Fashion Island

It was nice having a reunion with our Hawaii squad, at Fashion Island. Puppy Butter Mochi really was a hit with the exotic dog-crazy Newport Beach shoppers, she got ooh's and aah's left and right.

Oceanside

Even after growing up and living in Southern California for most of my life, I am still amazed at how often I can feel like a tourist within a hour or two from home. We went with my mom to Oceanside, and visited Mission San Luis Rey. It was the first time here for everyone. I have a particular interest in missions as it is part of the fourth grade curriculum. I found the mission to be visually stunning from the outside, it looked like one of those mission kits that the kids put together for a project, super pristine. There are nice displays inside, but the access to the gardens is limited. Outside we chatted with a dog walker, he had (at least) 8 dogs with him. After lunch, a stroll on the pier, and some beach time, we headed home.

OC Fair 2015

OC Fair Highlights:

Sand Sculpture
Giant Alligator
Fruit Sorbet
Piggie Races
Ice Sculptures
Turkey Legs
Spandau Ballet Concert with Yumi
Rows Away from Tony Hadley

Mammoth : Day 7 and Day 8 - Hershey Hill, Dinner with Anna, Goodbyes

Steve took me to Hershey Hill, a 6-mile run to the top of a challenging summit. Large pieces of obsidian dotted the path, we brought down a couple of rocks as souvenirs. Later we met up with Anna for dinner and dessert, and the next morning we said our goodbyes before heading back home. Another memorable trip to Mammoth!

Mammoth : Day 6, Part 2 - Tuolumne Meadows

Mono Lake was temptingly close to Yosemite, the east side. We had never been to this side of the national park, so we decided on a visit to Tuolumne Meadows. Steve was able to fit in a run, and then we explored some of the sites. Tuolumne is one of the largest high-elevation meadows in the Sierra Nevada.

Mammoth : Day 6, Part 1 - June Lake, Mono Lake

We kayaked around June Lake as we did last year, the three of us fit on one kayak. The water was quite chilly, so after the ride around the lake we decided to head a little north to Mono Lake with the extra time we had. Reviewers online had things to say on both sides, but we were very glad we made the trip! The scenery was out-of-this-world, with limestone formations known as tufa towers. The water has an extremely high saline level, so brine shrimp and alkali flies inhabit the lake instead of fish. We really enjoyed Mono Lake.