Mister's Herbs -- Yes, We Do Use Them

Herbs! Yes we grow them.  Yes we use them.  What would cooking be like without them.

On To San Diego

After dropping Matt and family off at LAX, we turned towards the south and a few days alone in Southern California.  The last time I was in San Diego was in 1977, when Jen was only about 6 months old.  I was really looking forward to this.  Mister had never been there and so that made is nice as well -- I get to play guide for a change.  While planning this little adventure, I picked a route that would take us in a large oval before we arrived back at LAX three days later.

We went south on I15 and the drive was beautiful as we passed through Lake Elsinore, Temecula, and Fallbrook before starting up the Palomar Mountain.  The vast number of orchard and avocado orchards through here is staggering.  The trees were loaded with oranges and I wanted to just jump out of the car and pick a few.  Oh my -- THAT would be fresh orange juice.

The the top of the mountain was the Palomar Observatory with it's beautiful white dome.  Mister was thrilled to get to see the Hale Telescope and it was even in motion while we were there.  I do not understand all the lenses, mirrors, and science behind it, but he does and it was still impressive to me.

Smaller observatories dot the landscape around us, each containing a telescope with varying capabilities.  It is hard for me to believe that I grew up in Southern California and never visited here.  Ugh.

Wanting to combine seeing family with Mister being able to check out microbreweries, we left the mountain and dropped down into San Marcos.  Making a stop at San Marcos Brewery and Grill for a sampler and some lunch seemed like a good first start and they didn't disappoint.  Look how pretty these are.  While there, I called my Aunt Annie, whom I had not seen in at least 10 years.  I gave her a call and we drove out to visit with her for awhile.  (Here is where I bash my head on the monitor because we neglected to take a single picture of this visit.  What a complete dolt I was.)  We had a great visit and I would love to have the chance to talk with her again sometime.  When I was younger, I absolutely adored her and am sad that we have drifted apart.

There are several breweries in this area that we wish to visit and after the visit we head to another one.  Our next stop is Green Flash Brewing where we have a couple of quick tastes and are soon on our way towards Iron Fist Brewing where we were able to visit with the father of the owner and he shared with us oh so much information about his homeland in Eastern Europe.  We had a great visit but soon it was time to get on the road again

I had found a hotel right near the Balboa Park and soon we were checking in and making ourselves comfortable.  The Balboa Park Inn was exactly what it claimed to be.  Situated perfectly, nice and quiet, and tons of privacy were all promised and definitely delivered.  We had a great place, complete with a sitting room and luxurious bathroom.  Oh my -- perfect with the possible exception of decor, ha ha.  We are beat and it is time to crash.

The next morning, we were up and raring to go.  We had no sooner started out, when we discovered a market just around the corner and had to stop.  It was the Hillcrest Farmers Market it was probably one of the best markets we have ever been blessed to attend.  Mister found a stall that even had fresh sea urchins -- he was in love.  The fresh produce, juices, and flowers were simply phenomenal and we were in heaven.  What a great start to our day.

Onto Old Town -- I had not been down here since I was a young girl and did not really have any memory of it.  As a result, I was really looking forward to this destination.  We walked around checking out area markets and discovered the Church of the Immaculate Conception, a beautiful old church building dating back to the late 1800's.

At one of the craft booths, I purchased a nifty little hair accessory (which I can no longer locate, drat).

We decided to drive out to the tip of Point Loma to see the monument.  We did not do enough research to discover that it was on a Naval base and that the entrance closed at 4:30.  So much for watching the sunset from there.  Grrr.  Mister got into an argument with the guy at the gate because we didn't stop and he wanted to know if we were running the gate.  We didn't see him in the shack and were just going on through because, as I said, we did not know it was a base.  Yep --- we are the kind of people who try and run gates onto military bases.  Seriously??

Oh well, we figured we would try again the next day and turned back towards the city.  Slightly north was Bay Park and since I had spent so much of my childhood here, I wanted to check out the grocery store that my parents had operated when we lived here.  This is where I first learned the beginnings of business and an understanding of the retail industry.

The store is still here but is no longer called Bay Park Market.  It is now Siesel's Meats, a boutique grocery and meat store.  I can remember in great detail the things my sister and I used to do while being "stuck" in the store while our parents worked.  The meat shop was leased out from my dad and uncle by Marvin and Ursula Siesel.  It was nice to see that this legacy has continued.  If this had been a local shop near us in Dallas, we would definitely shop there --- loved the place still no matter how different it was.

Our next stop was just down the road -- the beach!!  Oh, and Pacific Beach Ale House for a sampler and some lunch.

From there, we drove up into Clairemont, the area of San Diego that we lived in before moving to Montana.  Sometimes things from our youth stand out and I will never forget the last address I had there.  The house was still standing and although it looked much different - no longer tan, large tree and junipers gone, etc., it still reminded me of so many moments.  We lived here from 6th through 9th grades and I remember most of those years in complete detail and am still in touch with several people who meant a great deal to me then.  Goodness but that was a long time ago.

Our final stop of the day was Mission Basilica San Diego de Alcala, California's first mission.  Founded in 1769, it is lovingly known as the "Mother of the Missions".  There are 21 missions in California, yet this one alone stands as the birthplace of Christianity in the west.  Looking very much like it's mother country of Spain, it is still an active parish and cultural center for people of all faiths.

We spent a great deal of time, wandering the grounds and watching a wedding group.

After a quick change at the hotel, it was time for dinner at Taste of Thai.  Another great day.

Ah -- this morning is all about Mister.  We are going to The San Diego Zoo as it has the largest concentration of Koalas in the United States.  Mister feels the same way about these wonderful creatures as I do about my sea turtles.  Once we arrive at the Zoo, we head straight to the Koalas and spend a couple of hours just watching and photographing them.  We are fortunate enough to find several awake and moving around.  It is also a quiet day at the zoo and so the keepers have time to talk with us and share information and stories.  

When we finish at the koala exhibit, Mister turns to me and says, "Okay, I am ready to go."  I stare at him in shock.  It was $44.00 a ticket to get in here --- "Can we see a little more of the zoo?" I ask.  Goodness.  We grab a double-decker bus and take a wonderful tour throughout most of the park.  Now that is better.  After another couple of hours, we call it good and head out to try and get out to the point today.  

Yay!  We get past the gate and drive out to Cabrillo National Monument.  The old lighthouse is still there and you can go inside the building and up into the tower.

The views are beautiful and some of the most interesting plants are to be seen.  Check out who is sharing this beautiful blossom.  I would love to stay here the rest of the day and just feel the ocean against mist against my face and wander the paths.  However, as we discovered yesterday, our time here is limited so we are soon on our way.  

Going back towards the city, we take the Coronado Bay bridge back to the hotel, clean up a little and are off to Ebisu Sushi for a lovely dinner date.  Mister will never forget the Uni that he had there and no one will ever compare to it for him.  It was a great night and we are sorry our time here is at an end.  We must start back to LA tomorrow morning to catch our afternoon flight back home.  We will always talk about San Diego as the "city of flowers" since the fantastic color has been EVERYWHERE and we are oh so jealous of the bougainvillea here.  Entire hillsides of the brilliant colored flowers.  Oh my.

As we start our journey north today, we only have a couple of items in mind.  We are going to follow the old highway along the coast as much as we possibly can and we have one stop to make.  Let's get going.

The drive is picture perfect along the coast and we are busy pointing things out to each other all along the way.  Going through Encinitas and Oceanside take me back to my early teen years again.  Ah, these beaches.  We find it interesting that access to the old highway ends for awhile and we drive along the interstate straight through Camp Pendleton.  When we exit the base, we quickly arrive at our only stop.  Mission San Juan Capistrano.  It is not the time of the swallows, but this mission is so beautiful and historic that we spend quite a bit of time here.   The flower gardens are gorgeous and I am struck by the beauty of the roses.  Look at their size.

  This mission is so large that it is like a small city all by itself.  I was able to find little alleys and crevices everywhere.   The sanctuary is not my cup of tea in style, but fantastic all the same.  I am not such a fan of the ornate, but this chapel shows what was sacrificed to make such a wonder so many years ago.  It is very well maintained and sits right in the middle of the city of San Juan Capistrano.  

It is very peaceful here.  I cannot say that enough.  We see history kept alive and are able to almost feel the way the people of that time period did.  This has been a great trip and I am gong to let the last few pictures just speak for themselves.  They are all at the mission and when we finished there, it was straight to the airport and flights home.  I can't wait to go back.

Los Angeles with Matt and Family

Upon hearing that Matt and Becca had to travel to Los Angeles, we jumped on board and tagged along. I was really looking forward to this trip.  I mean seriously -- Los Angeles = Disneyland = Fun.  Mister and I had located The Anaheim Islander, a decent hotel within walking distance from Disneyland.  It had two bedrooms giving us plenty of room for privacy and yet the price of only one room.  Awesome.

While everyone unpacked, Miss Zyra happily played with my hat for awhile.

First up -- let's go to the beach!  Of course.  Not too far from us was Huntington Beach and we had heard good things about it.  One of the things I remember most about this was that Zyra would just stand still and wiggle her toes deep into the dry sand, staring at them the whole time.  When we hit the wet sand, she high-stepped it.  Goodness, she kept me giggling the whole time.


Hyrum, on the other hand, was not so sure about the water at all.  and wanted to stay as far from it as he could.  We all took turns running down to it to show him how fun it was, but he wasn't having any part of it.  Most of the time, he was moving back up onto the beach as quick as he could.  And yet, he had been so excited to go to the "beach".

This is one of the only pictures we got of Grandpa AND most of the pier.  Zyra is digging her toes in again.  I love it.

We start making footprints in the sand and watching the water wash them away.  Finally, Hyrum likes this game and gives it a try after dad runs circles with him in tow to teach him that the water won't "get him".

It is so fun to just be together here.  After the kids are finished exploring and chasing birds, we decided to walk out onto the pier.  As we go, the temperature drops quickly and it is quite chilly out at the tip.  I cannot wait until Hyrum is older and says, "Gammy, did you really have to include this picture?"  Well, of course I did.  You look just way too cute in Mom's jacket.

The views of the ocean from the pier are incredible, but windy and cold.  After our time on the beach, we walked up to Main Street where there was a street fair/farmers market and looked around for awhile.

We finished with Dinner at Duke's - Huntington Beach in a booth overlooking the ocean.  It was getting late and both of the grands fell asleep during dinner.  Time to get them back to the hotel and some sleep for everyone.


We were up early the next morning to get into Beverly Hills where the Brazilian Consulate is located.  After a turn around because the paperwork was still in the hotel, we were off.  We had stopped the day before and gotten everything notarized and copied -- we were ready!  Yeah right.  Governments, no matter whose, mean red tape.  It turned out that everything had to be done by "approved" notaries,etc.  They didn't even like the money orders we had bought and so now had to buy more.  What a mess.  After HOURS, a parking ticket, and crabby kids, we finally finished and were able to enjoy what was left of the day.  We can't lose focus here, the purpose for the trip was to do this paperwork, but dang it was sure a tedious process.

We were now starving and so first stop was at The Original Farmers Market.  What a great place!  Started in 1934 and still thriving today, it was full of energy and unique shops.  Mister had Becca stand under the sign for Pampas Grill since it was Brazilian food.  Silly?  Yep.

After lunch, Becca and I found a chocolate shop.  Oh my! Mister bought us chocolates and sure looks as though everyone liked it.

Next stop:  Hollywood walk of Fame.  We only did a portion of it and yet we walked forever up one side of Hollywood Boulevard and down the other.  The shops along the way are pretty seedy, which is sad, but we still enjoyed ourselves.  Mister and I knew a large amount of the names but the next generation were a  bit more challenged by them.

I had purchased tickets ahead of time for Madame Tussauds Wax Museum. After a quick stop at Grauman's Chinese Theater, we were off to the museum.   Oh, but not without a quick photo op with Mickey Mouse.

It had been a long and busy day and the kids were already starting to fall over.  They had been wonderful -- absolutely no complaints and so well behaved, but it was definitely time for some dinner and bed.  We had the long drive back to Anaheim ahead of us as well.  Tomorrow is the day that Hyrum gets to go to the "big park".  Yep, we were all looking forward to it.  I honestly think Becca was more excited than anyone.  It was fun to watch her eyes light up even when we told the kids what we were doing the next day.

I had not been to Disneyland since 1976.  It had been even longer for Mister and the others had never been so this was a special time.  As soon as the gates opened and we were able to enter the park, Hyrum's eyes lit up.  So did his mom's.  It was great.  The first ride we came to was The Astro Orbitor and off went Matt and Hyrum.

I kept Zyra while everyone else went into Buzz Lightyear to play for awhile.  Then Hyrum and I were off to Autopia, where he got to drive the car and had such a great time.  Skipping the submarine ride as the line was massive, we decided to hop the Monorail and have a look around.  I am not sure that anyone in this car is noticing a thing about the park though.  However, there is no doubt that we are having a good time.  We then got in line for the Matterhorn, only to discover that it was not operating and people were just waiting -- forget that.  On to something else.

It was bathroom break time and so Grandpa and I kept the little miss and had a sit down right on the walkway.  As long as he sat with her, she would stay put.

The line for "it's a small world" was not too bad and seemed to be moving quickly.  I have always loved this ride and always will.  To me, it has such a profound message for everyone.

Continuing around the park, we come to Mickey's Toontown.  This is a new "land" for me as it was not here the last time I was.  The kids love it though and it doesn't take Hyrum long to find something to climb into.  I notice that the sun is starting to get to the kids and so find a little hat shop and hats for the kids.  Now the only stubborn one is my son who claims he is "not a hat person."

Grandpa and Hyrum hop onto Gadgets Go Coaster and even though they look a little leary here, they came out all smiles in the end.

Hyrum LOVED Toontown!  His next find was Donalds Boat which he was allowed to go and enjoy all by himself.  After quite awhile, he exited and joined dad on Roger Rabbits Car Toon Spin/.  Who is having the most fun?

It was lunchtime -- yay!  As we passed through Fantasyland, a stop at the Village Haus Restaurant revived everyone enough to tackle a couple more "lands" and Frontierland was the next on our path.

Ah, Matt found his perfect spot at The Shootin Exposition.  We also rode the Sailing Ship Columbia while allowing our food to digest enough for us adults to take turns on the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad roller coaster.  We let Matt and Becca go first while we watched kids and then it was our turn.  Miss Zyra posed for pictures while we waited.  New Orleans Square beckoned and we pointed ourselves in that direction.  We visited the Haunted Mansion and the Pirates Of The Caribbean before coming to Tarzans Treehouse,  which somehow I remember as the Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse.  It doesn't matter because Hyrum is in heaven.  He goes up with dad and then goes back by himself at least two more times after that.

Once we drag him down, we make a restroom stop near the Tiki Room and Mister walked around the corner to check it out.  Hyrum instantly wanted to know where Grandpa was and ran to find him, sending Gammy into a bit of a panic to make sure that he didn't go too far.  Ugh.  As our day was coming to an end, we decided to cut across the park one last time and see if we could get on the submarine.  Nope -- lines were incredible again.  Oh well.

We took a quick look at Innoventions, but the kids were really about done.  Matt ran to see if he could get fast passes for the Matterhorn while we waited and played with the kids.

He managed to get some for 11:00 that evening and we decided to take the kids and call it a night.  We would let the younger generation go out and ride all night.  Back at the hotel, we fed the grands on leftovers in the room and played until they had to go to bed.  This was a great trip.

Next stop:  San Diego