California Dreamin’
Keith and I had a little get away to California at the beginning of March to enjoy some relaxing time away and also watch some baseball. We had not been away for more than a weekend since 2008 so we were super excited!
We flew out of Austin which is a little further drive than the Houston airport but much smaller and easier to get in and out of. We have often found flights are cheaper flying out of Austin and it is just a much more pleasant drive.
We flew into Long Beach and made the drive to our hotel in Marina Del Rey just in time to see the sun setting over the water. The Marina Del Rey Marriott is an older hotel which has been completely renovated. We had a great view from our room {747} and there was a small balcony so we could let in the nice breeze.
We were starving upon arrival but were not meeting Riley for dinner until late so we took a short walk to Killer Shrimp and sat on the balcony looking out over the harbor. I wish I had a better picture to really capture how beautiful the moon was shining down on the water but you will have to trust me! They had a super happy hour for both drinks and appetizers and we enjoyed a beer and the calamari.
We headed over to meet Riley at Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse for dinner. Can you believe this was the first time I had ever eaten there? Keith & I shared a steak and we all shared the grilled asparagus and the lobster mac and cheese. If you have never tried the lobster mac and cheese oh my goodness it was amazing!
On our first morning we walked the few blocks to Venice Beach and rented bicycles and headed up the coast.
My 5th trip to California and I finally made it to the Santa Monica pier! It was a beautiful day!
The bike paths were great but it was a Friday morning and I can imagine on the weekends it might have been much more crowded.
We were surprised to see when we turned around to head back we had traveled 5.3 miles! I haven’t been on a bike ride in years and it was the perfect way to start our trip.
Of course after all that riding we were starved and stopped at the Cabo Cantina just off the beach. I have been here before and what’s not to love about fish tacos, chips & salsa and a cold beer all while sitting on a porch for some people watching at Venice Beach!
After walking the short stretch back to our hotel, we opened up the sliding doors to enjoy the view and decided a nap was a good idea.
But I am not a good napper so thankfully I had these great magazines and snacks my friend Holly hooked me up with so I headed down for some sunshine at the pool.
We got changed and headed to the University of Southern California for the first game in the Dodger Classic tourney. My sweet friend Ginny and her husband moved to California so two of their children could pursue acting and I was so excited they decided to join us for the games.
It was an exciting game but the Frogs came up short in extra innings.
Our second morning we headed to Malibu. I read about a couple of beaches that were some of the top in the world and we decided we would visit El Matador Beach. You can see a little more info here. It was breathtaking and I only wish we would have been able to spend more time here and experience a sunset.
It is quite the walk down to the actual beach and as you can see I wore my wedges. Sometimes I just don’t know what I’m thinking! So if you decide to go check this out be sure to wear appropriate footwear.
We enjoyed some seafood at Neptune’s Net in Malibu which was not where I initially planned for us to eat but it turned out to be delicious.
We tried some fried fare as well as some boiled and all was excellent.
After changing into game colors we headed to Rodeo Drive for an early dinner and some people watching. We sat on the patio of Villa Blanca and enjoyed the perfect weather and wine.
As we were leaving I saw this precious little lady and her adorable dog and had to take a picture for Carly Jo. Isn’t she just precious?
And we had to take a picture of this for Dillon of course! You just never know what you might see in Beverly Hills.
Game two against UCLA and the Frogs pulled of a win.
And this kid right here got the save!
All that work makes for a hungry boy so we met up with Riley at Settebello Pizzeria and my guys decided it was a meat kind of night. They ordered these two meat trays which came with a pizza size tray of focaccia bread AND Riley also ordered a pizza.
Last day in Cali and we were up early for the game. We met our friends for brunch at Hyperion Public. If you are ever going to Dodger Stadium for a game I would definitely recommend. The brunch menu was great and the mimosas were bottomless.
We were so happy to catch up with these two!
Sunny and bright to watch TCU vs Vandy
And another chance to see my boy come in and close a nail biter. So fun to see him up on the big screen. My favorite part was a spectator behind me leaned down and told me he had my smile….never get tired of hearing stuff like that.
This was a huge win for these boys and a great start to the season. So proud!
We were invited to have dinner in the Hollywood Hills by the family of one of Riley’s teammates. It was a winding road up to the very top of a hill and we were rewarded with a spectacular view of LA and amazing Mexican food.
California is one of my favorite places to visit mostly due to the beautiful weather. This was my 5th trip and there is still so much of California left to see so I know I will be back. It’s always nice to get away but we were excited to head home to see our Littles. Until next time we will be California Dreamin’.