Kickin' It on Route 66 ~ The End of the Road
Title: Kickin’ It On Route 66
State: California ~ Chapter 8-3 (Final Chapter)
Rating: PG
Pairing: adam/kris, OMCs
Summary: The Allen-Lamberts take a road trip along Historic Route 66
Disclaimer: I don’t own Adam or Kris. This story is fiction. Other major characters are fictional; the places they visit in this story are real. Imaginary character created for part of this trip.
Dedicated to adamluvr36_fic ~ just because ♥
This is it guys … the end of the road! Want to thank everyone who has been with me and the Allen-Lamberts through this looooonnnnggg but incredibly fun journey. To those of you who haven’t it read it yet, I hope you enjoy it.
There will be an epilogue and I’ll try to post it next Thursday but if not, I will as soon as it’s done.
Time for an Allen-Lambert universe mini series. Hannah is 12 years old, Josh is 7 years old. Mrs. Willowby comes along too! Get ready for Americana and nostalgia.
Overview map of The Mother Road ~ http://www.historic66.com/description/map.html
Retrace the trip ~ http://cunningdeb.livejournal.com/45756.html#cutid1
Masterlist of Allen-Lambert universe ~ http://cunningdeb.livejournal.com/21722.html#cutid1
~~~~ ☼ ~~~~
ROAD TRIP DAY 50:
PASADENA, CALIFORNIA
Last night when Adam and Kris returned to the family, they found Joshie fast asleep on the sofa in the girls’ room and rather than disturb him, they left him there and went back to their room. Even though they could have each have had a Queen bed to themselves, they stripped down and cuddled in one instead. Adam panicked at first that morning when he awoke to a blowjob, thinking their son would hear and see everything. The moment it came back to him that they were alone, he relaxed and enjoyed it, even offering to return the favor.
After breakfast, they packed up their things and got ready to finish their road trip. Joshie was jumping up and down, excited to be going to the beach and amusement park, but Hannah was nowhere to be seen. The patio door was ajar and Kris looked out, letting a relieved breath escape when he spotted her standing on a footbridge that spanned a stream outside their rooms. He called out to her and when she didn’t respond, he joined her.
“You should have told someone you were coming out here. It’s time to go.”
Her face was turned away as she quietly answered, “No.”
“No?”
Kris gently took her chin and turned her face towards him. The girl’s cheeks were wet and her bottom lip quivered.
“Sweetpea, what’s wrong?”
“I don’t want to go home. I don’t want this to end.”
He opened his arms and Hannah stepped into her Daddy’s embrace.
“I know it’s been a wonderful trip and you’re not looking forward to going back to school ….”
“It’s not the trip, its being together. When we get home, and regular life starts again, you and Papa will be back at work and I don’t want all this time together to end.”
“Ah baby girl, I know we’re going to be busy, we all are, but it doesn’t mean we won’t be spending time together. Papa and I always try to put you guys first and that’s not going to stop.”
She sniffled, “I guess I knew that.”
“Bet you’ll be glad to be back in your bedroom,” he lowered his voice, “away from Mrs. Willowby’s snoring.”
Hannah laughed and wiped her cheeks, “Yeah, and Joshie will glad to get away from your snoring.”
“My snoring?!”
“Uh-huh … and Papa’s.”
“We don’t snore … well maybe Papa does but I don’t.”
“You both do.”
“Nu-huh.”
“Ask Joshie … ask Papa … they’ll tell you.”
“Kris! Hannah! Let’s get a move on!”
“Coming Adam,” he called back.
Arm in arm, father and daughter joined the others. As they put their bags in the trunk, Kris asked his husband if he snored.
There was no reply.
“Adam?”
“I refuse to comment on the grounds that I may never ‘get any’ if I do.”
“You snore.”
“I do not!”
“Do to.”
“Well … well … then yes, you do snore!” Adam chewed his lip. “Does this mean you’ll cut me off?”
Kris cupped Adam’s face and kissed him sweetly.
“No worries. If I did, I’d be punishing myself too.”
Voices reached them from inside the mini van.
“They’re at it again.”
“When are they not ‘at it’?”
~~~~ ☼ ~~~~
SANTA MONICA, CALIFORNIA
Though they drove right through the heart of Los Angeles, they only stopped for red lights, traffic jams and jaywalkers. This was one area of their hometown that they got to quite often so they passed on it in favor of spending more time in Santa Monica.
The first alignment of Route 66 had ended in downtown LA but was later rerouted to Santa Monica. The city was surrounded on three sides by Los Angeles and the fourth side by the Pacific Ocean. It was a resort town full of sun, fun, and celebrity. The Allen-Lambert’s would officially mark the end of their journey when they reached the Pier but first, they were going to walk around downtown and the Third Street Promenade.
Third Street was originally a regular downtown street, given over to traffic. In 1965, it was closed off and became one of the first pedestrian malls in the country. There were hundreds of shops, restaurants and theaters and they family enjoyed the sunny day and the tang of saltwater in the air.
They wandered around, stopping for street performers who made them laugh, blew their minds, or both. They passed so many places to eat and when they couldn’t decide where to go, Mrs. Willowby made the final call. Barney’s Beanery had several eateries in the area and the family had been to the one in West Hollywood. She knew the kids liked the food and they were the most vocal critics.
Barney’s was a unique, fun place to eat. It opened its door in 1920, feeding weary travelers at the end of the newly formed Route 66. Many were penniless and Barney’s would give them a bowl of chili if they used their license plate as collateral; once you could pay for it, you got the plate back. Many didn’t come back and those license plates now decorated the restaurant’s walls. Keeping up the tradition, they’ll still give you a bowl of chili in exchange for that piece of rectangular metal. On the opposite end of the spectrum, one could order the ‘Barney’s Champagne Breakfast’ if one had some spare cash to part with ~ one foot long chili hot dog and a bottle of Dom Perignon for the mere ticket price of $225.00.
It also had a colorful history with celebrity. Jimi Hendrix used to frequent it; Janis Joplin had her last drink there before she died, Jim Morrison got thrown out one night after peeing on the bar and Quentin Tarantino wrote most of ‘Pulp Fiction’ sitting in his favorite booth.
The menu was so big ~ one thousand items and variations to pick from ~ that it was printed in a newspaper format. The extra spaces were filled with anecdotes and tales from customers as they shared their own Barney’s stories. Luckily, everyone knew what they wanted (they weren’t so decisive the first time they went to Barney’s in WeHo, taking nearly an hour to settle on something). It wasn’t a coincidence the restaurant’s slogan was ‘If we don’t have it, you don’t want it’.
Kris, Mrs. Willowby and Adam talked about how good it was going to be to get off the road and sleep in their own beds again while the kids couldn’t stop blabbering about visiting the Pier and Pacific Park. The adults had planned on toasting the end of the trip with the Route 66 soda pops they bought on Day 1 in Chicago at Lou Mitchell’s Restaurant. It was a great idea, and they had the pop with them, but it was going to be hot after sitting in their van all day. They decided to use them to toast their first day at home instead.
When lunch arrived, they dove in. Mrs. Willowby, a salad connoisseur, ordered the California Chopped Salad overflowing with turkey, brie, avocado, bacon, tomatoes, and Jack and Cheddar cheeses spread over mixed greens and dressed in ginger-lime vinaigrette. Adam thought about a salad but when he got home, he’d be reunited with his beloved juicer and starting a cleanse so he decided to splurge with a Brie Chicken Melt on sourdough with sweet potato fries. Kris loved his meat and the Sears Tower Hot Sandwich piled mile high with hot pastrami, bacon, ham, and melted cheese on marble rye with seasoned fries was the perfect choice.
More than likely for the last time, the kids decided to share and ordered one basket of Barney’s Fantastic Fried Chicken with veggies, onion rings and bread.
“What pieces do you want Joshie?”
“You decide first.”
“No, you go first. Take what you want.”
“Okay.”
Joshie took the wing and the thigh since he knew his sister liked the leg and the breast. The adults looked at them in awe.
“Cherish the moment baby. By tomorrow morning, they’ll be fighting over the Cheerios.”
“Oh goodness, we have no food in the house! I’ll have to go shopping tonight.”
“Don’t worry about it Mrs. Willowby, we’ll go out for breakfast and ALL of us will help with the shopping. Whole Foods won’t know what hit them,” Kris assured her.
“Think of all the customer bonus points we’ll rack up!” Adam gleefully announced.
After lunch, they spent another hour wandering about before heading to the seaside. Just before they were going to go, Joshie spotted a store and begged his parents to let them go inside. Once Hannah saw what her brother was talking about, she added her own begging to the mix.
“Should we?” Kris asked the other adults.
“Well, it is the last day. If we don’t let them touch it until tomorrow, they can run off the sugar high in our backyard.”
“At least we won’t be trapped in an RV or a car with them bouncing off the windows.”
“Can we?” the kids asked again in tandem.
The parents gave a nod and the kids vanished inside.
“Nothing with chocolate!” Mrs. Willowby yelled after them. “We don’t them melting in the van!”
The Candy Baron was every child’s dream, Willy Wonka brought to life if you will. There was taffy, licorice, sours, gummies, old fashioned, sugar free, candy classics, novelties and international selections.
“I want that … and that … and that … oh and more of that … and that … and …!”
“Two types of candy Joshie.”
“But Daddddddyyyyyy ….”
“No whining.”
“Five.”
“Two.”
“Four.”
“Two.”
“Ten!”
“Zero!”
“Two.”
“Good choice. Pick something you’ve never had before. Same goes for you Sweetpea.”
“Yes Daddy.”
“We better make sure toothpaste, floss and mouthwash are on that shopping list,” the nanny commented to now one in particular.
When they left, Joshie had settled with Pac Man Ghost Sours and Toxic Waste, an extremely sour candy. Hannah found a novelty and a classic: Gumi Aids which were band aids made of gummy candy and C. Howard’s Violet Gum, chiclet shaped gum that smelled and tasted of violets.
Mrs. Willowby had two bags of salt water taffy, a reminder of her childhood summer holidays on England’s Coast. There were many flavors and after much deliberation, she went with Golden Pear and Watermelon. Kris also got nostalgic and bought several strips of Assorted Zots. He and Daniel used to crunch the hard candies in their mouths to release the powder that would fizzle as soon as it made contact with spit. They’d sit there with their ears at each other lips listening. Pop Rocks were good for that too.
Adam had picked up a small metal box of Altoids Curiously Strong Licorice. His dad had punked him and Neil with them when they were kids and he saw the perfect opportunity to ‘pass the punk’.
“You guys want to try one?” he asked innocently, shaking the tin and making the bits rattle. “They’re licorice.”
He flipped open the corner and shook one out onto his palm. They were black, thinner than a credit card, shaped like a diamond and no bigger than a Tic Tac. The kids looked at the miniscule candy and passed, thinking to themselves it was too small to be any good. Mrs. Willowby glared at him, knowing what he was up to, and took one. He waited for her to react and when he got nothing, he turned to his husband.
“Baby, you want to try one?’
“Sure.”
Adam shook one into his man’s palm and Kris immediately ingested it. Within seconds, his face scrunched up and he desperately searched for the nearest garbage can. Leaning over the smelly container, he spit the Altoid out and coughed and spit some more until he got as much of the flavor out of his mouth as he could.
“Oh my God, that’s horrid.”
“No … it’s ‘curiously strong’.”
The kids watched and after seeing first hand how disgusting it apparently was, they changed their minds and wanted one.
~~~~ ☼ ~~~~
The Santa Monica Pier has had its footings deep in the shoreline and breakwater of the Pacific Ocean since 1909, the amusement park known as Pacific Park built a few years later. As the family strolled the boardwalk, they kept their eyes peeled for the official road sign that marked the end of the road. When they came upon it in the middle of the walkway, it was a happy and bittersweet moment rolled up in one. Stopping someone who looked trustworthy, they handed over their camera and had their picture taken beneath it ~ ‘Route 66 End of the Line’.
Thanking the stranger, Kris looked at the picture and his vision blurred.
“I can’t believe we did … I can’t believe its over.”
It was so much to take in … too much to take in. Emotions ran rapid in all of them and it showed on their faces. Adam swallowed his own maelstrom and declared:
“This calls for a celebration. Who wants to hit the rides?!”
“Me!”
“Me too!”
“Children, wait for us.”
“Stop at the pier arch and wait!” Adam shouted.
The kids halted and waited with their nanny while their parents took a moment. Kris hugged Adam tight and thanked him for changing the subject.
“Today, let’s just have fun. Tomorrow … tomorrow we can sit back with a morning coffee ….”
“On our patio.”
“Yeah, and absorb it all then.”
“Sounds like a plan. Let’s go, the others are waiting.”
The rest of the afternoon was spent spinning and flying and dropping and feeling nauseous and feeling wonderful. Joshie went on some of the kid’s rides and as a family, they tried the rest.
Everyone but Mrs. Willowby strapped themselves into the Beach Bounce. Connected to bungee cords, they took turns jumping on a trampoline, getting as high as 24 feet into the air. The family reunited for the swinging Pirate Ship then for several runs on the West Coaster, getting sprayed by the ocean as they passed over it. To calm their stomachs before getting dinner, they settled onto the Pacific Wheel, the only solar powered Ferris wheel in the world. The view of the land and water from 135 feet up was glorious and their once in a lifetime journey ran through their heads like a movie, a movie they’d couldn’t believe they’d really seen and touched and tasted and lived.
More than once they’d had seafood but this was the first time in ages they ate it with the freshness of salty water heavy in the air around them. They relaxed at Rusty’s Surf Ranch for a feast. Joshie ordered the standard fare of battered fish and chips with coleslaw. Hannah relished her fried tiger shrimp with fries and coleslaw and Mrs. Willowby her Louisiana crab cakes with thin onion strings and salad. The two men each ordered the Surf Ranch Fish Fry, a combo of Alaskan cod, shrimp and calamari with coleslaw, fries and onion strings. They passed on dessert cause there were too many tasty treats to indulge in when they went back to the amusement park.
The rest of the evening was spent playing every game available and adding considerably to their souvenir collection. They whacked poppin’ moles with foam mallets, tossed waffle balls into tubs, knocked down stuffed cats, tossed rings onto the necks of glass bottles, burst balloons with darts, knocked down stacked plastic bottles with bean bags and smashed plates with more balls.
Three of the games pitted the family against each other in races. In the Roller Derby, they had to roll balls into holes and the one who sunk the most when time ran out won. That would be Kris. Another was a Water Race where they used water guns to push their player along a track to the finish line. Mrs. Willowby won that game. The last team game involved watered guns again, the Balloon Pop Race, where they had to aim the water into a hole to fill up a balloon and when it popped, you won. Adam was the victor this time.
In the end, the kids weren’t upset. They still felt like they won since they got all the prizes. Mrs. Willowby said she didn’t need an oversized stuffed Homer Simpson in her bedroom staring at her all night with those bulging eyes.
As if they didn’t have enough to carry, they made one last stop at a gift shop and left with a glass jar of Santa Monica sand and shells and a silly looking formerly alive starfish doctored up in a bikini and wearing sunglasses.
Kris looked out the window and saw the sun setting low in the sky. He rushed everyone out to the pier railing. Setting down the menagerie on a bench, the kids and Mrs. Willowby waited while Adam and Kris hurried off to get milkshakes. They got back with funnel cakes too as the red and orange sky cast a magical glow over the earth. Once the sun had gone to bed, they turned and watched the LED lights dance over the Pacific Wheel and illuminate the park and pier around them.
By 10pm, it was time to take the final final leg of their journey. The kids were yawning and getting chilled by the cool night air. Holding tight to their stuffies, the youngsters were led by their parents back to the car. The trunk was loaded up except for Homer Simpson held tight in Hannah’s arms as a body pillow and Joshie’s new giraffe so big it was nearly as tall as he was. Mrs. Willowby sat in the front passenger seat while Kris took her usual place in the back. As soon as he settled down between them, the kids instinctively leaned against Daddy and fell fast asleep.
~~~~ ☼ ~~~~
Coming to a stop, Adam pressed the button on his dashboard and the iron gates slowly opened then closed behind them as he maneuvered the curve and upgrade of the driveway. The porch and other hous lights glowed softly and before the engine shut off, the front door opened and the welcoming party stepped out.
Everyone in the minivan who was awake let out a slow breath.
It was over and yet in many ways, it felt like they hadn’t left.
Leila met her son and Mrs. Willowby at the trunk and helped them carry everything into the entrance hallway. Adam told the ladies just to tuck it all between the stairs and the wall and they’d unpack in the morning. Leila told them she’d changed the linens on their beds and opened the windows for fresh air. She also set out pajamas for the kids.
Mrs. Willowby thanked her for all her help then headed outside to free Kris from the backseat.
“Thanks for everything mom. Kris or I will be by in a few days to pick up the boxes we mailed.”
“You mean I’ll actually get to see my furniture again?”
“You don’t like the industrial look?”
“Not post office industrial.” She cupped his cheek and smiled as he instinctively pressed into it. “You look tired.”
“Thanks.”
“Still handsome, but tired. I’ll go and let you boys settle back in.”
Adam hugged his mom close and whispered, “Thanks for everything. I’ll call tomorrow. Love you.”
“Love you too. Give your husband and my grandkids kisses for me.”
He nodded and let her go. Back in the courtyard, Mrs. Willowby had gotten Hannah on her feet but the girl’s eyes were barely open. As she leaned against the older woman, Kris crawled out in time to give Leila his own hug and kiss. Adam opened the side door and unbuckled their boy before gathering him up in his arms. There was some sleepy resistance as Adam extricated the giraffe from his arms but the boy’s body quickly relaxed and he eased his hold.
Kris led the way up the stairs, carrying the last two stuffed toys. Adam held their son securely and Mrs. Willowby supported Hannah as she stumbled up the steps. The nanny took the girl into her room and her parents heard the soft instructions to get changed for bed. Kris left Adam to get Joshie settled as he went to their own bedroom. Setting down Homer and the giraffe, he sat on their bed and let his body melt into the comfort and familiarity for a few precious moments.
“Baby?” he heard through the open door.
Kris dragged himself to the hallway. Adam’s head was sticking out of their boy’s room.
“Can you bring Gerry. Joshie wants to sleep with him.”
“Gerry?”
“The giraffe.”
“Ah. Hold on a sec.”
Kris retrieved the critter and brought it over. Joshie was in his pj’s and tucked in. Kris lay the stuffie down beside him and brushed the brown hair off his forehead.
“Night sweetheart.”
“Night Daddy,” he yawned.
Adam kissed him too.
“Night Joshie Bear.”
“Night Pa…pa.”
When they left, Kris turned on a small lamp in the far corner of the room, casting just enough glow that if the boy woke up in the middle of night, he could see where he was. Next, they went to Hannah’s room. The girl was still in her day clothes but her shoes were off and she was covered in an afghan.
“She fell asleep as soon as she got in here. Didn’t have the heart to wake her.”
Her parents nodded and hugged the dear lady goodnight before kissing their girl then heading back to their own room. Silently and as quickly as their exhausted bodies and minds could function, Adam and Kris changed into sleep pants and undershirts, brushed their teeth and crawled into bed.
Adam spooned up behind his husband and drew him close until their bodies curved into each other.
“Welcome home baby.”
Kris replied with a snore.
~~~~ ☼ ~~~~
Candy Baron ~ http://www.thecandybaron.com/
End of the Line Sign ~ http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_J18fpwPuQHs/TDZkN7M3WoI/AAAAAAAABKI/er-h7y96pA0/s1600/santa-monica-pier-route-66-official-western-point.jpg
Santa Monica Pier & Route 66 ~ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0EyzfywVK1c
State: California ~ Chapter 8-3 (Final Chapter)
Rating: PG
Pairing: adam/kris, OMCs
Summary: The Allen-Lamberts take a road trip along Historic Route 66
Disclaimer: I don’t own Adam or Kris. This story is fiction. Other major characters are fictional; the places they visit in this story are real. Imaginary character created for part of this trip.
Dedicated to adamluvr36_fic ~ just because ♥
This is it guys … the end of the road! Want to thank everyone who has been with me and the Allen-Lamberts through this looooonnnnggg but incredibly fun journey. To those of you who haven’t it read it yet, I hope you enjoy it.
There will be an epilogue and I’ll try to post it next Thursday but if not, I will as soon as it’s done.
Time for an Allen-Lambert universe mini series. Hannah is 12 years old, Josh is 7 years old. Mrs. Willowby comes along too! Get ready for Americana and nostalgia.
Overview map of The Mother Road ~ http://www.historic66.com/description/map.html
Retrace the trip ~ http://cunningdeb.livejournal.com/45756.html#cutid1
Masterlist of Allen-Lambert universe ~ http://cunningdeb.livejournal.com/21722.html#cutid1
~~~~ ☼ ~~~~
ROAD TRIP DAY 50:
PASADENA, CALIFORNIA
Last night when Adam and Kris returned to the family, they found Joshie fast asleep on the sofa in the girls’ room and rather than disturb him, they left him there and went back to their room. Even though they could have each have had a Queen bed to themselves, they stripped down and cuddled in one instead. Adam panicked at first that morning when he awoke to a blowjob, thinking their son would hear and see everything. The moment it came back to him that they were alone, he relaxed and enjoyed it, even offering to return the favor.
After breakfast, they packed up their things and got ready to finish their road trip. Joshie was jumping up and down, excited to be going to the beach and amusement park, but Hannah was nowhere to be seen. The patio door was ajar and Kris looked out, letting a relieved breath escape when he spotted her standing on a footbridge that spanned a stream outside their rooms. He called out to her and when she didn’t respond, he joined her.
“You should have told someone you were coming out here. It’s time to go.”
Her face was turned away as she quietly answered, “No.”
“No?”
Kris gently took her chin and turned her face towards him. The girl’s cheeks were wet and her bottom lip quivered.
“Sweetpea, what’s wrong?”
“I don’t want to go home. I don’t want this to end.”
He opened his arms and Hannah stepped into her Daddy’s embrace.
“I know it’s been a wonderful trip and you’re not looking forward to going back to school ….”
“It’s not the trip, its being together. When we get home, and regular life starts again, you and Papa will be back at work and I don’t want all this time together to end.”
“Ah baby girl, I know we’re going to be busy, we all are, but it doesn’t mean we won’t be spending time together. Papa and I always try to put you guys first and that’s not going to stop.”
She sniffled, “I guess I knew that.”
“Bet you’ll be glad to be back in your bedroom,” he lowered his voice, “away from Mrs. Willowby’s snoring.”
Hannah laughed and wiped her cheeks, “Yeah, and Joshie will glad to get away from your snoring.”
“My snoring?!”
“Uh-huh … and Papa’s.”
“We don’t snore … well maybe Papa does but I don’t.”
“You both do.”
“Nu-huh.”
“Ask Joshie … ask Papa … they’ll tell you.”
“Kris! Hannah! Let’s get a move on!”
“Coming Adam,” he called back.
Arm in arm, father and daughter joined the others. As they put their bags in the trunk, Kris asked his husband if he snored.
There was no reply.
“Adam?”
“I refuse to comment on the grounds that I may never ‘get any’ if I do.”
“You snore.”
“I do not!”
“Do to.”
“Well … well … then yes, you do snore!” Adam chewed his lip. “Does this mean you’ll cut me off?”
Kris cupped Adam’s face and kissed him sweetly.
“No worries. If I did, I’d be punishing myself too.”
Voices reached them from inside the mini van.
“They’re at it again.”
“When are they not ‘at it’?”
~~~~ ☼ ~~~~
SANTA MONICA, CALIFORNIA
Though they drove right through the heart of Los Angeles, they only stopped for red lights, traffic jams and jaywalkers. This was one area of their hometown that they got to quite often so they passed on it in favor of spending more time in Santa Monica.
The first alignment of Route 66 had ended in downtown LA but was later rerouted to Santa Monica. The city was surrounded on three sides by Los Angeles and the fourth side by the Pacific Ocean. It was a resort town full of sun, fun, and celebrity. The Allen-Lambert’s would officially mark the end of their journey when they reached the Pier but first, they were going to walk around downtown and the Third Street Promenade.
Third Street was originally a regular downtown street, given over to traffic. In 1965, it was closed off and became one of the first pedestrian malls in the country. There were hundreds of shops, restaurants and theaters and they family enjoyed the sunny day and the tang of saltwater in the air.
They wandered around, stopping for street performers who made them laugh, blew their minds, or both. They passed so many places to eat and when they couldn’t decide where to go, Mrs. Willowby made the final call. Barney’s Beanery had several eateries in the area and the family had been to the one in West Hollywood. She knew the kids liked the food and they were the most vocal critics.
Barney’s was a unique, fun place to eat. It opened its door in 1920, feeding weary travelers at the end of the newly formed Route 66. Many were penniless and Barney’s would give them a bowl of chili if they used their license plate as collateral; once you could pay for it, you got the plate back. Many didn’t come back and those license plates now decorated the restaurant’s walls. Keeping up the tradition, they’ll still give you a bowl of chili in exchange for that piece of rectangular metal. On the opposite end of the spectrum, one could order the ‘Barney’s Champagne Breakfast’ if one had some spare cash to part with ~ one foot long chili hot dog and a bottle of Dom Perignon for the mere ticket price of $225.00.
It also had a colorful history with celebrity. Jimi Hendrix used to frequent it; Janis Joplin had her last drink there before she died, Jim Morrison got thrown out one night after peeing on the bar and Quentin Tarantino wrote most of ‘Pulp Fiction’ sitting in his favorite booth.
The menu was so big ~ one thousand items and variations to pick from ~ that it was printed in a newspaper format. The extra spaces were filled with anecdotes and tales from customers as they shared their own Barney’s stories. Luckily, everyone knew what they wanted (they weren’t so decisive the first time they went to Barney’s in WeHo, taking nearly an hour to settle on something). It wasn’t a coincidence the restaurant’s slogan was ‘If we don’t have it, you don’t want it’.
Kris, Mrs. Willowby and Adam talked about how good it was going to be to get off the road and sleep in their own beds again while the kids couldn’t stop blabbering about visiting the Pier and Pacific Park. The adults had planned on toasting the end of the trip with the Route 66 soda pops they bought on Day 1 in Chicago at Lou Mitchell’s Restaurant. It was a great idea, and they had the pop with them, but it was going to be hot after sitting in their van all day. They decided to use them to toast their first day at home instead.
When lunch arrived, they dove in. Mrs. Willowby, a salad connoisseur, ordered the California Chopped Salad overflowing with turkey, brie, avocado, bacon, tomatoes, and Jack and Cheddar cheeses spread over mixed greens and dressed in ginger-lime vinaigrette. Adam thought about a salad but when he got home, he’d be reunited with his beloved juicer and starting a cleanse so he decided to splurge with a Brie Chicken Melt on sourdough with sweet potato fries. Kris loved his meat and the Sears Tower Hot Sandwich piled mile high with hot pastrami, bacon, ham, and melted cheese on marble rye with seasoned fries was the perfect choice.
More than likely for the last time, the kids decided to share and ordered one basket of Barney’s Fantastic Fried Chicken with veggies, onion rings and bread.
“What pieces do you want Joshie?”
“You decide first.”
“No, you go first. Take what you want.”
“Okay.”
Joshie took the wing and the thigh since he knew his sister liked the leg and the breast. The adults looked at them in awe.
“Cherish the moment baby. By tomorrow morning, they’ll be fighting over the Cheerios.”
“Oh goodness, we have no food in the house! I’ll have to go shopping tonight.”
“Don’t worry about it Mrs. Willowby, we’ll go out for breakfast and ALL of us will help with the shopping. Whole Foods won’t know what hit them,” Kris assured her.
“Think of all the customer bonus points we’ll rack up!” Adam gleefully announced.
After lunch, they spent another hour wandering about before heading to the seaside. Just before they were going to go, Joshie spotted a store and begged his parents to let them go inside. Once Hannah saw what her brother was talking about, she added her own begging to the mix.
“Should we?” Kris asked the other adults.
“Well, it is the last day. If we don’t let them touch it until tomorrow, they can run off the sugar high in our backyard.”
“At least we won’t be trapped in an RV or a car with them bouncing off the windows.”
“Can we?” the kids asked again in tandem.
The parents gave a nod and the kids vanished inside.
“Nothing with chocolate!” Mrs. Willowby yelled after them. “We don’t them melting in the van!”
The Candy Baron was every child’s dream, Willy Wonka brought to life if you will. There was taffy, licorice, sours, gummies, old fashioned, sugar free, candy classics, novelties and international selections.
“I want that … and that … and that … oh and more of that … and that … and …!”
“Two types of candy Joshie.”
“But Daddddddyyyyyy ….”
“No whining.”
“Five.”
“Two.”
“Four.”
“Two.”
“Ten!”
“Zero!”
“Two.”
“Good choice. Pick something you’ve never had before. Same goes for you Sweetpea.”
“Yes Daddy.”
“We better make sure toothpaste, floss and mouthwash are on that shopping list,” the nanny commented to now one in particular.
When they left, Joshie had settled with Pac Man Ghost Sours and Toxic Waste, an extremely sour candy. Hannah found a novelty and a classic: Gumi Aids which were band aids made of gummy candy and C. Howard’s Violet Gum, chiclet shaped gum that smelled and tasted of violets.
Mrs. Willowby had two bags of salt water taffy, a reminder of her childhood summer holidays on England’s Coast. There were many flavors and after much deliberation, she went with Golden Pear and Watermelon. Kris also got nostalgic and bought several strips of Assorted Zots. He and Daniel used to crunch the hard candies in their mouths to release the powder that would fizzle as soon as it made contact with spit. They’d sit there with their ears at each other lips listening. Pop Rocks were good for that too.
Adam had picked up a small metal box of Altoids Curiously Strong Licorice. His dad had punked him and Neil with them when they were kids and he saw the perfect opportunity to ‘pass the punk’.
“You guys want to try one?” he asked innocently, shaking the tin and making the bits rattle. “They’re licorice.”
He flipped open the corner and shook one out onto his palm. They were black, thinner than a credit card, shaped like a diamond and no bigger than a Tic Tac. The kids looked at the miniscule candy and passed, thinking to themselves it was too small to be any good. Mrs. Willowby glared at him, knowing what he was up to, and took one. He waited for her to react and when he got nothing, he turned to his husband.
“Baby, you want to try one?’
“Sure.”
Adam shook one into his man’s palm and Kris immediately ingested it. Within seconds, his face scrunched up and he desperately searched for the nearest garbage can. Leaning over the smelly container, he spit the Altoid out and coughed and spit some more until he got as much of the flavor out of his mouth as he could.
“Oh my God, that’s horrid.”
“No … it’s ‘curiously strong’.”
The kids watched and after seeing first hand how disgusting it apparently was, they changed their minds and wanted one.
~~~~ ☼ ~~~~
The Santa Monica Pier has had its footings deep in the shoreline and breakwater of the Pacific Ocean since 1909, the amusement park known as Pacific Park built a few years later. As the family strolled the boardwalk, they kept their eyes peeled for the official road sign that marked the end of the road. When they came upon it in the middle of the walkway, it was a happy and bittersweet moment rolled up in one. Stopping someone who looked trustworthy, they handed over their camera and had their picture taken beneath it ~ ‘Route 66 End of the Line’.
Thanking the stranger, Kris looked at the picture and his vision blurred.
“I can’t believe we did … I can’t believe its over.”
It was so much to take in … too much to take in. Emotions ran rapid in all of them and it showed on their faces. Adam swallowed his own maelstrom and declared:
“This calls for a celebration. Who wants to hit the rides?!”
“Me!”
“Me too!”
“Children, wait for us.”
“Stop at the pier arch and wait!” Adam shouted.
The kids halted and waited with their nanny while their parents took a moment. Kris hugged Adam tight and thanked him for changing the subject.
“Today, let’s just have fun. Tomorrow … tomorrow we can sit back with a morning coffee ….”
“On our patio.”
“Yeah, and absorb it all then.”
“Sounds like a plan. Let’s go, the others are waiting.”
The rest of the afternoon was spent spinning and flying and dropping and feeling nauseous and feeling wonderful. Joshie went on some of the kid’s rides and as a family, they tried the rest.
Everyone but Mrs. Willowby strapped themselves into the Beach Bounce. Connected to bungee cords, they took turns jumping on a trampoline, getting as high as 24 feet into the air. The family reunited for the swinging Pirate Ship then for several runs on the West Coaster, getting sprayed by the ocean as they passed over it. To calm their stomachs before getting dinner, they settled onto the Pacific Wheel, the only solar powered Ferris wheel in the world. The view of the land and water from 135 feet up was glorious and their once in a lifetime journey ran through their heads like a movie, a movie they’d couldn’t believe they’d really seen and touched and tasted and lived.
More than once they’d had seafood but this was the first time in ages they ate it with the freshness of salty water heavy in the air around them. They relaxed at Rusty’s Surf Ranch for a feast. Joshie ordered the standard fare of battered fish and chips with coleslaw. Hannah relished her fried tiger shrimp with fries and coleslaw and Mrs. Willowby her Louisiana crab cakes with thin onion strings and salad. The two men each ordered the Surf Ranch Fish Fry, a combo of Alaskan cod, shrimp and calamari with coleslaw, fries and onion strings. They passed on dessert cause there were too many tasty treats to indulge in when they went back to the amusement park.
The rest of the evening was spent playing every game available and adding considerably to their souvenir collection. They whacked poppin’ moles with foam mallets, tossed waffle balls into tubs, knocked down stuffed cats, tossed rings onto the necks of glass bottles, burst balloons with darts, knocked down stacked plastic bottles with bean bags and smashed plates with more balls.
Three of the games pitted the family against each other in races. In the Roller Derby, they had to roll balls into holes and the one who sunk the most when time ran out won. That would be Kris. Another was a Water Race where they used water guns to push their player along a track to the finish line. Mrs. Willowby won that game. The last team game involved watered guns again, the Balloon Pop Race, where they had to aim the water into a hole to fill up a balloon and when it popped, you won. Adam was the victor this time.
In the end, the kids weren’t upset. They still felt like they won since they got all the prizes. Mrs. Willowby said she didn’t need an oversized stuffed Homer Simpson in her bedroom staring at her all night with those bulging eyes.
As if they didn’t have enough to carry, they made one last stop at a gift shop and left with a glass jar of Santa Monica sand and shells and a silly looking formerly alive starfish doctored up in a bikini and wearing sunglasses.
Kris looked out the window and saw the sun setting low in the sky. He rushed everyone out to the pier railing. Setting down the menagerie on a bench, the kids and Mrs. Willowby waited while Adam and Kris hurried off to get milkshakes. They got back with funnel cakes too as the red and orange sky cast a magical glow over the earth. Once the sun had gone to bed, they turned and watched the LED lights dance over the Pacific Wheel and illuminate the park and pier around them.
By 10pm, it was time to take the final final leg of their journey. The kids were yawning and getting chilled by the cool night air. Holding tight to their stuffies, the youngsters were led by their parents back to the car. The trunk was loaded up except for Homer Simpson held tight in Hannah’s arms as a body pillow and Joshie’s new giraffe so big it was nearly as tall as he was. Mrs. Willowby sat in the front passenger seat while Kris took her usual place in the back. As soon as he settled down between them, the kids instinctively leaned against Daddy and fell fast asleep.
~~~~ ☼ ~~~~
Coming to a stop, Adam pressed the button on his dashboard and the iron gates slowly opened then closed behind them as he maneuvered the curve and upgrade of the driveway. The porch and other hous lights glowed softly and before the engine shut off, the front door opened and the welcoming party stepped out.
Everyone in the minivan who was awake let out a slow breath.
It was over and yet in many ways, it felt like they hadn’t left.
Leila met her son and Mrs. Willowby at the trunk and helped them carry everything into the entrance hallway. Adam told the ladies just to tuck it all between the stairs and the wall and they’d unpack in the morning. Leila told them she’d changed the linens on their beds and opened the windows for fresh air. She also set out pajamas for the kids.
Mrs. Willowby thanked her for all her help then headed outside to free Kris from the backseat.
“Thanks for everything mom. Kris or I will be by in a few days to pick up the boxes we mailed.”
“You mean I’ll actually get to see my furniture again?”
“You don’t like the industrial look?”
“Not post office industrial.” She cupped his cheek and smiled as he instinctively pressed into it. “You look tired.”
“Thanks.”
“Still handsome, but tired. I’ll go and let you boys settle back in.”
Adam hugged his mom close and whispered, “Thanks for everything. I’ll call tomorrow. Love you.”
“Love you too. Give your husband and my grandkids kisses for me.”
He nodded and let her go. Back in the courtyard, Mrs. Willowby had gotten Hannah on her feet but the girl’s eyes were barely open. As she leaned against the older woman, Kris crawled out in time to give Leila his own hug and kiss. Adam opened the side door and unbuckled their boy before gathering him up in his arms. There was some sleepy resistance as Adam extricated the giraffe from his arms but the boy’s body quickly relaxed and he eased his hold.
Kris led the way up the stairs, carrying the last two stuffed toys. Adam held their son securely and Mrs. Willowby supported Hannah as she stumbled up the steps. The nanny took the girl into her room and her parents heard the soft instructions to get changed for bed. Kris left Adam to get Joshie settled as he went to their own bedroom. Setting down Homer and the giraffe, he sat on their bed and let his body melt into the comfort and familiarity for a few precious moments.
“Baby?” he heard through the open door.
Kris dragged himself to the hallway. Adam’s head was sticking out of their boy’s room.
“Can you bring Gerry. Joshie wants to sleep with him.”
“Gerry?”
“The giraffe.”
“Ah. Hold on a sec.”
Kris retrieved the critter and brought it over. Joshie was in his pj’s and tucked in. Kris lay the stuffie down beside him and brushed the brown hair off his forehead.
“Night sweetheart.”
“Night Daddy,” he yawned.
Adam kissed him too.
“Night Joshie Bear.”
“Night Pa…pa.”
When they left, Kris turned on a small lamp in the far corner of the room, casting just enough glow that if the boy woke up in the middle of night, he could see where he was. Next, they went to Hannah’s room. The girl was still in her day clothes but her shoes were off and she was covered in an afghan.
“She fell asleep as soon as she got in here. Didn’t have the heart to wake her.”
Her parents nodded and hugged the dear lady goodnight before kissing their girl then heading back to their own room. Silently and as quickly as their exhausted bodies and minds could function, Adam and Kris changed into sleep pants and undershirts, brushed their teeth and crawled into bed.
Adam spooned up behind his husband and drew him close until their bodies curved into each other.
“Welcome home baby.”
Kris replied with a snore.
~~~~ ☼ ~~~~
Candy Baron ~ http://www.thecandybaron.com/
End of the Line Sign ~ http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_J18fpwPuQHs/TDZkN7M3WoI/AAAAAAAABKI/er-h7y96pA0/s1600/santa-monica-pier-route-66-official-western-point.jpg
Santa Monica Pier & Route 66 ~ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0EyzfywVK1c