Back on track September 11 - October 7, 2007 Recovering from vacation - Lisa goes to school - tripping to Big Sur Coast and Tehachapi

	On the first available sand dune in Moss Landing

Then, finally, we were back home. The jet lag I got after returning seemed worse than the one in Europe. Perhaps it was on account of going to bed too late on the evening of our arrival, and the kids getting up too early next morning. Still we began to return back on track. It was necessary to replenish our household stocks, wash a giant heap of laundry, say hi to neighbors and friends -- and to get back to swimming and pre-school attendance. It surprised us how cold the mornings were getting this year, already in September. Tom had once gone into our pool, but I am generally afraid that our pool season is quite over.

	One of the most photographed locations on Big Sur coast - McWay Cove

Our first home based weekend took us out to the beach at Moss Landing. We did not feel like hiking a lot, and the kids probably did not either. We had packed their toy trucks along, and so they had landed right on the first sand dune next to the parking lot. Sid and I sat on a log and relaxed. The only stressful moment was Tom's complaint that his truck was too SMALL -- the loaned Czech trucks had longer beds, and our little bear cub was feeling discriminated by the parameters of his American truck.

	The Big Sur Coast consists of about seventy miles of humanity-free cliffs, redwood forests above and kelp forests below the ocean surface. Driving on the meandering Highway 1 takes the whole afternoon.

A tricycle crisis has ensued. I had thought that now that Tommy has gotten his bicycle, Lisa could inherit his former, stable pedaling vehicle. However, if I issue it to Lizzy, Tom squeals that he does not want a bike, he wants the tricycle for HIMSELF. Finally I had borrowed a very used tricycle from our neighbors, and reckoned this would make our little walks tension-free, and quick, as opposed to the style "from a storm drain to a pebble" My plans started to come true -- until the point when Tom refused to continue to ride on, claiming to have a "red light". I waited three seconds and declared that he now had a green light and was OK to go. He opposed me while pointing out that "this here moron in front of him would not move" Lisa, of course, took care to repeat this show number to the smallest detail. And I used to think that I had stopped cursing behind the wheel.

	Kids enjoy the nature and outdoors mostly in the form of a picnic.

Tom was to continue his regular pre-school attendance; for Lisa, I had planned a getting-used-to phase for the second half of September, with a full pre-school start as of October. Eventually it came to pass that while Lisa would, without much problem, accept parents leaving for other duties, and go to play, Tom was cautiously following every detail and threw tantrums if I turned around the corner. Thus we canceled this accommodation for Lisa and our daughter started her unattended school on the eighteenth of September. Even during this event, Tom had provided for the top number of the whole show, for Lisa's crying caused him to become a "pity invoking, sympathy pleading, abandoned poor orphan child", who almost on his knees begged his beloved yet demonic father not to leave, for Lizzy might weep. Naturally, when I eventually came back to pick them up, Lisa seemed pleased to see me, but she also presented me with her priorities -- e.g. she had finished her lunch before getting up to greet me. Fortunately we had managed to brainwash our daughter into believing that big girls don't cry in school, and our departures for the mornings there have lost much of their dramatic effects of the earlier days.

	Tehachapi Attraction Number One

I had also stopped giving Lisa diapers in the course of September. She could have probably managed without them earlier, but I eventually decided to wait with the training until we were back from Czech Republic. After all, one must keep an eye on toddlers during their first diaper-free weeks, keep reminding them and stick to some fixed daily routine -- which is nigh impossible with an inverted day/night, stress and travel. I somehow did not like the idea of standing with Lisa in a line to an aircraft filthy lavatory (SAS was in this regard above average clean and civilized - but still), or possibly deal with puddles while visiting someone, and in somebody else's car seats, or while touring historic monuments.

	The propeller is... spinning!

The kids kept demanding a trip; Tom likes to review photographs from our journeys and always points out where he would like to go, too. Our choice fell on Tehachapi, although we both carefully watched the weather forecast. An early winter storm was about to roll into California, and it was not clear when exactly it would hit our area. Outlooks for Tehachapi ranged between forty and sixty degrees -- which does not improve one's confidence in meteorology.

	Our men are waiting for a train to go by

We wanted to start early Saturday morning, to get it time to Monterey Aquarium before the worst crowds. In the end we were leaving by nine thirty and since it actually started raining, two accidents on the freeway slowed us down. By eleven thirty we figured it was probably better to have lunch first and then, energized, go to the exhibits. We still did not know that they had closed the whole huge children's section for the winter, thus holiday visitors were forced into releasing their offspring in the remaining, limited space. Both Sid's and my nerves were in tatters within an hour, but the kids liked the fishes as usual, and so hopefully it was fun.

Meanwhile the skies had cleared a bit outside and we opted to continue on Highway 1 along the coast, naively thinking that our kids would sleep and we could enjoy the view. When the original havoc, later mischief and subsequent whining, as well as bored whimpering became intolerable, the Julia Pfeiffer Park popped out into existence, to rescue us. A small trail to McWay Cove is relatively short, but meets all requirements for a family walk. It goes, for example, first over a bridge, then under another bridge, through a tunnel, near some rocky cliffs - and at its end you'll find not only a view to a magnificent fairy-tale cove, but also a log and some benches, on which one can have a picnic (the most important portion of the whole trip).

	Tehachapi Loop in its entirety (train included)

By the time for dinner we were barely reaching Paso Robles. Although we had thought that kids would appreciate running a bit in the down-town park, both whiners quickly convinced us to head straight for the nearest restaurant. After a meal (a much pleasanter) Tommy began to demand to see those trains we had promised him while foolishly revealing the actual destination of our journey. He simply could not understand why we weren't there yet and that he was not going to see any trains that evening. Eventually we had to figure a compromise -- we would take both kids to the nearest railway crossing (about two blocks from that restaurant) and we would hope that some train would soon pass. There was some railroad employee already hanging out near the crossing, who told us that he was checking out the signaling system and we were in luck, for a freight consist was to drive through in three minutes. Our parental reputation thus withstood the challenge and soon Tommy turned much more cooperative in continuing our journey to Tehachapi, where our time-proven Travelodge was awaiting us.

We had looked forward to breakfast at the no less time-proven Cattlemans Cafe -- sadly, this time we encountered a totally useless service -- other guests, who came after us, ate for forty minutes and eventually left; in this space of time, we did not even get a dry toast for our kids. The waitress replied to complaints with arrogant, "I'm alone here", and that was that. Eventually we received some attention from a young cashier/hostess, who at least brought a piece of bread for squealing kids, and began to wonder what was going on. She admitted to being the niece of the owner; she apologized, even offered to give us a discount. We tried to explain that we were not trying to get cheap food, but we wanted them to think WHY things were not working -- and serve us breakfast, not give lip.

	Another train slithering into the loop

Then Tommy recalled that he had wanted to see the propellers -- wind turbines, and so we drove up a hill and went to see this miracle. Then the main attraction of the trip was on order -- Tehachapi Loop. We were lucky, for we had seen four long trains in quick succession. Lisa was interested only for a moment, and spent the rest of our stay sifting dirt from the path onto a rock. She was incredibly nice and quiet, obviously very engaged. Tommy, on the other hand, loves the trains. He announces to everybody that he is Thomas the Tank Engine, or alternatively the Express (or double-decker), but lately he's been claiming that he shines on his rails from his eyes (all U.S. trains have very strong shining headlights, day and night), and he uses these lights to shine around our house at night.

	The dry bed of Palo Prieto Canyon near San Andreas Fault in central California

We had a late lunch in Bakersfield and continued towards home. Our kid's patience ran out near Cholame, and we turned off to Palo Prieto canyon, and had another picnic in the dry river bed (arroyo). Tommy ran up and down, playing the express, drove around in the loop. Lisa -- for a change -- shifted the fine river sand from one heap to another. Tom, in his speedy way, covered a large area of the arroyo, satisfying his exploratory urges. Soon he came back running, saying he had found some bones, which made us a bit worried. Sid's first question (are there any shoes on those bones?) made me worried a lot more. I sent him (on account of having a stronger stomach) to check it out. A fast courier Tom then ran back to report that "it was a careless cow who fell in the river and died and animals had eaten it and ants had cleaned the bones." I exhaled, glad that we didn't have to worry about a fresh cadaver, or call a coroner.

There was still a long way ahead. Although neither of the kids had slept during the day, it was the older Tom who dozed off with the first dusk. Lizzy continues to regard sleeping as a waste of time; it took her perhaps another hour before she gave in. When we finally arrived home, we changed the half-stiff children into their pajamas and put them in their beds -- strangely, even Lisa did not fully awaken -- apparently, our trip had been sufficiently exhaustive.

Copyright © 2007 by Carol & Sid Paral. All rights reserved.