A Whale's Vagina

We headed south for the 2nd part of our Californian vacation, stopping in Laguna Beach for a quick peek around the now infamous town before heading to San Diego. Laguna Beach was just as pretty as Malibu, except it had more of a sleepy beach town feel to me. There were lots of art galleries and canyons on the drive in, making it seem like there was more to do than just hang out on the beach. We popped in to some shops while making our way to the public beach access. I couldn't resist seeing if the townies were like the reality tv show. They live up to the stereotype. I went into a boutique where there were 3 teenage girls (working) lying on chaise lounges discussing how they were "over" being outside. Tough life. Who would want to be inside with views like this?

This picture was from a little lookout and the banister had this on it:

And leading to the beach I saw the most adorable front door. I could live here.

Next we headed down the PCH to San Diego. Fantastic views and no traffic, it made for a great drive. We drove through La Jolla and Mission Beach but decided to travel further south to the island of Coronado. Markus' dad had recommended checking out the historical hotel located on the island. The Hotel Del Coronado, or The Del, was built in 1888 and has had many famous visitors throughout the years, including a ghost! Some Like It Hot with Marilyn Monroe was even filmed there. It was a beautiful hotel and had plenty to do without ever leaving the premise. We definitely enjoyed our stay and would love to go back one day. I especially enjoyed lounging pool side took advantage of the on-site ice cream shop! Here is a picture of the hotel from the beach and me with my bug glasses. Markus laughs everytime he looks at me with those on. I live to entertain him.

The last night we were in San Diego we ventured off the island and headed to the Gas Lamp district, which is located downtown. Markus did some research and found a very trendy hotel with a roof top bar overlooking the Padres baseball stadium and all of downtown San Diego. Luckily for us the Padres were playing away and we were able to get a seat and watch the sunset.

Anyone who knows me knows I am not a big fan of long and/or tall bridges. The bridge in the background of this picture takes you to Coronado Island and it's loooong. I drove over it without getting a panic attack, huge accomplishment. Maybe it was the view that distracted me? You can see Coronado in the background of the picture below. One side of the island is residential and the opposite side is owned by the Navy. We could see all kinds of planes and helicopters landing, some Markus didn't even know the names of. Pretty cool to see while lying on the beach!

Our last day in California was spent driving back to Los Angeles and sight seeing. First stop was Pink's Hot Dogs for lunch. They call themselves "the hot dog to the stars" and have been featured on The Food Network. They have all kinds of toppings, making it a very interesting hot dog, but still a hot dog! After lunch we drove by the "LA Ink" tattoo studio. For those of you who don't know, its a TLC reality show about tattoo artist, Kat Von D. Markus has a small crush on her, which I think has now escalated since coming so close to her presense. We parked across the street to get a better view and while stalking looking for directions we noticed a film crew coming out the door. You would have thought Kat walked up to the car and invited Markus inside. He got so excited knowing that she was probably there. He would have sat in the parking lot the rest of the day if I had let him. But I didn't. We had more sites to see before our red eye that night. Next time we are in LA Markus can combine his two loves by getting a tattoo of the Finnish flag on his pylly.

*Markus read this & asked where the picture of Kat's studio was. Here ya go, babe.

Our last stop was the Getty Museum. Located high above LA, it offers breathtaking views of the city as well as the Pacific Ocean. We didn't make it into the actaul museum, except to use the bathroom. I was too impressed with the architecture and gardens. A tram takes you from the parking gargae to the museum and the first thing you see if this, minus Markus, he was only there last Wedensday.

White stone is everywhere and it creates a very zen-like vibe. There are also manicured lawns and gardens, offering great stopping points along the way. Here are some of the many pictures I took. I couldn't get enough!

If you can't tell from my professional quality photos, it was well worth the trek up. I would put this at the top of my list of destinations to visit. And if I ever visit again I will be sure to check out the inside. I hear Vincent van Gogh's Irises is on display.

We both really enjoyed the trip and I'm looking forward to seeing more of the state. I even think I could move there if I could convince Markus. Maybe one day.