As the largest waterpark of its kind in the world, Mission Bay comprises 4,200 acres in roughly equal parts of land and water, surrounded by 27 miles of meandering shoreline of sandy beaches. Interconnected by a network of waterways, inlets and islets, the bay is best explored by boat.
Mission Bay’s beaches beckon water sports enthusiasts of every kind, from kayaking and stand up paddle boarding on the calm waters of the bay, to surfing and kite boarding on the waves that crash on the Pacific-facing beaches
Poor Daddy had to circle for 30 minutes to find a parking spot but that just gave us time to pay for the rental and get everyone fitted with life jackets. The girls were really surprised to hear that we were going to set them loose on the bay without adult supervision. Of course, they did have to listen to the lecture about the $75 rescue fee and the $150 fine for sailing in restricted areas. The boat held 4 people so Sam and Tammy took turns.
The rest of us spent a quiet afternoon on the beach. Maria played peek-a-boo for hours – even with sand covered hands. She was so determined to get in the water, she crawled in completely clothed.
The little girls did their language arts and spelling lessons by writing in the sand. Overall a very successful day.
We were entertained for most of the evening by the girls regaling tales from their afternoon sailing adventures. Their favourite story was related to Sam’s lack of experience. When they would yell “tacking”, Sam would yell “attacking.” The girls said hearing her never got old. They would always laugh. Then at one point, a young couple on a paddle-board came near to compliment the girls on how well they could handle the boat. To avoid bumping into them, Kaatje quietly said ” tacking” Sam lunged over the side, fist clenched and yelled “ATTACKING.” The paddle boarders were startled and the girls quickly apologized and attempted to explain what had come over Sam.
