ROADTRIP!

We started out on September 21st. I got up to my dogs licking my face at 7 a.m. Once I took them out, I fed Gracie and gave Moose his bone. Then, I went downstairs to shower. After I showered, I finished packing my clothes up and headed upstairs. We got out of the house around 9:30 a.m. And, we were off!

We drove up Oak Creek Canyon - getting ready to turn red, orange, and yellow for fall. It was beautiful. We drove for about 6 hours and stopped in Tehachapi, California. First, we found a Thai restaurant to eat dinner in. I ordered Pad Thai, a classic. It was delicious! We went to bed with full bellies.

The next morning we woke up at around 7:30 am. We got ready and headed out! The first place we went was the Coffee Mill, it was so yummy! I had an iced americano and a Birdy - a bagel, cream cheese, spinach, egg, and balsamic glaze. Then, we hit the road again.

Next, we stopped at a winery. I was looking up wineries to stop at, and I found this place, Cardella Winery. It was a few miles out of the way and back on farmland. There were almonds, cantaloupes, grapes and more! For a while, my Mom was concerned that it was sketchy - to be fair. But once we got to this place - it was anything but sketchy. It was BEAUTIFUL! It was tucked away in this Tuscany atmosphere.

We finally ended up in San Francisco. We were staying near Fisherman’s Wharf. We got to the hotel and it was right where everything was. The people were walking around, laughing, and chatting. It’s a clean and vibrant city. We went to Ghirardelli Square for dinner at Barrio. It was so yummy! I had their nachos, my Mom had their Ceviche and my Mom-Mom had their salad. After that, we walked down to the beach. It was a gorgeous pink sky that was going to finally close out our day.

Today was a great, long, but great day! We started out by going to Hollywood’s Cafe in downtown. It was delicious! I got their Banana Chocolate pancakes - which were to die for! Then, we walked to Fisherman’s Pier. We saw so many sea lions, making noises and bathing in the sun. We walked further down to Pier 33, which was where we could get the Alcatraz Island boat. We hopped on the boat and headed off to the island. It was absolutely gorgeous! It was smoggy, but it was beautiful! Once we got to the island, we got to get off and explore. It was very cool, interesting, and a tad bit scary. But, beyond that, it was a great experience.

The next day was the TAAF (The Aneurysm and AVM Foundation) Walk. I was so excited, but also so nervous. I was nervous to meet people and let them hear my aphasia. But, once I got to interact with people I wasn’t afraid at all. These people were like family. They were warm and full of gratitude. There are two people I met who are important to mention. One found me on TikTok, she had an AVM, then she had embolization, and she was so sweet. I can’t remember her name! The second girl was Nessa. Nessa was gracious, beyond kind, and simply a joy to be around. I walked with her and we chatted about our AVMs - it was finally nice to meet someone who had gone through exactly what I had gone through. I walked a long distance, long for me! And, it was wonderful. I got to chat with survivors, say ‘Hello’ to caretakers, and soak in the sun. I loved every second of it. After that, we went to Korean BBQ in Japantown. It was DELICIOUS! It was very loud, but I didn’t care because the food was so good. Lastly, we went for a massage at Royal Thai Massage. It was AMAZING! It hurt so bad, but it was soooo good. Then, we got some In-N-Out and went fast asleep.

This morning I woke up ready to go! I felt refreshed. We packed all of our things and got ready to hit the road. Once we started driving, we figured why not stop at a winery - we were in Napa. So, we stopped at Frog's Leap Winery which is one of my Mom’s favorites. After that, we got back on the road. We decided, with help from some friends, that we were going to stop at Mount Shasta. I’m very excited to see it tomorrow morning since it’s dark out right now.

Well, the morning is here and it is breathtaking. It is beautiful, spiritual, and magical. We started out by going to Mount Shasta Vista Point, it was raining so we couldn’t see anything. Then, we decided to head up the mountain. We went to the Panther Meadows Trail, which was absolutely gorgeous. It was freezing though, like actually freezing. It was about 40 degrees. Then, we headed down Mount Shasta. And, we were back on the road.

Next, we made it to the Redwoods. We were driving around the windy roads covered in pine trees, then we made it to the Jedidiah Redwood National Forest. And, wow. It was beautiful. Breathtaking. Super cool. All of the trees had been there for 2,000-plus years. I wonder what they were doing back then…probably just standing there in silence.

We headed up the coast, to Oregon we went. It was desolate. It was green. It was magnificent. The windy roads kept leading to more windy roads. We stopped at many coffee shops and many restaurants. And, they were good coffee stops! We stopped at Thor’s Well at the beach and we saw all of the sea lions - easily 100 of them! And then, we drove into Vancouver, Washington.

We have a great friend in Vancouver. So, we stayed with her! It was wonderful to see her. And after seeing her, we were off!

The next place we stopped was Mount Rainier. And let’s just say, it was breathtaking. The pine trees were all around us, and the mountains were grand. It’s hard to believe that it is a volcano, it could erupt at any moment, and we don’t know. After walking through Mount Rainier, we headed on. We drove and drove, and we were all getting tired as it became closer to 6 p.m. We found a winery, and they had food! So, we decided to stop there and eat. It was called Treveri Cellars, and it was wonderful. We had the nicest server, named Kit, and she told us all about the wine and food. It was so yummy! Except, we were sitting outside and it was freezing. But, by the end of the night, I was full and happy!

The next morning we woke up and hit the road again. This time we were on to Shoshone Falls, in Idaho. It looks like Niagara Falls, which I have been to many years ago. When we got there, it was closed. We were bummed out, although we got some photos from a little parking area. So, we went on our way to Utah.

I didn’t know what to expect from Utah. I didn’t really have any friends or family who are from there nor have I ever been there. When we got to Salt Lake City it was beautiful, clean, and super urban. I loved it! We went to dinner that night at Hoof and Vine, a steakhouse. It was AMAZING! My Mom got a salad and a filet, my Mom-Mom had a salad and a Wellington and I just got bruselsprouts! It was delicious! Once we slept and left, we were on our way.

We road through Bryce Canyon and Zion National Park - it was stunning. It looked just like Sedona, except I think we are prettier, although I am biased. The leaves are all changing in Oak Creek Canyon and it is so beautiful. And finally, we were home! We did it! We were gone for two weeks, we saw California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and Utah and it was spectacular. I checked them off the list!