First the traveling, well actually I am typing this blog entry as we fly 36,000 feet above sea level flying out of San Francisco. As our two very adorable children snooze away. I would give the flight here and home an A+. Benjamin and Jonna did exceptionally well, and Midwest helped quite a bit with that. Since neither flight there or home was full, we were able to bring Jonna’s car seat along too, and she had her own seat. Ben just loved the fact that we were flying in an airplane. This morning as we packed in the hotel room, Benjamin kept saying, “I wanna fly on an airplane!” Overall, the airport went very well. We did have a lot of baggage, but honestly it was no bd. Of course, I had it easy pushing the stroller, while Jake lugged four bags! But once we boarded everything was all well.
Ben was very excited for take off.
This isn't actually Jonna before take off, but it was her current status for both takeoffs to and from. haha.
Ok. So, to the fun stuff.
Day 1: Flew in to San Fran and got there about noon, which is 10am our time. Headed straight to San Bruno, a town directly south of San Fran, to visit Aunt Ethel, Uncle Victor, Cousin Holly, Cousin Fawn, and Great Grandpa Holee. I should describe him better as GREAT! Grandpa Holee. He was very excited to see us, and met us at the front steps. He moves pretty slow, but he gets to where he needs to be. I hope I can move that well at 84 years of age.
As many of you know, Grandma Boo just passed away about five weeks before. We had booked our trip four months ago, right after Jonna’s birth in order to visit both of them. But a lot can happen in four months. As we spend the time with Grandpa, it hit home on how much we wished we would have made the trip sooner. My advice to any of those with family, that has not had a chance to meet your kids yet, or even just visit with you, you should make it happen. There really wasn’t one thing I would have changed about this trip except making it three months earlier.
So, On with Day 1: Victor and Ethel could not have been more welcoming. We first had lunch there, then headed to our hotel in South San Fran. They picked us up from there to do some sight seeing. We headed straight to San Francisco and headed towards the piers. We got out for a little while to let Ben run around. He had great fun chasing the seagull in park in front og Ghiradelli Square, home of the famous chocolate, and Buena Vista, the restaurant famous for the development of "Irish Coffee". I know that sounds kind of Ironic, a mexican restaurant famous for makin and irish drink :)
Family in front of the Bay:
We walked down to the shoreline of the bay, and got a glimpse of the bay and Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz. The Golden Gate Bridge is awesome, but I have to say the Oakland Bay Bridge is even more magnificent. And LONG! We enjoyed a shrimp cocktail from “Fisherman’s Wharf” and then drove the EXTREME steep streets of downtown. We also hit the famous “LOMBARD” street. The Curviest street in the world. I can’t believe people actually live on it because it is so jam packed with tourists 24 hours a day. This picture is hard to view, but locate the cars as they curve down each wind of the street.
We made a quick trip to another famous spot of “COIT TOWER” which overlooks San Francisco. The tower was named after a famous woman firefighter. The view was amazing.
One thing that I found to be the most bizarre and unbelievable from this view is the amount of housing literally jam packed in the city. Most houses were of boxshape, and literally less than inch between one to the next. I have never seen anything like it.
The picture doesn't really do justice of the crowded housing.
Next, a drive thru China town. Only one word to describe this is complete chaos combined with some really amazing fresh Chinese food. Ethel stopped to get out and pick us up some “Dim-sum” an assortment of Chinese appetizers. SOOOO good! Sticky rice balls, meat balls, and chicken and shrimp balls.
Victor and Ethel were quite awesome tourist guides, and I know there would have been no way we would have conquered all of that ourselves in one afternoon in the city.
We headed to pick up cousin Fawn from her theatre company practice, and then headed home. On another note: It is very important to be quite the assertive driver in the city. Probably as well with any city, but honestly it was just plain nuts!
Headed to our room after that and ordered room service and headed to bed. Ben and Jonna weren’t the only ones exhausted from the long day.
DAY 2: SAN FRANCISCO ZOO BABY! The weather was perfect the entire time we were there. We stopped right before the zoo to view the amazing Pacific Ocean. I have seen lots of ocean, but the waves here were quite spectacular. I had never seen anything like them A quick photo, and we were off.
We are actually standing on a cliff above the beach. The waves don't look that big, but again, the picture doesn't do justice.
The zoo was awesome, but needless to say, the St. Louis zoo, is right up there with it. The best part was seeing the Gorillas, and then the Grizzly Bears. They were right up to glass for Ben’s viewing pleasure. I was even able to take a quick video.
And we couldn't leave without a trip to the Petting Zoo.
This is Ben talking to the Goat.
Then we went back to pick up Grandpa Holee to head to Aunt Jane’s house in Browns Valley, North of Sacramento.
We arrived there that evening. Aunt Jane welcomed us with a steak and asparagus dinner. MMMMMM!
Day 3, 4: And Jane’s house is nothing short of incredible. An enormous log cabin with 30 foot ceiling in the middle of California wilderness. I wish we would have taken more pictures of the house. This is the inside, but it doesn't do it justice.
She had a great dog named Rusty, pet chickens, and a pet PeaCock named Mario. There was this very small white rooster, named “WannaBe” He got his name by having what you could call “Little rooster syndrome” If you came near his hens he would crow at you over and over. And I found he liked to attack you from behind. I was walking behind Ben and Jake to check for eggs, when both ankles were attacked! I screamed of course not expecting the attack, but then he went at me again. Quite startled, I even scared Ben. Ben would never get too close to them, in fear of pecking, but he sure liked to look. I tried to pet Wannabe a couple times, but each time, his neck feathers would flare up and he would do a ninja drop kick with an added peck at my hand. Ben thought this was pretty hilarious.
Just a cute picture of Jonna at Jane's house.
We spent three nights hanging with the family. Went to Grass Valley and ate at a little diner called “Charley’s” Grandpa’s choice and it was some great eating! I learned a lot about Grandpa Holee. Such an interesting man. He worked in Heavy Equipment most of his life. He never fell short on enjoying his hobbies though. He owned 9 motorcycles in his life, and his favorite being a 1946 Harley Davidson, and his favorite car ever owned was a 1941 Packard Convertible. Can you imagine the pretty penny these would cost today. He was a Seabee in World War II. He met Grandma Boo Holee when he was 21 and she was 16. They were married two years later. Grandpa Holee spent a lot of his time reading old Airplaine flying magazines he had collected years ago. My favorite thing about visiting with him, would be his “Chuckle” He has the best chuckle of laughter I have heard in years. Just hearing this chuckle makes my heart light up in a way I can’t explain. His “OH” face when we asked him if he would like a cup of coffee, or piece of pie, or apple cobbler. I also enjoyed him singing the song “Tangerine” over and over to Jonna, as she grinned from ear to ear. He would call to her and tickle her feet.
He just watched Ben as he moved a million miles an hour and grinned and laughed at his rambunctious great grand son.
Watching him, I saw how much Jake’s Dad looked like him, and since Jake looks so much like his Dad, I can probably say, I know what Jake is going to look like in another 50 years!
We couldn’t leave without getting a four generation Holee man picture!
Yes, they have matching shirts! Too bad we didn't have a child size one for Ben!
I am not sure but I think this was a first time even. Great GPa , Papa Doug, Jake, and Ben are all the only Holee males carrying on the family name. Unless of course…… Ben were to have a brother in the future. That is years ahead, so I won’t got that route just yet.
I also got to read a letter about Grandma Boo written by one of her best friends and read at her memorial service. It made me laugh a little and cry a little. Just wishing we would have made the chance to get to know her better before she passed. She also seemed to be quite the lady, and made a huge impact on so many people in her life. The free spirit expressed in the letter, made me think of her as a sort of celebrity, that I have the pleasure of being related to.
And then there is the fresh fruit I have to mention! One thing we never fell short of on our trip was feasting on some fabulous meals. California and the fresh produce. You couldn’t travel 10 miles without passing a fresh fruit/produce stand. Apples, oranges, avocados, persimmons, squash! It was awesome.
Day 5:
Driving across Golden Gate Bridge. Spectacular
And this is our stop at the end of the bridge. I love this picture of Ben!
A walk thru Fisherman's Wharf
Our view of Alcatraz:
And watching the sea Lions from Pier 39
Smile Ben!
The night at the hotel before our trip home. Both nights were Ben and Jonna's first hotel night stay.
Went over quite well! Great purchase before out trip was the DVD player for Ben. As you can tell, Ben enjoyed it the most.
I am thinking this would be a wonderful ANNUAL trip to partake in!
