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!