vacation highlights part one (legoland california)

Travel is an important part of life. Whether you are headed to a different city or a different country altogether, there is something magical that happens when you leave behind routine and focus on making memories. In the past, travel was significant to me. I would spend months and months eagerly looking forward to some sort of vacation or special experience. Then the pandemic happened. Suddenly, travel felt unsafe. It felt like something to be avoided at all costs. Honestly, it has been really difficult to shift that mentality. The way I viewed travel previously and the way I view travel now are so drastically different. I often wonder if things will ever return to 'normal' for me. Despite all of this uncertainty and fear... despite the fact that the way I think about travel has shifted...I did do some traveling recently. Some of my family members went to California to visit Legoland and Disneyland. Over the next couple of days, I'll be sharing some vacation highlights.

Day One. The first day of the vacation was not all that thrilling. In all honesty, it was a very long travel day! We were all up early to drive to the airport and take our first flight since the pandemic. Airports, flying, all of that kind of stuff makes me anxious, so those are always my least favourite days on any trip. It was a long flight (five hours or so) but we all arrived safely. After that, there was a long wait for a rental car and a long drive from the airport to Carlsbad, where Legoland California is located. Since we were all drained by the time we actually checked into our rooms at the Castle Hotel...all we did was look around the hotel area (which was really neat and very well themed) and have dinner. Then it was off to bed to prepare for the next day. Unfortunately, the jet lag made it difficult to stay on a normal sleep schedule, so my ability to sleep for any decent amount of time was kind of all over the place. It's amazing how three hours can make such a difference. 

Day Two. The second day of the vacation was our first day in the Legoland California park. It was very exciting! Though I had been to Legoland as a child, there wasn't much that I remembered, so it felt like a new experience for me. My brother and my husband both love Lego stuff, and well, so do I. This was definitely a chance to be a kid again. There was a lot there. Lots of rides (for adults and children), lots of hands on exhibits, a miniature Lego village, and shops. Best of all? Everything was decorated for Halloween. It was amazing to see all of the decorations everywhere. I'm talking spiderwebs, figurines, characters, Halloween dance parties, and music. It was really well done and made the experience feel extra special. The Legoland hours weren't too late, so after we left, we headed to a diner that was nearby and had milkshakes and burgers. Yum. Definitely a busy, full, and fun day. The weather was nice and cool that day, which was definitely a bonus. 

Day Three. This was our second and last day at Legoland California. We spent the morning repeating rides that we liked (like the Deep Sea Adventure and The Dragon rollercoaster) and heading on some of the rides we hadn't had a chance to ride yet. After that? We went to the Legoland Aquarium, which was on site. The online map led us to believe that it was massive, but it only took an hour or so to walk through. There was a touch pond and some large aquariums with Lego figures inside. It was neat to see, but not as extensive as we anticipated. After that, we purchased some last minute souvenirs, and drove from Carlsbad to Anaheim. We stopped at Sonic on the way, because I have always wanted to try Sonic. (Lots of American TV commercials aired in Canada growing up and I loved the Sonic commercials.) It was delicious and exactly the kind of greasy fast food I had my heart set on. We checked into the hotel in Anaheim and prepared for the next day, when our Disneyland adventure would begin. Oh, and there was a stop off at Target as well. Because Target is the best! 

Ready for more vacation highlights? Stay tuned, because the next post here on the creation of beauty is art. will be dedicated to lots and lots of Disneyland content as well as a theme park merchandise haul video from my YouTube channel.

Have you done any traveling lately? Do you have any special events planned in the next little while?