Last updated on November 26, 2023
The girls have been asking why they didn’t get to see the princesses or the castle at Disney. Explaining there is something wrong with Grandpa’s health isn’t something little ones understand.
We left early, not using one day of our passes, because my father wasn’t feeling well. We still don’t know what was wrong, either. My father should not have been at Disney. He was sick and grumpy, which triggered me and left me angry. Aborting the Wednesday visit to the parks for his health was the right thing to do, but it led to a horrible drive into the Valley during the peak of the heat.
That drive home was one of the worst experiences I’ve had in several years. I was texting my wife, trying to get a flight back to Pennsylvania, no matter the cost or hassles. I wasn’t about to stay in the Central Valley one minute longer than necessary.
If there had been a way to switch the flights, we would have been flying home that night or the next morning. I wasn’t going to stick around in the Valley.
The air conditioning in my mother’s SUV failed while Central California was experiencing near-110F temperatures. I was sick. Very sick. I had to stop frequently and drink water. I couldn’t see. I had a migraine and thought I might vomit.
Leaving the Valley was the only thing on my mind. I hate the Valley in summer. Hate it. Always have. The only reason we were returning early, in the middle of the day, was because my father was feeling bad following heart surgery and serious complications. I’m sure the extreme heat of no AC wasn’t good for him, either.
I am never, never going back to the Valley in summer — which starts there in April and ends in October. November through March are the only decent months.
We really shouldn’t have been there. Not me, and not our six-year-old. We both had medical challenges in Central California’s heat and bad air. I was worried about her every moment we were in the Valley. The hotel AC didn’t work properly, either, and was leaking condensed water onto the carpet. I used the ice bucket to catch the water and would dump it every few hours.
It’s hot in the Valley, and the drought adds to the horrible air quality. There’s dust everywhere. There’s smoke and ash from nearby wildfires, which occur annually. It is not a healthy place for anyone.
My father seems to be okay, or at least better than he was at Disney.
I am going to figure out a way to get the girls to Disney World while they still believe in princesses and want the autographs. There won’t be another attempt to do extended family things. The grandparents are older, and they shouldn’t be making these trips, we’ve learned.
For the girls and me, the beach made up for a lot. The girls are excited that we decorated a bathroom with a beach theme. I purchased two picture frames into which will go photos of them at the Central Coast of California. The beach worked out well for us and was a great experience, so it’s good that we did not leave right away.
The trip reinforced how much I dislike Central California. Now, there’s no question we have eliminated any future back in our hometown. I love California, though, and wish we could afford to live there again… but not the Valley. No way.
I wish my parents and sister didn’t have to remain in the Valley. It can’t be good for them, either.