To SoCal and back
Ahoy-hoy,
This special edition of Parental Leave updates (week 7) comes on the backside of our excursion to La La Land.
But first...
So, the movie Toy Story really did a number on me. It is basically impossible for me to throw away any toy, broken or not, and not feel an overwhelming sense of guilt. Similar feelings arise when I see a toy that has been discarded. The week before our trip, Amelia spotted a little plush dinosaur on the side of the road during one of our walks around the block. I told her we should leave it, as I didn't want to make a habit of taking home garbage, but the wheels in my head were already turning.
The next day I returned to see if it was still there. I was briefly revealed when I could not locate it (in my mind, the child who dropped it had come back to collect it), but it was also garbage day, and a number of bins were set out on the street. Feeling slightly embarrassed, I opened the lid of the first trash can, and there it was, right on top. I took it home, cleaned it very thourouly, and showed Amelia the result. She suggested someone might be looking for it, and then this happened.
For those who can't read the poster, that is "found@thelittledinosaur.com".
Anyway, on to the trip.
Flight out
This was our first trip flying out of our new-ish regional airport rather than Seatac. Paine Field (PAE) is a little two-gate airport offering Alaska flights to a few destinations. For those for who it works, I highly recommend it. We arrived about 30 mins before our flight. We parked in one of the surface lots. There was no one in line in security, which was nice because we had a lot of stuff. The waiting area felt more like a hotel lobby than an airport.
Amelia watched movies for the 2.5 hour flight and Jonny slept.
We picked up a rental car near LAX, followed by groceries. Yuling found a service which is like Airbnb but for childrens' toys, and we borrowed a pack-and-play and high chair for Jonny, and then headed for our Airbnb in Santa Monica.
Day 1 - Disneyland
Our first day, with a lazy start, was spent at Disneyland. This was Amelia's first time, and it was exciting to see it all through her eyes. While to us it looked unbearably crowded (and at times silly), she was absolutely sold the first time she saw Micky and Minnie walking down Main Street with the marching band.
We got in more rides than I anticipated. Our first (and worse line experience) was the iconic flying Dumbo ride, which we waited about 50 minutes for (and the ride only lasts like 2 minutes.) After that, we had some Lightning Lane reservations and things went a little more smoothly.
Despite the crowds and chaos of it all, those Disney folks seem to know what they are doing. Food was easy to come by, and reasonably priced. Staff were extremely helpful. There were little Amelia-sized potties available, as well as a nursing and changing area for Jonny.
Day 2 - Santa Monica
Day 2 was a bit slower as we recovered from Disneyland. We met up with my former manager from AWS (who is now a good friend and my reason for coming to Santa Monica in the first place) for brunch, some relaxing at his place, and finally dinner.
Day 3 - Driving to Lompoc
The next day took us to Lompoc, by way of Santa Barbara. It was about a 3 hour drive to SB, followed by another hour to Lompoc, where we were staying with a good family friend. On the way we stopped at Santa Barbara Zoo, where we just had time to ride a little train around the zoo before they closed.
Day 4 - Touring Santa Barbara
Our friend took us on a tour around Santa Barbara. We spent some time playing in the waves, walking along the water front (lots of crabs and uni), and visiting some local parks.
We had lunch along State street before stopping off briefly to enjoy a breathtaking view.
For the adults, this was definitely the highlight of the trip, and our only regret was we didn't have more time to enjoy all that Santa Barbara had to offer. We're already planning our next trip out.
Final Day - Returning to Seattle
By far the most grueling of all the days, it began with 4 hour drive back to LAX from Lompoc, with only a 30 minute stop for a late lunch on the way. The challenge for us was arriving at LAX as close to possible to boarding time (so we weren't stuck at the airport with kids with nothing to do) while still keeping a buffer for LA's traffic, of which there was no short supply. We also had to return the baby accessories we borrowed along the way, which meant a detour through Manhattan Beach.
We made it to the terminal with about an hour or so of time. There was no line at security, somehow, so we made it to our gate with about 45 mins to go. This was just enough time to get everyone to the bathroom, grab some refreshments, and get our car seat and stroller tagged for gate check.
The flight back was just about as easy, with Amelia occupied by movies and Jonny sleeping. And it was all the better being able to walk out and get to our car with all the ease of walking out of the grocery store thanks to not going to Seatac.
Bonus
While we're continuing with violin lessons, Amelia has been picking up the ukulele. Here she is strumming a C chord.
