June was amazing. We decided to pack up the kiddos in the car and hit the road for some beach weather in San Diego. Not only was it time for a proper vacation but we both missed the ocean and wanted the kids to experience it for the first time. What we experienced for the first time was spending 6 hours on the road with kids 3 and under-WHEW! It was A LOT of WORK but totally worth it. As part of this new adventure we decided to recruit my mother and father in-law who were willing accomplices. That’s the first lesson learned here- always bring in reinforcements if you can.
We left Phoenix on a Saturday around 8am before the kids were fully awake, which worked out really well. The first hour or so we made great time and no one had to pee or needed a diaper change. Shortly after that everything changed so we were ready with snacks & the Ipad to keep my son preoccupied. I set up camp in the back of the car and kept an eye on the babes (and do a bit of writing too). Books, movies and games for small toddler hands have to be readily available or things go sideways pretty fast.
We made note of glamorous gas stations (clean bathrooms and fully stocked candy shelves) and for lunch we stopped at a mostly vacant Carl’s Jr. in Calexico. Back on the road, we headed toward San Diego Mission Beach at a VRBO that we rented for the week. Once a mostly single traveler, I never booked an AirBNB or hosted home. Now, as a parent, with constant laundry and dietary restrictions (my son eating all of 5 things), renting a home makes perfect sense.
Thankfully our rental was on the Mission Bay side of the island versus the ocean side. Insider tip: Mission Bay is much calmer and quieter than the beach side making it a perfect alternative for traveling families. The sidewalks practically roll up around 8pm every night and it is very peaceful. Every day we were able to wake up to the water and dip our feet in the ocean.
We started the week having some much needed R&R on the beach. The rental had fully stocked beach towels and toys which was very convenient. Restaurants and small corner stores were just down the street from us which made meals easily accessible. We brought the kids favorite snacks and a few adult beverages just to tide us over the first day. We also had a wonderful invite to John’s aunt Sally’s house for dinner where we had an amazing zucchini quiche. I will have the recipe up soon.
Later in the week we made a stop at Sea World and the Scripps aquarium where Luca ran wild and Farah enjoyed being outside. In June, San Diego experiences “June gloom” where the first part of the day is cloudy and the weather is warm but not blazing hot. If you are traveling to San Diego with kids, I recommend going in June: less travelers and perfect temp.
During the time in San Deigo, Luca got another ear infection. Pro tip #2: make sure to call your insurance company beforehand and ask about out of network coverage. Make sure to bring your insurance cards and be flexible when your kids get sick. We had a chance to visit the Pacific Urgent Care in San Diego and had a lovely visit with Dr. Moore. He took great care of Luca and had us out in under and hour. Thankfully, the urgent care was in network for us. With a bit of trial and error with the antibiotics, he was feeling better after 2 days.
Most of the evenings my mother and father in law (true saints) watched the kids so that we could go out and have dinner. We went to try some upscale sushi at Cloak & Petal in San Diego’s little Italy. It did not disappoint- literally some of the best sushi I’ve ever eaten.
We also snuck out for a date night (and Father’s day experience) to throw battle axes at Battle Axe San Diego. If you’ve never thrown an axe before, it’s harder than it looks. Throwing an axe is also a surprisingly great work out- you will be sweaty afterwards. I highly recommend this as an entertaining way to spend the evening. Afterwards we were starving so we headed to Enoteca Adriano for some traditional Italian food. The burrata did not disappoint. If when we go back to San Diego, I will order several plates of the burrata adriano.
Toward the end of the trip we were invited over to John’s uncle Ken’s house for a delicious dinner of enchiladas and fajitas. The kids were relaxed and enjoying the backyard, we were just starting to unwind and grab dinner in shifts. You know, when one spouse takes the kids and the other eats? John went first and then he took the kids outside. I was half way through my meal when John abruptly poked his head inside and asked for help. Apparently our son had pooped in the back yard…right there on the lawn. To make matters worse, one of Ken’s dogs had swooped in and eaten the poop just as John went to pick it up. We were MORTIFIED. At least we all had a great chuckle about it. We left shortly after.
The next day, it was time to head back to Phoenix. All in all, I think this was a great first road trip with little kids. I would however, not recommend anything more than 6 hours per day in the car as Luca was exceptionally restless. We also decided that it was time for potty training and looked forward to our next set of poop adventures.
