Going whale watching is an activity that has been on Tammie’s bucket list for as long as she can remember, and she decided it was time to check it off her list. When the team members at Gentiva Hospice found out about Tammie’s bucket list wish, they reached out to Dreamweaver Foundation for assistance in making Tammie’s dream come true.
On October 31st, Tammie decided she would rather be soaking in ocean views than handing out candy to trick-or-treaters as she and her family made their way to Dana Point, California. With warmer weather, the salty sea breeze, and whale watching on her mind, Tammie and her family immediately began soaking in the ocean views.
From the balcony of their hotel room, Tammy was treated to a beautiful view overlooking the ocean, ensuring she was never too far from the water. Tammy received a warm welcome at the hotel, where she also had the pleasure of being joined by a special guest – her sister! Tammie’s sister, whom she hadn’t seen in over ten years, drove up from Phoenix to spend a day with Tammie and her family! With so much time passing since they last saw one another, Tammie and her sister lost track of time and sat and talked for hours!
After catching up with her sister, Tammy embraced being a tourist as they headed to Laguna Beach. Once at the beach, Tammie took the time to watch her first-ever beach sunset, which was simply stunning. Tammy and her family “watched the sun disappear” over the ocean and soaked in the tranquility and calmness of the moment. While in Laguna Beach, the family quickly found themselves a favorite restaurant. Decorated with Day of the Dead décor, and despite her Grandson’s reservations, they all loved it!
Lastly, it was time to go whale watching, which was quite the experience! Whale watching became a unique experience when a pod made up of over 2,000 Pacific white-sided dolphins surfed near their boat. There were dolphin calves and full-grown adults, even baby whales, they were all jumping, screeching, and playing gleefully. Tammie noted that her children shrieked excitedly as her family watched the majestic marine mammals. Although Tammie had seen dolphins before in Texas, this was unlike any other experience. She stated that she “has never seen anything like it.”
Overall, Tammie can’t pick just one favorite memory of the trip, but the sunset on the beach and seeing the dolphins are her top two experiences during her dream. Tammie noted, “You know it’s a great trip when even the teenagers admit it was fun”!
