California Day 2

View from our hotel floor: the kids and I are tagging along on one of Chris' business trips.

The baby woke at 3:30 a.m., the big kids at 4:30. So, we went for a dawn walk along the river outside our hotel, trying to pass some time until 7:00 when the hotel restaurant opened for first breakfast. The kids are standing on the railroad track that runs feet outside of our hotel: they like to sit in our bay window and watch the old-fashioned diesel train drive back and forth along the river.

The Tower bridge 

The Sacramento River

The girls admiring the fountain in the courtyard after Mass

After Mass, we met my dad and sister's family at the Pancake Circus for second breakfast. ... not to be confused with first breakfast or elevensies... ... um ... yes ... so anyway ... let's talk about the zoo.

Driving over to the zoo with my niece Maddie!

Grandpa and Mary

A little tidbit: all four of my dad's granddaughters have names that start with 'M'! 

Margaret was so zoned out in the heat! We ended up several times drizzling a bottle of cold water over her head to cool her down. 

Grandpa with four of five grandchildren

Mary kept climbing the exhibit fences and having to be stopped, so I chuckled when I saw the monkey cage in the background with all the swings and trapezes: wouldn't she love to be in there!

My newest niece, Melissa! She is two months old!

After a much-needed nap taken by the kids, we took a family stroll through Old Sacramento. 

This is a wooden school teacher outside of a museum of a one-room school house.

The day ended with another swim in the hotel pool!