This post has been a LONG time coming, and rightly so, as it contains more photos that I think I’ve ever included in one post. Grab a mug of hot chocolate and get ready for some photo scrolling!

With the Bar Exam behind us, my family all piled into the 15-passenger van and headed to California for a much-deserved week of fun in the California sun. We had a good time!

The house we stayed at was perfect. The home had lots of bedrooms and bathrooms for everyone (there was even a special hallway for Amelia to sleep in!), a full kitchen, plenty of table space to play lots of games, beautiful views from the front balcony, and access to the beach only a short walk away.

Sunday after a rather, shall we say, interesting Testimony meeting, we headed off in search of the Newport Beach Temple. (Honestly, can’t say that I’ve ever heard someone brag about swimming in Napolean Dynomite’s swimming pool, read poetry they wrote in jail, and state that the day they met their wife was the worst day of their life, all in one single meeting. Not sure how any of that is even a testimony…) Nevertheless, the day was pleasant and sunny, and the temple was even more beautiful.

We spent a good three days during our week-long stay, hanging out at the beach. It was the perfect way to spend our time, as everyone got to do what they wanted.

Despite everyone’s attempts, Amelia wasn’t such a fan of the 65 degree California surf. I can’t say I blame her.

She did like the sand, though. And pieces of drift wood. And rocks. And pretty much anything inedible.

Can’t say I blame her on that front, either—with the sand, that is. I enjoyed blissful days of sand between my toes, lots of reading, and lots of photography.

We both liked burying Uncle Jason in the sand.

The boys liked skim boarding, boogie boarding, and showing off for “hot” babes on too small bikinis.

Afterward, soaking up some Negative Ions was practically mandatory.

Then there was the First Annual Drain Family Sand Castle Building Contest, in which only one sand castle got built. And even that sand castle didn’t last very long, as the tide quickly made it a thing of the past, before it was even completed.

It doesn’t get much better than messing around on the beach…

Unless, of course, you consider visiting the Nixon Library. We had a good time there, too.

Here you can see Nixon’s birth home, grave site, and Army 1, all in one fell swoop.

There were beautiful gardens to enjoy, complete with the gazebo under which Nixon’s daughter was married.

And don’t forget the replica of the East Room of the White House. Perfect for spinning and dancing around in.

But perhaps the best day of all was when we headed off to Knott’s Berry Farm.

We planned out a route that would insure we had the most possible fun.

Some of the rides were a bit advanced for little Peanuts. (And despite my best attempts, a bit too wet. )

But others were perfect for the entire family.

Amelia enjoyed a new way of cruising around the park.

And received plenty of attention from dotting grandparents.

Who knows what these boys were thinking…

I forgot how much I enjoy little amusement park rides and I’m so excited to take Amelia to Disneyland some day when she’s older.

In between all these big events, we also had fun swinging in a park on the beach,

sharing lots of meals together,

having good laughs while playing games late at night,

and just plain spending time with each other. It truly was a great week and we were sad to head back to the heat of Phoenix—of course, that’s pretty much how every vacation ends.

Lonica Stuff, No Place Like Home, Road Trips | 4 Comments »

It wasn’t long after Jenny had moved—maybe a week?—that we decided we missed each other and needed to get together. After a little Google Search, we discovered that Cambridge, OH is nearly halfway between Columbus and Morgantown, VA—only 90 minutes away. (It turned out to be a little longer of a drive for Jenny, unfortunately). After a little more Google Searching, we discovered that Cambridge, OH is the proud owner of a community pool. We decided that the 95 degree heat was the perfect opportunity for a good swim.

Scott came home early the night before and fixed his muffler (thanks!) on our falling apart car, so that I could arrive in air conditioned style. Early Tuesday morning, I loaded up our car with swimming toys, picnic lunches, sunscreen, and swimsuits. We headed off to meet up with our friends.

We had a good time hanging out together, catching up, and watching our kiddos splash around in the water.

The kids really were great, until Amelia decided that a 45 min. nap wasn’t going to cut it for an entire day of fun. She lost it and we quickly headed off home again.

I don’t imagine this will be our last foray to Cambridge, OH, though, as I discovered they also have glass blowing exhibits/museums, public parks, and scenic train rides. I think Seth really will need to ride that train…

Life in OH-IO, Lonica Stuff, Road Trips | 3 Comments »

After visiting the wonderful Mackinac Island, we headed over to Traverse City.  On our way, we traveled along Michigan’s beautiful coastline and through the “Tunnel of Trees.”

On the way there we hit a great little cafe and took a swim and a rest at our very cheap, but surprisingly nice hotel. Traverse City is a major gourmet hub of Michigan, so in the evening we ate at the Firefly Restaurant. I highly recommend it. We had the tapas tacos, a grilled salmon & black bean cake dish, seafood fondue, and chocolate fondue at the end, all for $35, an outstanding meal, and very affordable for the quality.

Amelia was happy with her baby food, but she really liked the dark chocolate fondue when I gave her a taste.

After dinner, we had an impromptu photo shoot at the aptly named Sunset Park.

A frequent struggle on such trips is what to do with the little peanut who has to go to bed so early. My solution is usually to put her in her pack-and-play in the bathroom. This results in us running to the lobby for 2 am bathroom trips, but it also means we don’t have to worry about waking her up and we can talk, have the lights/TV on, etc. Unfortunately, the architects of budget hotel bathrooms do not have this interest in mind, so sometimes we’re forced to improvise. Here the luggage rack and the tub made the perfect support for the pack-and-play with just enough room to open the door. Classic Sconica maneuver I’d say.

The next day we hit Sleeping Bear National Park (and got the National Park passport stamps to prove it). Nice park, but somewhat of a poor name choice. For starters, I kept calling it Squatting Bear, which just sounded more interesting, and secondly, the “Sleeping Bear” doesn’t really look like anything, especially not a bear, nor is it a prominent feature in the park. If you can pick out the small, brown bump in the background along the top of the bluff just left of center - that is the Sleeping Bear. I’m serious. THAT got a National Park. Like Yellowstone, or Yosemite. When I found that out I almost wanted a refund of my $10.

I’m being too hard on it, it actually was a nice place, interesting sand dunes on the shores of Lake Michigan, formed by the grinding of glaciers tens of thousands of years ago.

You’re supposed to stay off the dunes because of the delicate ecosystem, but there is a large hill for climbing, creatively titled “Dune Climb,” which was quite the workout.

On the way home we managed to stop by Frankenmuth, a very touristy little town famous for the world’s largest and most ridiculous Christmas store, Bronner’s Christmas Wonderland. Unfortunately no pictures inside Bronner’s, it was pretty crazy though, like going to a Walmart but everything is Christmas. It gave me the same feeling as going to Las Vegas, that “this is interesting but I can only stand so much of this before my head explodes” kind of feeling. We picked up a few ornaments for our collection and made our way home on the dark rainy roads.

A great trip, thank you Lonica for planning it out!

Road Trips | 2 Comments »

In a somewhat twisted state of irony, we decided to take a road trip to Michigan to celebrate Scott’s graduation from OSU. It was also the only break he’d get before having to buckle down and begin cramming for the bar exam. I decided both occasions warranted some sort of out-of-town field trip. Let’s be honest, I’ll find just about any excuse for a road trip. But, it’s been awhile since our last Sconica expedition, so we thought it justified.

We left Tuesday morning and made the 7.5 hour drive to Mackinac Island, Michigan. Of course, though, before arriving at our destination, we had to make a slight detour in Ann Arbor to sample to goods of Blimpy Burger.

It took us a while to finally find this little hole-in-the wall, but it was worth the hassle. The burgers were good. The locale was unique. And Guy Fieri approves, so what more could you ask for?

Amelia seems to fit in our family quite well—she was a stoic little passenger. She would nap in her car seat, eat her Cherrios without complaining, and travel happily for hours on end.

Scott was a stoic driver, as usual. The drive up was nice and easy, but the way home ended in typical Sconica fashion: driving rain, a rickety car, and a really, really late night. He managed to maneuver us safely home despite it all.

After some hardcore driving—we had a hard deadline of 6:30 in order to make the last ferry—we got out of the car and enjoyed the ride over to Mackinac Island.

Mackinac Island smacks of Americana. Blue skies, lake breezes, waving flags, old Victorian buildings, and a plethora of fudge shops sets the scene. As a summer getaway, Mackinac Island is about all you could ask for. With only 500 year-round residents, the Island caters to the summer visitors—but that’s okay, because the Island has been hosting guests since the late 1800s.

We could see why its been so popular for decades. The place is full of charm. Motorized vehicles of all sorts are prohibited on the Island; everyone travels by horse carriage or bicycle.

There is plenty of greenery in the form of beautiful public and state parks.

Breathtaking views of the Great Lakes greet you at every turn.

This Island is great because its natural formations—while are not quite as amazing as those of Arches National Park—are pretty impressive in their own right.

All things blooming are revered around here—you get fined for so much as picking a dandelion or daisy.

You can practice your photography skills snapping photos of flitting butterflies.

Everything moves at a slightly slower pace—the speed limit across the Island tops out at 25 mph—but that only allows your more time to soak it all in. Like this beautiful view of the Grand Hotel a the top of a steep climb.

You can stroll along the largest porch in the world. Of course, it will cost you ten bucks to do so, unless you are a paying guest of the Grand Hotel.

You can experience life on the finer side by learning how to play croquet in a posh setting and strolling the beautiful grounds. You can even experience a spiritual epiphany, if so desired, as the Winsome Women had taken over the Grand Hotel for the weekend and left their preachy paraphernalia throughout the hotel. I accidentally walked into a “Prayer Room” and posters full of scriptures were staked every four feet around the grounds.

And if that’s not enough to win visitors over, you can also fit in a history lesson. Fort Mackinac exchanged hands throughout the Revolution and the War of 1812. Anyone on the Island is more than willing to tell you all about it, but you can get the real experience by touring the fort and viewing the cannon and gun firing.

Perhaps the only downfall of Mackinac Island was having to fit in naps on-the-go. My ‘Mommy Radar’ and constant need to see the sights was a bit at war. Scott had the magic touch, though, when it came to wooing Amelia into slumber. Despite being out and about, Amelia was quite the trooper; she was always so well-behaved and offered everyone smiles. To the point that it almost became obnoxious—every AARP member within sight had to comment on her chubby cheeks, call her a ‘Precious Moment’, regale us with stories of their own grandchildren, or wave behind the camera cheering, “Look over here, Amelia!”. Dolly’s Christian Travelers, with whom we toured the State Park, were particularly fond of our little Peanut.

All in all, we had a great time in Mackinac Island. It was the perfect time of year to visit–the weather was beautiful, but school hadn’t let out for the summer so it was just us and a some retired travelers. Plus, everything still qualified for “off season” prices. Upon looking back, we wish we could have spent more time on the Island, riding bikes and soaking up the atmosphere. As it was, we gained a healthy appreciate for this little getaway Island and moved on to our next destination.

Life in OH-IO, Lonica Stuff, Road Trips | 4 Comments »

For my birthday Lonica used Sconica Travel Services (our inside running joke) and arranged a surprise trip to Cleveland.  Now I know for most people a trip to cold Cleveland in early March doesn’t sound like much of a birthday present, but this was a food-oriented trip.  For months we’d been seeing Cleveland restaurant after Cleveland restaurant featured on our favorite food shows.  So we had to go.

First stop was Geraci’s Pizza, featured on DDD.  Excellent pizza.  I’m not a pepperoni guy (regular pizza pepperoni is kinda gross to me) but this place had the real stuff.  Highly recommend.

Since you can’t just go to restaurants all day long, we stopped in at the Cleveland Art Museum.  They had some interesting exhibits, my favorite was the Armor Court. Sorry, no pictures.

After checking into the hotel and resting, we drove to Lolita, a restaurant of Iron Chef Michael Simon, not having a reservation.  They couldn’t seat us until 11, so we went to Lola, his other famous restaurant, within blocks of our hotel.  About an hour and a half of driving around which culminated in me running through unfamiliar streets in Cleveland to find my way to the restaurant (and Lonica/Amelia) after refusing to pay $15 to park 5 minutes from our hotel.  The food was good, but I wasn’t blown away, especially considering the price. We had a walnut/greens/bluecheese salad, the lamb shanks w/ beans, and for desert a chocolate myer lemon cookie/ice cream plate. 

 

The next morning we headed off to Lucky’s Cafe.  Probably one of the best breakfasts I’ve ever had.  Lonica had a big cup of chocolate milk, “the Shipwreck” (a skillet concoction of potatoes, eggs, veggies, cheese, etc) and I had the special, corned beef hash, topped with 2 poached eggs with hollandaise.  It was crazy delicious, perfect service, atmosphere, etc.  Can’t wait to go back to this place. 

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Then we headed to the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, near the art museum we went to the day before.  They had some great displays about Ohio geography and an outdoor animal area (not a zoo).   They also had a retired professor show us some animals.

This one is for all the people who have complimented us on our photography skills, because it is a horrible picture. Nonetheless I’m including it because it was so funny to take, we were driving out of town and stopped at this park with a pier that goes out into Lake Erie. The Lake was frozen, it was cold, and the sun was directly into our eyes. We were pretty much blind and tried to take this picture (not exaggerating) about 20 times. Oh well…

On the way out of town we tried to go to Melt Bar and Grilled, but it was packed, ridiculously packed. That will be first on my list next time I’m in the area. All in all, it was a great trip, thanks for the birthday Lonica!

Life in OH-IO, Road Trips | 1 Comment »