The "Sapercook" Family: Christmas and Hanakkah in San Diego, CA

For Christmas/Hanakkah this year (2011) we jetted off to San Diego, CA for some R&R. Though the vacation was anything but restful and relaxing (it was incredibly hectic running here and there with only quick cat naps in the car for Eli) we all managed to have a good time! Thank goodness we had a week to recover once we got back home before returning to work! I, for one, absolutely needed the downtime! :)

On our first day in San Diego, we took the Coaster train from Old Town San Diego up to coast to Oceanside. Eli absolutely LOVES trains so Raymond thought this would be an especially enjoyable trip for Eli. And he was correct, while Eli was awake anyway! I think Eli was soothed to sleep by the movement of the train! :)

Once in Oceanside, we enjoyed a stroll along the beach...

...and the boardwalk.

Check out the surfer between to fence's crossbeams!

Later that first night we enjoyed authentic Mexican cuisine in Old Town.

Day Two in San Diego we ventured over to Coronado Island to see more beach and the famous Hotel del Coranado where, oddly enough, they have an ice skating rink (almost) right on the beach (and for a modest $25 you too can enjoy skating on the beach with 100+ of your closest friends/strangers). The beach was beautiful and the water a bit chilly but that didn't stop Eli and I from dipping our toes in the Pacific!

While walking along the beach we were also keeping our eyes open for pretty sea shells to keep as souviners of our trip. At first I thought I had spyed a jellyfish but Raymond noted that perhaps it was a sand dollar instead. Sure enough it was until it quickly became "sand change" when Eli accidently stomped on it before I had a chance to pick it up! Oh well.

Love this picture!

Days three and four we checked out the San Diego Safari Park and the San Diego Zoo. There was a petting farm and an opportunity to feed a girafe. Now how many times in your life have you had a chance to feed a girafe? Yes, we totally put Eli up to the task and he came away with fingers in tact and a great photo to mark the event! And man, there tongues are LONG!

Almost looks like a real live rhino, doesn't it!
Hmmmm??

This sculpture was made entirely of sand! I was impressed.

Day five we enjoyed breakfast at an adorable little dinner we stumbled across in the Mission Beach area of San Diego called Sweet & Savory. My cousin Shelly, who until recently was a life-long resident of Massachusetts who relocated to sunny CA, met us there (after driving OVER an hour to have breakfast with us , thanks Shelly!). It was really wonderful to see her (it has been a few years) and she finally got to meet Eli. As Eli would say, "yay"!