Santa Monica

 On the recommendation of a sweet friend (thank you, Kelli!) that used to live in CA, we drove down to Santa Monica to the pier and to Venice Beach.  We certainly looked like tourists as we parked our car in the pay-slots, bought expired sunscreen and took pictures of everything.  :)

 This place had the YUMMIEST garlic knots and pasta.  I think we will go back before we head back to Texas.  :)

 Then we walked on the pier at Venice Beach and saw the Pacific Ocean for the first time!  So amazing.  We even saw a seal! He was swimming right there where all the people were.

 Then on to Santa Monica!  We had so much fun walking up and down looking at all the street performers, watching the roller coasters and playing games.

 Peter loves dolphins.  :)

 The boys played a water gun game and actually won!  Woohoo!  They picked these little stuffed fish.  They still sleep with them at night.

 This is the famous pier from the movie, Iron Man.  In the part of the movie where he is learning to use his suit, Tony Stark flies right over this ferris wheel.  Peter exclaimed, "Look!! I see Iron Man tracks!!!"  LOL

 We bought the boys cotton candy for a treat.

 Cotton candy beards!

Then we walked down to the beach.  The boys barely made it off the pier before they laid down in the sand to bask.  :)

 Justin had the time of his life.  But the water was so COLD!!  Oh my.  I shivered the whole time and I wasn't even wet.  It was not fun to get the kids out of the water and up the windy pier.  But they absolutely loved it while we were down there.

 Panoramic of the pier.  If you click on it, you can make the image bigger.

 Jane loved getting dirty.  She sat and played in the sand most of the time and got a big kick out of trying to bury Peter.

I left the change of clothes for everyone in the van so Jane had to wear Brent's t-shirt on the way back to the parking lot.  She received many sweet looks and waves.