Days 26 to 28 - Anaheim to Los Angeles to Sydney to Canberra

David - driving the last of the 3,479.5 miles of our trip; returning the rental car in one piece; seeing Jane and Tim, friends from Sydney, in the queue to board the flight home. Awesome.

Megan - getting the highest score of all the Pigrams on the Buzz Lightyear ride; doing a last burst of shopping, including duty free at the airport; reading the description on the 'Fully sick bag' on the plane - Virgin have some very funny commentary on their material. Awesome.

Bridget - getting home to my own bed and not having to share a room with anyone. Awesome.

Declan - going on the Indiana Jones ride one final time with Dad; seeing 'The Sorcerer's Apprentice' for $2 at Santa Ana. Awesome.

Patrick - going on the Buzz Lightyear ride and getting my highest score; skipping 7 October 2010 and never getting it back. Awesome.

Day 25 - Anaheim

David - having bugs poke me in the back, drop stink bombs and run under my bum during the Bugs Life 3D movie. Awesome.

Megan - pre-empting the day of non-stop rain by getting soaked on the Grizzly River Rapids before the rain started. Awesome.

Bridget - flying off my seat in the Tower of Terror. Awesome.



Pigrams do Bug glasses



Declan - talking to Crush from Finding Nemo, who asked me what my name was and then kept calling me 'Deep sea diving Declan Duuuuuuuude'. Awesome.

Patrick - going on California Screamin, my first 360 degree loop rollercoaster, and loving it. Awesome.

Day 24 - Anaheim

David - going on the Dumbo ride; having as much fun as the kids. Awesome.

Megan - riding the tea cups at Disneyland. Awesome.

Bridget - meeting Mickey Mouse and having my photo taken with him. Awesome.

Declan - Dad's reckless driving on the Indiana Jones ride (well he was in the driver's seat). Awesome.

Patrick - being able to spin the carriage and shoot lasers on the Buzz Lightyear ride. Awesome.

Day 23 - San Diego to Anaheim

The spectacle bear

David - listening to the tour guide at San Diego Zoo talk about the coukaburra and the wallaby kangaroos. Awesome.

Megan - learning that zebras identify one another by looking at the stripes on each other's butt - has the potential to make covering your ar*e all the more important! Awesome.

Bridget - seeing the Disneyland fireworks from the top of the stairs at our hotel. Awesome.

Declan - sitting up the top of the tour bus at San Diego Zoo and looking into the exhibits from above. Awesome.

Patrick - listening to the (Phillipino) priest at Mass talking about ships, except that he was actually talking about sheeps. Awesome.

Day 22 - San Diego

Bridget on the flight deck

David - touring USS Midway and imagining what it would have been like on the flight deck at sea. Awesome.

Megan - buying jeans off the shelf that fit and touch the floor. Awesome.

Bridget - going on a 360 degree flight simulator ride with Dad, which moved as the plane moved - we spent a lot of time upside down; buying nail polish that changes colour in the sun. Awesome.

Declan - Mum and Dad sending me and Patrick to see 'Legend of the Guardians' at the movies while they were shopping, and finding that the movie was much better than I'd expected. Awesome.

Patrick - going on a flight simulator that was used to train Navy pilots and not crashing, unlike Declan who wouldn't listen to his navigator (me) and crashed twice. Awesome.

Day 21 - San Diego

The Blue Angels

David - spending the day at Miramar; seeing the Blue Angels (the US equivalent of the Roulettes) who fly within 18 inches of each other at simply astounding speed. Awesome.

Megan - channelling my inner Jim Hayes (aviation enthusiast friend); seeing the fighter jets take off to the Top Gun music; seeing a Harrier take off and land vertically. Awesome.

Bridget - watching a helicopter do things that a helicopter isn't supposed to do, like a 360 degree flip. Awesome.



Fighter Pilot Patrick



Declan - seeing the bombs display; watching the Blue Angels. Awesome.

Patrick - seeing the Raptor fly past at the speed of sound; sticking my fingers in my ears for half the day because the jets were so loud they made the ground shake. Awesome.

Day 20 - San Diego



Shamu the killer whale

 David - patting the stingrays at Seaworld - seriously slimy to the touch; watching the whales soak the boys. Awesome.

Megan - Patrick's attitude to the fact that it rained on and off all day at Seaworld so they didn't have a single ride operating - 'That's okay Mum - we've got our whole lives ahead of us to come back.' Awesome.

Bridget - feeding and patting Toby the dolphin - she was surprisingly silky to touch. Awesome.

The killer whale punch buggy



Declan - sitting in the front row of the Blue Horizons show and getting soaked to the skin by the pilot whales (my shoes squelched for the rest of the day); feeding the stingrays. Awesome.

Patrick - feeding the sea lions at Seaworld; getting soaked with Declan. Awesome.