Our San Diego Trip

Last week, Ryan and I went with my brother Warren and his friend Sarah and met Mom and Dad Burt in San Diego. Mom's best friend has an efficiency apartment in Ocean Beach, just off the fishing pier. We had a great time, especially watching Ryan enjoy his first experience at the beach and getting so excited over what the fishermen caught.

Here is what the OB pier looks like at sunset:
We ate dinner up on the roof of Linda's place to enjoy it after a long day at the zoo:
At the zoo, my favorites were the polar bears (they were roughhousing in the water for a really long time right in front of the window), the pandas (they did nothing but sleep in the trees, but they're still pandas), the new baby giraffe (need I say more?), and the hippos (they were putting on a water ballet for us). Ryan's favorites were the pandas, the snakes, the turtles, and the new baby monkey who was just learning to walk (and dropping all over the place like he was drunk).

We had a great day at the beach. Ryan was so excited about scooping sand into his bucket that he almost didn't let us take him a little way into the water to jump in the waves. He loved everything about the beach and was very upset about having to leave it.

We also spent some time on Dog Beach, where Ryan got up close and personal with some pooches:

We also went to Cabrillo National Monument, where we toured the lighthouse and watched an aircraft carrier leaving port to go up to its home port in Washington.
Of course, Ryan's favorite activity was to walk up and down the fishing pier and check all the fishermen's buckets. By the last day, he had worked out a system. If they had a lot of fish, he would bend over with his hands on his hips, scrutinize it, and say, "Oh, fish!" If they didn't have anything, he'd throw his hands up in the air and say, "No fish!" and hurry to the next bucket. It was hilarious, and he kept everyone highly entertained.

At the end of the trip, Mom drove home with Ryan and me, which was so wonderful!! It was nice to have someone else who could help keep Ryan entertained on the long car ride home. :D