California Dreamin' to Reality

Prepared to take off!

My trip to California with mom was wonderful. Even though it felt odd to be on a plane again, it felt superb to travel. We hatched this idea part-way through the clinical trial and surprised ourselves when we saw an airline ticket sale and jumped on the opportunity. I'm so glad we did! We had memorable experiences together, saw natural beauty that left us awestruck, and got to reconnect with friends we hadn't seen in years. 

Wearing my lymphedema sleeve and gauntlet worked well and I only noticed a bit of swelling in my right trunk after the plane ride. Per my PT's recommendations, I'll wear Spanx or something similar to help compress my trunk area during flights in the future.

Some of the luckiest cows in the country.
They get coastal views all day long.

The beach at Stillwater Cove Regional Park.
We parked it here for a few hours; the view was entrancing.

Saw an owl up close and personal -
a first!

I was a tree hugger at
Armstrong Redwoods State Reserve.

We met up with Gerda at the Occidental Farmer's Market.
Brr! It was so cold and drizzly that day.

Thanks to Groupon, we got a deal for a hot air balloon ride.
FANTASTIC! (And no motion sickness.)

Can you spot three balloons in this picture?

A nice, long visit with Rich and Joyce Fowler in Napa.
Even in the midst of their big move, they made time to see us.

We came out of the Fowler's house to a surprise: our rental car had a flat.
Thanks for getting us pumped up and headed to town, Rich!

If ever in the Sonoma area, try some cheese from Vella Cheese Company.
You will not be disappointed!

Back to the beginning...mom and daughter in Napa, CA.

Last night noshing at Oxbow Public Market in Napa.
Kind of like a mini Pike Place Market. 

Our takeoff from San Francisco was delayed because of
severe weather and fires in Colorado.
Here, you can see a stratified "layer" of smoke from the Co Springs area fire.

I'm toying with publishing an additional post full of California trip pictures - only without captions, just to share some of the beauty we saw with all of you. Is there any interest out there for a post like that?