I would have mentioned my trip, but I had to keep it a secret so my son Fred wouldn’t read about it.
We decided to fly out to Los Angeles on Friday and surprise our new graduate. Fred's girlfriend Jessica was our accomplice in the surprise. She phoned/e-mailed his best friends and asked them to be at Versaille, a popular Cuban restaurant in Venice, at 7:30 PM.
Jessica picked up Fred after work and told him that she and his roommate Jono were taking him out to dinner to celebrate his surviving his first week on the job.
When the trio walked in and Fred saw all of us sitting around a table, he was really surprised… especially to see us.
(Jessica and Fred are on the left)Although it felt quite chic to fly cross-country for dinner, we stayed the weekend.
On Saturday, we spent time strolling along the water in Playa del Rey, visiting Venice, and lunching at Metro Diner in Culver City. This hip eatery is located in a motel but the food is fresh and healthy and clientele trendy, not transient.
We headed to Santa Monica for dinner at Father's Office, a local pub famous for burgers on bagettes and sweet potato fries. Oddball beers on tap were good, too.
The evening ended with a stop in Westwood for tea and juice at Cafe Elysee, just down the block from the historic Fox Theatre.
On Sunday, we started the day at the newly re-opened Getty Villa
and its treasurehouse of antiquities (outdoor statuary are repro.)
We also drove up the Pacific Coast Highway to admire the natural beauty and man-made oddities.
and stopped for lunch at Malibu Seafood. 
We munched on fish tacos, grilled tuna, and assorted fried fish, shrimp and oysters on a lively outdoor patio with a water view.
The weather was perfect. According to locals, it was the best day in LA so far this spring.
It was even warm enough to go to the beach!
Sunday night, we took the red eye back east and arrived home at 5 AM this morning. Ouch!I took LOTS of great photos and I promise to share some. More to follow this weekend when I get back from yet another a trip. And, then, it's back to the wonderful world of textiles.
*** BLOG DU JOUR ***
Take a trip to France at La Vie Au Soleil. Cat lovers will adore Sunday's post. Not a cat fancier? I promise you will be swept away by the artful photography of nature, interiors and the French penchant for everything beautiful. No translations necessary! If this link refuses to work, and it sometimes does, type Lavieausoleil.canalblog.com into your search engine. It's worth the extra effort.
30 comments:
It looks like you had a great time. I love Montana Avenue.
Wishing you a good week.
Cookie
What a fun weekend
How wonderful to surprise Freddie
Alison
Hi Barbara,
Love all the pictures! Makes me want to go there! You have such a fun blog. ;-)
Janet
Janet's Creative Pillows
It appears a wonderful time was had by all. How great that you were able to surprise your son.
Thanks for sharing your pictures and fun with all of us.
Barbara I love this fun post! I'll have a look at the Blog Du Jour, it sounds like something I will enjoy very much!
Pat
Barbara .... you are such a cutie...
Looks like you had a grand time...
What a handsome son you have... and what a sweet surprise that must have been to see you sitting at the table when he walked in ..... family gatherings can be such a joy...
I am going to go check out your blog dejour as the link doesnt work....
HUGS ... cant wait to see more
JO
Barbara, Fred and his girlfriend are absolutely adorable.
You are quite the jetsetter. Flying all over the place. It looks like this trip was just for fun and that's wonderful, especially in sunny CA.
Hope you are enjoying all your spring blooms. Here in MA, everything is still cold. Can't wait to see my pansies peeping up.
Take care, xoxo
Cath
That is so nice that you got to visit your son Barbara and it being a surprise is even more fun.
I want to head off to CA someday. I've never been there but have always heard such wonderful things about it, my husband and I will have to go one of these days.
How marvelous! What a great mom you are!
Yet another amazing adventure..:)
I'm sure Fred was happy to see you. Sounded like so much fun.
I LOVE the picture of you on the beach. It reminds me so much of the picture you posted of yourself back in you designing days. LOVE IT...!!!!
Still waiting for an invite to tag along on one of your get-a-ways. Don't you need some one to carry your bags or something....:)
Hello Barbara,
Nice to meet you, thanks for stopping
by my blog, I love company and to meet new friends, enjoyed visiting your blog and hearing about your trip. Sounds so wonderful, I live her and Ca and have
never made that trip, I want to some time...Visit again please...Pinkie Denise
Oh, what a fabulous time!! It looks so nice and warm there - I want some of that.
Susan
xo
What a sweet surprise for Fred! Sounds like a great time, especially dipping your toes in the sand too!
Hi Barbara, What a great trip and surprise for your son. Your pictures are wonderful.
Celestina,
La Rea Rose
Sounds like a fun quick trip! I love seeing all the great places you visit when you travel. Now I want fish tacos!
Penny
What a great trip! I love Venice and the Getty! Cheers, Kathryn
What a great trip! I love Venice and the Getty! Cheers, Kathryn
What Fabulous places you visited! Congrats to Fred!:) chris
I found your blog through Back Porch Musings. Loved your photos. And I have two cats. As well as two dogs and fish (indoors and out). So I enjoy all things animal-related! Enjoyed reading about your trip.
Brenda
What fun! I need to get back to LA. It has been too long. I always loved Venice and Malibu and want to show it all to Grace. Danny loved it when he was younger.
Loved the photos...we have a freebie ticket to anywhere in the US so maybe LA would be nice...I have a dear friend there who works for NBC and she keeps asking me when I am coming to show Grace the sites! Your photos make me want to go today!
Thank you for sharing all your fun with us!
I am off to visit your blog recommend!
Hugs,
Sue
Well, let me guess what you eat at that Cuban restaurant: Arrroz congri, vaga frita or boliche, and of course, you had to have some platanos maduros fritos.... A QUE NO???? :)
Happy day to you!
Cielo
what a lovely surprise for you son!
sorry! your son
hi barbara, tks for popping over recently, you've got an awesome blog here, so i'll be here often :)
Pretty photos of you Barbara!!! You always seem to be having so-o- much fun with your work.
I know your son was happy to see you!! Have lots of fun in the sun!
XO
Brook
Wow, that was a fabulous trip and you saw so much in one weekend. I'm glad our LA weather stayed so nice for you! Didn't you just love the Getty Villa? What a nice surprise for your son! Great post!
It's always so much fun arranging a surprise like this one. Glad it all went off so well.
Thanks for the tour afterwards. I will look forward to the rest of the photos in due course.
Looks like a wonderful La Quickie!
Great photos!~ And it was warm enough for the beach! :D
Look forward to seeing more photos!
Have a great weekend!
Cat
Sounds like a fun weekend to me!
I'm ready to head back to California...Loved Santa Barbara, Carpentaria, and Laguna beach.
I'm off to check your blog of the day.
Enjoy your weekend!
Kimberly :)
What a wonderful and fun surprise!! You were so very lucky, it WAS the best weather we have had all year. So glad. I love when people come to visit and the weather is better than ever.
xo Lidy
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