Fashion Island & Crystal Cove

In true southern California style, we began our trip to Newport Beach with an hour-long traffic jam on 57 South, just minutes after our 10:30 a.m. departure. Little did I know that a one hour wait doesn't even begin to faze our girls from Shanghai. Michelle told me later that once she had sat in a five-hour traffic jam on the freeway. But no traffic delay was going to ruin our plans of visiting Fashion Island and Crystal Cove State Beach.

We arrived at Fashion Island just in time for lunch, with extra time for walking around. While Ashley and Lica had lunch with Nancy, I went with Winona, Michelle, and Karen to window shop and check out the many different and interesting fountains situated throughout the outdoor mall. Our favorite stop was at the high end pet store, where we saw fancy breeds of puppies and cats, and we were able to pet the mini-bunnies. Super cute.

Winona ordered the Doritos nacho cheese taco from Taco Bell, along with a churro and some icy, bright green beverage. I'm sorry to say that Michelle and Karen ordered and ate the same exact thing (don't worry, moms and dads - I fed them a healthy dinner when we got home!).

 

We made it to Crystal Cove State Beach by 1:30 - thankfully, it's only a 10 minute drive from the mall. Everyone was excited to get to the beach and play in the ocean. Even though there is a steep hill down to the beach from the parking lot, the effort is worth it. We found a good spot, and Nancy and I enjoyed the cool ocean breezes while the kids frolicked in the ocean, played paddle ball, and built sand castles.

Life is a beach... (right, Karen?)

We left - reluctantly - after 6 p.m., and enjoyed a mostly traffic-free ride home. Needless to say, everyone is happily worn out - the girls have showered, worked on their blogs, and are now going to sleep.