Universal Studios, Hollywood

Little day adventures are some of the funnest times my mommy and I have. Living in sunny southern California, beach bumming is our all time favorite, but sometimes we gotta play tourists. We headed into Hollywood and played around at Universal Studios!



We have a few theme parks not too far away. Universal Studios is actually a studio that makes movies and everything, but they have a bunch of rides based on their movies we can enjoy. First stop, mommy and I always sample the food. :) Our favorite today, BBQ ribs from the Flintstones BBQ Pit.



I was a big boy and ate all my ribs. Yummy!



One of my favorite movies is Jurassic Park. Dinosaurs are so cool! It's a big water ride with huge life-like dinosaurs all around. The T Rex almost got us, but we splashed down the hill too fast for him.



There's a lot of shows with special effects, some of my favorite cartoon characters come out to play, and there's even live animals. But my favorite part of the day was taking the studio tram tour.



We get to drive around the lot and see the sets from a bunch of famous movies. We get to see King Kong in 3D fight the dinosaurs, The Mummy comes after us, and Jaws tries to bite me!



I had so much fun playing in the movies with my mommy. Our mini adventures are so fun, and it makes me even more excited for the next big adventure.

Literature

All kids should read the Classics! I love Dr. Seuss, The Velveteen Rabbit, The Giving Tree, The Secret Garden, and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn just to name a few…

Caffeine High

Along with being major beach bums, mommy and I are addicted to coffee. There are so many chains out there, but we prefer to visit little mom and pop coffeehouses that really put a lot of love and effort into their yummy drinks. Mommy says Starbucks is only a last resort!

Our favorite coffeehouse is Portfolios in Long Beach


Port is a locals' hangout and has plenty of couches to sit and relax on. They have computers for you to use if you need to get some work done, and original artwork on the walls from local artists for sale. They make the best iced mochas ever! They're so creamy and silky, not like others that can taste chalky.

Next is The Library coffeehouse also in Long Beach


Library is pretty unique because it actually looks like a library. There is wall to wall book shelves with tons of books you could sit and read while you sip your coffee. You could just borrow a book for the day or if you really like it, you could buy their books too. They make really good lattes there, with so many choices for flavors. They even have yummy desert cakes and ice cream to go along with your latte.

An old favorite of ours is Java Man in Hermosa Beach


Java Man is just a short walk to the beach and Hermosa Pier. They are a smaller coffeehouse with just table and chairs, but they don't mind if you hang our there all afternoon. Lots of good people watching outside and great little beach bum community. The best drinks there are their seasonal drinks. They come up with the best flavors for the seasons, their pumpkin spice latte for Thanksgiving is my favorite!

When it comes to chains, the only one mommy and I really like is It's A Grind


IAG started as a mom and pop coffeehouse in Long Beach. It's a franchise now, but all the stores still use the original recipes for their drinks. They have big arm chairs for you to relax in and artwork of jazz and blues legends on their walls. The best things to order at an IAG are their blended mochas, not super sweet, just the right amount of mocha added.

I'm sure there are lots more coffeehouses for mommy and me to explore. And we'll be more than happy to taste what they have to offer!

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Driving the Coast

Living in California, my mommy and I are big beach bums. There's something about the sound of the ocean that keeps us calm. It's a nice getaway from the city we live in, and mommy says it gives her time to think. So sometimes we just drive up or down Pacific Coast Highway, along the beach the whole way. There's some great views and pretty sunsets along the way. Here's some of our favorites:

Encinitas:



La Jolla Beach:



Aliso Beach:



Long Beach Harbor:



Seal Beach:



Huntington Beach:



Newport Beach:



Hermosa Beach:



Morro Bay:



Jalama Beach:



Big Sur:



San Francisco Bay:




Mommy and me getaways are the best! Surf, sand, water, peace. I'm a beach baby through and through. And we follow the sunset to endless summers!

Susan G Komen 3 Day for the Cure

I never met my grandma. She passed away before I was born. But I know that she was the most beautiful woman in the world, and my mommy loved her very much. Sometimes people get sick, and I don't know why they go away, but they just can't hang on anymore and God takes them from us. But mommy says we don't have to forget them, we find ways to honor them.



So last weekend, my mommy and I walked the Susan G Komen 3 Day for the Cure in San Diego in honor of grandma! We raised $2300 to walk 60 miles in 3 days. It was tiring and exciting and made me feel super happy at the same time.



We camped out in our own private pink tent along the water from Del Mar through La Jolla, passed Mission Beach and Pacific Beach and ended in downtown San Diego. It was a great adventure!



Along the way we made a few friends, and the whole community came out to cheer us on. We were nicely taken care of by volunteers who made sure mommy and I stopped to rest every few miles and gave us snacks so we wouldn't get too tired or hungry. We even got to collect stickers along the way! Mommy cried. It was a powerful and emotional journey to see thousands of people walking together for the same cause...so no baby will ever again have to say I never met my grandma.

The Pumpkin Patch

For some adults, Fall and Halloween mean time to dress up and party. But for baby teddy bears like me, it mean trick-or-treating and Pumpkin Patch fun! It was so cool, so many pumpkins big and small. Mommy let me climb all over the huge pumpkins!



There were carnival rides like a choo choo train, and real ponies! Even a petty zoo where I can visit the baby chicks, bunnies, and goats. We ate nachos and got our face painted. Mommy even bought a baby pumpkin for me to take home. I love small trips to local fairs and patches! They are mini vacations mommy and I need in between our big adventures :)