We took advantage of Westley’s summer vacation week before kindergarten for a family trip to San Diego. Armed with a Go San Diego pass and theme park reservations, we braved our 6 AM flight in doubled masks and N95s, snagged our Corolla rental, then headed to Safari Park. On the way, we stopped by H-mart for snacks and a nap, got distracted by pho for breakfast, and grabbed banh mi for lunch later. Our day at Safari Park was long and hot, but we were buoyed by a balloon ride and seeing the crash of rhinos on the Africa tram. Exhausted, we abandoned our chance to see the only platypuses outside of Australia for seollungtang at Woomiok and rolled ice-cream at Bing Haus. We settled into our Airbnb, where our view of the airport and bay from our cuddle couch provided a relaxing setting for a night of intense planning for Legoland the next day. Our precisely-calculated itinerary helped us hit multiple attractions with minimal wait times, including rollercoasters (the Dragon, Coastersaurus), water rides (Pirate Reef, Splash Battle), and digital experiences (Ninjago, Emmett’s Flying Adventure). Melody loved the Deep Sea Adventure which we repeated, while Westley’s favorites were the Build-a-Boat and Build-and-Test stations – essentially, Lego building – although his failed Raptor climb led to a mini breakdown. Dinner at Campfire featured venison tartare, sea bass, and a whole lamb’s head, and we finished with an ice cream sampler from Handel’s that included our first taste of Blue Monster flavor. We awoke early Tuesday to get banh mi for the San Diego Zoo. Having missed the Outback area at Safari Park, we first tackled the sleeping wombat, slumbering Tazzy devil, and drowsy koalas before getting grossed out by urine-sipping giraffes. After lunch overlooking gazelles, we rode the Skyfari to surprisingly active tortoises, then ended our hippo walk with a Kangaroo bus ride back to the park entrance. Dinner at Harumama paired tonkotsu ramen with kawaii chicken, cow, and bunny buns that also provided leftovers for breakfast next morning. At Seaworld, we enjoyed a Sea Lion show, Dolphin Days, and an Orca Encounter while munching on mortadella and caprese sandwiches, then confirmed Westley’s rollercoaster affection with the Journey to Atlantis ride. We visited nearby Mission Beach afterwards, where a surprise soak from an errant wave led to a sandy naked car ride back for a shower before we could enjoy the fried seafood at Blue Water and Extraordinary Desserts. We spent the next morning among seahorses and touch pools at Birch Aquarium, followed by crab sandwich and salad at El Pescador. We played at La Jolla Shores all afternoon, building sand castles and boogie-boarding, then returned to Convoy for savory noodles at Shan Xi Magic Kitchen and a MNGO sundae. With luggage in our trunk, we spent our last day at Balboa Park to operate flight simulators at the Air and Space Museum and gawk at imaginative miniatures at the Model Railroad Museum. We relaxed at the 6th Avenue playground after a late lunch of ramen before returning to the airport for our late flight home. We recuperated over the weekend, with repeat COVID testing and a laid back gathering for my lab tech Brian’s departure. Hopefully, we’ll have a chance at international travel next year.

The Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics commenced last month amidst the controversy of the COVID19 pandemic and emerging Delta variant. Family and fans were not allowed to attend, while Simone Biles’ withdrawal from team finals raised mental health awareness. Our free Peacock subscription gave us access to replays of gymnastics, swimming, and track & field, as well as newer sports like skateboarding, rock climbing, and surfing. The games inspired Westley to advance to level 2 at Swim America, as we encouraged him to practice at Manor Pool. At home, I caulked the guest bathroom and added more LEDs to my desk for Cyberpunk playing. We also learned to propagate kurapia ourselves, which needs constant watering to survive the summer heat. We had to invest in a lawnmower also to control the growing sod, although installing bat-shields did not appear to be equally worthwhile. Our long-awaited Loom & Leaf memory foam mattress arrived at last, although memory foam pillows we got at the same time were too firm and exacerbated our backaches. The bedding change necessitated a revisit to the laundromat to wash our comforter, which gave me a chance to take Westley to the Dollar Tree and Fire Wings. Starved for social interactions, we invited Emmeline and Pam over for grilled pork summer rolls and playdates with Westley’s cousins, as well as Liam’s family for biking and Mr. Pickles’ sandwiches. We also tried soup dumplings at Tasty Dumpling and spicy hot pot at Happy Lamb, and were satisfied by both. With our upcoming family trip to San Diego, we hope to find even better Asian food to keep us fueled for our action-packed week.