California Dazzling: A Roadtrip Vacation Spectacular - Last Update and Final Thoughts 11/8

[englishrose47]

Not sure if I subbed but am doing so now !!

 

[englishrose47]

I thought I just subbed this will be either sub 1 or 2 or 3 !!!!!!

 

[englishrose47]

I am all caught up. I have to say Michaels has the most HANSOME Hand I have ever seen !!!My worse memories of passport are when Judy was 18months old and we had just landed at Gatwick and headed to Passport, me carrying a diaper bag and carry on , in one arm and trying to hang on to a toddler with the other . I let go to get out our passports and Quick as lightening she walked right thru and was on the other side saying "HI" to everyone . People in line let me go first and the Pasport guy sort of glared at me but did not stop me either .

 

[franandaj]

Smart move not driving to Anaheim at rush hour. Michael is obviously a local, they don't call it the 4 or 5 hour freeway for nothing! I was wondering why you ended up at the same place as last year, but Michael's explanation makes sense. I used to live in The Valley and when I get back there I have a few local haunts I like to revisit (if you can believe that The Valley has any highlights, Michael will understand that one).

Room readyness is a big pet peve at the VGC. I have almost never had the room ready early. Most of the time I get the text that the room is ready right at 4PM, but there have been a few times that it has stretched until later. Only once can I remember it being ready early. The shots of the studio look nice. I have never had a pool view only PP and Grizzly Challenge.

I'm glad you were able to relax at the pool if only for a few minutes. Looking forward to hearing about the rest!

 

[PrincessInOz]

Yay for getting to the Pacific Ocean at the start and shopping at Target. And yes, smart move not driving in peak hour traffic.
Despite the room not being ready at an appropriate time, that VGC room is lovely.

Glad you got time in the pool but what a pain about the SIM card!


ps. We not only cross the Equator but we go back a day when we travel to the US. It looks like you lose a day when you go and gain it on the way back. It's the opposite for the Aussies.

 

[Flossbolna]

Awesome that you got to stick your toes in the Pacific right at the start of your vacation.

Yes, it was really nice!!

We have yet to go to Huntington Beach, but we loved Santa Monica beach. I remember that very fondly.

We were at Manhattan Beach. I have been to Santa Monica in 2005, but liked Manhattan Beach better. Well, I would say the beach itself is very much the same, but the town is far closer to the beach than in Santa Monica and there are some really nice shops and restaurants very close by. And they have a large underground parking garage that does not charge a lot.

So you are a Target shopper - hm, guess we will have to pay a visit in March, we have yet to make it to one.

I really like Target. For food they are not the best place to go to, meaning that in Florida I would rather shop at Publix for food. But everything else they are great.

Thanks for the pics of your GC studio. I am still torn between using my DVC or paying OOP for the Disneyland Hotel. Now you peaked my interest in the Paradise Pier as well. Thank you very much.

I had a hard time justifying the points we used this summer. But we had them and it was a special trip! But it hurts if you are paying more for a studio than some one bedrooms in the off season at WDW!! However, I would never ever have paid cash to stay at the Disneyland Hotel. I love the idea of the Disneyland hotel, but to me all the three hotels are just so overpriced! Especially for a short trip when you spend a lot of time in the theme parks, I would rather stay at one of the hotels close by. We had all the best intentions of making good use of the lovely hotel we stayed at, but even with staying 9 nights in total in the Anaheim area, we struggled having time for the hotel!

There a couple of brand new hotels that just opened or are going to open just opposite the resort entrance on Harbor Boulevard. I would really recommend looking into those!

We stayed one night at the Paradise Pier at the end (on points, yes it hurt even more!). But the reason for that was that it was D23, it was convenient to have Disney take care of our luggage and it was only one night. There will be more about Paradise Pier coming soonish. I guess you won't have to worry too much about your accommodation until January anyway.

What a shame about the SIM card. But I guess it is a mistake easily made.

It just totally confused me at first as tired as I was and then I nearly started crying over it... Lesson learned: Don't deal with technology when you are tired!

 

[Flossbolna]

I'm here Magdalene! A bit late to the party, just got back from our awesome Disney trip ourselves. Great start and can't wait to read all about your new adventures.

Wendy! I am so happy to hear that you had an awesome trip yourself!!

I hear you on the transatlantic flight. I flew KLM from Amsterdam this time round and that was pretty good. I was impressed with the automated passport control. That is a great idea to head for the beach first to beat the traffic. The Grand Californian seems to be the worst of all the DVC properties for rooms not being ready.

Corinna

I have heard horrible things about KLM in the past, so I have always avoided them. Good to know that you had a good experience!

We had a not so good experience at the AKL when we stayed there in 2013 with our room not being ready. So, at the moment I really can't say that GCV is the worst.

 

[Flossbolna]

Not sure if I subbed but am doing so now !!

I thought I just subbed this will be either sub 1 or 2 or 3 !!!!!!

Rosie! I am sure by now you are really subscribed to the thread!!

I am all caught up. I have to say Michaels has the most HANSOME Hand I have ever seen !!!My worse memories of passport are when Judy was 18months old and we had just landed at Gatwick and headed to Passport, me carrying a diaper bag and carry on , in one arm and trying to hang on to a toddler with the other . I let go to get out our passports and Quick as lightening she walked right thru and was on the other side saying "HI" to everyone . People in line let me go first and the Pasport guy sort of glared at me but did not stop me either .

I had to laugh at your hand comment!!

And that is a scary story with Judy at passport control!! Did you still have a British passport then? I guess that would have helped!

 

[Flossbolna]

Smart move not driving to Anaheim at rush hour. Michael is obviously a local, they don't call it the 4 or 5 hour freeway for nothing!

My friend and I made the mistake in 2005 because we were impatient to get to Anaheim...

I was wondering why you ended up at the same place as last year, but Michael's explanation makes sense. I used to live in The Valley and when I get back there I have a few local haunts I like to revisit (if you can believe that The Valley has any highlights, Michael will understand that one).

By now I think the Kettle has become a staple for me as well! I can totally understand wanting to go back to old local haunts.

Room readyness is a big pet peve at the VGC. I have almost never had the room ready early. Most of the time I get the text that the room is ready right at 4PM, but there have been a few times that it has stretched until later. Only once can I remember it being ready early.

This just seems silly. I noticed that on our floor they had all the baskets out early on, but it was not until late in the day that you could actually see people working in the rooms.

The shots of the studio look nice. I have never had a pool view only PP and Grizzly Challenge.

I was very happy with pool view! My only request was not first floor. I loved the Grizzly Challenge view we had last time as well.

I'm glad you were able to relax at the pool if only for a few minutes. Looking forward to hearing about the rest!

Pool time is always great!

 

[dolphingirl47]

I have heard horrible things about KLM in the past, so I have always avoided them. Good to know that you had a good experience!

I flew back with KLM in 2011 and then I flew KLM this time and I could not fault them. I would even go as far as saying that on this flight they have come pretty close to the standards I am used to from Emirates.

We had a not so good experience at the AKL when we stayed there in 2013 with our room not being ready. So, at the moment I really can't say that GCV is the worst.

I hope that we will have better luck at AKV.

Corinna

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

But when you put them up against any American carrier, well, they give you the type of service that every airline should provide.

I think your average cattle car is more appealing than most American airlines.

Somehow the machine took ages to verify that I was me, I think it was confused that I was wearing glasses while the picture in my passport does not have glasses. But then everything was fine and I was released. All in all I might have waited maybe a full minute or two. But others were through much quicker!

Are you sure you're not on a list somewhere?

At some point I noticed that we were above Greenland and that you actually see the glaciers beneath us.

Hey, that's pretty cool!

On my last entries into the US, they always required all my ten fingers, this time they just wanted the fingers from the left hand (no thumb).

Wow, that's pretty demanding. How do you give them 4 fingers if they took all ten on the last trip?

All in all, the whole process took less than 10 minutes!!

Greatest country on Earth. GREATEST!

What Michael said.

We tried to get there on the scenic route and drove along the coast for a bit – to admire a huge sewage plant and an oil refinery.

Crap. There goes that "greatest country" thing.

M in Target is sorta like me in Rewe or any German store.

You do seem to love your Target stores.

I want to point out that my stuff were the light grey bag (my carry on) and the grey hard shell suitcase… And I am the girl!!

(yes, that’s Michael hiding there!)

Well, he's got a nice forearm.

 

[Flossbolna]

Yay for getting to the Pacific Ocean at the start and shopping at Target. And yes, smart move not driving in peak hour traffic.
Despite the room not being ready at an appropriate time, that VGC room is lovely.

It was a really nice start to the trip! It is nice to arrive and have company that is not equally exhausted from the long flight. But then, I think I still would prefer not being on the plane on my own, but have company during the long flight.

Glad you got time in the pool but what a pain about the SIM card!

I really should not have spent so much time totally tired with that SIM card..

ps. We not only cross the Equator but we go back a day when we travel to the US. It looks like you lose a day when you go and gain it on the way back. It's the opposite for the Aussies.

I just tried to figure this out... According to my iPhone you are 8 hours ahead of me and California is 9 hours behind me. So you are 17 hours ahead of them... So, if you leave at 12 noon for your 14 hour flight, you arrive at 9am while at home it is 2 am the next day??? Sounds crazy!! We do not really lose a day since we are not crossing the date line, but you could say that we have a very long day traveling to California and then a very abbreviated one traveling back. I better stop trying to get my head around your time issues between Australia and California, it makes my head hurt!!

But one question: How long of a flight is it from Australia to Hawaii or Japan? Those must be somewhat closer??

 

[Flossbolna]

I flew back with KLM in 2011 and then I flew KLM this time and I could not fault them. I would even go as far as saying that on this flight they have come pretty close to the standards I am used to from Emirates.

Thanks! That is a great endorsement from you! I will definitely consider them in the future!

I hope that we will have better luck at AKV.

I will keep my fingers crossed for you!

 

[Flossbolna]

I think your average cattle car is more appealing than most American airlines.

I somehow always end up with very old planes when I fly with an American airline... I am sure they have newer ones, but they never get them out when I book a flight...

Are you sure you're not on a list somewhere?

Yes, sure!!

Hey, that's pretty cool!

I love flying over great landscapes. The last few flights I always had such a cloud cover that I did not see anything. You often at least go over the southern tip of Greenland, even when flying to the East Coast.

Wow, that's pretty demanding. How do you give them 4 fingers if they took all ten on the last trip?

If they want all then, you don't do it all together. There is one screen, about the size of a lager wallet. There you first put on the four fingers (without the thumb) of one hand (they always tell you with which hand to start) and then once those are read, you press your thumb on the screen. Then repeat with the other hand. So, now I was asked to put the four fingers of one hand on the screen at the kiosk and was all prepared to then move on to thumb when the kiosk already told me that I was approved and never wanted any more fingers.

What Michael said.

Crap. There goes that "greatest country" thing.

You do seem to love your Target stores.

I think any supermarket and similar store in a foreign country is interesting!

Well, he's got a nice forearm.

The most handsome one ever!!

 

[Flossbolna]

When the Swallows Come Back - Part 1

August 7 – San Juan Capistrano, Dinner at Catal

The next morning I was happy that I was able to sleep quite well during the night. Arriving in the US, I find that my internal clock always wants me to wake up really early as it still is set to European time. This time I had to deal with a nine hour time difference. But thanks to the very full day the day before I managed to sleep quite well and only woke up after 7 a.m. Anyone who has read one of my previous trip reports knows that this is not a time that Michael would consider anything but prime sleeping hours. So, I had a plan of what to do during the morning hours! I had planned to go for a run.

7 in the morning is a ghastly hour that should only be experienced by farmers who need to get up to the milk the cows ... or goats!

In the months before the trip I had gotten into a routine of early morning runs and I had the best intentions of continuing that while on vacation. After a day where I had been sitting so much, I was really looking forward to get moving.

I was not very quick in getting up and out, so it was already well after 8 a.m. when I finally left the GCH and took the first picture of the day:

This is the monorail beam going through the hotel.

It really looked like the Skyway through the Matterhorn to me!

I had asked at the front desk for a running map and they gave me a sheet of paper which showed a course around the two blocks that makeup Disneyland and DCA. I thought, I should just start with running once around DCA and then see if I felt like continuing on afterwards.

I decided to walk across the esplanade (i.e. the open space between the two parks) and had to go through bag check:

I am using a little belt for my iPhone (kind of a tiny fanny pack) and I put it under my shirt so that I could go through without having them to go through my bag… I kind of justified it with the facts that 1) I was going to leave the bag checked area immediately, I was just passing through and 2) my “bag” really was just a belt, so more like an artificial pocket…

In the esplanade I got all excited about the decorations for the 60th anniversary and tried to take a picture of Disneyland…

And then turned around and took a picture of DCA on my right hand side:

Once I was out of the esplanade on the other side I started to run. And realized that I had made a mistake by not starting earlier. There was a steady stream of pedestrians walking towards the parks while I was running away from them (I was running South on Harbor Boulevard). I was very conscious of the walkers and often slowed down and walked past larger groups, but I was also amazed how many kids, especially older ones, really are not aware of their surroundings at all!

I then turned right at the next intersection onto Katella Avenue and ran past the Anaheim Convention Center. We were going to be there at the end of our Disneyland stay for the D23 Expo, so I took a picture:

At the next intersection I turned right again onto Disneyland Drive and there in the pavement was a little map:

Running up Disneyland Drive I got to the GCH, but decided to go on for a bit, I crossed under the Downtown Disney walkway and followed the road all the way up to the Disney parking structure:

While I was running all around the whole Disney resort area, I noticed how a lot of the vegetation seemed to be wisely chosen as it was pretty, but looked to be plants that don’t need a lot of water. I guess with the current drought this is a very wise thing to have!

I really liked these flowers along the way:

Once I was up where the parking structure is, I turned around and then on the way back followed a walkway that ran parallel to the tram route and ended up at the tram loading area. There I turned around and ran through Downtown Disney all the way to the Disneyland hotel until I saw these guys:

I thought that this was a great end point for my run and felt like I had really accomplished something!

It was still not 9 a.m., so I decided to first get some breakfast before waking up Michael and headed to the Downtown Disney Starbucks. I was quite amazed at the well-oiled machine they have going on there. We don’t have mega Starbucks like that here! They even don’t fill out the side of the cups anymore, but instead a computer prints labels – also with your name. They got mine wrong:

I guess Magdalene is too complicated… To be fair, a lot of people here get it wrong, too. Or at least change it into MagdalenA.

Michael had been telling me that he had a new favourite drink at Starbucks now that they had abolished the Valencia Orange Refresher (interesting side note: my editor corrected the name of this drink, I had written "Refresha" as that is what it is called in Germany - for whatever reason they decided to make it look more fancy here...) that both of us loved last year. It is the Black Ice Tea Lemonade, or even better: the Mango Ice Tea Lemonade.

So, I wanted to try that and thought I should get one for Michael as well. She asked me if I wanted it with or without sugar and I ordered mine without sugar. That kind of negated the whole “Lemonade” idea in it and turned it just into ice tea. Good ice tea though. And certainly more healthy. But I never ordered it without sugar again…

I also got a cinnamon swirl coffee cake, which I had loved on previous trips. It still is very nice and tasty!!

I was a bit self conscious before getting in line at Starbucks all sweaty after my run, but then just after I had gotten in line another lady got into line just behind me and she had definitely been exercising as well, so immediately I felt a little less out of place! And then while I was there I even saw another person in workout clothes (and not fresh ones), so I guess I was really not so much the odd one out!

Working out is considered perfectly normal in fitness conscious SoCal. In O-Town, you might have been looked upon as something odd.

After my lovely breakfast I headed back to the room, surprisingly Michael was already up. He may have been awakened by your leaving! (Oops! Sorry!) I quickly jumped into the shower and then it was time to head to our destination of the day. Michael’s brother joined us for the day and he actually came up with a brilliant solution to my whole SIM card fiasco that I had created. I had already researched that Best Buy was selling those same H2O packages and there they were selling the package with the triple SIM, so I could use it as a nano SIM in my IPhone. Michael’s brother then suggested that I pass the other SIM on to Michael so that he could use it while we were on vacation. Since it came with unlimited calls, unlimited text and 500MB of data it really was quite useful and saved Michael fees from his plan. This created a bit of confusion as Michael suddenly was using a different telephone number during the vacation. And for me the plan was to visit a Best Buy later that day.

But first we wanted to do some vacation stuff, not errands. Our destination for the day was San Juan Capistrano, which is famous for its Mission. It is one of the missions that were founded by the Spanish in the 18th century when they colonialized “Alta California”.

Again, a place that I had wanted to go before I lived out there and after, but never had. I had dined in the area, but that was it.

The drive down there was uneventful and we easily found parking. Walking there we passed the modern Catholic church that was built just behind the old mission and there was something written on it about swallows and Michael’s brother made a comment that I should not expect to see the swallows, they no longer return. I was kind of wondering what he meant by that, but somehow the conversation moved on and I forgot to ask.

Once we got inside the mission the whole thing was revealed!

But first a few views of the beautiful grounds of the mission:

The bell you can see here is the sign of “El Camino Real” – The King’s Highway, which was a 600 mile road that connected all the 21 missions in Alta California. It kind of was the only official route through California in the Spanish and Mexican times and still today major roads follow about the same route over 200 years later. At some point someone decided to mark this old road with bells along the way and you see those bells often when you drive through California. Obviously the Mission at San Juan Capistrano was one of the stations on the road.

They have audio guides in there which were done very nicely and we took our time walking from station to station.

Obviously living far away from any other civilization the mission had to be very self sufficient. So, they had quite extensive productions going on there. One example is the olive mill:

And here they were producing iron:

And a large garden:

The even planted the first Californian vineyard here.

They also were producing adobe, i.e. bricks made from mud, not to be confused with the people who brought you the pdf-format and Flash! Adobe tiles were very common building materials in colonial times.

They had some rooms to look like they would have been during the 18th century:

The whole grounds were just beautiful and I kept taking pictures:

Continued in the next post with Part 2

 

[Flossbolna]

When the Swallows Come Back - Part 2

And along the way I found out about the swallows! It appears that the mission had a reputation of attracting migrating cliff swallows that would build their nests all around the mission buildings. The legend says that they arrive every year on March 19. The whole swallow thing comes from a legend that says that a local innkeeper was destroying swallow nests and when the then head of the Mission, Father O’Sullivan saw this, he told the swallows to come and nest at the mission. Which they did for years and years. Father O’Sullivan seems to be an interesting figure. The mission had become rather run down and he put a lot of effort into restoring it and is kind of a local hero. He was also smart in marketing that whole swallow thing. And then in 1940 there was a song about the swallows. It is called “When the Swallows come back to San Juan Capistrano”.

That’s why the swallows seem to have such a wide popularity! I had never heard of them…

It's OK. I have a feeling that most Americans under the age of 35 have no clue either.

They had a neat little window in memory of the author of the song. The video above is the original version, there are many many other versions, even by famous names like Glenn Miller and Elvis Presley.

Our next stop was the Serra Chapel, named after Father Junipero Serra, who founded the mission (and many other missions in California).

From there we went into the old mission grave yard where all the converted native Americans were buried in unmarked graves. The only marked grave was installed much later after the grave yard had not been used any more for a long time. It is Father O’Sullivan's grave:

The mission is also famous for its bells. There used to be a bell tower and a stone church, but both were destroyed in an earthquake in 1812. They never rebuilt the church and therefore the bells are now in a bell wall:

They ring when the swallows come back. But the swallows no longer come back to San Juan Capistrano. They settle in less urban areas now during the summer…

I believe they do come back, just to an area a little further away. So, the Mission can no longer use them as a marketing gimmick.

I think these two bells were the originals one from the bell tower:

Most of the old stone church was destroyed in the earthquake, but the nave is still standing:

One last view down to the entrance gateway to the mission:

All in all we spent over two hours exploring there and it was really interesting. I cannot imagine the iron determination those people must have had who decided to establish those missions far far away from their home in a part of the world that was totally new to them. And it is not like today with modern technology – or even a hundred years ago, when there was at least regular mail services. Someone who came from Spain to build a mission in California in the 18th century certainly left expecting to never ever speak again to their family and friends staying back in Spain…

After all the exciting sightseeing we were definitely ready for lunch! I had done some research beforehand and had found a place that was recommended and directly across the Mission. The Mission Grill:

We had a look at it and decided to give it a try. I knew that I wanted some Mexican food, but was confused by the menu as you could combine a lot of different things. I thought I might want a taco, but did not know if I should have only one, two or three. Looking at the price, I kind of thought that most likely one taco would not be enough food for a proper lunch. Yes, I am not used to ordering Mexican food that way!!

We ordered our food, got some numbers and then found a table. The place seems to have only outside seating and we sat under a roof in the shade with a view of the Mission on the other side of the street. It really was very nice!

On the table they were advertising their house margaritas for 5$ and I decided that we should try those. Michael and his brother did not disagree and I went off to get the drinks. The lady at the bar was very nice and at first I was a bit disappointed that the drink came from a very large pre-mixed pitcher, but the drinks ended up being really nice!!

Here you can see the drinks and the chips with salsa that Michael’s brother added to his burrito (or at least I think he had a burrito):

This is what I think is a burrito:

With our other dishes, I have no clue what we ate, but I know that it was very tasty even though it does not look that appetizing (to me at least).

These were Michael’s order:

And I had this:

I think one of mine was beef and the other was chicken. Oh, and as I said: They were really good!!

The food was fantastic. You can't really go wrong with Mexican food in California. You can get great stuff from food trucks to little stands (like this one) to higher end restaurants. You do NOT find stuff like this in Florida, except perhaps at Antojitos at UNI City Walk.

Afterwards we walked a bit around the small town which has a very nice collection of old adobe houses from the Spanish or Mexican era. We also came across this venue:

We walked towards the rail station to cross the tracks there and just then a train came by:

At the road crossing we then noticed a bride and bride maids standing around as well as a photography team and a videography team and we watched them. It turned out that the groom was standing on the other side and when the train went away, they walked towards each other. The groom had a team of photographers and videographers as well and I think all in all there were about 10 people then busy in capturing the couple walking towards each other and then posing on the tracks until a station person told them off for walking along the tracks. Quite a production. I just wondered how expensive just that one photshoot must be with all those people working!

It was a typical monied OC affair. I loved when the official in the ticket office came out and ordered them off the tracks -- which were used by trains heading to and from San Diego and points north. He did let them get a few shots.

Here you can see the train departing:

We walked across the track and explored the area on the other side as well. There we found a fun little coffee spot:

It was a bit bizarre. One of those places that had more people just sitting around than drinking coffee. But we had some and it was pretty good.

This is the view towards the track crossing from the coffee house side:

On the way back we did find a Best Buy and I bought my SIM card finally! We then also ended up with a typical Southern Californian experience: We ended up in traffic. I even took a picture to commemorate this:

Up Next: Back in the Disney Bubble!!

 

[Grumpy's Wife]

So happy you started this trip report. Just wanted to say hi as I've enjoyed reading your others. Now I'm going back to start this one.

 

[franandaj]

I didn't realize that you need to quote things in order otherwise they just insert them in the order you choose, so if you go back and quote something it's out of order. I've had to kind of reorganize this post so it makes sense!

And realized that I had made a mistake by not starting earlier. There was a steady stream of pedestrians walking towards the parks while I was running away from them (I was running South on Harbor Boulevard).

I've seen this stream of pedestrians heading towards the park and I can see why it would seem like Salmon swimming upstream to run through them.

I was very conscious of the walkers and often slowed down and walked past larger groups, but I was also amazed how many kids, especially older ones, really are not aware of their surroundings at all!

I notice this all the time when driving around So Cal. It used to surprise me how many people were hit in crosswalks, but now I just shake my head. teen and twenty somethings just walk around with their heads in in their phones and don't pay attention to what is going on around them.

I was a bit self conscious before getting in line at Starbucks all sweaty after my run, but then just after I had gotten in line another lady got into line just behind me and she had definitely been exercising as well, so immediately I felt a little less out of place! And then while I was there I even saw another person in workout clothes (and not fresh ones), so I guess I was really not so much the odd one out!

Definitely not in So Cal. However, guys, might want to shower before visiting Starbucks if they have been heavily exerting themselves. Women, not so much.

They even don’t fill out the side of the cups anymore, but instead a computer prints labels – also with your name. They got mine wrong:

They always get my name wrong too. But I remember in Miami they had the labels because @Leshaface totally read my label and I didn't even realize it!

They also were producing adobe, i.e. bricks made from mud, not to be confused with the people who brought you the pdf-format and Flash! Adobe tiles were very common building materials in colonial times.

Having been raised in California, I never considered the company "adobe" in fact those tile/bricks are things we tried to build as kids! Never would have considered the software!

Michael’s brother then suggested that I pass the other SIM on to Michael so that he could use it while we were on vacation. Since it came with unlimited calls, unlimited text and 500MB of data it really was quite useful and saved Michael fees from his plan. This created a bit of confusion as Michael suddenly was using a different telephone number during the vacation. And for me the plan was to visit a Best Buy later that day.

This was actually a great idea!

Our destination for the day was San Juan Capistrano, which is famous for its Mission. It is one of the missions that were founded by the Spanish in the 18th century when they colonialized “Alta California”.

On the table they were advertising their house margaritas for 5$ and I decided that we should try those. Michael and his brother did not disagree and I went off to get the drinks. The lady at the bar was very nice and at first I was a bit disappointed that the drink came from a very large pre-mixed pitcher, but the drinks ended up being really nice!!

Pitchers of Margaritas are never a bad thing!

The food was fantastic. You can't really go wrong with Mexican food in California. You can get great stuff from food trucks to little stands (like this one) to higher end restaurants. You do NOT find stuff like this in Florida, except perhaps at Antojitos at UNI City Walk.

Mexican food here can be hit or miss, but glad this was a hit. I can see where it can be a miss in Miami. Sometimes here, it can suck. We know most of the places where it doesn't suck. And then there is fast food. In a pinch, Del Taco is OK, we had that yesterday.

On the way back we did find a Best Buy and I bought my SIM card finally! We then also ended up with a typical Southern Californian experience: We ended up in traffic. I even took a picture to commemorate this:

I'm glad you finally got your SIM. Of course you had traffic, it's alwarys here especially back from SD.

At the road crossing we then noticed a bride and bride maids standing around as well as a photography team and a videography team and we watched them. It turned out that the groom was standing on the other side and when the train went away, they walked towards each other. The groom had a team of photographers and videographers as well and I think all in all there were about 10 people then busy in capturing the couple walking towards each other and then posing on the tracks until a station person told them off for walking along the tracks. Quite a production. I just wondered how expensive just that one photshoot must be with all those people working!

Yeah, like Michael said, they probably had it all rigged with photographer on each side. I bet they were train buffs and wanted the train action in their wedding photo.

 

[Steppesister]

Liesa! You managed to sign up - hope you will find the time to peek at this trip report now and then in between working hard for your last year of school!

I signed up.



And then forgot to actually subscribe, so had some serious catching up to do. It's all fixed now. Go about your usual business. It's all ok now.

I took the entire night off to clean my house, and then rest a bit. It's been an emotional day with the shooting being so close to home. I also found out my neighbor had a massive stroke on Sunday, so we're trying to walk alongside her as best we can. All that to say, been a busy week!

I had pick ed up some Del Taco early in the afternoon

Del Taco FTW!!!!!! I go at least once a week for my burritos!

I also got a cinnamon swirl coffee cake,

Another fine food choice! You 2 and I would get along great eating our way through a trip!

Our destination for the day was San Juan Capistrano, which is famous for its Mission. It is one of the missions that were founded by the Spanish in the 18th century when they colonialized “Alta California”.

Every kid in Cali does a term of State History and when I was in 5th grade everyone had to choose to do a Mission Report. Each of us chose one and I did mine on SJC. I made a really cool diorama of the mission and studied all about the swallows and all. Unbelievable beauty there! I'm SO glad you got to see it and enjoy.

 

[AussieMumma]

I just tried to figure this out... According to my iPhone you are 8 hours ahead of me and California is 9 hours behind me. So you are 17 hours ahead of them... So, if you leave at 12 noon for your 14 hour flight, you arrive at 9am while at home it is 2 am the next day??? Sounds crazy!! We do not really lose a day since we are not crossing the date line, but you could say that we have a very long day traveling to California and then a very abbreviated one traveling back. I better stop trying to get my head around your time issues between Australia and California, it makes my head hurt!!

But one question: How long of a flight is it from Australia to Hawaii or Japan? Those must be somewhat closer??

Yep it's really strange going back in time when we fly to LA, we get there earlier then when we left home! On the way back we lose a day completely though as the flights from LA to Brisbane always leave at either 11pm or 11:55pm depending on the time of year! So if we leave on a Saturday at 11pm, we arrive home on Monday at 6:30am

Flight to Honolulu from Brisbane is about 8.5 hours, and 9 on the way back. I haven't been to Japan but Brisbane to Tokyo is around 9 hours also.