Bucket List Revised

Oh HAI! It's been a great long while since I have graced this blog's presence. I guess having a second child and a full time job does that to a person. But honestly I miss sitting down here a re-capping all the events of our lives as they happen. Especially since we have loads of things we want to do with our little ones. Letting them see the world and experience all the wonderful things in life. h


So here we go, with re-vamping the bucket list....and re-adding in things that we have done as a family. I will try and re-cap things that we did last year as well to re-cap the past year that I missed. We did a couple of fun things last year, but honestly we just focused on being a family of four. now that Addison is almost a year and a half I think that re-capping the last 18 months is important. So I will try and do my best to do that as well. But without further ado, here's the old bucket list and we will be sure to add to it as we go!

Sailing

Attend a country concert (Chris Cagle 2010)

Attend a Rock Concert (Trapt, 

Surf/Boogie Board (numerous times)

Attend a Broadway Musical (Ragtime, Chicago, The Lion King, Stomp, Mamma Mia)

Attend a Broadway Musical on Broadway

Attend a sporting event (NBA 12', NFL, NHL, MLB 09' 10')

Be in two place at once (Nevada/Arizona Border)

Earn my degree (AA 2004 Moorpark CC, BS 2007 Cal State Northridge)

Earn a Master's Degree
Eat at Club 33

Hiking

Universal City Walk (13')

Saddle Ranch (13')
Ride a Mechanical Bull (13')

William S. Hart Museum

La Brea Tarpits

Experience a White Christmas (15')

Fall in Love (Darin Christopher Kimball)

Get married (2007 Wood Ranch Country Club)

Go Horseback riding (05' Tahoe, 09' 10' Florida, I have been many times)

Zip Lining (13')

Go on a cruise (07' Caribbean & 08' Mexico)

So Snorkeling (07' Honeymoon in Jamaica)

See the Magic Castle

L.A. Live (12')

Grauman's Chinese Theater

Attend a TV Show Taping

Renaissance Fair (April-May)

Wine Tasting

Catalina Island (13')
California State Capitol (12')

Indoor Skydiving
Crystal Cathedral

Lucky Strike Bowling

Monterey Bay Aquarium

**Morro Bay (I went when I was a kid and so did D)

Hearst Castle

**Grand Canyon (I went when I was a kid)

Hot Air Balloon flight (Not likely cause I am CHICKEN!)

Snowboarding/Skiing

Have a family (14' Emma Jean)

Learn to drive a manual transmission (D taught me in 04')

Get a Tattoo (13')
Go Scuba Diving

Learn to wakeboard

Griffith Park Observatory
Gene Autry Museum

Attend a drag race (13')
Hollywood Walk of Fame

Hollywood Sign

Cathedral of Our Lady of Angels

Walt Disney Concert Hall

Descanso Gardens

Rodeo Drive

Ride a offroad motorcycle (08' and many other times)

**Ride a street bike (with my dad)

Paintball
Pick fruit in an orchard

• Apples (10')
• Cherries (12')

Olvera Street via the Metrolink (03')

Lake Tahoe (02')
Camping (03')
Getty Museum (05' 13')
L.A. County Fair (09')

Play in the snow

Ride on a Subway

Ride on a Train
Attend a drag race (13')

See Britney Spears in concert (I went in 10')

See the Statue of Liberty

Swim with Dolphins

Swim with Turtles

Swim with Sharks

Take a cross country road trip
Make a piece of furniture
Adopt a pet (Our little Shelbydoo!)
Camp in the wilderness (Many, many times!)
Keep a journal (2dkimballroad.blogspot.com!)
Be cheered by a crowd  (Dance performer and worked at Disneyland)

Visit Walt Disney World (08')

Participate in a Beauty Pageant (09')

Own a home (15')

Visit all 50 States: (The ones with the years are when D and I visited together)

• Alabama
• Alaska
• Arizona (11')
• Arkansas
• California (Born and Raised)
• Colorado (04')
• Connecticut
• Delaware
• Florida (07')
• Georgia
• Hawaii (04')
• Idaho
• Illinois 
• Iowa
• Kansas
• Kentucky
• Louisiana
• Maine
• Maryland
• Massachusetts
• Michigan
• Minnesota
• Mississippi
• Missouri
• Montana
• Nebraska
• Nevada (03')
• North Carolina
• New Hampshire
• New Jersey
• New Mexico
• New York
• North Dakota
• Ohio
• Oklahoma
• Oregon 
• Pennsylvania 
• Rhode Island
• South Carolina
• South Dakota
• Tennessee
• Texas
• Utah (04')
• Vermont
• Virginia
• Washington
• West Virginia
• Wisconsin
• Wyoming

Visit a new country: (The ones with the years are when D and I visited together)

• France
• Italy
• Canada
• Australia
• Greece
• New Zealand
• Brazil
• Sweden
• Amsterdam
• Iceland
• Greenland
• Egypt
• Thailand
• Mexico 08'
• Bahamas 07'
• Jamaica  07'
• England
• Germany
• India
• Japan 
• South Africa
• Russia
• Swizerland
• Spain
• Scotland
• Ireland 
• Wales

NYE Recap and 2014 Bucket List!!!

I hope everyone had a fantastic New Years Eve/Day! We had a pretty low key one because, well I didn't really feel like going crazy! I did however replace my caloric intake of alcohol with ice cream and Queso dip.....yum! We went over to my parents best friends home for dinner and poker. We learned a couple of new games and D walked away a big winner of a whole 8 bucks!! Lol. I know I know were big spenders! Haha. D also hooked another person onto Fireball....cause those people need more money. Yesterday D spent time with his dad, uncle and cousins to watch the Bowl Game and the ladies went to see Saving Mr. Banks. I laughed, I cried, I LOVED IT! Go see it if you have a penchant for Disney stuff! It was wonderful. We had dinner with his family then went home and passed out! It was great!!

Do you see my puney pile to the left of D....sad!

Pup's Loved D!!!

I don't do resolutions anymore. I used to and I thought that they ended up being pointless because most people (myself included) don't follow through. In 2011 I created a bucket list of things to do in our area and metropolitan of Los Angeles and the list is dwindling down little by little. If you missed the last three you can see 2013, 2012 and 2011 here. Every year I add a couple new things, but keep the things from the previous year that we didn't get to. We didn't do many checks last year, partly because our camera was broken. This year because I am pregnant, I decided to add some things that are more like goals because I have a feeling that the nesting will take over. I keep an updated list of our entire bucket list in the Lifetime of Memories tab up top, and come back to this list each year and link the blog posts to each corresponding check! Again this list is mostly comprised of things to do in our general area and is ever changing! Any and all suggestions are welcomed!


Sailing
Attend a country concert
Attend a sporting event (Kings, Lakers*, Dodgers)
Surf/Boogie Board
Hiking
William S. Hart Museum
La Brea Tarpits
Griffith Park Observatory
Gene Autry Museum
Hollywood Walk of Fame
Hollywood Sign
Cathedral of Our Lady of Angels
Walt Disney Concert Hall
Descanso Gardens
Rodeo Drive
Grauman's Chinese Theater
Attend a TV Show Taping
Renaissance Fair (April-May)
Magic Castle
Indoor Skydiving
Crystal Cathedral
Lucky Strike Bowling
Monterey Bay Aquarium
Morro Bay
Hearst Castle
Grand Canyon
Club 33
Hot Air Balloon flight (Not likely cause I am CHICKEN! But there it is)
Snowboarding/Skiing
Go to a Farmers Market
Pick a Pumpkin from a Pumpkin Patch
Meet a local blogger, or schedule a blate
Attend local churches to find a spot where we fit
Take a cooking class
Pay off all credit cards
Make the bed everyday for a month (0/31)
Eat in for 1 month (0/31)
Attend a Horse Race
Complete the 52 Week Savings Plan
Buy a home
Make a piece of Furniture
Revamp a piece of furniture
Finish 5 books


*Olvera Street via the Metrolink
*Lake Tahoe
*Camping
*L.A. County Fair
*Play in the snow
*Wakeboarding
*Kneeboarding
*Kayaking
*Wine Tasting
*Catalina Island
*Zip Line
*Visit a new state (*Hawaii, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Arizona, Florida)
*Visit a new country (*Mexico, *Caribbean, England, Ireland) (Not likely but its on the list)  

* - Already have been together, & would like to re-experience
Text - Completed task YAY!

How I passed into another decade

As many of you may have read, I turned 30 this past Monday. I share my birthday with my adorable fur baby so I let her have the spotlight, since she turned five and is now officially older than me. How sad is that! Our baby is all grown up! So many people have big parties and plans for their 30th birthdays, but since mine happens to fall in the first weekend of summer every year, planning a party (especially when my hubbies is so close (July)) seemed a little difficult. So here's a recap of what I did. (photo heavy....sorry in advance)

Friday night - We BBQ'd chicken and had corn and beans with our close friend Mr. P. We hung outside, drank our cold beverages and just had great conversation while enjoying the cool night air.

Saturday - I woke to my breakfast shake from the hubs and while he prepared for work I caught up on vlogs. Once he left I tidied up our apt a bit and prepped to make our outside cushions. By way of cutting the foam and making sure I had everything I needed. Then I got ready once my mom confirmed she was on her way. She swooped in and picked me up for a pedicure and a little bit of shopping. It's so nice to have your feet rubbed!

After that we went home and made Italian Subs, and crafted up those bad boy cushions (tutorial to come!)

Sunday - We slept in relatively late....I mean 9 is late for normal, I wish I could sleep until eleven. Man are those days long gone. We got cleaned up and made our way to the Getty Center Museum. My mom had never been and there was a great new exhibit on L.A. in the future....all things Los Angeles from 1940-1990. It was really cool, but I couldn't take photo's inside the exhibit. *Sad face. The Getty is known for it's architecture so I spent some time clicking away some cool shots on my phone.

Close-up of the limestone facade.

The Entrance building

One of the fountains.

We made our way through a couple exhibits and then went down to the gardens. They looked pretty run down and trampled but I was able to get some nice shots of some pretty flowers. It was so busy we didn't really look at anything for very long. The manicured topiary center is something that lots of people like to take photos of.

View of the Garden

The Hubby and I

Me and Momma

Poppies

The bees were busy populating

I really enjoy looking at craftsman items....furniture, glasswear, statues. The delicate things that can break easy! Mom wanted to look at the illuminated manuscripts, which honestly looking at those I understand why only the rich had books. Those things are works of art in itself! Perfectly preserved! I didn't get any shots of those either. We did not make our way to the paintings as they didn't really interest our party, but on the way out I saw they had a Degas on display and I will have to make another trip back to see that! We spent a lot of time looking at cool old (600+) furniture and the craftsmanship that it takes to build that stuff to last forever!

Inlaid French parquet floor

French inspired sitting room.

Giant forged iron Urn

Storage cabinet

Chaise lounge

Dancer Sculpture

Inlaid table.

After we had our fill of museum goodness we decided that we wanted to hit up Ikea (on a Sunday) which was very harried but we all found something interesting to look at. We bought a potato masher....hey we didn't have one, and some swiss milk chocolate! YUM. Then we walked 2 blocks up the road for buffalo wings and fries at Buffalo Wild Wings. It was yummy. We headed home, had some frozen yogurt and watched Drop Dead Fred on Netflix. How my mom has gone my entire life without seeing that I'll never know! But it was even better as an adult because the jokes were all adult related (for the most part)! I opened my gifts early too. I got hair styling tools! Yea buddy. All of my tools were so old that they weren't making my hair look any better! I got a new hairdryer (thanks hubby), straightener, and clipless curling iron (thanks mom and dad). Also my mom got me a new Bluetooth since my old one just disappeared! 

Monday (The Day) - We got up early to take my car in for brakes.....which ended up being brakes, (2) rotors, a brake flush, and (2) new tires. Sigh. Getting old SUCKS when you have to deal with responsibilities! We had a relaxing afternoon with my mom and I took a nap before we headed to see Now You See Me. It was better than I expected it to be! I recommend it! We went home, fixed up some cereal for dinner and had a quiet evening. My Mom #2 sent me a pretty Pandora bracelet, and I also had many cards to open. Also all the Facebook messages just made it a perfect day! Since we also checked off another item off the bucket list also!!

So there it is....the story of how I left my twenties. It wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be, and honestly I don't feel any different. Next up is the hubbies in July. Maybe we will do something fun for his!

The Isle of Catalina

Here it is....the post everyone has been waiting for. Well maybe not everyone, but I have put it off too long so here is a recap of our Catalina Trip! Sorry for the photo bomb in advance....we got some really cool shots! We awoke bright and early Sunday excited to have a mini vacation just the two of us. Made sure that everything was organized, threw our luggage in the car and made the trek to Long Beach for our ferry to the island. We met some cool people, as we always do, and boarded the ship buzzing with electric excitement. D heard that the bartenders make a killer Bloody Mary, so of course he had to partake. A quick hour ride and we were there, docked and made our quick walk over to the hotel. At this point the city of Avalon was hopping. We got to the hotel, checked in and were told to come back in 45 minutes because our room was still being cleaned. We ate a quick lunch, grabbed our things and went to our room. We tinkered around for about 10 minutes grabbed the camera and went down to explore the island. In the time we were up there the entire hustle and bustle just DIED! It was a ghost town! We took the opportunity anyway and wandered around, taking photos and whatnot. The gloomy weather made for some pretty cool photos though, I.M.O. We went back to the hotel and booked our zipline. I was super nervous! We went and had an early dinner and went to the local arcade. I schooled D at a little Ski Ball but he thoroughly walloped me at air hockey! It was like we were teenagers again. We walked into the sweets store and bought some jelly beans, not too many though because we realized as we were eating lunch earlier in the day that D had forgotten his insulin! Bad bad bad. At least he had plenty in his pump so we didn't worry too much, but did make sure to find a pharmacy just in case. After the arcade we wandered around and realized that there wasn't much more to do because the city had closed for the night. We went back to the hotel and watched the Grammy's and conked out.

The Harbor

The round building in the back is the old casino

I had set my alarm early the next day so I/we could get up to witness the sunrise. We were on the wrong side of the island for the sunset so we bombed ourselves out of bed and wandered over to the pier for some really great scenery. While over there we met a little seal pup who had fallen asleep on the pier. He was so cute! Also in the distance could be heard a very large and loud seal sitting on a buoy barking away. We moseyed back to the hotel, had some coffee and muffins and then proceeded to TRY and sleep some more before ziplining. This was NOT happening with me. I was terrified already. We had watched the YouTube video that shows the course and I was freaking out. D kept saying "you'll be fine" but I was having a panic attack!

Harbor and Pier Sunrise View

At 10:30 we walked over to the course. I was hyperventilating as we were filling out the paperwork and looking up at the platforms above my head. The girl managed to terrify me even more by saying "that's not even the highest one!" Great thanks! The guys that took us up the hill were really great, cracking jokes and telling stories about the island, but nothing eased my fear. We walked onto the first platform and BAM! Sheer panic, shaking and if I didn't have sunglasses on they would have seen the tears welling in my eyes. We were the last couple to go, that was by design! I kept backing away and D kept falling behind me not letting me run up the stairs and back down the hill. My turn.....he hooks me up to the wire and its time to JUMP! Yea, no. That wasn't happening. So he held my harness so I could feel how it would support my body. That eased my mind just enough that when he said anytime your ready, I bunny hopped off the platform tucked and screaming with terror! There may have been a few expletives exclaimed, but honestly they were completely warranted! D came soaring in behind me with a big smile on his face. The next line, the longest and highest, I wasn't even given the opportunity to panic because I had to be launched off the platform to guarantee I would get all the way across. I looked down about halfway across to see my teeny tiny shadow on the ground beneath me. It was an exhilarating and terrifying experience and I am so glad that I did it! I know D was proud too! One more check off the bucket list!  

Our last day we rented a golf cart and toured around the island. Of course it was the day that a cruise ship was in port and the island was once again hopping with tourists. We drove around, stopping every so often to take in the scenery and of course some photos. We saw the Wrigley mansion; you know Wrigley field and gum, he bought the island for 2 million dollars in the early 1900s. To put it into perspective, the zipline course cost 2 million dollars to install in 2010. We missed the botanical gardens and didn't get to hike or kayak, but that will be for our next trip there! On our drive we went past the zipline course again and were able to take a couple of photos of other people on the course.

View of Avalon from Wrigley Mansion

One of the Zipline Runs

The girl is really hard to see, about a third of the ways from the
left right above the power lines.

We had such a great time on our little weekend getaway! We both have memories for a lifetime and want to go back soon. Thanks again to my parents for one of the most memorable Christmas gifts!! And to D's folks for watching our fur baby! I can't wait for our next adventure!!!!

Coffee n Conversations Link Up with some Bucket Lists!

So I am trying something new this week and linking up with Lauren at Simply Free and Kalyn at Love, Laughter, Happily Ever After and their Coffee and Conversations Link Up. I have never participated in a link up before but this one seems like its a good one.


This weeks question is: What are you most thankful for this year? Even though this year is still relatively new, I am so thankful for my husband and my family, including my extended family and friends family. They continue to remind me how wonderful people can be. All the memories that have been made already this year will last a lifetime and I am thankful to have their support! My husband truly is the best! I couldn't ask for a better man to share in this journey. And even though we continue to try and start our family.... each month that passed he's ready and willing to do what it takes! And for that I am truly blessed. Hopefully as the year progresses I will have much more to be thankful for, but for now it's the memories that we make and the people that have helped to make them! I love you all!

In addition to being thankful for all those in my life, I am thankful that we checked off two, well technically three, more items on our bucket list this weekend!!!! If you know, my hubby and I have a lifetime bucket list (listed at the top under Lifetime of Memories) and also a yearly bucket list which we try and accomplish little things around our area. We live in the touristy area of Los Angeles, and there are many things that we have not done so its a fun way to create memories and see all that California has to offer. This weekends task: City Walk, Saddle Ranch and riding the mechanical bull. We have both been to City Walk, but not really together.....yea there was that one time we went to Tokyo Delves and walked to Howl at the Moon, but we never went to City Walk to see what it's about. Granted....it's just food and shopping, but its something fun to do on a Sunday afternoon without breaking the bank with theme park prices. Our friend's The Morr's joined us with their little one. We walked around and decided that we were going to eat at Saddle Ranch, ride the bull and then go and do the indoor skydiving.

The Infamous Globe

Lunch was great and the boys partook in the bottomless Bloody Mary's (D) and Mimosa's (R). Every so often a waiter would pass with the biggest cotton candy tower I have ever seen and we all were drooling so we ordered one and between the five of us packed that bad boy away! James was a little perplexed by it's size, but once he had his first bite of sugary goodness he was hooked. We then signed our liability wavers and went to ride that bull. We were a little intimidated as the girl said "In the year I have worked here I have only seen 5 people get seriously injured." Um.....yea. Not something you want to hear when you are willing doing something like that. We each had our turn and R and James thought it was thoroughly entertaining watching us ride the bull. Did we get video.....heck ya! Check out D and I below!

3 Feet of sugary goodness!

Save a horse, ride....a mechanical bull?

After all that fun had ended, we made our way back over to the indoor skydiving....only to find out it was a three hour wait cause we didn't have a reservation. :-( The guy was super helpful and even gave us a tip to come back on Wednesdays after 6pm.....half price! So much better and worth the trip back! On the list to do! We went and did a little shopping and then went into Jillian's to play some arcade games. We did a little ski-ball and James won a water gun! Yea! We had such a blast with them and can't wait to go back and do the indoor skydiving! It looked so fun! Hope your weekend was fun!

Here's us on the bull! HAHA!

On vacation and on Island time!

So we are here in Catalina island and have already walked around and seen a lot. It's a little chilly and overcast but we can handle it! We booked our zip line adventure for tomorrow too!! *insert scared face here!* We plan on just relaxing and going with island flow! See you later mainland!

On the road again....for 2013

Ah! We are so excited! For Christmas my folks got us a trip to Catalina Island for our 11 year anniversary! We are so excited to plan our trip, and to make another check off our bucket list. Were gonna go sometime in February. Sure it may be a little chilly, but at least the weather should be relatively clear! The closer to summertime we get, the more opportunity for marine layer....no bueno! So....that being said we know that we are going to tour, eat and photograph the beautiful island, but what we want to know is what people who have been there recommend to do. Zip lining seems to be a favorite item on the to-do list, but snorkeling may be out of the question due to the cold water in February. Kayaking is something that interests us as well. Any and all advice for this little island off our coast is welcomed! 

Also on the to-do list is our make-up trip to see my step-mom. We were supposed to go to Boston in October, but my ectopic pregnancy prevented it. So, there were thoughts tossed around to go to Nashville, the Florida Keys, The Grand Canyon....lots of places. I don't want to go to New England in the spring, cause the best time to go is in the fall. Unfortunately we have to use our tickets by August, so the plan is to get together in March for spring break. Location, still TBD. Thoughts and ideas help this indecisive planner always! Where are some places that you have been that you loved and would go back to?

2013 wishes and a new Bucket List!

Many people say that 13 is an unlucky number. Well I beg to differ and am making a pact with myself and my hubby that 2013 is going to be a lucky year for us. I have decided that positive thinking and positive behavior will lead to positive results! So, with only weeks left in this year (minding the Mayan calendar is wrong) I am forecasting a great year next year! We will start fresh with everything in our lives including the baby making! Practice has made perfect for us so we are into the execution phase of this project! Wish us luck! Perhaps we will attempt to purchase a house next year as well, in preparation of starting to expand our family. I am throwing my previous plans out the window (love, degree, marriage, house, then baby) because lets face it....three out of five in a row isn't that bad of a track record. "Life happens when your busy making other plans." We have had the 'plan' and now realize that you cant plan every aspect of your life. Surprises happen. We can only hope for the best things to come our way and be good people in the process.

So this is year three of the bucket list. We continue to do little checks off our list for the things in our area and metropolitan of Los Angeles and the list is dwindling down little by little. If you missed the last two you can see 2012 and 2011 here. I am keeping track of all things Bucket List related in the Lifetime of Memories tab up top! Again this list is mostly comprised of things to do in our general area and is subject to change whenever! Any and all suggestions are welcomed!

Sailing
Attend a country concert
Attend a sporting event (Kings, Lakers*, Dodgers)
Surf/Boogie Board
Hiking
Universal City Walk  (Coffee n Conversations - City Walk Weekend Update)
Saddle Ranch  (Coffee n Conversations - City Walk Weekend Update)
Mechanical Bull Riding  (Coffee n Conversations - City Walk Weekend Update)
William S. Hart Museum
La Brea Tarpits
Griffith Park Observatory
Gene Autry Museum
Hollywood Walk of Fame
Hollywood Sign
Cathedral of Our Lady of Angels
Walt Disney Concert Hall
Descanso Gardens
Rodeo Drive
Paintball (In case you didn't know.....paintballs do actually hurt)
Attend a drag race (My Big Fat Redneck Vacation)
Grauman's Chinese Theater
Attend a TV Show Taping
Renaissance Fair (April-May)
Magic Castle
Catalina Island (The Isle of Catalina)
Zip Line  (The Isle of Catalina)
Crystal Cathedral
Lucky Strike Bowling
Monterey Bay Aquarium
Morro Bay
Hearst Castle
Grand Canyon
Club 33
Get a tattoo (A Special Piece of Art)
*Visit a new country (*Mexico, *Caribbean, England, Ireland) (Not likely but its on the list)  Hot Air Balloon flight (Again not likely cause I am CHICKEN! But there it is)
Snowboarding/Skiing
*Olvera Street via the Metrolink
*Lake Tahoe
*Camping
*Getty Museum (How I passed into another decade)

*L.A. County Fair
*Play in the snow
*Wakeboarding
*Kneeboarding
*Kayaking
*Wine Tasting
*Visit a new state (*Hawaii, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Arizona, Florida)

* - Already have been together, & would like to re-experience
Text - Completed task YAY!

Side Note: 2012 has been a year of lessons. Lesson's that we both needed to learn and we have both grown immensely from them. From family, to friends and even our own relationship. I have learned to be patient with those around me. Things may not always go the way I want, so I have learned to let them go their own route and let go of the things that are not important. I have done my grieving, with my fathers death and also with many other losses that I suffered in 2012. I know that difficulties will come still, but in dealing with all the things that life threw my way this year, I am confident that I can handle anything life throws at me later! I have learned to be strong, even when I want to be weak. To love all things with my whole heart, even when they hurt me. On new years eve last year, when the clock struck midnight I cried. I cried for all my sadness; thankful that the year had closed, not knowing what 2012 would have in store for me. I have a feeling that this new years eve I will have the same feelings of sadness, but knowing that the things that happened in 2012 have better prepared me for the rest of my life I think they will be a mixture of sadness and hope. All I can say is bring it on 2013. I am ready!

The Great Seal Of California

Ok, so I haven't gotten around to updating the blog as often as I should. If you didn't read about my recent medical mishap you can click here to understand why things got a bit quiet around here.

Anywho, after D's cousins wedding we decided that since we were up in the northern part of the state that we would visit the California State Capitol. I mean it was on our way home and D and I had never been there. Why not check another thing off our travel bucket list. We drove through beautiful downtown Sacramento and the lovely tree lined streets. Looked at the old houses and just thought how nice it would be to live in a historic city.

We found a parking structure and walked over admiring the White House inspired architecture, as well as all the Roman and Greek aspects that the building used. I was of course taking photos when another tourist asked me to take one of him in front of the building. Hence the photo of me taking a photo, thanks honey! The man was kind enough to take some shots of us as well, albeit blurry, but hey, it was nice.

Us in front of the Capitol

The Great Seal

Beautiful Vaulted Ceilings inside and out

Once inside we tooled around looking at the various exhibits, one in particular caught D's eye and that was the old bank vault. We ran into a docent that was training a newbie and they told us to meet them down at the vault in a bit and they would give us a private tour inside the vault and old bank area. They had plenty of information to share and there were lots of cool vintage items to take photos of. My favorite was the old oscillating fan inside the vault. The coolest things to me was the architecture and history of the building. The artifacts and items that they preserved from the World Wars, and the bond posters were exiting to see as well. We went into the hall where Congress meets and listened to the docents talk about all types of interesting things that happen in the building.

Flag

World War Military Uniforms

Bond Posters

The Dome

Congress Hall

Interior of the vault door

Bond Replica's

Vintage fan!

After we walked throughout the building we went outside to find a place to eat lunch. We walked past a beautiful Catholic Church that I wanted to tour, but D needed to eat so we moved past. Next time were up there I am going to that church! All in all it was a great little stop that we made on our way back down south! I highly recommend going!