Wrangler Dani

My handsome hubby and I had plans to go on a long kayaking trip over the 4th of July, but soon realized that our preferred destination might be a teensy bit crowded and thus, not fun.

So we did the next best thing. We staycationed the heck out of our beautiful little hometown, and it was fabulous. Five days off at home really gives you an appreciation for where you live, and it also makes to-do lists grow like weeds (Hi Monday! You are… formidable.)

Here’s what we did.

Day 1, July 4th. Putter Day. We’d been invited to a few bar-be-ques and pool parties, but all Adam really wanted to do was putter around with his gear and maps and whatnot, and all I wanted to do was sit on the patio with a good book and a cold beverage. So we did. We also ran a few errands, ate a huge breakfast, swam laps and walked down the beach to sit on the sand and watch an impressive fireworks show off of our very own San Clemente pier. It was a great day.

Day 2, July 5th. Mountain Day. Adam had long been dreaming of climbing Mount San Jacinto (why, yes, it IS a state park, and I will review it soon, thanks for asking!) and so we took off early in the morning with boots and cheese and backpacks and trekking poles. About a mile in, I realized that he wasn’t kidding about the whole “climbing a mountain” thing, and that we would actually be headed UPHILL for the next five miles. It was a beautiful day and a great hike, though, and despite my wimpiness we actually made it up and back in a respectable time. Review to come!

Day 3, July 6th. Fish Day. My honey loves to fish. I have only caught one fish in all my born days, and it was super tiny and I was very afraid of it. A couple of weeks ago, Adam went out on a boat with his team from work and caught an obscene amount of very delicious Sand and Calico Bass, so I was inspired to try again to catch my dinner. And guess what?! I did! It wasn’t the most successful fishing boat (most people only caught a few all day) but I caught four bass total and got to keep one of them. I used a very light pole and tackle, which, although not great for catching Halibut or anything else big, was perfect for me and my little fishies. I could easily feel them on the line and got to enjoy a little fight with them on the way in, which is honestly part of the fun. During part of the day a whole crowd of intense and very aggressive fishermen swarmed the back of the boat and I was left my lonesome on the side, casting away to my heart’s content. It was actually wonderful – sunny and warm and peaceful – and I caught all of my fish during that time too. The moral of the story? Watch out for groupthink. And go fishing.

Day 4, July 7th. Kayak Day. Adam has been drooling over a new kayak, so we decided to take part of our morning to make an honest woman out of his new boat, and actually fork over the gobs of cash for her. We stopped for bagel sandwiches first (can’t go boat-shopping on an empty stomach) and then waltzed into Dana Point Jet Ski and bought ourselves a brand-spanking-new Hobie Outback. She won’t be available for pick-up for a few days, but it’s finally official and it’s been such a long time coming – Adam has been wanting a Hobie for almost three years now – so we can’t wait for more paddle trips to come. Afterwards, we decided to decommission Thelma 1.0 in a proper way, so we took her and Louise for a brief (and very windy) fight with the Jet-Skiers in Mission Bay. Then we went to church, saw our friends, listened to a band, got some free cucumbers and ate some Chick-fil-A.

Day 5, July 8th. Spa Day. We’ve had about $200 in gift cards to Glen Ivy Hot Springs burning holes in our pockets (OK, maybe just my pocket, Adam might rather climb a mountain) for about two years, and it seemed that the staycation was the time to spend them. We drove out to the Hot Springs Spa early and spent all day lounging in the sun, going from hot pool to cold pool (it’s called hydrotherapy and is supposedly legit, it did make us feel invigorated after about five times) trying out the mud bath, the mineral bath, the lap pool, the lounge pool and testing how many nachos we could eat. We also splurged on a couples’ massage (we did have gift cards) which was heavenly. After our day at the spa, we spent a Groupon at one of our favorite local steakhouses and got a delicious meal (although I was worried that my stomach might explode, apparently just because something tastes good doesn’t mean you should keep eating). It was the perfect (economical! Look at us and our good deals!) cap to a wonderful little staycation.

Now today is Day 1, July 9th, Back in the Saddle Day, and my to-do list is stamping its feet and snorting like a very angry bull. In the meantime, leave me a comment about what you did for the 4th, or your latest staycation, or how many nachos you can eat. I need distractions  – after five days of vacation, work is kicking my little tushy.