When we got back to the room last night, I noticed that I am having some issues with my internet connectivity and need to get in touch with work and AT&T to sort it out. I actually have some work to do today and need to get this fixed. I have also received an urgent call from Youth Guidance, a not-for-profit that I have been working with giving some assistance on reporting and analysis for their programs.
I decide to head down to the lobby at 6 AM, grab a cup of coffee and get on the phone to our support desk. They hook me up with AT&T where we figure out that the card I am primarily using has a 5 gig limit and I have maxed it out. I do have another data card that is on an older plan that is truly unlimited, so I will switch to that one going forward.
At 7 I get on a conference call with the folks from Youth Guidance while sitting by the pool. I sip my coffee, watch the waves on the beach and spend an hour helping them figure out how to keep them moving on some of their reporting until I get back and can spend some time with them downtown.
Back up to the room and everyone is just waking up. We are moving out of the hotel and into another RV Park in Newport Beach. This stay at the hotel has been so nice; Wendy has been talking about keeping the RV at the park and checking into the Hyatt Huntington Beach. This was something we discussed when we were first planning, but we felt we would be close enough to the beach at the RV Park. We check out some prices online and decide to let things stand the way we have them currently planned.
It takes us a little over an hour to pack up all the stuff. I call the bellman, call up the car and have Wendy drive me over to the Viceroy to pick up the RV. They said it might take some time to pull it out depending on the number of cars they have to move, so I tell her to take the kids to an early lunch and I will catch up. Turns out they can drop the chain and I can pull right out.
I meet up with them at Burger King. First time I have eaten here in years. They have a veggie sandwich that Wendy wants Charlotte to try, so I go with the flow.
Onto the highway, we have a little over and hour to drive to get to the south side of LA. We pull into the RV park, check in and back into the spot. Turns out there were some branches on a tree at the back. Wendy told me they were there, but I didn’t look and did not think they would be a problem. Well, it takes off the antenna for the satellite radio and bends the other over. The others are OK, but I will have to see if I can repair the one that broke.
The park has a nice view of the bay and is very clean. We send the kids to the water park, and Wendy and I head up to the store to find out some info about where we can schedule surf lessons for Thursday. They have some suggestions, but this is NOT the concierge at the Loews. When we get back to the RV, we again discuss moving to the Hyatt. The kids are complaining that they were told they have to wear life jackets in the swim area and need wrist bands. We have not unpacked, so it would be an easy move. I check online and the only room available with 2 queens is in the Regency Club level. More expensive, but it includes access to the Club where they have breakfast and snacks. We figure we can make up the difference in cost by eating and drinking. We book online, close up the RV and head the 5 miles up PCH (Pacific Coast Highway CA-1) to Huntington Beach and the Hyatt.
This is the location that Wendy has seen many times on Regis and Kelly, so she is excited to get back out of the RV again. We were only back in for an hour! But, the stay at the Loews in Santa Monica has us a bit spoiled. We pull in and head up to the room. It has a nice view of the courtyard with views of the beach off to the side. We unpack and head out to the beach for a walk to the pier. On the way out, we decide to talk to the people at the surf shop about lessons for Thursday. They let us know that they usually need a full day’s notice, but if we book within the next half hour, they can make it work. We book on the spot for 8AM the next morning and head off to the beach.
It is a ¾ mile walk to the pier, and most of the shops are closed. When we get there, Wendy and the kids head down to the water front while I head out on the pier to get a close up view of the surfers in action. There are 10 to 15 out there catching waves. Not really big waves – 4 to 6 feet – but big enough that they are able to work them a bit. I also talk to some of the fishermen on the pier and then head down to see the kids. Charlotte is soaking up the late afternoon sun while Jackson and Georgia are romping in the surf.
We head back to the hotel and make a stop at the Regency Club to pick up some appetizers and water, then off to the room to order room service. The kids have been bugging us to watch Arthur (the new release with Russell Brand) at the last hotel, so we decide to have pizza night with a movie. I work while watching the movie and fall asleep just before Arthur turns his life around. Will have to catch the ending later.