Yay! I am so thrilled to meet a blogging friend in real life! How fun is this!?! I’ve read some posts by others who’ve met blogging friends in real life and it would be a dream come true for me to meet each of you amazing bloggers in real life!
Fun fact: my husband and I met at a bowling alley in 2006. Online dating had only recently made its debut into popular culture and neither of us had ever tried it. So, Esther and her family from Sing Like Wildflowers, are the first people that I’ve ever met online and then met in real life!
We were excited to meet up with them while vacationing in Monterey, California. We coordinated our schedules and decided to meet at UC Santa Cruz Arboretum and Botanical Garden.
After the arboretum, we headed to the famous and historical Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. Upon arrival, we were gifted 6 unlimited ride wristbands by a fellow attendee. Sweet!
The tween/teens started out with bumper cars.
Next up was the Giant Dipper roller coaster built in 1924 – all riders described it as the scariest roller coaster they’d ever been on!
On to the Looff Carousel 🎠 built in 1911. I rode this one too – I love carousels!
My husband and youngest son attempted to win a prize by climbing an impossible rope ladder.
They did not win.
My husband went online and looked up tips on how to win. There is only one guaranteed technique – don’t play. 🤣 lol
Lastly, Esther and the tween/teens did another round of bumper cars.
This was so much fun! Esther and her family are just the nicest, most thoughtful & generous, easy-to-talk-to people you’ll ever meet! The tween/teens were all fast friends and we all really wished we lived closer so we could hang out with them more often!
heavens to betty 
It was a fabulous time meeting you and your family in person!! This was a first for me too to meet an online friend in real life. It was about time; we have tried in the past 2 years but with Elliot’s pneumonia and us being out of town last year, those 2 times didn’t work out. We were super super blessed to make new friends and to have everyone hit it off so well.
My kids were also terrified of the Giant Dipper ride that’s been around for 100 years. Glad they all stayed put and didn’t fly away.
Wasn’t it awesome that the fellow mom gave us those unlimited ride passes?! What a propitious gift from a stranger and the kids had a blast on the rides. Next time you are in town, we must hang out again!
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