trip combined. There's nothing cuter than Peter and Charlotte on a rock... or on the grass... or by a horse... or on a ranch... 

This picture above is fun because Scott and Andy have been buddies for a long time. They went to high school and college together, and it's fun to see them together with their kids. Peter and Charlotte are just under two months apart in age. We love the Emory's and hope to have a lot of trips/visits with them in the future. 

I Think It's Called the Wharf... the Marina?... the Harbor?

I am never sure about the correct terms. But we were on a long, wood deck surrounded by water on three sides, and we went to a small museum with jellyfish and all kinds of other ocean creatures. Peter had so much fun, and we love watching him get excited about everything he sees. We had a beautiful day out on the long, wood deck surrounded by water on three sides. We had some ice cream and watched people fish.  

Apparently, Peter didn't like my puppet show...