Reading Time: 2 minutes

Welcome to part two of “My Great American Travel Adventure” If you have not seen part one here it is

My Great American Travel Adventure

Day Two: Coffee, Chaos, and a Two-Year-Old

Day two started bright and early. Coffee, chatting with my daughter, petting the cats, and getting ready for my grandson’s second birthday party.

But before we get to that, we had to get coffee.

We stopped at Spaddy’s, a pretty cool outdoor coffee place that sells coffee out of a trailer in a parking lot with tables and chairs. It’s also one of those places that attracts the typical crowd of people in their mid-to-late 30s ordering coffee that is steamed, frothy, creamy, almond milk, cinnamon, or something else that I have apparently missed during my years on Earth.

I take my coffee black or with cream and sugar.

Done.

Apparently, I was out of place.

There was a group of women talking about how lovely someone’s sandals were. They really were lovely sandals, apparently. There was also a guy with the most beautiful braids I have ever seen. He was covered in sunscreen and wearing biker shorts that were far too tight.

To each his own.

I was just trying to get coffee.

It is a nice local business, and as I said, the coffee is good. Very good, actually. But it isn’t fifteen-minutes-standing-in-the-hot-Florida-sun good.

I was getting antsy.

I mean, come on. It’s my grandson’s second birthday. There are priorities.

Eventually, we headed out for the 50-minute drive to the birthday party.

When we arrived, I discovered that this wasn’t really just a birthday party.

It was an assault on the senses.

The place was an enormous indoor playground with tunnels, slides, climbing structures, and enough things for children to crawl through that I was beginning to wonder if they were training them for a career in mining.

There was also an outdoor water park.

Did I mention there were multiple birthday parties going on at the same time?

There were kids everywhere.

The screaming was so loud and so constant that I’m convinced if they had invited the Ayatollah of Iran, he would have capitulated in about a minute.

And then there was the food.

There was so much food that if everyone disappeared and left me there alone, I could have survived for a week on the leftovers.

My son and daughter-in-law did a great job. Everything was organized, there was plenty for everyone, and most importantly, both my grandson’s had a great time.

And that’s really what it’s all about.

Watching him run around, play, laugh, and enjoy his second birthday made all the noise, heat, driving, and general chaos worth it.

Of course, by the time I left, my ears were ringing and I needed a nap.

I’m beginning to understand why grandparents are allowed to leave.

We headed back to my daughter’s house, where the rest of the day was considerably more civilized. I spent the afternoon reading, relaxing, and enjoying some quiet time.

Tomorrow I’ll head over to my son’s house for a few days.

A little more family time, a little more time with the grandkids, and hopefully a little less screaming.

Although with three generations involved, I’m not making any promises.

That’s day two of the travel adventure.

Coffee, cats, a two-year-old, an indoor amusement park, enough food to survive a natural disaster, and a ringing in my ears that may finally be permanent.

Not a bad day.