California Vacation Part 2: Beach Front Mansion

On Tuesday morning we woke up to another breakfast buffet and then hung out in the hotel until late morning. Then we headed down to Oceanside. We stopped for lunch near the marina at a little place called Harbor Fish and Chips. Brad got some clam strips, but I wasn't feeling very adventurous and just went with a cheeseburger. The boys were fascinated with the taxidermied fish and sharks and the photos of the large catches on the walls. Afterwards we picked up some ice cream and looked at the boats.

We were spoiled rotten to stay in this beach house, or rather beach mansion. It... was... amazing! My sweet Grandma Cannon had rented this large house and half of the one two doors down to accommodate all of our family. It was certainly very accommodating, ha, ha. Here is a view taken from the beach. Yes, I was standing with my feet in the ocean while I took this; that's how close it was to the beach.

If you look up at that first photo, you can see that it has two roof levels. You can see us enjoying the hot tub (or warm tub, so we let our kids in) on the lower level and then the upper deck is behind us.

Here are the views to the right and left. Just north of us you can see the Oceanside Pier.

Looking down off the deck you can see the patio, with yes, another hot tub.

Since the beach mansion can be rented half at a time, there was double everything. This was on the second floor, but there was an identical one at the bottom. There were actually four floors, but the top one is mostly rooftop. There was an elevator that serviced the other three. Even though it was slower than the stairs, the kids loved the elevator!

My camera doesn't handle lighting changes well, so the colors are faded in the photo, but it's the opposite side of the room above.

It was so fun to eat our meals viewing the ocean. At breakfast we could see dolphins or small whales out in the distance.

We stayed in the "Harbor Room". The window seat was Parker's bed, but Brad was trying it out here.

Here is our bed. We had our own full bath too.

Our room faced the front of the house by the street, but you could still look out the side window and see the ocean.

We put Jason's pad down next to our bed.

We went to Oceanside as a family reunion with my Grandma and all of her descendants. My dad has four brothers and one sister. All of them came with nearly all their families.

The photos above and below were taken during one of our fun rounds of Taboo.

I can't remember for sure, but this might have been taken when Uncle Jim was starting off a round of Two Truths and a Lie.

Liesel fell asleep in Grandma's arms during Scrabble.

We were playing another Scrabble game simultaneously. Usually I'm only mediocre at Scrabble, but I creamed everyone with my 180 score that game.

Grandma, Liesel and my uncle Dave.

Brad had been reading First Things First and enjoying the ocean breeze.

Angie and Parker were enjoying the other window seat.

Of course, staying there on the beach, we spent much of our days there. Here my cousin Ellie and nephew Dylan are playing in the sand.

Uncle Alan, Aunt Suzie and my brother Ben

Brad, Parker and I preparing for a wave.

My cousins Adam, Catherine and Eliza in the waves.

Brad helping Jason enjoy the waves.

I love this photo of Grandma and Liesel.

Parker and my dad.

Here is a family photo of everyone who came. The only family members we're missing are: Sonny, Matt, Greg, Angela and Brian.

I have way more photos, so stay tuned for part 3.