Fun in the Sun - Family Outing to San Diego

For the past year now we have been planning a family get together in San Diego.  This is a major feat considering that we have to schedule everyone's time, John & Rachel and their family has to fly out from New York State, and the remainder of us have to travel 10-11 hours to be altogether.  Well thanks to Cheryl we pulled off mission impossible. 

Uncle Sam did prevent John from joining us.   We actually did everything we could to schedule around his training schedule; however, once we scheduled the week Uncle Sam change his mind on what week training will be conducted.  We missed John but understand. 

So here are a few highlights of the summer vacation in San Diego.

Sand Castle 101 at Oceanside Beach

Chasing and Jumping the Waves

Now this is a Sand Box

Jump !

The Completed Castle with encroaching tides

Anyone want to play jump rope with my Kelt Vine

A Oreo Shake at Ruby's Diner on the Oceanside Pier







The Clyde Clan -
Liven the Dream

 

 

La Jolla Children's Pool
Not sure who is funnier children on the beach or people in picture

 



Okay- How close to the edge can I get.

More funny children

 

The Perfect Spot



 

 Okay, I was having too much fun to take a lot of pictures during the week.  Friday, after we had all gone our separate ways, Cheryl and I stayed the weekend for a bit more fun.  Here's some highlights of what we saw and did

 

  

Yes, we braved the mad house for Comic -Con 2013

Is that Elton John?

Cheryl is always making friends

In other words, Point Loma

A lesson history on the Spanish Sailors who
discovered Cabrillo

Back in Time

At the Southern Tip

Fort Rosecrans Naval Cemetery

The end of a perfect vacation



Vienna - end of the adventure

Overcast with Sunshine!

Mexican Catherdal

Vienna--took a combination of a bus tour and walking tour around town this morning.  It was finally good to have the sun come out and have to take our jackets off.

Vienna Opera House

Natural History Museum

Queen Marie Theresia

Athena statue

Vienna Rathaus or Town Hall

Most of our day centered around the St. Stevens Dom area.  Plenty of shops, food, and sight seeing.  The Dom, the Palace, the Palace Gardens, and the City Building just to name a few.

St. Steven's Dom

Inside Saint Stevens' Dom

Saint Steven's Square

Spanish Riding School

Lipizzan horses board here

Find the longest German Word

26 Letters in this word but still several short to win the contest

Finally, we have traveled all over the world to find a rose garden in bloom!

This afternoon we took the subway back to the area.  Sat at an open air café with our tour guide, Anke and had enjoyed a pleasant afternoon with nowhere particular to go.

End the trip by catching rays for the first time on the sun deck with the UN
and other government buildings in the background.

Tonight our trip ends and the long trip home begins.  Our bus leaves at 4:00 am for the airport.  If that isn't fun enough we have a 1 1/2hour lay over in Paris - hopefully, we can master the maze and make our connection.

The Abbey, Wine Tasting & Vienna

Overcast & light rain - cold

Yesterday we left Germany and entered Austria.  Of course, the rain makes it difficult to see the monument designating the Germany/Austria country boundary, but it is there somewhere in the rain.






This morning we stopped along the river for a short time and visited Melk Abbey.  The early monks built an abbey every 20 miles to provide early settlers a place to stay within a days travel. This was a large abbey and most of the countryside is owned by the abbey to provide food and drink.

Servants were not allowed into the bedrooms.
So a small door was installed.  They could then
provide fuel to the stove thru the door in the hall

A safe to keep the Abbey's valuables
Only one key and it would turn 14 locks sequentially.

The Abbey overlooking the town

The Library  - No Pictures allowed.

The Chapel

Yes, we did see dead people

Speaking of drink...after our tour we enjoyed a wine tasting event with accordion music and a brief history of how wine was developed in the countryside.  Of course, Cheryl and I continued to sample our Diet Coke. I'm sorry you'll have to buy your own Diet Coke/beer, but you can still enjoy some of the good accordion music and yodeling that we loved.

Traveled thru the Wachau Valley and observed the quaint little villages along the river and vineyards on the mountainside.  One of the castles along the way was a castle of the king who captured and held King Richard Lionhearted.

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Watch the movie "The Third Man"

This evening we arrived in our final destination, Vienna, Austria.  Enjoyed dinner and then disembarked for a trip into the city center to sample some of the music of Vienna at a concert hall.  We heard a small 14-15 member orchestra with two vocal soloist and two dancers perform various Mozart and Strauss pieces.  It was an enjoyable way to end the evening, which also held hope of good weather tomorrow.