I Wish They All Could Be...

It’s been just over a month, but I’m finally getting around to writing about my amazing trip to California.

After almost a year of planning, my mom and I finally got to head “home” to the west coast. This was my gift to her for birthday, Christmas, Mother’s Day… and for always doing so much for the family. I also just wanted to spend some quality mother-daughter time together. So, on May 3, I flew in to San Francisco, got the car, and headed to my friend Patti’s house to drop off the luggage and then go get Mom in Oakland.

Mom’s plane arrived around 7:00pm, so we started off with a quick dinner at Mimi’s Café in Pleasanton, and then headed back to Patti’s to get settled in and catch up with her. Mom wasn’t very hungry as her stomach was bothering her, but I hadn’t eaten since – at all that day - so I was ready for some grub. Patti very graciously offered to let us stay with her at her adorable house in Castro Valley (same town where I lived before I moved to Dallas in 2000). And I must say, the house really is adorable. She has a 3 bedroom, 2 bath house that has a nice, little view of the SF bay and a really cute yard in a quaint little neighborhood. Mom and I each had our own room, and since Patti had her own bathroom, Mom and I shared the other.

It was great to catch up with Patti. This was the first time my mom had really spent any time around her, and she really enjoyed getting to know her and Patti’s dog, Bailey. Patti is great at making conversation and getting all of the nitty-gritty details out of a person. Not to mention she is fun and always makes me laugh. So, we spent some time catching up on the past few years and just hanging out before heading to bed to get ready for the next day.

Sunday was a quiet day. We slept in just a bit, and then hung out in our pj’s and chatted with Patti a bit more. Mom’s stomach was feeling a bit better that afternoon, so we ended up venturing out for a bite to eat at Black Angus in Pleasanton. As usual, it did not disappoint – we always love to go there. (And as you keep reading, you’ll observe that most of our activities center around eating. Maybe I should be a restaurant critic!) We walked around for a few minutes at Macy’s, but headed back early so we could get plenty of rest in preparation for the next day’s outing.

On Monday, we got up early and started making our way to Lake Tahoe. We started off with breakfast at JD’s in CV, then started driving east on the 580 through Pleasanton/Dublin, Livermore, and over the Altamont Pass into Tracy. We made a quick detour in Tracy to a Michael’s store to get some silk flowers to take to the cemetery, where my grandparents, great-grandmother, and other relatives are laid to rest. Then we headed on up highway 5 to Sacramento, then over to 80 towards Reno/Tahoe.

We got to Truckee in early afternoon and made our way towards the lake. Mom had never been to Tahoe, so we drove in at North Shore and made the scenic drive around the lake. It was a gorgeous day and we couldn’t have asked for better weather. The lake was, of course, absolutely beautiful. We had a leisurely drive with the exception of one daring, apparently suicidal squirrel who had his last adventure crossing the road when he came face to face with our tire. (Poor little guy.) But, we kept on going and ventured over to South Shore to check in to our hotel. We stayed at the new Mont Bleu Hotel and Casino, which I had made last minute reservations for the night prior and did not know until I mentioned to Patti that it was the old Caesar’s in South Shore.

At first glance, Mont Bleu looked like it was a very nice, luxurious place to stay. However, upon closer examination, it turned it to be not so much. It wasn’t actually bad, but once you got up to the rooms it really was still just outdated Caesars. Our room was spacious, light and airy, with down bedding and pillows – which unfortunately caused a bit of an allergy issue with both Mom and me. The shower curtain liner was too short and didn’t fit the tub, so as you showered, water would leak onto the floor. There were no towel racks to hang your wet towels. And the sheets weren’t exactly clean… But it was a place to rest our heads, and we had a nice view of that beautiful lake.

That afternoon we had a late lunch/early dinner of Round Table Pizza in South Shore. Now, I know, some of you are probably thinking – pizza? But you have to understand that you just don’t get a good Round Table Pizza in Texas or North Carolina, and quite frankly, it sounded good. We were NOT disappointed. We enjoyed every bite. Then I talked Mom into taking the short drive over to Reno. Mom had not been to Reno since she and Dad eloped in December 1963, so this was a whole new experience for her. And quite frankly, I don’t know that she has ever stepped foot into a casino. We got to Reno and the first place I took her to was the little chapel where my parents had gotten married 44 years ago. We took lots of pictures, and even went inside to check it out. Then we drove a short two blocks over to my favorite Reno haunt, The Silver Legacy. We went inside and I showed Mom the mystical wonder of crazed Casino rats. We walked around quite a bit, got a few little souvenirs, and after a few hours of observing the craziness that is Reno headed back to South Shore. I think both of us would have preferred to stay at SL, but we were already planted at Mont Bleu, so we reluctantly made our way back to “home base” for the evening.

We got back to hotel around 10pm (give or take a few minutes), and went to bed. Morning came early, and we woke up to a beautiful view of the lake. We got ready and packed up to head out on our next adventure for the day. Tuesday morning consisted of breakfast at Heidi’s in South Shore, followed by some shopping and browsing at The Shops at Heavenly. I couldn’t believe how much Heavenly had changed. The shops are gorgeous – it reminded me much more of a fancy, Colorado ski resort than it had in past years. We even ventured into an art gallery (http://www.marcusashley.com/index.html) that had several really cool Dr. Suess prints and sculptures, and one of the most beautiful paintings I’d ever seen (the artist was Danish – don’t remember the first name) that would have looked amazing in my house. Too bad I didn’t have the $2500.00 to pay for it or I would have bought it in a heartbeat. We really enjoyed looking at the paintings and sculptures in the gallery. Then we headed across the street for the touristy stuff like t-shirts and other Tahoe memorabilia. We finished up around noon, and started heading back to the Bay Area.

We continued on around the lake so Mom could see the rest of it, including one of the most beautiful areas on the lake – Emerald Bay. We made a pit stop there and of course I took a million more pictures. Of course it was gorgeous out so we enjoyed the view while we could. Then we ventured back down 80 towards Sacramento, and since it was past lunch time and we were both hungry, I treated Mom to her first In N’ Out burger in Auburn. Of course, it also did not disappoint. We also shared a few laughs as we observed some of the interesting people in line. (Oh, how I love to people watch – ESPECIALLY in California!)

We finally made it back to Patti’s late afternoon, and quickly freshened up before heading to meet my uncle Chris and his main squeeze, Ellen. Chris is my Mom’s younger (and only) brother. I wasn’t feeling very well at this point, so it took me awhile to get ready. But we eventually made our way over to Chris’s house, and then he drove us to Pleasanton to pick up Ellen. We had originally planned to have dinner at the Spaghetti Factory, which was a bit of a family tradition with my parents, Chris, and Grandma and Grandpa. Unfortunately, the one in Oakland is now closed, so that would have meant a drive to San Jose. Instead, we opted for a Chinese restaurant in downtown Livermore that was absolutely phenomenal. I wish I could remember the name, so I could tell my California friends where it was! At any rate, after sipping on some sprite, I started feeling better and we all enjoyed a delicious dinner together. I must say, my uncle hasn’t changed one bit for as long I can remember, with the exception of his hair being a little grayer. That isn’t saying much considering he has always been blonde, so the change is quite subtle. We also got a quick tour of Ellen’s townhouse, which was quite lovely. She has some amazing things she’s picked up over the years through her travels to Europe and other countries, and her backyard and patio look like they came straight out of a magazine. My only question was, “How do you clean with all this stuff?!?”

After dinner, we headed back to Chris’s, and after a quick visit we went back to Patti’s. We had a short visit with Patti, then all headed to bed. Once again, the morning came quite early, and so with it came the breakfast we had been salivating over for weeks – VAL’S!

Oh, how we love Val’s, home of the Papa, Mama, and Baby burgers. It’s an old café from the 50’s, and actually sits across the street from a house that my dad had lived in growing up. My Mom and Dad actually hung out there when they were dating a few times. Val’s has not only the best burgers on the planet, but they have phenomenal breakfast as well. They are closed on Sundays and Mondays, and we had been in Tahoe on Tuesday, so this was our first opportunity to partake. We sauntered in after the morning rush and relaxed as we relished every bite.

After breakfast, we drove up Kelly hill and over to Mom’s old house on Randall Way. In some ways, the surrounding neighborhoods had changed with a few new homes and a newly installed roundabout just before you make the right hand turn that goes past the cemetery on the hill. The old neighborhood, however, looks almost exactly the same, yet it has been kept up quite nicely. And the house still looks great. The current owners have done a nice job keeping up the yard and the house, and the rose bushes are still where they’ve been for years and years. After checking out the old neighborhood, we then drove past Mom’s old high school (Hayward High), and headed through town and out towards Piedmont to go to the cemetery to pay our respects. As we got into the Oakland Hills, Mom mentioned that her other Grandmother from her Dad’s side, and her Aunt Jewel were also interred nearby at a cemetery in Oakland. I had had no idea that they were right there in Oakland, and Mom hadn’t been there in years, so we looked it up on the GPS and made our way to the Chapel of the Chimes to pay our respects. The place was absolutely and unexpectedly beautiful. We also had a little giggle when Mom told the assistant who was helping look up their locations that Jewel’s married last name was actually “Ring”. After a brief visit, we headed to Oakmont Memorial Park up in the quiet and peaceful hills facing Mount Diablo. Mom placed the flowers we had purchased on Monday in their respective vases for her Mom, Dad, Grandmother, and Aunt Mamie. After admiring the serenity of the grounds and the lovely view, eventually we headed on.

At this point, we decided that since it was such a gorgeous day we’d take a drive up to Mount Diablo. We opted to not go into the city (SF) as we always do that and decided we wanted to do something different this time. Mom and her family had spent many afternoons picnicking on Mount Diablo, and playing in and around the rocks that had “caves” in them. I had never been up to the park, so we decided to go ahead and drive in. The road was long, winding and narrow, but the views were spectacular. Not too long after entering the park, we noticed a sign for an area that sounded like it might have our rock caves, so we decided to stop in and check it out. Sure enough, there they were! Mom got to take a few minutes to reminisce about times spent playing with her siblings and outings growing up with her family, and it was fun to see the excitement on her face remembering those good times past. It was also very interesting to see the huge boulders and rock formations with the tunnels that had been carved out by the wind.

After our short detour, we drove up to the top of the mountain. Once we arrived at the top, we climbed the stairs at the tower and were treated to 360 degree views of the entire Bay Area. You could even see the Golden Gate bridge in the distance, as well as the delta system. I would almost swear you could see Sacramento from there. Again, I took a gazillion pictures, and after taking it all in, we headed back down the pass as we dodged mountain bikers who had made their way up (and back down) the steep, windy pass.

Thursday was our last morning in the Bay Area, but we took our time getting ready before heading down the coast to Monterey. I was craving a bagel from my one of my old, local haunts, so we stopped at Big Apple Bagel and the Starbucks next door to grab a quick breakfast before heading out. After a quick bite, we drove through downtown Hayward and across the San Mateo bridge. We decided to take the scenic route down US 1, so we drove through the mountains and into Half Moon Bay, then south onto US 1. We stopped briefly at Pescadero Beach to take in the cool and somewhat foggy ocean air, and of course, I took more pictures. Then we headed down through Big Sur, Santa Cruz, past Capitola and into Watsonville, where we stopped at a roadside fruit stand and got some delicious baskets of locally grown strawberries. From there, we made our way into Monterey. We drove past Marina and old Fort Ord (where my dad was stationed from 1982-1987), which is now part of Seaside and houses Cal-State Monterey Bay University. Our first two nights in Monterey were at the Holiday Inn Express in Seaside, which was actually quite comfortable. We had a nice little view of the lake and were close proximity to just about anything you could possibly need. After getting settled in the room, we ventured out to Cannery Row, where we had lunch at the former Casa Maria, which is now El Torito.

Lunch was delicious. We sat by the window overlooking the bay and were treated to a show by several sea otters romping and playing in the water. We then headed over to Fisherman’s Wharf, where we stocked up on Monterey t-shirts and sweatshirts. The weather was cool and a bit chilly that afternoon, so Mom got a jacket to keep her warm. We couldn’t believe the amazing prices, so we really did stock up. We also learned an interesting trick… go do tourist shopping during the week, because the retailers jack up their prices on the weekends! After the wharf, we drove down the road and along the coast, enjoying the setting sun as it glistened over the water. If you’ve never been to Monterey, it should definitely be on your list of things to do before you die. It’s one of the most beautiful places on earth.

So… one of the big surprises I’d been planning for this trip was a mini reunion of kids I’d gone to school, church and seminary with growing up. Mom had taught seminary my first two years of high school, so she also taught many of my church friends and knew them well. However, she didn’t know about our mini “reunion” until I told her earlier that week, and coincidentally, two of my friends were staying in the same hotel we were. So, after lunch and shopping, we headed back to the hotel and I called Debbie, whom I had been planning this event with over the past several months. Debbie was originally one of my sister’s close friends as they were the same age, but after Karin moved away to be with Barry, Debbie and I became close my sophomore year of high school. As it turned out, Debbie and her three boys were in the room right next door, so it was probably a good thing Mom had been informed. After finding out how close in proximity our rooms really were, we walked next door and said hello to Debbie and met her adorable boys. I hadn’t seen her in about 17 years, and Mom hadn’t seen her in about 21 years. Her parents were also in tow, so we were looking forward to seeing them later on as well. We looked at a few pictures and a yearbook Debbie had brought with her from our 80’s heyday, and after reminiscing a bit decided it was time to call it a night and head off to bed.

Friday was another semi-early morning, and we ventured downstairs for our free HIE breakfast. (Of course, did you think I’d leave out the food?) We ran into Debbie’s parents there and talked to them briefly. After breakfast, we decided to spend the day checking out some of our old hangouts. We drove over to Seaside High and I took a few pictures, but didn’t stay long or venture in too far since school was still in session. Then we headed up the road to Fort Ord, driving past Fitch Middle School, our old house on Metz Road, and several other houses of good friends from days gone by. We took pictures of Kraig’s elementary school (Marshall), the library (I used to actually go there to read, but Karin would go there to play Dungeons and Dragons and/or sneak out with her delinquent friends), the hospital, and over to the pool – which I couldn’t believe I found so easily. The pool has huge sentimental value for me – I love to swim, and it was by far my favorite hangout. It was also where I took swimming lessons. Back in the day, the place was massive, and there were always tons of kids swimming and playing in the water. It was so sad to see it fenced off, with broken out and boarded up windows looking so empty and run down. Although we could not drive to or even walk by the front door because it was fenced off, the old emergency exit door was open and you could see inside just a bit. Just looking in that door brought flashbacks of times past with kids shrieking joyously, running playfully around the perimeter of the pool and jumping in and climbing out of the water. But reality quickly set back in as the old, dilapidated building returned to view, and we knew that it would surely be demolished like many of the other buildings that had already met their fate.

I was both delighted and surprised to find how well I still remembered where things were -- streets, directions, and landmarks. We moved away when I was 16, so it’s been… well, over 20 years (sigh). Funny how things seemed so much farther away and larger when you were a kid compared to when you go back and see them as an adult. Although I had been back to Monterey and Fort Ord many times over the past several years, the biggest surprise was not the new houses that were popping up in newly created subdivisions on the former military base, but the new shopping center on the Marina side! Surrounded by old, military buildings and barracks and near where the old Stilwell Hall skating rink once stood, there was a Target, Best Buy, Old Navy, and several other stores in a brand new shopping center just inside the highway and the sand dunes that surround the bay. Of course, we had to go check it out, so we sauntered in to Target for a peek. Naturally, they have everything exactly like any other Target anywhere on the planet would, but for some reason this one just seemed a little more special. Call it sentimental – and a sign of hope that the decaying and run-down, vacant buildings of the old Fort Ord (or Planet Ord as we called it back in the day) were yielding to new life, and new hope for such a pristine and beautiful area that had seemed wasted since the base closed years ago.

We also drove through Marina that day, and again reminisced of places Kenny, Karin, and friends from church had worked, as well as where one of my best friend’s growing up (Anita) lived. We later decided that we had enjoyed our dinner at El Torito the day before so much, that we went back for lunch. Again, it did not disappoint. The weather was gorgeous – a typical Monterey day, cool and foggy/overcast in the morning giving way to an afternoon of clear skies and sunshine. We also were treated to more otters playing in the water just outside the window, and following lunch ventured across the street to check out more shops on Cannery Row. We were sad to see that “The Carousel” in the Edgewater Packing Company building was gone, which is now a big IMAX theatre. The Dream Theatre – nightly home of midnight showings of The Rocky Horror Picture Show for years and years – was also no more. However, we did find that most of the shops had moved into other locations close by, including the magic shop. Of course, we stopped in and got some fun little treats for the kids (mom’s grandkids, my nieces and nephews). After the fun, we then drove by Gianni’s to pick up a menu and then over to the local Safeway to order a cake for our get together on Saturday. Tammy was making her way down the coast from San Francisco with her mom after arriving from Louisiana. We met up at the hotel, touched base with Debbie, and after attempting to go grab dinner with Tammy and her mom across the street at Chili’s – which was packed – we headed back to Cannery Row for a bite. We dined at a little Italian restaurant on Cannery Row, but unfortunately the name escapes me. Tammy and I have been friends since she moved to the Monterey area when we were in 7th grade, and we have remained close through calls, emails and meeting up in Texas several times over the years. I had not seen her mom, however, since we had moved to Virginia in 1987. It was fun to hang out with her Mom on a more adult level, if you will. After dinner, we headed back to our respective rooms to get ready to snuggle in for the night. Debbie and Tammy came by our room so we could catch up on times old and new, and laugh at the outrageous and horrible pictures of our youth. After the fun, they went back to their rooms for the evening. Saturday was reunion day, and there were plenty of things to do to prepare.

Saturday morning was much like Friday, although a little more hectic. Mom and I were both tired, so we rushed down to breakfast at the last possible minute. David Ahlstrom had also arrived Friday evening, but was staying in a different part of town. We decided we would all meet up at Del Monte mall around noon, grab some lunch, and then the “kids” would head to Seaside High to take some pictures. Mom and I were checking out of the HIE that morning, and moving over to the big finale of our trip at the Seven Gables Inn in Pacific Grove (www.pginns.com). We also had to stop by a post office and mail some boxes of souvenirs and other purchases since neither of us had room in our suitcases. The other thing we were hoping to do at this point was some laundry, but as luck had it, we couldn’t find a decent place – or enough time – to get it done in time to take care of the other priorities that took precedence.

After running around like crazy, we made it over to the mall and met up with Debbie, her parents and kids, David, Tammy, and her mom. Debbie’s parents took the two younger boys to go do other things, while the rest of us got some lunch and sat outside talking and catching up on the last 20 years. While much had changed in all of our lives, when it came down to it, we were all still the same kids we were way back then. After lunch, Tammy’s Mom and my Mom took one car and went over to the Wharf, while us “kids” went over to Seaside High to walk around. And what a trip that was! Although we couldn’t walk down the halls that were behind closed doors, we sure did have some stories to share about old times. Of course, I got teased for being a “bencher” (I told them everyone was just humoring me way back then and I wasn’t really part of the cool crowd), and we had several conversations about Kent Parker and how hot he was (ha ha). We all talked about who was doing what now for those we still knew about or had kept in touch with. The school itself hadn’t changed much at all with the exception of a few new paintings demonstrating school spirit. We took pictures in front of the stage and talked about teachers we’d had and silly things we’d done.

Following Seaside, we drove over to Fitch and walked around some more. All of us except Debbie had gone to Fitch Middle School, but she lived close enough to still have some history there. We laughed about parachute pants and Members Only jackets (yeah, what club WAS that anyway???), and Raevon in his Michael Jackson red leather jacket with the zippers and single-gloved hand. We walked past the courtyard where all of the kids used to breakdance, and laughed as we tried to remember where our lockers used to be. I also just had to go by the room where my Art and English classes were with Mrs. Schroeder. Not only was she my favorite teacher and those were my favorite classes, but it was also were I was when the Coalinga earthquake of 1983 hit. I can actually see that in my mind’s eye to this day. (Of course, I was the kid who yelled, “EARTHQUAKE! GET UNDER YOUR DESKS!!!) Yeah, I'm a dork! We ended up walking past the P.E. area (ewww, yuck!) and back around to the cafeteria, where we laughed about school dances, and Scott Carmack and a couple of other kids (Chris Schott and Matthew Huddleston?) performing as Twisted Sister for the school talent show. Yeah, they were cool for about 5 minutes after that, but that was all. (lol!) Fitch had not changed one bit. It was exactly the same, only older. Just like us.

After our walk down memory lane, we did one last run through my old neighborhood (Fitch Park) so I could show Debbie and Tammy the new military housing that had gone up and replaced old ones. Our friend, Sherri Tolman, had lived in my “park” back then, and although my house was still there and occupied, hers is now gone and replaced by fancy, new housing that you would never know was military. (Part of the old base still houses military for DLI and The Presidio.) We drove past the old Shoppette, which is now a real estate office, and past many of the old houses that are boarded up and abandoned, as they sit in overgrown lots full of grass and weeds with signs on the boards saying “No Trespassing”. Such a strangely beautiful, yet haunting place. Perhaps someday people will bring new life to those now desolate and deserted areas we used to call home.

After dropping Tammy and Debbie off at the hotel, I picked up Mom and we headed over to check in at the Seven Gables. I think we were both drooling in anticipation. The Seven Gables Inn is on Ocean Avenue right across the street from Monterey Bay in Pacific Grove, and over the years Mom and I have both daydreamed of staying there. The Inn is gorgeous, and the views are even more striking. We made our way to the Inn, got checked in and a quick tour, and brought in our things. Once again, we were NOT disappointed. The room was absolutely gorgeous with serene décor and even a remote control electric fireplace. The view of the bay was stunning. It actually took my breath away. Seeing a picture of the view does not even remotely do it justice. We had two comfortable sitting chairs by the window that we turned around so we could sit and gaze out at the ocean. The windows cranked opened (no screens) so you could really take in the cool, ocean air. Perhaps that is why the room was named “Ocean Mist”. The bed was incredibly comfortable. We had a lovely, spacious bathroom with stained glass windows, and a large armoire to hang clothes. At 5pm every afternoon, the main house serves wine and cheese (as well as water, coffee, tea, hot chocolate, and even fudge!), and at 8pm every evening they serve fresh-baked cookies and milk. And of course, a fabulous breakfast is served every morning as well. We got settled into our room quickly, and walked around the grounds before heading in to check out the afternoon selection of cheeses, which to say the least were simply amazing. I can’t even begin to describe it. They also had a vegetable tray with dip, and these thin slices of fudge that was just to die for. We snuck a few bites as we sat by the window overlooking the water, then left to get the cake and head over to “the old church” for our soiree.

Although it was just the four of us with our families, we still had a great time. Even though Tammy and I are no longer of the LDS faith, and everyone else was, it was completely and totally fun. There were just so many memories made in that building – friendships forged and bonded that still live on today, crushes and heartbreak, mischief and fun, basketball games and championships won… Upon arrival, we stood around in the foyer saying our hellos and laughing at the outdated furniture, which was still there from who-knows-what decade before we sat upon it every week in the 80s. Not much had changed, but the parking lot sure seemed incredibly smaller than I’d remembered it, and the bulletin board postings made Tammy and I giggle. Suddenly we were back in high school again. We all ventured through the gymnasium and over to the “fireside room” as David Ahlstrom remembered, where we had Gianni’s pizza and salads, soda and cake. I don’t think it gets any more Mormon than that (unless we’d had jello salad). :o) We sat around large, round tables with us kids, my mom and Tammy’s mom at one table, and the other parents, grandkids, and visitors at another. The conversation was fun and light, with an occasional jab at someone over some silly moment from their past. Names came up like Holly Willford and her family, Tim, Lynn and Jennifer Ermer, Tim Werle, Jason Franks, Doug Oberholzer, Sandy and Jennifer Brower, Joanne Justice (and Steve), Tammy and Sam Branco, Teresa and Mike Ousbeye, Chelese and Cam McKee, Tiffany and Kenneth Crowson, Relva Toloa, Sherri and Christy Tolman, David Rinehardt (I probably spelled that wrong), and the Fengers, in no particular order and just to name a few. We also got Sherri on the phone and talked with her for a bit, while I played silly background music of random songs on my phone. Tammy and I roamed the building, pointing out the few things that had changed while looking at people’s pictures on the bulletin board – some of whom we even recognized from all that time ago.

After cake and a few group pictures, we said our goodbyes. Tammy and her mom were leaving early in the morning, while Debbie, her family, and David planned on attending church there the next day. Mom and I wanted to take full advantage of our bed and breakfast and our last day in Monterey, so we politely declined the invitation to attend church and instead went back to our room to settle in and enjoy the quiet serenity.

We slept with the faux fireplace lit, windows cracked and the curtains closed, enjoying the soft glow of the fire and hoping to hear the peaceful lull of the waves crashing against the shore. The curtains did quite well at muffling the sound of the ocean, but we slept quite comfortably waking up rested and excited to see what breakfast had in store for us. We arrived for breakfast and found two seats at a table with a couple who had spent the weekend visiting from Pleasanton/San Ramon, and a woman who was in town for the month from Germany visiting her granddaughter. Breakfast consisted of eggs benedict, either with traditional Canadian bacon or a crab cake in its place, as well as potatoes and breakfast meats. There was fresh fruit, cereals, granola, toast, oatmeal, juice, coffee, milk… you name it, they pretty much had it. After pleasant conversation and delicious food, we decided it was finally time to go tackle the laundry. We gathered our things and headed up a few short blocks to a little laundry mat in PG on Lighthouse Avenue. The place was old, definitely what I would consider “a dump”, but we needed to wash some clothes so we did. Mom opened up one washer and there was a big spider inside (GROSS!). But we figured it out and proceeded with our washing. After we got everything going, the cutest little old man shuffled in with his dog. He was trying to wash a duvet cover, but was having trouble with the extra large machines cooperating. I tried helping him out, and we eventually got one of the machines (which had recently stopped from washing someone else’s comforter) to work, but only if you kept pressure on the door. Once it started working, it decided it was time to start leaking. So, the poor man had to stand there and press up against the machine’s door to keep it closed all the way in order to keep it going (which was also locked down until the cycle ended), and the whole time the darn thing was gushing water everywhere. Yet he was ever the consummate gentleman, and talked to us the whole time between exasperated expressions like “my goodness” and “I just don’t know what to do” as water spilled out onto the floor beneath him. I ended up finding a phone number for the owner/manager, which I called from my cell, but OF COURSE it just went to voice mail.

At any rate, everyone finished the respective laundry, and mom and I ventured off to find food. I bet you can guess where we went… Yes, that’s right, we headed BACK to El Torito! Those darn Mexican Caesar salads were just too good to pass up, and since this was going to be our last opportunity to enjoy one for a very long time – and after all, it was Mother’s Day – we headed over to Cannery Row. Once again we got to sit by the window enjoying the view of the bay, and this time watched a couple of sea gulls that were nesting on the window ledge right next to us. Of course the food was delicious as expected, although our server looked (and acted) like she’d just woken up from the worst hangover of her life. From there, we went back to the Inn and took some time to relax and check on Monday’s flights home while watching the ocean. Later that afternoon, we just HAD to take advantage of the afternoon wine and cheese. (Of course, Mom didn’t sample the wine, but I did have a taste of a delicious local Chardonnay.) Afterwards, we took a long walk down Ocean Avenue, past Lover’s Point and through the park, venturing around to the tip of the bay where it meets the ocean. If you’ve seen my Kodak gallery of pictures, you know that I took my fair share. It was a perfect evening, slowly strolling along the path near the water’s edge, enjoying the clean, crisp, salty air and listening to the sounds of the waves crashing up against the majestic, rocky coast. We walked (or should I say ‘waddled’ after all of the food we’d eaten that week) for almost three hours, arriving back at the Inn as dusk was descending upon us… and just in time for the evening’s freshly baked cookies and milk!

By the way, chocolate chip cookies and milk are spectacular when paired with a view of the setting sun over Monterey Bay. I highly recommend it.

And so, we wrapped up our last evening in Monterey. Packing up was relatively easy with all of the clean, freshly folded clothes we’d washed earlier that day. We decided to leave the windows and curtains open that night so we could enjoy the fresh, cool air and wake to the sun peeking through the clouds and fog in the early morning. Again, we both slept quite well. However, sadly, it was almost time to say goodbye to California and head back home.

The morning light brought with it the stunning views of the bay from our room. I can still picture how amazing it was to turn around and half-unexpectedly see rolling blueish green waves with their white foam crests crashing against the dark gray and brown jagged rocks, and the picturesque willowy green Monterey cypress trees from inside the room. I can’t imagine what it would be like to actually live in one of those beautiful houses peppered along Ocean Avenue and have such an amazing front yard. After our morning showers, we reluctantly loaded up the car with our suitcases and headed over to the breakfast room. The morning’s menu consisted of scrambled eggs with salmon, capers and dill sauce. Not something I would usually eat, but I did try it and it was, in fact, quite delicious. We were early enough to get a nice seat with a decent view. Unfortunately, we couldn’t linger long as we had to head north for the airport.

We took the faster route, bypassing highway 1 and opting for 101 through the garlic capital of Gilroy and on through San Jose instead. I dropped mom off at San Jose International, then headed on up to San Francisco. My flights had been rearranged and were leaving much earlier than anticipated, messing up my carefully calculated plan, so it was a bit of a mad rush. However, I made it in plenty of time, turned in the rental car and headed over to the terminal via the tram. After a quick jaunt through security, I found out my flight had been delayed anyway (go figure). So, I grabbed a quick bite (it had been about six hours since breakfast) and waited for my flight to Dallas.

Obviously, we both made it back home safe and sound. It was definitely a fabulous and memorable trip that I will never forget. I will always cherish this time I got to share with my mom, and hopefully gave her a little something back for everything she’s done for me over the years. And for the first time in eight years of being gone from California – the place I had always considered “home”, I really missed it. But I wouldn’t change things either, because home IS where the heart is, and my heart is here with my David. :o)

(And just in case you’re wondering, I could never do a trip like this with my dad because he doesn’t care to travel or be away from home much although he is equally deserving!)