Thursday, March 17, 2011

Go(ing) West, (with a) young man

In just about a month Griffin and I jet to California for our special Mommy and Son trip.  One of the best traditions, I think, that I've created as a parent is the one-on-one vacations I've planned and enjoyed individually with the boys.  Liam and I have explored Colorado and Ireland together, and Griffin and I spent some time in Florida visiting some places which were new to both of us. Quinn is already talking about where he wants to go next year when it is finally his turn to get in the rotation. His first choice was Japan, which began as unrealistic and has evolved into absolutely not possible due to the tragic situation they're dealing with presently.  His second choice is Ireland, a meaningful place for me which I'm always happy to visit. 

When Liam and I returned from Dublin 2 years ago, Griffin had apparently been busy imagining where he wanted to go when his turn rolled around.  It may have been actually at the airport when he declared that he wanted to go to L.A.  Yep, that's right, not Los Angeles, but L.A.  I've been to California a few times, but my time was mostly spent in either the desert or in Wine Country, leaving lots of area unexplored.  I like to visit new places with a fairly loose agenda, generally making reservations for accommodations, but not really planning daily activities.  Here's our plan: 
  • 3 nights in Santa Monica - my thought was that we could use this as a base to visit Hollywood/Rodeo Drive, Venice Beach and Universal Studios
  • 3 nights in La Jolla - seems like a good location to check out San Diego and its zoo, perhaps take a surfing lesson and simply get in some beach time.
  • 2 nights in Palm Springs - a very dear friend, whom I haven't seen in almost 25 years (!) lives here and I couldn't imagine being that close to her without visiting.  Palm Springs has a really cool tram that I think Griffin will enjoy and he's never been to the desert, so I think this will a wonderful experience for him.
So - what do you think?  What are we missing?  Any recommendations for good eats along the way or something off the beaten path which we shouldn't miss?  Suggestions are most welcome!

2 comments:

  1. Your boys are very lucky to have such a cool Mom!! Enjoy your trip!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Sounds incredible. I love that you take the time to be with each of your boys alone. They will always remember these trips.
    We went to San Diego two years ago, and loved it. The best eating for us was in Old Town. We went twice, once for mole at El Agave. The place had thousands of tequila bottles, lining the walls. The second time was to one of the touristy, big-margarita-glasses kind of place and we were happy both times. Any place you choose in Old Town is colorful and fun.

    ReplyDelete