Crazy California Road Trip: Day 6

Day 6
San Dimas to San Jose
398 miles

Breakfast at Denny's. Baby V knows I shouldn't order the grand slam but I do anyway.

We drive to a state park in Thousand Oaks, where the chipmunks and ducks are waiting to be fed.

This guy takes a pizza crust right out of my hand, even putting his tiny little paws on me to push me away.

Adorable!

He then takes it away to eat in privacy.

...or maybe not...

There's a pond with a million ducks.

I take a million photos.

The kids collect feathers with the intent of making a "fake duck."

We'll see how that turns out.

We drive along the coast,

make a stop in Santa Barbara,

and take naps in the car.

Lots of prettiness on highway 101. Cows, horses, farms, vineyards, rolling hills, flowers....

We arrive in San Jose after dark. Our hotel is a Radisson and it feels rather posh, especially compared to that Motel 6. 

Tomorrow, the beach? We think.

Crazy California Road Trip: Day 5

Day 5

Carlsbad, CA to San Dimas, CA

82 Miles

Goodbye, Carlsbad and 80-degree weather. Hello, sweltering 100+ heat of L.A.

But it's worth it. 

Because...

It's Amy! And Patrick (not pictured)! And their cute little baby!

And their not-so-cityish-yard!

The porch provides some relief from the temps. Grant provides some entertainment for baby V.

For lunch we visit a diner on Route 66. 

 I order an omelet that I'm still working on nearly 48 hours later.

We visit a book/toy store where I take these photos of the kids through a prism toy:

They declared them, "Creepy."

Back at Amy's, the kids work on their travel journals.

After dinner, it's back to our (new) motel, a somewhat sketchy environment with bedspreads that look like this:

You can't see it, but there's a dog on there somewhere. It amused the children.

Tomorrow, lots of driving. :(

Crazy California Road Trip: Day 4

Day 4

Ramada Hotel to Legoland

4 miles

And it's back to Legoland for the day!

Hmmm, where to first?

We hit up a few rides in the land of adventure, then go for some cooldowns.

There's a 4D show to watch (Clutch Powers -- familiar with the kids), then some time for Lego building.

We find some Lego Wizards...

The kids play while we relax.

The cycle ride has an hour wait, so we play...

...and climb aboard a neighboring ride...

Finally, we get on the cycle ride. Much too short, but it offers great views.

The minifigures around here aren't so mini.

An Indiana Jones-esque walkthrough activity is a big hit.

Going for a climb. No, you couldn't get me up there.

Cooling off with a treat.

Back to the motel...

a dip in the pool...

some Lego playtime,
and then bed.

North to San Dimas (and Amy!) tomorrow!