On Day 4 of our trip I woke up early again and walked outside. This morning was gorgeous. Bright skies, blue skies, and snow capped mountains. It was stunning. I thought the scenery around Juneau was cool, but this, this was indescribable. Last year on our trip out west, I frequently found myself unable to say what I was seeing. It happened again. As we made our way to Skagway I stood there like a yokel. All I could say was wow. We docked a minute or two early and again were off early. Today, we were to meet with our guide at 7:50. We were all on time. I thought it might be fun for all of us to do an activity together so I booked for us to do a hike and float with Skagway Float Tours. Our guide’s name was Brian and he spends summers in Skagway and spends winters wherever the snow is best. Tough life, though he does live with his girlfriend in van. I can only assume that this van is in fact down by a river. He drove us through town and a few miles to the trailhead for the Chilkoot Trail. Turns out that this part of the Klondike Gold Rush National Park. It actually has 3 separate locations Pioneer Square in Seattle and two here in Skagway. The Chilkoot trail is the actual trail the prospectors took in the late 1890s as they sought their fortunes in the Klondike of Canada. At about 2 minutes in, Brian offered a more flat route for anyone having trouble. My mom and one other lady went that way. The five of us plus that lady’s husband continued on. The trail was steep and in parts challenging. I can’t imagine trying to do this with provisions for prospecting on my back. Brian gave us lots of great information, fed the girls fresh berries off the plant, and generally was a pleasure to be around. I think he found us to be fun too. The girls were engaged the whole time and the 2 miles passed quickly. At the end of the hike we met back up with the other two and spent the next few minutes floating down the river back to our van. If you are in Skagway, I’d recommend this company. All of the staff we met were awesome and they are family owned. Money very well spent. Thanks to Brian for a wonderful morning. He dropped us off at the start of town at the Skagway Brewing Co where we had lunch. After our hike, we were all hungry and I felt good about my odds here. I had a few Omissions and the boss had their beer sampler and then decided on a pint of their Spruce Tip Ale (made with real spruce tips to prevent scurvy). The net hour or so was spent looking around town and spending some money. After that, we hiked out to Yakutania Point where we were rewarded with breezy but stunning views. All of us agreed that Skagway was a runaway hit. After dinner, we played music trivia and then watched Skagway grow smaller and smaller behind us.

PS-It might sound like I didn’t have much to say about Skagway.  Truth is, I couldn’t adequately put it into words.  This proved to be our favorite day of the trip.  Summers in Skagway and winters in Hanalei would be just right.  Ive been many places in my life, but nowhere like this one.  If you ever get the chance to go, you absolutely have to go.

All of this brings us to day 3. I woke up early and headed to the front of the ship to watch Alaska slip slowly by as we headed towards Juneau. We again had gray skies, but the sheer quiet beauty of the landscape made up for the clouds. It was so very quiet as mountains passed by. Heck, we even got really good a spotting whales. I tried to take some pictures but they didn’t probably do justice to what I saw on this morning. By 11, we were closing in on Juneau so we went to have a quick lunch in the dining room and when the captain gave permission to go ashore we were one of the first off. When we showed up at the rental car shed, we were the first to pick up our ultra-cool PT Cruiser. With 150,000 miles on it. The lady at the counter was super nice, though I found it really odd that I never had to show a driver’s license. It was almost as if, hey he has a credit card, we don’t care if he can legally drive, give him the car. Of we went towards the Mendenhall Glacier with a full tank of gas, no cigarettes, and also no clue how to get there as the map we got was poor. Trying to get a signal for our phone map was tough. Given the fact that the boss is an excellent navigator (and I’ve been researching maps for a year) we made it to the Glacier. At the Glacier, there are some areas that are fee access and others that are free. It was interesting to me that the fee places were not nearly as cool as the free ones. The four of us hiked the Nugget Falls Trail. An easy 2 mile round trip over a well-maintained and well-marked trail led us to the falls. We were there with about 5 other groups so we spent a good amount of time just taking it all in. We climbed rocks, we out our hands in the water, we skipped stones on a glacial lake-we hung out and it was cool. We took our time heading back and had actually planned on driving a bit more. But about that-the check engine light came on and since I didn’t especially feel like having a car with that many miles and a check engine light, I decided to take it on back. I dropped the girls in town and then I dropped the car and walked the mile back in to town. I had better luck with this car drop off than I did in San Francisco. We hit up the obligatory tourist shops and bought the obligatory tourist stuff. There were, however, two more experiences that were epic and awesome. In town, there is an old bar called the Red Dog Saloon. It’s been there a long while, before the tourists came, and it is an institution. Sawdust on the floors, crammed seating, and a great staff made this a perfect stop. The boss and I wanted a drink, so she had an Alaskan Brewing Co beer (Summer Ale I think) and I had lemonade with Tito’s and a Chambourd float. Did my drink look girly? Yes. Did it taste good? Yes, so let it go. The girls had draft root beer while we listened to the piano player sing songs that in no way whatsoever were child appropriate. Ethel looked completely overwhelmed and Lucy declared that she felt older in there. Whatever the case, it was fun and I recommended it highly. Another strong recommendation is for Tracy’s King Crab Shack. While it looks touristy (and probably is) the food was fabulou$$$. We had dungeness crab, crab bisque with jasmine rice, crab cakes (not for me), and a king crab leg. To say this food was great is an understatement. Steamed simply in water, the meat spoke for itself. We absolutely destroyed that poor crab, but we were not sorry in the least. As one final splurge, we opted last minute to head up the Mt. Robert’s Tram. For the 4 of us to do this it cost 115 bucks. The views were great and we were able to see a bald eagle up close (she had been shot and was unable to fly). Also, at the nature center, we learned about lots of the plants we had been seeing. The takeaway there is that in Alaska if you ain’t sure, don’t eat it. We headed down the mountain and walked back to the ship. Certainly more tired than we arrived but infinitely more alive. We compared our day with my parents (they had fun too) and we called it a night.

One of the many, many wonderful parts of a trip to Alaska is the complete ability to unplug. The downside to the that, is keeping up with a daily travel blog becomes quite difficult. With that said, I’m behind. As I type this, I’m sitting on the 14th deck of our ship in a bar with as we navigate down a channel away from Dawes Glacier. I can’t start with that, though, as to this point we’ve experienced so much. Since you’re dying to know exactly what we’ve experienced, I better get to typing and stop setting the scene.
Friday morning in $eattle was a breeze. We woke up, grabbed some breakfast, cooled at the hotel for a bit, and then got our Ubers to the port. I was fortunate to have yet another great driver. He was chatty and the time to the port was brief. Check-in was hectic as it always is. Two ships disembarking and the same two ships loading up to go again creates a chaotic place to be. But it didn’t take long and by 11am we were on board our home for the next week. All of us had lunch in the buffet and after I spoke with a chef, I was able to eat relatively well. Following our typical routine, we explored the ship and by 1:30, we were in the process of settling in to our cozy, interior cabin on the 6th deck. My bag and Lucy’s bag were a little slow in arriving and she started to get a little put out that she was the last to get her stuff, but in the end it was a non-   issue. In fact, getting the bags in a staggered fashion made the process of unpacking a bit easier. One lifeboat drill and one dinner later and we were all ready for bed. All of the girls had their sea bands on to help prevent motion sickness and by 9:30 we called it a day. Embarkation days are always tiring and throwing in the 3 hour time difference made it all the more exhausting.

On day 2 the skies dawned cloudy. All through the night there was, to me, a gentle pitch and roll of the ship. To the boss, it was as if she were being tempest tossed. I assure you, the seas had a gentle 3 foot swell. Lucy and Ethel spent the day sort of tooling around. All of the girls went to the ice show and a fruit carving demo in the afternoon. I sat on the balcony with my dad as we watched Canada pass by off the starboard side. At least until fog thick enough to require the fog horn rolled in and blocked everything. It was neat sitting there and hearing the horn make it’s low, mournful sound. I did run into one small problem. At lunch today I was summarily dismissed by one of the managers in the buffet about my dietary needs. Well, you don’t summarily dismiss me. Not ever. I went to guest services to voice my concerns. Iulia from Russia was very sympathetic (and pretty) and summoned the main manager for both the dining room and the buffet. As it turns out, the manager who dismissed my was that same person. After a brief, awkward moment as this dawned on the both of us, I decided that I would be taking the rest of my meals in the main dining room. Dilip, the manager there, was sympathetic to my plight, and every meal since has been fine. The food has been uninspired, but I’ve been safe. At the end of it, that’s all that matters. I will say that everyone else seems to be enjoying their regular menu foods. Turns out, I kicked a hornet’s nest that has resulted in changes in how food is served on the ship. I guess I became a voice for the voiceless. The moral here kids, is to speak up for yourself. At some point in the night, we crossed back into the US and entered the Inside Passage.

This roam has been a long time coming.  Last year, when we returned from our West Coast adventure, I tried to think about the next place.  Ethel has set a goal of visiting all 50 states before she turns 30.  So, I says to myself, “Self, let’s go far away.  And what state is the furthest from home?  Hawaii!”  That wouldn’t do though, as we’ve already checked off our 50th state.  What then?  Alaska.  We’ll go to Alaska.  Last July we booked the cruise for us and for my parents to go with us.  All that was left was to book a hotel in Seattle, plan excursions , get flights, and wait.  Waiting an interminable period of time for July to get here.  As the date of departure grew near and I told the girls about some of the things we might could do, they suggested a few items as well.  We’d have to do those, for sure.  Finally, July 7th got here and we were off.

July 7th in Raleigh dawned.  I’m not sure how bright, because for us it dawned at 4:15am so we could get to the airport.  Turns out getting there early was a good idea.  Our friendly neighborhood TSA agents were not exactly all on the same page with security checks.  One line, was all like “Shoes on, leave items in bags” while others were all like, “yea, take it all off and out of the bags”.  I suppose I should’ve known that since our line was clear, we where in the latter.  Except we didn’t realize it.  Until the very large man said I would be patted down.  And not just any pat-down-I was to have my “sensitive areas” patted as well.  So after the pat-down, in full view of my family, a cigarette, and the breakfast I felt owed by the agent, we were headed to the gate.  Our flight left on time and was uneventful.  Even when the pilot deployed a drag chute in Salt Lake City to bring us to a stop.

If you are looking for a time warp, fly through Salt Lake.  They have pay phones even an in terminal smoking lounge.  But no seats.  So don’t expect to sit down while you trey to eat.  That’s about it for Salt Lake.  Have a short layover if possible.

We left Salt Lake a few minutes behind, but the pilots made up for it and we landed only 5 minutes behind our scheduled arrival time in $eattle.  The airport was slammed with people.  I mean wall to wall, can’t move, people of every cultures, slammed.  It took us a good 15 minutes at a decent clip to get to baggage claim.  Once there, we waited.  Our bags came, Lucy learned an important lesson about placing liquids in a plastic bag, and we called our Ubers for the ride to the hotel.  Given our luggage a UberX probably wouldn’t work.  We took two, and I rode with my mom and Ethel.  Our driver was quite good and the ride was pleasant.  We all arrived at the Hampton Inn Downtown at the same time.  We all checked in and both rooms were ready!  After a quick drop off of bags and a quick refresher, we were out to explore $eattle.

We all walked the few short blocks to $eattle Center to ride the monorail to get back to the Market area.  Built for the 1962 World’s Fair, it is about the cheapest way to get from one place to the other.  But only one place as there are just the two stops.  Also, they only accept cash,so know that.  The weather was cloudy and cool with intermittent showers, which honestly, makes for a nice change from the weather at home.  Pike Place Market was one of those “must visit” places for us.  I think though, that the cruise industry in $eattle has completely overwhelmed everything.  Just so. Many. People.  The last time I was here, I remember strolling through the market.  Not the case today.  First off, we had an ear of roasted corn (yum) and some Rainier cherries (also, yum).  As I had not eaten all day, we went to Uli’s Famous Sausage.  I had read that most all of their sausages were gluten free as were their fries.  2 delicious sausages, a delightful sauerkraut, and fries later (and 18 bucks poorer) we kept moving.  We did all the tourist things.  We watched them throw the fish, we looked at the stalls, we saw the original Starbucks.  Folks were starting to get hungry though, and we started to piece together food.  Lucy and the boss had macaroni and cheese at Beecher’s (said by Lucy to be the best she ever had), Ethel had a meatball sub and coke (18 bucks!).  We were going to get them all chowder, but the line was prohibitively long.  After moseying around the market for a bit longer, my parents and the girls stopped for chocolate and the boss and I went to Pike Brewing Co.  I had read online that they carried a wonderful gluten free stout from Ghostfish Brewing Company.  Apparently, this entire brewery is gluten free!  I was thrilled.  The boss had a flight and we met back up with the rest.

After a bit of shopping and a ride back to $eattle Center, we let the girls play on the playground in the rain.  Said by Lucy to have been a highlight.  We had 7:30 tickets for the Space Needle.  But given that at this point we were all starting to falter, we headed up about 7.  This was Ethel’s bucket list item and she loved it.  Lots of good exhibits while you line up, a short elevator ride, and a very crowded observation deck await.  It was still nice though.  The sky was gunmetal gray, with a few breaks in the clouds, and windy.  The girls loved it.  They filmed themselves walking around, took pictures, and seemed to absorb it all.  After the visit to the gift shop, we headed to the hotel and all collapsed.

Day 1 got vacation off to a good start.  It’s hard changing time zones but I’m glad we came a day early.  $eattle is dirtier and more crowded than I remember and way more expensive.  I look forward to getting on the ship tomorrow where at least food is paid for!!!

I don’t know how to start, so I guess I’ll just begin to move my fingers across the keys and sort of  see what appears.  Part of me wants to write something specifically to you so you would know how much you meant to our family for so very long.  That seems a bit silly now, given that you can’t read due to being a dog and all.  It seems on the verge of insanity given that you’ve left us. Even typing those words is harder than it ought to be.  What I will do is to try and let the word know (at least those who will read this) how freaking awesome you were.

Scooter was mine and Erin’s last tangible connection to the 1990s.  We got married in June of 99 and Scooter joined our family at the end of the year.  I don’t remember exactly when though.  Its funny, that when I showed up to get a dog, I was given explicit directions to select a female.  He wasn’t having any of that though.  I’d push him away and he come trotting back to me.  This game went on for several rounds before I acquiesced and decided that if I looked like that good of an option, then I’d deal with my new bride later.  In effect then, I didn’t select Scooter, he chose me.  Erin named him when I got home and selected Scooter because of how he’d scoot up your arm (being no bigger than my fist) and hide on your shoulder.

As the 90s gave way to the 2000s, he was there with us.  For every birthday, holiday, celebration, even accompanying us to the beach.  Man, did he love the beach.  Not the water, or chasing birds, or any of that normal dog beach stuff.  No, he liked to prance down the shore and let the breeze blow his ears back.  He loved that all the way until his last trip in 2015.  He also loved to shag golf balls.  I’d hit one 10 yards or so and he tear off after it and bring it back.  Balls were another favorite.  HIs ability to place a ball twice his size in his mouth was always impressive.  His energy knew no bounds either.  I’m glad we were young together.

Scooter’s world changed in January of 2003.  Erin and I brought home this little bundle.  She demanded lots of attention and he willingly shared.  Almost willingly.  He was protective of her from the start.  Later in 2003, we moved to Cary.  He was good with the move and enjoyed his new neighbors quite a bit.  Once we thought we had lost him, only to see him yards away happily chasing a huge red ball.  HIs gentle, fun-loving nature endeared him to all.  Some dogs just don’t seem to take to people-not Scooter.  In 2006, we added yet another daughter and Scooter proved to be every bit her little buddy, just as he had become to her big sister.

A move to Raleigh changed him very little.  It brought new mailmen to bark at and new trash guys from whom he had to protect our home.  He proved quite capable.  In his entire life, not one mailman or trash guy entered our home.  Well done, buddy.  While the move to Raleigh didn’t impact him, he was unable to stave off time.  Just as with all of us, as the years passed he became a step slower.  HIs unending reserves of energy became depleted.  When once he could play forever, he now had spurts where he forgot himself and was a puppy again.  HIs teeth began to fall out, his hearing became worse, and I’m not sure he could see all that well at the end.  What never left him, though, was his sniffer.  Without fail, when the magic box (range) was on, he was underfoot, trying to trip us to score whatever we might be cooking.  That too was gone, but not until those last days.

Now, as I sit here trying to figure out what to say, I look beside me and expect to see him in his nest happily snoring or licking something.  The house has a definite emptiness now.  I am taking this loss extremely hard.  Scooter was my buddy.  He listened patiently while I shared my hopes, my dreams, and my disappointments.  He kept me company on many nights when I didn’t feel well.  He was a constant companion who never passed judgement.  He simply loved us.  The girls, Erin, me-he only showed love and appreciation.  I think he knew he had it good.  Looking back on it now, I’m glad he chose me.

If you’ve stayed with me to this point, thanks.  This is not my normal post.  I had no plan, no pity observation.  Just a profound sense of loss that is keeping me from being as coherent as I’d like.  Scooter will forever be a part of our family.  There will be a time when I think on him and smile.  Right now, though is not that time, it still is just to hard to believe he’s not here.  To him I say, thank you.  You enriched our lives in ways I never knew, we’re going to miss you.  Wherever you are, I hope you are pain-free and full of life once again.

Our last day of vacation was interesting.  We were up extremely early in San Francisco to catch our 4:50am shuttle to the airport.  Early morning shuttle rides through the streets of San Francisco is an editing proposition.  Up and down, starts and stops, all in a van that may need new shocks.  Once at the terminal, checking in and making it through security was a breeze.  By 7, we were on our plane heading down the coast to LAX.

At this point, our family had to split up.  I was heading towards to Chicago for a work activity while the rest of the family headed straight from LAX to RDU.  So as not to alert the TSA or cause any type of incident, I went to the Delta Help Desk to turn in my boarding pass.  My hope was that they could give the seat to someone else and I might spread some joy.  I gave the girls and big hug and wished them safe travels while I left one terminal to head to another to check in for my Southwest flight to Chicago Midway.  My flight was fine but I had a general malaise about me and didn’t feel all that great.  I had a rough flight.  I think the guy beside me must have as well.  Sorry, dude.  After 3 hours that felt like an eternity, I made it to Chicago.  I was familiar with this, so it felt comfortable.  I hopped on the Orange Line for the train and got off at the State/Lake Street Station.

I knew there was a Chipotle and grocery store on the way so I stopped in and picked up a few provisions.  I got to the Hyatt on Wacker Dr and was treated to a huge room with great bedding and a wonderful shower.  After eating and calling home to speak with the boss, I called it a day.  One very long day.

I won’t bore you with the details of the meeting.  What I will tell you about is how excited I was to see one of my favorite musicians while I was in town for one night.  I saw several months ago that Michael Franti and Spearhead would be playing so I bought a ticket.  I didn’t care if anyone went with me or not.  The show was at Thalia Hall in the old Czech part of town.  Doors were at 7 and at 6:40 I was in a cab.

I got to the show and grabbed some merch, as you do, and made my way to my vantage point.  I’m glad it was a late-arriving crowd because I was able to snag a spot right on the front row.  The opening act came on promptly at 8 and they were ok, but then Michael came on.  If you have never been to one of his shows, you must go.  There is so much positivity and happiness at his concerts you smile the whole time.

HIs 17 song set was full of hits and new songs.  A few highlights-having a 4 year old with cancer come out as part of his Do It for the Love Foundation and throw huge yellow balloons in the crowd to play with while he sang “The Sound of Sunshine”.  That boy’s face was pure joy and priceless.  Then there was the 13 year old who went on stage to dance and ended up playing guitar with the band in some good ol’ Chicago blues.  Absolutely a show stopper.  As the show was winding down, he unveiled his new song-“Once a Day”.  The message is true-everybody needs to hug somebody at least once a day.  Since I was alone, I hugged myself, of course the bass player saw this and had a good laugh.  But then, as can only happen at a Franti show, hugs started to go all over the room.  After getting a hug from the guitar player it was time to leave.

This venue is one of the best I have seen a show in in a very long time.  If you’re in the Chicago area, I highly recommend catching a show here.  You won’t regret it.  After catching a cab back, I went straight to bed.  At 6, I was up, way too excited to go home to sleep.  I made my way to the airport, checked-in, and got to my gate to wait.  While there, I ran into some friends and we passed the time chatting.  We boarded the plane and soon I was home.  My girls greeted me at baggage claim with a welcome home sign.

I made it home on Father’s Day and was exhausted.  But as I think back over my vacation I can’t help but smile.  I showed my family some of the coolest things this great country has to offer.  We hiked, we ate local, we shopped local, we biked (sort of), and most of all we smiled.  I am thankful that we had the opportunity to share this great adventure together.  Vacations give us a chance to break from the norm and ignore the obligations of our everyday life.  They afford us the chance to be wholly present with the most important people in our lives.   And in the end, life is about the experiences you have with those who matter.  For two weeks in June, I was truly living.

Sometimes, I want to pat myself of the back.  I come up with harebrained ideas and the boss sometimes acquiesces and supports it.  But today was one of those days where everything made sense.  We were tired last night.  Like, really tired.  Since we skipped out on a big dinner and were in bed by 7:30, we thought we were off to a good start.  Until our smoke alarm started to alarm in our room.  Since I do this whole fire thing for a living, I know how this works.  The general alarm wasn’t sounding and I knew that we weren’t doing anything in our room to cause issues but, to be safe, I started to usher my crowd out.  We opened the door and the night manager was standing there.  She  took our alarm off of the ceiling and we shrugged our shoulders and went to sleep.  After all, we were on the first floor and I liked our odds in getting out if need be.  You’d a thought that they’d have knocked a few bucks off of our total for the effort, but no.

My family thought I was insane when I told them we needed to be out of the room by 5 or so.  And we were.  I have to give the girls credit.  They have been efficient and speedy in all of our exits.  They understand that we have to drive to get to these places and today was no different.  My map buddy, Marilyn, told me that our destination was about 4 hours away.  So in search of CA-140 we went.  We hugged the bay for a bit and then turned inland towards Merced.  There was little to look at as we went.  Lots of farmland.  Lots and lots of fields.  Heck we even went through the artichoke capital of the world today.  As soon as we started east we began to climb in elevation.  We climbed ever higher and at 9, we were pulling to the entry gate at Yosemite National Park.  Our America the Beautiful Pass allowed us to skip the line.  It was like having a fast pass for entry.  The only problem is that we didn’t get a park map because we missed the guard shack.  By coming in on CA-140, we followed the Merced River all the way to the valley.  The caveat with this is you miss Tunnel View and then don’t get that wow factor.

However, we did get to Swinging Bridge and got out to look around.  Our first views of Yosemite Falls were amazing.  The falls were set against a brilliant blue sky, green trees and grass, and the still river.  We spent a few minutes skipping rocks and then headed to the Visitor’s Center.  Here we were able to grab our park map.  From there we walked to the Yosemite Falls Trail and enjoyed that easy mile walk.  I had forgotten how Yosemite assaults all of you senses.  I had not forgotten about the sights, but I had forgotten about the sound of the fall, the sounds of the birds, and the smell of the woods.  We lingered a few moments and tried our best to drink it all in.  In a thousand lifetimes, you still couldn’t do it.  Our snapshot was almost comical.  We walked back through the village and grabbed some food for the girls.  We got back to the car and drove around a bit to the El Capitan picnic area.  Lucy grabbed a table and got the one with the best view of the rock.  Eating our lunch in the shadow of this monolith was spectacular and one of those times when I felt like I did something right.

A word about driving the park.  Maps are terrible and the roadsigns are not much better.  Taking the wrong road could be problematic as turning around is near impossible.  By lunch it was getting very crowded.  Driving was difficult due to pedestrians, poor signage, and people who drive way yonder too fast.  We looped the valley and went by Bridal Veil Falls.  This walk was shorter than the first but steeper.  The view was nice but the overlook was crowded.  We drove a little more around the valley and all decided that a vacation at Yosemite wouldn’t be a bad way to spend a few days.  I could come back here in a heartbeat.

Our hotel for the evening wasn’t far away so we headed that way around 2, but not before stopping by the river one more time and taking off our shoes for an ice bath in the river.  CA-120 to Manteca would be interesting.  At one point, the road was so curvy, steep, and challenging I was unnerved.  I don’t usually get concerned on a road, but this one was one for the books.  However, since I am awesome, I got us down the hill safely.  We drove a few miles more and in only a couple of hours, we were in Manteca at the Hampton Inn.  We finally had our In and Out Burger experience.  All were pleased with the food and I was thrilled with the price.  The double-double protein style was awesome, though eating a burger wrapped in lettuce is challenging.  Messy, challenging, and fabulous.  I had promised a dip in the pool upon our return and I stayed true to my word.

Our odyssey is nearing completion.  To this point I have driven over 1600 miles.  I have less than 100  miles left to drive before returning the car to the rental car company.  We have cleaned out the car and begun the repacking for our return east.  Even though things are winding down, we still have so much to see.  So yes, I came up with a crazy idea to make this trip.  Yes, the boss agreed.  In the span of a week to date, we have seen some of the most amazing things in the world.  I wouldn’t trade a second or a mile driven for anything.

I have to be honest.  I’m starting to get a bit tired.  I have driven 1215 miles to this point and not very many have been easy miles.  You know the kind-the driving where you put on the cruise and just mosey on down the road.  Not these miles-no, no.  Not today.  Our drive today was to be a short one but one with unparalleled scenery.  I was awoken this morning by the sound of seals coming up from the bay a block away.  I tried to take a shower but our room was on the small side and the shower was cruise ship small.  After a short fight with the water and keeping the California drought in mind, I gave up and got dressed.  Since I am trying to be the perfect group leader this trip I walked down to the bay so the family could sleep a few more minutes.  It was nice having the entire street to myself along with the great views of the rock.  I also stopped in the Sun and Buns Bakery to get the kids a croissant and some coffee for the boss and me.

We only had about 130ish miles to drive today but I knew that it was going to be slow going.  So up Highway 1 we went.  Before we gained too much elevation we stopped at a vista point near San Simeon that had hundreds of elephant seals hanging out on the beach.  These guys were so unbelievably cool.  There were groups sparring in the water, clumps of them lounging on the beach, some flinging sand on themselves, and others bellowing into the sea air.  I think that with the benefit of hindsight, this may have been a favorite for the day.  Now we started to gain elevation and worked our way up and around the tight road with so very many hairpin turns.  At some point you sort of just get tired of saying “wow”.  Every single turn brought some sight that is indescribable.  From San Simeon in the south to Big Sur and finally to Monterey, we took our sweet time and enjoyed ourselves.  We pulled over at vistas, looked in small shops, and really tried to appreciate where we were.

After about 3 and a half hours we made it to the Monterey Peninsula.  The skies were cloudy and the weather cool and this made for perfect walking from our hotel to Cannery Row.  Tonight we’re staying  at the Best Western on Abrego St.  The room is huge and functional.  It will most definitely work for one night.  We walked the mile and a half from the hotel down and stopped for lunch at Ike’s Love and Sandwich.  This place was great.  My sandwich on gluten free bread was safely prepared and wonderful.  I had a sandwich with turkey, red pepper pesto, and cheese.  They had named it the Robert Louis Stevenson.  Since the boss was able to sample everyone’s food she was able to safely say that mine was the best.  Yay for me.

We ventured from there to the Monterey Bay Aquarium via Cannery Row.  We ducked in a few shops as we walked and honestly, I had forgotten how touristy and cheesy Cannery Row is.  It is neat to see and it helps if you’ve read the book by Steinbeck.  Also, a little research and understanding a small bit of the history will make the Row be a little more vibrant.  Otherwise, you’ll be looking at t-shirt shops, candy stores, and chain restaurants.  The row was never the goal, though.  Several months ago I bought tickets to the aquarium.  If you’re going, this is the way to do it.  Buying the tickets online allowed us to skip the huge line waiting to buy tickets and get right on in.

This is a cool place.  While not nearly as big as the Georgia Aquarium, I felt that it was more friendly to the visitor.  All of the volunteers who worked there were great about approaching us and talking to us about their topic of expertise.  The exhibits were also very well laid out and I really feel that we all learned a good bit about the surrounding waters.  We spent several hours here and although it was expensive, I feel it was a must-do for us on this trip and I still feel that it was the right call.  It’s one of those things that you have to do once but then you can do some other things.  If I come back to the peninsula, maybe I’ll do the kayak tour.

It was getting late and I had driven some challenging miles.  Also, I had walked several miles.  We walked back to the hotel and I went to grab some food for the clan.  I ducked into a decidedly old-school store for a bottle of local wine and then hit up Chipotle.  None of us were really in the mood to head out and eat.  When I got back to the room, everyone was clearly in a relaxed state.  This is probably a good thing.  Tomorrow we drive 3 or so hours to Yosemite so we’ll be getting up early.  Relaxing in the room this evening might prove to be the right call.  It is amazing to think that on a “drive day”, I can be this tired.  There is a certain amount of stress that comes with getting your family from one point to another safely.  I have to thank the boss for helping me to navigate our way around.  It’s hard to believe that we’ve been gone almost a week.  Arizona seems like such a long time ago.  One thing that I believe though-driving this country of ours and trying to at least scratch the surface is awe-inspiring.  From the Grand Canyon to the Pacific Coast, our family has seem some truly amazing things.  While we have by no means seen everything, I hope that I continue to plant that seed of wanderlust in my girls that will carry them through the rest of their lives.  Tomorrow-Yosemite!

Today was nice.  I mean, sit back and see what happens nice.  I was up fairly early after a wonderful night of sleep.  In fact, I think I may have slept a bit too hard as I woke up with a stiff neck.  To me, that is a sign of a great sleep.  I ventured to the lobby and had some juice while I let the girls sleep in.  Around 8 or so, I went back to the room to see if anyone was stirring.  I really think that the entire family needed the chance to sleep in and recharge the batteries a bit.  We slowly got moving and then went down towards the Patisserie from yesterday to grab a few goodies for the road.  Around 10:30, we set off from a cool and overcast Santa Barbara.

We had no real plans but had heard from a friend that the Los Olivos area would be worth our time.  So up into the hills we went and eventually we managed to break free of the clouds and see some sun as we descended into the Santa Ynez Valley.  We had plans to go to Los Olivos but since the girls were with us, we decided a town with tons of wine tastings wasn’t the best idea.  Instead we went to Santa Ynez and walked around there for a few minutes.  We found a wine tasting store and had a fun few minutes with the owner talking wine and sampling a few as well.  The girls were cool while we did this and after purchasing some wines to share with friends, we ventured to the wine guy’s suggestion of visiting Solvang,  Solvang is a town built in a very Dutch style and was kind of cool.  It was very crowded so we didn’t do too much there other than grab a bite to eat and have a little chocolate for dessert.  It would have been easy to spend more time there.

Around 1ish, we started to make our way towards Morro Bay.  The scenery remained spectacular and I watched the temperature drop from near 90 to around 70 as we went.  At times, it felt as if we were the only ones on the road.  After lots of farms we made it to our destination of the Pleasant Inn Motel in Morro Bay.  Our room wasn’t quite ready so we looked around town for a few minutes.  It was necessary for someone to do laundry and I volunteered for the task.  As the family rested in the room, I took my chances with the laundromat here in Morro Bay.  The washing was fairly painless and only an hour later I was back at the room ready to tackle the night.

Since we are facing the ocean, it only seemed appropriate to have some type of fish.  The Galley Restaurant was close by and the food looked great.  The girls decided on fish tacos and the grilled fish sandwich.  The boss went with the sole and I had the rockfish.  All of it was wonderful and our bottle of Pinot Gris was the perfect compliment to our dinner.  In addition to how good the food was, the view was even more spectacular.  The restaurant looked out over the bay and the rock and pretty much made the meal.

After dinner we trekked to the rock.  My initial impression was that the rock was bigger than I expected.  We were kept company by sea otters as we waked to the point.  On one side the water was placid and on the other side, it was rougher.  On both sides, the water was cold.  The girls played in the surf for a bit and had a good time just being kids.  Too soon, it was time to head back to the hotel.

Today was a much needed day.  We saw lots of things-many unexpected.  But it was done at a slow pace.  After letting the family sleep in and by taking it easy, I feel our batteries are recharged for the balance of the trip.  Tomorrow, we get to travel more of the pacific highway and I look forward to that as well.

The holiday road. To this point, right at 1000 miles worth.  But first:  One of the reasons to stay off of the strip was so that I wouldn’t have to deal with people waking me up on their way in from their night out.  So, to the woman who decided to have a conversation in the hall at 4am, thanks.  I wanted to get on up and get going anyway.  We had prepped the girls in advance that today would be lots of riding and true to form for this trip, they were awesome.  But seriously, whoever designed I-15 from Vegas on in had very little to work with.  the scenery outside the car didn’t change for hundreds of miles.  Only once we passed Victorville did the sights begin to go from desert depressing to overcast and foggy.  Wait, overcast?  Foggy?  Isn’t this supposed to be Southern California where the sun shines?  Not today my friends.

That’s ok though.  We absolutely made a silk purse from a sow’s ear on this one.  The boss had done her homework researching some places to drive past once we arrived in Los Angeles.  After weaving our way through most of Los Angeles County we made it to our first stop, Barnsdall Park.  The park would have afforded 360 degree views of the city and the surrounding hills, if we could’ve seen ’em.  The clouds made it difficult but we were able to briefly catch a glimpse of the the Griffith Park Observatory and even just briefly, the Hollywood sign.  Since we were on Hollywood Blvd., we moseyed on down and took in the sights.  We caught glimpses of the Dolby Theater, the Chinese Theater, lots of the stars on the Walk of Fame, and then we pointed towards the ocean.  We cruised down Sunset Blvd. and saw the Chateau Marmont and The Whiskey A Go-Go.  After that it was an easy drive through Beverly Hills taking everything in.  Eventually, we made it to Santa Monica.

Once there, we opted to grab some lunch and ducked into a joint called Pizza Antica.  The pizzas here were amazing.  The girls all shared a Margherita Pizza while I decided to have the pizza with shaved broccoli, caramelized onions, and bacon.  Wow.  The food was wonderful and the service was great as well.  Since we opted to share our meals, the bill was very reasonable.  I wouldn’t hesitate to return to the is restaurant.  It helps that the food was a quick walk to the Santa Monica Pier.  I had high hopes for the pier, but honestly it was just sort of meh.  The beach was wide and we were able to put our feet in the sand, but since it was 65 degrees and cloudy, it didn’t feel like much of a beach day.  Nevertheless, we had our fill, bought a few souvenirs, and pointed the family truckster north towards Santa Barbara.

The disembodied voice on my phone that tells me how to get from place to place (I call her Marilyn) noted that it was about 80 miles to our hotel and that it would take 2 and a half hours to get there.  I thought to myself, surely no.  It can’t be that bad.  It was.  The traffic was abysmal.  Because there is so little space for so many people between the mountains and the coast, traffic was a challenge.  We didn’t let it bother us and Marilyn, the boss, and me successfully guided our hearty crew into Santa Barbara.  I will say that the Pacific Coast Highway is nice on this stretch though Malibu was a bit of a surprise.  I was expecting fancy but what I got was Myrtle Beach on the Pacific.  Oh well, the disappointment would be short-lived.

Santa Barbara.  Oh, Santa Barbara.  How have I never graced your streets before?  This town is a vision.  Spanish architecture, a laid-back vibe, wonderful shopping, and great dining.  That’s just to start.  I didn’t even make it down to the Ocean.  We checked into our wonderfully 1950s but completely updated La Quinta on State Street around 5 this evening.  We were assigned room 114 which is in one of the bungalows out back with its own patio.  After quickly dropping off our stuff we decided to see what State Street had to offer.  The shopping was pleasant and we all had success in our purchases.  From a cool shirt for me to a cool shirt for Lucy, we all had fun.  Sadly, our lunch was long-gone so we were in need of sustenance.

Had I been told when I was planning this trip that I’d be eating at a German Brat Haus (Hoffmann’s) in Santa Barbara, outside, in June, in 65 degree weather, I wouldn’t have believed you.  Yet the food was fantastic and since I could opt out of the bun, it was just the right amount of food.  Also, we had stopped by the Lilac Patisserie earlier and bought a brownie cheesecake that needed our attention soon.  After a few more stops including a hat shop and a grocery store we made it back to our room. Santa Barbara is a great town.  I would come back here in an instant to spend more time prowling her streets, checking our her buildings, and strolling through the shops.  This town does seemingly have everything.  For my money, this has been the best non-natural place we have visited.  It wouldn’t be fair to compare the Grand Canyon with Santa Barbara.  I mean, I like grapefruit and I like apples, but they are different, right?  But if you had me choose between Granny Smith’s and Gala, well, friend, Granny Smith is gonna win every time.  So thanks to you Santa Barbara for being a great high spot for our day.

Now, we bed on down.  We are all looking forward to a relaxed day tomorrow.  We only have a  short drive ahead of us so we can take our time.  We can sleep in, enjoy our patio, and spend some time on the beach.  Now, if I can only get that sun to show himself…