Hello!!
We just got back from a wonderful trip to California as a small vacation before we start school and will have our noses stuck in a book until graduation. (I'm hoping that's an exaggeration.) Before I start off here's some quick background information to make this post make a little more sense. My family and I lived in Irvine, California when I was in 1st and part of 2nd grade. After we moved away we came back for the next two summers while my dad worked with his old company. California holds such a special place in my heart because our time there was so much fun. Talk to my family for about 10 minutes and we'll probably start telling you a California story or bring up how great a place to live it is (minus the fact that it literally costs an arm and a leg to live there...and it's one giant earthquake away from falling into the ocean, but still great). Anyways, I have some beautiful memories from our time there. I mean, between spending nearly every weekend at Disneyland or on the beach or exploring all the great cities Cali (Do people still call it that?) has to offer it's hard to beat our time there.
We haven't been back since our last summer there, maybe, 14 years ago? So I was super excited when Addison suggested we go!! We're only 6 and a half hours from L.A. so it might actually be considered a crime not to go visit every so often.
We got to L.A. around 4:00 in the afternoon. The drive in was so pretty, but that's really not a surprise. We went through desert, Palm Springs, desert, and Coachella valley! I drove us all the way to Hollywood and it was terrifying. L.A. traffic is no joke. There is no drill to prepare you for these drivers. I can not hang, but we made it there alive! We walked around Hollywood, checked out the Chinese theatre, the Hollywood Walk of Fame (aka celeb's stars), and had to literally pick our jaws up off the floor after driving through Beverly Hills. I mean, a nurse's salary can buy you one of those houses...wait, mansions....right?
We ate at a Cuban restaurant called Versailles in Hollywood. There's a restaurant in Miami called Versailles that's amazing. My mouth is actually watering right now thinking about it. The Cali Versailles wasn't the same and wasn't as good, but it definitely satisfied our craving for cuban food. That night Jennifer, my precious friend from our California residency days, and her sister Lauren met up with us and gave us an absolutely awesome wedding gift! They gave us Disney Dollars that we could use the next day at Disneyland and some delicious champagne!!! I'm not kidding when I say I am so blessed to have such amazing people to call friends.
The next day we went to Disneyland!!! Get ready for LOTS OF EXCLAMATION POINTS!!!! It was everything I remember it being.... which is incredible. First off, let me remind you that we live in Arizona where today we ALMOST got some rain for the first time in 4 months (emphasis on ALMOST). It's also over 100 degrees everyday with no clouds in the sky. So when we crossed over into California where it's a pleasant 75- 80 degrees and your nights dip down into the 60's I think I may have cried tears of pure joy. It was the most perfect day in the world to be out at a theme park....I'm sure the Disney magic has something to do with this. When we lived in California my dad didn't work on fridays so my parents and brother would come pick me up from school and we would head to Disneyland for the rest of the day. Needless to say, it was absolutely the best thing ever. Addison didn't even throw me off the roller coasters after hearing "When we used to come here...." 7230832180 times. What a good man. I'm sure you guys are about ready to X out of here thanks to my very long trip down memory lane. I promise I won't go overboard.
We hit up the crowd favorites at Disneyland. We got soaked on Splash Mountain after I gave up our spot at the back of the log (without consulting Addison..oops) to an older couple for the front 2 spots. Addison rode our family favorite- the Indiana Jones ride- and loved it too! It really is a fabulous ride. We had lunch in the New Orleans square because we were missing home and tempted by beignets. While at the restaurant one of the waitresses dropped a jar of jelly and somehow it ended up on my leg at the same time as our waitress was handing me my hot plate of food. She was flustered because she had just told me how hot my plate was and I was grabbing it. Addison was confused about what was happening. I was confused about why something was all over my leg. Addison was asking me questions and didn't get why it looked like globs of blood were all over my leg. I was confused and frustrated about why some unknown substance was on my leg, why Addison didn't get that it wasn't blood, and that SOMETHING WAS ON MY LEG. The manager walked by at this point and misunderstood my confusion as anger and presented us with a fast pass for any ride because of the inconvenience. It really wasn't one, but whatever I'll take what I can get!!!
We got a two park pass and were able to go to Disneyland and California Adventure, Disney's newer park right across the street. My family and I went to California Adventure the summer that it opened. I didn't remember much about the park other than their massive roller coaster that loop-de-loops and took a toll on pops's back when we rode. Addison and I rode it twice and it was just as crazy as we were hoping. We ended up using our free fast pass for Disney's version of the tower of terror. It was horrible and terrifying all at the same time. I guess it's called the Hollywood Hotel of terror or something like that...I think I may have just combined two different rides' names, BUT the point is it's HORRIFYING. It drops you like 10 stories and it's the worst. We rode, we screamed, and it took me 3 days to get my voice back.
Please note the most photogenic roller coaster rider ever next to me.
We're in the front row. I'm on the verge of tears and squeezing the life out of Addison's hand. Addison looks like someone told him an amusing joke.
I have a ton of favorite memories at Disneyland. Some of them include watching the fireworks and shows Disney puts on once the sun goes down. We watched a phenomenal firework show that evening as well as the same show my family and I used to watch, Fantasmic. It was just as awesome as I remembered. Seriously, Disney parks are the absolute best. Sure, you'll drop $4 on a stinking bottle of water, wait in line for 45 minutes to scream your face off for 3, endure hearing SO MANY children crying that you consider getting your tubes tied ON THE SPOT, and your legs will be sore for a good two days, but it's worth it. I'm telling you...that Disney magic or pixie dust or whatever it is is something serious.
xoxo
