Trying to escape the desert heat, David, a friend and I headed towards the ocean and ended up on the idyllic little island of Balboa. Since we can’t exactly afford a place on the island, it was a day of strolling, indulging ourselves with cupcakes, checking out the Newport Public Library, obviously comparing Dad’s frozen bananas to Sugar n’ Spice’s bananas, and picking out our dream homes, Fourth of July decor was everywhere, the hydrangeas were in full bloom and the sea air smelled delicious.

A friend relocated from the east coast to California, so our summer goal is to take her to all our favorite California coastal towns/beaches. I’m thinking Del mar or La Jolla will be next!