In Which The Day Of Closed Things Is Redeemed

 Sunday, June 20

"Maybe," we joked, "It's all because we should have found a church to go to!"

We had eaten breakfast at 8, and headed out for Big Basin Redwoods State Park. Nobody minded the drive, since we were in the middle of listening to the audiobook "Young Fredle" (thanks to a blog reader's recommendation!). We had driven at least an hour, and were getting close to the park, when we saw a "road closed" sign ahead. A GPS is a wonderful thing (when it's giving out correct information, of course) and we simply headed up an alternate route -- a narrow, steep, winding little road. Nearly at the top, we met a pickup coming down. Squeezing off to the side to let it pass, we stopped and Chris rolled his window down.

"The park is closed," the lady informed us. "You might as well turn around the next chance you get, because you're going to have to turn around anyway!"

"Nice." Chris said. 

"Not really," she laughed. 

So, we turned around and went into 're-routing' mode. We had planned to visit the Golden Gate bridge -- actually had it penciled in for a visit at sunset -- why not go there now? 

We finished "Young Fredle" and started a new Hank the Cowdog story, which kept everyone entertained. This was a good thing, because the traffic was terrible and the drive a long one. 

I wish I had taken pictures of the streets of San Francisco, but it's so hard to get decent pictures out of dirty van windows. Not to mention that I was too distracted with holding my breath in the bumper to bumper traffic and the constant speeding up and slowing down and the darting in and out. Chris is a good driver but a city girl I am not!

We finally reached our destination, and there we ran into our next problem: most of the parking areas for the Golden Gate Bridge were closed and the ones that were open were packed full. We tried here and we tried there, and finally we drove across the bridge and gave it up. 

We stopped for some lunch and afterward opted to stop at a gas station for restrooms, since the ones there had to be unlocked by an employee and were being kept busy by a crowd of cyclists. The first stop had no restrooms and the second one, the door was locked with a sign that said "Back in half an hour". 

That's when we started laughing about everything and wondering if we should have found a church!

At that point we went back to our motel to regroup. Isaac and Chris went to check out a disc golf course and pick up some groceries for supper; the rest of us relaxed and even took some short naps. 

Our motel had a lovely deck outside our second floor bedrooms and the weather was beautiful. We decided to be the rednecks that we are and make hamburgers out there with our electric skillet and extension cord.

No one came and scolded us, 

but try this at your own risk!

And then, we headed back to the Golden Gate bridge to try again. 

It was too late to walk across the bridge, so we went to Baker Beach and walked down along the ocean. It was misty and chilly, but  so magnificent and fun!

We took grainy pictures...

And hilarious selfies...

And dumped piles of sand out of our shoes. 

Then we drove to the parking lot that had been packed out earlier and had our pick of almost all the parking spots. 

Not nearly everything about vacation is fun or glamorous or amazing. But scattered in there are those moments that redeem all the whiny ones; all the tired ones; all the re-arranged ones, and you are left feeling deeply happy and so very blessed.