Baby Vacation

Just returned from our first real vacation with Mazin. Santa Barbara, California, for a week. Vacation with a baby is so different... in a way it is more relaxing. No more pressure to pack 50 activities in one day, to experience everything. With a baby, you're wise to plan your day around one outing. If you can make it back to home base for a nap in the afternoon, that's heaven. Going out to dinner past 6 o'clock--not advised. (We tried that once, and only once.) And be ready to scrap your carefully orchestrated plans if someone's not in the mood. Yes, all of these lessons were learned, and I think Mazin really enjoyed the change of scenery. He tolerated our three-hour hike into the mountains just outside the city. We let him out at the top to play with rocks and enjoy the view. He especially loved playing in the sand at the beach, meeting new animals at the zoo, and discovering the many scenic and beautifully appointed playgrounds of Santa Barbara. (Seriously--they have one at the top of a ridge overlooking the Pacific Ocean and the Los Padres mountains.) A travel book revealing the country's best playgrounds... think that would sell?