The L.A. Tour!

During our recent trip out west, Megan gave Michael the grand tour of L.A. With this being Michael's first real trip to Los Angeles there was lots to see and Megan made sure to pack each day full of activities. The trip was so much fun and included so many wonderful things that its impossible to capture them all in one blog entry so here's just a few of the many highlights.

We started out in Cardiff, having spent the night with our friends Janet and Jeremy and drove up into L.A. stopping first at Laguna Beach.

From there, we moved further north into L.A., including a visit to Hollywood!



We also had a wonderful dinner at Universal Citywalk with some of Megan's friends (back from when she used to work at Unum). Michael really enjoyed finally getting to meet and spend time with everyone, after having heard so many wonderful things about them over the years.

Michael also got the grand tour of Glendale, where Megan lived and worked after graduating from college. Highlights included Megan's old apartment (pictured below), her old office building, lunch at Porto's bakery, shopping at the newly opened Americana, and dinner at the new In-n-Out in Glendale! (They didn't have one when Megan lived here). Of course the best part of Glendale was getting to spend some time with Megan's good friend, Ester.

We also took a drive up to the Griffith Park Observatory one night to enjoy the breathtaking views of the city.

On our last day in the L.A. area, Megan took Michael swimming at the Rose Bowl Aquatic center in Pasadena. This was a daily morning ritual for Megan when she lived here.

The trip was so much fun, and Michael came away with a whole new appreciation for the Los Angeles area. He cannot wait to go back. But the fun didn't stop after L.A.. We were off to Arizona from there. More to come on that leg of the trip in another entry...

Azusa Pacific Homecoming!

On Saturday October 25th, we made a very special visit to Megan's alma mater, Azusa Pacific University, in Azusa, CA for Homecoming. To make it even more special, we were joined by her three roommates from APU and their families. It was Michael's first visit to APU and he truly enjoyed getting to see the many places he had heard so much about.



We spent the day touring around campus, and enjoyed a delcious dinner catered by In-n-Out burger. The day was capped off with the Football game, where unfortunately the home team APU Cougars lost out in the fourth quarter to Dixie State.


Here are some pictures from the day:

Hot Air Balloon Festival (sort of)

For the second year in a row we went to the Shenandoah Valley Hot Air Balloon and Wine Festival and for the second year in a row, sadly, it was too windy for any balloons to take off! Apparently even a 10 mph breeze is too much for these massive balloons. Don't let the picture to the right fool you - the balloon was blown up so we could see one up close but it never took off the ground. Regardless, we still had a great time. We were accompanied by our most delightful friend Amy, and we thoroughly enjoyed a relaxing afternoon in the beautiful Shendandoah Valley. The almost-turned autumn colors, rolling hills, grazing horses, and mountains in the distance combined to provide the perfect backdrop.

We also packed a picnic lunch and partook in some wine tasting! The event showcased many local wineries. We also enjoyed the local artisans who brought their wares to the fair, the antique car show, and of course the kettle corn.