Dinner with Tyler, Taylor and Tyson

Our nephew Tyler and his amazing family was our next stop. When we arrived, Taylor was just bringing Tyson home from daycare, so we got to spend some time with them while waiting for Tyler to get homeEn savoir plus
Dinner Dillions KC Barbeque

Once Tyler got home, We set out for Dillon's KC Barbeque.
They had live sharks in a tank, pink flamingos and an albino alligator too! The barbeque was amazing!
We had such an amazing visit withEn savoir plus
Phoenix Hilton Rooftop Restaurant

After dinner we went back to the hotel to work on this blog. It's awesome, but a lot of work, especially when you are using photos from 3 cameras. We wanted to visit the rooftop restaurant because itEn savoir plus
Leaving Phoenix az

5/23, We began our trip to Costa Mesa, CA after breakfast. It was a pretty uneventful drive, but a few things did stick out; the gas prices began to climb, (Until now, the prices were better than inEn savoir plus
Costa Mesa, CA

We arrived in beautiful Cost Mesa, CA around dinner time. We settled in at the Ramada Inn and Suites. It reminded us of the 1970's style motel, although it was newly renovated and very well kept up.
Dinner at Ruby's

After settling in, we met up with long time friend, Greg Bonstrom (in his stylish 1988 Camero IROC) and followed him to the Balboa Pier. We had dinner at the original Rubys Diner. This restaurant hasEn savoir plus
After dinner on the Pier

After dinner, we started walking down the pier and found some photogenic birds who let us get real close. We noticed a couple of guys in wet suits and they had these little surf type boards. Greg toldEn savoir plus
On The Beach

After spending some time watching the Skimmers, we decided to go down on the beach itself to get a different angle and also captured a person relaxing in a hammock fastened under the pier, and aEn savoir plus
Catalina Island, CA

Well what we thought was going to be one of the highlights of our trip got us up at 6:00 am. Jill was so afraid of missing the boat. (It only goes there once per day.) As we were leaving the port, weEn savoir plus
We have arrived!

The boat landed and we disembarked. We started to explore the island immediately.
It is a small island and space is at an extreme premium. Our hotel, while very nice and updated, was very small. OurEn savoir plus
Our hotel in Catlina

It was really funny the difference between how the pictures showed the hotel and how it really was. To say the least, this hotel was very tiny. It was however, very modern and new. It reminded me ofEn savoir plus
Jill and Bill time.

One of our favorite memories of Catalina is the lifeguard bench. On the far end of the island, overlooking the beach and harbor, we found the spot. Jill climbed up and said "come on up". Getting upEn savoir plus
Catalina Island, CA Part 2

5/25 Today we awoke up around 11am and went downstairs for a continental breakfast. We then went directly back downhill to the lifeguard stand. I'm not sure how long we were there, but it was at leastEn savoir plus
Back from the boat Balboa Pier, ca

Our trip back on the boat was pretty uneventful. We reached Balboa Island and walked 4 blocks back to the car. Then we headed to our next adventure, Redondo Beach.
Redondo Beach, CA

We made it to Redondo in a little over an hour. This would be our home for the next 3 days. We stayed at the Crowne Plaza. The hotel was right across from a marina and it was just beautiful.
AfterEn savoir plus
Redondo Beach, Day 2

We woke up and had breakfast at the hotel. It had to be an early day because we had to meet our transportation at 8:30 am. We boarded the bus and off we went.
We were a bit apprehensive, becauseEn savoir plus
Redoondo Beach Day 3

We woke up around 9:00 am, having slept in! Jill and I walked to the pier and had breakfast at a place called Polly's on the Pier. It was a very small restaurant. We had to wait about 20 minutes toEn savoir plus
Redondo Beach Peir

After a very yummy breakfast, we decided to walk the pier. We encountered a bicycle group called the Chopederos. There were hundreds of them. The Pier is filled with shops and restaurants, and thereEn savoir plus
Glass Bottom Boat Ride

We walked back to the hotel, did some stuff and then walked back to the pier for our boat ride.
On this ride we would see a dock where the sea lions love to relax, and then we went below, and saw aEn savoir plus
Bluewater Grill

After the boat ride, we walked back to the hotel and asked the concierge for dinner recommendations and settled on the Bluewater Grill. It was about a 15 minute walk. On the way was a huge mural ofEn savoir plus
Red Robin, Redondo Beach, ca

We woke up the next day and just had Cereal and a banana for breakfast. Then we packed up and headed for Las Vegas. On our way out of town, we met Jill's cousins Linda, Greg and Ava (and puppies) forEn savoir plus
Las Vegas, Nevada

Sin City bound, we drove 4.5 hrs to Las Vegas. The scenery was absolutely beautiful!
Las Vegas

We arrived in Las Vegas around dinner time. It was amazing how many people were there! We checked into the hotel MGM Grand and had dinner at a wonderful restaurant in the hotel with an oriental theme.En savoir plus
Las Vegas, Day 2

We woke up and had breakfast at the hotel. It was fun to see the bustling people that we witnessed last night dwindle to hardly anyone around in the morning. Today, we were going exploring/walking theEn savoir plus
Day 7 on the Road to Las Cruces NM

Today was supposed to be a rather uneventful travel day as we drove for over 8 hours.
We were going to stop in El Paso, but decided to make a change a few days ago and spent the night in Las CrucesEn savoir plus