Tag: fun with kids in L.A.

2017 Spring Break in Southern California

I know, I know, it is almost summer and I am just now sharing our spring break getaway! But, better late than never and I’ve even got some tips on how to get away on a budget 😉 

We have a busy summer coming up and we’ll be traveling in June & July without the kiddos (woop woop!) and our family vacation to Portland, OR is also in June.  The in-laws will be visiting this summer as well for a few weeks, which means we’ll be getting away with them on some day trips too.  What I’m getting at with all of this is that we’ve been saving our pennies for this summer! But, we also love to travel and it had been a few months since we’d gone away as a family and I think we all needed a change of pace and a change of scenery!  So, this spring break we planned some fun local activities during the first part of the week, including a sleep over with friends, and then we took off on Friday morning to Southern California! 

We were really trying to keep this trip as budget savvy as possible, so after a yummy lunch at Porto’s Bakery and Cafe, we made our way to  The Getty Center in Los Angeles.  After living in in Vegas for over 8 years and visiting L.A. countless of times, this was our first visit to The Getty.  It’s been on my list of places to visit for awhile, but I just wasn’t sure if the kiddos would be interested in the art when they were younger.  Even now, I was skeptical that they wouldn’t enjoy it but boy was I wrong! They loved seeing all the paintings, sculptures, and the gardens.  They especially thought it was so cool to see some paintings by famous artists that they’d actually heard of, like Claude Monet! The Getty is located on a beautiful property, with several buildings and gardens and water features.  To get to the center, we had to take a tram up the hill to where there are amazing views of the city below.  The best thing about The Getty? It’s free admission. There is a parking fee of $15 but it’s totally worth it! We spent about 4 hours there and could have probably spent more time if it hadn’t closed! 

After our visit to The Getty, it was time to make our way through the L.A. Friday afternoon rush hour to our hotel.  We were staying in Ventura, CA because Saturday was another family first for us, Six Flags Magic Mountain Amusement Park! This was another thing we’ve been waiting on the kids, especially Elysse, to be tall enough to ride most of the rides.  To save money, we purchased our tickets online a week in advance.  This proved to be the biggest saving on admission tickets.  Our hotel, Hilton Garden Inn Valencia, was also located across the street from the park and provided a shuttle to and from, saving us the $25 parking fee! 

Being spring break, we were fully expecting the park to be busy and it was, but not so much so that we couldn’t enjoy our time there.  We also met up with my sister and her family and another family we’re friends with, so it really made it for a fun time for the kiddos.  They really enjoyed being able to ride the rides and hang out with their friends.  Amusement parks are not my favorite thing to do on trips for all the usual reasons: they’re crowded, long lines for rides, and bad over-priced fast food. But, aside from the Disney theme parks and Legoland, the kiddos hadn’t been to an amusement park with big roller coasters and had been wanting to go.  It worked out great and I’m so glad we went with a group of friends and family to make it even more fun! 

Sunday was our last day in SoCal before heading back to Vegas, so the kids spent the morning in the pool and then we made our way to Malibu Beach.  We couldn’t come all the way to California and not at least see the ocean! The best thing was the fruit carts on the side of the road that make your bowls to order! So delicious!! Our time in Malibu was quick, we ate on the pier at the Malibu Farm restaurant.  I highly recommend it! Then we walked along the beach for a bit before the long drive back home. 

This trip was much needed for us!  It was a quick getaway from our routine, we saw the ocean, ate some yummy food, got cultured at The Getty, and screamed so much on roller coasters we woke up hoarse the next day! Yup, a seriously well-rounded and diverse trip for our family.  

I know it’s late, but how did you spend your spring break? 

Fun with Kids in Los Angeles, CA

Whenever I register for a race that’s away from home, I always debate if we should bring the kids or not.  Most times, it just comes down to if there’s anything fun for them to do there or not.  With the L.A. Marathon being in Los Angeles and it also being my first full marathon, I thought it’d be great to bring the kids and make a trip out of it, a little race-cation 😉 

WIth a little planning, it is totally feasible to run a great race and have a fun time as a family together. I think it’s important for the kids to see all your hard work pay off in the end.  My kiddos are there when I get home from an early morning run, they see me hobble up the stairs if I’m sore from a long run, they know all about epsom salt baths and icy hot, so why not have them their for the reward after too!  They are my biggest supporters and rather than leave them behind, I try to take them along for most races for all the race day fun and more! 

After packet pickup on Saturday, we were all super excited to go eat at Seoul Sausage, since they were previous winners of The Great Food Truck Race on The Food Network.  It originally aired a few years ago, but we just recently saw it on Netflix  as a family.  I knew they were from L.A., so I looked them up and saw they had 2 actual restaurants, plus the food truck.  Turns out, their newest location in Little Tokyo was about 2 miles from the convention center where we’d be for packet pickup.  I wanted it to be a surprise, but I blurted something out to Jason while driving one day and they caught on quickly! So much for the surprise! 

Before we left Vegas, I jokingly asked the kids if they thought we’d see the guys from the show and of course, they both said we wouldn’t see them.  Well, to their surprise (and mine) 2 of the 3 owners showed up right as we finished our late lunch.  They were super nice guys and took a picture with the kids.  This really made their day.  

After lunch, we went to check into our AirBnB condo and relax a bit.  My nephew really wanted to go check out the Urban Lights exhibit at LACMA once it got dark soo, before grabbing some dinner, we went to check it out.  It was packed, but the kids had fun walking through and playing among all the light posts!

After the marathon, we walked to the Santa Monica Pier and grabbed some food at Bubba Gump Shrimp Co.  Although the food isn’t anything to brag about, it’s a fun atmosphere and super kid friendly.  After lunch we walked down the pier so the kids could ride the roller coaster before heading back to our condo to crash for the day!  We could easily have spent hours at the pier riding rides and playing games, but I was just too exhausted for that this time.  The Santa Monica Pier is a great place to go and spend a few hours enjoying the sights and attractions, plus have fun on the beach!  It’s definitely a must-visit for any Los Angeles trip, with our without kids.   

The next day started out a little rocky with cranky kiddos, but thankfully we were able to turn it around and enjoy our morning walking around the grounds of the La Brea Tar Pits and L.A. County Museum of Art.   The weather was perfect for being outdoors and it was exactly what we needed to unwind and relax a bit before driving back home.  The grounds are free to walk around and explore.  We spent about an hour and a half there and could have easily spent another hour there.  Next time we go, we’ll actually go inside the museum and check out those exhibits and IMAX movies. But this time around, the outdoor exhibits and sculptures were just enough to keep them interested in the art and science without getting bored.  Plus, there is plenty of room to run and be kids!  I highly recommend going!  

It was a  jam-packed 3 day trip full of fun memories for sure! Getting away to sunny California, running a marathon, and spending quality time with the family is always the best!

So, I’d love to know, do you take your kiddos or family when you travel for a race?