Pinnacles National Park

Pinnacles National Park has only been a national park since 2013. Dan visited back when it was a national monument when we lived in California years ago. 

It's important to know that the park has no through roads, and there are two entrances. The west entrance is obviously closer to Monterey, and has a couple of good hiking trails, but the camping and most of the services are on the east side of the park.  We decided to go on a Sunday afternoon with some of Dan's friends. 

If you don't have a National Parks pass, there is a fee of $15/vehicle to enter the park. We stopped at the visitor's center to get our passport stamps and pick up a map and some hiking suggestions from the rangers.You can find a map of the park online here to plan out your day. 

We debated whether to take the popular but short Balconies Cave trail, or the longer High Peaks hike. Since we arrived late in the day, I convinced the men we should take the easy but interesting Balconies Cave trail and save the longer hike for a day when we had more time and cooler weather. Here are some of the views from the trail.

 

Just so you know, they aren't kidding when they say you will need a flashlight for the cave. Headlamps are the best because you have to do some climbing with your hands through the cave as well. 

The weather was about 20 degrees warmer than on the coast, so it was a nice break from the fog and chilly "summer" weather in Monterey. We will be back again to do a longer hike next time or some camping.

Big Basin Redwoods State Park

Our first California camping trip was to Big Basin Redwoods State Park which is about 1.5 hours north of Monterey, just about 40 minutes north of Santa Cruz. We made reservations on reserveamerica.com as soon as they became available 7 months in advance, and it looked like all the campgrounds were full when we were there. We were in the Wastahi Campground, which is walk in, but our site was right by the car and bathrooms. One of the trails through the park also ran along the back of our campsite, so it was by no means the most private site. However, we were camping among redwoods and it really didn't bother us. 

We left after school on Friday and got there in plenty of time to set up camp before it got dark. We started a fire first thing and had nice hot coals cooking our Sausage and Veggies tin foil meals while we set up. They were delicious, and we ate by citronella candle-light. The site includes a fire ring and bear box, and they ask that you keep crumbs to a minimum because of some invasive bird species that thrive on unwatched and dropped food. It is also very buggy, but we covered ourselves in bug spray and barely got bit. If you have a screened in dining canopy, I would bring it!

The next day we packed a lunch and headed out for a hike. There are lots of trails of varying difficulty, so get advice from the park rangers. We headed out on a trail to see a waterfall, which could have been a full day loop trail, but I was not feeling well and we decided to turn around once we saw the waterfall. Be forewarned, you are hiking into a basin, not up a mountain, so the way back with be harder! The walk was beautiful with lots of big trees.

Dan needed to do some studying, so we headed back to our campsite in the afternoon and just hung out, reading and playing some games. If we had been looking for more to do, we could have done one of the many other easy trails around the park, or visited the small museum.

The following day we planned to stop and do a little exploring on the way home, so we packed up early and went for one last walk on the level, accessible path by the park headquarters, which takes you past the Mother and Father of the forest, and many other trees that are great for photos. We were up early, so we had the whole path to ourselves.

On the way home we had planned to stop in Santa Cruz to explore, but there was a race going on, and the streets were crowded and parking non-existent. So instead, we went to Capitola and had lunch in a place overlooking the water called the Paradise Beach Grill, which had a beautiful view, but the food was overpriced and mediocre. 

I think we will go back again to Big Basin Redwoods. They have some tent cabins for the less adventurous, or for colder weather, and more trails we did not explore. If we were to go back, I think I would also like to take the Roaring Camp Railroads tour either into Santa Cruz, or maybe on a moonlight dinner party. 

This is a great place to go that is not too far from Monterey, but has some great sights!

Bethany

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Point Lobos

Whew! Moving is exhausting. We are finally in California! This weekend we finally felt ready to go do some more exploring (other than Ikea). We didn't have to go far - Point Lobos State Natural Reserve is only 15 minutes from our house in Pacific Grove. Here are some stats on our trip:

Point Lobos SNR
Fees: $10/vehicle (Or California State Park Pass)
Parking: limited (especially later in the day, and in summer)
Activities: Hiking/Walking, History, Wildlife viewing
Recommended time: 3-5 hours
Bring: Picnic, Layers (including for wind), sunscreen, water, good shoes, camera, binoculars

Point Lobos is right off Route 1 and easy to get to. We read somewhere that especially on summer weekends, parking inside the park is limited and may require walking in from the road if you arrive after 10am. We arrived shortly before 10am and still found a few spots left at the southern end of the park, but much later and I think we would have been out of luck. When we left the park at 1:30pm, there were cars probably a half mile down Route 1. So get there early if you are lazy. I'm not sure if the cost is free if you walk in.

The admission cost is $10/vehicle to drive in, but if I had planned ahead I would have bought the California State Parks Annual Pass. They sell the "California Explorer" pass at the gate, but not the "Golden Poppy." The "Golden Poppy" pass is $70 less, because it does not include all the cool southern California beaches, which for us, are kind if a far drive anyway. At $125/year, the Golden Poppy pass should easily pay for itself even if we only go to a park once a month. I've bought the pass online now and I will try to keep a tally of how many parks we use it for and how quickly it pays for itself.

A map is not included in the cost of admission (saving paper?), so print one off before you leave here, or buy one for $2.  We started from a parking spot near Weston Beach, and headed north. There was no information here, so we just walked and enjoyed the view until we got to the main parking area where there were park rangers and a map. From there we made a plan and headed out around the rest of the point. I'm including a super high tech photo of what we did, so you can see how much ground you can cover in 2.5 hours.  We took our time, took pictures, and the walk is easy. I don't feel like this should need to be said, but I saw a few frustrated families with strollers. This hike is family friendly, and even toddlers should be able to handle at least a portion of the walk, but bring a backpack, not a stroller if you want to explore the whole place.

Highlights of the walk were sea lions at Sea Lion Point, the cyprus grove, and the whaling museum. The best place for a picnic lunch is at the southern end of the road, at Hidden beach, with many picnic tables in shade or sun, overlooking the ocean. By the time we reached this area the clouds had started to roll in. If we went back, I would drive all the way to the end and park in the circle, then walk the South Plateau trail to Whaler's Cove, then make my way around the point and back to the car for a picnic. If you want to spend the whole day, you could do some tide pooling or playing on some of the rocky beaches. For a sandy beach, combine this day trip with Carmel River Beach just under a mile away.

Okay, enough words, picture time.

Happy exploring!

-B

Rocky Mountain National Park

We cannot get enough of Rocky Mountain National Park! In September/October we visited the park three times each staying someplace differently.

Most recently, the first weekend in October, we stayed in a friends family cabin on the entrance road into the park. We went with two other families that have similar aged kiddos. Lets be clear, it was crazy. Three two years old's and three infants in any once place is always nuts, but boy did we have fun! 

Petting Zoo at Elk Fest 

A few highlights from this family friendly trip included Elk Fest 2014, a little festival in downtown Estes Park. (Side-note, Estes gets crowded.) The festival was super cute but worthy of "Elk Fest '14" jokes all weekend. The state had a huge display of pelts for the kids to touch and lots of scat to look at. A small petting zoo was the highlight for our little guy. He got to hold a chick and thought that was pretty awesome. 

We hit pretty much every visitors center in the park. The kids loved running around and almost all of them had stuff for the kids to touch. (If your looking for the NPS passport stamps, each visitors center and the Discovery Center have a unique stamp.) 

Adams Fall 

We drove up and over the continental divide on Trail Ridge Road, which opened briefly on Sunday, after being completely snow covered earlier in the week. The boys played in the snow at the top of the road. There is a small shop up here too, so a few of us stocked up on coffee.  It was a beautiful drive and we even got to see a moose! We stopped at Beaver Lake for a picnic lunch. It has a great little area for the kids to explore when they were done with the picnic. 

We drove into the town Grand Lake for a brief hike to Adams Fall. Its a well established trail and if
you continue up the hill from the falls there is a inlet of the river where the kids enjoyed throwing rocks and climbing on some downed trees. After the hike, we found an open ice cream shop (there are plenty in town but most are closed for the season) and took our ice cream to the park to run out the sugar before the two hour drive home. 

The four of us slept in this little tent. 

The weekend prior we had Day Out with Thomas in Golden, Co and decided to head up to Rocky Mountain National Park to try camping with the kids. We met some other friends who have an almost one year old. There is safety in numbers right? I won't bore you with the details of camping with a two year old or an infant, but we survived. What camping gave us that we didn't have before was the ability to be in the park at dusk and dawn for the bugling elk. 

One word. Incredible! We were able to hear the elk beguiling all night and into the morning. We could hear the antlers hit each other as the males fought for the females. Our two year old had lots of questions and by the end of the weekend could frequently be heard saying "What they doing? Oh. Those boys say 'come here ladies.' Then ladies say 'no thank you.'" We may have had him repeat that for everyone who would listen because it was so funny.

Elk Bugling in Rocky Mountain National Park  

After a beautiful morning of elk watching and breakfast pancakes the kids completely melted down. Like completely. We decided to drive home via the Peak to Peak highway and got a chance to see the leaves changing. H was awake most of the trip, until we stopped for lunch... of course. 

Two weekends before the camping trip we took advantage of the YMCA Estes Park military weekend deal and headed up there for a long weekend. The YMCA abuts the park. It has a full schedule of fun activities including guided hikes into the national park. We hiked into the park with Susan who pointed out everything from bear scat and claw marks in the trees, to elk carcass. 

We did give Susan quite a scare when our truck loving two year old yelled out "bobcat." Susan jumped and turned to find a yellow construction bobcat positioned to move flooding dirt from the road. Yep. That's our kid. 

Even with so many trips to the area we are already planning our next one. 

Denver with Toddlers

Although we live just an hour away from Denver we decided to get a hotel and really enjoy the city. We knew we would have a lot of fun, but we didn't know we would find a bunch of lovely, eclectic neighborhoods.

Remember we have a 13 month old, so these activities were geared at enjoying the city with our little one. Don't worry though we found plenty of family friendly breweries. 

We armed ourselves with both a stroller and an Ergo Carrier and a bag with sunscreen, hard and plenty of snacks. 

The great part about traveling in Denver is that attractions are grouped together making transitioning between activities easy. 

The Denver Children's Museum is one of our favorite places. Our little guy loves it there and they have great activities for little ones. We can usually expect to spend two hours here (we have a membership so we don't try to do everything every time). Even if your not a member the fees are reasonable, they offer a military discount and they offer free evening admission monthly. 

The museum opens at 9am most days (later on weekends) and arriving as it opens will give you an hour of the museum to yourself. If you have a really little one, like us, head upstairs first to enjoy the older kid exhibits before they get crowded and then seek refuge in the toddler area as older kids arrive. The playground here is also wonderful - so if the weather is nice plan to play outside too. No need to bring your stroller into the museum, there is not much room for them so leave it in your car.

They are in the midst of a huge renovation so check online to see what is open and what is currently being reconstructed. I can't wait to see this place after the expansion! 

Once your done at the museum,grab the stroller or carrier and walk (or drive) toward the aquarium down Water Street. (We have yet to check out the Aquarium so we don't have any recommendations.) 

As you pass under the bridge and come around the corner you will find the REI Denver Flagship Store. It is built into the old powerhouse and is beautiful! (They have a parking lot for customers.) Head inside and enjoy all the outdoor supplies. On the third floor the children's section has a small play area your kids will love. 

Once your done at REI (or in our case, the store closes), continue down water street down the side of the REI. (You will need to move your car to street parking.) The street turns into a cute little area of town with places to eat and drink. 

Walk a few blocks and on the left there is a pedestrian bridge over I-25. If you walk straight up the street you will find a park on your right and Little Man Ice Cream on your left (in the building shaped like a milk can). Delicious. Grab some ice cream and head to the park.

If your looking to grab a sandwich, the Sangra La is right around the corner. This hole in the wall has a few seats inside and a nice patio with a few tables. There sandwiches are made on fresh baguette and are to die for . Seriously, a diamond in the rough.

On the other side of town, you will find the Denver Zoo, Denver Museum of Nature & Science and the botanical gardens. All of these are wonderful toddler options. 

The Denver Museum of Science just opened a kids "discovery zone" that our little one likes. Honestly though, he just loves exploring all the animal dioramas They are pretty incredible and for our animal loving toddler they hit all the highlights. 

If you head to the Denver Botanical Gardens, don't forget a swimsuit for the little ones. The children's garden has a stream designed for children to play in - and boy do the kiddos love it. Even before he could walk our little one loved sitting in that cold water and then running through the sand. 

If your looking for somewhere to eat in the area there are a ton if good options. Voodoo Doughnuts opened their first store outside of Oregon not to far away. There is no place to eat in the store but grab a few and find a place in the park to enjoy them. Another favorite is this cool building that is home to both a pizza place and the Denver Biscut Company. We have ordered from both menu's and have not been disappointed. 

Another option is just a little farther out of town and is the Rocky Mountain Arsenal. The key here is to stop into the visitors center and check out the "kids backpack" with activities for the little ones to do on hikes. You can drive around and see the wild bison herd or take one of the many level hikes. 

We are always still expiring the area and love to hear more Denver attractions we should try! 

Fall at Edwards

Fall at Edwards can be a bit of a let down - trees don't change color (there aren't any trees) and the weather doesn't slowly cool down, inviting you to wear jeans and sweatshirts. Luckily just up the road is the "Land of Four Seasons," Tehachapi. The first year we lived here we headed up there quite a bit, then we seemed to forget about Tehachapi until fall rolls around.

The first weekend in October, we headed up there with the EOSC travel club. The original plan was to head to the botanical gardens, but due to fall coming early they were closed. We regrouped and headed to the Souza Family Vineyard for some wine tasting. The vineyard serves only one of their own wines and then quite a few others from around the country. I can't tell you how the wines were since I had to sit this one out but they did bring out a nice food tray for us and were very pleasant to chat with.

Next, apple picking! There are two u-pick places and then 20 or so orchards that pick them from the tree and you pick apples out of a large box. In the fall you can get a map just about anywhere in town with a layout of the orchards. We visited a few to check out what types of apples were available - ask for a taste so you know what you are getting. We ended up splitting a box with the neighbors which gave us each about 40 apples.

We tried a Latin fusion restaurant for lunch. It wasn't terrible but I'm not sure I'll go back. My delicate stomach didn't take well to the smells or tastes but it's not their fault I'm pregnant!

A few weeks later in mid-October we decided to head back to Tehachapi with some other friends to Murray Family Farms. They have really upped their game this year - the hayride to the pumpkin patch is still there as are the pig races but they have added more fun. The kids we were with range in age from 1 to 3 and they all seemed to love it. There were duck races where you pump water to make your rubber duck float down a pipe, "cow" riding where you are towed behind a tractor in a half barrel on wheels painted like a cow and a giant inflatable pillow you can jump on. They had plenty of guides around making this a much more pleasant experience than in years past.

The farm also sells carving pumpkins but you will find cheaper ones at Trader Joe's.

For lunch we headed to Pacino's Spaghetti Factory in Tehachapi. It's nothing special but the food was good and it's a reliable alternative to the Apple Shed. The salads are huge - you can easily split one for your meal.

It's nice to get away and have it feel like fall, even for just an afternoon!

Camping, Camping and More Camping

I used to be one of those girls who didn’t camp. Then I realized how much fun camping stuff there is. (Plus the hubs loves to camp so I figured I should give it the old college try!)

I’ve learned a few lessons along the way. I prefer to camp with a group – I like sitting around the campfire, marshmallow melting, group meals and the atmosphere. I also need a bathroom with running water, preferably a shower as well. Warm water is a plus. Finally, around here I need a good bear box. I really don’t enjoy swinging all of our food and toiletry items up on a rope to try to keep it away from the bears.

Anyway, July was a big camping month.

Fourth of July weekend, we were derelict in making plans. I like to be at home for the fireworks but the lure of a four-day weekend is hard to resist. Some friends of ours had reserved a campsite at Mammoth and invited us to join them for a night or two. Saturday morning, we headed up to Mammoth with just our tent and an overnight bag for a quick camping trip.

The campsite in Mammoth was perfect – it was right off the main road but tucked back far enough that we felt like we were in the woods. It also had my requisite flush potties and large bear box. Our site was huge and easily fit our tent as well as our friends'.

There is plenty to do in the Mammoth area. Even in July there was morning skiing going on. We decided to take a few small hikes. On Saturday we hiked an obsidian dome and then up to a little alpine lake. Sunday we took the bus into Devils Postpile National Monument and hiked from the monument to the waterfall. Both hikes were about 3 miles and were slightly strenuous. Our friends stayed another night but we headed home on Sunday so we could enjoy the actual 4^th of July at home.

The following weekend was B’s birthday and for months we had been planning a big camping trip down near San Diego. At the Marine base (Camp Pendleton) there was beach camping – its expensive ($50/night) and crowded but you can’t beat the views. We literally pitched our tents right at the water’s edge. All day we enjoyed playing in the sand, snacking and hanging out. They had movies on the beach in the evening.

My only advice for this place is to make sure you get a water front spot or it's not worth it. The spots are actually made for campers and RV’s so be prepared to be surrounded by those if you are just tent camping. You should also just embrace that there will be sand everywhere! Regardless, it was a great weekend. I loved waking up to the sounds of the ocean just down the beach from my tent!

We already have our next camping trip on the calendar...now if i can just get a larger tent.

Oxnard Strawberry Festival

Every May Oxnard hosts their annual Strawberry Festival. It always seems to fall on my birthday weekend and since our arrival at Edwards we've always had plans preventing us from attending. So you could say it was on our proverbial Edwards bucket list. This year, although it was tightly sandwiched between business trips, we were able to attend. On top of that, in the last six months our friends from Dayton, OH have moved out to Point Mugu enabling us to combine the Strawberry Festival with a much overdue visit to Mr. & Mrs. M and their two adorable children.

I'm not going to lie, the Strawberry Festival was a bit of a let down. (As was the Avacado Festival in Carpenteria and the Poppy Festival in Lancaster.) I suspect it is because I have high standards for "festivals." In Georgia the Vidilia Onion Festival, for example, shuts down the whole town. Streets are closed and filled with every type of handmade craft, kids ride and Onion treat that you can imagine. When your at the Vidilia festival you know there are lots of people around, but you never feel crowded. The Strawberry Festival, on the other hand, was quite the opposite. The park and surrounding streets were cordoned off, but then the booths were arranged into a labyrinth - we frequently found ourselves in a dead end with hundreds of other people trying to turn around. Food booths were randomly grouped so that lines ran into the entertainment seating area. Although they have been holding the festival for a long time, it doesn't feel like they have their act together.

It is not all bad though, the fair has a great shuttle system that utilizes the school buses and several shopping center parking lots. We used the free shuttle, instead of paying $10 to park right at the fairgrounds, and found it convenient and quite fun. The shuttles were always there and drop off right at the gate. We were revealed not to be sitting in traffic.

The festival is held smack dab in the middle of the strawberry harvest - everywhere you look there are strawberries being picked. We were able to stop at some road side stands and pick up fresh berries - or you can buy them from the growers right at the festival.

The highlight of our trip was the Kashi/Burts Bees booth where after tasting a variety of products and learning about "7 whole grains on a mission" we were given a gift bag with all sorts of goodies from Kashi and Burts Bees. It was well worth our stop at the fair.

If Strawberries were your main reason for attending the fair - you would not be disappointed. There were strawberry nachos (pictured above), strawberry pizza, strawberry shortcake and strawberry parfaits .. if you could find them. It was hard to find the strawberry treats as they weren't labeled particularly well, but once you found them you were sure to enjoy them.

We stayed for about 2 hours - if we had kids with us we probably could have managed another hour with all the free kids activities. Bottom-line - its worth checking out if your already in the area. My advice would be to combine this trip with another activity in the area or with a visit to friends. You can overnight at Point Mugu and head out to the Channel Islands in the morning, go hiking in the hills or head to the beach.


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Team CoCo

I've been struggling to pull together a post about my road trip back from Texas with my dad. We covered so much ground, saw amazing stuff and had a great trip.. until I got food poisoning in Las Vegas. (Ironically it was at the most reputable place we ate the entire trip.) That post will come in time but I've decided I have to try to keep up with our adventures now that we are back in California.

A few months ago we landed four tickets to see a Conan show being taped at the Warner Brothers studios in LA. (You can request tickets to the Conan webpage.) Warner Brothers studio is in Burbank - so its a bit closer then if you needed to get all the way into the city. I know allot of people making it to a show while they are stationed here, and if you haven't, I would highly recommend it. Jeff had been to a few shows in the past, but this was a first for me and the rest of our "team".

The experience was quite enjoyable but here are a few lessons that we learned:

1. First come, First served. The instructions said to check in any time between 11am and 2pm - so we figured we had all afternoon before we needed to check in. When Jeff had been to shows in the past they interviewed people to figure out where they should sit. The Conan show is seated on a first come, first seated bases. If being seated upfront is important to you - come right at 11am to get your number and then go have lunch or walk around. Even arriving closer to the end of the bracket gave us great seats - the studio is not that big and all the seats are fine.

2. Lunch. Once you check in you are free to leave until your call time. Check in early and then go get some lunch. There is a taco stand that shows up outside of the parking deck (parking is free for the studio audience) if you decide you want to hang around. We hit up lunch first (see above post) just down the street at Studio Cafe Magazzino. Its a small cafe, just outside the studio walls with delicious food - soups and sandwiches mostly. The soup of the day was a corn chowder and it was amazing - I know it wasn't just me because everyone in the place had a bowl.

3. Hurry up and Wait. You are going to be doing a lot of sitting/standing around. Luckily our little group never runs out of things to talk about. There was plenty of good people watching going on to provide a steady stream of commentary. They try to keep you entertained with clips of the show and little things like that - but basically, except for the 45 min of filming, you will be waiting. If this sounds terrible either (a) bring something to do or (b) abandon your dram of being in a studio audience. We found the funniest part to be when we were organized into groups to be marched across the street with the lights - if ever there is a reason to build a pedestrian bridge, this would be it.

4. They lie. They say over and over and over that you cannot bring your cell phone (see picture at beginning of post) - they lie. I dutifully left my cell phone in the car, only to find everyone in the waiting area playing on their phones! They later make an announcement saying its fine to bring them with you but they must be in your pocket and off. Not that I need my phone all the time - ok, actually I do - but you have allot of time to kill (see #3.) They also say that you can't use the bathroom once you leave the parking deck - lie - there are bathrooms available they just would prefer you didn't use them.

Overall it was a great experience. Conan was exceptionally funny - despite some of his guests being, well... not entirely there. The show lasts exactly one hour - the band will play during "commercial breaks" so although it is not "live" it has the feeling of being live. Our taping stared a bit earlier then usual so we were out by 5pm - just in time to hit traffic on our way home. When we reached Santa Clarita we stopped for dinner at Oggi's Pizza and Brewing Company. The pizza was delicious and it sure beats any place around the antelope valley mall. We skipped desert there and headed across the parking lot to the Cold Stone Creamery. (I had the vanilla ice-cream with strawberry and gram cracker crust mixed it and it was extraordinary. Seriously. You should try it.)

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Pumpkins in the Rough

You can get pumpkins much closer to base, but we trekked out to the Murray Family Farms (62 miles west on Rt 58) for the full experience. Their $10 deal this year got you a hay ride to a pumpkin patch where you could pick a small pumpkin, a couple of weak corn mazes, a petting farm and pig races.

The pumpkin was worth about $3 and the corn mazes another $2 (we didn't pet the goats). And had that been all we did, I would have left unhappy. But some guy in a trailer brought four pigs and used Velcro to secure colored jerseys to each. He set up a chicken wire racing track and sent the pigs on a race. I've never seen such a spectacle. The Antelope Valley Fair had 'Mutton Bustin' last year (kids under age 6 riding sheep). But the pig races were something new and something fabulous. They were worth the $10 admission and made my day.

Murray Family Farms is hokey. The produce is expensive. And it's far. But if you're in the right mood, it can be a hoot, especially if they've got racing pigs!

Consider stopping at the Tehachapi Loop to watch a train loop over itself at this engineering marvel. And plan for dinner in Tehachapi on the way home.

Presidential Libraries

Here are a couple of ideas to keep you busy on a weekend. Just 110 miles from Edwards, you'll find the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum. It's in Simi Valley (take the 14 to the Reagan Fwy). They've got an old presidential airplane (Air Force Once, if you must), a motorcade and memorabilia from Reagan's Hollywood days.

While you're in LA (or at Disneyland for SETP, etc), try the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum. It's in Yorba Linda, 126 miles from Edwards (although, you'd ideally take the 395 to I-15 to get to Yorba Linda). Nixon's library is larger and more impressive than Reagan's but it also tends to ignore Watergate and Vietnam. It also claims a large role in the 1969 Apollo moon landing. The National Archives just took over as curator for the museum and is making some changes.

Because these two libraries are entirely across town, it's better to visit them on separate weekends. Or, consider staying in the middle in Pasadena. Pasadena is one of our favorite towns for its excellent downtown area, top-notch restaurants and lodging availability.

On this particular trip, we also visited the Huntington Library and Gardens in Pasadena. It's $20 on weekends (cheaper weekdays, and it has 1 free day per month), but has an entire days' worth of learning and exploration. The Japanese garden and rare cacti (some 100+ varieties, some quite bizarre) were highlights. Consider taking a weekend trip to Pasadena just for the Huntington and a nice dinner out.

Disneyland - SETP Symposium

Disneyland is 120 miles from Edwards and depending on the time of day and traffic, 2.5-4 hours. If you plan to make multiple visits, consider the Southern California Season Pass or a Costco 4-visit pass.

If you're heading to Disneyland for an SETP (Society of Experimental Test Pilots) symposium, consider these suggestions to make your visit more special:

1. Six miles from Mickey, but worlds apart is Park Avenue: 11200 Beach Blvd, Stanton, CA‎ -(714) 901-4400‎. Check their website for no-corkage-fee nights and fried chicken nights. Don't take the kids!

2. Pack breakfast foods. Call your intended hotel first and find out if you'll have a refrigerator. Then, pack a cooler with breakfast foods, snacks and water. You won't regret carrying a snack into the Disney parks when you see the prices.

3. Splurge what you saved on breakfast at the Napa Rose inside the Grand Californian Hotel. Reservations are strongly recommended. The entree prices are high, but it's a good value and you can't beat the location.

4. Walk to P.F. Chang's. Walk from the Disneyland hotels south on Disneyland Drive and go left on W. Katella Ave.

5. Skip the parks. If you're tired of Mickey and Friends, consider visiting the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum. It's 15 miles away from the parks.

6. Take the kids to the beach. Just because you're at a conference at Disneyland doesn't mean you need to take the kids to the parks EVERY DAY. Drive 10 miles south and enjoy Huntington Beach.

The OC

A post by guest blogger and traveling buddy, Bethany.

We've seen the TV shows but we had to check it out for ourselves! An easy Saturday morning drive about 3 hours, brought us to Huntington Beach and a few miles south, to the Balboa peninsula of Newport Beach. And then we looked for parking… and looked, and drove in circles until we finally found the one metered space left in the whole town and parked it! This was a reoccurring theme and our one big complaint - parking was hard to find!

We rented a boat from Balboa Boat Rentals, a small, easy to drive electric boat with a shade canopy and removable plastic sides, and even a table for snacks! Apparently this is the vehicle of choice, as we saw many docked at private docks as well as at the rental locations. Included with the boat is a guide to the most famous houses around the harbor, and information about the area. The boating area is a bay sheltered by the Balboa Peninsula, but watch out for the Balboa Island Ferry, other small boats and large yachts sharing this small waterway!

Just a few steps from the boat rental dock Balboa Fun Zone was calling to us with its Ferris wheel, Carousel and old-time-y arcade with some addictive Skee-ball. Unfortunately, bumper-cars are gone now, but it’s still a fun place to be a kid until you run out of quarters! Also think about checking out the Maritime museum right next door.

Taking the ferry across to Balboa island cost us $5 with the car, and saved us a 15 minute drive back off the peninsula and around the mainland. You can also walk or take a bike for $1 per adult. The ferry docks on Balboa Island with a cute village for walking and shopping, if you can find a place to park... If you are hungry grab a Balboa Bar – an ice cream bar dipped in chocolate and your choice of toppings, a local specialty, along with chocolate dipped bananas.

North of the Island is the Back Bay Area with marshland full of wildlife, quiet and perfect for kayaking. We tried to stop by the Peter and Mary Muth Interpretive center but it was closed by 4pm, so if you are a nature lover, plan to go there earlier in the day.

For dinner we were looking for fresh seafood, preferably served with a harbor view. The Rusty Pelican was the perfect choice, with all fresh caught fish and yachts parked right outside. If you reserve a boat slip you can actually dock your boat and go eat. For something a little more casual our second choice was the Crab Cooker.

To end our night in Newport Beach we walked along the beach ocean-side looking into all the beach houses open to catch the sea breezes. Bring a jacket even in July, and dip your toes in the cold Pacific!

An all around favorite activity was tidepooling at Little Corona State Beach. Check the tides before you go, and bring some good water shoes for climbing on rocks. Some of the creatures spotted were hermit crabs, sea urchins, sea anemones, mussels, and a few little fish. The rocky coast was beautiful with the waves crashing – definitely a must do activity!

For more outdoor activities you can hike or bike through the hills of Crystal Cove State Park, with views of the water from most spots. Or cross the Pacific Coast Highway and take an easy walk on the bluffs, and wander into the historic area of Crystal Cove to see the 1930’s beach resort.

We headed south into downtown Laguna Beach for some lunch at The Sundried Tomato Café (as seen on Real Housewives of the OC) where we sat outside in the courtyard enjoying the sunshine and some good food before heading home.

If you are a fan of the TV show the OC pick up a Newport Beach local guide and do a tour of famous spots seen in the show. For the surfing crowd there is the International Surfing Museum at Huntington Beach. If your taste runs more towards the Arts, all summer long Laguna Beach hosts an Arts Festival, check out their website for a calendar of what is going on while you are there, and don’t forget to check Blue Star Families – the Laguna Art museum is free for military families this summer!

Summer Day in LA

A few times a year I drive into LA to get my haircut. I know it sounds ridiculous, but I found a great place to get my hair done and Jeff enjoys the free time in LA. On this particular trip our neighbors joined us for the day in LA.

Bethany and I headed to Muse Atelier to see Nikki. While the webpage makes the place look a bit uppity – it’s actually a very relaxing and cool place. They have a patio outside where you can wait with a glass of wine or lemonade until your stylist is ready. The atmosphere is great and the prices aren’t bad for an LA Salon. Between my cut, color & style and Bethany going from long hair to a cute bob we spent most of the afternoon hanging out with the gang at Muse Atelier.

Meanwhile the boys headed off to the Griffith Observatory. The Observatory is a must visit in LA. The park is always crowded with families milling about but still nice to walk around. The museum also has lots to offer. Our favorite is the solar telescope. On any given weekend you’re bound to new find exhibits set out on the front lawn. We have never been to the planetarium show, but it always seems to be popular and is on our list for a future visit.

After an afternoon at the observatory for the boys and a day at the salon for the girls we met back up for an evening in LA. We had plans to go to dinner at Umami Burger after reading an article about it in Travel & Leisure and hearing from some LA Locals that the #1 combo is the way to go. My hairstylist, however, recommended a place just around the corner called Stout (1544 N. Cahuenga Blvd (at Selma) Hollywood, CA.) After checking them both out, and since Nikki has never steered us wrong, we decided to try the burgers at Stout. While the Six Weeker 9 (with Camembert, fig chutney, mild jack, arugula, caramelized onions and smoked Gouda) came highly recommended we all chose separate burgers and split an order of the seasoned fries and sweet potato fries. The boys ordered from the beef menu with one ordering the hometown favorite, the Stout Burger (with blue cheese, emi gruyere, rosemary bacon, caramelized onion & horseradish cream), and the other ordering the Shu Burger (with pepper jack, light bell spread & grilled avocado chipotle sauce.) Bethany ordered the IOS 3am Chicken Burger (with tzatiziki, greek fries, eggplant spread & feta cheese) and I, of course, ordered a veggie burger called the Bollywood (with chutney mayonnaise, sharp cheddar, arugula, roasted tomato & avocado.) Our experience at Stout proved that every once and a while you just need a $10 burger.

With a bit of extra time on our hands we headed over to Frosted Cupcakery (1200 N. Highland Ave.) I would highly recommend the Ice Cream Cupcakes – they fill jumbo cupcakes with ice cream, making them perfect to split (from $4.95). As a note, by 6pm on a weekend they are basically out of cupcakes - come early if you want a specific flavor.

Finally, we snuck in a little visit to the LeBrea Tar Pits before heading to the Hollywood Bowl. The Tar Pits are fascinating. In the middle of this big city are these tar pits that have been there for millions of years. As long as the pits have been there things have been walking into them. The museum has a display of all the stuff they have pulled out of the pits - but the really cool part is looking into the fishbowl window to see the archeologists at work as they pull more artifacts out of the pits. Despite the smell, the LeBrea Tar Pits is worth a visit.

Goldstone Deep Space Network

2 hours northeast of Edwards - 105 miles away, lies the Goldstone Deep Space Network (DSN). It's one of three NASA communication complexes spaced 120 degrees of longitude apart around the world (plus Spain, Australia). It's also one of those places in Southern California that I'd like to call a 'hidden gem.' They offer public tours weekdays multiple times per week; here's the info! Or just call Karla Warner at 760-255-8688. Her e-mail address is kwarner@jgld.gdscc.nasa.gov. The tour is free and includes seeing the DSN museum (Shuttle tire, Aerogel, historic displays, first satellite/rocket replica) and a handful of the giant satellite dishes (including the Apollo 11 dish). While a long drive, seeing the dozen or so satellite dishes was worth the trip. Consider adding lunch or dinner in Barstow (Chipotle, Chili's, In n Out) or in Boron (Domingo's).

The kids will love looking out for tanks on the long drive from Barstow into Goldstone, as the complex is adjacent to the Fort Irwin training area.

For a dramatized version of satellite ops during the Space Race, check out "The Dish," available from Netflix!

Big Bear Lake

2.5 hours southeast of Edwards - just 111 miles away, you can find yourself at 7,000 ft elevation in Big Bear. This place has trees, hiking trails, a lake and so much more. While there are plenty of cabins and hotels surrounding Big Bear Lake, consider the Miramar Marine Corps cabins. They have a handful of cabins that vary in price depending on the season - plus there are a few peculiar rules, so check their website.

Miramar's cabins are fully furnished and have a room for 6: a master bedroom downstairs and two beds in the loft. There's a grill out back, a great playground for the kids, a veritable movie collection and board games to borrow. If you're in town during the summer, rent the facility's pontoon boat or canoe for the day.

Our recent trip to Big Bear was a blast; shared with a family in our squadron who brought their two fabulous kids. Big Bear was a cool 75F in June and we enjoyed all the area had to offer. Our favorite stop (a great stop even without kids) was the Alpine Slide, a quarter mile track of pure downhill joy. $4 per ride. We also checked out the Big Bear Discovery Center and went on several short hikes.

It was loads of fun to cook at our cabin, we did stop in to the Big Bear Mountain Brewery. It was 11:30am, so I can't say much about the beer - but the lunch plates were eclectic and satisfying. Incidentally, the weekend we went was also bike weekend in Big Bear and the bikers swarmed the brewery. So it must be good.

Getty Villa - Poppy Reserve

For an amazing April adventure - try this day trip! It mixes a sprig of nature, 3000 years of history and fabulous food. From Edwards, head to the California Poppy Reserve (49 miles). Check the hotline at 661-724-1180 or their website to ensure the flowers are in bloom. The fastest route is Rt 14S to Ave D west, but take Rt 14S to Ave G west to run over the Musical Road (see past post) en route. The cost of the reserve is $8 per carload but if you don't plan on spending the day there, stop just short in the many fields and get your poppy kick satiated without paying admittance!

Afterwards, continue West on Ave D (Rt 138) to I-5S and on to Malibu (95 miles). There you'll find the Getty Villa. You'll need the free tickets you can get on their website and parking costs $15 per car. But it's worth $15! The Villa is unlike the Getty Center along I-405 in that it holds some of the antiquities J. Paul Getty collected throughout his years. So you won't find paintings - just statues, pottery, coins, jewelry and beautiful gardens. Plan 2-4 hours here. For lunch, try the cafe. It has a handful of great options but carries a Malibu pricetag (entrees: $13-16). To get oriented with the Getty Villa, we took the 40 minute overview guided tour. The 12 minute overview film was actually better. Other tours and night programs abound. In fact, they have an outdoor theater where plays are performed during the warmer months. No parking fee for evening programs.

Post Getty, take the scenic Hwy 1 back south to Venice Beach. Park just south of S. Venice Blvd, 2 blocks inland from the ocean. You'll find the Venice canals there. I've been to Venice CA a handful of times and had no idea they existed. We saw the movie Valentine's Day recently and the canals were featured - so we tried this. And they were excellent. The canals had fantastic walkways and bridges to meander about.

You can then walk the couple of blocks to Venice beach and visit the boardwalk or many merchants along the walkway. Dinner places abound! But our favorite is C&O Trattoria (31 Washington Blvd, Marina Del Ray). Across the street is a sandwich and coffee shop called Cow's End. Both are walkable from the canals or beach.

Cruising from LA - The Mexican Riviera

While living at Edwards, it makes sense to take a cruise. Elizabeth and I aren't 'cruise people,' but cruising is an extremely convenient and cost-effective way to visit a handful of cities you'd otherwise never see. The downside is that you'll only spend a day in each and if you're not careful, cruise costs can escalate quickly. But since Edwards is 2.5 hours from the departure port (San Pedro), you don't have an airfare cost.

-Find a ride to the port to save the $12/day parking fee.

-Carry-on the max allowed beverages (Princess' rule is 1 bottle wine or sparkling wine per person) and some bottled water.

-Be cognizant of your on-board beverage purchases - they add up quickly.

On our particular cruise, we visited the Mexican Riviera: Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan and Cabo San Lucas. In Puerto Vallarta, we spent the day on a city tour and in a Mexican cooking class. It was a bit of a letdown because the 'cooking' was more of 'preparing.'

In Mazatlan, Elizabeth chose a horseback riding trip to Las Moras Hacienda - about an hour outside the city. The hacienda was once a tequila factory, so the Blue Agave plants were still abundant. After an hours' ride, we had lunch and spent time exploring the property.

In Cabo, Jeff's pick was a sailing trip on an America's Cup boat (New Zealand). We raced a second boat in the Pacific, just west of Cabo, but lost when our spinnaker dipped into the ocean. We were part of the crew onboard, adjusting the sails and sipping Pacifico. And yes, we did see whales.

Our favorite activities on this Princess cruise were seeing the shows/comedians, playing Bingo with the old people, eating, going to the gym and attending the various lectures.

Again, it makes a lot of sense to go on a cruise or two when you live so close to a major cruise port. Cruises from LA (or San Diego) will take you to the Mexican Riviera, through the Panama Canal, Alaska, on short trips to Ensenada (Mexico) and Catalina Island or on repositioning cruises up the western US coast to Vancouver.

Santa Anita Park (Horse Racing)

Santa Anita Park is two hours south of Edwards in a town called Arcadia (just east of Pasadena). Drop in for a day at the track. If you've never been, it's a lot of fun - and kid friendly. Even if you're not a gambler, an afternoon watching the races is a great time. But do note that unlike other events, horse races have a race then 30-45 minutes of down time, then another race, etc. This will leave you plenty of time to walk around the park and get a bite to eat.

Literally next door to the track is a Westfield shopping mall. So it might even be a good idea to send dad & junior to the track and mom to the mall. While there are plenty of good eats in and around the mall, I recommend a 6 mile drive to Pasadena for dinner. Pasadena is one of my favorite cities in all of America and its culinary treats are sure to delight.

Houston's (320 South Arroyo Parkway) is a small, upscale chain we enjoyed while stationed at Robins AFB, GA. Don't miss the Spinach & Artichoke Dip. Worth the $13 pricetag.

If you've got the kids along, try Pie'n Burger (913 East California Blvd). This place is a Pasadena institution. And as you guessed, you should probably have a burger and fries there - with a slice of homemade pie for dessert. Beware the ala carte menu, as it may get expensive quickly! Service is slow but the ambiance is worthwhile.

Special Night Out: 561 Restaurant is a white linen place run by Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts. It's their teaching restaurant. So its very likely that your sommelier will be nervous and your server will hand you an evaluation form at the end of dinner. But the menu was excellent and the experience was unforgettable. An amuse-bouche even showed up after our first course.

Note that Pasadena restaurants have no corkage fee on Wednesdays. You're probably not visiting Santa Anita track on a Wednesday - but just in case. Here's the list of participating restaurants!

Lancaster Jethawks Baseball

Not everything is a 2-7 hour drive from Edwards. This one's only 45 minutes. Kicking off the home stand this year on 12 April 2010, the Lancaster Jethawks baseball team is a sure hit. Well, it's good for a handful of fun evenings each spring. ITT has Family Fun Packs (good only for Friday games) that include 4 tickets and some food for ~$24. Be sure to take a blanket or jackets, as the temperature plummets after the sun goes down.