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One-on-one in San Diego with my grandson
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It's been awhile since I've had to keep up with a 10-year-old boy. But that's exactly what I did — give or take a few groans — last week. I took my No. 2 grandson on an intergenerational trip to San Diego that was sponsored by the travel-with-education organization Elderhostel. This is the second time I've done this, the first being a week at NASA in Houston three years ago with No. 1 grandson. It occurred to me that I was much younger then.
Or maybe the difference was that this time it was a flat out roadrunner experience, while three years ago, there was a lot more classroom activity. Anyway, No. 2 and I had a terrific time, learned a lot and came back more bonded than ever.
It's lovely to get to know grandchildren who ordinarily live some distance away in a one-on-one setting. There were no meals to prepare, no beds to make, no laundry to do. In short, there were none of the usual distractions of daily living to take my attention from my grandson. Elderhostel sees to that. There were no other siblings or parents present. Just he and I, and 13 other children and their grandparents. Every day was a new adventure. What a treat.
We arrived a day early to get used to the time change. At least we planned to arrive early, but the constant thunderstorms on the east coast changed our plans somewhat. We sat in the plane on the tarmac for three hours until they cleared us for take-off. And then there were 25 planes lined up on the runway ahead of us.
My grandson handled the delay probably better than I did. Kids today are so used to jetting about that they accept the inevitable delays, long lines and other airport frustrations with equanimity.
Anyway we did finally arrive, exhausted but still in good humor, and marveled at the landing in San Diego. The airport is essentially in the midst of the city, and the approach puts the plane on a level with some of the taller buildings. That was just the first of many marvels.
The first morning of the program was spent in a classroom at Balboa Park, a marvelous place akin to the mall in Washington, D.C., but with more trees, in which several museums are housed. We visited the Science Museum, where No. 2 grandson worked on a team and built a catapult from tongue depressors, tape and rubber bands. In the process, he learned about potential and kinetic energy and the fact that this is how fighter airplanes are launched from battleships at sea. (San Diego is, after all, the unofficial home of the U.S. Navy.)
The museum is interactive, and we explored the exhibits and were treated to an excellent IMAX film on life under the sea. That afternoon, we entered the sea atop a "seal" boat — a bus that turns into a boat — and had a tour of the beautiful harbor and military installations. We also learned that the military has an active training program for dolphins, who really are intelligent enough to perform difficult tasks of detection and rescue under water.
A talk after dinner that first night prepared us for the next day's visit to the San Diego Zoo. Thanks to Elderhostel, we went behind the scenes, where the children learned more about the animals from knowledgeable docents and, in some safe instances, as with the giraffes, actually fed them.
The pacing of the week's activities was well thought out. Mid-week was given over entirely to kayaking on Mission Bay in the morning and boogie boarding in the heavy surf in the afternoon. Yes, I did kayak and even tipped over at one point. No, I did not boogie board but rather sat on a towel at the spectacular beach. We grandparents were a fine cheering section.
The next day was spent at Scripps Institute of Oceanography in La Jolla and then Sea World, where again we got behind the scenes and learned first hand about marine life. And lest a minute be wasted, the morning the program ended was spent touring a sailing ship and a Russian submarine in the harbor.
It was a wonderful week's voyage of discovery, including enhanced connection with my grand grandson.
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