I find in the summer that everything seems to slow down a bit. After our vacation to Newport Beach, I was able to breathe and feel refreshed once again. Especially as we enter the half way point through our year, to be able to take a few days to relax and enjoy it sets you up for success for the second half of the year.
We took a vacation to Newport Beach and I chose to take the week off of social media. And I loved it! Half of the time, I did not even know where my phone was. I spent the week enjoying the company of family, the beach, and the cool weather.
I wanted to share a few of the quick highlights and a few of the lowlights from the trip and a few of my favorite photos.
- Highlight #1: Slow mornings with coffee and a beautiful view of the beach. Sitting outside on the balcony wrapped in a warm jacket, Caitee and I would play backgammon. It was such an enjoyable way to welcome in a fresh new day.
- Lowlight #1: I was only able to beat Caitee in backgammon once… that girl is so stinking’ competitive!
- Highlight #2: Walking around Balboa Island. It felt as if we were walking through a storybook with all of the beautiful roses and flowers. And it also felt like a real life Pinterest board (I definitely took so many inspo pictures for that dream house.)
- Lowlight #2: As ironically as it sounds, it is challenging to find parking on Park Ave.
- Highlight #3: The Beach. When I was younger, I would boogie board all the time. And now Daniel is really into it, so I thought I would give it a try once again. I crushed it… and Daniel thinks I’m the coolest.
- Lowlight #3: The water was ice cold.
- Highlight #4: The Sandcastle. We attempted for the first time to build a big sandcastle. It came out pretty good, if we do say so ourselves. It was amazing watching us work together as a team. And I loved how everyone’s own creativity shined through.
- Lowlight #4: Before we left the beach, the waves were already slowly overtaking it. And I forgot to wear a shirt most of the day and left with a terrible sunburn all down my back.
- Highlight #5: Cruising around the harbor in a Surrey electric boat. We packed a charcuterie board for the ride and it was very enjoyable.
- Lowlight #5: The seagulls loved the charcuterie board too and would come daringly close to catch a bite.
- Highlight #6: The Seal on the Sailboat. This little seal was so sweet. We had seen him swimming around the harbor earlier in the morning, but later in the day he decided to sunbath on a sailboat. We rode our little boat around him a few times to get a closer look.
- Lowlight #6: After a few times of floating past him, he decided it was time for us to leave. He sat straight up and started barking at us. It seemed as if he wanted to jump in out boat. Full throttle, our little surrey boat floated away at a top speed of 5mph! *currently drafting a new blog: When Seals Attack (it is similar to Trapped by a Grizzly Bear just slower paced and less adrenaline).*
- Highlight #7: One Bench Fits All. We are a close family and don’t mind it. Sometimes we willing seem to choose to be close, even when there is another bench right next to us.
- Lowlight #7: Slight leg cramps do occur when you squeeze an entire family into such a small space.
- Highlight #8: I am great at driving little Surrey boats that go 5mph and I love it. And probably since I am oblivious to the value of the yachts around us and how easily Surrey boats can flip, I had no stress at all as I floated right past them at top speed.
- Lowlight #8: Adam was much more aware of the value of everything around us and felt a bit of stressed while both driving the boat and watching me drive the boat. It is funny how he loves driving fast cars and I find that stressful, but it is completely opposite with boats for us.
- Highlight #9: French Fries and Pina Colada’s every afternoon. If you know us, you know our family loves french fries and it has become our tradition on vacations (and if we are being honest… everyday life too) to eat them as a full meal. It is fun to add Newport Beach to the list of places we have enjoyed French Fries.
- Lowlight #9: There is never a lowlight with fries and drinks…
One of my love languages is quality time. Spending time with family and having a break from social media and the busyness of everyday life, left me feeling rested and with a full love bank. Whether you are planning a summer trip to Newport Beach or are adding it to your dream list of travels, I hope this helped give you some ideas of the wonderful things to do while there.
