Candlelight & Cannonballs! (MANY MARDI GRAS MASK PICS!) Dec. 2012- Start Pg.235/#3524

[deejdigsdis]

WHEW!!! All caught up! I love the "Christmas in July" thing you have going. I turned on a Christmas station in Pandora to have for background while I read. This weekend we'll have our own Christmas in July. I think I'll set up a small tree with lights only, make some of the kids' favorite Christmas goodies, and watch Christmas shows. Mmmm...you can't beat sipping hot chocolate on a 99 degree day. (insert rolling eyes smiley here...I can't find it.) I'm looking forward to it. Things have been so busy, I'm looking forward to just relaxing.

Back to your TR...your early morning arrival at PPH reminds me of the beginning of the old 1989 "A Day at Disneyland" VHS tape I have. Just the anticipation of a new day...everything shiny and clean...the quiet before everyone is up and about... That tree looks so pretty. Someday I hope to step foot in the DLR hotels, preferrably at Christmas time.

I'm glad you made it to the PPH with your questionable shuttle driver/route. Scary at the time, but makes for a great story, especially the way you tell it.

I wouldn't want mozzarella cheese on my garlic bread either. That spaghetti looks so good right now. Apparently the salad I had a few hours ago isn't quite cutting it. I'm hungry!

Can't wait to see what's up next.

And...Happy Belated Birthday!!! So glad you made it to Catalina. That's too bad about the camera battery needing to be charged. That would definitely throw a wrench into your photo-taking plans.

By the way...I would love to post some pictures in a Light Fixture Thread (as long as it isn't called "The Light Fixture Thread" -- can't wait to see the title you came up with). I'm ready to post away! Just say the word when it's ready.

OK, time to turn off Johnny Mathis' "Sleigh Ride" and get back to reality...

[Sherry E]

Here is the light fixture thread:

Let There be Light!!


It's in the DL Community section, which means it will disappear from sight and be forgotten (just like the Stopping to Smell the Roses thread that I had to move over there)...but, what can you do?

I will be back to reply to Deej, PHX, Kim and Bret a bit later! I am trying to get caught up on 100 things now that I don't feel like going back to sleep every 5 minutes!

(Glad you're all caught up, Deej - I'm only 4 installments into the actual TR (I left off with the view from the PPH room), so there hasn't been anything new since Part 4 of Day 1!)

[Sherry E]

Originally Posted by mvf-m11c

Glad to hear that you had a great birthday trip to Catalina and got back safely. I always wanted to go to Catalina one day after reading your TR's the last few years and hearing how great it is for a vacation.

Hope you get better from your trip.

You got to do a lot during your trip. Sorry to hear about the battery problem with your camera. When you go next year to Catalina or in the future, we will remind you to bring extra batteries.

Hope you get better and thank you for writing up your birthday trip to Catalina.

Thanks, Bret.

I don't know if you would love Catalina, or just think it was 'okay,' but I DO think you would get a lot of awesome photos! So for that reason alone it would be worthwhile. It's a very picturesque place, because there are so many close-up views of the water, and then there are great views from up in the hills. There are a lot of photo-worthy locations. You would take some great shots of the Casino (which is not an actual gambling place) and inside the ballroom if you did the Casino tour. They take you into the movie theater on that tour, which is absolutely gorgeous. Those are great architectural spots for photos.

Plus, in Catalina you can see flying fish, buffalo, deer, goats, foxes, sea lions, dolphins, an occasional eagle, sometimes sharks (if you take the semi-sub tour), etc. Most people I send over to Catalina or that I have brought over there on one of my trips in the past have ended up loving it, but there are a few here and there who just kind of think it's so-so. You kind of have to get in the mindset that it's not a place like Disneyland or other theme park, where the action is kind of 'presented' to you in the form of one ride/show after another. It's a more of a laid back vibe in Avalon, and you kind of have to seek out what you want to do (whether it's a boat ride, a hike, a golf cart ride or a tour, etc.). There are lots of things to do if you seek them out, but it's also a good place to just walk around and take pretty pictures.

I would suggest that if you ever do make it to Avalon, start with a full one-day trip and see how you like it. Try going at a time when the Catalina Express hours are extended (like in summer), when you can leave really early in the morning and come back at 9:45 p.m. This way you can get some early morning pictures around town of the empty streets, before the crowds start to arrive, and you can get some late sunset shots.

You know, I had 2 batteries with me in Avalon. One of them was fully charged and in my camera. The second battery was in the process of charging when my shuttle driver arrived to pick me up in the morning. He was at least 15 minutes early, so that battery did not have time to finish charging when I had to grab it and leave. The little charging light was still orange rather than green, which means it was not fully charged.

So when I got to Avalon/Catalina I was, of course, instantly off and running with the photo-taking because it had been so many years since I'd been there. I probably took too many pictures too early on, and my battery died before I even rented the golf cart. That meant that I had to use the second battery - which was not fully charged, as I mentioned above. So I put the second, only partially-charged, battery in the camera and took the first battery to the Avalon pharmacy to be charged for $5.00. I figured I would wait for that battery to charge before I rented the golf cart, because I didn't trust the second battery to last for the entire 3 hours I would have the golf cart up in the hills.

Normally, if I am charging batteries at home, it takes maybe 30 minutes or 60 minutes, maximum. For some reason, it took forever and ever at this pharmacy for my battery to charge. Hours. I kept checking back, and the orange light was still on. I have no idea what the deal is with their power strip or whatever they use, but it took forever.

Finally, it got to the point where I was going to lose my 'get 3 hours for the price of 2 hours' golf cart deal if I didn't hurry up and rent the cart before the cut-off time. So I had to take the golf cart with only one partially-charged battery in tow, and the other one still charging at the pharmacy.

Because of this, and because of the fact that I was afraid my partially-charged battery didn't have enough juice in it to last for my whole 3 hours, I held back on some of the pictures I had fully planned to take - like some of the scenic views of the ocean up in the hills, and various other things around town. I had planned to take many more photos, but I just didn't do it because then I thought I'd be stuck with NO working batteries. I took some photos, but just not as many as I wanted to. You can relate, I'm sure - being someone who also loves to take a lot of photos, you can understand the frustration of feeling limited, like you can't take very many because the battery is about to die!

None of this would have been a problem if I had been staying overnight in Avalon - if I'd had a hotel room I would have just gone to the room and recharged. But since I only had one day, I had to deal with the pharmacy issue.

Next time I know that if I take a day trip again, I have to have at least 3 batteries with me!

Originally Posted by kmedina

We have dined at Ariel’s Grotto, but I had never dined at Avalon Cove. Excellent story. One day, I need to see Catalina for myself. It sounds lovely.

Glad to hear that the shuttle service worked out. I always get burned as well no matter how much sunblock I wear. Some people are just genetically unlucky that way. Thankfully, my boys seem to mostly take after their Dad. I have never had anyone make a comment about a picture I was taking. Then again, I never remember to get those awesome extra shots you and Bret remember to get. To me, you guys are just forward thinking. Yay to not getting sea sick. I think there are sharks out there as well. That would be a great title.

to birthday freebies. Those are always a lot of fun. Hope they helped make your birthday extra special. Here is your reminder to never charge your battery in Avalon again. It is not likely that I will remember before your next trip, so that is the best I can do. Driving a golf cart is on my list of things I want to do someday. I have never been golfing or to a place that has them. There were a lot lying around FW at WDW but I never tried to steal any. Hiking is usually a great workout, which is why I have avoided it over the past ten years or so. Sorry your foot was hurting, but I am glad it is feeling a little better now. You really should have an x-ray now that it has been a month and half. I know it is hard without ins, but Doctor’s will usually give you a discount if you ask for it.

Thinking seaweed was a stingray is quite funny. I am sure there were others who noticed that but chose to laugh in silence. Maybe, they did not really see dolphins if it was the same group who saw the “stingrays.” I am sure you got plenty of great photos despite the spot. I’ve seen your photos and they are always good. Glad you had a great time. Hopefully, everything is extended so you can do it again next year.

Kim -

Thank you! It would be nice to do it again next year - but I can't possibly see how the free birthday boat ride could be continued every year. I am guessing they will come out with a modified offer of some kind - like maybe free one way, and full payment the other way (or 50% off the fare, essentially). It seems like Catalina Express would have to put some sort of cap on it, at least maybe limiting the people who use it to only the ones who have not used previous offers. Right now, they are letting people who used the offer last year take advantage of it for a second year. If I had been able to make it last year too, I would have had 2 free birthday trips. If they do this every year and let the same people take advantage of the offer time and time again, they will lose a lot of money, I would have to think. Don't get me wrong - I'd love to know that I can keep going to Catalina for free on my birthday every year - but I can't see how Catalina Express could possibly afford to offer that to the same people over and over again.

Getting sunburns is part of the territory with pasty Irish skin! And it's never an even sunburn, either - it's always like one spot is more burnt than other places - like one side of my neck is redder than my arms. Or my nose is redder than the rest of my face.

Catalina is lovely - very scenic and photogenic. I love staying there for multiple days (or at least I did in the past) - which is not necessarily something that everyone would want to do if they can't get into that kind of relaxed, beach town environment and its related activities. But it's definitely a great place for a day trip. I think you'd probably enjoy it. Driving a golf cart is such a simple pleasure in life - it doesn't seem like that exciting of a thing in theory, and yet it's so much fun, for some reason! It's fun to zoom around (at something crazy like 30 miles per hour) up in the hills.

At Disneyland, I have definitely had people look at me strangely and make comments when I was taking pictures. That happened several times during the "Evil Chair & the Peppermint Cone of Death" trip in December 2010. That's the trip in which I took something like 1600 photos (though some of them were clunkers, or were left out of the TR if they were almost identical to others or if they were too blurry) of all sorts of details all over the place (even Bret was surprised at some of what I managed to get photos of, I think!). I was literally crawling under and around grown men to get to window displays on Main Street, and they thought it was funny. Sometimes I could just be standing there taking a picture of a flower or a light or a sign or whatever, and someone will walk by and say something.

So, in Catalina, I think it is even more amusing and unusual to people to see someone taking pictures of subjects that are not the typical 'tourist' things. And again, I am pretty sure that the reason why I have attracted such attention by doing this is because my camera is small and informal-looking. If I had a big DSLR camera, it would seem like I was a professional photographer getting photos of certain things for an article or magazine, or even for a Visitors Guide/travel book. With a point & shoot, people are confused and can't figure out what I would be doing taking pictures of window displays and signs!

I don't know if any of the pictures I get are awesome (thank you for that nice compliment), but a few of them are interesting and different. I may not be forward-thinking - I may just be nuts!

My foot seems to be no worse, which is good. I was afraid that walking all over the place in Avalon would make whatever the problem is even worse, but it's pretty much the same. It doesn't hurt all the time, but it sometimes hurts when I put on shoes or walk around. I agree that it shouldn't be hurting at all, especially a month and a half later, so clearly something is askew. What I am hoping is that whatever it is will clear up on its own if I don't do too much walking, like my knee pain cleared up after I took a tumble late last year. There was a spot in my knee that was hurting for a really long time - only when I pressed it or put pressure on it - and then it eventually stopped. Seeing doctors without insurance in my area of town is tricky, because they will still charge a small fortune, or they will demand it all up front and not allow payments.

That's a great point - I wonder if the people who saw the "stingrays" were the same ones who saw the dolphins on the boat ride! All I know is that dolphin sightings from the boat are very common - they happen daily, though maybe at different times of day. Sometimes they will get really close to the boat too, and the Captain will actually stop the boat for a minute or slow it down so people can watch them and take pictures. There have been times when I've been on the Express and the dolphins were everywhere, jumping in and out of the water in large groups, and the people on the boat erupted in applause, as if the dolphins were putting on a show for us!

So I don't think there has even been a boat ride I've had when I didn't see at least a couple of dolphins...until this latest one. Supposedly they were there, on the opposite side of the boat, but I didn't see them. I didn't even see a flying fish this time around, either.

It never would have occurred to me that there could possibly NOT be sharks in the ocean! That's their home. I just assume there are sharks all over the place under the water - they are not all necessarily the giant "Jaws" kinds of sharks, of course. Some of them are small and harmless. But there are also some big, mean, scary ones. I just thought it was so funny when the guy asked me if I thought "they" had sharks out there - as if someone planted them in the ocean!

Originally Posted by PHXscuba

Sherry, I'm glad you're back safely. Sorry you got burned, but it sounds like you came out of it better than you expected, so I'm happy for that.

What, no peppermint ice cream? I had Girl Scout mint last night.

I don't think you need a marine biology degree to tell kelp from stingrays ... gotta love some people's ignorance and willingness to share it! DS and DH saw a sea bass that DS described as "the size of our loveseat" in the dive park behind the Casino a couple years ago.

I will await the superthread for more on Catalina -- I'd love to take the kids there. I do have two teens with summer birthdays; hopefully they will extend the promo.

I did do my review of Knott's under the Theme Parks subforum.

PHXscuba -

Yes, I fared better than I thought I would, based on how my stomach has been responding to heat this year (even before Cars Land). Maybe I willed myself out of getting sick from heat exhaustion or whatever. I don't mind being tired, but I don't want to be nauseous.

The interesting thing is that the ice cream places in Avalon now sell Dreyer's ice cream (just like at DLR). This is new since I was last there. They didn't have Dreyer's in the past. So, on the board where they list all the available flavors in the store where I got my free cone, I noticed that pumpkin and peppermint were both listed. I said, "Pumpkin ice cream? So soon?" The sales girl said, "It's seasonal." I said,"And the peppermint? Seasonal as well, right?" She nodded.

So, to answer your question, I would have certainly gotten some peppermint if it had been an option, which it looked like it was based on the sign, but it was not. Why they don't take the pumpkin and peppermint OFF of the sign/menu board during the summer months is beyond me! It's false advertising!

Supposedly - from what the Avalon tour lady was saying to the family who saw the "stingrays" - there are a few enormous sea bass around town. One of them lives mainly underneath the Green Pier (and you've been to Avalon, so you know the Pier is surrounding by all kinds of people, activity and tour boats). She said that this bass only appears every so often - maybe it's afraid of people.

The loveseat-sized bass that your DH and DS saw by the Casino (I know exactly the dive spot you are talking about, and I was just walking by that area the other day) must be one of the other "locals"!

I will check out your Knott's review! I do miss that chicken dinner, and it would be nice to see some of their Peanuts stuff and some of their Christmas decorations when the season rolls around. From what I've read and seen on TV, they also do a good job with Knott's Scary Farm. Other than those elements, though, I am always sort of 'meh' about Knott's. BUT, if I recall correctly, their annual passes are a much, much, much lower price than Disneyland's crazy AP prices!

Originally Posted by deejdigsdis

WHEW!!! All caught up! I love the "Christmas in July" thing you have going. I turned on a Christmas station in Pandora to have for background while I read. This weekend we'll have our own Christmas in July. I think I'll set up a small tree with lights only, make some of the kids' favorite Christmas goodies, and watch Christmas shows. Mmmm...you can't beat sipping hot chocolate on a 99 degree day. (insert rolling eyes smiley here...I can't find it.) I'm looking forward to it. Things have been so busy, I'm looking forward to just relaxing.

Back to your TR...your early morning arrival at PPH reminds me of the beginning of the old 1989 "A Day at Disneyland" VHS tape I have. Just the anticipation of a new day...everything shiny and clean...the quiet before everyone is up and about... That tree looks so pretty. Someday I hope to step foot in the DLR hotels, preferrably at Christmas time.

I'm glad you made it to the PPH with your questionable shuttle driver/route. Scary at the time, but makes for a great story, especially the way you tell it.

I wouldn't want mozzarella cheese on my garlic bread either. That spaghetti looks so good right now. Apparently the salad I had a few hours ago isn't quite cutting it. I'm hungry!

Can't wait to see what's up next.

And...Happy Belated Birthday!!! So glad you made it to Catalina. That's too bad about the camera battery needing to be charged. That would definitely throw a wrench into your photo-taking plans.

By the way...I would love to post some pictures in a Light Fixture Thread (as long as it isn't called "The Light Fixture Thread" -- can't wait to see the title you came up with). I'm ready to post away! Just say the word when it's ready.

OK, time to turn off Johnny Mathis' "Sleigh Ride" and get back to reality...

Deej -

There's something extra fun about having a Halloween or Christmas-themed day in the middle of summer, isn't there? It has to be timed just right so that it's not too close to the previous Halloween or holiday seasons, when everyone is burnt out on all things festive, and so that it's not too close to the next Halloween or holiday seasons - summer is the perfect time. Why not do it, I say?!

It's fun to just put on a marathon of shows fitting those themes and get in the spirit - I think it helps build excitement for the upcoming holiday season, because the season is still far enough away so that no one is stressing and having anxiety about it yet. This is a good way to get a little taste of what I call "the fun holidays" - Halloween and Christmas - but without being in the "stress zone."

Yes, one of these days you have to leave Disneyland and actually venture over to the 3 hotels, especially during the holidays when the decorations are so pretty! We'll get you over there sooner or later!

I do love arriving at DLR really early in the morning even if I am not staying at one of the hotels. Yes, everything is shiny and new, and quiet! It's a great way to ease into the day, instead of jumping into it full-throttle when the crowds are already up and about. Even if I do just a one-day trip and no hotel is involved, I still want to start my day by walking into one of the DLR hotels! I don't want to be dropped off on Harbor Blvd. I want to walk into either GCH or PPH and see the trees, and then make my way to DTD, and onto whichever park I begin with (which would most likely be Disneyland).

The added advantage of arriving really early when you have a reservation at a DLR hotel is that there is a greater possibility of being able to get into a room at that moment, or being upgraded. But even without upgrades or immediate room access, I just like being there super early, when it's cold outside and there are holiday lights twinkling just before dawn.

Thank you for the happy birthday!

Yes, the shuttle ride to PPH in December was interesting - I still don't understand why we needed to get in the carpool lane at that time of the morning - but, as you said, it makes for a good story. On the shuttle ride I took 3 days ago - to the Catalina Express landing in Long Beach - that driver didn't go the way I thought he would go, either. It seemed more roundabout than what I was used to. But the GPS had some sort of plan in mind. I think it took a little bit longer than it would have taken if we went the way I know to go, but I got there and I got home, so that's what counts!

I'm glad to know I am not the only one who does not prefer mozzarella cheese on my garlic bread. The thing is, I've eaten that type of garlic bread before - not at Storytellers, but other places - but I wasn't expecting it at Storytellers. Their garlic bread has been so good in the past, without cheese. All they had to do was keep it fresh, make sure to not skimp on the garlic butter and keep the garlic butter fresh, and it was all good. The bread didn't need cheese on it. I like cheese on my pizza or meatball sandwiches. I don't want it on my garlic bread!

The spaghetti is really good - even though it was a bit on the lukewarm side this past December, the flavor was good. Lots of fresh herbs. I think my plate had been sitting out for too long as the other food was prepared. Hopefully the next time I order that dish, it will be warm and the bread will be cheese-free!

I thought it would be hilarious to call the thread "The Light Fixture Thread" just because it is so unremarkable and un-clever! But as you can see, I went with the "Let There be Light" title. I was going to leave it at that but I thought people might not know what the thread was about, so I added in the parentheses to give an idea of what they can expect to see. In any case, it's better than "The Light Fixture Thread." Bret and TK have already posted in it. It will be interesting to see if anyone posts in it beyond those folks that we already know take light fixture photos - in other words, are there other people out there who have secretly been taking these photos all along? I am hoping that they will be inspired by seeing everyone else's photos and come out of the woodwork!

I'm glad you're enjoying the holiday TR. I have to get going with Part 1 of Day 2!!!

[kaoden39]

I love boat rides. I haven't been on a boat in years because Scotty gets horrible motion sickness. That kind of leaves me out of going to Catalina, so I am living through your trips.

[Sherry E]

Originally Posted by kaoden39

I love boat rides. I haven't been on a boat in years because Scotty gets horrible motion sickness. That kind of leaves me out of going to Catalina, so I am living through your trips.

Michele -

That would definitely leave you out of it, unless you went there with other people and not Scotty (like an all-girls trip or something)!

I am very lucky that I don't seem to get seasick - I'm sure I would if there was a violent storm or something, or if the boat was literally turning sideways, but who wouldn't get sick at that point? Some deep sea fishing boats and some sailboats seem to rock a little too much, from what I have seen. Those might be tough to handle.

But just on basic catamaran-type boats and relatively smooth, uneventful boat trips, I don't seem to have a problem. However, I feel for Scotty because I've known other people who get seasick (or carsick) soooo easily. Just the mere sway of a boat - even a gentle sway - will send them running to the bathroom with a green face. It may largely be due to mind over matter, or it could be all due to the equilibrium. Whatever the case, it bugs me when other people say "The ride is really smooth; no one will get sick," because, inevitably, there will be someone there on the boat who gets sick even on a "smooth" boat ride. Everyone is affected in different ways. What might not make me sick will most likely make Scotty sick!

I'm still unsure as to whether or not I will actually do a TR for Catalina (over in the California section), but I will probably post a few highlight photos here. I just want to pick a handful of the best ones - I don't want to post a whole, whole lot of them in this particular DLR TR thread. I'm just trying to figure out which ones are the best ones. I looked through all of them last night, and there are a few that I said, "Oh, that's good" about, but the rest of them were kind of so-so. We'll see...

[Sherry E]

Here is a brief 'highlight reel' of Catalina photos from this past Saturday - I don't want to stray too far from Disneyland stuff, so I will have to post the other photos in a separate TR or just a separate photo thread on the California sub-forum. This is just a sampling (obviously, I took lots and lots and lots more photos of all kinds of things)...

Waiting to get on my Catalina Express boat before the sun came up...





Passing by the Queen Mary as we set sail...





Pulling into the Avalon harbor...





Welcome!





The water is murky in this one spot, but you can see Garibaldi fish...the question is, do you also see any stingrays?






Have I mentioned how much I love my camera for coming through for me on the flower pictures?






















I wonder if this is the town mascot?






The Green Pleasure Pier and the Casino...





Metropole Marketplace...





Random scenic shots...







Wrigley Memorial...






Some of the famous Catalina tilework...






Avalon...as the sun goes down...










This is dark, but for some reason I like it anyway...

[kaoden39]

Originally Posted by Sherry E

Michele -

That would definitely leave you out of it, unless you went there with other people and not Scotty (like an all-girls trip or something)!

I am very lucky that I don't seem to get seasick - I'm sure I would if there was a violent storm or something, or if the boat was literally turning sideways, but who wouldn't get sick at that point? Some deep sea fishing boats and some sailboats seem to rock a little too much, from what I have seen. Those might be tough to handle.

But just on basic catamaran-type boats and relatively smooth, uneventful boat trips, I don't seem to have a problem. However, I feel for Scotty because I've known other people who get seasick (or carsick) soooo easily. Just the mere sway of a boat - even a gentle sway - will send them running to the bathroom with a green face. It may largely be due to mind over matter, or it could be all due to the equilibrium. Whatever the case, it bugs me when other people say "The ride is really smooth; no one will get sick," because, inevitably, there will be someone there on the boat who gets sick even on a "smooth" boat ride. Everyone is affected in different ways. What might not make me sick will most likely make Scotty sick!

I'm still unsure as to whether or not I will actually do a TR for Catalina (over in the California section), but I will probably post a few highlight photos here. I just want to pick a handful of the best ones - I don't want to post a whole, whole lot of them in this particular DLR TR thread. I'm just trying to figure out which ones are the best ones. I looked through all of them last night, and there are a few that I said, "Oh, that's good" about, but the rest of them were kind of so-so. We'll see...

You know I thought about possibly slipping Catalina in next June while we are down there waiting for Scotty to ride down for the AIDs ride. I need to look into it.

[mvf-m11c]

Thank you for the good tip Sherry. It has been a long time since I took a trip that has nothing to do with Disney. I believe it was back in 2005 when I went to Washington D.C. with my family. It was amazing to go to the monuments and see the Smithsonian's museums. I wasn't much of a photographer back then until I got a DSLR camera in 2008. I really wished I did have a DSLR camera back then so I can take a lot of pictures. The last few years, I have been using my DSLR camera for taking pictures of the Disney parks and family function. But now after taking more pics from different places and getting great info on the boards, I am more interested in picture taking then I ever been. I haven't done a long trip that doesn't involve Disney which I am so used to the last few years. Maybe I should go one day on a trip that is not Disney. But when I have been going to a lot of Disney parks the last few years which I enjoy a lot, it would be tough to go on a different trip that doesn't involve the Disney parks.

Great pictures from your trip. You really got a lot of pics of the flowers which Deej would like a lot.

[tksbaskets]

Originally Posted by mvf-m11c

Thank you for the good tip Sherry. It has been a long time since I took a trip that has nothing to do with Disney. I believe it was back in 2005 when I went to Washington D.C. with my family. It was amazing to go to the monuments and see the Smithsonian's museums. I wasn't much of a photographer back then until I got a DSLR camera in 2008. I really wished I did have a DSLR camera back then so I can take a lot of pictures. The last few years, I have been using my DSLR camera for taking pictures of the Disney parks and family function. But now after taking more pics from different places and getting great info on the boards, I am more interested in picture taking then I ever been. I haven't done a long trip that doesn't involve Disney which I am so used to the last few years. Maybe I should go one day on a trip that is not Disney. But when I have been going to a lot of Disney parks the last few years which I enjoy a lot, it would be tough to go on a different trip that doesn't involve the Disney parks.

Great pictures from your trip. You really got a lot of pics of the flowers which Deej would like a lot.

I second Bret's post. Your beautiful pictures make me want to visit Catalina Island. I think we'd have to do it in conjunction with a Disney trip. Like Bret we think of other destinations but then say to ourselves 'we have so much fun at Disney do we really want to cheat on the mouse?'

I'm trying to talk my family into a DL vacation next summer (although I'd love to go back to WDW for Star Wars Weekend too) that would combine a park visit, the D23 convention, and perhaps a trip down to San Diego or now Catilina Island. Can I admit I have no idea where Catilina Island is??

On my bucket list is a digital photography class. I'd love to be able to get pictures at night like Bret and wonderful artsy pics like you get Sherry.

Thanks for brightening my day!
TK

[mvf-m11c]

Originally Posted by tksbaskets

I second Bret's post. Your beautiful pictures make me want to visit Catalina Island. I think we'd have to do it in conjunction with a Disney trip. Like Bret we think of other destinations but then say to ourselves 'we have so much fun at Disney do we really want to cheat on the mouse?'

I'm trying to talk my family into a DL vacation next summer (although I'd love to go back to WDW for Star Wars Weekend too) that would combine a park visit, the D23 convention, and perhaps a trip down to San Diego or now Catilina Island. Can I admit I have no idea where Catilina Island is??

On my bucket list is a digital photography class. I'd love to be able to get pictures at night like Bret and wonderful artsy pics like you get Sherry.

Thanks for brightening my day!
TK

Going to DLR and WDW the last few years is fun and exciting to see something new (seasons, rides, shows, etc.). It would be nice to try a different trip once in awhile. But I am just too much into the Disney parks that I just can't enjoy a trip that is not Disney.

You should try to convince your family to go back to DL next summer TK. Not only with Cars Land and Buena Vista Street. There is also the possibility that you should go to the D23 Expo next year in August. That event is so much fun to go to and see the screenings, props, Disney Legends, celebrities, etc. Also a great place to go to the Catalina Islands while you are there in SoCal.

Thank you TK. My nighttime pics are alright since some of them are blurry at night with low light. I did tell you on my PTR that I got a new lens which should help me get better pics at night. Sherry has a good eye for pics that is very interesting to look at.

[Sherry E]

Originally Posted by kaoden39

You know I thought about possibly slipping Catalina in next June while we are down there waiting for Scotty to ride down for the AIDs ride. I need to look into it.

Michele -

Oh, that's true - June would be a good time! It probably wouldn't be too terribly hot yet. Well, a good start - whether you head to Avalon next year or some other year - is to order the free Visitors Guide. It's basically a magazine (it used to be a small brochure in the old days), and it has lots of good info. The Visitors Bureau puts a new one out each year. You can also look at the online version, but I find that having something at my fingertips to flip through is nice!

Here's the link to order:

http://catalinaislandcacoc.weblinkco...InputPage.aspx

It can't hurt to order it, in any case. Even if you just order it and hang on to it for future reference, at least you'll have it handy.

Also, I don't know what my money situation will be next year or whether or not the Catalina Express will still be offering the free birthday boat ride (in which case I'd go again in July), but if there is not going to be another year of free birthday boat rides, I am always up for visiting Catalina when other people go. The Express will probably not announce until March 2013 if the birthday promo is going to be extended again past April 2013, so I will know then if there is another birthday trip in the works for me. And if not, then I can go another time - like maybe if you go! So keep me posted as your plans take shape, and if you decide to add in a jaunt over to Avalon to your agenda!

Originally Posted by mvf-m11c

Thank you for the good tip Sherry. It has been a long time since I took a trip that has nothing to do with Disney. I believe it was back in 2005 when I went to Washington D.C. with my family. It was amazing to go to the monuments and see the Smithsonian's museums. I wasn't much of a photographer back then until I got a DSLR camera in 2008. I really wished I did have a DSLR camera back then so I can take a lot of pictures. The last few years, I have been using my DSLR camera for taking pictures of the Disney parks and family function. But now after taking more pics from different places and getting great info on the boards, I am more interested in picture taking then I ever been. I haven't done a long trip that doesn't involve Disney which I am so used to the last few years. Maybe I should go one day on a trip that is not Disney. But when I have been going to a lot of Disney parks the last few years which I enjoy a lot, it would be tough to go on a different trip that doesn't involve the Disney parks.

Great pictures from your trip. You really got a lot of pics of the flowers which Deej would like a lot.

Bret -

Thank you for the compliment! I took so many pictures, I didn't know how to narrow it down to just 25 for a highlight reel so I just kind of picked at random.

Hopefully Deej likes the flower photos - but I really take them for me, because I like them! And because flowers tend to sway in the breeze a lot (especially near the ocean), I was so happy with my camera that it managed to get a few clear, bright, non-blurry flower shots! As I've said, I will snap flower pictures (among other things) when I am out walking around my neighborhood. If I see beautiful flowers on the way to the bank or the grocery store, I will get pictures! But I tend to do this with the idea in mind that I may do a project at some point - like a calendar, a photo book, a collage, etc. Something like that. I'm always thinking in terms of what I might do with the pictures in the future, and how I can use them. So 90% of the flower pictures I take you guys don't see because there is no point in adding a bunch of flower pictures to a DLR TR if they aren't relevant to a DLR trip I took! I have only sprinkled in a few here and there.

Pictures at the Smithsonian would have been awesome, I'm sure. You'll get back there again and take the photos you wish you'd taken. I know you will.

I think it's good to expand our horizons in photography, and occasionally stray from Disney. I know it's hard to do because we love Disney so much! If we truly want to be photographers, it's good to have a range of subjects to photograph and a handful of locations we like to visit (take KCmike, for example, and his visits to various other places as well as Disneyland in the same trip). There's a whole world outside of Disney!

That doesn't mean that we all have to be traveling the world to get great photos, of course - although, who wouldn't want to travel the world if it were possible? I can easily find beauty and interesting subjects right outside my front door! Just take a walk around your neighborhood, or a neighboring city - when you really start to look at things closely, you see that there are pretty things everywhere and interesting people, interesting signs, interesting window displays, and details everywhere. They may not be 'Disney-caliber' details, but they are fascinating in a different way.

Earlier this year I spent an afternoon at the La Brea Tar Pits and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), just walking around the grounds, finding interesting things to take photos of - or trying to hone my skills a bit, I guess. Some photos come out as winners; some come out as clunkers, but the point is that I wanted to get out there and 'see' things beyond Disney and take pictures.

In Catalina/Avalon there is gorgeous, colorful, decorative tile work all over the place - in town, on fountains, on walls, on benches, up at the Wrigley Memorial, everywhere. Catalina is largely known for its 'tile art.' A great "quest" would be to go around town and hunt down the tile. That would make for some wonderful, vibrant photos. I didn't have time to do "Tile Quest" on this last trip, so I could only get some tile pictures mixed in with everything else.

In any case, on one of these trips when you are going to be at DLR for a few days, just think about cutting off one of those days and instead heading over to Avalon, and then when you are done with Avalon at night you can either head right back to DLR or head home. You can catch the boat from Long Beach (I don't recommend taking the boats out of Newport Beach because the schedules are way too limited), and then it's 20 or 25 minutes back to Anaheim from Long Beach. So that way you don't have to eliminate Disney from the mix, but you can instead just add in another element/destination to your trip! Something like the Semi-Sub tour would be great for getting some pictures of fish, and the golf cart is great for getting photos of scenic views up in the hills.

Try ordering one of the free Visitors Guides that I gave Michele the link for above ^^ and thumb through it. See if anything appeals to you!

Originally Posted by tksbaskets

I second Bret's post. Your beautiful pictures make me want to visit Catalina Island. I think we'd have to do it in conjunction with a Disney trip. Like Bret we think of other destinations but then say to ourselves 'we have so much fun at Disney do we really want to cheat on the mouse?'

I'm trying to talk my family into a DL vacation next summer (although I'd love to go back to WDW for Star Wars Weekend too) that would combine a park visit, the D23 convention, and perhaps a trip down to San Diego or now Catilina Island. Can I admit I have no idea where Catilina Island is??

On my bucket list is a digital photography class. I'd love to be able to get pictures at night like Bret and wonderful artsy pics like you get Sherry.

Thanks for brightening my day!
TK

TK -

Thank you for the very nice compliment. I'm glad you liked the photos. Once I figure out where exactly I am posting the other pictures I took (in another TR or just a separate photo thread) I will let you know.

I think that's the best way to do it at first, if you visit Avalon - make it an add-on to an existing Disney trip! No need to replace Disney and cheat on Disney with somewhere else. Just kind of add it in to the repertoire as a day trip. Since Long Beach is only about 20-25 minutes from Anaheim (with no traffic, that is), it won't take long to get to the Catalina Express. You can hop over to Avalon for a day, rent a golf cart, maybe do a tour or two, that kind of thing. And then when you're done, go back to Anaheim or head home. This way, when you start out with a day trip you can get a sense of whether it is a place you and the family would want to visit again, in the future, for a longer stretch of time - like an extended weekend - or if it is destined to just be a day trip in the TK family! My friends and I started out with a day trip and then ended up making longer visits, but everyone is different.

The Visitors Guide is a good place to start for a pictorial overview, but if you are not going to be staying in a hotel in Avalon then you don't have to do too much planning in advance. It's good to book your boat time a few weeks or a month in advance, and that's about it.

As for where Catalina is located, there's an old, hokey song about Catalina, "26 miles across the sea...Santa Catalina is waiting for me..." It's not really 26 miles, though. It's more like 22 miles! If you take the Catalina Express out of Long Beach - which is what I recommend - it takes about one hour. Sometimes under an hour, and sometimes slightly over an hour, if it's windy. My nighttime boat ride the other night seemed to go by extremely fast, wind and all.

While I love my little point & shoot camera, the DSLR cameras are definitely the best for nighttime shots - no question there - and for shots of fast-moving objects. That's why Bret is able to rock those great fireworks shots! In the end, it really comes down to getting photos of things you love. If you love the subjects you take photos of - whatever those may be - then it will translate in the photos. No matter what the equipment is that is used (DSLR or P&S), if the subject is something you love it will come across to other people.

TK, the pictures you posted yesterday in the "light fixture thread" are amazing! Your NOS/HMH pictures were so nice and colorful - and clear! Much better than my NOS photos, that's for sure!

Originally Posted by mvf-m11c

Going to DLR and WDW the last few years is fun and exciting to see something new (seasons, rides, shows, etc.). It would be nice to try a different trip once in awhile. But I am just too much into the Disney parks that I just can't enjoy a trip that is not Disney.

You should try to convince your family to go back to DL next summer TK. Not only with Cars Land and Buena Vista Street. There is also the possibility that you should go to the D23 Expo next year in August. That event is so much fun to go to and see the screenings, props, Disney Legends, celebrities, etc. Also a great place to go to the Catalina Islands while you are there in SoCal.

Thank you TK. My nighttime pics are alright since some of them are blurry at night with low light. I did tell you on my PTR that I got a new lens which should help me get better pics at night. Sherry has a good eye for pics that is very interesting to look at.

Bret -

Thank you again for the compliment.

Yes, you can! You can enjoy a trip that is not Disney! You can do it! You can add on another destination to the beginning or end of one of your Disney trips. Your DA would probably like Catalina too!

Your nighttime pictures are always really good anyway (everyone has a random blurry picture here and there, so that's nothing to worry about), but I think it will be exciting to see how your nighttime photos evolve over time with the new lens! I can't wait to see those nighttime Main Street at Christmas time pictures that I know you will take, with all of the lights and snow and all of that!

[kaoden39]

I order it. I am thinking out of the box here!!

[deejdigsdis]

Wow Sherry! I honestly feel like you outdid yourself with the flower pictures on Catalina Island. Just beautiful. You definitely got some postcard or visitor's guide-worthy shots on your trip. Thank you so much for sharing them!

[Sherry E]

Originally Posted by kaoden39

I order it. I am thinking out of the box here!!

Michele -

Woo hoo!: I'm glad you ordered it. It can't hurt to order it (since it's free), it's a nice book/magazine to thumb through, and it may be something that can be added in to the repertoire on one of your multi-day SoCal trips. Once Catalina Express announces whether or not they plan to extend the birthday offer for a 3rd year (past April of 2013), then I'll know if I am destined to do another July birthday trip again, or if I can go earlier than than (like in June).

Originally Posted by deejdigsdis

Wow Sherry! I honestly feel like you outdid yourself with the flower pictures on Catalina Island. Just beautiful. You definitely got some postcard or visitor's guide-worthy shots on your trip. Thank you so much for sharing them!

Thank you, Deej, for the nice comments. I really appreciate it. Needless to say, I took all sorts of photos of various Avalon things, so when I get them posted in a thread on the California forum, be sure to pop over and take a look!

I think I just got very lucky, to be honest. I benefited from a good set of circumstances in the right environment - it was an extremely clear day, a bright blue sky, and I happened to stumble upon some flowers in Avalon that were either set against a good backdrop and/or were mostly in full bloom so the colors were vibrant. Even the green in the trees and bushes was especially green and lush...more so than in my neighborhood and even more so than in certain parts of Disneyland, to a degree. Maybe something about the combo of the sea air and the dry desert heat (in the inland part of town) affects the flowers in Avalon?

You've taken a lot of great flower pictures - and, in fact, I always envy the fact that you are able to get the red in your photos to really pop (and that's with or without the feature you use - what is it called? One-touch color or something like that? The thing that Bret uses too?). Whenever I take photos of red flowers, the red always seems to look a bit dull - probably because it's not at its peak of flower-ness! I hate to punch up the color in things unless I think I'm going to use a photo for a Facebook Timeline cover or for a photo project, but I also get annoyed when red flowers don't pop in pictures! So I was pleased that the flowers in Avalon were colorful and bright enough to where I didn't need to do anything other than point and shoot. Even the wind cooperated - that's another issue I have. Often times the flowers are swaying in the breeze and the pictures end up blurry. In this case, the wind mostly behaved when I needed it to, or the camera was able to get the pictures just before a big breeze wafted in.

Speaking of good circumstances for flower pictures... I was just watching a California-based travelogue show last night ("California's Gold," hosted by the ever-excited and ever-gleeful senior citizen Huell Howser) and the subject was jacaranda trees. They were discussing how they only bloom for about one month a year (usually in June), they do not like cold weather, and some trees are in full bloom while others are only partially bloomed. These trees are both beautiful and a nuisance, because the flower petals fall all over the ground and on people's cars, and leave sticky residue.

I happened to get some jacaranda pictures in Catalina this past Saturday - when I was at the Wrigley Botanical Gardens (I have not posted those yet). I noticed that the color of the flowers was particularly vivid and that the tree seemed to really be in bloom. That area where the Wrigley Botanical Gardens/Memorial is located is really hot and dry, as it's more inland and not as close to the ocean. I guess the jacaranda tree can thrive in that spot, and because it only blooms for about a month, usually in June, I guess I got to the tree when it was still pretty much at its peak. So I lucked out again! I got a couple of good jacaranda pictures too - but, as I mentioned above, I'll post those and the other Avalon pictures in a separate thread in the California forum.

By the way - did anyone notice that the cactus I posted a photo of had ears? No one said anything! How often do you see a cactus with ears? They're not exactly 'hidden Mickey ears,' but more like Koala bear ears or some other animal. I took photos of another cactus which reminds me of a foot, and another one which looks like it's wearing fuzzy slippers!

[mvf-m11c]

Thank you Sherry. I know it's always good to take photos of different things anywhere I am going that it interesting. I will take into considerations when I come back to SoCal for another DL trip and try to go to Avalon. But it will depend on my DA if she wants to go down to Avalon. I was considering going to the Ronald Reagan Library in Simi Valley which I have been looking forward too for quite some time. Ever since they added the Treasures of the Walt Disney Archives exhibit to the Reagan Library, I want to go there one day.

I am really looking forward to the nighttime pictures with the new lens at the DLR during the Holiday season. It is very hard to get a picture in the dark that is not blurry. It was difficult the first few years when I had a DSLR and I still have trouble today. I just don't put them all on my TR's since they are not good.

Thank you Sherry for the tips.