Traditionally, Thanksgiving is held at my parents' house, but this year, we decided to head down to Southern California and celebrate at my brother Edmund's. We would also take the opportunity to go to Legoland.
FLIGHTS AND LODGING
My flights were purchased with Southwest points, then used my Companion Pass for Kaleb to travel free, so we only needed to pay the 9/11 security fees of $5.60 per person each way. My parents also used Southwest points for their tickets.
The first part of the week, Kaleb and I would be staying at my brother Allen's, then we would move to Edmund's on Thanksgiving day. My parents would be staying the entire week at Edmund's.
I reserved two studio suites for one night at the Staybridge Suites Carlsbad for us and my parents using the free night certificates that Kaleb and I received for having the IHG Select credit card (no longer available for application). With each room costing $325 cash rate a night, the $49/year annual fee is worth it. (to be fair, any comfortable hotel room would be worth $49) Edmund used his IHG points to reserve a night at the Holiday Inn Carlsbad next door as Staybridge Suites sold out of award nights when he checked.
Now back to the trip...
Edmund, Angela and Abby picked us up from the airport, then we got some takeout for dinner. After dinner, Edmund dropped me and Kaleb off at Allen's house. The next couple of days were filled with activities such as walks around the neighborhood, playing sports in the park, good eats such as waffle dishes at Bruxie and home-cooked wonton noodle soup, as well as me and the kids preparing side dishes for Thanksgiving dinner.
On Thanksgiving, we convened at Edmund's house, along with Angela's parents. It was a delicious dinner with all the traditional fixings as well as goodies from Porto's Bakery. Kaleb and I sat at the kids' table, lol! (thanks to Angela for many of the pictures here)
We and Edmund's family went to Legoland on Saturday. They had annual passes and were generous to share their guest tickets with us. It was a fun day, with hardly any lines compared to Disneyland.
 |  |
Mom and Dad's boat broke down so an employee had to don some waders and push them back to the start (11 second clip):
 |  |
 |  |
After Legoland closed, we headed to our hotels to check in. My parents, Kaleb and I were dropped off first to check into Staybridge Suites. I shortly found out that the two studio suites I reserved were upgraded to a 1-bedroom and 2-bedroom suite, so I immediately called Edmund to have him try to cancel his Holiday Inn reservation and stay in the larger accommodation with my parents. Fortunately, he made it just before the cancellation deadline and got his points back. I assume the room upgrades were due to having IHG Platinum status (thanks to the IHG credit card).
The suites were roomy and included a full kitchen. The 2-bedroom was similar to the 1-bedroom, but with the second bedroom and its own bath attached to the living room. Breakfast is always included for all Staybridge Suites guests.
 |  |
 |  |
We were in search of dinner and decided on an Italian restaurant called 2051 Cucina Italiana, uniquely located in a design studio space. Since we didn't have reservations, we had to wait a while, eventually seated in a quaint outdoor patio replete with propane heaters. The food and drinks were delicious!
 |  |
And that was the end of our Thanksgiving break in Southern California...good eats and good times with family! Legoland is always a fun place to go, especially when it's not as crowded as Disneyland.
Where to next? The girls go cruisin'...stay tuned!
(Missed reading about our trip to Oahu? Click here! Don't miss a single update! Click here to subscribe and have the latest delivered straight into your inbox...opt out anytime.)
***
If you came here from a Facebook or Twitter link, thanks for clicking the "Facebook Like" button at the top of the page or retweeting!
Don't miss a blog entry! Sign up for updates direct to your inbox here or add the blog to your RSS feed.
Getting excited reading about these trips and want to go? Contact me at kat (at) yellowdogtravel (d0t) com with your ideas and I can help you plan it! Or if you've already put a deposit on a cruise through the cruise line, contact me to get more information on transferring the reservation to me to get bonuses like extra onboard credit or gifts. I have lots of happy repeat clients - references always available.
Another disclaimer: The intention of this blog was to remind Future Me in full detail about where I went and what I did. I could have made it private, but I frequently get questions from family, friends and internet folks about how I planned things, got deals, etc., so instead of repeating the story over and over, I direct them here. If you are offended by anything I say or do, save yourself the discomfort and kindly click away from my blog. Thanks for reading and have a wonderful day!
Previous post: Hiking, relaxing and good eats in Oahu
