Our trip to California

Our Summer Trip to California.

Last summer my family and I went on a trip to California to visit my mother in law for the first time.  Not only was this our first real vacation we had ever had as a family, but also it was the first time that most of us had ever met my in-laws. Our trip was filled full of memories that none of us will ever forget.

As we arrive in California we tried to anticipate what the outcome would be of the first reunion that we have ever had as a family in whole.  As the butterfly’s race in our stomachs and the anticipation peaks we arrive at my mother in-laws house.  We were all greeted by, Craig, my wife’s stepfather who hugged us all.  Craig is a very slender, tall man with gray hair, and a very dark complexion. Craig, resembles Chong, from the Cheech and Chong movies. 

As we made our way in the house to stretch and relax, before unpacking our car from the long journey to California.  My wife quietly snuck upstairs where my mother-in-law was.  I did not notice that she was gone untill I heard my mother in law’s voice.  That was the very first time that I had heard her voice in person.  Her voice always seemed to have a higher pitch on the phone.  As the two of them made their way downstairs I noticed that both of them were about the same height.  My Mother in law is an energetic woman; who’s about five to five foot two, who has very dark hair.  Later that night we unpacked the car and bedded down for the night.

The next couple of days we acclimated ourselves to the hot Southern California climate.  After those two days we finally ventured out to see the sights.  As we all asked, “where we were going?”  We pulled up to what seemed to be that highlight of our trip.  The sign read, “CASTLE PARK”.  “What is this place?” asked my middle child Kyla.  “It’s just the coolest place in the world!” Kira my oldest child replied as she gazed at the large rides that filled the view in front of us.  “Are we going here?” asked my youngest child Kali. My mother in law exclaimed, “Yes we’re going here and I don’t want to see anybody cry, argue, or pout.”  As we made our way up to the gate to pay the rides seemed to get bigger and bigger as we approached them.  My wife turned to me and said, “ Have fun your riding with them?”  Being drug by my children to ticket booth I saw my first vision of what looked to be the highest ride in the park.  I knew at that point that in order for me to have somewhat of a chance of having a somewhat of a quiet day, I had to make it over to that ride.  If I could achieve the rights of passage to what now seemed to be a wild pack of bewildered children that was at one point my children. 

After purchasing the armbands that allowed you to ride all the rides all day, I suggested, “lets go on Dragon Tower.”  It seemed to fall quiet as I started to walk the walk alone.  Kira replied, “Your crazy I want to live to see my twelfth birthday.”  Kali said, “No way, I am not going on that.”  I replied, “Oh does this mean I have to ride by myself?” I thought that I was in the clear.  Then I felt it a little cold hand that seemed to pulling me towards what seemed to ten stories of jolt and fall.  Kyla looked at me and said, “Come on Dad. Hurry before all the seats are taken.”  My marvelous mastermind theory of overcoming the situation had been TRUMPED.  “Ok Kyla, don’t pull my arm off.” I said as I was being dragged.  I felt like on of those old plows you see in the old movies that are dragged in the fields by a horse.  As we were seated in the large mechanical monster, that seemed to be the highest peak in San Bernadino county.  I though to myself well this cannot be any worse than jumping out of a plane.  Then ride slowly lifted.  There are no parachutes on rides, I remembered right as the seats flung off the ground racing toward the top of the monstrous tower.  Upon reaching the top of the ride I looked at Kyla.  She seemed to be laughing, with a devilish grin and an eerie glow about her.  The ride then released us down just as it had flung us up.  Even though the ride was really only about 2 minutes long.  It felt as if we were flung twenty to thirty times.  The highest point of the ride you could see all the way past the amusement park and almost half way back down Interstate 15.

As the seats returned back on the ground, I heard the cackling of the hydraulics and what seamed to be a roar from the release of pressure from the hydraulic lines.  I looked over to Kyla again who still was laughing and glistening from the eerie glow.  She looked to me and said, “That was fun, and lets do it again.”  I said to her, “let find your mother first.”  As we made our way around the monster ride that we had just been released from.  We found the rest of our family.  My wife looked at me and said, “That was crazy.  I couldn’t watch.”  Kali and Kira were gather around Kyla asking her, “How could you stand to do that?”  Kyla looked at them and said, “It was fun. You just can’t be a chicken.”

Even though our visit only lasted two short weeks, we all had a great time. Our trip was filled full of memories that none of us will ever forget.