Southern California Winter Jaunt

I used to live in Southern California many moons ago. Boy has time flown. But whenever I return, it’s always a welcome surprise. Some changes are for the good, and sometimes they are not so good. I actually flew down to attend one of my former manager whose remarried again. It was a wedding reception to celebrate her recent marriage. She was proposed in Hawaii, married in Las Vegas, and now hosting a reception in Rancho Cucamonga. Happy to be there to celebrate this special event.

Attending the reception was also walking through memory lane. Seeing old colleagues after all these years felt like I never left that job. The only thing that changed was how much older we’ve become. The event took place at a Residence Inn banquet reception area. It was informal but enjoyable. It was also fun to chat with my manager’s other colleagues from other jobs.

One of the most beautiful thing about this trip was the opportunity to see friends and family. It’s an immediate break from just seeing them on social media. I appreciate spending time with them for just a short time, but so memorable. If it’s just meeting for lunch or going on a hike, it all makes it worthwhile. My trip was only a few days but I covered a lot of ground.

I flew in early that morning at John Wayne Airport in Orange County. I rented a car and headed to a local breakfast house. The cafe has Hawaiian inspired dishes. It’s called, Scramblers Cafe, located in Norco.

Every time I take off somewhere I always do a side trip in between. This breakfast stop was a welcome surprise. It brought me back home for comfort food and just to relax before getting ready for that afternoon’s reception.

The next day I headed over to visit another colleague for a get together for lunch in Corona. In Southern California you need a car. I literally had to drive cross town to get to my colleague. The freeways seem to always be busy despite it not being rush hour. We met up and had lunch at a local Chinese restaurant. We ordered a ton of food to take back to Roseanna’s husband. He really had no choice on what we ordered for him. It was really good to just sit and chat away about our lives and what 2026 will hold for us. As recent retirees, I can only imagine how much adventure we’ll all be doing in the coming year.

That evening I headed to downtown LA! Again, it’s a drive on a couple of different freeways to get to downtown. I stayed with a friend there to finish strong before heading home in the next couple of days.

What a better way to enjoy LA by being active. In the morning, I played some pickle ball with friends. Then, I went on a nice hike at Runyon Park to enjoy views of Los Angeles! To finish the day, we all met for dinner.

I think overall, this trip was short. But, I covered a lot of ground by spending the holidays with old colleagues and friends. I wouldn’t change a thing. I’m looking ahead to ringing in 2026 with a pleasant flight home to San Francisco. For a change, I’d like to “ring” in the new year by enjoying solitude. Of course, this includes a nice drink and sleeping in. Hello 2026!