It's here, it's finally here! Yes, our summer vacation. The trip we've been planning for so long has finally arrived. Packed up the van with all sorts of things. Armed with food, drinks, and electronics (laptops, iPods, Nintendo DSs, and a DVD player), we hit the road.
Day 1: We took a slightly longer route in order to drive through The Dalles...and stop at Spooky's for dinner. Ordered our usual. Large pizza (half Hawaiian, half pepperoni/red onion), large salad (w/blue cheese) and 4 drinks. And as usual, it was all gone by the time we left the place. Didn't order the "extra" pizza for the road as we sometimes do when we're headed for home. The coolers were too full of stuff to allow. Maybe next time through.
The drive took us to Klamath Falls for our first night in a hotel. Due to the lateness of our arrival, the kids weren't able to take advantage of the pool. But they didn't seem to have any issue with that. Though tired, everyone was in good spirits. Bedtime.
Day 2: After breakfast at the hotel (give it 3-of-5 stars....no protein), we took to the road again. Crossing into California, it was great to see some of the sights that I've missed for many years. Lots of trees. LOTS OF TREES. Most spectacular was driving down the highway with Mt. Shasta directly in front of us. Like we were driving straight in to the mouth of the giant. Gorgeous. And if you've gotta sit in highway traffic for a while, what better location to do so than with the mountain just outside your window!
Eventually, we had to swap the gorgeous vistas of the national forests for the flatlands of I-5. Yep, I remember these roads, too. Long stretches of flat. LONG STRETCHES. But eventually, we made it into Sacramento. I-50 to I-99, headed to Elk Grove. Boy! Has the area changed. Although we visited a few years ago, I'm still amazed at how different it is from the Sacramento that I recall as a college student. And the traffic. I also remember California freeway driving...and crazy drivers. Yep, one of the things I DON'T miss.
We checked into our hotel, then headed over to Barney and Carol's place. On the way, we drove by a large park with ball fields. We saw baseball teams. Then a sign on the field. Cal Ripken 9U and 10U Pacific Northwest Regionals. Yep! One of these teams will be facing off against OUR regional champions (the Willamette Valley All-Stars). What are the odds their regionals would be here in Elk Grove on the same weekend we were visiting? It's just too bad we didn't have more flexibility in our schedule or we'd have stopped to watch a few games. Scout their teams, as it were. Maybe next time.
It was great to see Barney, Carol, and Benji again (sadly, Christian was away at band camp and wouldn't return until after our scheduled departure). However, when I first caught sight of my brother, it was struck me hard. Let me explain.
Looking at each of my relatives, I recognize that each has changed over the past few years (just as we have). But I guess in my mind's eye, I still see Barney as he was "back then"; back when we saw each other more. The college-aged kid. Young man getting ready to tackle the world. My lil brother. He's no longer that same young guy in my mind. He's aged. Please don't get me wrong. I don't mean that in a bad way. It's just physical proof that time has passed. That we no longer are the same young people that we once were. And, quite frankly, I wouldn't have it any other way. Because with each passing year, I have experienced more things and added more incredible memories to my life. Memories of the time shared with the 3 most important people in my life - Mat, Samantha, and Nicholas. Looking at Barney, I realized that he too has lived his life, experienced things with his loved ones. And THAT is what our lives are meant to be about.
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