Cruisin' California

WARNING: Lots of pictures coming! (especially of food) 

And I apologize that the pictures seem to be all out of order. 

In March Derek, Kayla, and I went on a vacation to California. It was a fun week including a cruise and exploring the LA area. I can't believe that already 4 months have passed since we went! 

The first night we got to California we checked into our hotel and then went exploring in what was supposed to be Chinatown. It was late by the time we got there so most things were already closed, we walked up down the streets a bit, got some smoothies and then went back to the hotel. The next day was Sunday, we went to Sacrament, visited a lighthouse and then went and checked into the boat! 

I'm always excited to see anything that has to do with Taiwan. This was on one of the buildings when we were walking through Chinatown in LA.

We stopped at a lighthouse. There was some beautiful trees that were so inviting. Derek and Kayla both climbed up in them to take some pictures.

I loved this lighthouse, it was so much like several of the ones in Oregon. A beautiful little home.

I hadn't realized how much I had missed the coast. I think that I just stood in this spot for 10 minutes just breathing in the air, feeling the breeze, and watching the waves crash against the beach.

Walking onto the boat!

Have I mentioned that I have dorky friends? This picture cracks me up because it is so Derek.

In Catalina Island we did a submarine where obviously they went underwater. It was fun because you could pay for food and you got to shoot them out like a torpedo from your window so the fish crowded your window even more. They were so crazy!

The first night the waiters were dancing. They were so funny and cute, especially the old man that was in the second picture.

We didn't usually walk across the upper deck early enough in the morning to see these but the day we were in Ensenada we walked across in time to see all of the chairs covered with towel buddies.

The blow hole in Ensenada is so amazing. I loved the colors again of the water and surrounding areas.

One morning I woke up to find that my nose was bleeding, somehow I attacked myself while I was sleeping. I looked so sad for the rest of the week :(

Kayla was so proud of her chicken strip that she got that looked like a seahorse.

Mexico

Santa Monica Pier (used so much in movies and an iconic place we had to visit). We walked the pier for a bit and then spent several hours on the beach...which was not good as we all got sun burnt.

Hiking up to the Hollywood Sign...I was impressed with how close we got. There was a place where you were supposed to stop but there were others while we were up there that went all of the way to the sign.

We had dinner that night from this place called Carneys. It was super good and even cooler that it was in a old train car.

I don't know why I felt a strong desire to stop at this store, since I've been to the actual factory in San Francisco.

These tins you paid a set price and then you could get whatever you fit into the tin. It turned into a fun challenge for Derek to see what he could get.

More in the submarine.