Hot Air Balloon Ride

Number 10 on my "30 before 30" list is to take a hot air balloon ride. I got to check that off my list in Cali! While doing some research, Keith found a reputable company that offers sunset trips and booked it immediately. It was one of the things I was looking forward to the most and it definitely met my expectations!

Our basket held 10 passengers plus the pilot and 1 crew member. The basket was divided into compartments with 2 on each side and the pilot in the center. Keith and I were happy to have our own compartment.

We flew over the ritzy Rancho Santa Fe area. Bill Gates and Jenny Craig have homes here.
It was so peaceful and smooth. You didn't even know you were 1500 feet in the air until you looked at the bottom of the basket!
Two stories:


A few times a month this guy does a solo trip- sans basket!
There was a whole group of balloons that took off from the same location and were landing in the same field. Our balloon was the first in the group. Our pilot was awesome and our landing was perfect. Balloon #2 wasn't so lucky. They hit a small tree and busted a sprinkler before landing next to the road!

Dana Point

Keith and I stayed at the St. Regis in Dana Point on Friday and Saturday night. It was awesome. When we weren't exploring the surrounding areas (mainly Laguna Beach and Newport Beach), we enjoyed hanging out at the pool and private beach and took advantage of the spa and golf course.

We didn't see any celebrities at the resort (or in LA!), but we heard that we missed Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez by a few months- http://www.allvoices.com/contributed-news/8347138-justin-bieber-takes-selena-gomez-on-romantic-break

LA

In addition to Malibu, Venice Beach and Santa Monica, Keith and I spent a couple of hours in LA on our first day hitting up some of the more touristy spots. We decided that of all of the places we went, LA was our least favorite, but we're open to giving it another chance. Here are some pics from our cruise down Sunset Boulevard...

Malibu/Santa Monica/Venice Beach

Keith and I spent our first morning in California in Malibu.

It was freezing and foggy!

We went to Paradise Cove and had breakfast. According to the US Weekly I read on the plane, Will and Jada Pinkett Smith had breakfast at the same restaurant the week before.

After breakfast we stopped by Pepperdine University, which is supposed to be one of the most beautiful campuses in the country. Unfortunately, we didn't get to enjoy the view.

Our last Malibu stop was the Getty Villa, which houses Greek and Roman antiques.

Seconds after the above photo was taken my Canon Rebel's battery died. Thank goodness for my trusty point and shoot!

Friday afternoon we went to Venice Beach and Santa Monica. In the Venice area, there was a small section with canals, like in Venice, Italy.The boardwalk was full of street performers and sketchy shops.

We also visited the famous pier in Santa Monica and walked along the boardwalk on the beach.

Then we were off to our next destination- Dana Point!

(Between Malibu and Venice Beach/Santa Monica, we went to LA. That post is next!)

3 Years!

It's our anniversary! Keith and I have been married for 3 wonderful, fun and full years! After California, we continued the celebration with dinner at mAmbu on Saturday night. mAmbu is located in an old house on West End and has a great patio.* We had an excellent meal and mAmbu is now one of our new favorites.

*mAmbu is on our dog-friendly list, but we left Darcy at home this time.

California

Keith and I celebrated our 3 year anniversary early with a little getaway to Southern California. Over the course of 4 1/2 days we visited

LA MalibuLaguna Beach Newport Beach
Dana PointLa Jolla
and San Diego

with a few other stops along the way. Despite some delays, a dead camera battery and some chilly, foggy and rainy weather, we had a great time! Of course we took lots of pictures, which I'll share soon!