​

We had a final rest day planned today, to let finishing sink in a bit before driving home. The kids have been such good sports throughout the trip that we wanted to do something nice for then. So we went to the San Diego Zoo.

We met with my parents at the hotel, then swung by to pick up Josh. Driving is still weird, especially hills. I feel like I’m cheating.

Parking at the zoo was easier than I expected for a holiday weekend. We spent the day looking at gazelles, zebras, and a baby giraffe. The rhinos were taking a bath, and the polar bear looked hot. The line for the pandas was something like two hours long, so we skipped it.

We all had fun, though Max seemed as interested in picking up rocks and leaves as the animals.

Once we had our fill, we headed over to Josh’s. He worked on grilling some chicken while we hung around. Josh’s lady friend, Stacey, came by to meet us. The kids alternated between terrorizing and being terrorized by the dogs. What really got Max going was when the dogs would look at him. They’re really pretty mellow creatures.

 We enjoyed a delightful meal. It was nice to talk to everyone, and meet Stacey. The kids started wearing out, so it was time to go. We dropped off my parents at their hotel and headed to our own. On the drive, we found all of San Diego’s hills. I’m glad I wasn’t trying to bike them. Max fell asleep in the car, but Anne successfully transferred him to the room.

Tomorrow we’ll drive all the way back home. Ruth told me tonight that she wishes we could bike home instead.