We recently enjoyed a family trip to the San Diego area to visit our California family. Our Calgary family joined us. While we were all together, we celebrated the second birthday of our California granddaughter. We savoured the second attempt at a carrot birthday cake.
I was half asleep the morning that I made the first one and put in 2 TABLESPOONS of baking soda instead of 2 teaspoons. I am blaming the unfamiliar measuring spoons in the kitchen of the condo. Doug hand-grated the carrots--all 4 cups.
Our granddaughter liked the second cake so much that she inserted her fork right in the middle of the cake for a very large bite! When she returned to the condo later in the week, she looked around and asked, "Birthday cake?"
The weather was unseasonably warm--highs of about 25-27 degrees Celsius--so we spent a day at the beach. The beach was not crowded as it's located south of Carlsbad, just across the Pacific Coast Highway from the condo complex. We watched the surfers--one of whom was our son-in-law--and waded to the waters edge. Our son braved the water which was surprisingly warm given the time of year. We all got our exercise carrying the beach paraphernalia and pulling the girls in the wagon. One gull is probably still psychologically damaged from our California granddaughter chasing it around. It finally escaped by flying away.
Our Calgary family, Doug, and I went to LEGOLAND. I love Lego so I was intrigued with the structures made out of Lego. Although it was a very hot day from our perspective, it is California's winter season so we saw people in boots--albeit fashionable boots--and one person in a down-filled jacket. It was 27 degrees Celsius that day although it felt hotter than that standing on the pavement.
Our Calgary granddaughter and I enjoyed the helicopter ride. I had the controls so we could go up, down, and sideways. (There was later a remark made about me liking to be in control.) My son and I went on the roller coaster which brought back memories of rollercoaster rides from his childhood.
Doug and I watched whales from the balcony of the condo on two afternoons. They were probably Gray Whales--the most common whale sighted at this time of year in the area--although what we could see when they surfaced was darker than I expected so they may have been Humpbacks. Gray Whales migrate from Alaska to the Baja in California from December to April, a round-trip journey of about 16,100 kilometers (10,000 miles). The females give birth to their calves in the California waters.
While we were there, Doug and I went to Upland to visit relatives that I hadn't seen for 47 years. One of my cousins--his mother and my Granny Lohr were cousins--has had the 1949 Airstream restored. It used to belong to my grandparents and was sold to his parents in the early 1970s. Sitting in the Airstream brought back many happy memories of times that Granny let me play in it when I was a child. It was wonderful to see the relatives and the Airstream again.
If you are dreaming of California, the Carlsbad area of Southern California is accessible and enjoyable.
I was half asleep the morning that I made the first one and put in 2 TABLESPOONS of baking soda instead of 2 teaspoons. I am blaming the unfamiliar measuring spoons in the kitchen of the condo. Doug hand-grated the carrots--all 4 cups.
Our granddaughter liked the second cake so much that she inserted her fork right in the middle of the cake for a very large bite! When she returned to the condo later in the week, she looked around and asked, "Birthday cake?"
The weather was unseasonably warm--highs of about 25-27 degrees Celsius--so we spent a day at the beach. The beach was not crowded as it's located south of Carlsbad, just across the Pacific Coast Highway from the condo complex. We watched the surfers--one of whom was our son-in-law--and waded to the waters edge. Our son braved the water which was surprisingly warm given the time of year. We all got our exercise carrying the beach paraphernalia and pulling the girls in the wagon. One gull is probably still psychologically damaged from our California granddaughter chasing it around. It finally escaped by flying away.
Our Calgary family, Doug, and I went to LEGOLAND. I love Lego so I was intrigued with the structures made out of Lego. Although it was a very hot day from our perspective, it is California's winter season so we saw people in boots--albeit fashionable boots--and one person in a down-filled jacket. It was 27 degrees Celsius that day although it felt hotter than that standing on the pavement.
Our Calgary granddaughter and I enjoyed the helicopter ride. I had the controls so we could go up, down, and sideways. (There was later a remark made about me liking to be in control.) My son and I went on the roller coaster which brought back memories of rollercoaster rides from his childhood.
Doug and I watched whales from the balcony of the condo on two afternoons. They were probably Gray Whales--the most common whale sighted at this time of year in the area--although what we could see when they surfaced was darker than I expected so they may have been Humpbacks. Gray Whales migrate from Alaska to the Baja in California from December to April, a round-trip journey of about 16,100 kilometers (10,000 miles). The females give birth to their calves in the California waters.
While we were there, Doug and I went to Upland to visit relatives that I hadn't seen for 47 years. One of my cousins--his mother and my Granny Lohr were cousins--has had the 1949 Airstream restored. It used to belong to my grandparents and was sold to his parents in the early 1970s. Sitting in the Airstream brought back many happy memories of times that Granny let me play in it when I was a child. It was wonderful to see the relatives and the Airstream again.
If you are dreaming of California, the Carlsbad area of Southern California is accessible and enjoyable.
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