Spring Break 2011 - SoCal - Days 1-2

As always, I'll probably be horrible about remembering to do this, but here we go.

As we were a bit Florida'd out after last year, we decided this year we would visit southern California. I had been there a couple of times before; Camille had never been there in her life.

Saturday was our flight out and surprisingly no problems. Got into Minneapolis and had an hour delay, but all things considered these days with airline travel, it could have been worse. Then into LAX, which wasn't quite as nightmarish as I remember it from previous visits.

We went to get the rental car and as usual, they gave us something relatively inappropriate for two people - in this case a souped-up black Dodge Charger. Believe me, though, we're having fun driving it.

The weather was unbelievable... 75 and sunny when we arrived. Coming from 32 and snowy in Grand Rapids (and 21 and cold in Minneapolis), Camille and I almost felt like bawling.

Our euphoria was soon muted, however, as California traffic was as bad as I remembered it, even on a Saturday afternoon. We slowly drove into Norco (where we are staying with my aunt and uncle) and settled down for the night.

Sunday it was off to church, where my uncle used to be a minister but due to some tectonic shifts is now just a member. (Long story, but aren't they all.) Shifting back to a non-Catholic way of worship is always interesting after being a confirmed Catholic for 7+ years, but we handled it well. Camille even tolerated the contemporary music.

At the luncheon after church, an incredibly nice lady Hazel and her husband Jesus (hay-zeus) informed us of all the things we could do in southern California during the week. I believe she named close to 100 before taking a moment to gulp down some air. With our heads swimming, we decided to head for Temecula for the afternoon.

We arrived in Temecula and shuffled around Old Town, which has a rustic charm to it. Many shops, many bars, and apparently quite biker friendly, as they were swarming around the place.

I needed a pair of sunglasses (always remember to forget something when packing, doncha know), so we stopped at a shop and Camille picked out a pair that she liked for me to wear. Lest you think I'm totally hen-pecked, this is actually necessary as I have (a) no fashion sense and (b) some gender confusion, apparently, as I have picked out sunglasses in the past that I thought were manly but turned out to be designed for women.

Anyway, the sunglasses Camille liked for me were jet black and had a pair of wings through an "X" with it. She thought it was cool. Apparently it had some biker connotation, though, as I was greeted in a friendly manner the rest of the day by various bikers. Thank goodness none of them asked me to go through an initiation.

We also stopped at a jerky store where I purchased a "sampler" pack of exotic meats, including alligator and ostrich. The alligator, of course, tasted like chicken, although the jerky producer sort of cheated by including beef with the overall package. Still, I'm looking forward to the kangaroo/beef stick I have waiting for me later in the week.

Many wineries inhabit the Temecula area, but as they had a massive festival going on, we decided not to be part of the throng and save the wineries for another day. Back to Norco for some rest and relaxation.

Today it's off to San Diego for the zoo, Gaslamp Quarter, and other assorted fun sites. Back later to update you Rabbit Holers on how that all went.