Crystal Cove Cottage

Gail was rewarded after 18 month's efforts to secure a "primo" rental at Crystal Cove in Newport Beach.  Her determination resulted in securing a cottage on the beach for four days and three nights through the California State Parks System.   Ross collected "beach glass", the grandkids attended a science class, the Berberets from Yorba Linda and from Fallbrook visited, the wine flowed, and a varied and extensive stockpile of food, much from Cassie's garden, was consumed.  The only way to access this cabin is to have someone in the party designated as "handicapped."  Gail's mother, Cathy, is willing to rent herself out for future trips for anyone needing someone so designated.

Day at the Beach

Unlike previous years when Gail and I were working, we had no plans for the last day of school and were happy to take Camille and Mason for the day while Cassie finished off her year.  What better place to spend the day than at the beach, in this case, Huntington Beach.  We rented a surrey and took it for a ride, walked the pier, bought necklaces at the open air market, dined at McDonald's, and returned home for a swim and some popsicles.  What a day!

Central Coast of California

Gail reserved a rustic cabin on the Big Sur River at Ripplewood.  We left early on a Monday morning at 5:00 am, beating the LA traffic as is our usual custom.  Making good time on Highway 101, we were in Monterey in time for lunch on Fisherman's Wharf.  We took time to walk the town before heading south down the coast on Highway 1.  Our time in Big Sur was spent horseback riding, visiting state parks, and spending plenty of time at the cabin.  Wild animals we observed included otters, sea lions, tons of Blue Jays, wild turkeys, and a deer.  We departed Big Sur and headed to Pismo Beach for a couple of days, getting in plenty of walking along the beach.  We ventured to Cayukas and Morro Bay while there and hit one of our favorite spots on the way home, the Santa Barbara Shellfish Company on the pier for lobster tacos.

Washington D.C./Boston

In our most ambitious trip since we retired, Gailee and I embarked on an eleven day trip to Washington D.C. and Boston with our good friends, Bob and Toni Bowers.  We lucked out by getting adjoining rooms at the Westin, Georgetown.  We kept a busy schedule over the next five days in D.C. visiting the Lincoln Memorial, the Smithsonians, the Washington Monument, Arlington Cemetery, Mount Vernon (Washington's home), and the National Archives.  Prior to our trip, my mother arranged tours of the Congressional Library, the Capitol Building, and the White House through her congressional contact in Congress, Representative Richardson.  We attended a live musical (Liberty Smith) at Ford's Theater, sitting not far from Abraham Lincoln's shrine.  The restaurants were excellent including Rugby, Glory, Ebbit's and Grille Fish with the most popular beer consumed being "Blue Moon."  A highlight was taking a boat cruise up the Potomac from Alexandria, Virginia, to Georgetown.  After five nights, we flew to Logan Airport in Boston and took up residence in adjacent rooms on the 27th floor of the Boston Sheraton overlooking the Charles River!  We purchased two-day tickets on the trolley, which got us around the city.  Our itinerary included walking the Freedom Trail through Boston while observing historical landmarks.  We found our way to the Paul Revere's House and a nearby Italian restaurant (Ristorante Euno), where we enjoyed perhaps the best meal of the trip.  The also took a harbor cruise and a tour of "The U.S. Constitution" aka "Old Ironsides."  More culture awaited us at the Museum of Fine Arts and the Boston Public Library.  Fearing becoming overly cultured, we took in a baseball game at Fenway Park between the Red Sox and the Detroit Tigers.  Favorite Restaurants in the area included Legal Seafood, The Bell in Hand (Boston's oldest tavern), The Green Dragon, and Whiskey's.  The trip concluded as the four of us were exhausted, sore from walking, uncomfortably full from constant eating and drinking, and happy to be heading home and into more promising weather.  All in all, it was a fantastic trip giving rise to a ton of wonderful memories.

Easter Followed by Palm Desert

Mike and Christy Berberet hosted Easter in Fallbrook.  We arrived around noon in the company of Ryan, Cathy, and the Ward Family joining the Fallbrook Berberets and the Yorba Linda Berberets.  Christy put on an amazing meal featuring wonderful homemade Italian food.  The annual Easter egg hunt was a hit.  Then it was off to Palm Springs/Palm Desert for a week of fun and relaxation.  We had two connected rooms at the Westin Desert Willows in Palm Desert.  Ryan, Cassie, Camille, and Mason were our guests on Sunday through Wednesday.  We enjoyed a trip to the Palm Springs Zoo (the Living Desert), a lunch at Sherman's Deli, and plenty off pool time in the mid-90 degree heat.  Mason was active playing basketball, pool, ping pong with anyone who would join him.  Camille was mainly interested in swimming, testing herself and proclaiming success with, "I didn't drown!"  The drinks flowed including strawberry smoothies for Camille and Mason which were topped with their beloved cherries.  The crew departed on Wednesday afternoon and Rich and Peggy joined us for the remainder of the week, beginning with the Palm Springs Street Fair on Thursday night.  The food vendors supplied us with barbequed brat sandwiches, egg rolls, and tacos.  Highlights of the next couple of days included shopping at El Paseo, lunch at Sherman's, the Palm Desert swapmeet, plenty of pool time, and a wonderful birthday dinner for Rich at PF Changs followed by a trip to the Gelato shop in town.  All in all, it was a great week of fun and sun.  In fact, Gail and I purchased a third timeshare to keep the good times coming in even more abundance!

The Bay Area and Baseball

We decided to take a four-day trip to the Bay Area with the main purpose to watch our nephew, Parker Berberet, play baseball on his Oregon State team against Stanford in Palo Alto.  We took off on a Wednesday morning and were checked in at the Sheraton Fisherman's Wharf by noon.  We spent the next day and a half enjoying San Francisco.  Activities included eating seafood at the wharf, riding the cable cars into the city, dining at the Buena Vista, visiting the Coit, walking across the Golden Gate Bridge, and thoroughly enjoying ourselves.  We spent Friday and Saturday at Palo Alto staying across the street from Stanford at the Palo Alto Westin.  Rich and Peggy joined us for the day on Friday, watching Oregon State outlast Stanford 1-0.  On Saturday, Oregon State emerged with another win as Parker tripled and played stellar catcher.  Highlights of the stay included dining on University Street, touring the university including the Rodin display in the art museum, and joining Parker and his family for after game Pizza on Friday night.

Spring Training

We attended our first Cactus League Spring Training in and around Phoenix, Arizona with our friends, the Pistoias.  We stopped on our way in to eat at Grimaldi's Pizza in Old Town and then arrived at the Kierlan Westin Villas for a three-night stay.  On Monday, we attended the Dodger/Rangers game and on Tuesday, we watched the Padres play the Angles.  Our seats were right behind home plate, the weather was perfect, and the ballpark cuisine included wraps, hotdogs, peanuts, and pretzels.  After the game, a trip to the swimming pool and steam room was in order.  Later at night, we enjoyed recently released DVD movies on the television before turning in.  The trip home was highlighted by a tour of the Frank Lloyd Wright house and corn beef sandwiches at Sherman's Deli in Palm Springs.