In June of 2024, Ripley found himself swept away in the vibrant heart of Las Vegas, a city that buzzed with life and excitement. Settling into the opulent Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino, he marveled at the breathtaking views of the neon-lit Strip, where the energy pulsed like a living entity, filled with laughter and music.
First Waterpark -- Raging Waters
In May 2025, Ripley had the opportunity to visit Raging Waters, a popular water park filled with thrilling attractions. While he found that the overall experience didn’t completely capture his enthusiasm, he discovered a delightful fondness for the lazy river.
Trip to Visit Aunt Kate in San Francisco
In April of 2025, Ripley embarked on a delightful trip to San Francisco that went exceptionally smooth. Ripley stayed at Aunt Kate's charming home in the vibrant North Beach neighborhood. The area was alive with energy, and Ripley indulged in some of the best Italian food ever tasted, particularly at Tony’s, where the pizza was nothing short of divine, featuring a perfectly crispy crust and fresh, flavorful toppings.
Baltimore...And Other Fun Places including Delaware, NYC, Atlantic City
We embarked on our journey in Baltimore in September of 2024, where the charm of the city’s historic harbor and vibrant neighborhoods welcomed us. From there, we ventured over to Delaware, eagerly checking off another state from my travel list. Next, we hit Philadelphia, indulging in a couple of decent cheesesteaks that, while not the best I’d tasted, still satisfied our cravings.
First Flight with Ripley
In mid-May— Ripley took his first flight to visit San Francisco. We had no idea what to expect, but he was relatively good! We didn’t get any awful looks on the plane ride, so that we will take that as a win!
The flight and trip are a blur at this point, but I wanted to post some of the trip photos. We did not do all that much, but what we did do, we had fun! His first flight ever was from San Diego to Oakland on Spirit Airlines. He was about 9 weeks old when we took this flight, so we needed to start flying with him as he was already behind. To make our life easier, I upgraded all of us to the Big Front seats just to make sure if he was horrible we could quickly escape the plane!
Idyllwild, a Dog, and a 1 Month Old....
Ripley has been everywhere already. He has been to multiple restaurants (daily), an impromptu concert, a room escape, and two movies (Arthur the King and Monkey Man), but he has not left San Diego. With some upcoming travel planned, we needed to know if we packed the right equipment and what he was going to do away from home.