Okay, so we may have gotten a little carried away while visiting Beverly Hills, but who could resist Breakfast at Nate ‘n Al’s, the kids spa treatments at the Beverly Wilshire, the Beverly Hills Trolley, a peek inside the Greystone Mansion and a relaxing late afternoon swim at The Peninsula.

The Pacific Ocean is a bit cooler than the Atlantic, still the Elliott kids wanted at least one day at the beach. Who knew there was so much to do without even getting wet? Our favorite spot was the Marion Davies House and the beautiful Annenberg Community Beach House at Santa Monica State Beach.

Why won’t anyone try the ceviche? Could be the prominent squid, complete with tentacles. Hopefully the kids can find something else on the menu at Neptunes Net in Malibu, California. Lack of a kids menu isn’t a problem as long as you also serve cheese burgers.

A rare treat, the Elliott family gets a guided tour of the Ballona Wetlands. This section of the park is currently being rehabilitated. We met up with a troop of boy scouts clearing some exotic grasses to make way for more native plants. Can you believe this is so close to Los Angeles?

It may be in the 100s in the valley but up top the temperature is a crisp 72 degrees. This is how the Elliott kids kept their cool on a recent visit to Palm Springs, California.

Zipping down the mountain in Catalina is an experience you just have to see to believe. Or better yet, to experience.

The Elliott kids try the legendary Sprinkles cupcakes in Beverly Hills. They were good. Real good.

Opa survives the first drop of the Catalina Zipline Eco Tour. Believe it or not, this was the easy one.

Nothing like a fresh cupcake to top off a nice day in Beverly Hills. Erysse would definitely agree. Her favorite place is Sprinkles.

The kids got to their very first Hollywood premiere — the new King Kong attraction at Universal Studios Hollywood.