Los Angeles, CA

We were treated very well in Fremont but it was time to head out to L.A.

We got up a little later than usual, showered, packed up, checked out, and drove around 80 miles toward Turlock, CA, where Zac's great grandfather, Papa Sam, resides. We got there shortly after noon and found Papa Sam eating lunch with his fellow friends in the dining hall at the assisted living home. We walked right up to him and he seemed to recognize Zac but we're not quite sure if he really remembered him. He was very nice and looked quite happy. We wanted to stay awhile but he was busy eating his dessert and didn't seem to want company, so we shook his hand and Zac got a picture with him before we left. He was such a nice man.

After our brief visit with Papa Sam, we got back in the car and drove about 300+ miles toward Los Angeles. On our way, we passed by some palm trees, some dairy cows, and several vineyards. The vineyards looked amazing. Again, I passed out in the car for a good 200+ miles before I woke up and found us navigating through extremely heavy traffic (i.e. SEVEN lanes of traffic). We finally arrived at my parents' house a little after 6 p.m. We took our things in, chatted a bit with my parents and sisters, and then headed out to the popular Souplantation restaurant. It's the equivalent to the Souper Salad restaurant at home, where there's soup, a baked potato bar, pasta, and assorted salads.

When we got to the restaurant, the line was already out the door. Apparently, everyone tries to eat healthy in L.A. My stepmom hopped out of the car and got in line. Meanwhile, Zac, my dad, and I parked the car across the street. We walked around the business complexes while we waited for the line to die down. As we were walking, we suddenly heard a loud BOOM in the parking lot, followed by a child screaming and a mother yelling for help! Apparently, an elderly man didn't see the curb and ran right up on it and hit a child. The three of us ran over to the mother and child. I pulled out my phone to dial 911 but another bystander had already called. Within minutes, we heard sirens speeding down the road toward the scene. We walked away to let the officer deal with the situation. This is the second time we've witnessed an almost fatal accident in California! I sure hope that child is okay. I think he was more frightened than physically hurt. Either way, it was scary!

Still a little shaken, we walked over to the restaurant and got our plates of salad, soup, and pasta. It was so crowded but the food was delicious. My sisters were at a fellowship activity with their friends so we got to enjoy a nice meal with just my parents.

Our 400-mile trip today must have worn us out. We were ready for bed right after dinner. Zac went to sleep while I stayed up a bit with my parents. Can't wait for what's in store tomorrow!