Day 2,3,4,5 Ojai to Ventura to LA to Kona

My cousin Tiffany works at the Ojai Valley Inn.

We’re hoping her staff discount is substantial,  because Kooka has decided she’s getting married there. Though she may have also illegally swiped a tangerine from their orchard, so it’s possible she’s been blacklisted. (It might have been worth it, the tangerine was really good.)

We spent two days there with my cousins, lounging in the pool, obsessing over the magic lantern tree, running barefoot through the grass, roasting s’mores, hunting for lizards and golfing (for Rico and new best friend 8 year old Korben).

After Ojai, it was back to Ventura for iced tea, barbecues, a rather intense pool tournament - on which Kaden and I are claiming victory, a visit with Uncle Brad, checking on the tortoises, and more lizard hunting.

The California cousins clearly have one up on us in the lizard catch and release program, but Noah did manage to nab one with help from Kyler and one on his own (the second one gave him a good chomp so he released it much faster than the first.)

After frozen yogurt and goodbyes, we spent a short night in LA before getting up at 5:30 to catch our flight to Kona, Hawaii.

It’s only been a few hours, but after a poke' bowl apiece, real Hawaiian pizza and a pool like this, 

everybody decided to forgo fireworks and shut the pool down. Rico and I are napping under palm trees listening to the sounds of a distant ukulele and our kids laughing together. Seems like paradise to me.