Tokyo Day 9, 10, 11 & 1/2

We had hoped for another day sightseeing in Tokyo, but we looked at the flight boards and saw that we need to try for an afternoon flight to Seattle Tacoma. We packed up and uncle Mike drove us out to Yokota base, took us across the street to Department of Japan immigrations to get our exit stamps, and then took us back to the base to sign up. It was a very full flight but they added 13 seats and we were first on the list of retirees because I had signed up on February 2. Props to me! We made it just fine and the plane left just as soon as everyone could get on board. Our biggest worry of the whole trip was that we'd not get back in time for Clint to return to work. Turned out we made it our first attempt. I didn't let on to the boys, but it was a bummer that we only got four days in Japan and only one real day in Tokyo. Mike invited us back, and maybe we will. We've learned a thing or two.

This was a charter flight by Omni Air with the Patriot Express so it was a commercial aircraft with two in-flight meals, four movies and typical legroom-tight! It was only nine hours of vice the 12 hour flight to Japan, but I had crazy cankles by the time we got off of the plane because I was in a sitting position the whole time :-(. At Seattle Tacoma Airport we picked up our rental car that uncle Mike had ordered for us and drove to Weed, California. At $430 the rental car was our largest single expense. The drive was a tour of West Coast volcanoes! 

We passed Rainier, Hood, Mount St. Helens and from our lovely Motel 6, we had a beautiful view of Mount Shasta.

Two more days of driving followed! One to Fallon, Nevada and another to Farmington! Ugh! The boys seemed just fine plugged into infinite movies, but on the third day of driving Clint and I were doing a silent scream, "Get us out of this car!" $6000 for airline tickets were starting to sound like a bargain! But we really did enjoy our San Francisco visit. I really have to give props to Clint for never complaining about this crazy ride I arranged, and because of that this trip will go down in Cresap family history as an amazing epic trip, instead of the trip from H-E-double hockey sticks. So thank you, Clint!