Disneyland in the summer is awful. The last 3 or 4 times I've been it was during the off-season. That's a much better experience than the middle of the summer when the lines are too long, fast passes run out too soon, and fighting the crowds just to get from point A to point B is a nightmare. Even with shorter park hours, going in the off-season is the best option.

Leaving Angels Stadium is 1000x easier than LES. Granted, there was a fireworks show after the game we didn't stay for. We got in our car and were back where we were staying in Corona del Mar 18 miles away a mere 25 minutes later. That has to be some kind of record.

Driving in LA and Orange County was much better than I remember. We tried to avoid rush hour and that really helped. Maybe we timed everything right, as no traffic we faced was much worse than driving on I-15 along the Wasatch Front. I did not like the 65 mph speed limit, though.

A wave runner on the open ocean is exhilarating. I'm not sure why I have't done this before.

If you aren't rich, I suggest you marry into a family with a rich relative that has one house a few blocks from the beach and another a half mile away that has a dock. Make sure one of the houses has a private suite in the back.

Angels owner Arte Morneo has a nice house on the water. One of his boats is a beat up dinghy, which seemed a little odd. Maybe it's for the grandkids to take around the bay. Alas, I was too chicken to knock on the door to ask and find out.

I've done the cabin in the mountains retreat and the beach vacation this summer and I much prefer the beach.

If I could have changed one thing it would have been wave running on Saturday and going to the Angels game on Sunday so I could have seen the Trout homers in person.

On Balboa Island I went in the arcade to do the photo booth thing with my HCBW and for a split second, I even wished TNT could have been there (at the arcade, not in the photo booth). I'm not sure he would have been able to afford the $1 ferry ride and play at the arcade, though.

As much as I love my kids, not having them around for a few days of this trip was awesome.