La Jolla

La Jolla is a magical place. We stayed in a gorgeous rental house just steps away from shopping, restaurants, and the beautiful ocean. My favorite part of where we stayed was that we walked everywhere! It was so nice not to have to load everyone in the car for every single meal.

Each morning, I went on a walk down to La Jolla cove. I either exercised, read, or just enjoyed the beautiful weather and quiet time. It was one of my favorite parts of the trip. One morning I even got within just a few feet of a seal and her baby!! It was amazing.

A seal and her pup. I wanted to reach out and hug them!! 

We also went on a segway tour which was extremely dorky, but took us to places in La Jolla we may have not otherwise seen. We stopped outside of Mitt Romney's house, so now I know which neighborhood I want to live in! ;)

We ate at the Brockton Villa for breakfast twice during our trip. Their french toast is incredible!! My sisters also loved their cinnamon roll pancakes and their waffles. I definitely recommend eating here. There are great views of the ocean and it is a local favorite.

Streetcar donuts.

We also ate at Streetcar Donuts, which was a fantastic experience. First of all, how cool are the square-shaped donuts?! Secondly, they were all delicious. They have an extensive menu (they are also famous for their fried chicken and biscuits) and I wish we had been able to go back and sample more. The favorites of the group were Vanilla Bean, Fruity Pebbles, Cinnamon Sugar, Original Glazed, and Peanut Butter. I personally thought they nailed the simple glazed donut. SO GOOD.

We enjoyed brunch at the La Valencia hotel one morning. The La Valencia is a gorgeous 4-star Spanish style hotel that was originally built in the 1920s. Everything was gorgeous! I ordered the pancakes and was not disappointed.

Now, here is a list of some of my favorite La Jolla spots.

1. Duke's La Jolla - great seafood and a really cool atmosphere

2. Whisknladle - one of the BEST meals I've ever had. Get the butternut squash ravioli! Trust me! 

3. George's - kind of touristy but you can't beat their ocean views. Make sure to book a reservation during the sunset!

4. Puesto - fresh and delicious Mexican food. Everyone loved their tacos/bowls. 

5. Fresh Produce - contrary to the name, this is not a place for fresh produce. It's a really cute store, and although some of the stuff is very mom-ish, there are some hidden gems! 

Misty morning walk by the beach.

Thanks for the memories, California! 

The whole fam outside of George's. Spending time with them is the best. 

Disneyland Part Two

Day two greeted us with much nicer weather. After breakfast at Starbucks in Downtown Disney, we made our way to the gate of California Adventure. Our first order of business was going on Radiator Springs Racers, but after booking it there, we discovered it was temporarily not running. 

Outside of Soarin'

SO, we made our way to Soarin' Over the World, and I was so excited to see the new version of the ride! I grew up with Soarin' Over California, and it is one of my all-time favorite rides. I am happy to say that I LOVED the new version! I love how they stayed true to the original in terms of almost identical music and still had the great smells like they used too. I loved seeing the Great Wall of China, Taj Mahal, and other famous landmarks. It made me want to travel! 

We also met Olaf! 

Madeline, casually observing Paradise Pier. 

One highlight of the day was riding California Screamin' not one, not two, but three times. Amanda and I even sat in the front row, which is our little tradition. Best ride ever! I miss Tower of Terror, but I'm sure the new ride will be cool too. 

Amanda just chilling under the Ferris wheel. 

We ate lunch at the Wine Country Trattoria, and it was absolutely delicious. We sat outside under the ivy-covered trellises and enjoyed fresh pasta, pizza, and bread. It didn't even feel like we were in the middle of Disney (in a good way)! 

My cookie bits sundae... SO GOOD.

One of the best parts of the day was going to the Ghiradelli store. For some reason, we've never eaten there, despite our many trips to Disneyland. We each originally were going to order just a scoop of ice cream... but then we saw the back of the menu. Naturally, I went with the cookie bits sundae. Amanda and Madeline each ordered dark mint bliss sundaes, and my mom got a coffee ice cream sundae. YUM!! Obviously, this was a lot of food for a midday snack. 

We at dinner at Carthay Circle, which I highly recommend. I absolutely loved the ceviche. It felt good to eat something nice and fresh after gorging on ice cream! 

After dinner, we went and saw World of Color. It was amazing! Even though it was a little chilly, I think it is a must-do. The way they sync up the crazy fountain stunts with the lights, music, and video is really incredible. 

Paradise Pier at night. 

All in all, we had an amazing time at Disneyland. After two busy days in Anaheim, it was time to head down to San Diego! More about that in my next post :)