Day 8: Lady Madonna

Milo

We went to Mission San Diego de Alcala today. We bought the audio tour, but it was just a tape player and it was kind of lame. The best part of the mission was all the lizards we found. There were tons. The dueling hummingbird and finch were pretty sweet, too. Apparently, both birds thought the fountain was theirs.

After that, we went to the beach at the Hotel del Coronado. Cameron, my dad, and I went boogie boarding. Antonio, Liam, Grace, Cameron, and I spent a lot of time diving in and out of waves and Antonio, Trevor, and Liam built a sand castle that the rest of us helped with a little bit. We had to move the sand castle because a huge wave crashed over the first one when the tide started to come in.

We went to a taco stand for dinner and then spent time in Liam's room watching YouTube videos of the best freak outs ever. Now it's time for bed. Good Night.

Mom

I liked Mission San Diego a lot. It was very peaceful and serene. I have to give a shout out to my friends, Brandon and Ashely. When I went into the chapel at this mission, I finally discovered what they were talking about. That chapel smelled OLD. ;-)

There is an active archaeological dig at Mission San Diego near the original convento. That was interesting to see, too. There was a pieta in one of the gardens that I especially enjoyed. It's always beautiful to see the statues of Mary holding the crucified Christ: the mother and son bond immortalized in stone. My favorite part of the mission was a little alcove beneath the bell wall that has a crucifix and a plaque asking visitors to reflect and say a silent prayer. I lingered there a few minutes grateful for my happy, healthy family and a very blessed life. It's good to remember how lucky I am every once in a while.

While leaving the mission, I felt a sense of accomplishment. This group set out to see 9 missions and we did it. We even have a medal from each stop to prove it! I feel richer having made this trip and can't wait to see the remaining 12 in the chain.

Milo's description of our Coronado Island trip is pretty accurate and unusually descriptive. The kids played for hours (even the big kid, Gavin). Lisa, Susan, and I took some pictures and took turns going up to the hotel for various things (thank goodness for the margaritas...even if they were $13.50). Our evening was very chill with just about everyone nursing a bit of sunburn and post-beach/sun lethargy. Tomorrow, we go to SeaWorld. Our mission visits are over until July 12. We'll head to Mission San Francisco de Asis (Mission Dolores), Mission San Rafael, and Mission San Francisco de Solano in Sonoma.