Signed...SEALED...(Pier 39) delivered!

When my girls were little, we decided to visit the statue of the sled dog, Balto as featured in their favorite cartoon at that time. Easier said than done, my friends. Central Park is HUGE with winding paths and statues everywhere. For some reason though, this little expedition has evolved in our memories from frustrating to magical over the years. So, as I put together our California itinerary, I couldn't resist including the statue of the sea lion in Sausalito. "It disappears at high tide," I warned as Brad fought for a parking space in the busy sea-side town, "It may be difficult to find or we may not find it at all." Victorious, Brad claimed a spot and we climbed out of the car. "Is that it," Brad asked, slamming his door and pointing across the street to the bay. Yup. Sure enough...there it was. Maybe ten years from now, we'll remember the discovery of this statue to be a bit more challenging.

This would not be our only sea lion encounter of the trip. I had also included a visit to the famed Pier 39 which is home to hundreds and sometimes even thousands of California sea lions. Unfortunately, I had scheduled this sea lion stop-over in the middle of what had been an exhaustively busy day and we hadn't yet had lunch. Tour Guide Amy had a rough time managing a group of hangry people willing to sell their souls for a street vendor hot dog. "It was like the Hobbits going across Mordor," Sydney recalled with dramatic exaggeration. Where does she get that from?

As our grueling trek wore on, I began to lose confidence. Maybe I'd missed it somehow. Maybe the sea lions weren't out today. Maybe we should just buy a hot dog and call it quits for the day. But then...

You can hear them long before you ever catch sight of them. "You can smell them before you see them, too," Brad observed as the pungent smell effected all but those with the heartiest of appetites (The Mosimans). "Love has no aroma," I replied, completely enraptured. It was like Game of Thrones out there complete with the fight for territory and sibling incest. They were ruthless and playful, sly and seductive. One minute, your companion is a warm cuddle-buddy. The next minute, you are being flung heartlessly back into the Pacific. If one sea lion isn't looking for love, then the gal on the right might be more than accommodating. Or even the guy...oh my!

A big fan of the panoramic feature on Savannah's phone, I asked why she hadn't taken a picture yet.

"I'll do it now," she agreed, stifling a yawn. Dismayed that she hadn't anticipated that I would want to be IN the shot ("I was tired AND hungry," she explained later), I lunged forward, managing to make it into the same photograph, three different times. Such was my love for the California sea lion. "Can we go eat now," my family begged. Such was their love for their own stomachs. "Ten years from now," I scolded, "what do you think you'll remember more? The sea lions or your lunch?" "Lunch," they answered, dragging me away from my magical sea lions. I do have to admit, though, lunch was pretty magical too.