redondo beach - day # 2

We did a lot of walking today. Lori and Julia kept track of our steps with Lori's phone pedometer and 10,000 steps was no problem for our group, even in flip flops. Actually, the flip flops were a problem for the girls so a shoe switch was mandatory at one point.

After breakfast we walked down to the boardwalk and pier. The pier is a horseshoe shaped "endless" pier and has an International boardwalk with unique shops and restaurants. A big fish market was a highlight for us as there were some crazy looking fish. Julia really liked this red snapper.

My mom worked on this pier at a pizza place during her high school years.

Later we headed to the RUHS reunion track meet. My mom bought the girls pom poms to cheer everyone on. An interesting fact, RUHS is the second largest high school campus in California and the third largest in the United States. The campus is huge. The school dates back to 1905 and has a very active alumni association.





After a nap we walked to dinner and then back to the swimming pool to wear the girls out.

beers for the grownups

redondo beach - day # 1

The girls and I spent the weekend in Redondo Beach with my parents and Lori and Kayli on a mini-getaway / Redondo Union High School track meet / reunion. My mom spent her high school years in this town and graduated from RUHS in 1962. More on this later.

We recently had our ceilings scraped in the bedrooms of our home so James stayed there to paint while we were away.

We arrived in the afternoon and our first stop was the Seaside Lagoon across from our hotel. The day was cold and overcast, but that did not stop our children from swimming in the freezing ocean water.

After searching for the entrance and entering the lagoon, which took us a long time and I am still not sure why four grown adults had such a difficult time with this, the girls headed straight for the water. The place was empty which is just how I like it. Honestly, if I can go and do something with the girls in southern California without a crowd then I am ecstatic.

After an hour of play we headed to our hotel to check-in and give the girls baths. Grandma Sharon and Grandpa Frank were smart to give the adjoining rooms to me and Lori. The girls were happy to have us all connected and I am sure the grandparents were happy not to be connected, they were two rooms down.

Next we headed to Leo's for dinner. Leo's is a small hole-in-the wall Mexican restaurant that my mom has been eating at for well over 40 years and each time we are in the area we eat there. My mom is right, they do have the best ground beef soft tacos. I compared the shredded beef taco with the ground beef and the ground beef soft taco rules. Serena, too, loved the tacos. That's my girl. She will eat anything including the hot salsa and lots of it. My other child, the weird one (just kidding) will not eat anything other than tortilla chips at a Mexican restaurant. What is wrong with this child!?! You cannot live in SoCal and not eat the food I love. I need to train her...

On the way back to the hotel we took a leisurely drive through Manhattan Beach and Hermosa Beach. I would love to hang out in Manhattan and explore as it has such a great layout. Another day.

Manhattan Beach pier (there is an aquarium at the end)