Irvine Park Christmas Train

I was fortunate to win tickets to the Christmas train at Irvine Park. We have been to the park several times, but have never done the Christmas activities.
First family selfie! (D and I now have iPhones, but that is the subject for a different post.)
The park was glittering with lights!



We caught a glimpse of Santa, who was at the midway stop along the the train ride.

The light tunnel is the highlight of the ride.

We were given activity tickets, so the kids tried their hand at "ice fishing". They each won a small stuffed elf (given to everyone who tried).

They also used tickets to decorate cookies. The sign said "These cookies have come in contact with peanuts…", which is a little disconcerting as a parent of kids with nut allergies. However, I'm pretty sure they were just trying to waive all possible liability.


Overall, it was a fun evening. I am glad I won the tickets, though, since the prices are pretty steep! ($12 per train ticket, $5 per activity ticket).

Illuminocean

Last weekend we went to Dana Point to see its new holiday light show, Illuminocean.
We thought we would have to park at Doheney Beach, but we ended up being able to park for free in the parking lot by Harpoon Henry's, just off of Golden Lantern. We were greeted by this lit up crustacean, "Sandy Claws".
The shops have special glasses that they will give out for free (1 per child, 1 per two adults). The glasses make the lights appear somewhat 3D, which is pretty cool. We obtained ours from the coffee/ice cream shop at the bottom of the stairs.




It was a little chilly, but it was nice to walk along the harbor and breathe in the cool night air. Some of the boats were decorated too.

This event was fun and unique. We'll probably visit again in a few more years, since they are planning to improve it to make it even better.

Raging Waters

We went to Raging Waters last Saturday, on the second to the last day of the 2014 season.  Since cameras and water do not mix, I decided to leave the camera at home.  (Thus, the picture-less post).  D is a big waterpark fan.  We have watched Xtreme Waterparks--his ultimate dream would be to visit Schlitterbahn.  Raging Waters is the largest waterpark in California, yet neither of us had been.  The impetus for our trip was free tickets courtesy of the OC Register.  Actually, we only had two free tickets, so we had to purchase tickets for the kids.  I bought those through Goldstar, and printed them out at home.

Even with the two free tickets, it was still an expensive day.  We arrived just as it opened, so only the $20 parking lot was open (there is also a $15 lot, which requires a tram ride).  We also had to pay $12 for a small locker, mainly to store our wallets/keys.  At least we were able to save money by bringing our lunch and eating it in the car.  The warm car was actually a welcome respite from the somewhat cool weather that day.

The kids' favorite ride was Thunder Rapids.  We also rode Neptune's Fury, which was a dark tunnel ride.  We also spent a lot of time in the lazy river and wave pool.  Hard to believe that our last waterpark trip was when k was 5 and n was 3! 

Getty Center With Kids

After lunch, we fought some mid-day L.A. traffic to go to the Getty Center.  We tried to excite the kids by telling them about the tram ride that you take from the parking lot to the museum.

Looks like they’re having fun.

Since we arrived mid-day, there were no iPods to check out, much to the disappointment of k and n.

I think the garden may be my favorite part of the museum.  It was also nice to experience more mild weather after our epically hot weather the week before. 

It was pretty crowded, as you can see…

These ladybug-like flowers caught our eye.

This is what we looked/felt like by the end of our day.  We only made it through two of the four wings.  Going to both the Villa and the Center in one day is a lot, especially with young kids.  On the tram ride home, the pre-recorded narrator said something like “we hope that you are leaving the Getty Center recharged”.  Drained would have probably been a better word, especially after D valiantly drove us home in more traffic.  D and I decided we should return every five years with the kids, which would mean two more times before k graduates from high school.  It will be interesting to see how their perspectives/experiences change. 

Getty Villa & Bay Cities Italian Deli

Going to the Getty Villa has been on our “to-do” list for a while.  Neither D nor I had ever been, although we had visited the Getty Center pre-kids.  Since they offer a deal where you can park at the Villa for $15 and park at the Getty Center for free if you visit the same day, we ambitiously decided to visit both. 

There was some sort of Corvette convention in the parking lot. 

We checked out iPod Touches for a free audio tour.  This was a big hit with the kids.

We briefly visited the “Family Forum”, which had some activities for the kids.  n’s shadow cracks me up.

Of course, D had to get in on the action too.

The grounds were beautiful and there was a lot of Greek art and architecture.

For lunch we ate at Bay Cities Italian Deli in Santa Monica.  We ordered one Eggplant Parmesan and one Godmother sandwich.

The bread was super yum—loved the bubbly crust.  The ordering system is kind of confusing.  Someone pointed D to the pre-made Godmother sandwiches in the back, which saved him waiting in a take-a-number line.  I had to wait for the eggplant sandwich in a separate line by the door, though.  A bit chaotic, but worth it, and we even found a shady table in front.  Two sandwiches were definitely enough for this family.