Relaxing Vacation

Orange County, California. . . The first thing people ask where you tell them where you are heading on your vacation is "Are you going to Disneyland?" Umm...no. Before you think Bill and I are horrible, incompetent parents, let me assure you that they were given the option (one that does not appeal to Bill or I) and they said "nah, no thanks." We offered Magic Mountain and Knott's Berry Farm and Sea World and Wild Animal Kingdom and the San Diego Zoo. Not interested. They just wanted to go to the beach. Oh yeah, and Legoland for the 3rd time. (Bill and I vetoed that one. We have paid those dues two previous trips. NEVER again.) We all just wanted a relaxing vacation after a hectic December. It is so relaxing, that our boys are falling asleep in the car and in the hotel enough to stay zonked out when a flash fires 3 feet away from them.


What have we been filling our time with without the help of Walt Disney or Danish Toy Companies? We have been "relaxing" along the beach boardwalk on a nice 2 hour bike ride this morning. We rode from Newport Beach up to a pier in some beach city a few miles up the road. (No idea which one). It was interesting how empty the beaches were at the beginning of the ride vs. how crowded they were at turn around point. Wonder what the difference is?

After our watching the tide roll out all along the coast line, we grabbed some lunch and headed out for a non-mountain biker hike. Bill was exempt from this hike being an avid mountain biker with a new bike that was just begging to be ridden with all the trails in the area. The boys and I tried a hike that had been recommended by Anne. It was a bit more challenging than the kids and I were expecting. She later told us she had taken a different route than we did. Even with the incredibly steep up and downs, the boys and I had a blast chatting about all kinds of things (mainly video game related) and getting in some more sunshine and fresh air.

While we hiked, Bill biked. He tried his new ride out in the mountains of Trabuco Canyon. He had a great ride. I could tell from the mud on him and the bike. (He had a dirt unibrow. Pretty sexy!) He also had the back shock completely blow out on him on his very first ride. Thank goodness for warranties. We stopped at a bike shop to see what could/should be done and came out with Romney wanting a new ride as well. It is a red cruiser with a devil monkey painted all over it and also on the saddle. It is perfect and I am going to start saving my pennies to buy it by spring.

With all that relaxing, we needed some good food and went out to eat with Anne and Quentin to refuel. The boys were very disappointed that we weren't able to stay at their home to play games, but with a mother and father who are crazy allergic to the cat (who though absent, had left plenty of dander behind) and had to leave early in order to breath.

Both boys fell asleep in the car again on the way to the hotel. I guess that is what so much relaxing will get ya'.