Little D, Peters and Me Without Our Pea! Day 5 & 6

Little D, Peters and Me Without Our Pea! Day 5 & 6

I got up early again on day 5. While I was working out, I missed a call from my mom wishing me a happy birthday. After I got done, I texted her back and wished her a happy birthing day. After all, she is the one that did all the hard work 43 years ago!

I drank some coffee and finished up the previous days report while Pam and Little D enjoyed sleeping in. After a while, they both joined me so we could load up on fuel. It was the first day Little D came down for breakfast, and she was pleased to find she could get a homemade waffle.

With Little D amped up on sugar it was time to go the attraction I had anticipated since I stepped foot in San Fran. We were going to "The Rock". I couldn't think of a better way to spend my birthday. Being a history buff, I have always been fascinated with Alcatraz and the story behind the prison. I had no idea it was a military fort, military jail, a federal prison, reclaimed Indian Land and now a National Historic Park! We took the ferry out to the island in anticipation of our tour.

What I didn't know is how Pam planned the super secret scary tour for me and Little D to be locked up. Little D and I looked into our new dwellings and settled in to serve our sentence.

After several hours of work duty, Little D and I were granted time in the rec yard where we played some baseball with other notorious criminals.  Little D had a plan to distract the guards from thinking we were model inmates like "Machine Gun" Kelly.

Little D and I partook in a friendly game of baseball out of the rec yard with the "Birdman" and Al Capone. Capone was pitching, and he didn't like the way Little D was crowding the plate. He gave her some chin music by pitching one high-and-tight to Little D's head. Little D reciprocated by reminding Capone that she was a true Texan and if he was going to "mess with the bull, he was going to get the horns!" Capone realized he messed with the wrong inmate and backed away sheepishly!

When the guards weren't looking, we hit the wall to escape from what they claimed to be inescapable!

Little D and I were able to clear the wall and swim our way back to the beach where we met up with Pam for more fun with the fam bam. It was was late afternoon, and we had one more destination to check off our list. That was The Upper Haight area.

Local lore has it that the hippie counterculture got its start on the corner of Haight-and-Ashbury. This is where legends like Janice Joplin and Jefferson Airplane launched their musical careers. Many come each day to homage to the hippie culture in some fascinating ways. It is safe to say that the hippie community is still alive and well in the Upper Haight area.

It was getting late, and our feet were once again tired while our stomachs were growling from a busy day. Pam declared it time to hop on the bus and find a birthday dinner fit for a king. She searched out a location, and we soon found ourselves at the entrance of a Pizza Hut!  Pam ordered dinner so we could take it back to the hotel and relax. It could have been the long, exhausting day of escaping from Alcatraz, or maybe it had something to do with walking through Upper Haight--but whatever the reason for our immense hunger, we mowed through the pizza, wings and cinnamon sticks like Tony aka Holmes taking on a tall stack of flapjacks after a long night finds him at a Denny'

With the food devoured and our feet tired from clocking in 13.4 miles with the Fitbit we called it a night so we could get up early for our flight home.

Day 6:

Day six found us up at 3:30 am to catch the red-eye back to Texas. We were ready and waiting as Uber picked us up and hit the airport in no time. The lines were fast, and Pam was soon on the lookout for Little D to have some breakfast. Little D settled for a turkey sandwich and Pam went for the coffee. 

The flight went off without a hitch with Little D napping off her turkey sandwich while Pam and I caught up on some reading.

We arrived in Dallas grabbed our luggage and picked up our car for the five-hour drive back home in the oppressive 110-degree heat of Texas. The ride was long as it was hot and we were ready to be home. Pam and I love to eat spicy food, and the idea of spice doesn't really exist in San Fran. We stopped off at Taco Casa and grabbed a  couple of chiladas and some tacos for the trip. We soon found our way back to Midland to the delight to all four of the dogs. They were pleased we came back home. Maddox, the Mad Dog, quickly realized his Pea was not with us. Maddox went into depression when he found out AK would not be returning until early Sunday morning.

We have been able to keep in touch with AK most of the time. We are really proud of all she has accomplished and the people she has been able to help and guide. AK really is a fantastic kid, and we were thrilled with her desire to share her love of God with others.  As proud as I am of her courage to go to a third world country, I am even more excited for her to return so I can hear all about her adventure. I would like to give Mickey and Bonnie Eckles and the entire 3:23 Ministries volleyball club a special shout out for making this mission trip possible. I know Avery Kate will cherish the memory for a lifetime.

After 672 miles driven and ten hours in the car, seven hours of total flight time, two quality bowls of clam chowder devoured, seeing sea lions several times, walking the Golden Gate bridge, getting lost in the Golden Gate Park, conducting experiments at the Exploritorium, hanging with hippies, checking off seeing the Giants play off the bucket list, getting locked up in the hoosegow known as Alcatraz, hoping every day the report left Kelly satisfied as she drank her morning coffee, countless slices of pizza and churros to keep even a Rigo filled, 70.26 miles walked according to the Fitbit and not being able to accurately calculate how much we missed out Pea...Pam declared the Little D, Peters and Me Without our Pea vacation to San Fran complete.

Little D, Peters and Me Without our Pea! Day 4

Little D, Peters and Me Without our Pea! Day 4

Day four started out at the same early hour. I enjoyed another quick workout and breakfast with Pam before dropping her off for her morning activities. Pam only had a half day, so I decided to go for a walk and let Little D sleep in as she is still nursing her cold. 

After my walk, I got Little D up, and we packed since we needed to change rooms for the day. Pam was done and met up with us for an afternoon of fun and sightseeing. Little D had done a spectacular job as team captain! But truth be told, there is only one team captain in this fam bam, and that person is Pam! With Pam at the helm, she led us to the San Fran aquarium. I live in a family of animal people which means lots of visits to zoos and aquariums. 

Pam was as excited as a Rigo when he reaches down and sees he is holding a pair of aces against his arch nemesis Jonathon who has been known to bluff! Pam wanted in so she could see her beloved river otters. Pam truly believes that someday she will own an otter so she can "cuddle it and play with its toes!" Pam was pleased to see the sea otter but rather disappointed when her request to play with the river rat fell on deaf ears!

We enjoyed the aquarium but found ourselves a touch on the disappointed side as it was minimal with few attractions. We shrugged it off and went in search of food. Holmes had visited the area a few weeks earlier and told tales of enjoying a scrumptious In-N-Out Burger close to the sea. Neither Pam or I spoke of this tale because we didn't want to jinx the possibilities of getting our hooks around a Double-Double Animal Style. After a short walk around Fisherman's Wharf, we spotted the treasure and aimed our sights on the California delicacy. 

I gave my customary score of 5 palm trees while Pam came in with a close 4.9. After grubbing on some burgers and texting Cathe to let her know they are still good, we continued our walk down to Hyde Street Pier. This pier is unique as it is a National Historic Park and has several large sailboats and other old vessels that were important to the development and commerce of the Bay area. Little D and Pam went an explored the ships while I deemed my sea legs unworthy and sat on a bench to watch the waves and take in the sun like a beached sea lion.

Little D had been itching all week to get her feet in the ocean and spend some time on the beach. She didn't seem to mind the fact the water is freezing. She took off her shoes and ran back an forth as the tide rolled in. Pam and I sat for an hour and watched Little D. We talked about how much we missed our Pea and loving all the stories about all the fun she was having exploring other foreign lands and touching people lives in profound ways.

Little D spotted a dock way out on the horizon and decided we needed to continue in that direction. The dock went out a way into the bay. It was breezy but warm, unlike the past few days.

Little D enjoyed walking next to me on the concrete curb and pointed out that it made her taller than me. Once we reached the end of the dock, we came up to Fort Mason. This Fort was established by the Spanish when they first colonized the city. The US took over the fort. It remained in operation until the mid-1960's. 

We continued up a very steep hill that overlooked the bay and the fort. Little D noticed a park on the other side. Pam knowing full well that I took every opportunity to let Little D do whatever she wanted that last few days to get a leg up on the early voting for Parent of the Year pulled out the wild card and suggested that we go see the house from the hit TV series Full House. Little D quickly pointed out how "happy" she was with her mama and how "this trip is just the best" because of her! Disgusted by Pam's trick to pull ahead in the voting, I tailed them a few yards behind as Pam navigated the bus system to get us where we needed to be.

Although Pam and Little D liked the Full House house, to me it was just another house. Regardless of my thoughts, they were delighted with Pam's find--Little D as she got to wave to Uncle Jessie and Joey her were looking out the window and Pam because she knew she was leading by a large margin in the polls.

After Little D waived goodbye to Uncle Jessie and Joey, We caught yet another bus that put us outside our hotel. We checked into a room that was a touch bigger but not by much. Once again, Little D was totally pumped with the view from our room.

Since we were starving and it was officially 10:00 pm Texas time, Pam felt we should go to the local Denny's to dine on some flapjacks in honor of Holmes aka Tony, who has shared all the tricks of navigating through San Fran.

With our bellies full of pancakes and our hearts filled with ove, we laid our bodies down to rest as the Fitbit calculated we put in a solid 12 miles for the day. Day 5 will bring on more fam bam fun with Pam and also bring us one more day closer to our much-needed reunion with our Pea whom Little D dearly misses!

Little D, Peters and Me Without our Pea: Day 3

Little D, Peters and Me Without our Pea: Day 3

Day 3 started out early just like the others with a quick workout in the gym followed by another complimentary breakfast. With one exception. Today was not the standard powdered eggs and greasy thin bacon type of breakfast. Nope, the early morning meal was the day all Hampton Inn breakfast enthusiasts relish. Pam jumped with glee when she pulled away the heavy lid to see what she dreams of every time she books a Hampton Inn. The impressive yet scrumptious "Bagel Topper". A half bagel with cheese, egg, and bacon all melted on top of a bagel. Pam powered down her food and reminded me that no rating would need to be given since complete and total joy had filled her heart in the form of breakfast food.

Once again I walked Pam over to tend to her daily activities and headed back to finish up the previous days trip report, drink some coffee and read the news. Little D soon called and was up and ready to leave for more adventures. She has liked being in charge of taking control of the schedule and the transportation. We loaded up on the cable car and were off to partake out on a harbor tour.

The harbor tour was an hour long experience on a large craft that pushed through the choppy bay. Under normal circumstances, I would have been a little concerned at this point as Little D is susceptible to getting car sick. There is no knowing what the vicious seas of the San Fran Bay would bring my precious cargo. But then it occurred to me, I was not in charge. If Pam had appointed me team captain, I most likely would have forgotten to give Little D her medicine to battle off the seasickness. Since Pam declared Little D ruler of the day I was pleased to see my supreme leader take out a pill and swallow it down with some water.

The tour was stunning as we got to see the Golden Gate Bridge up close and came in close to "the rock". We liked hearing the history of the bay and how many forts have been built to protect the gateway from the evil doers of the world. One interesting tidbit we learned was a hostile shot has never been fired from any of the forts!

After giving up on our sea legs and getting on dry land, Little D declared it was time for lunch. She had her sights set on some onion rings she spotted the night before. Just like her Papa, Little D appreciates a quality onion ring from time to time. What I had not expected was the pure excitement that overcame her face when she was able to take in the aroma of the garlic fries being served to the patrons on Pier 39. Leader D took her leadership skills to new levels when she deemed we would be lunching on both garlic fries and onion rings. We would polish it off with a bottle of water. 

Little D chowed down on the garlic fries the same way Pam had attacked her bagel topper earlier for breakfast. In fact, Little D was so enamored with her new find that the most critical of food critics gave the garlic fries an unheard of 4.9 cloves of garlic out of five!

With our breath refreshed from the garlic and onion we took in, it was time to walk down the beach in search of the Exploratorium. This is a rather interesting take on a science museum. The idea is to make it interactive with experiments to be a part of and learn. Little D was in her element. After all, she did win the prestigious Science and Math Award this past year for school. I must say even I was impressed with the setup and design as Little D got busy conducting her own experiments. No doubt old Rigo would have himself a good time had he been able to go!

We were having so much fun we failed to pay attention to the time and realized it was time to get back and reconnect with Pam. On the way out Little D saw a water fountain and needed a drink to quench her thirst for all the experiments and garlic that still lingered.

It was such a pretty day we decided to hike back to the hotel. We were there in no time to see Pam where Little D was able to catch her up on the doings of the day.  Pam was excited to hear about our journey and honed in on the fact that we had garlic fries.

It was soon time to walk to the Giants game down the road. Whenever we are visiting a city, we always try to make it work out so we can see a new ballpark and watch a game. One of my bucket list items is to see all the ballparks in my life. It's a lofty goal, but one I hope to achieve through the years.

The game was great as Tony aka Holmes suggested we sit high enough to take in the bay and the game at the same time. Pam was also pleased to see they served garlic fries; however, she did say the Dodgers did a much better job with their garlic fries. The hot dog was not noteworthy, but the ballpark is a sight to see. It reminds me a lot of Coors Field in Denver. The only difference being the fans at Coors seem to attend for craft beer and conversation while the Giants faithful is tuned into the game.

After the game, we went back to the hotel for some rest. Our feet were exhausted from the Fitbit clocking us in at just over 14 miles walked. We were not able to talk with AK in Costa Rica, but she was able to send us a few texts and pictures. All reports are still sound from across the world as she has continued to enjoy her friends, serve others and manage to play some volleyball on the side. 

Little D, Peters and ME Without Our Pea: Day 2

Little D, Peters and Me Without Our Pea: Day 2

Day two started out at 6:00 am California time and 8:00 Texas time. This may seem early, but for Pam and I we consider it weekend sleeping in late. And we are not talking about the typical weekend where we are toting kids across Texas to get them to a volleyball game. I'm talking about the rare Saturday with no planned activities.

After a good workout, and our free complimentary basic breakfast courtesy of the Hampton Inn, Pam and I headed a few blocks away so I could drop her off for some appointments she needed to attend. 

I headed back to the hotel and let Little D catch up on some much-needed rest as she has come down with a head cold. The great thing about Little D is she is merely one of the toughest kids I know and rarely complains about anything. She is my perfect travel companion because much like me she has to keep on the move and enjoys exploring all aspects of culture and history. As an added plus, just like her old man, she loathes to go shopping!

Since Pam knew her days would be occupied she scoured the World Wide Web to find activities to keep Little D and me busy during the day as she didn't want to deal with our constant complaints of being bored. She purchased a city pass which allowed for us to take any type of transportation across San Fran and explore several museum and exhibits.

Knowing that I would most likely get lost, Pam put Little D in charge of getting us around and determining the schedule for the day. Little D decided the day would take us back to the Golden Gate Park for more exploration and hike on different trails. We also had tickets to the California Academy of Sciences which was conveniently located in the park.

We both decided the lure of dinosaurs was just too exciting, and the hike would have to wait. Upon walking in the entrance, we were not disappointed as Little D was able to see her all time favorite dinosaur, the T-Rex!

 Little D did her best T-Rex pose, and we were ready to hit the museum. The Academy of Sciences didn't disappoint as we were able to see the Earthquake show at the planetarium, walk through the aquarium to visit with the rare albino alligator, see more dinosaurs and take a leisurely but very sweaty stroll through the rainforest. Little D and I were happy as it was butterfly season and they were everywhere. 

After several hours of exploration at the Academy, Little D found her stomach growling like a pack of wild street dogs in search of sustenance. Little D insisted on eating at the museum cafeteria. I was less than eager as the food at these places tend to be sub-par as well as expensive. But, Little D persisted, and I agreed to remember the one rule Pam laid out for the day. "If Little D gets hungry, feed her!" After all, it is well documented that a hangry Little D is also known as No Fun Little D!

Little D was pleased to find they had mac-n-cheese, and it wasn't the crappy box made kind, but the good stuff made with a variety of cheeses and mixed to perfection. I opted for a bowl of clam chowder. The food was still expensive, but well worth eating as Little D the strict food critic came in with a solid 4 mixed cheeses out of five. I gave my clam chowder and impressive 4.3.

With our stomachs satisfied and happy Little D refueled up, it was time to go explore the park some more. Delaney loved the park yesterday and wanted to spend some time hiking and going on the different trails that are available.

The hiking was fantastic, and Little D played the role of a squirrel as she hopped on every possible log and climbed every tree possible. She got bored with the routine trails and decided to be more adventurous and make her own paths. 

With our time winding down, we headed to the hotel and meet up with Pam. Little D navigated us back to the subway and got us on the train. After several stops the conductor made everyone get off as they closed a tunnel the train needed to go through. Having no clue where we were our how to get back, I looked at Little D. She used the map and her trusty "senses" and was able to discover a cable car stop a few blocks over that would deliver us safely back to our destination.

Pam was waiting for us and congratulated us both--Little D for not losing her Daddy and me for making sure Little D did not become Hangry D.

Pam took over the reins as she is known to do and laid out the plan for the evening which found us in China Town. China Town was interesting to see. Uncle Andy suggested to Little D that she try some bubble tea. Since Uncle Andy is one of Little D's all-time favorite people in the world, she honed in on a sign advertising the drink. 











After several sips, Little D and Pam decided the bubble tea was not worthy of giving it a rating as it is a required taste that neither has acquired.

We continued our journey through Little Italy and found ourselves at Pier 39 where Tony, AKA Holmes suggested we go to view the sea lions sunbathing on the docks. Little D and Pam were quite pleased with Holmes' suggestion as they love all animals. Being able to see the sea lions in their natural habitat made them smile with glee.

Ravaged from a long day of travel we found a pizza place to settle in for a nice meal while the San Fran faithfully rooted their Golden State Warriors to an NBA Championship. The views from the restaurant left us looking out across the ocean and wondering how our Sweet Pea was doing so many miles away. The pizza was excellent but the company was even better as Little D told tales of our trip earlier in the day.

While we were walking out to head back, we received a call from AK who reported that all was well and she loves the mission trip and serving others. AK, like most girls her age, has placed a major focus on playing volleyball for the last several years. Pam and I support her desire to play, but we both know that volleyball is just an activity to help guide her. There are things way more important in life. What is remarkable, is last night she talked to us both about the importance of serving others and the wonderful feeling as she gets closer to God. She went on and on about God and talked very minimal about the volleyball game they played yesterday. Pam and I smiled at each other and squeezed each other's hand a little tighter knowing full well that, at least for one day in our hectic and somewhat chaotic life we nailed it as parents! And just maybe with a little prayer, hard work our dedication we would find ourselves in contention for the glorious Parent of the Year award!

Little D, Peters and me without our Pea in San Fran: Day 1

Little D, Peters and Me Without Our Pea: Day 1

Day one started out at 4:00 am Texas time from our cozy Hilton in Dallas. We drove up early the day before after dropping off AK for her mission trip to Costa Rica. It was hard saying goodbye and sending our 14-year-old Sweet Pea halfway across the world, but as Elwood Blue's has pointed out, she was in good hands because she was "on a Mission for God!"

We arrived at Dallas Love early and immediately began the quest for nourishment. Pam knew we had a three and a half hour flight ahead of us and she wanted to make sure Little D was well fed. We walked around the airport and saw every option possibly available before Little D decided a Dickey's breakfast taco would hit the spot. Pam and I happily agreed since we enjoyed them on our last trip to Boston. Pam gave her breakfast tacos a quality 4.2 tortillas, I put it in the range of a 4.4 while Little D had the pulled pork and inhaled every last morsel. Little D is a harsh food critic and came in with a 3.4 store-bought tortillas. She said if they had been authentic homemade tortillas it would have gotten a higher rating.

With breakfast complete, we loaded on our flight headed to lovely San Fran. Pam slept little the night before as she eagerly awaited news from AK that she had safely arrived in Costa Rica. With the text from AK saying all was good Pam found herself in a deep slumber 10 minutes into the flight. Little D being full of wit and good humor decided this would be an opportune time to fully decorate her mom with goldfish crackers. Little D did an excellent job and made the flight more enjoyable as it was easy to get a quick snack when we found ourselves hungry!

With the goldfish merrily devoured we found ourselves gently landed into San Fran while Pam was confused as to why she had cracker crumbs on her shirt and neck.











We headed straight to the hotel and checked our bags so we could head out and take in the sights. Pam decided the day would take us to the Golden Gate Park and to the Golden Gate Bridge. Being the rookie tourists we are, we thought they would be right next to each other. We soon found out that was false, and the free map from the Hampton Inn is not entirely to scale as many miles on our weary feet would be walked.

The Golden Gate Park is a stunning park that covers an area of five square miles. The trees are huge and make the lovely mesquite trees in Midland pale in comparison. Little D was pleased as she is an avid tree climber and immediately had visions of putting her tree climbing skills to good use.

While we discovered new terrain to explore and hike we heard from AK. She was having the time of her life and was getting ready to play her first volleyball game in Costa Rica. The volleyball game would be followed by a church service with prayer and fellowship. We asked her to send us some pictures of herself and Costa Rica. With a busy schedule of being off in the vast big world, she was able to send off a picture with her newly acquired money from Costa Rica. 

We were pleased she was doing well but a new fear of AK contracting Conjunctivitis in a third-world country settled into the back of our minds.











After many miles of exploration, it was time to hop on a bus and head to the Golden Gate Bridge. I was excited as this was a bucket list item for me. The bridge is enormous and spectacular to be on. Little D and Pam loved spotting the sea lions swimming in the bay, and the views were glorious as it was a sunny day. The wind was mighty and cold, but we didn't let that hamper our journey as we walked the bridge.

To say the bridge was an fantastic structural feat would not do it justice. The trip was already well worth the investment having visited this national treasure. Pam and Little D enjoyed it just as much as I did. After a long walk and being windblown. Pam decided it was time to catch the bus back to the Golden Gate Park where we heard rumors of seeing real-life buffalo. Since Pam is an animal lover of all kinds, we were off on another adventure. What we didn't account for was the inaccuracy of the free Hampton Inn map not being to scale and the lack of any tourists with a clue of where the bison would be located in a park that spans five square miles. With Pam taking the title of lead explorer she pointed us to an observation tower that we could go up and look out across the park. Being the intelligent person, Pam is, her theory was we would be able to see the buffalo from high in the sky and figure out the direction we needed to head.

Although the views were gorgeous from our high post, finding the buffalo was futile as the park is densely populated with lofty trees. We came down from the tower and headed in the direction we felt was right using our free Hampton Inn map and Little D's trust in her "senses". After many more miles of wrong turns, two bus rides and many other tourists asked we happened upon the great American Buffalo. The sight of the few that were there was...underwhelming!

With our feet exhausted and our fuel levels low, Pam declared it was time to head back on the bus to the hotel to officially check in and reload with a snack as the evening would bring on more adventures and fun on our fatigued walkers.

The Hampton Inn is lovely, but the rooms are tiny ensuring our family will be extra close during our visit. Little D was also thrilled to see the magnificent view the place offered.

After a quick snack and bumping into one another trying to get settled in our new habitat we headed to the cable cars to take us to Fisherman's Wharf. The cable cars are an exciting way to travel, and we enjoyed the sights as we passed through the city. Little D decided she wanted the adventure of standing and hanging out the side of the car.

We walked around Ghirardelli Square and ate at a local place called Lori's Diner. Little D went for the popcorn chicken while Pam and I split the fish-n-chips and a cup of clam chowder. The food was excellent and I gave the chowder a solid 4.3 rating. Pam came in with a 4 with the fish-n-chips. Little D liked her chicken but compared to Chick-Fil-A nuggets, which gets top billing in her court of opinion, she only rated Lori's chicken at a 3.

We continued down to the beach where Little D was missing on her big sister and wrote her name in the sand in hopes the message would reach her Sweet Pea many miles away.

We headed back to the hotel and get some rest. After all, we had logged a total of 15.5 miles according to my newly acquired Fitbit. We crashed hard, and everyone fell to sleep with the excitement of hearing what our Pea was up to half a world away and what Day Two in San Fran would bring us!