Today was day two of our Disney bound road trip. Much like yesterday, it went pretty smooth as far as the wee babes went. Nothing much need be said there. Traffic was a bit more of a pain, first because Waze took us through a windy highway that was under construction and down to one lane in a spot, two because infamous LA traffic. The worst of the LA traffic was in getting to our lunch destination, one Firestone Walker brewery who happens to make a couple of my favorite beers. They also happen to make a pretty damn good lunch spread.

They're the (now) maker of my favorite line of fruited wheat beers, Cali Squeeze. I first had Cali Squeeze during a food festival at California Adventure. It was a particularly hot day in November, and that beer may have hit the spot more than anything else has ever hit the spot. Then it was made by SLO Brewery, which happens to be where we were trying to go for dinner yesterday. In the intervening years, the Cali Squeeze recipe and brand has been sold off to Firestone Walker who've run with the concept. They also now sell Blood Orange Calisqueeze at DCA, and I always make it a point to get one. The larger beer in the photo above is the peach pomegranate variant only available at the brewery. It's not as good as the OG blood orange, but possibly the second best. On the way out, I had to snag a Cali Squeeze shirt to add to my growing collection of brewery T-shirts.

From the brewery, it was a pretty easy pop down to our hotel (once we found gas). Upon checking into our hotel room, I crossed over into new territory: luggage dad.

Because of time delays from our morning departure and the traffic woes, we decided to forego the shops visits we'd planned for the day. That just meant getting into the parks earlier... which still happened to be mid/late evening. Honestly, that's not necessarily a bad thing as we're in the middle of a heat wave and wandering around outside after the sun has beamed down its harshest rays is a plus. Doesn't mean it wasn't uncomfortably warm, but was slightly better.

We spent the evening wandering around both parks, not riding rides, just kind of enjoying being back and with the wee babes. He was pretty okay for the most part, falling asleep in the front pack on the walk from the hotel, though eventually waking up with his usual thirst for food. We crashed the baby center in Disneyland for a bit to feed him where I had a small mental breakdown. As we were sitting there feeding him, removed from the action and hoping his mood would improve, lots of folks were walking in the door, mostly for diaper or clothes changes. The ages ranged from baby to 5+ years and it dawned on me that a day where the whole family enjoys Disneyland with few child care pit stops was a very long way off. This was my life now and I'd never have nice things again (dramatic hyperbole added for effect).

Existential crises aside, we returned after park close where we are now. I've managed to get baby child down for now, the dishwasher loaded (more about logistics maybe later), and Kayla is sleeping off some unwellness that has befallen here. I'm incredible nervous about tomorrow, what with the temperatures being very high and the sun melting everything its light touches.

At least there will be Blood Orange Cali Squeeze.