Sam and I returned Sunday evening from a trip to beautiful San Diego. The Utah Bar conference was there this year instead of Sun Valley. Sam and I decided to make it a real vacation and leave the kids home. I love San Diego. I lived there for five years when I was a kid and if money was no object, Sam and I would move back tomorrow. Here are the best things from our trip:
Best Meal: Blue Ribbon Pizzeria in Encinitas. Sam and I were driving up PCH on Sunday before going to the airport and found this pizzeria. They do the most divine artisan pizzas. Everything is organic (which is very important to me (wink) and they have the best bruschetta I've ever eaten:
Best Dessert: Ghiradelli's malt. Sam is not one to go light on desserts. My cousin told me about a place called Extraordinary desserts that we also hit hard, but we both liked good old Ghiradelli better. We ordered a malt and a brownie sundae but the malt was the best. We went to a movie after eating both desserts and I felt so sick the entire time. I've got to stop eating to the point of complete illness--I did it at least three times on this trip.
Best Company for a Meal: My aunt and uncle and cousin Kelly, and my parents. My cousin Kelly is one year younger than me and we grew up together. She is hilarious and my aunt Pandy and uncle Mark and like second parents to me. I love them!
Best Pool: Marriott Marquis downtown San Diego. This one seems obvious since there was only one pool on the trip. But this pool was the nicest pool I've ever been to in my life, even nicer than our pool in Hawaii...palm trees everywhere, shade, waiters bringing me fruity drinks at the snap of my fingers...I don't know why I came home.
As a side note, I felt very mom-ish in my tankini. I honestly think I was the only woman out there not in a bikini. Young, old, big, small, everyone had on a bikini. Which leads me to...
Best Awkward Moment: There were two extremely beautiful, blond, tan teenage girls (from somewhere in Europe) directly in front of us by the pool. (I referred to them as the Swedish bikini team). They both removed their tops and were sunbathing lying on their stomachs. At one point, they both sat up and veeerrrrry slowly put their tops back on (exposing their breasts for what seemed like an eternity.) I looked over at Sam, who was locked on, mouth slightly agape, making no attempt to avert his gaze. No, I did not get a picture.
Best Book: Tiny Fey's Bossy Pants. I think Tiny Few is sooooo funny. Sometimes I would laugh so hard I had to put the book down. Do yourself a favor and buy it today.
Best Shopping: Horton Plaza (only because it was within walking distance from the hotel.) I did some serious damage at Nordstrom and Gap--40% off sale stuff plus I had a coupon for an additional 25% off. Think how much I saved!! Two of the outfits I purchased for Sammie:
Best Shopping Companions: Paul and Linda Warner. My parents were at the same conference. When Sam would go on his four hour bike rides, I would go shopping with my mom and dad. I totally felt like I was back in high school, with mom showing me all the "really amazing" bathrooms, and my dad paying for lunch. He has the patience of Job when it comes to my mom's shopping. The man can follow her for hours and not say one word.
When we were at Horton Plaza, my dad and I got laughing about when we were there on a trip when I was in high school. I was in the Jessica McClintock store trying on Homecoming dresses (they were the rage in 1994) and I left my jean jacket (also the rage) in the dressing room. We came back an hour later and it had been stolen. That was a tough day for my teenage self.
Mom and Dad in front of "the Del"
Best Fast Food: La Salsa. I ate lunch here two days in a row with the 'rents. They love it. The shrimp tacos are really good.
Best Binge Meal: El Torrito in La Jolla. Fajitas, excellent salsa and gigantic Diet Cokes. What more could a hungry girl ask for?
Best Binge Meal: El Torrito in La Jolla. Fajitas, excellent salsa and gigantic Diet Cokes. What more could a hungry girl ask for?
Best Tourist Trap: Seaport Village. I love their Christmas shop "Mistletoe." They also had this restaurant that made me miss my little Chubby:
Best Laugh: Finding Spanx for men at Nordstrom. There is justice in the world!
Best Celebrity Meeting: CJane in the San Diego airport. I promise I will never bring it up again!
20 comments:
This looks like an awesome trip! You look tantastic and happy.
I think feeling momish is a good thing in this case, it wouldn't be good to fit in with the naked crowd right?!
Oh my, so much to say! First you look fabulous and I don't know where all the clothes you are wearing came from--I've never seen any of them.
So funny about you hanging with mom and dad--I did that same trip with them when I took the bar in San Diego 7 years ago--Horton Plaza, that La Salsa on Coronado multiple times--it's so mom and dad!
And I'm laughing about your Jessica McClintock dress. I remember that day--you bought a dress even though you didn't have a date yet (you did get asked thank goodness) because we didn't have Jessica McClintock stores in Utah. It was like happening on an Abercrombie back in the day. It was a velvet number if I do remember correctly . . .
i love that your mom is wearing a roxy shirt. she's so cute and hip!
i've GOT to read that tina fey book. love her.
Your trip looks wonderful! I love San Diego, and haven't been for a few years.
I LOVED Bossypants! I laughed so hard. I just lent it to my neighbor who is a few years older than I, and she didn't like it. Gave it back to me after a few chapters. I'm glad you liked it, I was beginning to think I was weird.
Did you ever go to San Fran for dresses? Gunne sax? We totally did!
Liz again....Bill's laptop is so convenient! We totally overlapped! We were just a few steps away from you. However, you were all dressed clean and cute, and we were covered in sand.
Oh yeah...and I TOTALLY thought of you at Seaport when I passed Busters.
I was at the Christmas shop, too. And had two meals at La Salsa. And was boob flashed at the beach. Weird!
Oh yes.....and a husband that would go bike for 3-4 hours at a time. However, he left me with 4 kids!
So glad you had fun...sounds glorious.
They were from Germany.
Also that first picture of Sammie modeling is SO you. And I can't wait to read Bossypants in September.
How fun! I am so JEALOUS!! :)
SewSara, I love you!! THANKS for the compliment!
I gotta say we did have a good time, and you & Sam look like movie stars in all the pictures! (Clothed ones)
I wish I'd known that Liz & fam were there when we were - we could've hit LaSalsa together - like old times in Hawaii!
I love your holiday snaps. I am jealous of all the sun and the eating out. The shopping sounds like so much fun and way to go to your Dad for being such a good shopper sport.
I love Sammie's skinny jeans. She rocks them ;-)
I lol at the nearly naked German girls. We had a similar experience except it was a busload of Scandinavian girls and they all striped naked to swim in the waterfalls we were all visiting... Dave thought he had died and gone to boy heaven.
Mmmm...I miss El Torito. I love that soft cornbread cake ball they put on some of the plates. I think that's why I like that place so much. I want that recipe! :)
If that Bossypants book is as funny as the cover then it must be funny!
I love San Diego, too, but Brigham is under the impression that it is exclusively a retirement community. He won't budge.
Second, you really do look so great in all these photos. Will you answer me a style question? Please give me your thoughts on cut-offs. Where to buy? Make one's own? Brigham scoffed at me today when, inspired and cheap, I attempted to cut off a pair of old jeans. Yours are so cute and denim has the stain-resistance I need right now.
Third, I admire your reaction to your husband seeing the blonde babes. He is hilarious.
Fourth, I think it is sweet that you were so flattered by CJane. (She forgot hilarious.)
Finally, I remember both when Jessica McClintock was the Kate Spade (I am stretching my style knowledge here) of the teen set (me at the time) and when I realized, about 3 years ago, that it no longer was. Maybe two years ago.
I just read the comments and am dying at Sam. He is too funny. Does he have time to start a blog, too?
Stephanie - you can buy the corncake mix - I actually order it - it is El Toritos brand. I LOVE it too and it is exactly the same. I googled it - it's called El Torito sweet corn cake mix - dist. by Herdez Corporation. Sometimes you can buy it in California stores.
Alexandra, thanks for all the compliments, I love my cut-offs. They are probably the item I get the most compliments on next to my handbag. I got mine at Buckle. They came cut off. But you can also take some jeans to an alterations place and get them cut off and sewn so they don't keep unraveling. My friend did this and hers are darling.
By the way, I also got a spray tan for my trip. I go to a tanning salon and get in the mystic booth. It is my new addiction. I look 10 pounds thinner with a tan and all my clothes are cuter...try it!
Linda,
You are my new best friend! :D Thanks for the tip! I can not check one more thing off my bucket list! I found it on Amazon--will so be getting that! Thanks again!!
Oh Jessica McKintock were the best! I would always pick the ones with the most lace...oh just the though makes me whoozy.
I think I need to go on vacation with you. Call me.
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