Microsoft OneDrive Taking Me On A Log Ride Memory With Mom & Dad

That which you see here showed up in my email this morning in the daily Microsoft OneDrive Memories from this Day.

You are looking at my dad, my mom, my uncle Mel, aunt Judy, and Mel and Judy's eldest grandson, Kevin, on, I think, the log ride in Knott's Berry Farm

It was back somewhere in the mid 1990s. My dad had retired. A group, including some of my siblings, and others, went on a cruise to Mexico, sailing out of either Long Beach, or San Diego. I don't remember which.

What I do remember is I don't think I was invited to go on this cruise. I was tasked with something else related to the cruise.

Upon ending the cruise, the cruisers ended up in Anaheim.

My cousin Jeff's ex-wife, Ellaina, met me at Sea-Tac, with little Kevin in tow. I had my nephews, Chris and Jeremy with me.

We were putting the three little boys on a plane, with no adult accompanying them, to fly to meet up with the grandparents, to go to Disneyland and Knott's Berry Farm.

It was a different world back then, pre-9/11. I don't remember even going through any sort of security to get to the gate and wait with the kids to put them on the plane. We explained the situation to the stewardess and she was real nice about it, saying she'd look after them til they found their grandparents.

I'm surprised my mom agreed to do the log ride. 

Around that same time frame, mom and dad had made a cross country roadtrip in their RV. Thanksgiving of 1995 I was in Las Vegas, staying at Treasure Island. I do not remember how it got arranged, pre-cell phones. But, mom and dad showed up at Treasure Island. I took them to Luxor for the lunch buffet.

Luxor, back then, don't know if it is still the case, had several fun adventure rides.

One was an extremely realistic simulator which made you think you were flying deep underground.

I was sitting next to mom. When the seat started moving, making it feel like you really were zipping steeply down, mom gripped my arm and acted all panicky. I told mom, just close your eyes and it'll be okay.

I don't think mom closed her eyes. I think she enjoyed the ride, though she would not admit it...

Spencer Jack Is Ready To Climb Switzerland's Matterhorn After Climbing Disneyland's

Incoming emails this morning from my Favorite Nephew Jason and my Favorite Great Nephew Spencer Jack, also known as FNJ and FGNSJ.

The emails included several photos, including the one you see here, along with a very short video, which was so short you won't see it here.

In addition to the photos and the short video there was the following message....

FNJ,
Your mother obviously spoiled our photo attempt to throw you off our current whereabouts.

And for the record books, this is only Spencer's 2nd trip to Anaheim in 2015.  I believe.

The choosing of our vacation destination is a complicated process. One that I am not at all involved in.  

This is solely Spencer's job. I merely suggest spots. 

Once he chooses a spot, I handle the travel arrangements and such like matters.

This was not a suggested spot. And I have no inside knowledge as to how Spencer comes up with his final choice. You would have to ask him if you desired to know his trip picking methodology.

I suspect he might have seen an Halloween Disneyland Commercial. The kid is easily persuaded by advertising gimmicks.

I was lobbying for Phoenix or an overnight floating trip down the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon.  

Both were denied.

In the end, I don't really care where we go, as I just enjoy our time together wherever we are at.

That being said, I should probably ask him what we are doing tomorrow.

Last night he mentioned we may be visiting the Santa Monica Pier.

FNJ & FGNSJ

________________________________________

When I was a much younger boy there was period where I was making annual treks to Southern California and Disneyland. But never twice, or thrice in one year, that I recall.

If I remember correctly I have asked FNJ if he and Spencer Jack have also visited Knott's Berry Farm. I do not remember the answer to that probing question. Knott's Berry Farm is real close to Disneyland. Back in its original iteration, before it became a roller coaster mecca, Knott's Berry Farm was sort of a one of a kind theme park. Now it's become like Six Flags Over Texas on steroids with better landscaping and a lot more variety, including Mrs. Knott's chicken dinner with boysenberry jam on biscuits.

Spencer Jack needs to add Universal Studios in Universal City in Hollywood to his theme park wish list.

And head south to San Diego to go to Sea World, the San Diego Zoo and the San Diego Zoo's Safari Park in Escondido.

I think I have been to what is now known as Safari Park twice, if I remember right. The former name for Safari Park was Wild Animal Park. It is the only zoo type place where I have experienced a gorilla getting annoyed at all the gawkers to the point that he began tossing gorilla doo-doo at the crowd. It was a lot more amusing than it sounds.

Safari Park is also the only zoo type place where I found myself peacefully walking along a trail in a jungle-like setting to suddenly find myself face to face with a big tiger.

Spencer Jack, and his dad especially, would really like the Safari Park monorail that takes you on a safari tour above all the wild animals milling about in their recreated natural habitat.

Anyway, I hope FNJ and FGNSJ are having themselves a mighty fine time in Sunny Southern California. But, I suspect they are probably already back home in chilly Washington....