Category: Sightseeing

Posted in: Animal Sightings, Costco, Exploring California, Sightseeing, YouTube Video Link

Swimming Mission Beach and Scooters

Written by tepetravels 1 Comment on Swimming Mission Beach and Scooters

Today had a lot going on. Condensed version: swimming at the beach, electric scooters, hammocking, and sea lion watching.

We had walked the beach and visited beach areas, but we had not gone swimming in the ocean yet! Ben really wanted to go to the ocean, so we picked Mission Beach for our first swimming here. There is a lot more parking around here than at some of the other beaches. We brought the boogie board we bought at Costco for the boys to try.

The sun was out and the temperature was around 80. The water was colder than I was expecting it to be, but we adjusted pretty quickly. The waves were the perfect height for us, probably too small for surfing but good for the boys to try out the board. We had lots of fun in the water, but it definitely wore us out! The boys did ok on the boogie board. (VIDEO: Ocean Waves)

We rinsed off at the outdoor showers and headed back to the truck to get changed into regular clothes. We grabbed some tacos for a quick lunch. Ben had been craving fish tacos since we were so close to the ocean. We thought we could surely find much fresher fish this close to the ocean. The lobster was shipped in from Maine, but some of the fish was local. We tried two different restaurants at Mission Beach for the tacos: one was fresh fish, one was fried fish. Ben liked the fresh fish better, as you could actually taste fish not just fried.

After eating, we walked the boardwalk from Mission to Pacific Beach. It was fun walking and seeing the different storefronts. After the swimming and the walking, we were tired but still had to walk back to the truck. (I want to say it was 1.5-2 miles each way.) San Diego has a ton of rental electric scooters, both the traditional stand up and ones that have seats. We rented two different brands: Razor and Wheels.

I liked the Wheels better. They seemed to have better control over the speed (turn handle like a motorcycle), and two brake handlebars. The Razor did have a basket though. These things can really go! You have to download an app to rent and pay for the scooter. I think they were both $1 to unlock, Razor was $0.37/minute (plus a sales tax and a San Diego Registration Fee for $1.53), Wheels was $0.32/minute (with a Minimum Fare of $3.49). Razor actually unlocks the scooter when you scan to rent it. Wheels, however, just doesn’t have electric power, but you could still use it to scoot along with your feet (which we saw several people doing). You ride until you decide you are done (or the bike dies), and then you need to use the app to finish your ride/charge. The meter keeps running until you end your ride on the app. Both of them required that you take a picture of where you left the scooter as well. Wheels ended up being cheaper, as they had a cheaper per minute rate and did not charge a sales tax/registration fee.

It was lots of fun, although a little scary when we were near cars. I think it was probably a one time experience, but they were super nice to have when you’re tired and have to get back to your car!

Check back tomorrow for our adventure in hammocking and sea lions!

Posted in: Exploring California, Sightseeing, YouTube Video Link

Birthday Time

Written by tepetravels

We had had a count down for at least two weeks before somebody’s birthday. He loved to inform us every morning how much longer.

This year birthdays were going to be a little bit different. There wasn’t going to be a party with friends and family, we were out of town, and a lot of the cool stuff to do was still closed down for COVID restrictions.

A little before his birthday, I mentioned to family and friends that they could send him a card at our campground if they wanted to. He always loved getting mail at home, so I figured it would be even more special when we were on the road. I set aside any cards that came in to be opened on his actual birthday.

The day before his birthday, I ran to the dollar store and found a birthday banner, napkins, tablecloth, and a helium balloon. I snuck back inside the RV through the back door and hid the balloon in our small closet. Once he fell asleep, I decorated. Granted, it wasn’t a lot of decoration, but it still made it feel birthday-ish.

On the morning of the kids’ birthdays, we had a tradition of driving to school (instead of taking the bus) so that we could pick up donuts on the way. The birthday kid also picked what was for dinner. I think getting to pick out a donut was one of their favorite things, so on the morning of his birthday, we hurried out to find a donut place. We picked a few and he got to eat while doing his online classes.

They had regular sized donuts and mini donuts!

This year with having a much tinier living space, we wanted to do more of an experience than physical gifts. It took awhile for him to decide what he wanted to do. We had a list of things we wanted to see/do in San Diego or he could also find something else he might want to do.

He finally decided on seeing the Spruce Street Suspension Bridge, Balboa Park, Chinese for dinner, and a movie night with snacks.

The Spruce Street Suspension Bridge was in the middle of neighborhoods. It had been built in 1912 to help people get between two trolley lines (there is a canyon underneath the bridge). This was a pretty cool pedestrian bridge. It was easy to walk, although it does get a little bouncy in the middle. We even found a Little Library on the other side! (VIDEO: Walking Across Spruce Street Suspension Bridge)

Balboa Park looked like a great area to explore with several museums and the zoo either in the park or really close by. However, parking was packed when we tried to go. We ended up just driving through slowly to see things on the main road. We plan on going back on another date. (NOTE: Do not use the address that pops up in your phone’s Maps when you type in Balboa Park. It drops you next to the Balboa Park golf course. I instead type in Spreckles Organ Pavilion, San Diego Art Institute, or any of the other features in the park.)

After finishing the stops he picked out, we were on the hunt for a candy store for some movie snacks. We stopped in Old Town because we found Cousins Candy on Yelp/Maps. It is a cute, old-time feel candy store. We got a bag of taffy (which was the softest taffy we’ve ever had-so good!), and a few new types of candy to try. The prices were not cheap, but some of the items weren’t too badly priced. Old Town itself was really cute and must be lots of fun when everything is open. We saw several neat things, including luchador mask style face masks.

We had our candy snacks for the movies, but still needed to get the movies themselves. Ben ran into Redbox while we Zoomed with my side of the family. We then picked up some Chinese for dinner and headed back to chow down and watch some movies.

Posted in: Animal Sightings, Exploring California, School, Sightseeing, YouTube Video Link

Children’s Pool

Written by tepetravels 3 Comments on Children’s Pool

One of the iconic pictures of San Diego that I see a lot is of Children’s Pool, near La Jolla. I love seeing animals and really wanted to see this beach as seals and sea lions are frequently seen here.

Although the wall was originally built to keep the beach calm for children to swim in, seals and sea lions have started congregating there too. People are still swimming there, although we did not after reading some warnings about water quality (due to the seals). (Link to sandeigo.com for more beach info.) Parking was tight and in high demand when you got closer to the beach. We lucked out and found a spot pretty close.

The water looked clear when we were there. We could see several birds and seals on the beach and surrounding rocky areas. We walked out on the retaining wall to get some better views. The wall itself is neat to stand on and look around at the different views of the beach and the ocean. You can feel the rough surface of it where the ocean has worn it down. The wall gives you several good viewing points of the rocks where the seals were laying. Nick stood at the end and ended up getting wet from an incoming wave. (Video: Walking Children’s Pool Wall)

The seals were laying in the sun taking a nap, occasionally rolling over or adjusting position. I was surprised by the variety of patterns of their skin, I guess I had always just thought they were a solid color from pictures I had seen. They were fun to watch, although they didn’t move much while we were there.

Posted in: Sightseeing, YouTube Video Link

Mission Beach: Motorcycles

Written by tepetravels

We have been to Mission Beach a couple of times so far during our stay here. The beach was nice, with soft sand and the waves were just the right size for us. There are other things to do around here as well. There was a fun looking amusement park at the beach called Belmont Park. It had a roller coaster and a few small rides, an Escapology, and an arcade and games. Some of it was open, but it seemed like a lot of it was closed while we were there. It looked like it would be a really fun place when it was all open.

Next to Belmont Park, there was a street (Ventura Pl.) which ended in a cul-de-sac right next to the beach. There was a parking lot, as well as several food and souvenir shops along this short street. When we were done walking the beach, we rinsed our feet off in the outdoor showers. As we were sitting down to put our shoes back on, a group of motorcycles came in and lined up along the end of the street. A few of them started doing tricks in the center of the cul-de-sac. It was really loud, but the kids got a kick out of it. There was even one guy on a bicycle, who jumped in to do a trick as well! (Video link) Once a few of them had preformed, they drove off.

It was just a random pop-up crazy experience.

Posted in: Costco, Exploring California, Sightseeing, YouTube Video Link

Laundry, Costco, Walking the Beach in Mission

Written by tepetravels

Sunday was a beautiful morning. Ben and I took a short walk along the water and grabbed some donuts for the boys for breakfast.

After finishing a couple loads of laundry, we drove into another Costco (they have so many here!). One of Ben’s favorite things is to go to different Costco’s and see what they have. Sometimes we find new and different things. For example, Ben’s “favorite souvenir” was a collapsible storage/shopping box tote from New Orleans. That thing stays in the truck and goes everywhere with us. Ohio (or at least Cincinnati) based Costco’s sell wine and beer but not liquor, but Costco’s in different states do.

This one in San Diego looked like a warehouse with an all metal exterior. The food court was on the outside of the store, but did not have any self order/pay stations. This location also had a pick-up box, similar to the ones Amazon has everywhere.

This Costco also sold a few things that we hadn’t seen before in-store: boogie boards, Oreo popcorn, huge cans of tuna, shrimp chips (yup, made from tapioca flour and shrimp), Fish Skins (salted salmon to be exact), baguettes in the freezer section. I wish we had the room in the freezer because I totally would have bought the baguettes.

We also bought ice to keep everything cold while we explored the nearby area. We ended up driving to Mission Beach and walking around. It seemed like a nice beach with soft sand. There was some seaweed around, which seems pretty common around here. The beach area was pretty busy even with the water being cold! We didn’t go in all the way, just waded along the shore. Nick did some seashell hunting, although there weren’t very many on the shoreline. (Video: Walking Along Mission Beach)

Posted in: Sightseeing

San Diego, Here We Come

Written by tepetravels

Our time in Las Vegas came to an end and we were off to our next adventure: California. We were staying near San Diego and it was about an 8 hour drive. There was definitely some haze in the air when we got to California.

We got to our campground and stopped at the office to get our check-in packet. We had a pull-through spot, so it made setting up a lot easier. The space was the perfect size for the RV, but fitting the truck in was a little challenging. We had a 50 amp site with a picnic table, hedges, and some palm trees to help provide shade.

We did a quick grocery run to Albertson’s. We then drove up to see the town of Coronado and the Coronado Hotel. The town looked really cute and I couldn’t wait to explore it. Parking was completely full when we drove through, so we didn’t stop. Hopefully we can find a spot next time! It was getting to be dusk and we headed back home. Even though we were right next to the ocean at times, it was really hard to see the waves through the haze in the air.

Posted in: Exploring Nevada, Food, Sightseeing, YouTube Video Link

Cereal Killerz Kitchen

Written by tepetravels

Ben and Nick found some crazy things in Las Vegas, including Cereal Killerz Kitchen. It is a store in the mall that offers only cereal, shakes with cereal in them, waffles, and some coffee drinks. They had a cereal eating challenge, but you had to schedule it in advance and it didn’t work out on the days we were there. It consisted of a gallon of milk and huge bowl (more like a tub) of cereal.

It looked like there had been gaming stations set up near the entrance, but they had been removed for COVID. They had so many cereal options, many of which I had never heard of or seen before.

Nick was so excited about eating cereal, even though he couldn’t do the challenge. They did sell different sized bowl options. He got a small bowl, which meant that he could pick 3 cereals. He picked Fillows, Peeps, and Frankenberry. It was quite the colorful bowl. He seemed to like it though. (Cereal Killerz Kitchen Video)

Ben got me a peanut butter chocolate shake from Cereal Killerz. It was a nice thick shake, although I didn’t really eat the cereal on top.

The rest of us got dinner from the food court in the mall.

Posted in: Exploring Nevada, Food, Museums & Tours, Sightseeing, YouTube Video Link

Ethel M Chocolates and Cactus Garden, Las Vegas

Written by tepetravels

Our stay in Las Vegas was almost over and there were a few things I wanted to do still. One of which was the Ethel M Chocolates factory tour. It was only about 20 minutes from the campground. It was a (free) self guided tour. There were glass windows with informational text, along with a few TV screens with a slide show video. (Video: We walked through the Ethel M Chocolates Self Guided Tour.)

We didn’t see any of the chocolate being made when we were there, but it was still an interesting tour. (They are part of the Mars family.) We received a dark chocolate square sample when we walked in the door and a truffle sample when we were browsing the shop. There were so many different chocolates to choose from! Ethel M is a higher end chocolateir, so it was a little more expensive (for example, it was $2.50/truffle, or $35 for a 12 piece build your own box). I bought a chocolate covered apple for us all to share and a 12 piece box. I’ve been limiting myself to one a day. They are delicious! (And so pretty!)

You know it’s a nice chocolate store when you get a cooler bag when you spend $5 and they pack it with an ice pack!
Time to eat!

If you are in the Las Vegas area (and love chocolate), I would definitely recommend stopping in!

Outside the store was a cactus garden, which was part of the Ethel M grounds. They had a lot of variety and interesting informational signs. They were in the process of putting up the Christmas lights in the garden while we were walking through. (Video: Ethel M Cactus Garden Walk Through)

Posted in: Exploring Nevada, Hotel, School, Sightseeing, YouTube Video Link

Cabana and Pool Time, Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas

Written by tepetravels

The boys and I still woke up early so that they could attend their “live” classes. We snacked on the donuts that we picked up yesterday from pinkbox. Everyone’s favorite was the DoughCro (a croissant/donut). Ben had taken a vacation day, so he finally got to sleep in.

Pretty good donuts. The pink one is funny, but it really is just a lot of icing piped on top of a regular donut with a glaze/shell over the whole thing.

Today was pool day! We were all excited to go swimming. The pool opened at 9:00 am and was operating at 50% capacity due to COVID restrictions. Once capacity was reached, there was a waiting line to get in. If you leave the pool area and it is at capacity, you would need to wait in the line to get back in. However, if you book a cabana, then you can come and go all day long. Masks were also required in the pool area unless in the pool, eating/drinking, or going directly into/out of the pool. There were staff members at exits with disposable masks for people as well. I did see a few stop people who were just walking around or sitting on chairs and give them masks to wear.

We had reserved a cabana for the day on the Mandalay Bay Beach lazy river. Ben had always wanted to try a cabana and it definitely helped with social distancing. The boys also still had school so it gave them a place to do their school work in the morning. Although we had prepaid, you still had to check into the cabana by 11:00am or give them a call to let them know you were going to be later. We packed up, checked out of the hotel room, and headed down to the pool area a little before 9:00. We brought the boys’ computers and the hotspot so they could continue with their classes.

We chose a cabana on the end to help with even more social distancing. The cabana had a loveseat, a table and two chairs, TV, towels, 2 inner tubes, a mini fridge with included Pepsi/Diet Pepsi/water/bucket of ice, 2 lounge chairs under an umbrella, and a safe. Food and beverage service was available for an extra charge.

Tipping and charges were a little different than what I was expecting. There was the cabana charge and the cabana host tipping option (they were the ones in the blue shirts). We didn’t really interact with them much. One person showed us to our cabana and another replaced the waters in the fridge towards the end of the day. The people in red were the food and beverage servers and were a separate charge and tip. We saw our server multiple times during the day, as she checked in on us quite frequently. She was very friendly. We ordered a frozen drink (Miami Vice 22 oz, souvenir plastic cup, $28) and an order of chips and guacamole ($11, way over priced for the amount we actually got). The drink was very tasty! The guacamole was good, a little spicy, but the chips seemed a little stale.

The main pool area had a walk up food/drink service as well, but it looked like the same menu.

There were a few restrooms around the different areas, but not specifically changing rooms that I could see. There was an outdoor shower area to rinse off the sand from the beach. The entry walkway also had a beach shop, but it had very limited gear. I had not not been paying attention when I packed my swimsuit and accidentally grabbed two bottoms. I stopped in the beach shop to see if they had any bathing suit tops. It only had tiny bikini tops and small one-piece suits, no larger swim tops/shirts. (Seriously, I tried on a top and there was no way I could swim and stay in it. I ended up just using my swim skirt bottoms with my bra and top.) Video: Walking Around The Mandalay Bay Beach pool area.

The lazy river was also operating at 50% capacity. When we got there in the morning, there wasn’t a line to get in, but towards the afternoon it got crowded and you did have to wait in line. There were times it was just a sea of people floating past us, so we took a dip in the Wave Pool to avoid any crowds. NOTE: You can also bring your own inner tubes for the lazy river as long as they are round, no rafts. There is a fill up station near the lazy river entrance. Video: Traveling Along The Mandalay Bay Beach Lazy River.

The lazy river was a decent temperature. It was a little cool when you first got in, but I quickly adjusted so it wasn’t bad at all. The Wave Pool was freezing. It would have been really funny to watch everyone’s faces as they got in the water, but I’m pretty sure I had the same “Holy Cow, this is cold” look on my face.

NOTE: The walkways are very slippery if they are wet or even just walking with wet feet! Go slow. The Wave Pool also goes off every 90 seconds, I believe.

Posted in: Exploring Nevada, Hotel, Sightseeing

Mandalay Bay Hotel, Las Vegas

Written by tepetravels 2 Comments on Mandalay Bay Hotel, Las Vegas

We have been living in our 400 square foot RV since June. It’s been quite the adjustment from the much larger house we had and learning to live together in a small space has had its challenging days. Sometimes all you need is some space! During our stay in Las Vegas, Ben wanted to treat everyone and stay in a hotel for the night.

Prices for hotel rooms were pretty cheap when we were there. After checking to see what hotels were open and also had pools, we choose the Mandalay Bay because it had a lazy river. What can beat a lazy river?! I looked at the hotel’s website for booking, but found a cheaper rate online. The hotel claimed they matched third party pricing, so I called the hotel directly to book and they did match the other price. Yay!

You could check in online (I believe it was an app), or they had check-in available at the hotel front desk. We chose to check-in at the hotel. There was an EMT taking temperatures at the check-in line and masks were required.

You did need an active hotel keycard to access the guest floors from the elevator. I had gone to check-in while Ben parked the truck, so I waited until the boys came in to go up to the room. When we arrived outside our hotel room, I noticed a seal sticker on the door to show that it had been cleaned and not gone into again. There was also a little cover over the TV remote to show it had been cleaned as well.

Our room was a standard 2 queen room and was 550 square feet. It seemed so spacious! I guess if we didn’t have the kitchen area, the RV would too. 😂 The bathroom though…man…it was definitely one of my favorite parts. There was a walk-in shower and a separate bathtub. Guys, I took a shower without worrying about running out of hot water, someone flushing the toilet and having no water, or the grey tank getting full and backing up into the shower! It was amazing!

Our room overlooked the pool area, had two queen beds, a work desk and chair, and a small table with two chairs. There was a mini-fridge, but it was for pre-stocked items only. There were sensors, so if you moved something to put your own supplies in the fridge, you were charged a fee.

The desk had a complimentary kit that contained 2 reusable masks and a hand sanitizer. The letter with it also said it had a stylus, although ours did not. Ben did say it was the most comfortable mask he’s worn (other than his gaiter). I thought that was a really nice touch. Masks are required in Nevada and most casinos have the disposable masks available near the entries, but these were nice reusable ones.

We relaxed for a little bit in the room and then drove to Henderson to explore and grab some food. There were several food places open in the hotel (the buffet and a few of the nicer sit down places were closed), but we felt like going out. We grabbed some burgers for dinner and donuts for breakfast.

Coming back to the hotel, we had an easy relaxing night of reading and some TV.

The bed was nice, a little softer than I like but Ben loved it. The pillows were soft, although not as bad as feather pillows. It was so nice to have a real queen sized bed where our toes were not in danger of hanging off if we scooted down a little. (A regular queen mattress is 60×80, but the RV Short Queen is 60×75,) It was also really nice to not have the room move every time someone moved around in their bed!

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