The first week of school is in the books, and I am so glad it’s the weekend! This will be the first weekend in I-can’t remember-how-long that we haven’t had someplace to be and probably the last until Christmas break, so I plan on lazying it up and enjoying the hot, sunny weather with the fam.
For our family at this present time, a perfect Saturday consists of brunch/lunch with the kiddos and a trip to one of our many local museums or botanical gardens. We currently hold memberships to the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County (which includes admission to the La Brea Tar Pits), the Discovery Cube, Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden, and our family favorite, the Huntington Library. This gives us a good list to start with when the kids invariably ask “What are we going to do today?” I’m not entirely sure where we’ll end up tomorrow for family fun day after weekend chores, but one really can’t go wrong with any of the selections above, or the many museums in the Pasadena and Los Angeles areas.
Some of our favorite brunch spots:
Magnolia House- 492 S. Lake Av, Pasadena, CA– They serve up a great mimosa if you’re on a brunch date or with girlfriends. I enjoy the huevos rancheros, and you can’t go wrong with the Belgian waffles.
The Reyn- 635 N. Lake Av, Pasadena, CA– The kids can’t get enough of this eclectic cafe north of I-210 in Pasadena. The café has kind of an old diner vibe to it. The food is good and reasonably priced. They also serve up a great huevos rancheros. And if you get there early enough, make sure to try the fresh banana bread if it’s available!
LeRoy’s- 523 W Huntington Dr, Monrovia, CA– I’ve been coming here since I was in high school, with my first time being right after taking SATs. Dad felt that I needed some hearty food after that brain workout, and so we went for brunch. The food is inexpensive and delicious, with large portions which were perfect for an almost literally starving high school student. There’s always a line on the weekends, so allow about 30 minutes wait time.
Regardless of where we end up, I appreciate the time spent with family. It’s all the better when shared over a good meal. Because life gets busy and goes by so quickly, and love is an adventure meant to be shared.
Bottom left: Discovery Cube, Sylmar; Bottom right: Discovery Cube, Santa Ana
The Cranky Camper 
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