California, here we are!

Who doesn’t want to drive the California coast?  Randy and I have always talked about it, but we never did it.  Now, we are doing it.  At 9 1/2 months post double lung transplant, Randy is out and about and doing very well.

Our trip started in Orange County, as we landed at John Wayne/Santa Ana Airport.  The Duke was waiting for us.  And so was Michael Hurst, aka “Don”.  We had lunch and then “Don” took us for a little tour of Balboa, including the car ferry.  The car ferry takes a whopping 3 cars across a canal small enough to easily swim.  It is so fun and cute, though!  The whole area is just gorgeous.  “Don” Hurst thinks Randy looks much better than he did in January…yes, that is true.  He is much stronger, and his attitude has really turned around.  We have been thoroughly enjoying our trip.

Our next stop was Santa Barbara, one of the most beautiful towns you could ever find.  Beach, ocean, hills, mountains, and the flora!  Trees and flowers and plants of all different shapes and sizes!  Parks and hiking paths every other street, it seems like.  We were very fortunate to have one of our “sons from another mother (and father, too)” come to visit us in Santa Barbara.  Charlie grew up with Wes, and has spent a lot of time with us, not only in Dallas, but in Cozumel.  He graduated from Harvey Mudd College a year ago, and is working in Los Angeles.  We had a great dinner, and laughed the entire time.  My little Charlie!  What a sweetheart to drive all the way to Santa Barbara to see us.

We stayed at the Hyatt Santa Barbara, and I can highly recommend the hotel.  It sits across the street from the beautiful beach.  My “niece” (my friend/family relationships tend to be complicated and confusing, sorry) lives near Valencia, and she brought her two children for a beach day with me.  Randy is wisely not spending much time on the beach, he is 50 times more likely now to get skin cancer, so he needs to stay out of the sun!  Or wear sunscreen, which is so difficult to get him to do.

We enjoyed dinner one night at Brophy Brothers, on the pier.  Dee-licious and excellent views.  I walked the pier, and there is a statue of a seahorse with a boy riding on it, a gift from Santa Barbara’s sister city, Puerto Vallarta.  Unusual, but hey, certainly an interesting statue.

If you have not visited Santa Barbara, make your reservations right now!  It really is stunning, with perfect weather, and gorgeous scenery.  As Randy’s illness has reminded us, you only have NOW.  Make your NOW count.