I'm baaaaaaaaaaaaaack!! After taking an unintentional year and a half hiatus from the ol' blog-a-roo, guess who's back! Tell your friends!

Not much has changed since I last sat down to write one of these...oh wait, just kidding...yes it has! We had a baby! While I had the best of intentions, being pregnant was not my forte. The thought of getting on the computer to blog made me nauseous. In fact, it wasn't just the computer that made me sick, it was pretty much everything...food, cars, my phone, if the sky was blue, etc., etc. Anyhow, on October 6, 2016, we welcomed our beautiful baby girl, Elizabeth Hudson Johns, to the world! We love her and we're pretty sure she likes us right back!

Last June, to celebrate her impending arrival, Kyle and I "babymooned" (yes guys, that is a thing!) in zika-free La Jolla, California. I loved just about everything about this trip; from the SoCal weather to the food, the shopping, our hotel, the scenery...all of it! So, here's a quick recap of our must-do's, all of which are pregnant-lady friendly! Enjoy!

Stay

We stayed at La Valencia Hotel and were very happy with our choice! Going into the trip, we had a few requirements...

1) A pool: Being pregnant during one of the hottest Atlanta summers on record, all I really wanted to do was sit by a pool and drink virgin pina coladas. Seriously though...I did not create any sort of itinerary for this trip because that was my whole plan. Period. The End. La Valencia's pool was stunning and a perfect place to spend my mornings relaxing. And of course the mocktails were on point!

2) Walkability: We decided against renting a car for this trip so wherever we stayed, we knew it had to be within walking distance to a few activities. Aside from getting to and from the airport, we spent 5 days here and never found the need for a car! We could easily walk to shops, restaurants, beaches, bars, and museums.

3) Character: This is always something we tend to look for in a hotel and La Valencia did not disappoint!

Bonus: Onsite restaurants and/or bars...going into the trip I was unsure of how I would feel and how much I would be able to get out and do. Luckily this wasn't a problem, but we could have been perfectly happy with the hotel's onsite dining and drinking options!

Eat

Brockton Villa - So good we went twice (and we have never done that)! Go for brunch and get the Coast Toast! Don't even fight it, trust me, I tried to order something else and we had to go back just so I could have my own. Great views right on the water.

Cody's - Great little spot right next to the hotel. Walk over from the pool and have lunch!

Duke's La Jolla - A combination of SoCal and Hawaiian flavors, we loved Duke's! The Korean Sticky Ribs and the fries are a must!

Catania - Pizza on the roof. Because Kyle's life-goal is to have pizza in every city. But seriously, this was good pizza!

George's at the Cove - We ate at the Level 2 Terrace Bar. Great views and really good food!

Herringbone - Worth a stop for the atmosphere alone!

Puesto Mexican Street Food - Because tacos.

Cafe La Rue - This little bistro is part of the hotel. We stopped in for some appetizers and I distinctly remember the french fries.

Haagen Dazs - It was right beside the hotel and I was pregnant so clearly we went three separate time. Does it get any better than Haagen Dazs? No, no it doesn't.

Play

La Jolla Cove: We mainly stayed in this area walking around, eating, and visiting a few beaches. As east coasters, the size of the waves definitely took us by surprise! Kyle was brave enough to go for a few swims while I strolled the beach. You can walk all along the Cove and take the stairs down to the try out the beaches, watch the surfers, check out the sea lions. Walk down to the Children's Pool at the end.

Shopping on Girard Avenue and Prospect Street: There are all sorts of great little beach wear shops in the area!

La Jolla Shores: From our hotel, we took the path around the coast for about a mile and half to get over to La Jolla Shores. This was a great beach spot with restrooms, playgrounds, people watching and surfing!

Sunny Jim Sea Cave: For a small price you can take the stairs down into the sea cave where there is a platform at the bottom. Its a nice little activity, but we enjoyed the view from atop the caves much more!

Sunsets: Being on the west coast means you can watch the sunset over the water!

Our main goal on this trip was simply to chill and while we definitely accomplished that, there is still so much more to do in the area! Here are just a few ideas to add to your La Jolla to-do list...Torrey Pines for hiking, golfing, hang gliding, the spa, and more; The San Diego Zoo; Little Italy; La Jolla Playhouse; Surfing!