An organization named, One Wish Cache Valley, that grants wishes to terminally ill adults arranged a trip for our little family to San Francisco at the end of February and the first part of March. Karen had never been to California and had only seen the ocean in person once while she was growing up. We are grateful for the generosity and time of those who planned, organized, donated money, or otherwise helped to make her wish a reality.
Day 1 (Monday)
On February 29th Karen, James, Rebecca and I began our vacation to San Francisco with a delayed flight. Gratefully, it was only about a 30 minute delay. Keeping the kids occupied proved interesting but with a little inspiration, a lot of walking up and down the terminal, and a complete stranger with a small dog we were able to keep them calm and mostly happy until we boarded the plane. Three of our seats were together with the fourth across the isle and a row up so I sat by the kids for their first plane ride and Karen got some time 'alone' on a sold out flight.
The kids were asleep within a few minutes of taking off and slept until we landed in Oakland. The flight attendants gave the kids each a pair of wings as a first flight souvenir. I like to think the kids travel so well because we are such great parents and we're doing an amazing job of raising them. The truth is we just got lucky with a couple of great kids. We took a van ride from Oakland over the Bay Bridge to San Francisco to a rented house where Karen's sister Ruthann was waiting for us. Ruthann made a great gluten free meal for us to enjoy then it was off to bed for everyone.
Day 2 (Tuesday)
Ruthann made the tip from her home in Frenso with her own van which we then used while in San Francisco. Our first day in we did a road trip down along the coast to Monterrey Bay. We stopped at several beaches along the way and enjoyed the time together and scenery. The kids were great and behaved themselves. Karen got her feet wet in the ocean (not on purpose - my fault for not letting her know about surging surf and tides) just before we had lunch on the beach. We made it to Monterrey in the early afternoon and went to a little park called 'Lover's Point Park' after which we made our way to a nearby museum that James did not want to leave. We grabbed a bite to eat and then headed back to San Francisco. The return trip was after dark so we took the less scenic route through the hills.
Day 3 (Wednesday)
We made a trip to the piers, enjoyed a boat ride on the San Francisco Bay, took a walk to and around Ghirardelli Square, and had a visit to an aquarium on the pier. The kids had a blast chasing all of the birds at the pier before the boat ride. An older woman tried to get them to help her feed the birds but kids that young have a hard time being patient and think running around yelling 'hey' at birds is a LOT more exciting. I certainly had fun watching them. The boat ride went well and took us out just beyond the Golden Gate Bridge before turning around. We went by Alcatraz and then back to the dock.
Once the boat ride was done we headed over (and up some hills) to Ghirardelli Square where we relaxed and had some treats. Karen and Ruthann opted for hot chocolate while the kids and me had ice cream. Then it was back down the hills and to the aquarium where we got to watch some rays and sharks being fed in a small pool.
It was a long day and we all needed a rest afterwards. The kids fell asleep on the drive back to the house so we had to wake them up to get them inside and ready for bed.
Day 4 (Thursday)
The fourth day started off much more slowly as Karen was tired and not feeling well. She slept a good portion of the morning which ended up not being a bad thing due to some rainy weather. Our plan had been to visit some museums and other sites but due to Karen's fatigue we made an adjustment and went on a scenic drive around San Francisco. There is something called the 49 mile drive and we had seen a large part of what was on it the day before so we started in the middle at the Golden Gate Bridge. By that time the weather had improved and was just overcast. After the bridge we drove down to some ruins on the coast and spent some time there. Karen wasn't feeling up to the 100+ stairs so she stayed with Becca in the car while Ruthann, James, and I went exploring. Once we were done there we continued our drive and ended up near the museums we had originally planned on visiting. By that time it was late enough in the day that we only had a few minutes to walk around.
Day 5 (Friday)
Our last full day was again a late starting day. We made a trip to the Muir Woods National Monument about 20 miles North of the city and met up with Ruthann's husband and kids. We walked (Karen was in her wheelchair) through the redwoods to the end of the paved trail (about 2 miles round trip) in some on again off again rain. James and Rebecca had a good time with some cousins they hadn't really gotten a chance to know.
Day 6 (Saturday)
Our van to the airport showed up earlier than expected in the morning. Luckily I had packed most everything up the night before and then gotten up early that morning to get the kids ready. At the airport, James helped by pulling the wheeled carry-on suitcase while I carried Becca along with the two other bags for the kids. Karen was assisted through the airport in her wheelchair. On the plane we had to split up since they didn't have four or even three seats together. James and Karen sat together while I had Becca next to me. Almost as soon as we pulled away from the gate Rebecca started screaming and nothing seemed to calm her down. A few minutes after takeoff she had calmed down enough to have some juice and snacks. She then put her head on my lap and went to sleep.
Karen's sister Diana met us at the airport and helped us to her car. We kept the kids awake on the drive to Diana's house and then transferred luggage, people, and car seats to our vehicle. Gratefully, the kids managed to sleep most of the way to Logan. Overall, it was an enjoyable trip.
Braden
