Blue Lantern Inn

Once a year, usually in Spring, Steve and I sneak away to our favorite little B&B. It's called the Blue Lantern Inn, and it's up in Dana Point, not even an hour away and yet worlds apart. We get there and the tension of day to day life melts away; we're giddy kids holding hands and exploring the beach for tidepools. We didn't know if we would make it back for a long time since we're moving, so we decided to go for it. Jessie came over to babysit Miss Gracie, and we packed up and headed to our favorite little spot.


We always get there early because they do a "tea time" after afternoon check-in that includes this incredible cheese Steve adores. (He was sad because it wasn't there this time!) There is fruit, cheeses of all sizes and flavors, yummy fancy crackers, and usually some sweet treats like chocolate covered strawberries or some sort of cheesecake. We sit out on the back patio overlooking the ocean and munch and chat and enjoy each other's company. You can see all of Dana Point harbor from the patio, including this huge pilgrim-era boat (I assume a replica) that kids go to spend the night on as a field trip. There is always a bus load of them piling onto it in the afternoon; it's pretty amusing to watch. (And I didn't take this picture--I googled for it--but the rest are ours.) We both missed our Gracie baby and talked about her a lot, but I felt good about leaving her with her Auntie. She and Jess have a very cute bond.


Our room was gorgeous--it is cute and beachy; a B & B minus the usual antiques and nauseating surplus of floral, so Steve like it, too. There was a balcony with about the same view as the patio downstairs, and it was just cool enough to justify lighting the fireplace. (Does anyone else feel both privileged and lazy when all you have to do to light a fire is flip a lightswitch?) We went out shopping to Kohls--did you guys know its crazy cheap over there!?--to get Steve some non-black shirts. His whole wardrobe until now has been brown, grey, and black, which has depressed him. So now he has some bright yellow, blue, and green shirts. We got Mimi's for dinner--mmm.

While at Kohls we also picked up a T-shirt for Jessie, to say thanks for baby-sitting. Steve models it below. Jessica loves macarroni and cheese.


The next morning we had a luxurious breakfast out on the patio. After checking out of our room, we went down to a little park by the ocean and spread out a blanket on the grass. I insisted on trying to take more pictures of us, which Steve was a little tired of, I think. But he still mostly smiled at the camera. We made a list of things we want to get done in San Diego before we move, and goals for our new home in North Carolina. Our San Diego list will be fun to complete, and our North Carolina list included some nesting things to make ourselves a new, real home again, as well as some family-building items like having FHE with Gracie (even though she won't know what's going on). I love making lists, and setting goals, so I was pretty thrilled with this as an activity.



Later we went down to the beach to find the tidepools, but sadly the tide had already come in. Steve and I tend to have incredibly bad luck with tidepools and high tide. Our best luck has been down at La Jolla Cove, but we have yet to get to show Gracie any anemones or anything. Then we hopped in the car and waved goodbye to our little inn. We'll be back, I bet, but we don't know when. Luckily there was a cute Gracie and the beach waiting for us back home, and we enjoyed both.