Day One - Not Quite Paradise...

My sister, Heather, had a work conference in Palm Springs, California this week, and since Palm Springs sounded like an exotic locale for a vacation, when she invited me and Sully along, I made it happen. With free room and board, all I needed to do was take care of the flight, which ended up being free as well…points from a long lost travel credit card that I had all but given up ever using. It was meant to be.

I was nervous about flying with a baby to begin with. But I had come prepared and had asked everyone I knew for tips. And I scheduled the flights specifically during Sullivan’s naptime and came armed with an arsenal of books and snacks. Heather and I even coordinated our second flight to Palm Springs. Sure, she would have a four hour layover, but we’d get to fly into Palm Springs together. Worth it, right?

Our flight plan was to go like this…depart Salt Lake City at 10:45am, connect in Phoenix where we would meet up with Heather, arrive in Palm Springs at 1:00pm. That would leave us with enough time in the day to settle into the hotel, take a swim in the pool, take a walk around the neighborhood, and get something delicious to eat somewhere local.

I parked in the Salt Lake City airport parking lot. We took the shuttle to the terminal, where people were more than helpful to me in getting my car seat, stroller, suitcase, backpack, and baby on and off the shuttle. (Sometimes people really are just SO nice). We checked in and made it through security…bypassing a gigantic line, because I had a baby. Who says flying with children doesn’t have its perks? So far, so good. We waited to board.

At 10:45am (the time our flight was suppose to depart) we learned that they were doing a mechanical check. At 11:30am they told us our flight would just be delayed a couple of hours. I call the flight re-assignment hotline in leiu of standing in the giant line at the gate, where they tell me I will miss my first connection in Phoenix, but if I get on the next flight to Phoenix I can catch a connection to Palm Springs later in the day. Just a 2-3 hour delay. No big deal. So we wait. And wait and wait. And Sullivan toddles around, and looks out the windows, and crawls around on the dirty floor, and touches people, and tries to eat trash. And I follow him around trying to prevent him from touching people and eating trash while bribing him with cheetos.

They later announce that the flight is not just delayed but completely cancelled, so I get in the humongous line at the gate to get a new boarding pass, to board the next flight to Phoenix, which leaves at 1:20pm. I finally get to the gate and they inform me the flight is full and I am bumped. And the only choices I have will get me into Palm Springs at 9:30pm or 10:30pm. 9:30 pm or 10:30pm!? I about died. So much for the rest of our day!? So much for Heather’s unnecessary 4 hour layover?! And what am I going to do with a baby for the rest of the day? Since I would be getting in late anyway, I opted for the direct flight that would get me into Palm Springs at 10:30pm. I figured since I drove myself to the airport, I could just go into SLC and find something to do to pass the time. So I got my new ticket and took off with Sullivan, who had passed out in the stroller. He was beyond tired at 1:30pm.

And then I remembered that I had checked Sullivan’s car seat as luggage, which was on its way to Palm Springs without us. Without a car seat we couldn’t go into SLC…we were stranded at the airport…until 9:30pm that night!? It was now that I might have wanted to cry a little. But I somehow managed to hold it together. I waited in line again, to tell the gate agent to get us an earlier flight, even if it did have connections, because I didn’t have a car seat and I couldn’t stay at the airport ALL DAY LONG with a baby. And then she told me they could loan us a car seat. Easy as that!? Did you know airlines had loaner car seats? I didn’t. But they do. And they have a plethora of them. I picked one out and we were in business.

We got on the airport shuttle to go back to our car. The shuttle driver asked me what shuttle stop I was at, and I honestly had no idea. I had forgotten to make my usual shuttle stop note in my phone, and after all that had gone on that morning, the shuttle stop numbers were the last things I was thinking about. But so as to not look like a complete idiot, I just blurted out a number. “I think I’m at 7.” I didn’t even know what that meant and hoped it at least made sense. I was just planning on riding around on that shuttle until I saw my car, as I was fairly certain it could be seen from the shuttle stop. But then he told me to get off at the next stop and walk straight down. He said I’d be at #7 before he’d get there. So, in order to be compliant and not look like an idiot, at the next stop I got off, fully expecting to wonder around the parking lot for an hour looking for my car. But wouldn’t you know it. I got to shuttle stop 7, and there was my car…two rows over. It was a miracle. Sweet tender mercy!

It was around 2pm, meaning we had been waiting around at the airport for 5 long hours, with nothing to show for it. And we had until at least 8pm to kill. I called a couple of friends in Layton with no answer. I called a friend in SLC who wouldn’t be available for a visit until around dinner time. So what could I do in SLC for an afternoon? It needed to be good…something that Sully would like…something that I would like…something that would redeem this flight fiasco completely. I quickly decided on Hogle Zoo. I had never been, Sullivan would love it, and it was the perfect solution.

It was the perfect day and time to go to Hogle Zoo. The weather was perfect…not too cold, not too hot, and not too busy. We looked at birds, elephants, tigers, giraffes, gorillas, camels, and mice. And Sullivan oohed and ahhed at them and tried to climb in their cages with them. And he toddled and crawled and pushed the stroller and led me around by my fingertip.

And then we found a playground where he climbed and crawled and threw wood chips to his heart’s content. And then we went on a train ride, which I probably liked more than Sullivan. It was a great day at the zoo. We had a good time together. And I’m glad I finally got the chance to go.

After wearing ourselves out at the zoo, we made our way to my sweet friend Laura’s house, who fed us real food for dinner and let Sullivan play with her pots and pans. And she made me laugh so hard my stomach hurt. And then she drove us to the airport and dropped us off for our late-night flight. Bless her soul!

The direct flight on Delta was a dream come true. Sullivan and I got our own row and Sullivan fell fast asleep before we were even above the clouds. And when we landed in beautiful Palm Springs, Heather was there to greet us and take us back to our hotel. Where we passed out and dreamt about the day to come…sunshine, warmth, blue pools, long walks, good food. Paradise at last!