Oranged
Kevin and I flew in together through Atlanta to be greeted by Mom and Kendra at the Orange County airport.
Order Here
We collected our bags and headed straight for a Mexican delight at Rasta Taco in Laguna Beach.
Cheap Seats
Kevin and I snagged seats at the bar, waiting for a table to clear while...
Cheers
... Mom sipped on her celebratory drink to welcome her children "home".
Fresh Look
LOTS of updates since my visit in 2020, lookin' GREAT!
Welcome
Mom borrowed a few air mattresses so the four of us could sleep comfortably in her 2BR.
Front Yard
Inviting area to pass the time (but we ultimately selected the back porch because it gets sun all day).
Welcome
We enjoyed new windows and doors, an external paint job, new deck railings and easy access to the washer and dryer upstairs among other upgrades.
Easy Access
Mom's sister Terry invested MANY hours in helping de-clutter and organize after Julie passed.
New Look
Looks nice but we spent little time in the kitchen, choosing instead to eat out.
Nice View
Kevin recalls the view from the back while Mom deletes some SPAM.
Who's Room?
Initially Mom's, but Kevin ended up here so he could snore w/o keeping anyone else awake. Yes Kevin, you SNORE!
Benched
Main Beach with Mom getting some vitamin D.
Shaded
Good One - I'm getting better at taking selfies!
Closed
We didn't see any signs of oil on the beach. Better safe than sorry.
Sunday in CA
The volleyball players were out early.
Candy Barrons
Enjoying a moment outside our store.
Bailed
Waiting for Kendra to complete her purchases at the Candy Baron.
re-Benched
Taking a load off after shopping and lunch.
Worshippers
Back at the house enjoying the company, the view and the weather.
Beached
Time to head back to the gym?
Getting Loaded
Mom loads the carousel for the evening slide show down memory lane.
Email
Catching up on email after our fun downtown.
Sunset
Enjoying the sunset from Mom's deck, she gets some GREAT ones.
Revealed
The setting sun reveals Catalina Island on the horizon.
Prep Work
Kevin offered to cook for the evening and got busy with the preparations.
Homemade
A real treat, homemade pizza in a cast iron skillet!
White One
He even made the dough from scratch!
Remember This?
We enjoyed reliving the memories, often struggling to recall the date for me to place them in chronological order when scanning the slides.
Red Moon
The moon was RED for a brief time that night, then disappeared.
Breakfast Burrito
Breakfast at A's in Dana Point, one of our favorites!
Walk It Off
Then down to the harbor to see the sights.
Masts
LOTS of boats in their slips.
Turning the Corner
Rounding the corner heading for the Point.
In the Water?
Does paddle boarding count as being in the water?
Final Few
There was a crowd as we approached the viewing location.
Caged
Safe passage to the beach.
Dana Point
Who do you think it looks like?
I Came
Come on Rick, how about a smile!
The Other Side
Calm water on the other side of the break wall.
Squeeze
Nice and close for a photo.
Rocked
Squatting on a few rocks before heading back for a snack!!
Winding Road
Off to Heisler Park before sunset to catch the show.
Nice View
Some view for these people.
We're Ready
Staying warm while waiting for the sun to set.
Anticipation
A calm moment between the sets of waves.
Panorama
The BIG picture of Heisler Park beach.
The Way We Were
The patch we've traveled.
Treasure Island
Mom and Kendra were off the next morning for a walk at the Montage Resort at Treasure Island Beach.
Spiked
Be careful where you sit!
Desert-like
What's with all the cactus?
Free
The fence keeps us out.
Soaring
What's it look like to you?
The Treasure
Sure looks like it could be a lost pirate island.
Stairway to....
... the sand, just the sand.
Shipwrecked
Hollywood could certainly shoot a shipwreck scene here!
Glistening
A beautiful view of the water and coastline.
The Hills
Time to return to Bluebird Canyon, so...
Pool Time
... we can head to Terry & Keith's for a pool party!
Dressed in Black
Who's going to join us in the water (it was heated to almost 90F)?
Hey Cuz
Cousin Phil and his family arrived from their long weekend in Santa Cruz.
They're In
Evie and Robert join Phil and Terry in the pool.
Birds Eye
While Sally watches from the hot tub and Henry tries to convince Kevin to join him.
Baking
Time to join Mom in the lobster pot.
Sun Goddess
Phil's wife Nikki wants to go back to Buffalo with a tan.
Game Time
Post dinner excitement with the kids.
What Next?
It looks like there's nothing left for John to do.
The Cove
Mom, Kendra and I headed to Crystal Cove the next morning.
Path
Recent rains took a toll on the walking path.
Tunneled
We took the tunnel under the Coast Highway.
Crystal Cove Beach
The Beachcomber was closed, the water was open but we virtually had the place to ourselves, except....
Cleanup
.... for the cleanup crews from the recent oil spill.
Worshipers
Big smiles from all the beach worshipers (Kevin was sleeping off the pool party).
Brothers
I met up with my Sigma Chi brothers Andrew Dehritz and Toby Nassif at a billiards bar in Huntington Beach.
Family
A nice family moment (captured by Terry's new pool guy) before Phil and company head to the San Diego to visit the Kirkwood's.
Farewell
Sally's moment with brother John.
Kicking Back
Enjoying a cold one (actually a caffeine delivery method).
The Rose
Henry, Evie and Robert pose for a quick one.
Swinger
I caught Evie on the swing before leaving for....
Playtime
.... Keith and Terry's boat!
Don't Tell
Keith forgot the keys and had to "break-in".
Nice One
Playtime is 46' long, has 3 cabins below and can be sailed by a single person!
Done
Kev pauses the prep work for a pose.
Bowed
It was an absolutely beautiful day to be on the water!!
Captain Cheese
It was just a hand rest, no captaining for me on this 3 hour cruise.
Down Under
Hey, who's down there?
Very Nice
Playtime has a full kitchen with all the appliances.
The Master
Spacious with a full bathroom.
Pulling Out
Time for us to take this baby out!
Traffic
We encountered some light traffic on our way out of the harbor.
Almost There
We stayed within the break wall (Mom and I get seasick).
Real Traffic
I counted 42 vessels waiting for the docks at Long Beach/Los Angeles!
Crazy
We had a front row seat for the COVID-induced supply chain storm.
Close-Up
Up close and personal with this container ship.
Empty
The Norwegian Bliss sat there empty.
Rear View
Keith got us within stone's throw of the Bliss.
Let' Eat
We enjoyed sandwiches, chips and cookies for lunch.
Sailing Beauties
Shaded beauties as we approach downtown Long Beach.
More Beauties
Kendra hops in to make it a trio.
Queen Mary
She looks small compared to the Bliss but was a landmark achievement in her day.
Sunning
Our starboard side crew.
Wide Angle
The bubble now serves as the cruise ship terminal.
Island Life
The few islands within the break wall are actually oil operations in disguise.
Clear View
Easier to see their true purpose as we sail by.
North Face
Kevin's back from his spiritual time on the bow.
Sunners
Mom and Kendra soak up the Vitamin D.
Boys Club
A quick moment with Kevin.
Docked
We returned Playtime to her slip and buttoned her back up.
Zonked
I think the day (and the antihistamine to prevent sea sickness) to their toll on Mom.
New Day
The start of our final full day.
Hummer
We moved the feeder and the swing to provide better access/view. This guy wasn't ready for a drink.
Nice Venue
We headed into Laguna to shop and discovered this wedding venue.
Some View
Nice place to make your wedding vows.
Small One
Hope you have a small family, I counted 60 chairs.
A First
I discovered an interesting sign in the Mens room as I washed up for lunch.
This Works
We got a table right above the wedding venue.
Content
Happy campers even before we order.
Us Too
We're there for the food!
Chili Dogs
We BOTH got chili dogs (I'm eating an onion ring). They were excellent.
Anita Beach
We even got a visit a beach named after Anita.
We're Ready
Ready for what you ask?
Almost Empty
Only one other person down there with Kendra and me.
North View
The view north toward Main Beach.
Final Celebration
We returned to Laguna Beach after allowing Kevin to nap. Our destination was....
The Lounge
... the Rooftop Lounge.
Another One
We got a table with a view, but the waitress said they were 100% booked.
Booked
They certainly didn't look booked to us.
Standing Room
Maybe this guy had some friend coming.
Blow This Table
We left our prime table and found a spot....
Standing Room
... at the crowded bar!!
2 Seats
The ladies got seats while Kevin and I stood.
Smile Dude
He needs some work on his selfie.
Kevin's View
I think we know what Kevin was focused on, while.....
Kendra's View
.... Kendra looked out over Main Beach.
Outta Here
After finishing our drinks and coconut shrimp, we headed across the street.
New Home
For Mexican of course!
What's Next?
We ordered some more drinks and....
Stylin'
.... some additional snacks.
Lean In
Anxiously awaiting both the drink and the food.
Sunset
Mom and I bid Kevin and Kendra farewell to see the sunset.
Glowing
We walked a block to the beach for a real treat.
Action Shot
The surf provided some good contrast to the setting sun.
Almost Gone
The sun sets on our final full day in Laguna Beach.
Early Birds
Mom got us up early (Kevin WAS feeling the pain) to....
Coming Soon
.... watch the sunrise!!
Dawn of a New One
It soon arrived to introduce another beautiful SoCal day!
MedChick
We packed up and dropped Kendra at the airport. A delay in our flight allowed us to visit the local marijuana store.
Taco Guy
I promised Anita I'd visit Del Taco, so we stopped for lunch on our return trip to the airport. That closes the 2021 Barron Family Reunion.