Disney - Both Days of Crazy!

OK - R U READY TO GO???

It is tiring just to read all of this so you best be sitting down!

We didn't do the Magic Morning - we would have had to leave the house at 5 AM and while I am crazy I am not quite THAT crazy.  We left at a normal time of 9 AM!  Got to the park (after traffic and construction by 10:30).

The first thing we decided to do was see the Woody and Jess Roundup!  It was great.  Shanti got pulled up by Jessie to dance with the gang!  After we lined up for autographs....  that's part of the show as well and part of the Disney experience.  Hurry up and wait.  Wait for the rides, wait for the shows and wait for the autographs.  But, it's all good.  We don't mind.  We knew this is what we were getting ourselves in for so we were mentally prepared!  And, it was great.  We lined up for Goofy in his cowboy gear (very rare we heard!); Mickey and Minnie in their cowboy gear as well; and then when we lined up for Jessie and Woody they were ready to go.  But, I had chatted with the person who was their 'handler' beforehand and she snuck us in to the line up as the final people.  It's good to chat with folks!

We did the classic rides - Tea Cups; It's a Small World; Peter Pan; Splash Mountain (which had a log jam when we were in line for it); Space Mountain (which I think was one of the favourite rides for the kids).  We did the newer rides - Star Tours (which was SO much fun and so much more real with the kid next to us yelling please Mum stop the spaceship!); Innovations (which was like a science centre feature Ironman suits!).  And, we watched all the shows, parades, and light shows!

It was hard to say what was our favourite part of being at Disney - some of it I remember from when I went years ago and some of it is so different it's like being in a different country.  I was so impressed by how nice some people were.  The workers at Disney when they found out it was the kids first time visiting the parks gave the kids first time buttons; when they found out it was close to Shanti's birthday gave her a Happy Birthday button; and when they found out we didn't know about the pin exchange not only told us about it but gave us starter pins and gave us the chance to get involved.  Another person in the park who we met in line gave the kids a little stuffie they found and wanted to give to kids.  It truly is the happiest place on earth!  We didn't want to leave....  and we almost didn't.  In the two days we spent many hours in the park.  Only 1 1/2 hours we left but spent it in Downtown Disney visiting cousins and having dinner with them and their kids - it was great to see Adesh and his family as well!

But, we had to be back in the park in time to see fireworks!  And, we were glad we did - those are not to be missed!  With Tinkerbell flying over the castle it was hard to capture the moment on film but it was worth watching for sure.  I would definitely go back in a heartbeat....

It's funny because many have asked why I waited so long to take the kids and in so many ways I'm glad I waited.  We did, are U sitting down? 51 HOURS of amusement parks this week in total.  That's JUST park hours.  Not including driving time or parking time....  But, the managed.  Yes, we got our money worth I would say.  They loved it and I loved it.  It is a memory they will actually remember....  I saw so many parents with their little ones they had brought for the child's 1st or 2nd birthday and I thought no way.  Not worth it!  This was fun.  We totally DID Disney!  Three days of walking til our feet fell off.  We couldn't get enough - running til the bitter end.  Just one more ride.  The Jungle Run to finish it off and a Dole Whip.  Have to have a Dole Whip.  And, can we squeeze in one last photo???  And, I need a coffee from the Jolly Holiday before I can drive the hour and half home (oh and we hit a detour on the final day it took 2 hours to drive home...).  We need a holiday from our holiday for sure but WOW.....

WE WILL BE BACK!

Behind the Scenes

Well, today was an exciting day - we got an opportunity to go behind the scenes at Disney Animation Studios.  A friend of Seema's works at Disney and very kindly offered to give us a tour of Disney.  It was beyond anything we have ever seen.  Things we can speak about here!  JUST KIDDING!

But, we did get a chance to see things that made Disney what it is today - the cameras that allowed animation to look like it had different layers; different models used in Disney shows; and the original house where Walt Disney started drawing his cartoons that became the world renowned film studio that it is today.

It was pretty cool to see what very few people get to see....  Zubin showed us what he is working on now and the kids are already excited about watching it when it is released.  Navras is getting excited about possibly working in animation as a result of seeing the work but it certainly has not detracted from his interest in film.  And, Arjun is now excited about the possibilities of where his drawing may take him in the future!

From here we went to the Hollywood Walk of Fame and the Ripley's Museum...

And, of course, don't forget the famous Hollywood sign....  we were a long ways away but we saw it!  Hard to get a good shot with us in it but you can see we were there!

And, when we get back you will have to ask the kids about the SWEET story they have to share with you all.  It was fantastic.... A good day for sure and a nice break from the parks before the craziness continued.

Day 2 - California Adventure

Our day began early because while it was great to stay at a home, it came with a small downside - the drive to Anaheim.  The Disney Resort was 1 1/2 hr drive from Seema's house so (because we didn't want to miss out on the park experience), we left the house around 8 so we could get there by 10.  We decided our first day would be at the California Adventure Park.  We got there a little later than expected but we got our tickets and got onto the tram to get through security and in for our first full-fledged sighting.....

We again did so many rides - even though they were so many geared towards the younger genre we had fun.  The Carsland rides were great fun.... even Bugs Life was a hoot!  It's so much fun to be a kids again.  We, of course, had to watch the Pixas characters parade where we got to watch all the famous characters come to life and dance their way past us - blowing bubbles or shooting us with water as they went!

We did do some of the scarier rides as well - but I think I was the most scared of us all.  We did the ferris wheel where we had the option of going on the moving gondolas which we took.  I thought it would be fun to take video of the park from above but I think the video is of my hand gripping the cage of the swinging gondola and me screaming while the kids talk calmly to me!  AH, the memories!

It was great fun - seeing the characters, getting the autographs,, taking the snapshots!

We stayed til the bitter end... World of Color finishes California Adventure with an breathtaking lightshow of mist, light, colour showcasing the Disney characters.  It was so amazing, so worthwhile.  WOW....  The pictures can't capture it because the characters and the story is shown in the mist so it's impossible to take pictures of it.... WOW is all I can say!

Last thing we did was grab a coffee for the ride home...  so park hours 10.5 hours (total park time 21 hours and counting) driving time 3 hours.

And the Craziness Begins - Universal

If you have read our blogs from last year you know we are a little crazy - if we are here we are not leaving things behind so this was the start of the week of crazy.  Universal was our first amusement park in the LA area.  Navras was the most excited with his growing interest in the entertainment industry he wanted to get a look at behind the scenes; while Shanti wanted to see the stars!  In the end, we got to do both!

We started the day at 10 AM with the studio tour - and while the lines are long, they move at a decent pace and they keep you entertained during the wait (imagine that - being the business and all!).  We got to see lots of fascinating things - Whoville; Psycho; Floods; Jurassic Park; famous movie vehicles, and War of the Worlds set.

We got to meet some of our favourite characters as well!

 

We had a great time - went on all the rides and because they had an issue with the Transformer ride they had to keep the park open an hour after they normally close we stayed until after they closed... we didn't leave til 10:30 PM...  it was a long day but so worth it.  The rides were fantastic and so much fun.... so the count begins - 10.5 hrs at the first park!

Off to the Big City

We debated staying in San Deigo another day - there is so much to see and enjoy here. But, I think I would like to come back again and plan to stay for longer than just a day.  It seems everything I think I have checked something off the list it doesn't get fully checked off, just partially - the big touristy things get done but then the checking out of the town still remains to be done!

After closing up the trailer and hitching up, we were off to the big city of LA.....  Traffic here is quite a bit heavier than I am used to but even then most drivers are OK.  Not saying that there aren't drivers who are crazy - they go so fast but they are used to it.  I am not.  But, they are pretty good about slowing down and letting you in and going around you. I know they see out of country plates, a truck and trailer and go TOURIST..... Oh well I have that in my favour.  I'm OK with that.  I did pretty good for the most part.  I only messed up once and wasn't able to get into my lane for my turnoff soon enough so I just waited for a chance and just booted it. 

My sister-in-law's friend offered to park the truck and trailer in front of their house so we can stay with her - the road to her house is too narrow for us.  We pulled up and it was nice to be at a home base for a bit...  A weekend off to do laundry; hang by her pool; go to the local farmer's market,; have a BBQ.  It was lovely to sleep and hang out!

Safari Park

Our final day in San Diego - I wish I could tell you what do it was but quite frankly I've lost track of days, dates etc.  I only thing I know is it's day 3 of of our Go Card and what time things open.  The Safari Park opens at 9 and it's an hour away from our campsite so we had to get moving.    We heard it was similar to to park but bigger but worth seeing and it was!  The Safari Park is 1800 acres and while you don't walk all of it (No, I am not quite that crazy!) there was a lot of walking involved. 

Thankfully, we had gotten a few pointers from Teena and Anthony the night before and, of course, we ask the guides at the gate and the first fellow gave us the best advice.  He suggested doing the longest, hardest hike first when we had the most energy and getting it done with and then doing the rest later in the day!  We took that advice and set out towards Condor Ridge.  Wow.... almost all uphill and a long ways away.  Thankfully, we bring waterbottles with us!  It was beautiful.   The animals are still in cages but the areas are huge so it doesn't have the same feel as a zoo.

 

It's quite neat how the Zoo and the Safari Park work together so closely to save animals from extinction.  They raise animals and release them into the wild as well as send them into other zoos.  But, there was also some pretty cool exhibits.... like the Cheetah Run - showing off how fast a cheetah can run.  First, they have a dog companion run a course and he can do it in about 10 seconds and then they let the cheetah go and quite honestly, I don't even know if we got it on tape because a cheetah does the same run in less than half the time.  AMAZING! 

We even got to see the very rare white rhino....

The Park was definately worth the drive and worth the walking! They did offer different  expereiences inside the park which we did not take advantage of because of time and expense but I  honestly don't think we missed out on anything by not doing them.  What was part of the main expereience was plently to see and do.

When we left (yes, after closing!) we went to a little place called Chitos for Mexican food.  Being so close to the Mexican border we figured we would get good Mexican food and we were not disappointed....  Another good day of being tourists!

A Little Water Won't Kill U

Like I mentioned, we bought a Go Card so we wanted to make sure to take full advantage.  Just north of San Diego is Legoland and the kids are so into Lego I wanted to take them.  But, the park is so designed for younger children that it doesn't make sense to go for a long time.  They didn't want to go for the rides but just to see the figures made of Lego and again the the park is so expensive ($166.06 for all of us would have been the cost without the card) we decided to go for a couple of hours before we went to Seaworld.

The kids had so much fun looking at the figurines and doing the minifigure trades.  They loved collecting all the accessories and then trading out the figurine for something new!  A quick visit and then we were off to Seaworld!

I have to say Seaworld was neat to see... the shows were entertaining but it truly was all about entertainment and not about teaching.  There was not a lot of information about marine animals, conservation, or even about the animals that were in Seaworld.  I wanted to know the names of the other whales other than Shamu but they didn't share that information.  The kept the focus the entertainment - not a bad thing because it was pretty amazing to watch.

The kids had so much fun on the log ride at Seaworld - even now they keep talking about how it was one of the best rides!  Not sure it that is becuase it was the first one or becuase we got there at such a great time the line was so short we turned around and went again right away or because it truly was such a fun ride!  But, we were prepared for it.  We brought extra clothes, towels, shoes!  We knew water was involved at Seaworld!

And, then the night got better....  I had remembered a friend of mine from when I was a little girl was now living in San Diego and she was able to meet us in Seaworld.  So, in the evening, we met her and her family!  It was so much fun....  I hadn't seen Teena in years and it was so wonderful to meet her husband and her adorable little boys. 

And, we were just good (bad?) influences they stayed and watched the final Shumu Rocks show and fireworks with us and closed the park down for the first time!  It was great....

Zoo Time

After we all slept in the next morning (that doesn't mean til noon but 9!) we got up had a shower cause it was already getting hot in the trailer, packed it up and started headed out.  The kids were suprised to see just how different the strip looked during the day - just like a normal building but bigger! - than at night with all the flashing neon.  In fact, some buildings are starting to look a little run down almost.  Amazing how much a little bling can change things!

We head out from out site and left the lights of Vegas for San Diego.  So close it seemed but drive felt like it took forever.  The heat of the desert made us all cranky..  I was amazed to see that in the US the gas stations are not just on the sides of the highway.  You actually have to pull in and make an effort to find them. Not that it was an issue because we had our GPS (Gary) with us but I was surprised to see that.

We finally pulled into the San Diego KOA at 9 PM... with the pool closing at 10 I have never seen the trailer being unhitched, ready to go and kids in the pool so fast as that night.  Hunger forgotten, the pool was more important for sure!

The next more was our grand adventure at the San Diego Zoo.  We had purchased the San Diego Go Card from Costco giving us unlimited access to everything in the area for 3 days and it was a great deal.  Would highly recommend the deal for anyone coming to the area if you are planning on doing the big 3 attractions.  We didn't realize though we needed to go the Harbour area to claim it first.  It worked out OK because we got to see that area first which was also pretty amazing!  A tribute to Bob Hope and the Military, the First Kiss statue by the Waterfront. 

 

We finally made it to the zoo around 11.  The kids and I were so excited.  We have heard so much about this zoo and now we were here!

 



Our first stop was the aerial tram - basically a gondola ride to the other side of the zoo but how cool?  We had fun!  We went and saw the polar bears and were amazed they could handle the heat.  We were 'bear-ly' (LOL) able to handle the heat of the day but they were managing fine!  We then walked around quite a bit and lined up to see the pandas.  The San Diego Zoo is one of the few zoos in the world which has a panda bear exhibit and we have the chance to see it.  How amazing!

The zoo is huge - over 100 acres.  And, they have so many varities of animals.  Arjun was so excited to see all the big cats and by the time we saw them, they were active which was great.  There was koalas and we managed to get there just in time to see them feeding.  Koalas don't feed for more than 20 minutes at a time before going back to sleep so it was great timing.  We walked all around the zoo and, as usual, shut the place down.  It was so great.  We loved the zoo and I would go back in a heartbeat.....

Vegas or Bust!

After getting some laundry done, cleaning out the trailer a bit and replenishing groceries we finally head out for Vegas.  Shanti was getting a little bit ticked off that we left so late in the day but I kept trying to tell her not to worry Vegas is the city that NEVER sleeps.  We detoured a little bit to see the Hoover Dam.  When I crossed it oh so many years ago there was actually water in the dam area.  Now, it is just a very cool tourist attraction.

The statues at the base of the dam are rubbed by many in hopes of gaining luck at the gambling tables in Vegas.  Since we weren't planning on doing any gambling in Vegas we just did a drive by shooting!

In Vegas, we managed to find a campsite on the strip - can you believe it???  Yes, a KOA Circus Circus.  One of the most expensive campsites I have stayed in at $79 a night but what can you do?  And, really with all the rain the night before it had cooled everything down so much I didn't need to worry about getting a hotel room so even at that price it was a whole lot less than anything else on the strip!  We got settled in and the temperature at noon was already a sweltering 32.  We quickly decided to head into the hotels to try to take advantage of the AC inside.

Our first hotel was, of course, Circus Circus to see a circus show.  The kids were amazed to see how it was so dark inside, no clocks, no idea of what time it was outside at all.

 

 

But, it was still early Las Vegas time and we went on.  We got tickets for the Deuce (the 24 hour bus on the Strip) and we were ready.  There were a few must sees.  Unfortunately, the windy weather cancelled out the Sirens of Treasure Island show.  We made it in time for the water fountion show at the Bellagio (the first one was cancelled for the same reason) and then we headed for the family friendly side of the strip.

 

 

I knew about the M and M store but had no idea that next door was a Coke store - with an around the world tasting tray..... how could we say no?

 

 

I don't know how many KM we walked....  we did use the Deuce but not as much as I thought we would.  We finally made it back to the camper at 2 AM and fell straight to sleep.  Exhaustion will do that to you!

 







The GRAND Canyon

Our day at the Grand Canyon started out VERY early.  We were (OK I was) determined to see a sunrise at the canyon so I set the alarm for 445 AM.  I woke up and there was no sign of any light so I re-set it for 515 AM.  I had been told by our 'expert' that the sun starts to rise around 530 AM so I didn't want to miss it.  Again, nothing....  So, I snoozed my alarm for another 15 minutes.  And, again for another 15 minutes.  Finally, around 545 AM I started to see a hint of light but not enough to warrant getting the kids up.  Another snooze.  6AM and I got everyone up and we made our way to the viewpoint.  We met another couple who told us sunrise was supppose to be at 528 AM.... I was very confused.  Turns out clocks turn back an hour.... it was only 5 AM!  OOPS!  Well, we were definately on time.

We saw the sun starting to rise over the horizon the colours start to shift.  It was a very beautiful, peaceful sight to see.

 

 

The other advantage of starting out so early was we beat the rush - we had almost no traffic to fight.  Only the other crazy people who wanted to actually see the beauty of the canyon and not just "check it off their list of Yup I saw it and now lets drive like crazy and get out of here to the next stop" ones who came out later in the day.  We stopped and enjoyed the viewpoints.  As you can see we are all in our hoodies (well except Shanti!)  it was a little chilly in the AM - actually most of the day.  We were there during what they called the Monsoon season.  They were having quite a few rains during the day so we were quite lucky to have the weather we did most of the day to be able to see the views we did.

 

 

 

Well, that was the case until we got to Hermit's Point.  We took the shuttle bus to go to the end of the Canyon and just as we arrived they just down the shuttle and were not allowing anyone else to go up....  Lightning was seen up at Hermit's Point and once that happens they shut it down until it is safe again.  The only thing they were doing was bringing people back down from Bright Angel.

 

 

 

We waited and had fun for about 45 minutes and then decided to head back.  Good thing because just as we got into the truck it started to POUR.  Everyone around us was soaked to the bone.  We had debated staying the night but when we looked at the forecast it was rain, rain and more rain for the next few days.  We figured may as well get going.....  In the end, it didn't matter either way.  The rain stopped us in our path regardless.  We had heard it was hot in Las Vegas so I was going to be nice and get a hotel room but just I was in talks with a great travel agent in Edmonton we were stopped in our tracks.  Between an accident and a town just ahead of us flooding, we were stopped on the road for hours.  When we were suppose to be pulling into Vegas, we started moving.  Thank goodness we carry blankets, games and a bathroom with us!  But, I was too tired to make it to make it to Vegas.  I saw a sign for a KOA and just stopped.  Turns out we were 1 hour away from Vegas but who cares?  It was cheaper, nicer,cleaner and quite frankly it was there!  I pulled in, we plugged in and went to bed!

Bryce Canyon

July 25 our day at Bryce.....  Already, I know things have changed at Bryce since I came here so many years ago.  But, in a good way.  There is now a shuttle service that takes visitors through the different view points in the canyon so you don't have to drive your own vehicle.  You pay for park entrance ($25) and then park your vehicle (including the trailer) and off you go!  So much easier than driving through.  The park is about 17 miles in lenght and is amazing. 

The first stop is Bryce Point.... Named after Ebenezer Bryce a Mormon who came to the area in 1875.  He would have to come to the canyon to round up his cattle and the canyon became known and Bryce's Canyon.  The furthest point in the canyon is Bryce's Point.

The next spot was Inspiration Point where I forced the kids out onto a ledge for the perfect shot!

 

It truly was an inspirational experience.... the hoodoos, the colours.  Hard to put into words.  It just needs to be seen.

 

Once we got back to the truck, we grabbed some food and started our trek to the Grand Canyon.  The kids have been asking me which is my favourite - Bryce or Grand?  I keep saying - they have to see and decide for themselves!

 

Anyways, we are on our way now.  It's a bit of drive there but we have a campground booked inside the park so we are ready to go....

 

On the way, we even stopped at the same rock store we stopped at when I went as a child to get a few treasures for the kids.

 

But, as we know.  Things don't always go as planned.  Just inside the park there was an unfortunate crash involving a motorhome and an SUV and the road was closed.  They diverted traffic into Desert View where we met a great fellow who knew so much about the Grand Canyon and told us where to stand and watch the changing colours in the evening.  Since it was so late, we just stayed in the parking lot and went to bed.  But, at least we were in the park!