Good bye and thank you!!!!!

Where's Pamela???

One last roller coaster

More rides - excellent

Santa Monica Pier

Malibu - beaching it under the house

Exclusive Malibu - homes of the rich and famous

Day 20 - June 24

Last day!!! We traveled north to Malibu to have lunch with some friends. Must admit a very civilised way to finish what has been an awesome holiday. We had a wander down the beach prior to lunch, past Bruce and Halle's houses. Saw Mel's house in the distance and a veritable who's who in Hollywood and corporate America.

On the way back down to LAX we stopped for one last hurrah - Myself, Liam and Isabel gave the Santa Monica Pier a work out and did a couple of laps on the rollercoaster. Nothing left to do but pack, sleep and by lunchtime tomorrow we will be at home - in Hawaii!!!!

Main method of transport V Beach

Venice Beach Sunset

Venice beach special please

Spongebob - hey buddy it's a livin'

Hollywood baby!!!

Even super heroes need lunch at McDonalds

Who's Nicole Kidman dad?

LA Traffic - gotta love the freeways

Day 19 - June 23

This morning we discovered the delights of the Los Angeles freeway system as we headed from Anaheim to Los Angeles. After the success of Disneyland both kids became car sick. Isabel vomited in the car whilst stuck in the traffic and Liam once we arrived on Hollywood Boulevard. If my memory serves me correct he was sick on Britney Spear' star!! We wandered down to Mann's Chinese Theartre following the stars on the footpath. Really a most unimpressive place.

Venice Beach was the venue for dinner - what a great place to sit and observe weird and weirder whilst enjoying some fine American cuisine.

Toy soldiers

Does ayone know who this is??

A bit of culture

Rollercoaster boys

Ready for launch

..... and another

Kirsten on a ride !!!!

Happily ever after

Day 18 - June 22

Having survived Disneyland we went across the plaza today to "The California Adventure Park". This park contains a lot more big boy rides and shorter lines so Liam and myself were much happier. Poor old Isabel didn't meet the height requirement on many of the rides, although she did manage "The Tower of Terror". She felt just like a puppy shaking with fear and this evening found a convenient new reason for not going to sleep.

Liam is without fear when it comes with rides and is now officially confirmed as a bona fide roller coaster freak. We survived two days and I am not sure how those masochists who buy 4 or 5 day passes survive as a family unit.

The most common pose - Isabel on the shoulders and standing in line!!

The kids and some dog

Parade time

Splash mountain - Isabel in the wet seat

Autopia - Liam heaven

Rocket ride ...

At the front enterance to the "Happiest Place" in the World

One ticket to Disney

Day 17 - June 21

DISNEYLAND!!! "The happiest place on earth" - that is if you like spending your day in lines and with a quarter of the worlds population crammed into one block in Anaheim, California. I may be a little harsh and it is the culmination of every child to experience the magical kingdom.

Liam and Isabel had a huge time - we managed to hit the major rides, saw the Magical Parade and did I mention, stand in line. Kirsten's fear that the kids may be frightened by some of the rides was proved unfounded. Liam was in raptures on all the rides and although Isabel's heart was at times racing a little faster than usual, she survived some pretty awesome rides. To her disappointment Miss Independence did not meet the height requirement for all the rides. It is an exhausting day and to think we get to do it all again tomorrow..........

Beach scene - Huntington Beach

Diner experience - Huntington Beach

The two together ..... in another time and place one wonders!!!

Foxtrot Submarine

Queen Mary - Long Beach

Day 16 - June 20

Today was meant to be Disneyland Day, however after our travelling adventures of yesterday there was a long sleep in. Late in the morning we headed out to the Queen Mary at Long Beach. Liam and I did a quick tour of the Foxtrot submarine which is berthed nearby.

We headed south along the Pacific Highway and had lunch at Huntington Beach at the most authentic diner that we could find. Back at the hotel we joined the 78 other people in the hotel pool before heading out to dinner. Scurvy is starting to appear as the holiday diet hasn't been the greatest so managed to get the kids to eat vegetables at a nearby chinese restaurant. An early evening preparing for the onslaught that will be Disneyland

Day 15 - June 19

No photos today!!! We spent most of the day at the Baltimore Washington International Airport. Unfortunately our flight was many hours late and we did well to keep ourselves amused - thank goodness for the laptop and kid's DVDs. We landed at the zoo, otherwise better known as LAX, well after midnight (near 5 AM Washington time for the kids) and it was sometime later that we made it to Anaheim.

Father's Day photo

I wonder what flavour ice cream?

Maryland's State House

Weddings abound in the grounds

Chapel at the Naval Academy

So Washington DC is not left out - "White House Squirrel"

Day 14 - June 18

No sick kids today!! We rented a car and made for Annapolis - sailing capital of the US and also home to the Naval Academy. We walked the "fancy' (as Isabel would say) grounds of the Academy and visited the final resting place of John Paul Jones. The streets of Annapolis are also extremely historic and subsequently filled with expensive shops and were super crowded. One highlight however was the Maryland State House which is a majestic building and was briefly the capital of the US in 1783-84. Liam has been able to put a picture to so much of that American history he has been learning at school.

After dinner we all wandered down past the White House and on to the Memorials to see them in their grandeur at night.

Abe................

JFK - the final resting place

Arlington

Reflections - Vietnam Memorial

Remembering - Vietnam Memorial

Lincoln/Washington Memorials from the Potomac

Cruisin' - Russian Embassy High School Graduation

Cruisin' the Potomac