The Jordan Journeys: Southern California Spring Break

For the last few years, Rick has been a speaker at Austin's SXSW festival, which happens to fall directly in the middle of Spring Break. The kids and I usually do a combo of a Dallas staycation during Rick's absence or a Austin trip to catch glimpses of Rick from time to time.

Coinciding with Rick's working for a new firm this year, Rick decided to take a break from SXSW, so we opted for a Spring Break family trip. Little did our rookie selves know that EVERYBODY else in the South is trying to travel during the same week and flights are expensive and limited, accommodations are booked, and destination options are quite scarce. (Lesson learned that we will more likely have the kids skip school another week than mess with Spring Break travel again.)

HOWEVER, we did determine that (with creativity), flights to San Diego weren't too bad, so we planned a week of spending a few days in Palm Springs (somewhere we have wanted to go since my friend Brooke Taylor married there a week after Palmer was born in 2011), a day drive to Joshua Tree National Park, and then a few days to see the sites in San Diego.

First stop, Palm Springs... The kids made themselves at home immediately and found the only family pool tucked away in the corner far from the three other quieter adult pools (which were more free-flowing with the waiters carrying adult beverages!)

Hmm... I wonder why the adults didn't want kids in the water with all of their splashing antics?

Real life note: See Rick in the background? Unfortunately, our already planned trip coincided with the closing of a very hairy deal the following week. So, Rick spent most of his trip like this. He tried his hardest to be engaged when he could and I tried my hardest to be understanding and patient. We both fell short at times, but we are human. We are always working on trying to have it all and enjoy life to its fullest. Sometimes that means working during a vacation and practicing gratitude for the vacation and gratitude for the job that allows a vacation. Not easy. But, real life notes are important, too.

Meanwhile, don't mind me over here just watching the kids with one of the best things I've ever eaten in my life...

Palmer and I snuck away to see the Indian Wells tennis tournament, which happened to be in town during our stay. There are four major tournaments and this is one of the largest minor tournaments. All of the big pros come to play here. We saw Roger Federer at the quarter final and some of the female quarter final match. We both loved the entire match and I followed the rest of the tournament on TV. It was amazing to watch the pros and their speed, especially after my experience over the last year on the most beginner level of the Dallas tennis league.

Rick and Grace had a daddy-daughter night while we were away... Grace requested swimming and candy. Rick is such a sucker.

We also explored the aerial tramway in Palm Springs that in ten minutes takes you from the desert climate up to the top of the San Jacinto Mountains at an elevation of 8500 feet, where there is snow on the ground and the temps have dropped about 50 degrees. We ski a lot, so the Jordans are used to lifts and gondolas. Let the record reflect that, this gondola is freaking scary....it's so steep and so high and you are just dangling and praying.

At the top, the kids loved exploring the trails and the snow. The trees were so huge up here!

Next destination... Joshua Tree National Park. Since my photography class in Big Bend, I've been dying to take photos at Joshua Tree. We deemed the best time would be sunrise and loaded everyone up at 530am to make the drive in for the sun show.

Although the visit was a little rushed (no cell service for Rick amidst handling a business deal from afar is a tad stressful for him!), we got some good pics and stopped to climb on some big boulders. The park is so unique and special- I'm glad we made the detour to see it.