Harbor Cruisin' {{Summer Bucket List}}

One of the things I wanted to make sure our family did before Scott left, and before summer completely slipped through our fingers like sand at the beach, was take a cruise through the LA Harbor.

I had grand ideas of the three of us merrily taking in the sights as the salty sea breeze kissed our faces (think Jack and Rose -very Titanic-esque- but in more of a family way, not love story way). I imagined Marcus being totally enthralled with our boat, enamored with the ships we would pass, and delighted by the large cranes that are scattered all throughout the harbor.

Then we actually got on the ship and reality quickly gave me a gut punch. Marcus was transitioning out of his nap - something he doesn't always do well - and he wasn't totally on board (see what I did there) with our family outing.

While Marcus' mood was less than stellar (read: he was basically a pill the entire time) we made the best of the 45 minutes we had on the water. (Initially I thought we could go on a whale watching cruise, which lasts TWO HOURS. There wasn't a chance we would have made it through that without one of us getting tossed overboard.)

Fridays Fives highlight our little harbor cruise, and check "get out on the water" off our Bucket List.

1. I've always loved being on the water. Any kind of boat, ship, vessel, what have you, fascinates me.

1. Our harbor cruise ship.
2. We weren't totally sure if this was a Coast Guard vessel, but it obviously has very large guns attached to it. So, I'm guessing yes, probably Coast Guard.
3. The tugs that bring the huge ships (including cruise ships!) into the harbor.
4. I couldn't tell if this was a party boat, or just another harbor cruise boat. Either way, it looked fun.
5. The USS Iowa.

2. LA Harbor, or Port of Los Angeles, is the busiest port in the United States. Cargo ships are always coming and going, being unloaded and loaded. I'm continually blown away when I see these ships from afar, and watch as the cranes unload/load them. The cruise allowed us to get right up and watch as a ship was being unloaded.

I can't get over how MASSIVE the cargo ships are.
Lower right photo: all those containers are hooked to the back of semis and hauled all over the U.S. The logistics behind this operation is mind boggling.

3. Along with the hustle and bustle of the port we spotted a few lazy sea lions loitering where ever they could belly up and bask in the sun.

I don't know what it is, but seeing marine life in their natural environment is remarkable.

4. Perhaps my favorite part of the whole cruise was seeing the Vincent Thomas Bridge (which we frequently cross) from a totally different vantage point than what we are generally used to.

5. And, even though we were dealing with Grumpy McGrumperson for most of the cruise, it was great getting out as a family, being on the water, and doing something a little different.

We'll give this little adventure another shot. Maybe next time we'll try it before nap time.

How is your Summer Bucket List coming along? Squeezing in as much fun as possible before we're all raving about the return of Pumpkin Spice Lattes and college football? If so, be sure to link up with us!