I'm going, going, back, back to Cali, Cali

After a 3 hour delay, a wonderful flight on Virgin America,  and some scary turbulence, I am so thrilled to be back out in California!  I have been coming out here annually since I was 6 years old and even lived out here for most of high school.  Last year, since I was pregnant I didn't want to travel quite so far, so we skipped the trip and I missed it.  I usually go straight to the Bay Area, but this year I decided to hang out in the LA area.
First off, let me say, there is nothing like the beautiful light from the sun in California.  The weather is gorgeous, its been about 80 degrees and sunny, most of the time.  I have been here countless times so I don't have any major plans I just kind of wanted to go with the flow and experience SoCal as a grown up.
Our first outing was to Venice Beach.  I remember going as a child and enjoyed swimming and buying little trinkets along the walking path.  It was nice to take my son to see the local artisans,  the skate park and allow him to pick out some trinkets..he's loves tchotchkes!
It was nice experiencing Venice as an adult.  I love the aesthetic there.  The colorful homes, the murals and all of the succulents, they literally are everywhere.  I know that LA is truly in a valley and that there are deserts surrounding the area, but it wasn't until this trip and seeing all of the native cacti and succulents  that it became official in my mind.  We checked out the canal, which I had never seen in person and accidentally interrupted a scene they were filming for Californication.
We ended the day with my favorite fast food burger joint in Cali...In and Out burger!