Pensacola FL - November 9-13, 2006
This was the change of command and the first time we'd seen the Mannixes in I don't even know how long. It was the last show of the 2006 season, so Kevin was just observing and it was interesting to watch him and the other new team members carefully analyze the show, knowing that at the end of the weekend this would be in their hands. On Sunday morning we had brunch at the hotel where the Mannixes had been living until they could move into their house on base when the current commander moved out. Kevin was trying to write his speech for the change of command while surrounded by people and and the craziness of brunch. First time we saw Kevin in his flight suit haha
The change of command was really really cool. It was in the museum on base so before the ceremony we walked around and grabbed some lunch. The ceremony itself was pretty amazing. Midshipmen [is that even the right term??] lined the balcony above the area where we were sitting and some really important admiral gave a speech. Wish I remembered who he was...he's probably really influential to our country.
After the change of command we went to the Officers' Club for the end-of-season party which was a combination of the 2006 team and the 2007 team. The O Club was a really cool old building rich with history and character.
Oh I can't leave out the hotel we stayed in while we were there. It was GORGEOUS. 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, a full kitchen and a living room/dining room. And an AMAZING view...
El Centro, CA - March 9-11, 2007
I have to say that if it weren't for the Blue Angels, I probably would have NEVER been to beautiful El Centro, CA. There's not much to say about El Centro other than it is freaking hot and a desert. What a classy, classy place. Haha. This was Kevin's very first show as commander after spending the winter training at the air "field" [not even station or base or anything, just "field" it's that small and secluded]. It was really strange to see Kevin, our friend, marching down the runway like I'd seen so many times before when we used to watch the airshow at MCAS El Toro when I was young. Even stranger to see him get in the plane and fly away.
Seattle, WA - August 2-7 [roughly], 2007
I LOVE SEATTLE. What a beautiful city. Granted, I've really only been there during the summer when it is sunny and gorgeous, so let's just say it made a very good first impression. This was the first time we could do some sightseeing in addition to the airshow, so we walked around the city, went to Pike Place Market, went to the Space Needle, and even drove up to Anacortes to go whale watching.
We saw the airshow from 3 vantage points in Seattle: First from Genessee Park along the water's edge, then from the Blues Cruise on Lake Washington [THAT'S the way to do it], and also from the stadium seating at centerpoint [I THINK? I'm pretty sure we did]. We also took the ferry to Bainbridge Island with Kevin and Tammy and got ice cream =]
San Francisco, CA - October 5-7, 2007
I LOVE SAN FRANCISCO! We went to Alcatraz, went shopping in the huge mall they have where the Nordstroms is like 25 stories tall with circular escalators, I wished we stayed at the Argonaut with everybody else because that hotel is really awesome, but we were within moderate walking distance so it wasn't too bad. Saw the show first from Alcatraz and then from a seating area near Hook Pier. Party at the aquarium on Pier 39 on Saturday night. We ALMOST could have seen the show from the pier if we had been able to stay for Sunday's show. Turns out this was the last time they ever let non-team members and crew out there =\
Pensacola Round 2 - November 9-12, 2007
This trip to Pensacola was much more low-key now that Kevin was the commander and we didn't have a change-of-command and related festivities to go to. We took a red-eye on Thursday night and got to Pensacola at like 7:45 AM, after which we drove straight to the on-base hotel, cleaned ourselves up a bit, and went to the base commander's house for breakfast with the Blue Angels and other Navy people. Then Friday afternoon we watched the practice show. Saturday and Sunday - real shows. This trip is a little hazy. OH! No show on Sunday, Sunday we had brunch at the Mannix's aaaand I got a migrane. great. Really good baked french toast. It was amazing.
El Centro Round 2 - March 7-9, 2008
El Centro. Again. Twice in 2 years. Haha. This time we stayed on base which was really convenient because we could walk from our condo to the Mannixes and didn't have to worry about driving to the airshow and dealing with all the common-folk. =P Michele and Dominic came this time. This was actually a really nice weekend. Good food. Good people. Relaxing.
Sacramento, CA - March 14-16, 2008
First time to the state capital. YES! We got to Sac-town on Thursday night. Stayed in El..something... Ellll... Just kidding, El nothing. Rancho Cordova. We rode in the caravan to the show on Saturday. It was freaking awesome. They shut down the freeway and we had a police escort and everything. The Blue Angels drive themselves to the show-site, and they drive so close together and have their flashers on so they have to use hand signals to let each other know when they are breaking. I figure they can handle it, seeing as how they fly jet airplanes like 16 inches apart from each other. It was FREEZING!! This is me, huddling next to my dad for warmth after the show on Friday, or Saturday... either way it was cold:
Haha I remember there was some kind of paper emergency, like they had run out of the paper they use to print the 8-man photos or something and one of the guys [Nate maybe?] didn't know what to do. Pretty much their hotel was across the street from an Office Depot. Kevin was like...hellooo?? Haha. Yeah I'm not sure why I remember that. On Saturday night we met my Aunt and Uncle in Old Town Sacramento [er is that what it's called??] for dinner because they drove up from Modesto to see the show with us.
Seattle Round 2 - August 1-4, 2008
I LOVE SEATTLE AGAIN! This time we didn't have as much sightseeing and exploring time because we weren't there for as long. We saw the show from the Space Needle, from the Blues Cruise, and from centerpoint. On Saturday night we went to the Sea Fair party and had to spend the day shopping for clothes to wear because we didn't plan on going when we were packing. Sunday we were able to go to the Mariners' game and sit in the owner's box. No big deal.
My dad and brother left earlier than my mom and I did, so on Sunday night my mom and I had dinner with Kevin, Tammy, and Nate and Mark because Tammy made them tag along when she found out they didn't have anything to do. Then on Monday we went to the Seahawks' practice.
Yeah. Would never have done that if it weren't for Kevin and his rockstar job.
Chicago, IL - August 14-17, 2008
First time to chi-town! It was awesome. Such a great city. My mom and I flew out ahead of my dad and brother, so on Thursday we watched them plan out their show, and on Friday we rented beach cruisers and went for a bike ride along the lake so we could watch the practice show. This may have actually been the same day, I'm not sure anymore. Actually this was definitely Thursday. Friday we watched the show from the John Hancock tower, Saturday from a boat on Lake Michigan, and Sunday from centerpoint. Oh on Friday night was our epic tour of Chicago with Kevin driving and my brother attempting to lead him to various filming locations for The Dark Night. Same night Eye Alaska played in Chicago...I was determined to see them, but that definitely didn't happen haha. On Saturday night we went to a party for the airshow, which is when I met Sean D. Tucker. I guess he liked me because one of the first things he said to me was that he was going to get me flying. Just a little background...this is Sean:
Uhmmm. OKAY! Not going to argue with that!! Then on Sunday night we went to dinner at a famous pizza place in downtown Chicago with the rest of the Blue Angels. Then we went to the BEAN! I was really excited about that.
MCAS Miramar, CA - October 3-5, 2008
My parents went out to this show ahead of me, and my brother didn't even go, so I drove out after class on Friday. Used my feminine charms to get myself and my car onto the base and find the VIP seating section. The marines respond well to me. Or to my VIP pass. Could be either one, I didn't bother asking. I had e-mailed Sean's son, Eric beforehand to see if we could set up a little ride-along, but they ended up being too busy this weekend, so we were shooting for the next weekend in San Francisco. One of the nights we went to a sushi restaurant in San Diego with Kevin, Tammy, their friend Alicia from Visalia, and some other friends of theirs. This trip is really hazy, which doesn't make sense because it was one of the more recent ones. Hm.
San Francisco Round 2 - October 10-12, 2008
Another great trip to San Francisco. We definitely didn't pack right because we ended up going to Gap and buying a bunch of warm clothing haha. Oh! Rick and Nancy Nelson came with us for this trip! And their nephew Brett met up with us because he's going to school in San Francisco. We went to Alcatraz with the Nelsons, Brett, and Tammy, Laura, Zahn, Bethany I think, and ahhh I'm blanking on her name but she was really nice and had a son and a daughter and her son looks JUST like his dad. This is sad. When did my memory get so bad? LARISSA! I remembered the morning after writing this. Go me. Anyways, the show was great again from Alcatraz and the planes were closer than they were the last year I think. I love airplanes. On Friday I flew with Eric Tucker. I don't even know how to describe this. It was incredible.
Just remembered randomly that it was on the flight home from San Fran that I met Blake and we realized that he knows my cousin because they both go to SLO AND after I got home I found out he knows a lot of my friends from cru. Smallll world.
This was my last show. Kind of bittersweet. We hope to go to maybe one or two shows this year with the Mannixes, and it will be interesting to have Kevin on the ground with us while the jets fly overhead. Kevin is boring again and doesn't wear a blue flightsuit anymore.
PHEW! That's it! I'm sure I've forgotten TONS but this is all I can remember at the moment. I'm exhausted from writing way too many essays this weekend...hm why I chose to write a long blog like this I may never know. Maybe I'll remember more later and add on...
Basically, this was one of the most incredible experiences of my life. We used the Blue Angels as an excuse to to have mini-reunions with the Mannixes, and in the process we were able to see parts of the country we may otherwise have never visited. I will forever be grateful for this opportunity, and I think a part of me will always miss being a Blue Angels 'groupie' ...errr... devotee =P
Rewind please?
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