Socal Mom by Donna Schwartz Mills

Things to Do This Summer: The Getty Center

Thanks to the ongoing construction zone that is my home, we did not take my mum-in-law on as many sightseeing jaunts as we'd planned for her recent visit. But I did manage the drive down the 405 to the Getty Center.

Aside from being the best-endowed art museum in the world, the Getty offers great value for harried moms trying to figure out what to do with their bored kids this summer: For one thing, admission to the museum and grounds is ALWAYS FREE. (Note: That goes for the Center's sister facility in Malibu.)

Yes, you do have to pay $10* to park -- but you can spend that same ten bucks whether you are arriving solo or carrying a mini-van full of kids -- who will enjoy the tram ride up the hill to the museum complex. It may not be Disneyland... but it's a heckuva lot cheaper! 

The museum curators have come up with a full program of events and activities tailored for families, sure to entertain your young ones while giving them a taste for fine art. These include a "Family Room" with hands-on art activities, family tours, "art cards" which challenge your kids to solve a "mystery" as they explore the galleries and more.

This summer, the museum is scheduling "Family Art Stops" (described as "a half hour hands on gallery experience geared for families with children ages 5 and up)"  "Tuesday through Friday at 2:00 p.m.

Weekends are especially heavy with family events at the Getty, with gallery tours every Saturday and Sunday at 2:00 p.m., "Art Lab" workshops running from 11:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., and Garden Concerts for Kids from 4:00 - 6:00 p.m.

My mother-in-law was actually kind of bored with the paintings - but she loves a good garden, and the one at the Getty was commissioned as a work of art. There's a nice, rolling lawn where the kids can let loose a little, while you can relax and enjoy the gorgeous flowers and city view.

There are plenty of spaces to dine outdoors. You are free to bring your own lunch and set up in the picnic area outside the tram station, or you can take advantage of healthy offerings in The Cafe. And if you feel like splurging with all that money you saved on Disneyland admissions, you can enjoy a gourmet meal in The Restaurant. (If you do choose the latter, be sure to ask the maitre'd for the kids' menu. It's not listed on the website nor displayed in the dining room, but they DO have one!)

Now that my daughter will NOT be spending all of her time at the gym, I have a feeling we'll be taking advantage of more cultural activities like the ones at the Getty. After all, the price is right...

*NOTE: ONE HOUR AFTER PUBLISHING THIS POST, I WAS FORWARDED THE FOLLOWING PRESS RELEASE FROM THE GETTY:

GETTY ANNOUNCES NEW PARKING FEES

LOS ANGELES-The J. Paul Getty Trust today announced parking rates at both the Getty Center and Getty Villa will increase to $15 effective July 1, but parking at both sites will be free for evening programs after 5pm. Admission remains free. [STILL A BARGAIN, IN MY OPINION.]

Visitors attending evening events throughout the week, including theater, music, film, lectures, and other special programs at both the Getty Center and Getty Villa, will be able to park free after 5pm.

Museum visitors also can take advantage of free parking after 5pm on Saturdays at the Getty Center, when the Museum remains open until 9pm.

The Getty Center is open Tuesday-Sunday, 10am to 5:30pm, except for Saturday, when the Museum and the Restaurant are open until 9pm. No parking reservations are necessary. Museum admission is always free.

The Getty Villa is open Thursday-Monday, 10am to 5pm. Admission is free, but advance timed tickets are required. Tickets are available at www.getty.edu or (310) 440-7300. Same day tickets are frequently available.

For an up-to-date calendar of events, and complete information on visiting the Getty Center or Getty Villa, visit www.getty.edu.

It's A Small World After All

 A couple of posts ago, I mentioned that I'd spent Saturday at Disneyland. The occasion was an opportunity to preview the update of the classic ride, "It's a Small World," which reopened today after a renovation that took nearly a year.

Several folks (including writers and bloggers for family websites) were invited to check out the changes... and potentially appear in a Disney promotional video.

"We're going to have to go on the ride three or four times in a row," I warned my 12-year-old. "Are you OK with that?"

She nodded. She figured it was a small price to pay for a shot at fame and fortune on TV... and a day at the park.

"And you need to look like you're enjoying it!" I added.

"Will I be on Disney Channel?" she asked. I indicated it was possible (after all - ANYTHING is possible).

"It's a Small World" is the kind of Disneyland attraction you tend to either love or hate -- with no in-between. You can't argue with its message: that we are all family together on this earth and as such, we need to learn to understand one another and all get along. I know I got that message back in 1965, when I first saw this ride at the New York World's Fair (where it debuted the previous year -- it was transplanted to Disneyland in '66).

But by the time I was my daughter's age, I'd decided that enjoying "It's a Small World" simply wasn't cool. For one thing, there was that song: the mother of all earworms, written by the Sherman Brothers, who are masters of catchy tunes you can't get out of your head. (Listen to a number of 1960's era Disney soundtracks - like "Mary Poppins," "Jungle Book" and "Winnie the Pooh" and you'll know what I mean. If you have small children at home, you likely already do.)

And then there was my mom.

My mom LOVES "It's a Small World," and would have a fit if anyone suggested we skip it one trip. And when you're a teenager, anything your mom loves is AUTOMATICALLY uncool.

I carried those feelings well into adulthood... until I had a child of my own.

Megan was just 18 months old the first time I took her to Disneyland, on a Sunday after I'd finished a particularly grueling week at work. She was still in a stroller, and so young that she got in free... but she was also too little to get much out of any of the rides...

...except for "It's a Small World." I left her stroller outside the attraction, carried her into the little boat, and watched her eyes grow wide as we floated through the gentle ride with the happy music and doll-like figures. She was delighted by it -- and so was I. I was able to experience it with new appreciation.

As the years went by, I discovered something else about "It's a Small World," and this is one of those insider secrets that is the reason people read blogs like mine, so listen closely: The attraction is on the lengthy side, and it's got great air conditioning. So if you've been at the park for hours, and your feet are getting tired and it's a REALLY HOT summer day... "It's a Small World" will allow you to rest in cool, cool comfort for a full 12 minutes (or longer!)

Other rest-your-feet attractions are the Disneyland Railroad that will take you from one land to another around the park... "Honey, I Shrunk the Audience"... and Star Tours.

But I digress. The point of this post is to tell you about the ride.

One of the first things we noticed was that the old fiberglass boats have been replaced by ones of molded plastic (think of the Little Tikes line of backyard play equipment). While I miss the old boats, these are apparently sturdier and easier to maintain. (I saw a post online where someone speculated that the new boats are also bigger to accommodate the fact that Americans on average weigh more than they did in the 1960's. Disney denies that rumor -- but it would make sense.)

The next thing we noticed was that Disney characters now appear among the ride's children of the world: Peter Pan and Tinkerbell in London, Pinocchio in Italy, Lilo and Stich in the South Pacific, etc. Disney says the ride features a total of 29 Disney and Disney Pixar characters. I don't remember seeing nearly that number -- so I suppose that will be my challenge on my next visit to the park.

It is possible that some of the characters had not been placed yet when we saw our preview, as it was obvious that park employees were still putting finishing touches on it... there were cans of paint and brushes, ladders, bubble wrap and other debris scattered in corners around the ride (which I began noticing during the second go-round).

The other huge change is the addition of the United States as one of the countries of the world. In the original version of the ride, the US was represented at the end with (in 1964 vernacular) a little cowboy and Indian. Now, there is a nicely sized representation of a cornfield (I guess they chose the Midwest), as well as a depiction of Hollywood. You can get a feel for how it looks in the video below:

I know people who don't like it when you mess with the classics. Some are complaining that the new configuration negates the original "peace on earth/let's all understand one another" message of the attraction, and accusing Disney of injecting marketing into it by the inclusion of the characters.

I really think folks should lighten up. It's a theme park. It's entertainment. Does Disney integrate the rides with all their other products and market to its guests? Yeah. That's just good business, and the company would be crazy NOT to do that. There is a reason why my parents introduced me to the classic Disney films and that I in turn did the same with my daughter.

That does not mean that I enjoy finding myself in a gift shop before I can exit every attraction, or that I'm being tempted to purchase family photographs whenever we get off a thrill ride... but I'm pretty good at saying "no." Lately, I tell my daughter that she can purchase any souvenirs with her own money, and that works like a charm.

When we'd finished the ride, one of the Disney crew asked my daughter if she wanted to appear on camera for an interview... and she came down with a sudden case of shyness. "I thought you wanted to be on Disney Channel," I coaxed. She changed her mind.

I ended up doing the interview, but I'm pretty sure they won't use it. I told them about thinking the ride was uncool when I was a kid. Somehow, I don't think that's the message they want out there.

More Las Vegas: In Praise of Cabana Boys & Laker Girls

Even on vacation, I tend to wake up on the early side. That was actually a good thing on this trip, as my husband was eight time zones away and I wanted to talk to him before we got going - and he went to bed.

The rest of our group was still fast asleep, so I slipped out to find a quiet spot where I could make a phone call - and while I was at it, I did some hotel reconnaissance.

The casino is relatively quiet at 7:00 a.m. - but not quiet enough for good conversation. I made my way past the fine dining restaurants, away from the shopping center to one of the two hotel Starbucks... and found the hallway that leads to the complex's convention center.

Bingo.

The California Games

I can't believe I began the summer lamenting that I wouldn't be taking any vacations this year.

Instead, I ended up planning several short road trips. The result: Plenty to write about -- but little time to do it!

I just got back from watching Megan compete in the California State Games, which is a kind of youth Olympics event, complete with young athletes marching in to witness the lighting of the torch. As the march-in was Friday night and her meet was Sunday afternoon -- and the event was in beautiful San Diego -- we made a weekend of it. My sister and her family planned a short stay in Mission Bay to coincide with it, so it was a full family affair...

...which means that breaking away to write was a near-impossibility. Hell, my husband and sister complained every time I glanced at the steady stream of email I was receiving on my Blackberry. You have no idea how much trouble they would have given me if I had gone hunting for a hotspot so I could write.

This is why I have not been online since Thursday afternoon (when the Internet in my home went down for several hours). As of this time last week, I was putting the finishing touches on part 1 of my post about our Las Vegas trip -- and promising to finish the half-done draft recounting our experiences in Palm Springs the previous week.

Those posts remain half-done drafts. And in three days, I am flying up to San Francisco for BlogHer.

Can you say "over extended"?

So... this blog will be taking a non-linear turn this week, as I jump around in time so I can catch up before BlogHer.

We'll start with the trip we just finished: San Diego.

I wish I had photos to show you of the opening ceremony for the California State Games. It really felt like the real deal. For one thing, it took place at Qualcomm Stadium. For another, there must have been thousands of youthful participants, as the march in to the stadium seemed to go on FOREVER. The really cool thing is that the entire proceeding was broadcast onto the stadium's jumbotron -- so I got to see the joyful expressions on the faces of my daughter and her teammates as they entered the field.

The reason I don't have photos is that I almost didn't make it to the Stadium on time, having opted to stay at a four-star Priceline-booked downtown hotel instead of the cheap Mission Valley inn on the trolley line, with the rest of the team. I had dropped Megan off with her coach so I knew she would arrive along with them -- but I wanted to have my own car so I could boogie when the whole thing was over.

The road leading to Qualcomm was bumper-to-bumper, and just as I got there, my cell phone froze on me. This put me into a panic: How was I going to find the other parents? How was I going to find my kid? I managed to get the phone working again by removing and replacing the battery -- but I was shaken. I was already at the ticket booth when I realized I'd left my camera in the car. I had no desire to run back to fetch it.

After what seemed like hours (I had NO IDEA there were so many kids who play softball - I don't think there was an empty field in all of San Diego last weekend!), the ceremony began with a drop-in by about a dozen Navy Seals... who literally parachuted onto the field, ending with one holding an American flag for the Star Spangled Banner. Yeah, it was kind of hokey -- but really cool at the same time. That was followed by some speeches about the value of youth athletic programs and some Gong-show ready entertainment.

The program ended with a pretty nice fireworks show.

Then came the ordeal of catching back up with our kids. As much time as it took for them to march IN to the stadium, finding them after the event took even longer. At least, it felt that way. It was nearly 10:00 p.m. by the time I had my daughter back -- neither one of us had eaten dinner. Fortunately, my sister and husband (who had driven down after work and was already relaxing with the family at their hotel in Mission Bay) were waiting for us. We phoned them a room service order and found a late dinner waiting for us when we caught up with them -- just in time to catch our second fireworks show of the night, emanating from nearby Sea World.

Saturday was our time to kick back, and we decided to do so at my sister's hotel. She and her family stayed at the Mission Bay Hilton, which is right on the bay, so it boasts a small beach, a dock where you can rent boats and jetskis, tennis courts, a spa -- and a fabulous pool (which was adjacent to a fabulous bar that serves truly fabulous pina coladas).

We figured we could get the best of both San Diego worlds by moving our party downtown for the evening. We dined on excellent tapas at Cafe Sevilla in the Gaslamp Quarter (which was within walking distance from our downtown hotel). The food was plentiful...and reasonably priced.

Sunday's gymnastics meet was a lot like any other... except that our team rocked! Megan and her friend Wesley both took first place All-Around prizes for their ages -- and the top three for most events featured at least one of our girls.

I would have pictures of this but for a nasty surprise when I turned my camera on: I must have dropped it somewhere, because I could not access any of the menus. Instead, all I could see was something that looked like a crack on the screen INSIDE the camera.

"Just go to the store where you bought it and get it fixed," my husband suggested.

The last time I tried that with a digital camera I was told it would cost nearly as much to fix as it would to buy a new one. It is also extremely unlikely that, should it be reparable, I could have it back before I go to BlogHer on Thursday. At any rate, future posts will be without photos for the foreseeable future.

It's a good thing I got some in on the half-finished posts that will be going up BEFORE I get to San Francisco.

Las Vegas: There's Gold in Them Thar Windows!

Our destination was on the other end of the strip, so we decided to take a cab.

"Isn't that our hotel?" my daughter asked.

"No, Megan. That's the Mirage." Her friend Maggie sounded exasperated in the back seat.

I can't blame Megan for mistaking the Mirage for Mandalay Bay - both are huge buildings covered in gold-tinted windows. I'm pretty sure Las Vegas has more gold-tinted windows than any other city in North America.

It was Megan's first visit to the adult playground that is Vegas, and it may as well have been mine. I made a point of gathering up all the quarters sitting in our "Coinstar Box" -- only to discover that today's slots only take bills and credit cards. I'll never repeat the experience of dropping 75 cents into a slot to kill some time -- and ending up with a $150 jackpot. When you use spare change, it doesn't feel like gambling. But sliding a $20 or a credit card into a machine is a commitment; one I am not equipped to make.

So it's a good thing our traveling companions are not the high rolling types, either. This whole shebang was Mary Ellen's idea: She saw a window of opportunity between the time our girls got out of school and next week, when their 30-hour-a-week summer gymnastics program kicks in.

"We can get a cheap room by going Monday through Wednesday," she said. "And it's even cheaper if we share."

As I was feeling a little bit sorry for myself that my husband was visiting his family in Wales without me (a decision we made mutually because of the devalued dollar), this seemed like a great idea. I was in.

Cabazon: Desert Shopping and Swimming

My plan for today's post was to write about the Palm Springs area and what a bargain it is for travelers in the summer months (when demand for desert uh, warmth is on the low side).

Megan and I were going to leave the house early, check in to our Rancho Mirage hotel and then check out the local sights, like the Aerial Tramway and...

...well, that was the only activity I was aware of here. I figured we woud spend the rest of the day shopping at the River complex, and hanging out at the pool.

That was before Megan turned on her newly charged cell phone and found a text message from a friend, who happened to be staying at the Morongo Casino and Resort, out in Cabazon... which we would be passing by on our way to Palm Springs. The Desert Hills Premium Outlet mall is located right next to the resort... I had always wanted to check it out (for some reason, my husband never seems to want to stop and shop when we're traveling) and Leesa and her family were planning on having lunch there. So why not?

While there, Leesa's family invited us to come and hang out with them at the resort's fabulous pool. So instead of an awesome aerial view, we ended up spending the afternoon at an Indian casino... and it was good.

Sunny San Diego (and Coronado, too)

When I was a kid growing up here in the San Fernando Valley, my family's favorite vacation destination was San Diego. It's relatively close (just a two hour drive if traffic is light), it's on the coast, and the weather is almost always perfect (even when it's raining in Los Angeles, as it was this weekend).

So when I received an invitation to attend a blogger event this weekend at Sea World (to try out the park's new Sesame Street themed Bay of Play area), I jumped on it. For the last couple of years, we've been heading down to San Diego purely for gymnastics meets. How nice would it be to go there for fun?

As it turns out, it was very nice indeed.

Fun in Long Beach

My university student niece and nephew were visiting us this weekend. Rather than just sit around and hang for two days, we decided to take advantage of a brief moment of sunshine Saturday to visit the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach.

Our family could be classified as "Aquarium People." My sister's in-laws (Carly and Alex's grandparents) have long been involved with San Pedro's Cabrillo Marine Museum. This is the oldest marine education facility in Southern California; in operation for over 70 years, and their innovative programs have served as a model for many of the public aquariums that have opened since, including the larger, more famous ones in Monterey and California's newest one in Long Beach. One of the best things about Cabrillo is that it is owned by the City of Los Angeles and is FREE to the public (they do request that visitors consider leaving a discretionary donation).

"Don't tell Grammy we're going to Long Beach," my niece admonished her brother.

The Aquarium of the Pacific IS bigger, more modern and has a location advantage: downtown Long Beach has become a really happening place, with restaurants, shopping and nice hotels.

That's a good thing, because the moment we got there, my husband announced he was hungry (which usually means we must drop everything and feed the beast -- he has low blood sugar or something, so these things must be taken care of quickly). It was warm and sunny, so we walked along the pier to the Shoreline Village restaurant development and ended up at the YardHouse: Great salads, sandwiches and a huge beer menu (which we did not partake of -- will have to save that for another visit).

Lunch done, it was time to head back to the Aquarium.

(Oops! The 15 minutes I've allocated for writing posts on my main blog is up... this post continues over on my Review Blog, Socal Stuff. View more photos of our day in Long Beach at Flickr.)

Rawhide, Arizona

At first glance, my husband was disappointed with Phoenix.

"It looks just like the San Fernando Valley," he said glumly. "Only bigger."

Admittedly, our whirlwind weekend did not give us any opportunity to really SEE much of the city. Our 8:00 a.m. flight arrived in Arizona at 10:30, and it took us a while to get out of sprawling Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport. By the time we picked up our checked bags (complicated by the fact that the airport's baggage claim monitors had mislabeled our Southwest Airlines flight out of Burbank as a USAir flight from Calgary) and made it to the rental car center (three miles from the terminal!), it was nearly lunchtime.

As this is the off-season for the compulsory gymnasts, only three girls from Megan's Level 6 team had opted to participate in the Arizona meet. One of them, who had an older sister competing on Saturday, was already there. The other girl and her mother were our traveling companions. This made the entire trip even more exciting for Megan, as she and Samantha are close friends. It made it fun for me, too, because Sue (Sammie's mom) is one of the gym parents I enjoy hanging with.

After collecting our rental car and checking into the La Quinta Inn in Chandler, I had to admit my husband was right -- at least, about the part of town we were staying in. It was a lot like home -- just larger. And our hotel was located in Retail Central. We were close to a Super Wal-Mart, Target, Sports Authority, JC Penney and countless chain restaurants. The latter was a good thing, because everyone was hungry. We found an Applebee's (which has something for everyone, including Weight Watchers meals for Sue and me) and began planning the afternoon.

Our girls' meet fees included admission to a big barbecue Saturday evening. The coaches were given wristbands to distribute to the team members, but they had left for Arizona without giving them to Sammie and Megan. So I felt that our first priority was to catch up with them at the meet (which was already in progress). Besides, we needed to orient ourselves. It would be important to figure out how to get to the meet location and know exactly how much driving was involved.

Fortunately, it was pretty close by -- just two miles away.

This meet will be fun," the Head Coach had told us. It was definitely being held in a unique spot.

Rawhide is a Western-themed tourist spot, currently located in the Gila River Indian Community.

The Gila River Indians are creating quite a tourist resort on their land. As we made our way to the western town, we could see that their development at Wild Horse Pass includes a Sheraton hotel and spa, a golf club, an equestrian center and (of course) a casino. And it looks like there's more to come.

We knew we were in the right place because the gymnastics meet was signposted with directions to the large dirt parking lot in front of the entrance of Rawhide, which featured western artifacts like covered wagons. The theme from the old Rawhide TV series was blaring on a continuous loop from the town entrance. This made me flash on its old opening credits, with closeups of cattle being rustled along the frontier. I was confused. "How can they be holding a meet HERE?" I mused, as we approached the covered wagon that adorned the front gate.

Then, I saw some of our level 7 girls leaving the town with their parents. They had just finished their session. The coaches we were looking for were still inside, working with the level 8 and 9 girls. "It's a really fun place," one of the moms told us.

And it was.

The "town" consists of a wide dirt street lined with the kind of shops you'd expect to see in a frontier outpost (in fact, they are exactly the ones you have seen in hundreds of Westerns since the dawn of film and television). There is a large steakhouse (with a saloon), a General Store (where you can buy sunscreen and Tylenol and all kinds of souvenirs), a Jewelry store, ice cream stand, margarita stand (something for everyone!), a clothing shop, a toy store, rock climbing, mechanical bull ride... OK, so it's geared more towards the kind of things a family with kids would be looking for, but still...

There were also countless props for photo ops (covered wagons, big sagauro cacti, etc.), a petting zoo, burro rides, rock wall climbing, and live entertainment in the form of a wild west show and a "showdown" in the middle of the street.

We passed an outdoor plaza advertising a Saturday night barbecue under the stars. "That must be where the girls are having their party tonight," I mused. But none of the buildings were large enough to hold a gymnastics meet attracting teams from all over the country.

We made our way to the end of the long street and hung a right past a pen holding a lonely looking bison. There was a sign posted indicating that the meet was straight ahead. In the distance was a huge ultra-structure.

Once inside, the girls quickly found their coaches and obtained their purple wristbands. That accomplished, I was able to relax a little -- our daughters were NOT going to miss any of the fun that evening.

We spent the next hour perusing the shops. Sue bought some beautiful jewelry from one of the vendors at the meet, and I picked up a funky jade and amethyst bracelet in the Rawhide jewelry store. I couldn't believe how inexpensive it all was. "That's because the silver and stones are all produced locally," Sue pointed out.

We still had a couple of hours to kill before we had to bring the girls back for their barbecue. Sue and I and the girls used that time to relax a little at the hotel. My husband took advantage of that time to get out and explore a little (he was dying to take some photos that weren't off in a tourist trap). We all got what we wanted:

As it turned out, the party wasn't outdoors, but in the Rawhide Steakhouse. One of the team moms had the foresight to make a reservation for all of us parents and coaches, so we could enjoy a nice meal while the girls partied in the banquet room.

The Steakhouse menu featured all the usual suspects (steak, ribs and more steak), plus some delicacies (fried rattlesnake, anyone?) and even a few healthy choices (I love finding vegetarian options in steakhouses!). Ever conscious of my dietary requirements, I chose the grilled salmon, which was very good (if a little bit highly seasoned -- I'm afraid I've been on such a low-sodium regimen that I've become sensitive to salt).

I wish I could say that I totally adhered to my diet. I was good on my food choices, but terrible when it came to beverages: I ordered a drink in the saloon and then enjoyed a Mexican coffee as my dessert. Between the fact that I'm 50 pounds lighter and haven't been drinking much the last six months, these went straight to my head. (But it was worth it!)

A few words about our hotel: I have never stayed in the La Quinta chain before (you guys know I tend to reserve at 4- and 5- star places), so did not know what to expect, other than an inexpensive room with free Internet access (which I didn't use, having left my computer at home for a change). I have to say that I was impressed with the relative value of what we paid for. The room was nicely sized, the bathroom was well planned, and the facility was nice and clean.

A few words about Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport: Our return visit wasn't any better than our arrival (when they couldn't give us correct information about our luggage). Our terminal featured a huge shopping/food court -- BEFORE you get to the security line, which was one of the slowest, least efficient ones I've ever had the displeasure to stand in. (And if you've ever visited Heathrow, you know I've been in some doozies.) Once you get through the line and are waiting for your flight, there is NEXT TO NOTHING to choose from. There may have been other outlets in the hallways leading to other gate series, but we didn't have the time to explore. If you travel to Phoenix and plan to grab some food at the airport, give yourself plenty of time so you can eat BEFORE you visit the TSA. (Better yet: eat before you get there.)

A Perfect Day in La Jolla

Megan's best friend in second grade was a girl named Rachel. That year, the two of them had weekly after school playdates -- often at Rachel's house. This gave my only child a taste of living with a lot of siblings, as she also got to play with Rachel's younger sister, little brother and the baby (also named Megan). My daughter was heartbroken when Rachel's dad got a new job down in San Diego. Strangely enough, so was my husband. "They are just the nicest family," he lamented.

So we have stayed in touch, and when I saw that we would have to go down south for Megan's last meet, I called Rachel's mom to see if we could arrange a get-together. Fortunately, they were available.

"What do you have in mind?" she asked. I suggested we meet in La Jolla. After all, who needs a plan when you have five kids and a beach?

I began to worry on Thursday when SoCal got hit by a winter storm. Fortunately, it passed quickly... and Saturday was about as glorious a February day as you could ask for.

I had never before been to La Jolla, which is a beachside community within the city of San Diego. It boasts Ellen Browning Scripps park, beautiful expanse of green lawns on a bluff overlooking a beach, with protected coves, lots of native wildlife. And it is adjacent to a lovely upscale "Village" with art galleries, expensive stores and good restaurants. In other words, something for everyone.

We began our day by crossing Scripps Park to Children's Pool Beach, which really was once a protected beach area designated for children, but several years ago, was overrun by harbor seals, who discovered that it was a nice, safe spot for their children, too. The seals won; it is now exclusively a nesting site for them and it is roped off during pupping season - as it was on Saturday. The good news is that we got to see a lot of mommy and baby seals swimming in the cove (when they weren't basking in the sunshine).

From there, we moved on to a beach designated for humans. I hadn't thought to pack swimsuits... or sunscreen (I was focused on gymnastics and besides, it's FEBRUARY). And as the kids played in the sand and climbed the rocks for what seemed like hours, I realized what a mistake it was to omit the latter! Fortunately, my friend was well-prepared (after all, she is mother to four children between the ages of 3 and 10) and we all got the protection we needed. (In my defense, Gareth usually keeps sunscreen in his car, which was in the shop for the week for repairs after our break-in last month -- so we drove to San Diego in an empty rental).

The kids never got tired of building sand forts and watching the waves knock them down, so it was up to the hungry parents to make the decision that a little lunch would be in order. Rachel's dad actually works in a building overlooking the park and has to live with that view every single day (we really do feel for him). He also knows where the best lunch spots are, and he led us to a beautiful little cafe with a patio facing the ocean. We were told that from 3:00 on, they were only serving coffee and pastries. It was 3:02.

"They probably saw five kids coming up the steps and hauled out the sign," my friend grumbled. So we went to Plan B - walking into the little Village to find a restaurant that served food both the kids and the adults could enjoy. We were having a little trouble with that - until he remembered that there was a nice Hard Rock Cafe with good hamburgers and fries and decent salads... as well as a large outdoor patio that would allow the kids to enjoy themselves without disturbing other diners.

It was just what the doctor ordered. We followed lunch by taking the kids upstairs to Cold Stone Creamery. We moms decided that was too sweet for us -- and not only that, but it was getting kind of chilly out -- so we left the kids with their fathers and walked down the block to Starbucks for our version of dessert.

We then walked back towards the beach to the Sunny Jim Cave Store, featuring an entrance to La Jolla's largest sea cave. The tunnel you enter through the store was dug out over 100 years ago, making this one of the area's oldest ongoing tourist attractions. The 145 steps leading down to the cave are somewhat uneven, and as you get closer to the bottom, they are slippery. It's a bit of a spooky trip down, but it's the kind of spooky that kids enjoy - and the destination is definitely worth it. There is an admission fee to enter the tunnel: $4 for adults and somewhat less for the kids (all eight of us entered for under $30).

The sun was setting when we emerged from the cave, but there were still plenty of beaches and coves to explore -- which we managed to do until it was too dark to play any longer. We'd had such a late lunch that no one was ready for dinner, which is a shame, because I wanted to explore more of the restaurants in the Village (probably just as well, as they didn't look to be very kid-friendly). We bid our friends good-bye and went back to our hotel -- satisfied and tired after a perfect winter day at the beach.