Southern California

I am probably repeating myself here, but thought that I would cover our activities in southern California day by day since our arrival on Saturday.

Sunday

Spent the day in Seal Beach, just walking around.

Monday

Drove out to the Hollywood area. Saw my dad's old house on Nichols Canyon Road. Saw the "Hollywood" sign up in the hills. Visited my cousin Dick Thomason who lives in Orange County, the next county over from Los Angeles.

Tuesday

Drove down to San Diego. At a rest stop on the way, near Camp Pendleton, saw what appeared to be amphibious exercises by Marines in five small boats laying down smoke screens on the water. Continued down to San Diego and saw the aircraft carrier, USS Carl Vincent tied up at the dock.

Two Marine craft at Camp Pendleton

But seagulls are OK

USS Carl Vincent

Wednesday

Another day in Seal Beach. This time for souvenirs and ice cream. Walked on the beach. Joyce was able to get her feet wet in the Pacific.

Thursday

Drove to Riverside via Garden Grove. Visited the Crystal Cathedral in Garden Grove. Drove by my old high school there- the one which I left half-way through my senior year by mutual consent of the school and me (but that's another story). Visited my mother's gravesite at Riverside National Cemetery - the first time since her funeral service in 1996.

At Crystal Cathedral (now Christ Cathedral, a Catholic holding)

Mom's stone

Friday

William arrived from Virginia on Thursday. William, Katina and Amara staying at the Four Seasons in West Lake, upscale accommodations near Simi Valley where his gig is, at the Ronald Reagan Library. Checked google maps and looks like the drive would be an hour and 15 minutes. We agree to drive out to have lunch with them. Left here at 12:30, allowing an hour and a half for the drive. Took us 45 minutes just to go the first three miles to get to the highway. Could this be an omen? Arrived there close to 3:30 - indeed it was an omen. Could not believe the traffic. A little less traffic on the way back, but overall it amounted to five hours of driving for a one hour lunch. But the company was good.

Saturday

Invitation from Karen Thomason Snow, Dick's daughter, for a family get-together. Karen and her husband, Mike, live in Rosemead. On the way there, Joyce and I drove past my old middle school and another high school which I had attended for three years. Then we drove by the house I had lived in for five years - the longest that I had ever stayed in one place until my move to Syracuse in 1977. The major change in the area is that it appears to be entirely Hispanic now.

We continued on to Karen and Mike's house. The event was attended by Karen's father, Dick and his wife Joyce, her brother, Mike and his wife Florence, my son William, his wife Katina, and daughter Amara, and of course, Joyce and myself. A couple of guitars appeared and William and Mike Snow entertained us for some time. A lot of conversation, a lot of reminiscences. I think that everyone had a pretty good time.

William, Mike Snow, Florence, Mike Thomason, Dick Thomason

Back row: Mike Thomason, Dick Thomason, Joyce Thomason, William Newman, Mike Snow, Karen Snow
Front row: Florence Thomason, Joyce Newman, Amara Smith, Katina Newman, Michael Newman

Sunday

Laundry day. Had planned to do some routine maintenance on the motor-home, but we pushed that to Monday and watched a movie at home instead.

Monday

Went for a drive to Long Beach. Drove by the SS Queen Mary - photo op time. William and family texted us that they were at the Long Beach Aquarium, less than a mile away. Had no real interest in an aquarium so we returned to Seal Beach area for lunch and grocery shopping at Ralph's (a subsidiary of Krogers). William and family stopped by the motorhome and we had a chance to drink a beer and chat a while. Finally did get some time to prep the motor-home for our departure tomorrow.