The Arc of Tempe

Our trip started off on Friday, a very hot Arizona morning which made us want to get to San Diego even more!  Check in started at 8:30am sharp, participants received name badges, luggage tags, and cleared up any missing paperwork while checking in all those medications. Things went so smoothly with smiles, laughter and talks about how fun the trip was going to be.

Getting in the vans has never happened so fast!  Along our nine hour drive, the staff learned quickly that when bathroom breaks happen food and drinks should not be included.  We listened to music, played games, watched movies and talked with friends as we tried to pass the time until we made it to the beautiful state of California.

When we finally got to our hotel we were so excited that we didn’t even unpack! We dumped our bags, coolers and other items in our rooms. Some of us changed, others took a break and stretched their legs while other grabbed that Diet Coke they couldn’t live without! With all of us starving we headed to down town San Diego to eat in 'Little Italy' at a delicious restaurant called Filippi’s and LOVED it! Everyone was content with their soda of choice in hand and pizza in their stomachs.  After dinner we went back to the hotel to rest up for our big day on the beach!

With overcast skies and an ocean breeze the day at the beach was amazing!  We went skin boarding, made sand castles, walked the pier, flew kites, boogie boarded, shopped, and relaxed in the minimal amount of sun that peered through the clouds. Whether we were hunting for sea shells or digging holes to be buried in the beach supplied lots of smiles and memories. With everyone hungry and tired we ate to this amazing place called Soundwave where we had dinner while looking out on the beach at night.  This was a monumental moment for us; ending this trip all together just watching the waves crash against the sand in the moonlight made everything worth while. Heading back to the hotel, with everyone exhausted made a night of sleep look like the best thing ever.

Sunday was our last day.  We took our time eating breakfast together, talking about our fun times and a favorite memory as we knew the next step was to pack up and leave. Packing our items, checking out and loading into the vans we started our ride home to Arizona knowing that we will miss the amazing weather but knowing that we going to be back next year for another great trip!