California Continued

The second full day of our trip was spent criss-crossing Los Angeles County with the Childs family.

Our first stop was The Blue Star, in the industrial part of LA, for breakfast. A block from the restaurant we had to drive around a long line of pick-ups with scrap metal to sell, waiting for the giant magnet to swing over and relieve them of their loads. 'Twas colorful.

We ate a hearty breakfast in the sunshine on this outdoor patio. The outsize pleasure (and novelty) of eating outside in March made me feel like a rubbernecker. These days it's hard to remember that I'm a native Californian.

The excellent Thorne.

After breakfast we headed to Pasadena to check out a house. (We aren't in the market, but Steve and Danica are.) We stumbled across an estate sale at a super fancy, super tacky house. Being us, of course we stopped.

Next it was down the hill to play at the park (and use the bathrooms) at the Rose Bowl. Once we were plenty hot and sweaty, we drove to Alhambra to the legendary Fosselman's. My stout (as in beer) ice cream was delicious, but if you go, do as the locals do and get the cappuccino ice cream. It has chocolate in it and it is good. If I had noticed the brown butter flavor (which I just saw on their website), I definitely would have asked for a taste. I have never considered myself an "ice cream person," but I loved everything I tried. I can't believe I lived in California for all those years and never went to Fosselman's. Don't be like me.

Sometimes we miss California.

We relaxed for a bit in Los Feliz at Steve and Danica's and then it was off to dinner at Umami Burger, which we've been hearing lots about. Their namesake burger didn't blow me away, but the California burger and the Truffle burger were finger-licking good. (No, I didn't eat three whole hamburgers myself, but I probably could have.) It was such a treat.

The whole day was a treat, in fact. Driving all over the place was part of the fun, since it had been so long since we'd been to California. It could only have been better if we'd fit into one car and enjoyed everyone's company all day. (We split up; boys in one car, girls in the other.)

Our family is so blessed to have great friends. If only we could figure out how to live near all of them.