Anniversary Trip

It was time for Ken and me to celebrate our anniversary. I cannot believe that we have been married for 4 years now. There are times that it seems we have been married longer because we know each other so well, and then there are other times when it doesn't seem long enough and we find ourselves hoping for the 50+ more  years.  We started our tradition of going full-tilt on the anniversary in celebration of his making the first one when we were initially told he wouldn't live that long. (You can see many of the stories Here if you are new to this blog.)

This year, rather than try to make plans and not tell the other, Ken and I sat down and went over the many ideas that we had for a trip to take. We decided on trying out the Bayside Cottages at Point Loma Naval Base in San Diego. We wanted to continue with going places together that we hadn't been to before. We really wanted somewhere where we could relax and unwind, and this turned out to be the PERFECT spot.

Now, getting checked in was an entirely different story. It was a complete mess trying to find the location to check-in to the cottage in the first place. We found the Base just fine, entered through the gate and followed the signs. Apparently, Navy bases do not have to have any system for their building numbering systems, and then there was the problem that the address we were given for the Getaway Inns was not where they were located. After 40 minutes of wandering around the base, we finally called.

Um, no. Making a phone call and talking to a person did not actually help us find them. We did manage to find the cottage, but we couldn't find the lobby of the Inn to check-in. What?! The woman apparently did not understand that we were calling from on the Base, and we figured out that she was giving really good directions if we were trying to find the Base (seriously, "look for the grey ship that's not really a ship" was the best that woman could do??). Ken finally spoke with someone who realized where we were calling from and gave us directions we could follow.  Yay!! So, even after all of the wandering, we were too early to check-in, so we walked across the street and had lunch.

Oggi's was our first choice for lunch, but apparently, they did not make their December 21st Grand Re-Opening date, so we settled for a Mexican place. Ken and I were starving, so we were good with just about anything we could find.

At 1500, we walked back into the lobby only to be told that they weren't done with the cottage yet.  Apparently, the cleaning crew never made it over there, so we sat in the lobby and watched CNN and waited.  

The lady at the desk, Kate, felt really bad and gave us coins for their espresso machine. It wasn't bad coffee, but it wasn't a substitute for the alone time that we were desperate for.

Another hour squeaked by, and we were finally in the cottage. Oh my!! This was so worth the wait!! Ken and I looked at the pictures of the cottage online, but they did not do it justice.

I went onto the wonderfully tiled patio and took a look around. There was an outdoor heater, a tiled counter and plenty of chairs for lounging. It was amazing!! Then, there was the view!

Last night, Ken and I stayed in for the evening.  We had done some grocery shopping in town and had sandwiches from Panera, so we spent the evening taking in the view from the patio and enjoying cheese, crackers and wine. It was so amazing to be able to talk to one another without having to talk over or around the children and then to be able to talk openly about things was another plus. There is a lot to be said about taking the time for your spouse, and we are lucky to be able to do this at least once a year.

Ken and I lounged at The Bayview Cottages all day today. We have a lovely view, and the cottage is spectacular. We were disappointed to learn that the Navy is going to demolish these cottages and get rid of the harbor for a new mammal training later this year, but at least we were able to enjoy them now.

For supper, we found a place online - The Brigantine Point Loma. I had done an internet search, and this place had good ratings. Ken and I loved it here!! The food was excellent and the service was superb!! It was a great way to have an opulent night out to celebrate!

We enjoyed some more wine and crackers after we returned, and then turned in early. It was so nice to NOT have any plans or even have to go somewhere. I wanted to feel guilty about being so "lazy" but Ken and I earned every moment.

Last Day at the Beach

We have had a great time at the beach even with the overcast weather. The whole point of the beach holiday is to relax after the school year. There are no plans other than for the girls to scream and have fun and for Ken & me to just relax.


Today, the sun decided to come out and play.  The wind made it still too cold for Ken to take off his shirt, and I refused to play in the water, but it was still really nice to have some sunlight.  Sadly, we were all so excited about it that we each got a bit sunburned.

We decided to take the girls to Mainside for a shake, and sadly, by the time we returned to the cottage, the sun was gone.  It was still a wonderful last day, and we started getting everything ready to leave the next day. The girls had had a great time running and screaming on the beach, and the adults were wonderfully rested.

Halfway

We are halfway through our holiday, and Jordan keeps asking if we can stay all summer. It has been nice to have Christina with us on this trip. For one, she has been wonderfully helpful in keeping the cottage cleaned up, helping with meals, and helping out with the girls.  But even more importantly, the girls are not waking up Ken and me in the mornings because they are excited she is there.  Whoo-hoo!


Ken and Christina spent more time today playing cards while I worked on my cross-stitching.  The sun still wasn't going to grace us very much, but the girls had a blast playing and enjoying themselves in the water.  Jordan managed to get someone to let her try a paddle board, and we enjoyed a walk on the Breakwater.

 I will explain the picture of Jordan pointing at the Poop sign: The entire time we were in Big Bear for Spring Break, we took hikes. On each and every hike, Jordan would point out what she felt was bear poop and she would scream it at the top of her lungs. So, when I saw this sign warning about dog poop on the beach, I made her take a picture with it.  

First Full Day

We had our first full day on the beach today, and despite the sun not coming out at all, the kids still had a great time!!  They played in the water, climbed on the rocks, and enjoyed themselves completely. Ken and I spent some time walking through the new and very large MCX to see if we could get some of our shopping list handled, but a lot of the things that we wanted to purchase from the 4 Seasons store were no longer being stocked in the new MCX. Bummer for me since I really wanted the OR Glove Liners for winter shooting.

Since the weather was snotty to us, Ken and I stayed in the cottage or on the patio and just watched the girls play.  Christina kept weirding out on us since she said she was used to non-stop plans even while on vacation.  I kept asking her if just sitting around and making plans as we go was acceptable, and she kept saying she was "all good" since it was incredibly relaxing.

Here are some of the highlights from today:

The sun started to peek out, and Ken put on his swim trunks, but then the sun changed its mind, so Ken never took his sweatshirt off.  We enjoyed some time in front of the fire that night making more S'mores and just chatting.