Lie Flat Seats, Ice Cream and Chocolate Make a Short Trip to San Francisco a Fun One

What’s a dreadful scenario for someone who loves to travel and has a family?  A daughter who doesn’t want to fly.  She got sick on a trip a bit over a year ago and it put her in a tailspin when it came to getting on planes.  She’s been working slowly back up to it, but our trip to San Francisco for a close friend’s wedding would be her longest flight in quite some time.

Her mom did a great job of convincing her of all the fun things there were to do in San Francisco, and I built in a few fun plane things. And, voila, we had a great trip, even despite time changes and a short 3 days on the road.

It started with a flight from IAD to SFO.  We were on a United 737-900 (old Continental plane).  I can’t remember the last time a flight I was on had a movie that my daughter would enjoy watching but this one just happened to have Wreck-It Ralph, a kids movie she was reasonably interested in.  Only problem was the in-flight entertainment system on this plane wasn’t built for a kid to  sit in the last row of First Class and be able to see the screen.  A brief bit of engineering with a backpack and pillow and my daughter was now tall enough to see over the seat in front of her.  The only reason I’m willing to put up this dippy picture of myself is to illustrate how the 6-year old is the same height as daddy.  And, yes, before anyone screams, she had her seat belt securely fastened.

Lie Flat

And, what would a transcontinental flight be without some ice cream?

Lie Flat

Seeing a city like San Francisco through the eyes of my daughter for the first time was a lot of fun.  I can only imagine how fun it was for my father when he got to take me there for the first time.  We got over the power outage at the St. Regis quickly and were on to more fun activities.

Like feeding sourdough bread to the birds.

Lie Flat

Or riding a cable car for the first time.

Lie Flat

Chocolate scavenger hunt with mom?

Lie Flat

And, how about the barking seals near Pier 39?

Lie Flat

Who decided to set up a Biscoff store and NOT give away miles for buying something?  I sure do miss that US Airways Grand Slam.

Lie Flat

Lie Flat

And, finally, lie flat seats on the way home.  Not the first time my daughter has flown in one, but she was too young to remember the first time.  She had a great time with the in-flight entertainment and finally ended up crashing for a nap.  A very tired, but happy 6-year old on a whirlwind weekend I hope she’ll remember when she’s older.

Lie Flat

Lie Flat

 

 

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11 Comments

    1. Mommy Points, it was definitely a fun trip. Saw your post about lack of sleep when traveling with the kiddo. Boy, do I sympathize. 🙂

      Regards, Edward Pizzarello

      Sent from my iPhone

  1. It was a pretty dippy picture of you, you knucklehead! But great family story nevertheless. Thanks for sharing.

  2. What a great mini-album for your daughter to look at as she gets older! We’ve flown grandkids places a few times – how magic is it for us “jaded” travelers to see it all anew through the eyes of a child we love.

    1. David,

      I’ve lived in DC for over a decade and still have only done 2 or 3 sightseeing trips. I definitely agree we take things for granted.

      Regards, Edward Pizzarello

      Sent from my iPhone

    1. PerryPlatypus, oddly on this flight the English audio channel was also broadcasting Spanish at a lower volume, so a bit too distracting for me to watch. Have to catch it another time. 🙂

      Regards, Edward Pizzarello

      Sent from my iPhone

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