La Jolla and Las Vegas

We spent the day relaxing on the beach at La Jolla, all day Wednesday. It was a nice break from the hectic pace of the city and driving between various coastline destinations. Here we were at the most southernest point of our trip and we were dropping the car off that evening at the airport. We travelled about 600 miles, from San Francisco to San Diego. Now, we were taking the US Air from San Diego to Las Vegas for Tim's Disneyland called "Las Vegas".
We arrived after dark and were greeted by the carpet of colourful lights of Vegas. Into another rental car we go before heading to our hotel -- South Point -- which is located nine miles away from Las Vegas. All the city core hotels were booked up because of the College basketball championship in which about 50,000 to 60,000 people were expected. Tim enjoyed some one-armed bandit gambling after we checked into our hotel.
The next day was spent sightseeing. It's quite a city -- I never saw so many men in one destination if I compare it to NYC, where you see so many groups of women travelling there.

We're back home now after taking the red-eye back to Ottawa. The tall snowbanks in front of our home gave us a "white-eye" and are amazing! Looking back, we were extremely lucky to have taken off on the only day that didn't have a major snowstorm in that week in March when 51 cms of snow fell on Ottawa!

A day fit for a Princess

(click to enlarge image)

Today, the focus was on the Princesses -- including our very own -- at Disneyland, the original theme park created by Walt Disney in the 1960s. Rosie loved every minute....of waiting in line for personal sessions with the many princesses (see pix) as well as encounters of the first kind with Sir Mickey and Madame Minnie. It was Rosie's day, and it was nice to see her face beam with delight upon seeing the various storybook characters. The long waits in line were an opportunity to meet some people...we met a nice family from nearby Anaheim, another family from Arizona....we were like old friends by the time our turn came around. Aside from the various kiddy rides, I managed to sneak in a ride on the new Indiana Jones adventure which consists of a bumpy ride in an old jeep, inside a pyramid (go figure), with 12 people I didn't know. We left for San Diego at about 5 p.m. and arrived at 7 p.m. on Interstate 5 south, an express freeway of a minimum of 6 lanes -- each way.

Although we didn't cover everything at Disneyland, we managed to do a lot during the time we were there.

Tomorrow will be a relaxing day at the beach at La Jolla, located near San Diego. We got a great deal through Priceline for this hotel, by the beach. Anyways, tata for now.

Set tours, 4Ds and special effects at Universal Studios

Tim
Today was theme park day, no driving for a change, thank God. We went to Universal Studios and saw a lot of the shows :

• Waterworld
• Jurassic Park (raft ride)
• Backdraft
• The studio tour (to see the sets, stages, etc...)
• Terminator2 in 3D
• Shrek 4D
• Animal Actors
• Special Effects

My favorites were Waterworld and Backdraft. We splurged and went for the "front of the line" pass. It probably was not worth the extra money today but would be worth it if the park was really crowded. The advantage today was that we got to stay after the shows and talk to the performers.

I have to admit I liked it even though I thought I would not. The park was very clean and the staff were really friendly. Afterwards we jumped into a taxi to go to Rodeo drive. Lots on nice houses on the way. We did not see any stars, all of the people there were tourists. The shops were just closing, thank the Lord, so the girls did not get to do any shopping. We came back to the hotel and the girls are now in the hot tub. Tomorrow it's on to DisneyLand and San Diego. We finally got what we think is a deal on a hotel from Priceline.

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Rosie

Hey guys!Today we went to Universal studios here were my favorite things :

* Shrek 4-d
* Studio Tour
* Special effects
* Waterworld
* Animal actors
* Terminator 2 in 3d
* Jurastsc park the ride
* backdraft

There werent any real rides but we saw some characters . We got front of the line passes which allow us to go in the front of the line . It was very useful . I then tried the ice cream of the future called dippin dots . They were like little ice-ceam dots that are flavoured. I had rainbow ice and banana split . I had alot of fun. When we went to Rodeo drive, Dad pronounced Chanel like channel as in a tv channel . Tomorrow we go to Disneyland ....
Asta la vista baby!

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Francine

At Universal Studios, I was surprised to see three quarters of the tour features had remained unchanged since my last visit in 1989. It was a beautiful sunny day and the crowds were small. Having a "front of the line" pass, meant no waiting at all and getting to meet the performers (see photo on the left: Terminator actors) So I took advantage of that benefit by going twice in the Mummy Ride (a rollercoaster ride in pitch black darkness). I was in and out in five minutes (the ride is about 2 minutes long). We took a cab to and from Universal Studios and on our way back at the end of the day, our cab drove through Beverley Hills. Our leisurely stroll along Rodeo Drive was uneventful (i.e. we didn't see any vedettes nor were we chased around by paparazzi). Rosie wanted to head back because she felt "under-dressed".....I felt like a Hillbilly....but hey, what else is new?
After a warm soak in the hot tub, we jumped into our pjs and getting ready to go to bed.
Every night, we fall asleep exhausted. Tonite won't be any different.

tata for now - tomorrow, we head to San Diego after spending the day at Disneyland...

See you in the movies, baby! Hollywood here we come!

Ola guys !

Today , we checked out of our hotel and then started driving! We stopped at Pismo beach for a while but the water was very cold. The people who know me very well would have probably guessed that the cold water didn’t stop me !


We then went to a nice little restaurant for lunch. My dad had a hot bbq beef sandwich, my mom had veggies with cheese sauce and I had chicken fingers with fries. I forgot to mention that we saw surfers ! We then went to a little shop and I got a new pin and a nice pair of lifeguard shorts .


When I come back, I will have a wonderful pin collection .We then continued driving . We finally got to Hollywood and man is it beautiful. Our hotel is wonderful and very cozy . We then went on the street with all the stars (on the sidewalk). I got freaked out because people were dressed up in scary or weird costumes. I took a cute pic with Donkey and Fiona from Shrek ! We then had dinner at an old fashion diner . We then went for a swim and went in the hot tub . I can:t wait for tomorrow … its UNIVERSAL STUDIOS ! YAY YAY YAY !

Bye bye 4 now !

Rosie
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We woke up early this morning, in Morro Bay, and then headed towards Los Angeles bright and early. We stopped for about 2 hours at Pismo Beach, to watch the many surfers trying out their skills on the rolling waves. They all wore wet suits because the water is freezing! A quick lunch, visit to some shops and back on the road we went. The Mapquest directions had us going through some beautiful wine country for about 33 miles. The ride was uneventful except for the occasional Harley Davidsons, and Lamberginis zipping by on the seven-lane 101 freeway….or perhaps it should be called speedway. People drive fast and hard here. We stayed in the centre lanes. The mapquest directions got us safely to our hotel, located on Highland avenue in Hollywood…a couple of blocks away from the Chinese Theatre. As Rosie pointed out, the crowd on the main drag of Hollywood was scary, lots of tourists, -- it felt like Younge Street in Toronto! People who are working the streets dressed up as comic book heroes or movie characters, or those who perform music on the street all have a main objective -- to be noticed and to make it in the entertainment business. Pretty sad . Lots of homeless people, and people strung out on drugs. This is the dark underbelly of California. It was rather ironic, to hear the song « Hotel California » by the Eagles performed on the street by two young people who looked like brother and sister -- the little girl no older than 12. « You can check out any time you like, but you can never leave« …..indeed…..

By the way, I chose the photo of the hand imprint of Esther Williams for my blog today because that's what Tim calls me all the time, at the cottage when I'm swimming in the lake.

Francine

Fish, Bubba Gump and long windy roads

Hi guys !

Sorry I didn’t write in the blog yesterday …. I fell asleep I was sooooooo tired . Today was very very nice . We woke up and checked out of our hotel . We then went to the beach and took a couple pics. We then went and sat down . We then met this little guy who saw a bird and wanted to pet him . We then went in the line for the Monterey bay aquarium . It was so nice …. There was one tank full of sharks , stingrays and beautiful fish ! We then had a couple tanks of nice jelly fish and other nice things.

We then went to Bubba Gump for lunch . I had fish and chips ….. They were so good ! The restaurant was based on the movie Forrest Gump so they had some of the costumes …. It was fun! Did I mention that I was starting a pin collection? We then started driving to our other hotel--- man ,was it long .

I then fell asleep for a little bit and when I woke up , we were there! We then walked to a restaurant and me and my mom split a greek salad with chicken on top …. It was good. The rainforest café was so fun yesterday . Every kid I know would love that place. EVERY KID! So I guess I will t2u la8er!

Chow my amigos!
Rosie

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First time I am writing. I wrote last night but we lost what had written before we had posted.

So far I have been impressed by the size of San Fran and how empty and barren the land is between San Fran and where we are now Morro Bay ( close to Pismo beach ) The scenery is spectacular. to be sure, but there really are no towns along the way.

The driving today was slow going 35-40 miles an hour because of the winding roads .

We were all impressed with the aquarium in Monterey today,I find the drivers very aggressive, the motorcycles drive between cars so you really have to check before changing lanes. We were really close to a couple of accidents finding our hotel in San Fran.

I have taken a look at some of the local real estate magazines and wonder where anyone who works in a restaurant lives. Prices are astronomical.

Went to the 17 mile drive today which takes you around Pebble Beach golf course. Pretty spectacular scenery and homes. I did notice that a lot of them we for sale. Might be the time with the mortgage crisis in the States to pick one up cheap.

Tim

San Francisco by day, Monterey by night

We woke up quite early this morning and headed to Fisherman's Wharf where many Europeans were also visiting because of the time change. The sea lions were out there, barking like love-sick puppies. After a 3.5 hour tour of San Francisco which brought us to the old Mission, Golden Gate park and bridge as well as Chinatown, we had a late lunch at the Rainforest Café which Rosie picked out. Then we spent a bit of time at Pier 39.

The place has certainly changed in the 20 years since I last visited. The drive to Monterey was beautiful but a bit hectic getting out of San Francisco. Drivers are agressive and impatient.

Everyone we've met have been very helpful and friendly. We have now arrived to Monterey and this is the second or third attempt to post on the blog, with some difficulty. I keep getting booted out of the system. Tim wrote the first draft which was far more descriptive than my personal account. Tomorrow, it's the visit to the Aquarium and then onwards towards San Simeon....

Trek to Vancouver and onwards to San Francisco

We've been up since 5 a.m., in order to be at the airport before 7 a.m. for our 8 a.m. direct flight to Vancouver. The flight was uneventful. Thanks goodness for these private TVs that allow everyone to watch programs, movies or show of personal interest.
Once in Vancouver, it was amazing to see the green grass and sun...a sight for sore eyes after the many snowfalls and freezing rain episodes in Ottawa. The wait in Vancouver was four hours, which allowed us to shop and explore. Then the smaller jet flight to San Francisco, was also uneventful....and shorter. So short in fact, that Tim couldn't finish his movie "No country for old men" I wasn't able to see the end of the movie Juno.

San Francisco is a hub of cultural and social activities. The drivers are very wild and more agressive. We finally found our hotel -- Days Inn -- on Grove Street, located near the San Francisco Ballet and other performing arts centres. We had to wait about an hour to get into this Mexican restaurant called Chevy's. While Tim had a fajita, Rosie a burrito, I had a salad with the most unusual and tasty salad dressing -- apple vinaigrette, made out of cooking apples to a sauce and then adding the same ingredients as for a salsa. It was totally unusual and awesome. Will be googling the web to find the recipe.
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Anyways, we're pooped, tired, kaput....tomorrow, we'll be taking a tour of the city before heading to Monterey for the night. Ah yes, no photos yet....tomorrow, will do.