anniversary celebration in crescent city, ca.

Well we did it and it was great!  My brother, Rick, and his wife, Donna and myself were trying to figure out how to surprise our parents for their 55th wedding anniversary.  We brainstormed on different ideas, gifts, etc., but in the end the simplest idea worked the best;  I would arrive in Crescent City as a surprise and they could decide to do whatever they would like to do--and we would do it! 
                                                                            

The surprise arrival went off without a hitch--they never suspected a thing.  We turned it into a three night celebration.  Donna had the cake ready (carrot and cream cheese, of course) and on the 1st night we had a nice family dinner at the Thai House, which has some of the very best Thai food around, including my brother's favorite dish, scallops and red curry in a sizzling clay pot.  Cake and cocktails after.  The next night we went to the opening night of a photography exhibition at the Crescent Harbor Gallery that turned out to be like old home week--everybody was there, and on the third night, thanks to a gift from my cousin Keith, Dad barbecued a whole salmon, and I made a broccoli pilaf, a mustard tarragon buerre blanc sauce for the fish, bacon/caesar salad and a fresh apple bundt with king apples from the garden. Truly a very special meal and very special get together for two wonderful and amazing parents.