I am embarrassed to admit this, but every time I watch a whale or dolphin show at Sea World, I get a little choked up. Just being that close to those massive beings, seeing the shine on their backs, and the grace of their movements, makes me emotional. So when I saw these magnificent creatures in their natural habitat, I wanted to cry like a baby.

Along with my 8 and 5-year-olds, I took an excursion aboard the 70’ vessel called the Ocean Explorer with Newport Landing Whale Watching located on Balboa Island. Trips happen 7 days a week all year long. The whale watching lasts for 2 ½ hours and takes you along the southern coast of California in search of Grey whales from late December to April and Blue whales and Finbacks from May to November.

My concerns were simple but realistic. Would my children who have only been on ferries and ski boats, be able to find their sea legs? And would we actually SEE a whale? What were are chances to run across these amazing mammals?

Once we got past the no-wake zone and accelerated into the open sea, the boat definitely did roll. We were warned beforehand that the trip would be “bumpy” that afternoon, but there was no walking the decks without the aid of the handrail. The sides of the boat were not overly high and if you have a climber, it would be best to be very close by him. But my kids loved the bow (front) of the boat, which happens to take the most movements while cutting through the waves, so I was still feeling it a few hours after exiting the boat. We had no seasickness and I didn’t even see anyone else get sick. There are bathrooms inside the cabin and the bar has Ginger Ale just in case. So that worry went unfounded.

But would we see whales? My only experience of whale sightings (other than Sea World), were watching for tiny spouts off the Mendocino Coast. No bodies, no tails, just puffs of “smoke” where the massive creatures lay under the water. We searched for a Finback whale for about an hour that had been reported sighted nearby, but he eluded us.

Feeling a little disappointed and slighted by the whale, my spirits were raised when we neared Emerald Bay in Laguna Beach and were surrounded by pods of Common dolphins. Their names don’t do these animals justice. There is nothing common about them. They are not as big as the Bottlenose dolphin, but they are beautiful nonetheless. And when they jumped, and swam, and dove all around us, it was magical. My kids and I just put our chins on the rail and watched them play and “bow ride” (swim along with the front of the boat). These Common dolphins can travel in pods up to 10,000 and they were awesome, but they still weren’t the big whales I had come to see.

Our captain, who was passionate about finding a whale for us, admitted that it was time to turn around and go back. You could tell he loves the search. So much so, he made a movie titled “Seven Miles of Newport Beach,” about the amazing creatures traveling through the waters he captains daily. Just as he was about to admit defeat, a Grey whale was spotted! He was close to 38 feet long and swimming through 55 feet of water migrating back to Alaska from Baja. The Grey whales stay close to the coast because their main predator (the Killer whale), can’t reach their babies there.

And we didn’t just see the spout. Our Grey whale, flipped, shot up, and rolled on his back. He surfaced several times and each time looked more regal. He entertained us until a speedboat cut us off and because the Grey whale is sensitive to sound, he didn’t come back after that. But those few moments made the whole day worth it. Our captain announced that we had witnessed a “miracle.” I’m not sure if that’s because the whale was so close to the harbor, or because so many boats should have scared him away, or even because we were almost sure we wouldn’t see one and it happened in the last moments. But whatever the reason, I felt the same way. A miracle. And yet, when leaving, the captain admitted that on a scale of one to ten, our trip was a 5. “It can be phenomenal out here,” he enthused. But I’ll take my miracle.

Reservations can be made at www.newportwhales.com. Parking is available at the lot for $15 a day, or you can do what we did and park a few blocks away in residential areas and walk in.

I was an invited guest of Newport Landing Whale Watching, but all opinions are my own.

The Original Muscle Beach located in Santa Monica in front of Loews Hotel, is a park/beach/people watching like no other. The place is separated into three sections, allowing something for everyone. A running path and bike lane stretch along side of the beach so it’s a nice place to stop to let the kids play during a day of bike riding or for the runners to do a little stretching before going on.

The first section is the metal rings and bars for gymnasts, body builders, or creative workout types. In the Golden Age, actors such as Kirk Douglas would come down to get their workout done. In no way is this Muscle Beach anything like the cheesy Muscle Beach located in Venice. At the Original Muscle Beach, athletes were not looking for an audience, but with their talent, they got one anyway. I saw girls doing cartwheels on the soft floor, gymnasts actually using the metal rings, and teens testing their strength trying to do the rope crawl.

The next section was for the little kids. Located on the soft sand, there is just-their-size balance beams and swing bars. Large, soft “rocks” are used as pirate ships, “bases”, or for my daughter, a way to springboard her cartwheels to a new level.

Right before the pier, is a Viking ship and dragon for the kids to climb on. This was my kid’s favorite part. Pushing a button on the boat, allowed for steam (water mist) to come out of the dragon’s nostrils. It’s a small area of sand, but the many kids who were playing there were able to navigate around each other well. Imagination was plentiful here.

A row of bathrooms is located between the parks and a water drinking fountain is next to the kid’s park. Across from that area is a chess park, perfect for teaching a new game to your young one, as there are many different chess tables. Also nearby is (possibly the original?) Hot Dog on a Stick for a quick snack while playing so hard.

The Original Muscle Beach is definitely something to check out during your stay in Santa Monica, even if it’s just for the kids to blow off some steam.

While in Santa Monica, you can’t help but be active. The Original Muscle Beach has gymnasts and yogis displaying their talent. Runners whizz by and the beach volleyball courts are always full. But the nicest amenity Santa Monica has to offer for promoting their outdoor lifestyle is the beach bike paths. Where else can you ride alongside the ocean, wind in your hair, sun on your back, and not have to deal with LA traffic? And as far as bike rentals go, there are locations everywhere to make it convenient to start your journey. Staying at Loews Hotel, I chose the easily located Perry’s Blazing Saddles Bike Rental located on the Santa Monica Pier.

My 8 year-old is a pretty experienced biker so she got a nice beach cruiser to do just that. My son, however, at 5, is a little more timid, so we got a tagalong. This was perfect because he got the feeling that he was riding his own bike, but I had the assurance he was still behind me. The extra weight of the tagalong didn’t affect me much and he was a good helper, peddling the whole time helping us along. Trailers, tricycles, tandems, choppers, and kiddy carts are also available to rent. We were provided helmets (safety first!) and a bike lock in case we stopped for lunch or one of the many parks located along the ocean stretch.

Leaving the pier, we first went north, looking for the Annenburg Community Beach House. It was a chilly day, so a lot of the beachfront restaurants and activities were closed, but we had the path to ourselves and it felt exquisite. Biking in our hometown consists of school parking lots and our front yard to avoid cars, so to be able to do a long stretch of biking was wonderful. The South Bay Bicycle Trail that we were on is the longest oceanfront path in California and stretches for 22 miles. We did about two, but with my kids, that was a good amount.

We turned south then and headed 1.5 miles to Venice Beach. We stopped for lunch and let our legs rest. After a couple of hours, we easily returned our bikes back to Blazing Saddles. Along the way, I received several comments about the tagalong and I think a few people were off to try it for themselves after seeing how easy it was.

Perry’s Bike Rentals has 8 locations in Santa Monica and Venice, all easily accessible. Hours are seasonable so in the rare case like ours when there might be rain, call ahead. My daughter’s bike is a $30/all day rental and the tagalong is $40 all day. There are also 1, 2, and 3-hour rates as well. Go onto www.perryscafe.com for more info.

Disclosure…Perry’s Blazing Saddles provided my kids and I with the bikes. All wind in the hair and opinions are my own.

Often times with restaurants, “high end” doesn’t always equal child friendly. But at Ocean and Vine (a restaurant located inside Loews of Santa Monica Hotel), kids are as welcome as the adults.

Ocean and Vine overlooks a beautiful stretch of the Pacific Ocean, along with the Santa Monica Pier. It’s a perfect place to watch the sunset and the pier’s Ferris Wheel begin to light up. The atmosphere is part beach and part Asian decor. (This would make sense since Sushi at Sunset is located within the restaurant.)

The restaurant uses quality cheeses, naturally farmed beef, and fruits and vegetables fresh from local farmer’s market. This was apparent in our tasting of berries before our meal and with our breadbasket that was not run of the mill. My kids sampled a menagerie of breads from sourdough to a Parmesan crisp, and even the butter tasted like it was straight from the pasture. The proof was in my entree of Tiger Prawns and lobster risotto that was one of my top ten favorite dishes of ALL TIME. Creamy, not runny or hard, risotto and perfectly cooked seafood made it a taste to remember.

The kid’s menu had a fun, circus-like theme and at $8 an entre, I thought it was a reasonable price for a fine dining experience. Entrees included hotdog with a side of cheesy popcorn, bologna pizza, and lollipop meatballs and spaghetti. Of course, my kids over indulged with the breadbasket, so most had to be taken home, but not before the cheesy popcorn was consumed.

We did find room for dessert and boy, was it worth it. We ordered the Fireside S’more dish that came in a black pot and was layered with homemade graham crackers, the finest chocolate, and a marshmallow layer I can’t even begin to describe. Just order it.

Ocean and Vine proved to be a wonderful and creative place for my 5 and 8-year-old to experience fine dining and excellent food. The restaurant doesn’t take itself too seriously and that allowed me to relax and let my kids enjoy the experience too. Next time we’ll ask for the table by the indoor fire because that’s what my kids thought was the coolest element.

Disclosure…I was a guest of Ocean and Vine. All opinions (and yummy memories) are my own.

Loews of Santa Monica is a hotel that represents all that California has to offer. Upon entering the lobby, there’s a kickback sophistication that entices one to come in and call it home. This dichotomy is seen in the live video feed of the local beach projected behind the front desk to the open and airy cathedral ceilings showing off the perennial blue skies.

I arrived on an unusually cold day and fires were lit in the massive lobby, where vacationers lounged by, reading books and looking thoroughly relaxed. It’s not unusual to find a business man with his surf board under his arm strolling down to the beach or several families meeting up to swim and enjoy the sunset with drinks by the pool. Throughout the hotel you’ll find the phrase, “Loews Loves Kids,” and there are many ways they prove to be a family friendly hotel.

-Location, location, location. Loews is walking distance to tons of activities in Santa Monica. From the Original Muscle Beach (with a kid’s park right in front of the hotel), to the Santa Monica Pier (including a roller coaster and Ferris Wheel), Loews is a hop, skip, and jump away, allowing for us to never get into our car during our stay.

-The pool. Swimming while overlooking one of the most beautiful stretches of the Pacific Coast is a must do. The pool only goes to 4 ft., so for the questionable swimmers, you don’t have to freak out about the “deep end.” The hot tub is nice too.

-Babysitting services available, along with a kid’s club during the summer months that offers full day of activities and includes lunch.

-Family Fitness Class. We were there for “Hoopnotica” which is usually taught on the beach. Rain sent us inside but it didn’t matter because our instructor Katie proved hula hooping is fun anywhere. She even taught this old mom how to do it and after an hour class, I realized I never worked so hard while having fun!

-Even their “high end” restaurant, Ocean and Vine had a kid friendly menu that was not run of the mill. Activity menus kept them entertained and the gorgeous view kept me relaxed.

-Front desk offers Loews coloring books and kites for the little guys, and for the teens, free music download cards.

-A deep tub was my daughter’s favorite amenity. She’d never bathed in a sinking tub with water to her neck and watched TV at the same time. My favorite in-room amenity was the Keurig individual cup coffee maker. Heaven.

-But the best kid friendly aspect was that there were so many families staying there. I never once felt like people were eyeing me for having my children at a luxurious hotel. My Loews experience proved that Loews does love kids.

Santa Monica promotes an active, outdoor lifestyle and Loews complements that environment. From starting our day with a beach stroll, taking classes that were fun (and fit), to ending our day by an outdoor fire watching the sunset, Loews is a California lifestyle and kid friendly hotel.

Disclosure…I was an invited guest of Loews Hotel. All opinions (and fun had) are my own.