The Beach / CA Ball Park #5!!

What else should we do while in California on a Saturday?  Why, go to the BEACH, of course!!

We hopped in the van and headed straight west from our hotel in San Marcos - and basically stopped when we got to the Ocean!  We found a nice - but not spectacular - beach to hang out on, for most of the morning and afternoon.  It was plenty good enough for us!  The water was fairly cold - so a majority of time was spent building sand castles.  The kids did manage to brave the chilly drink for a bit and try some boogie boarding - the waves were not bad. Lydia is our legit Beach Bum - she was out there for a looong time.  Of all the kids, she would like it the most if we lived next to water...

The evening was spent going to the LAST of our California Ball Parks:  Petco Stadium - home of the San Diego Padres.  Another beautiful Park!  I've loved arriving at these Parks during the waning hours of daylight, only to have the night take over each game.  This time the Reds - who we saw 3 times out here - won the game.  The last pitcher was impressive - their closer Aroldis Chapman.  He's Cuban, and of course he was not neede in the previous two games..  The radar gun hit 102 mph on his last pitch - woah!

What a great feeling to have visited all FIVE MLB Stadiums in California.  We have THREE left to go: 2 in PA and 1 in DC.  Next summer??  Maybe...

Sunday we start heading for home...!

Martha - All settled in for a day of 

as little sun as possible on the beach...!

Lydia and Joel diving in right away!

Boogie Boarding!

Our very own Master of Disaster!

Born to Be - On a Beach!!

That's ME - surfing a tasty wave!!

WHAT!?!?  You don't BELIEVE me???

Beckers deciding it's just a bit too cold...

Sand Castle Construction - Hard at Work!!

Finishing touches...

Hanging out!

Tanned the noggin' a bit today...

Random Super Silly Shot.

Petco Park in San Diego!

Our seats.  Upper level again.  (Hey - they are cheaper up here!)

First Pitch - Strike One!

Left Field.

Sunset behind the factory building

they built into the design of this Park.

Padres vs Reds - Diamond view...

Center-Right Field.

Right Field.

Scoreboard & Skyline.

Padres Retired Numbers.

Can you name them all?  Me neither...

Nice shot behind the Factory.

102 mph - the speed of the last pitch of the game - 

by Aroldis Chapman of the Reds - a strikeout!

On the Skywalk back to our car.

Joel was a little cold.  (Oh, brother...!)

Petco Park - after the game.

WE HAVE VISITED ALL FIVE 

CALIFORNIA MLB BALLPARKS!!

Dinner with Keith / CA Ball Park #4

Thursday ended up being a much needed "change of pace".  After some jam-packed days of travel and sight-seeing, it was great to sleep in and just lounge around the hotel room.  Our batteries already feel charged up as we head toward our vacation "home stretch"...!

On our way to the Angels game, a good friend from our Valparaiso University days - Keith Ludwig - came up to have dinner with us in a nice Italian Family Restaurant we found close to the Stadium.  Last time we saw him was at our wedding, 20 years ago.  There is something very nice about re-connecting with people that knew you "way back when"...  In our case, we were friends with Keith WAY before Martha and I had ANY inkling we would ever get married to each other - and settle in Iowa - and have 4 kids...  Keith, Martha and I were a part of the same Valpo Foreign Study-Abroad Group - in Reutlingen, Germany - in the Spring Semester of '85.  (Man - that was a long time ago now -- the Berlin Wall was still up...!!)

I have some very great college memories of playing LOTS of guitar with Keith.  (There are some things we did in those days that I hardly remember at all. -- Oh, yeah...!!)  There was alway good conversation - with insights and opinions on EVERYTHING - and some fantastic times of jamming.  We played a lot of fun and tasty stuff - quite a bit of it just off-the-cuff improv.  We stayed up awfully late in those days!  Wish we could've had some extra time to dust off our chops...  Maybe next time...

Keith - it was very, very good to see you, old friend...!  (So, Berlin, maybe??)

Our FORTH Ball Game was later in the evening - at Angel Stadium - a.k.a. "The Big A".  Nice Park!!  We usually stay for the entire game - but the first two innings took over an hour.  We left after the 7th inning this time, since we still had a 40 mile drive back down to our hotel.  The Angels ended up winning in comeback fashion - and we got to see that action...!

A few pics to recall this day:

Much needed "Down Time" at the hotel...

A "Scene From An Italian Restaurant"...!

Re-connecting with a good college friend.

Q(uique) - Keith - Martha

CA Ball Park #4

A really BIG helmet!!

Seats again up at the top...

Right before the first pitch.

First Pitch - Ball One!

The "Big A" has a unique outfield.

Right Field...

Center Field...

Left Field...

The game was getting long...

I LOVE going to these Parks...!!

Good night...!

July 4 in LA / CA Ball Park #3!

*Whew!*

Ever get to that point on a vacation where you are starting to get pretty tired??  Well, we are "there"...!

So, today - Thursday, July 5 - we decided to spend a big chunk of the day just relaxing at the motel.  We needed that...  We aren't planning on much in the evening - just heading up to Anaheim for an Angels game - and hopefully an old college friend will be joining us for dinner...

Yesterday - July 4 - was VERY memorable!!  Again, I'll let the photos do most of the talking - but we had a GREAT day in LA.  What a town!! We went to Beverly Hills, visited the Greystone Mansion, checked out Hollywood (The Grauman Theater and the Hollywood Sign) and of course, headed to Dodger Stadium for Game # 3.  There were fireworks at the conclusion of the game - and a great atmosphere to end the day...

All in all - and this is my reaction to MOST cities nowadays - LA is a great place to visit - but I wouldn't want to live there...

"Livin' in Beverly Hills..."  (Not)

Greystone Mansion

Making a grand entrance...

Monkeys in the garden.

Outdoor Chick-Fil-A on Sunset Blvd.

Becks and The Muppets get along...!

Grauman's Chinese Theater

Hollywood Blvd.

Lydia with the Hollywood sign behind her...

Dodger Stadium!  Opened in 1962.  3rd oldest park in the Majors.

First Pitch - Strike One!

Our Seats - Upper Deck - Behind Home

Great view...

A World Famous Dodger Dog!

Setting sun at the Stadium...

Getting ready for the post-game July 4 Fireworks!

Pow - Bam!

Ooooo - Ahhhhh...!!

A little too loud for Lela.

Big Finish!