Today, we began a 2 month long odyssey that will end Labor Day Weekend with Milo and I having visited every one of the 21 missions in California. Our family friends, the Smiths and one of the Griffins (Liam) are joining us on our first adventure: a 2 week Southern California swing. A few more Griffins, one Verrico, and Gavin will come on Saturday to meet us in Dana Point, California.
We started the day at 10:00 loading up the Smith family van with all of our stuff and took off for Starbucks. After that necessary side trip, it was on to 101 and Southern California (well, as far as Solvang anyway). The original plan was to visit La Purisima Concepcion in Lompoc and Santa Ines Virgen y Martir in Solvang, but the pool at the Kronborg Inn in Solvang sounded WAY better when we got here at 3:00. So there we began.
After an extended dip, much splashing, and a few belly flops, the group headed into Solvang for dinner at The Little Mermaid. Delicious steaks were preceeded by Milo and Liam enjoying their first ever shrimp cocktail (I think they are in love). Milo talked me in to letting him buy a Navajo Tomahawk (it's got a certificate of authenticity and everything). Cameron got a cool knife/tool made from antler and cow bone. Liam got a carved animal figurine. We also smashed a bunch of pennies. The viking design was pretty sweet. Ice cream followed with a walk around Solvang to eat it up and burn off the calories.
Eventually, we made it to Mission Santa Ines Virgen y Martir (Santa Ines for short...check out the story of Saint Agnes if you are interested). The tour and gift shop were closed for the night, but the grounds were open. We saw a beautiful outdoor courtyard that holds the Stations of the Cross, the original mission reservoir, the site of the Chumash Village with its lavanderia, and a grotto for Our Lady of Guadalupe. We'll go into the mission tomorrow before heading off to La Purisima about 30 minutes away. Then I'm pretty sure we are hitting all of those shops that were closed all over Solvang today.
The kids are currently burning off a bit more energy in the pool while Lisa and I chill out in my room (we are supervising...my sliding glass door opens to the pool) discussing which songs go with what parts of the Twilight movies.
To quote Ice Cube, "Today it was a good day."
Milo
We went shopping and we went swimming and that was it. The hotel has a cool jacuzzi tub. Day one done.
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