family

Cape Henlopen 2015

August 22, 2015 By Misono in Family and Friends, Recreational Fun, Videos, Wanderlust Tags: beach, cape, Cape Henlopen, Cape Henlopen State Park, Dad, dan, Delaware, family, Mio, Mirei, misono, Miwa, Mom, ocean

After spending the first day of our weekend family trip in Rehoboth, we leisurely spent the next day at Cape Henlopen State Park. It was our first time going to Cape Henlopen, and we liked that it was a little quieter and had calmer waters than Rehoboth, which was perfect for younger children.

Dad in the water at Cape Henlopen — My dad walked out on a little strip to stand out in the middle of the ocean.

Looking at a horseshoe crab that Dan found

Cape Henlopen 2015 — Mio showing ojiichan the seashells she found on the shore.

touching a horseshoe crab — Mio petting a horseshoe crab at the Seaside Nature Center

Mirei hated the fish... — Mirei was terrified of the fish.

Mio was fascinated by the fish — Mio, on the other hand, was fascinated by the fish!

Rehoboth Beach 2015

August 22, 2015 By Misono in Family and Friends, Recreational Fun, Videos, Wanderlust Tags: beach, dan, Delaware, family, mermaid, Mio, Mirei, misono, Miwa, ocean, Rehoboth Beach, sand, sea, sea turtle, Semraâ€™s Mediterranean Grill, vacation, video

We took a weekend trip in late August with my parents and my sister to Rehoboth Beach and Cape Henlopen. The girls loved the beach and were happy to be back at Rehoboth!

Mirei at Rehoboth Beach — A sandy-faced Mirei, at 18 months old.

Rehoboth Beach 2015 — Why so serious, Mirei?

Sisters in the sand Rehoboth Beach 2015 — Sea turtle Mirei and mermaid Mio in the sand.

Mio at Rehoboth Beach 2015 — Mio is a beach lover for sure!

Mirei and I at Semra's Mediterranean Grill — Dinner at Semra’s Mediterranean Grill

Mirei lying on the stairs back at our AirBnB

4th of July Weekend

July 5, 2015 By Misono in Family and Friends, Recreational Fun, Seasonal Celebrations Tags: 4th of July, BBQ, burgers, chicken satay, dan, drumsticks, family, fireworks, friends, grilling, hamburgers, hot dogs, Independence Day, kalbi, Mio, Mirei, misono, Miwa, shrimp, shrimp skewers, skewers, sparklers, vegetable, watermelon, weekend

Photos from our 4th of July weekend! We started it out by trying Duck Donuts for the first time (since they recently opened their Fairfax location), had a BBQ with my parents’ family friends, and ended with fireworks on Sunday night!

Duck Donuts! — Duck Donuts were delicious! My favorite were the maple bacon ones!

4th of July grilling — When we grill, we do it right… chicken satay, kalbi, and shrimp & vegetable skewersÂ (…in addition to the typical burgers + hot dogs)

Kids making s'mores — Kids making s’mores as Dan mans the grill

Mio eating watermelon — Mio loves her watermelon!

Dan helping with the s'mores — Dan helping with the s’mores

Mio chowing down on s'mores — Mio chowing down on s’mores

Mirei on the Fourth of July — Mirei asking for more food

Fireworks on Sunday night…

California 2015: Moss Landing

May 31, 2015 By Misono in Family and Friends, Foodie Love, Recreational Fun, Videos, Wanderlust Tags: Allens, California, dan, family, fish, fish market, getaway, grandma, grandpa, grandparents, Jackie, lunch, Mio, Mirei, misono, Monterey, Moss Landing, Phil's Fish Market & Eatery, seafood, Ted, vacation

Wednesday, May 20 was the last day of our vacation within a vacation, and we packed up at the beach house in the morning and spent the earlier part of the day at nearby Moss Landing before starting the drive back to the East Bay.

Mirei eating grapes at the beach house while everyone packed and cleaned.

Phil's Fish Market & Eatery — Phil’s Fish Market & Eatery at Moss Landing

Lunch at Phil's Fish Market — We had lunch there and the food was pretty good!

Mirei was imitating the sea lions she saw earlier in the morning by barking like them:

Mirei loving the attention from Ted & Jackie — Mirei is loving the attention from Ted & Jackie

We’re so glad that we could spend this time with Dan’s side of the family, seeing the beauty of the Monterey Bay and Big Sur and enjoying each other’s company. They will be memories we’ll cherish for years to come!

California 2015: Big Sur

May 31, 2015 By Misono in Family and Friends, Recreational Fun, Videos, Wanderlust Tags: Allens, beach, Big Sur, California, cove, dan, family, getaway, grandma, grandpa, grandparents, Hyo, Hyosook, Jackie, Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park, Mio, Mirei, misono, Pfeiffer Beach, Point Lobos, state park, Ted, waterfall, Whaler's Cabin, Whaler's Cove

Tuesday, May 19th was the highlight of our family getaway with Dan’s family, as we explored our main destination of the trip — Big Sur! We got to go to Point Lobos, Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park, and Pfeiffer Beach. Dan and I had gone to Big Sur three years ago and we fell in love with the gorgeous sights there, especially the waterfall at Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park. We have been talking about coming back to see Big Sur for a while now, so we were thrilled to be able to return, and to get to show our girls the sights there, too.

Our first stop in the morning was Whaler’s Cove at Point Lobos. It was pretty cloudy and overcast in the morning (typical of Northern California), which only intensified the unsettling aura of the cove.

Whaler's Cabin at Whaler's Cove in Point Lobos — A small cabin built by Chinese fishermen from that era still remains and is now a cultural history museum.

With the whale bones by Whaler's Cabin — With the whale bones by Whaler’s Cabin

Mio & Mirei at Point Lobos — I liked the inscription on this bench: “Tell them how special they are.”

We then took a walk around the cliffs of Point Lobos, and took in some of the prettier sights there. It was my first time at Point Lobos, but I observed that it has a very rugged beauty to it.

Picnic lunch at Point Lobos — Enjoying a picnic lunch at Point Lobos

After eating lunch, we drove over to my favorite part of Big Sur — Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park! It was a bit of a drive from Point Lobos, but it gave the weather time to clear up, and by the time we arrived, the sun was completely out, making for a gorgeous day to see one of California’s most scenic locations.

Auntie Hyo holding Mirei as we make our way to Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park

Our family at Julia Pfeiffer Burns SP — Our family at Big Sur’s Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park

Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park at Big Sur — Gorgeous view of the waterfall… this is my favorite view in California.

The girls at Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park — The girls taking a break on the bench

Us with Mirei at Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park — With our little Mirei, almost 16 months old at the time.

Our last stop in Big Sur was Pfeiffer Beach, which looks like a beautiful beach set straight from a movie, with light shining through the Keyhole Arch rock formations and almost purple-looking sand.

Mio with Auntie Jackie at Pfeiffer Beach — Stunning Pfeiffer Beach

Jackie and Mio at Pfeiffer Beach — Mio walking with Auntie Jackie at Pfeiffer Beach

Mirei with Uncle Ted at Pfeiffer Beach — Mirei with Uncle Ted

The girls got to play in the sand with the beach toys that Grandma thoughtfully brought along for them.

The Allens at Pfeiffer Beach — Big Sur is so gorgeous! It was wonderful to be able to come back here with the whole Allen family, including our sweet girls.

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