We're Home From the Road!! 17 Days of Travel with Tons of Pics~COMPLETE!!

[DizNee Luver]

Day 3, Part 10:
​

We drove a couple miles down the road to Johnny Garlic's. This was Guy Fieri's first restaurant....and I believe he still lives in Santa Rosa.











We had a very short wait and were seated in the back corner....which for our family works best. Michayla was pretty fussy through out the meal and an older lady kept staring at her.....it was really bugging me. It went on for the ENTIRE meal....even when she was quiet. I would have gone over to explain autism to her....but I don't think she spoke english. Her family was speaking in a different language and ordered for her. .....this trip showed me that I almost need to "announce" that Michayla isn't like typical 7 yr olds.....NO she isn't being a brat.....NO she isn't throwing a fit because she's spoiled.....she has autism and these places are new, too sensory filled, too many strangers, etc. I think I'm going to look for a flag that can fly high above her when she's in her adaptive stroller (you remember those flags we had on our bikes as kids??).....Ok going back to the report.

The menus:







Michayla:



Shyann:



Addy:



Derek:



Complimentary Focaccia Bread.....Yummy!



You had the option to get some Extra Virgin Olive Oil or Balsamic or both to dip the bread in. I chose both & it was delicious!!

 

[DizNee Luver]

Day 3, Part 11:​

This was the kid cup (I actually meant to grab it on our way out & forgot):







We ordered one appetizer. We had seen this on one of Guy's shows and HAD to give it a try. We got the Sashimi Won Tacos: Raw Sashimi Grade Ahi, Mango Jicama Salsa & Wasabi Soy. Oh my goodness......I haven't really done the sushi thing (raw fish) but this was so good!!! So many flavors and textures.....my mouth & tummy were happy!!





Mike took a group shot & a pic of Betty, Anthony & I:





Shy got the cheeseburger (no bun) and applesauce. They weren't able to answer me if the fries were gluten free. Some places dust or coat their fries with flour to keep them from sticking when frying. For some reason....no one there could answer the question. Her plate actually looks pretty sad & empty.



Addy had the pepperoni pizza with fries.



Anthony had the BBQ Chicken Flatbread (and Tyler did too): Chicken, Red Onion, Cilantro, Mozzerella, Sweet BBQ Sauce. Both of them seemed to really like it.





Derek got the Grilled 4 Cheese Sandwich & Creamy Tomato Soup: The sandwich had Parmesan, Cheddar, Swiss & Jalapeno Jack on Sourdough with Garlic Butter. I almost ordered this myself...he said it was ok. It looked pretty good!



Betty got the Pesto Chicken Ciabatta: Chicken, Mozzerella, Mixed Greens, Artichoke Hearts, Red Onion, Roma Tomatoes & Pesto. She enjoyed it.



I got the Creole Chicken Wrap: Blackened Chicken, Maui Onion Straws, Mozzerella, Roma Tomatoes, Lettuce on Grilled Pizza Dough with Cajun Mayo. Really tasty but I will say, using pizza dough as the wrap, did make it a bit chewy and harder to get through.



Mike got the Crispy Pork Belly Flatbread: Crispy Pork Belly, Cilantro, Cabbage, Mozzerella & Hoisin Plum Sauce. He said it was delicious!



When we were loading back into the car, we noticed that a limo had pulled up to the back of the restaurant/kitchen entrance. I have to wonder if Guy was there?? I would have loved to have seen him in person!!

I thoroughly enjoyed my meal here....most enjoyed it but didn't think it would be worth going out of our way for. I disagree as there are other items on the menu I would like to taste as well as have another go at the Sashimi Won Tacos!!! (yup, they were that good)

 

[kelmac284]

Wow that looks AWESOME. I have to crack up at all the pics of Derek on his phone. That is TOTALLY my 2 as well although luckily they are girls so they love getting their pics taken too LOL.

I'm so sorry that woman made you feel bad. I know it must be SO frustrating but honestly it is their loss for being judgmental. As they say you don't know what is going on with people so you need to not judge! I know it's hard but I would just ignore it. You are a good parent and doing the best you can and it is their problem not yours.

As I said in my other post we never really get over there but now that is two reasons to check it out. The museum and now this yummy food. Awesome!!

 

[DizNee Luver]

Wow that looks AWESOME. I have to crack up at all the pics of Derek on his phone. That is TOTALLY my 2 as well although luckily they are girls so they love getting their pics taken too LOL.

I'm so sorry that woman made you feel bad. I know it must be SO frustrating but honestly it is their loss for being judgmental. As they say you don't know what is going on with people so you need to not judge! I know it's hard but I would just ignore it. You are a good parent and doing the best you can and it is their problem not yours.

As I said in my other post we never really get over there but now that is two reasons to check it out. The museum and now this yummy food. Awesome!!

He was a grump bucket for a lot of the trip.......

It is hard having other people look at Michayla and make faces or look disgusted.....it hurts my feelings! She does the best she can and I refuse to keep her house bound.....she has the right to be out and see what works for her. She actually did really well, but had her moments through out the day that she'd overload, get tired, hungry, warm or bored.......pretty much like any other child. We like to educate people when we have the chance and even Betty got in on that.

I thought the food was super yummy and yes....if I were to go back to the museum, I would definitely go back to Johnny Garlic's too!!

 

[kelmac284]

Do you think Derek is still sad about he and his gf? Is he going back to school in Oregon now that he is home or getting a job? It's too bad he was grumpy. I know that brings down the mood. Hopefully he is better now

And I TOTALLY get you about people. I konw what you mean and it IS irritating and you want to broadcast so they don't do that but it is truly THEIR loss. Sadly there will always be people that stare and make comments when they don't know what the hell they are talking about. You just have to remember that you are giving all the kids an amazing life and you shouldn't HAVE to explain. NO ONE knows what is going on in other's lives and they need to NOT be so judgmental. I'm sorry it made you feel bad

 

[DizNee Luver]

Do you think Derek is still sad about he and his gf? Is he going back to school in Oregon now that he is home or getting a job? It's too bad he was grumpy. I know that brings down the mood. Hopefully he is better now

And I TOTALLY get you about people. I konw what you mean and it IS irritating and you want to broadcast so they don't do that but it is truly THEIR loss. Sadly there will always be people that stare and make comments when they don't know what the hell they are talking about. You just have to remember that you are giving all the kids an amazing life and you shouldn't HAVE to explain. NO ONE knows what is going on in other's lives and they need to NOT be so judgmental. I'm sorry it made you feel bad

Derek is just kinda "lost" right now. He wanted to come home...but not to a house full of kids. He can't go back to school because he has to figure out how to pay on his school loan (which is in default). He's starting to apply for some jobs but he just doesn't have a clue what he wants to do.....so that makes it hard. Definitely in a funk.

Most of the time, I don't let it bother me.....but when they are blatantly staring or commenting....well the mama bear comes out in me.

 

[WDWJonasGirl]

The food is yummy

 

[DizNee Luver]

The food is yummy

Very!!

 

[DizNee Luver]

Day 3, Part 12:​

These pictures were after our lunch at Johnny Garlic's in Santa Rosa and coming into San Francisco.....all taken from a moving vehicle.







The Golden Gate Bridge!!











The toll booth on the Golden Gate Bridge......I went online and entered the van's license plate # and paid the $7.00 toll (you don't pay in person anymore)......I got an email confirmation.....but here we are in August and the $7 has never been taken out of my account.....weird??



As we continued on.....







We stayed at the Travelodge at the Presidio. For San Francisco, the rooms were nice enough for the price. They also had free parking which is almost unheard of in SF. The management was super friendly and the rooms were clean. They were small and a small hint of "dampness" in the smell of the rooms....but that disappeared once we had the air running full time. We paid for 2 rooms, both with 2 queen beds and paid $458. Again.....good price for SF and the parking was included.

 

[DizNee Luver]

Day 3, Part 13:​

After getting the van unloaded, we headed out to walk down to the Pier/Wharf area. Betty decided to stay in the motel and nap. Mike snapped this picture on our walk. (1.6 miles)



Ghirardelli Square.....PACKED with people......couldn't even get inside the store part....let alone the ice cream shop.













Poor Addy, she needed to use the restroom, so Mike knew where they were and took her. He waited outside for her and she stood in a long line. A lady coming out of one the stalls dropped her wallet & Addy got out of line to pick it up & give it back to her.....when she tried to get back in the line....all of a sudden, NO ONE SPOKE ENGLISH and they wouldn't let her back in the line. Can you believe that? A 9 yr old girl, standing there in tear and these were so called adults....shame on them!! Unbelievable!! We had to go in search of a new bathroom.....ugh!

We continued down to the waterfront area.....CHAOTIC!!









We were in search of the In & Out Burger and luckily, there was a bathroom in the vicinity. In & Out was crazy busy.......10 people wide & about 20 people deep for the order counter. Ty stayed with me to do the ordering & pick up the food. It took about 20 minutes to get our order. The restaurant was filthy......trash all over the floor and tables. While we were getting our dinner.....Mike & the rest of the crew were finding some tables to sit at outside. After clearing the trash off a table Mike took these pics of Shyann & Addy.









Right after this picture.....Addy threw up!!

We came out with the food and found out about Addy (they changed tables) and we doled out the food. OMG.....it was horrible!! The meat was so over-salted you couldn't even eat the burger....so into the trash they go. The fries were half cooked, limp & oily.....so they also hit the trash. The sodas were totally off in balance......some overly sweet where other flavors tasted like dirty water. So you have to understand.....we don't have In & Out in Oregon and we look forward to it on our Cali trips. We have it planned for 3 meals. I pre-bought gift cards to cover all the meals. Now I'm not sure what we'll do.....this was THAT bad.



So while we were throwing away our dinner.......Anthony got a "present" from one of the seagulls.......lol Best part of dinner.....ha ha!

 

[LongTimeFan]

What a horrific experience at In & Out Burger! Hopefully your next experiences with them will be better. In & Out came to our area a number of years ago but I have never been that much of a fan. I enjoy Culver's, Five Guys Burger and Fries, or Smashburgers. Just recently went to HopDaddy Burger Bar and that is now my favorite burger place. Unfortunately (or fortunately as far as my diet goes) none near us.

 

[DizNee Luver]

Day 3, Part 14:​

We headed to Pier 39 and the double-decker carousel....which was one of the biggest reasons to go down there. We took our 3 grown sons there years ago and wanted to let our little ones do it as well. Anthony decided he would pass.....Addy rode (which actually worried me) and the twins rode. Mike went on with the twins on the upper level and Addy found a spot on the lower level. I believe it ran $3/per person.



















Mike got these on the carousel.....which is a good thing cause I could hardly see Michayla from the ground.

















Back to mine from the ground level.











This a beautiful carousel, especially when it's lit up.....I'm glad we braved the crowds so the kids could ride it!!

 

[DizNee Luver]

What a horrific experience at In & Out Burger! Hopefully your next experiences with them will be better. In & Out came to our area a number of years ago but I have never been that much of a fan. I enjoy Culver's, Five Guys Burger and Fries, or Smashburgers. Just recently went to HopDaddy Burger Bar and that is now my favorite burger place. Unfortunately (or fortunately as far as my diet goes) none near us.

It was bad.....we love that we see them cut the potatoes & then drop them in the hot oil. Doesn't get any fresher than that!!

My son Derek, worked for SmashBurger in Minnesota. He told us there was one in SF, kinda near to where we'd be in the morning.....so we got to try it....yum! More on that with the Day 4 posts.

We have a Five Guys coming to our town (and one an hour away) but haven't tried it yet because I couldn't have Shy with me. The fries are dusted in flour and so they're not gluten-free which we need for her.

 

[DizNee Luver]

Day 3, Part 15:​

We gathered everyone back up and walked to the end of the pier to look out towards the bay & Alcatraz.



















We decided to avoid the crowds and walk on the backside of all the stores & restaurants......hardly anyone back here!









Shyann's legs were just plain tired after all the walking, so Derek helped her out giving her a ride. (and he smiled!)



I made a quick run into the Hard Rock Cafe store to get a t-shirt and when I came back out.....found out that Addy had thrown up again.....ugh! Was kinda hoping it was from getting too upset earlier...... Always have at least one kid get sick on our trips!



Since everyone was tired, we got 2 cabs ( dang scary ride! ) to take us back to the motel...... $20 well spent (each cab).....saved our legs from the walk back (and uphill). Addy was fine for the rest of the evening. I sat down and wrote to In & Out to share our experience with them. I don't usually complain, but when $50 of food hits the trash with everyone leaving the table hungry....there's a problem. Called it an early night (was hoping to do a couple batches of laundry since Addy had been sick....but no luck).

 

[kaoden39]

Wow! I have never seen In N Out that bad. That is the exception rather than the rule. I am really curious as to whether you get a reply to your email. I once complained to Mc Donalds about a dirty restaurants and horrible bathrooms. They sent me $50 in gift cards. I was shocked. I never expected anything back but hey care about their reputation. I am willing to bet that In N Out is the same way.


Actually I think the cab ride wasn't that terribly bad. I am glad to hear that Addy was done throwing up. Poor baby.

 

[DizNee Luver]

Wow! I have never seen In N Out that bad. That is the exception rather than the rule. I am really curious as to whether you get a reply to your email. I once complained to Mc Donalds about a dirty restaurants and horrible bathrooms. They sent me $50 in gift cards. I was shocked. I never expected anything back but hey care about their reputation. I am willing to bet that In N Out is the same way.


Actually I think the cab ride wasn't that terribly bad. I am glad to hear that Addy was done throwing up. Poor baby.

I will say, it was crazy busy & I did mention that in the email....but it was horrible!! I will give more info on this later on.

So were we & I'm happy to report no one else got sick.....so I'm thinking between being tired & getting really upset over the bathroom incident...it was enough to push her over the edge.

 

[kaoden39]

I will say, it was crazy busy & I did mention that in the email....but it was horrible!! I will give more info on this later on.

So were we & I'm happy to report no one else got sick.....so I'm thinking between being tired & getting really upset over the bathroom incident...it was enough to push her over the edge.

I bet busy had something to do with it. I bet you're right about Addy. Things like that have made me sick.

 

[WDWJonasGirl]

Loving the San Francisco pictures!! Why were you worried about Addy riding and why did Anthony not want to go on it?

 

[Sherry E]

Poor Addy. It was all too much for her.

I don't have an In-N-Out too near me -- the nearest one is in Hollywood -- but I only found it to be okay when I ate there a long time ago. I did not love it like other people do.

I do, however, have a Five Guys fairly near me -- and I had no idea that they were any good until I started reading reviews of their burgers. So now I am inclined to try them at some point. I used to be a fan of good ol' Fatburger back in the day, so I hope that Five Guys is at least as good as Fatburger was.

 

[DizNee Luver]

I bet busy had something to do with it. I bet you're right about Addy. Things like that have made me sick.

Anthony, Addy, the older boys & Mike all get sick when overtired....... That's why I get one every trip throwing up.....lol

Loving the San Francisco pictures!! Why were you worried about Addy riding and why did Anthony not want to go on it?

Since Addy had gotten sick, I was concerned about her going round & round on the carousel. Anthony is 13......and a boy.......enough said. We're way to cool to do a carousel......

Poor Addy. It was all too much for her.

I don't have an In-N-Out too near me -- the nearest one is in Hollywood -- but I only found it to be okay when I ate there a long time ago. I did not love it like other people do.

I do, however, have a Five Guys fairly near me -- and I had no idea that they were any good until I started reading reviews of their burgers. So now I am inclined to try them at some point. I used to be a fan of good ol' Fatburger back in the day, so I hope that Five Guys is at least as good as Fatburger was.

We usually enjoy our In & Out meal but everything was wrong with this one. If you get a chance to try SmashBurger.....DO!!