Sydney and I were 2,003 miles apart.
My sister is my absolute role model. She is beautiful, smart, and the kindest person I've ever met. She has an amazing ability to listen and always gives the best advice. She also lives in Los Angeles with her husband and two adorable doggos. This past winter break my family took our third trip to visit my sister. We have already been to Universal and the Hollywood sign so this trip was focused on visiting them. However; we did have the opportunity to see some amazing things and had some amazing food! Once we got to LA we went to a French breakfast place where I kept my track diet alive by getting the "healthy breakfast" which was toast, avocado, eggs, a fresh salad, and some fruit. However; the healthy track diet ended that evening on the Manhattan Pier where I got a delicious ice cream sandwich from the Manhattan Beach Creamery (a must go place for everyone!) And to finish off the day with a South American dinner which gave everyone some throwback memories to their trips to Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, and even Honduras.
One of our first adventures was a two hour drive to the San Diego Zoo. This zoo is special in particular because it is one of the few zoos with pandas and hippos. The panda exhibit was less than satisfactory; however, how often do you get to see pandas up close in person! They also had a baby hippo; unfortunately, only the male was out the day we went. I recommend going on a weekday so the zoo is not super busy. The zoo was easy to navigate but pro tip: go on the bus tour first, it is included in the price of the ticket AND it gives a general overview of almost the whole zoo. San Diego zoo also gets a thumbs up for the military discount, plus active military members get in for free!
It is a tradition for my sister and me to get a picture with a metal animal statue at the zoo! This one featuring a golden hippo. We finished off the day with the reptile house and a two hour drive home. In the evening my brother-in-law decided to give me a movie education, a moviecation if you will, with 21 Jump Street. Definitely a movie everyone should see at least once.
The following day we went to Downtown Disney. Downtown Disney was a cute place to go shopping and have a meal. We went to a New Orleans restaurant where I got amazing, yet terribly expensive, shrimp. There was a completely bedazzled piano and umbrellas hanging from the ceiling. We also went into a Disney themed home store, as well as a dress shop filled with Disney themed dresses, although they were not my style. And finally the huge Disney gift shop with everything you could possibly imagine. Downtown Disney also has two Starbucks and a bowling alley themed restaurant that actually has a bowling alley inside. Many more things can be found at Downtown Disney, these were just the ones that stuck out to me. Great place to spend an afternoon or evening!
The next day we went to something a little different. We went to the La Brea Tar Pits. There was a museum and plenty to look at and smell! The Tar Lake smelled like a hot day on an elementary playground. The history of La Brea was extremely interesting and seeing how much was hidden beneath the group was very eye-opening. From mammoths to saber-tooth cats and California camels. There was so much preserved in some undesirable goo. There are even some tar pits there which are still being excavated. One tar pit, in particular, had a squirrel in very close proximity to getting stuck! (Pro tip: La Brea museum and the park are completely for Military families!)
After La Brea, we went to Rodeo Drive which would be a lot more glamorous if we had the money to spend. Then my sister took us to SteelCraft which is a restaurant made up of shipping containers. Each restaurant was different and there was even a brewing company inside. The area was open to the sky and even had grass in the seating areas but it was awesome. I got my food from a place called Waffle Love while my sister got some real ramen and my parents and brother-in-law got pizza. Waffle love had savory and sweet options, but I went for a grilled cheese waffle sandwich with tomato bisque soup. My sister and mom shared a sweet Nutella waffle after their dinner. My brother in law and dad both had a flight of beers that they were trying from the Smog Brewing Co.
And to end our trip we went to a marine rehabilitation center. They specialize in seals, sea lions, and elephant seals. The only ones we saw were some sea lions, even some with shark attack wounds. It was really cool to be so close to the wildlife while they were being treated and it was really extraordinary to see them move about their enclosure. More information about the organization can be found here.
We played a lot of Mario Kart and spent a lot of time keeping up with track workouts at the gym. This is a photo of Lily, the best dog I have ever met. She is the best dog to go on a walk with, especially a slow walk. The other best doggo is Ringo, a high energy shepherd mix, 10/10 always willing to give love and cuddles. I am always so excited to see my sister and her husband and I can't wait till I can see them again!
-Cheers,
Honey Bear
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