Four-year-old Elisa has a wide range of interests. She follows the adventures of cartoon character SpongeBob SquarePants and “Sesame Street” puppet Elmo. She also gets a kick out of her PlayStation, loves her cat Snowball, and eats bologna-and-cheese rollups. When it comes to the animal world, she is interested in sea otters and sea lions.

When considering her wish from wish granters with the Make-A-Wish Foundation^® of Sacramento and Northeastern California, the adventurous girl talked about all the things she would like to do. They included flying on a plane, making sand castles on the beach, and seeing and petting sea lions, dolphins, and sea otters. Luckily, there is a place in the world where all those things can be summed up into one Make-A-Wish^® experience – San Diego, California.

Elisa flew to San Diego on a airplane and stayed at Ocean Park Inn, which rests on the sands of Pacific Beach. Elisa’s first stop was Sea World, where she received a behind-the-scenes tour. She got to pet and feed a sea lion, and also participated in Dine with Shamu, a poolside meal service where diners eat on the edge of a killer-whale habitat. After the experience, Elisa’s mom explained that her daughter didn’t eat much during the meal because she was mesmerized by the shenanigans of Shamu and friends. She added that whales have now earned a spot on Elisa’s “favorite animals” list.

During her vacation, the active youngster visited the beach to build sand castles and collect shells, and checked out the San Diego Zoo. She also rode in a limo and played in the hotel spa, which she called the “big bathtub.” Looking back, Elisa’s parents both agree that the wish experience “couldn’t have been more perfect.”

Elisa’s zest for life has now taken her into the classroom. She began kindergarten shortly after her wish.