(Friday, August 4th, 2023)
We did it! We went on a family cruise. I've been wanting to do one for a long time. Well, probably not as long as the kids have wanted it. But it seemed like a great way to celebrate June comeing back from her mission. We left just a few weeks after she returned and just before school was starting again; we squished it in there.
I want to remember every minute, so I'm going to put a boatload of pictures on here. (Pun intended) I'll break the posts down by day because that seems easiest. Let's get this show on the road. We chose a cruise to Mexico, mainly because it leaves from California, which we can drive to, which saves us a pretty penny on airfare. Trust me, once you buy tickets for 7 people and then consider excursions...well, you don't want to buy plane tickets as well.
We left Friday morning and had a nice leisurely drive. Tyler made the activity books for the kids. They really love them. I think those will be one of those fond memories they have when they are grown.
I think most drivers got a chance to drive at some point. Some were rather silly. Tyler and Ivory would put their hands on the ceiling while passing cars. Everyone needs a little extra attention sometimes.
We spent time playing games, listening to music, and imprinting ourselves with Beau's pendant.
We stopped at DQ for lunch. This place was made for Daisy. A spoon for a handle is just her thing.
Since we are Cazier's, it is mandatory that we stop to see weird/interesting things along the way. We found quite a few on our drive to CA. First up was the freaky big spider made out of license plates. We were worried it would follow us if we didn't offer up a sacrifice, so we gave it Pearl. Risk of being the youngest...
Next up was the world's largest thermometer in Baker, CA. It is 134 feet tall to commemorate the hottest recorded temperature of 134° in nearby Death Valley. When we arrived, it said it was 102°. Definitely hot, but I wonder how accurate it was because down the road, a different thermometer said 104°, so who knows?
Inside their little souvenir store, there was a little ring that you could swing onto a hook. It was harder than it looked. No one could manage it, except for me. I got it on my second try. Skilz.
Just across the street was the Mad Greek Cafe, which was a little weird. The food didn't look bad, but we had already eaten.
And then, just down the street from there, was an alien jerky place. We didn't partake of the alien jerky either (thank goodness) but it was a good photo op.
You'd think after four stops, we would be satisfied with our strange location allotment, but we weren't done. Next up was Eddie World. That place is pretty epic. It is like a convenience store on crack. There were so many snacks, and knick-knacks, and whatnot. It's a feast for the eyes.
Just next door to Eddie World is the Liberty Sculpture Park. You can see it from the freeway. We found the back entrance and laughed at the sign that says NO COMMUNISTS ALLOWED.
But it was not a joke. The whole sculpture park was about the destruction, enslavement, torture, cover-up, scandal, repression, censorship, and totalitarianism of the communist party, specifically in China. It was a very serious sculpture park, where we actually learned a lot and appreciated our country all the more.
I'm not putting all the sculptures on here, but you can see the Chained Woman, who represents over 48,000 women who were abducted and sold into slavery during a 20 year period in one area alone. The numbers throughout China would probably be astounding.
The big 64 you can see from the freeway is part of a sculpture that talks about the Tiananmen Square Massacre. (Which happened on June 4th, 6/4. Took me forever to figure out why there was a big 64)
The other one we thought was fascinating was about Covid and the coverup of the new virus. A large sculpture was put up and then burned down by the CCP. Whoa. The rubble from the first sculpture was left alongside the new one. It was pretty cool. But for sure, that sign at the entrance was not a joke.
The sun set on our day of adventures and we found our way to dinner. There were a few palm trees outside. I didn't realize the girls loved palm trees so much. Maybe it's just that they represent a land of warmth.
Our final destination that evening was a cute cabin in the woods. Oddly, there were practically no trees and then we suddenly were in a forest. Seems odd for those to sneak up on you. It was dark at the time though, so maybe that helped in their stealthy ways. The cabin was great. Some people went hot-tubbing, we enjoyed banana muffins for breakfast. It was a great stop on the way. (Pictures were taken in the morning, when it was light.)
We got a good rest, which was excellent since the next day was boarding. Time to get on a cruise ship. Booyah.
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