Since this decade began, almost all my adventures have been day trips. I’ve gotten awfully used to staying home. I guess it’s no wonder the thought of spending the night away causes some apprehension. There really is no place like home. Recent improvements upstairs and down provide eye candy. I have plenty to keep me busy. It’s just comfortable to crawl in your own bed at night. I’ve come a long way from the woman who cried when it was time to go home from vacation. Maybe retirement will do that to a person.
So when we had the chance to travel south to Huntington Beach and spend the night to watch our granddaughters participate in Winter Guard finals, we had to think a minute before we made our decision.
We learned about Color Guard last fall. Two of our granddaughters joined up their freshman year of high school, one at Saugus, one at Thousand Oaks. We didn’t know anything about this aspect of high school, but part of having children and grandchildren is learning new things. The only hurdle to complete fan competence was Winter Guard finals.
Carpooling down to Huntington Beach on Friday afternoon, we checked in at the Comfort Inn on Beach Boulevard and took the Vator to the top floor.
The evening included a lovely outdoor dinner across the street at Lazy Dog Café. (Their new entrée, pulled pork sandwich, is divine. I recommend it highly.) We drove to the end of Beach Boulevard and watched the sunset at Huntington Beach.
Shhh. Don’t tell anyone but my husband, Carl, and I treated ourselves to the rare malt. We were on vacation after all. And I enjoyed a really good night’s sleep—unusual since I almost never manage to sleep in a strange place.
It was an early morning. Performances began at 9. Awards were just after noon. Traditional celebrations included lights out while all participants lined up sporting lit-up bling.
It was really exciting to watch the countdown from last place to first, especially when “our” team won. Both girls got first place in their groups.
Then there was the wait to see if they made the finals at the Walter Pyramid at Long Beach State. Only the top 16 scorers (out of 50 schools) would make it. They both got in!
I had my doubts the performances would be up to par. After all, it was almost 12 hours in between. But the kids were fantastic!
Cousins and competitors
Olivia (left) with Thousand Oaks High, Jadyn (right) with Saugus High School
We didn’t make it home until midnight. What a long, exhausting day, but such a great time. We’re so proud of both girls and their teams.
Having graduated from the first year of Color and Winter Guard fandom, we’ll know what to expect next year.
If you’d like to take a look at the three-minute programs, I’ve provided links below.
Thousand Oaks High Winter Guard
Saugus won the finals with the highest score in the entire competition!
What’s wrong with this poster? Our school system in action.
And, we’re anxious to take a real vacation. We’re headed for the East Coast on an actual airplane! I’ll be posting information about our trip to Washington D.C. and South Carolina soon.