California – Easin’ Along…and Family Along Too!

We had a tough time leaving the outstanding campground at Fiddler’s Cove in San

Diego, but we would get over it pretty quickly because an even more excellent experience lay ahead. Our destination was Seabreeze RV Resort, a campground maintained by the Navy in Seal Beach, California. Once there, the plan was to park Lucy (trailer) and drive north to visit our son and his family at his home just south of Los Angeles.

As an extra treat, our other son and his family would join us after flying in from their home in South Carolina. Helen and I were very excited that the grandchildren would have the opportunity to reunite, mainly since the Carolina girls had never visited California. We had a week’s worth of sightseeing and family time to look forward to.

Day One – Knott’s Berry Farm, Buena Park, California

I had always heard of Knott’s but had never visited. We decided that a trip to the tenth most visited theme park in North America might be just the ticket we needed, especially since all of the grandchildren had been to Disney World and Disneyland multiple times. This turned out to be the right decision.  The California kids knew much of the park from previous visits and loved sharing their knowledge with the newcomers.

While the girls were screaming their lungs out on the Dragon Boat ride, I escorted my grandson over to the kewpie doll stand to let him have a try at knocking over three dolls and win a prize. Once he had the baseballs in hand, he proceeded to knock over three in a row without hesitation. His scream at his accomplishment could be heard over every swing rider in the park.  Here is a picture of him and his prize.

I rode only one roller coaster and should have done it before lunch…almost left it there. I managed to live through it, but I was done for the day.  Helen avoided all of them, using the time instead to take the stuffed animal back to the car. Good move! We really enjoyed ourselves, and I had to pick up a jar of Knott’s Jelly as a souvenir (Boysenberry).

 

Day Two – Santa Monica Pier

Day two offered a threat of rain so that curtailed plans for a day at the beach.  Instead, we drove a few miles north to the city of Santa Monica to spend a few hours at the world-famous Santa Monica Pier. Surprisingly, the parking lot was crowded for so early on a cloudy day. Soon, however, we learned that there was a “Yogathon” underway on the back side of the pier and many hundreds of participants were sprawled out on yoga mats in various poses—some even with their derriere positioned high, much like a satellite dish searching for some coded signal from the chief Yogi himself.  This was a hoot.

The grandchildren rode a few more rides including the bumper cars and another wild swinging Dragon Boat.  My daughter-in-law from South Carolina should get a medal for riding this thing at least four times. My son participated in a song and dance routine with some other chaps which ended with one of the organizers jumping cartwheel style over all four of the guys. This was big fun, and the jumper made a haul in tips.

Day Three – La Brea Tar Pits

The weather was still too iffy for the beach, so my son suggested that we visit the La Brea Tar Pits for a real learning experience. Helen and I have wanted to visit this site ever since our son moved to California, so I was eager for the visit. The pits are located in urban Los Angeles.

Briefly described, the tar pits are composed of natural asphalt that oozed out of the ground to form ponds of sticky material.  Animals would confuse the ponds for a hard surface and become stuck in them and eventually die.  Other animals would come along and try to eat the imprisoned animals, and they would also get stuck. Over thousands of years, the pits would be filled with the bones of ancient mammals like Mastodons, Saber-Tooth Tigers, Giant Sloths, and Wooly Mammoths.  The oldest fossil dates back 38,000 years.

Excavation of the site began around 1915 and perfectly preserved ancient creatures were uncovered, with the bones assembled and displayed in the museum. Over 750,000 specimens were found in the first two years of excavations. I found the whole experience fascinating and would like to return at some point.

Day Four and Beyond – Beach and Pier Time

We finally had the opportunity to go to the beach and let the children dig in the sand.  They loved this almost as much as the amusement park rides. On our last morning, we all walked the California children to school—Helen’s favorite activity—and waved goodbye.  On the night before, we celebrated the birthday of this writer.  The girls composed a cheer for me and performed it several times.  I have the video and will post it on the Easin’ Along YouTube page when we return. This was the highlight of my trip so far.

Also, I have to thank my son’s mother-in-law for hosting everyone to an elegant dinner and pool party during our visit. She always goes all out for us when we visit and makes us feel so welcome.

We’re eight weeks into this journey and, happily, still Easin’ Along. So long for now.  Come back soon, we’re on our way to Vegas!