We had the most incredible summer in the 80. Drove to the Left coast to San diego, Sea World and the zoo there. My daughter met Shamu in person! She asked nicely and got him to splash her soaking wet. She loved it !
We took her friend along for the ride, and she was a big help.
After San Diego we took the PCH up to L.A. for two very full days at Dizzyland. We're talking fireworks and all. My kid got to meet all of her heros. Mickey, Minney, Goofey and clan. She had her first roller-coaster ride. She got her Buzz Lightyear doll autographed by the man himself! We even had dinner with all of the Disney princesses, (aspiring actresses hoping for a better gig). They were all charming (and HOT! Daddy was looking!
) The dinner was also great, a four-course quality meal
. We bought enough loot at Dizzyland to open a Disney store back at home!
We had 4 days left to kill and no plans, so we went back to the PCH and drove up almost to the bay area. We came back and settled in Ventura at a Motel 6 and explored the Sierra Madre mountains. Those hills are stunning! Two hours from the beach and we were a mile high with views of the ocean from oak and pine studded mountains. The Cruiser was in its element.
We drove back thru the Mohave Desert (120 degrees) past oil wells and farms. We were in the LC for 12 hours that day. The kids were troopers that day and they made daddy proud! On the way we ran a road just over the Arizona border that is a part of old route 66. It runs from the river/border to Kingman. The road itself is paved but there are many side roads and old mine sites to explore. There are some cool rock formations and a lot of scenery, even a lake with waterfoul.
We came back home just long enough to see the color of our little hut, and then took off for nearly four weeks in New England.
We went to Philly for a few days, then on to Cape Cod. We spent 4 days on the coast of Connecticut where I actually played fisherman on a boat. I have not fished in 20 years, yet I somehow managed to land four fish that were each bigger than my aquarium at home. They were three feet long each, three blues and a sea bass. I gave them all back to the sea without so much as a picture to show for it all. But it was fun to catch them. It kinda wrecked my prospects as a fisherman in Arizona creeks and lakes. Fishing for 8" trout just isn't the same. Our local fish are safe for now.
We went to visit the whales in Cape Cod Bay. They were incredible. Huge intelligent critters just swimming next to our boat and playing with us! 20-foot tail flukes flipping water onto the boat. The whales were watching us as much as we were watching them. It was just before a storm, so the whales were on their best behavior that day.
In all we have had a pretty good summer.
We're back home now and our hut still looks the same as when we left it. Cats and dogs are all still here, it's all good.
6 weeks of vacation out of an 8-week summer is pretty good. With any luck we can do it again next year!
Cruisin'Carolina
What a road trip! I can't wait to do this with my kids!
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