Christmas was one huge exhausting trip with plenty of driving mixed with fun in the sun. Traci had to work on Christmas Eve so we got a late start on our 16 hour road trip. We took the Pendleton route to I-84 for a change of scenery and began our vacation with plenty of snow although fortunately that was the only snow we encountered. We spent Christmas Eve at the Shilo Inn at Klamath Falls and wish we were surrounded by family rather than being on the road. We got to bed around 1 am and were back on the road at around 6 am. Once again we were reminded of how strange it is to spend Christmas on our own. There was no Christmas Tree, no wrapped gifts, no lights, decorations, music or the smell of mom making a huge feast for the family. However the hotel did have a Christmas Tree beside the main entrance with empty wrapped boxes and since this was Christmas morning, we tucked away a small unwrapped box near the front for Ben to find as he made his way to the car. Last year he was surrounded by a fortress of toys, this year it was just one box with Clifford "The Big Red Dog".
Driving in California reminds me of other occasions when I have said, "I never want to do this again." People will speed, drive recklessly and aggressively simply to celebrate the Holiday. But regardless of our driving adventures, we arrived to Fresno and briefly saw the family before everyone dispersed back to their own homes. Although we spent most of our time at my grandma's, we also had the opportunity to spend two nights in southern California and some quality time at the beach while visiting more family. It felt nostalgic with a certain level of satisfaction to arrive back with my son and wife to the beach where I spent countless hours as a kid. Somehow there's something about the beach that makes me feel at ease. Venice undoubtedly has the best weather all year round with it's light breeze during summer days and warm winters. But anyhow, it had been 19 years since my grandma had been to the beach and my uncle was determined that she would see the beach once again. Apparently the cities along the coast have special wheel chairs for traversing the sand and they actually work quite well. It's pretty impressive I must say.
Unfortunately I am blanking out most of the trip because it has been 4 months. I do recall spending just about every day attempting to visit various family members since who knows when we will be down there again. We were exhausted by the time arrived back home yet once again, we had a great time. We got to see Sutter Buttes (The worlds smallest mountain range) from a distance, Ben got play with a Labrador on Christmas morning and I even got a chance to visit the small elementary school where I began my scholastic years. It was great to see the family and I only wish I could have spent more time with them. It's interesting how I never stop missing them, it's simply that seeing them reminds me how much I miss them.
