Desperate for Mini-Golf

Have you ever been absolutely desperate for mini-golf? Wanted to find some holes so badly that you would pay anything, go anywhere, to find them? Welcome to yet another experience that I never in my life expected to have...mostly because I could go the rest of my life without EVER playing mini-golf...but somehow reached this afternoon.

We took a few days and went to Big Bear for some R&R this week. It was a great time, better weather than we would have gotten at home, lots to do, just an all around good vacation. We did some exploring, a little nature walking, little boating, little shopping, had dinner at their little airport where you can watch the planes take off, etc. etc. There were also two mini-golf courses that we knew of in Big Bear. I called ahead and learned that one was only open on weekends until summer, the other had an address but no phone number. We tried to drive by secretly yesterday and scope it out but we were caught. And it wasn't open. You can only imagine the wails coming from the back seat.

This morning we decided to go down to Lake Arrowhead where there was a Children's Museum, a playground, and a mini-golf course all in the same location. It was advertised as being open daily so we packed up and headed out. Yep, walked past and the golf (with the exciting looking bumper cars and carousel) were closed. We asked where the museum was located and it had permanently closed. Sigh. We had a good time at the playground for awhile.

We didn't stay long in Arrowhead since the playground wasn't anything spectacular, so we headed down the mountain, pleased with ourselves that we had a backup plan..."Pharaoh's Lost Kingdom" in Redlands had mini-golf, and surely a place that big was open...it said it was open. After more than an hour of twisting mountain roads, we pull up to it and the gates were closed. We still don't know why (other than a sign said that their permit to sell alcohol had been suspended). Justin had been fairly patient with the series of disappointments thus far, but at this point he lost it, poor guy. He'd been stuck in the car for hours, everything fun was closed, his vacation (fun as it had actually been) was destined to be remembered only for its failures.

But mommys ALWAYS have a Plan D, right? As I drove toward home, I had my mom call to confirm that the mini-golf place barely three miles from our home was open and available for golf. They could've charged us $20 a head, it could have been pouring rain, and we could've had to dig our own holes, it wouldn't have mattered; we would have done whatever it took to play mini-golf this afternoon. So the day was saved, we played our round of golf, and the vacation memories were left intact. And now we know that Justin (being under 5) and my mom (being 55+) can come together and play mini-golf for free whenever they want. I (being somewhere between 5 and 55) have to pay.