Summer Vacation Part 2: California Day 1, OB

There is a little place in San Diego called Ocean Beach (OB)... a small beach community lined with a mixture of nightlife, a dog beach, Sunset Cliffs, a lighthouse, a fishing pier, and a historic hotel called The Ocean Beach Hotel. Historic in my family because my grandparents used to bring my mom and her siblings here when they were children.... and I grew up coming here nearly every summer... and this year I got to bring my own children to experience the beach for the first time! Although it has changed and updated quite a bit... the feel, the smell, and the beach are still the same, and I love it just as much. There are so many memories I recall when I come here and so many that I make new each time. This summer was no different.

The OB Hotel Courtyard (with views of the ocean right across the street)

My 2 kids, my cousin Macy and I were the first to arrive in OB Monday evening so we checked in to the hotel and then hit the beach. Corbin's first impression was a thumbs up!

He really wanted to get in the sand and the water.... but the Pacific is a little chilly! Here he is right before...

Both of my boys weren't too sure at first....Quinton thought it was much too cold to put his toes in, but he did like the sand, of course!
Corbin got knocked down after his 3rd wave while I was trying to let him talk to his dad on the phone.... he was not only wet and cold but sandy all over! Nice first impression.But he didn't let it stop him... he wanted more! Quinton on the other hand, was not happy to be that close to the water, even with all of grandma and grandpa's coaxing. Look at Corbin's face compared to Quinton's.

It was actually hard to pull Corbin away from the beach, he wanted to chase waves the rest of the night, but the sun was setting and Hodads was calling our name for dinner.

Mmmmm... Hodads! A surfer shack type burger joint with some totally delicious grub! This is my brother Jesse's favorite place to frequent when he comes to OB to surf. It has great food and a fun, rowdy atmosphere. It was actually rated as 1 of the top 5 burger joints in the US by CNN, voted "Best Burger" on NBC, and was featured on the Food Networks' show "Diners, Drive-in, and Dives." Yummy!

Quinton and Eizley enjoyed the fries, loud music, and all the fun scenery on the walls.

The walls are covered with old donated license plates from around the states. My dad claims he found my new personalized plate... (hah!) It totally contradicts the plate underneath it.

Some of OB's 2 biggest Hodads... lovin' the grub!

Like always after a big basket of burgers and fries we took our traditional walk on the pier. It was a little cold and breezy, but the kids loved watching the pelicans, seagulls, and fisherman. We saw a huge Sea Rock Bass caught by a locale... unfortunately we missed the shark a guy caught the night before.

After our walk on the pier we hit up Lighthouse Ice Cream.... across the street from Hodads.Another traditional family favorite with THE BEST homemade waffle cones and a wide selection of creamy ice cream flavors. Good thing we were on vacation.... we visited this place a few times during the week. A walk on the beach, Hodads, a walk on the pier, and a warm waffle cone with cold ice cream, the perfect way start a week in San Diego. HELLO!