My Vacation to So Cal
Last week we took a vacation to So Cal with the kids. We went to visit some old friends who live that way. It was an interesting trip which lead to some big revelations and some fun adventures. What did we miss?
Griffith Observatory
We decided to take the kids up the hill to see the planetarium and the Hollywood sign from high above at Griffith Observatory. Admission to the exhibits was free. The views were spectacular! The museum was pretty crowded, but the kids loved it. My little one, Belle, just wanted to run through the crowd. The highlight was the planetarium show about Water. It was spectacular and the narration was spoken by a woman with the most eloquent tone. My kids were very excited and I was entertained.

Griffith Observatory
K’ya Bistro
A friend and I traveled to Laguna Beach. We went uptop to see gorgeous views, and ate amazing Tapas at K’ya Bisto. We were surrounded by restaurants and shops, but we had so much fun at dinner we never ventured out. My favorite dish was the seared filet with horseradish.

Laguna Beach
Santa Barbara Zoo
Our kids loved the zoo so much, and my toddler kept yelling “Look! Look!” at every bug and everything that blinked. They had a dinosaur show which was pretty funny. It was a life size walking dinosaur like the ones at The Lost World exhibit, however their dinosaur meowed and brushed his teeth. Not sure how biologists would feel about that.
Beat the Heat
We stayed for a few days with friends in Valencia, so it was hot. 110 with dry heat, but even the day it was 80 I had heat stroke. So we stayed in the pool and in the air conditioned house for quite some time. One day we enjoyeda the Great recipe for Pulled Pork made by our friends.
The Local Peasant
I did get out to try another great restaurant, the Local Peasant. I went without the kids and figured out when I got home that my husband wasn’t too happy. I guess our toddler cried for an hour before she went to bed. However, I did really enjoy this place. I had tomato soup and grilled cheese. I tried the blackberry, Jalapeno cocktail which was amazing. It had a hint of spice which reminded me of one of my favorite recipes Jalapeno Vodka Lemonade.
In Summary
I loved my SoCal trip, but I also loved pulling into my driveway and being at home. The weather is cool and I have my own bed to sleep in. Being with friends is amazing, but there is no place like home. I came away with some great memories, a few more Pokémon, a few great meals and a reason to smile.