Spring escape to San Diego.

Brian took a whole week off the week before Easter and while he liked hanging out around the house working on painting projects and gardening, we scooted down to Del Mar for a few days of ocean/poolside bliss. It was slightly chilly but the pool was heated so Meg got to break in the swimming season. I basked in the sun and did lots of reading.

The ocean was very cold! On our first day, we walked down to the shore in our sweaters and sneakers to take a walk and look at shells and rocks. We were well out of the way of the waterline (see how far away we were in the pic below), but out of nowhere came a huge wave that kept coming and coming and we were all drenched. Of course Meg got the worst of it and was wet to the neck and none the happier for it! Brian carried her back up to the hotel cold and soggy and "very angry at the water."

The Hotel L'Arberge was very pretty, overlooking the water and boasting beautiful grounds. It was nice and quiet, actually. Which was just what we needed. There were several eateries nearby which was nice, and we ate at the hotel restaurant once (The Kitchen) for yummy burgers.

The hotel has recently been renovated, but the elevators remain in their previous "old" state which we thought was kind of endearing. Brian tried to get a picture of Meg and me in the elevator, but it took him 5 tries. We were ready for him to stop taking pictures by the time he got this one, which I think is kind of funny. Meg and I sporting matching attitudes:

Oh, yes. We did visit Sea World. We didn't have a smashingly good time there, although it was mildly entertaining, and Meg liked the Shamu show. She said, "ahhhh, how cute" when two Shamus jumped together. That was pretty much her only comment. I'm not saying it was terrible, we just felt disappointed and remembered it being so much more exciting in our youth. Maybe it was the thought of that delicious swimming pool, inviting lounge chair and poolside lattes awaiting us back at our hotel? The tickets are good through December (weird) so Meg and I will tag along on one of Brian's San Diego work trips in the next few months, catch a few more shows, and see if it can win us over. I guess I'm tough to please!

Surprisingly, Meg loved the shark exhibit, where you pass under the shark tank and can see them swimming above and around you. At first timid, she begged to go through again!

Perhaps the best part of San Diego: the sunsets. Our hotel had a deck with rocking chairs lined up for the  sunset show.