Cheap Thrills, LB style

My beloved blog buddy Willoughby planted a bug in my ear about Cheap Thrills. What is that? Well, it's basically taking a trip within driving distance that costs, without the price of gas, less than 20 bucks. Her guidelines are simple: within driving distance so no overnight stay is necessary, little or no fee to enjoy, appeals to both children and adults, and have a place to picnic nearby.

So when Mrs. LB called me on her way home from work on Wednesday and asked if I'd be up for a trip to the beach, I thought of a Cheap Thrill and agreed to go.

We went down to Newport Beach for a quick weeknight getaway. We got there around 6:30 and although we were on our way home just two hours later, we had a great and memorable time.

We parked in a terrific spot, some 10 yards from the sand. It cost us a dollar to purchase time, as we found a spot with 30 minutes on the meter already, and entry to the beach was free of charge.

It was in the mid-90s during the day out where I live, but on the beach it was considerably cooler, probably in the 70s by the time we got there. The water was cold! I'm not crazy about cold water so I didn't get in all the way but that didn't stop Yvie.

Kennedy isn't quite as adventurous as her older sister quite yet but she had fun running in and out of the water.

I made dinner for everyone (on short notice, so I made myself a sub sandwich with mozzarella cheese, marinara sauce, spinach and red bells; it was decent). We ate right there on the beach, so we didn't spend money on dinner. We only spent money on a snack afterwards, as the girls and Mrs. LB had donuts while I had a large coffee.

All told, we spent about, maybe five dollars or so, not counting gas. So it was all in all a great trip.