Cousin Kait Visits LA

Alas it was a very overdue vacation for Miss Kaitlin McDonough. A rising college Junior and a workaholic to boot, my cousin Kaitlin wasn't asking much out of her week-long vacation to La La land.

"Heather, just give me a bed and point me to the beach in the morning and I'll figure out the rest," she explained.

Well that's easy, I thought. But I wanted to do something a little bit more exciting. Afterall, she's one of my only two biological first cousins and Megan's graduation picture (Kait's younger sister) had already made it on to our fridge (it's the only picture we have on our fridge.) Kaitlin needed some royal treatment - relaxing treatment, yes, but I wanted to give her a real LA experience.

I decided that this experience wouldn't include much "touristy" behavior. Sorry, Kait - no trip to the Chinese Theater, but if I had it my way she'd be treated like a celebrity.

The first order of business - a full day at a spa outside of LA proper. After spending a few days lounging at the Santa Monica beach, Kait and I loaded up the car for her surprise visit to the Glen Ivy Day Spa where we were to have massages, facials and plenty of bathing in mud and other fine mixtures.

At one point we covered each other with clay and laid out in the sun to dry. There was also the Grotto where we took a private elevator down into a cave and were painted with a green aloe mixture.

That evening we met up with Kevin and headed to Malibu for the yearly "opening party" that the Malibu guys throw. We ate Todd's awesome food - Todd has recently started a catering company called Laurel Springs Catering, so now he's legit, but we've always known his food was to die for. We hung out by the bonfire where Kait was introduced to "Danny the Fire Man." Danny is one of the guys who rent the Malibu house in the summer, the manager to John Stamos and Bob Saget (to name a few), and also the guy who keeps the bonfire roaring (hence his name.)

Later that week, after Kaitlin had returned home, I received a text from her. "I just saw Dan the fire man on the roasting of Bob Saget." It took a minute to figure out what she meant, but once I figured it out I knew I'd done my job in connecting Kait to the Hollywood stars. "Well, I have a face to remember," Danny later explained.

The following day we got up early to meet Justin at the Santa Monica airport where we got in a plane and flew to Catalina Island. What a way to travel! We had breakfast, sat on the lawn and listened to a band, and scooted along some rocks for some pics.

We also had a lot of fun making fun of Justin's obsession with the "Submarine."
"It's not really a submarine," he ranted. "It's a glass bottom boat and they pack everyone in and they're all like 'oh we're going underwater,' but do they put them underwater,? No, they just ride them around in the glass bottom boat all like ' oohh look at the pretty fish."

We've decided Justin was traumatized by Disney's version of a "submarine" and no one will ever live it down.

We also enjoyed making fun of the classic "Slippery when Wet" sign.

We flew back to the mainland later that afternoon and enjoyed surfing and dinner in Manhattan beach. Kaitlin caught her first wave and, I must say, very well!!

"No one really taught me what to do," Kaitlin explained when we asked her why she stood on the board like a gymnast who had just completed a perfect landing. "I didn't know where to put my hands or anything."

The truth is, short of telling Kait which leg to put forward, I didn't give her any instruction. Instruction hasn't done much for my other friends who are learning to surf. I figured, Kait's related to me - she's a tough cookie and she'll follow our lead.

That she did. The first wave I went to catch, I turned back and looked over my shoulder and there is Kait being pummeled by a wave - smiling the whole way.

Kevin made guacamole that night and burgers that were to die for - or so I hear. I filled up on so much guac that I literally couldn't fit more than a bite of the famous burgers. Kait didn't stop raving about them though. I trust her.

We also took Kaitlin to a few cool restaurants. She experienced Rock Sugar - the new Pan Asian Century City craze that all the industry pros are talking about, and Busby's where she and Justin exchanged dietary insights about doughnuts. Apparently the more you eat, the better off you are. News to me.

Kevin took Kaitlin in to Beverly Hills one day so she could walk around, go to cafes and visit the expensive Rodeo drive shops. That evening we all met up for a hike at Runyon Canyon so Kaitlin could get a shot of the Hollywood sign. She wore a skirt. That's all I have to say about that one. :)

Needless to say, it was an awesome week. I know I felt like a Hollywood princess and hopefully it was a vacation worth remembering for Kait!