Today was a very long day.
As I drifted to sleep last night I all but decided to nix the trip to San Diego. I did this for two reasons. First, in no particular order, I had a lot of shopping to do. I had great discounts at Disneyland and I wanted to get a lot of Christmas shopping done. Had I gone to San Diego I would have had to do the shopping tomorrow. Two, it was still cold out. I've never been to San Diego and I didn't want my first taste of the place to be that of coldness. I'll be coming back to Anaheim for Ducks games no doubt - I can do the Zoo trip then.
I slept in a little and then headed down to the company store. I spent a lot of time and a good amount of money there, but got great value for my dollar. After getting back to my room and taking inventory of what I had, I grabbed my Hidden Mickeys book and headed to Disneyland.
I did a little exploring, taking in Main Street USA and the like. I went to Tomorrowland and hopped on the Monorail. I didn't get a chance to ride the monorail last year because the line was too long. It was a short but fun ride. This train is shorter than the one in Florida, and it only has two stops...it shuttles between Tomorrowland and Downtown Disney. It was a fun way to see the park though.
Next I wandered around a bit. I was able to catch the Mark Twain Riverboat, which was very cool. I couldn't get to the top deck, but it was a most enjoyable trip. I tried to do a few rides after that. I did Winnie the Pooh, and Pirates of the Caribbean...a lot. I think I rode Pirates about 6 times over this trip. I love that ride. I also did the Haunted Mansion again.
I made a quick stop back at the hotel to drop some stuff off and get my heavier fleece as the sun was about to go down. Back at the park I started doing some shopping. I also grabbed postcards for the nieces and nephews. I'm sure they'll get a kick out of them.
I accomplished a lot, but not all. Sadly I think my oldest niece is a little too big for the simple Disney stuff now, and I'm not sure I'd make good enough selections of the more advanced Disney merchandise. If I have time I may go to California Adventure tomorrow to see about High School Musical or Hannah Montana, but we may be going away from the Mouse for a while. I did get a little something for everyone, but this won't be a full on Disney Christmas. Makes me a little sad, but what can you do.
I rode the Disneyland Railroad again. Originally I was just going to take it one stop to Critter Country to grab a bite to eat, but the particular train that pulled into the Main Street Station had the caboose on it. The caboose is one of the older cars that they refurbished and put on one of the trains. You have to make a special request to get on it, but I was able to talk my way on since it was only me, and I'm really nice I guess. The only caveat is that you have to do the full round trip since the caboose doesn't platform at the other stations. That was fine with me as it was a unique experience, and very comfortable. Once we returned to the Main Street Station, I hopped on the regular part of the train and went my one stop to New Orleans Square so I could grab that bite to eat. I also used that sitdown time to fill out those postcards.
After the train ride, I rode Pirates again I'm sure, as well as Indiana Jones. I really like that ride. You sit in a giant jeep and explore a cave-type place looking for Indy. It's very bumpy but a ton of fun.
The rest of the night really was a lot of walking around. There was a fantasmic show, or something like that, in the river where the Mark Twain Steamboat runs. It's a very interesting show, the water is sprayed up in the air in an almost mist effect and video is displayed on it. The Riverboat is full of characters, as well as the pirate boat, and Mickey is there at the end doing a whole Fantasia thing. It was quite the spectacle.
The end of my night, as well as the highlight, was dinner at the Blue Bayou, which is one of the nicer restaurants in the place. It's right in New Orleans Square, and the boats from the Pirates of the Caribbean float by it in the beginning of that ride. I had a very late seating, reserved for 9:40, but I showed up around 9:25 and they sat me almost right away.
It was nice to be inside and warm a little. The beverage they highlighted was a Pomegranate Lemonade, which was great because it was light in sugar. It turned out to be very tasty. I wish it was featured in the park more. I'll have to do a little research to see if it's served anywhere else.
I started with the gumbo, as it was listed as the specialty. I had never had gumbo before, but it was great! My main course was blackened Salmon (covered with some sort of crab sauce) with bayou potatoes (pretty much scalloped) and seasonal steamed vegetables (broccoli and white asparagus). What a fantastic meal! It was so tasty. I sat there drinking in the whole scene while enjoying this fabulous meal. How I had room for dessert I don't know, but I had the Creme Brule, and it was amazing. Topped with strawberries and blueberries. I'm still so full I have to stop thinking about it.
After leaving the restaurant, the second showing of the fantasmic show was playing, so I watched it until I reached the point I started with earlier. From there I made my way out of the park, dropping the postcards in the mailbox.
I nice brisk walk brought my back to my hotel room where I am typing from now. I am, however, very tired, and I think it's time for bed. I fly home tomorrow, and I have to get up at a reasonable hour so I can get to UPS so I can send all my loot home!
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Anaheim - Day 3
Today was a long and fun day. I woke up around noon pacific after having such a late night last night. I got up, showered and met my friend from the Ducks game to head on over to Disneyland again.
We spent the day searching for Hidden Mickeys. We saw a bunch, doing Pirates of the Caribbean, Haunted House, Mr. Toad's Wild Ride, Snow White, Storybook land, and a few others. It was a great time. I also ate several churros, which I absolutely love. The churros in Disneyland are waaaay better than the ones in Disney World. These are so much fresher.
After hanging out at the park for a few hours we headed back to my hotel so I could get my jersey on, then a third friend picked us up to head over to the game.
By the way, did I mention how cold it is here? It's not much warmer than it is back east...I've been checking. Though there is not threat of snow, I'm sure glad I packed my fleece and my flannel. Layering is a MUST!
I get to the game and watch the end of warm-ups. After that I send notes to friends on twitter that are at the game but whom I still haven't met. My friends from earlier meet me for the first period. After that (and seeing the Ducks go down 2-0 and play like poop) we meet a few more twitter friends during intermission. For the second period, we head over to the section where these other friends are and hang out there. The Ducks go down 3-0, but get one back. After the 2nd it's 3-1, and the Ducks aren't looking that much better.
The 3rd period starts, but not before another slight seat change. These were the lucky seats. Our new rookie Sexton nets his first NHL goal and brings us within one - then with about a minute left nets his SECOND NHL goal to tie it! The place erupted, and I was screaming like a madman!
The Ducks take it to overtime and own the extra 5 minutes. Several close shots just barely miss the net before Saku Koivu gets the game winner and my Ducks winless streak ends at 7. It's finally over!
After the game we freeze as we walk back to the car. We get dropped off at Disneyland where my friend left her car, then she dropped me back at my hotel.
I was kinda hungry, so I moseyed on over to the Denny's next door for some eggs and a LOT of hash-browns. I don't really miss Denny's, or the indigestion that usually occurs afterward, but I do miss those hash-browns!
It's 11:30pm here, which is really 2:30 for me. I think it's time for bed. I plan to go to the San Diego Zoo tomorrow if I wake up early enough. I do, however, have a reservation tomorrow night for one of the nicest restaurants at Disneyland! I have a late seating (9:40pm) but I HAVE to be back for that. Can't wait!
We spent the day searching for Hidden Mickeys. We saw a bunch, doing Pirates of the Caribbean, Haunted House, Mr. Toad's Wild Ride, Snow White, Storybook land, and a few others. It was a great time. I also ate several churros, which I absolutely love. The churros in Disneyland are waaaay better than the ones in Disney World. These are so much fresher.
After hanging out at the park for a few hours we headed back to my hotel so I could get my jersey on, then a third friend picked us up to head over to the game.
By the way, did I mention how cold it is here? It's not much warmer than it is back east...I've been checking. Though there is not threat of snow, I'm sure glad I packed my fleece and my flannel. Layering is a MUST!
I get to the game and watch the end of warm-ups. After that I send notes to friends on twitter that are at the game but whom I still haven't met. My friends from earlier meet me for the first period. After that (and seeing the Ducks go down 2-0 and play like poop) we meet a few more twitter friends during intermission. For the second period, we head over to the section where these other friends are and hang out there. The Ducks go down 3-0, but get one back. After the 2nd it's 3-1, and the Ducks aren't looking that much better.
The 3rd period starts, but not before another slight seat change. These were the lucky seats. Our new rookie Sexton nets his first NHL goal and brings us within one - then with about a minute left nets his SECOND NHL goal to tie it! The place erupted, and I was screaming like a madman!
The Ducks take it to overtime and own the extra 5 minutes. Several close shots just barely miss the net before Saku Koivu gets the game winner and my Ducks winless streak ends at 7. It's finally over!
After the game we freeze as we walk back to the car. We get dropped off at Disneyland where my friend left her car, then she dropped me back at my hotel.
I was kinda hungry, so I moseyed on over to the Denny's next door for some eggs and a LOT of hash-browns. I don't really miss Denny's, or the indigestion that usually occurs afterward, but I do miss those hash-browns!
It's 11:30pm here, which is really 2:30 for me. I think it's time for bed. I plan to go to the San Diego Zoo tomorrow if I wake up early enough. I do, however, have a reservation tomorrow night for one of the nicest restaurants at Disneyland! I have a late seating (9:40pm) but I HAVE to be back for that. Can't wait!
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Anaheim - Day 2
It's difficult to become homesick when so much of your trip reminds you of home. Today I woke up late and hand a nice leisurely morning as I listened to the rain outside. Yes. Rain. In southern California. Awesome. I took my time showering and getting ready for the day because I was not looking forward to going outside. I'm not kidding when I say it was pouring outside. And rather chilly too. It only got up to about 51 degrees in the pouring rain.
I had some errands to run in the morning, which included going to to pick up tickets for the night at Disneyland. After hanging out at the Company Team Center for a little while looking around, I headed back to the hotel to do some research on the computer.
I wanted to find the store I went to last time I was here, and forgot the name of the complex it was in. I did remember that it was next to the Crystal Cathedral, which is, aptly named, a cathedral made out of crystal. The place is called Sports Treasures and is in the Block at Orange. It's a cool little sports store, that doesn't have much by way of hockey, but what it does have is Ducks related. I didn't buy much, a t-shirt, a few coozeys, but it was fun anyway.
After that I stopped by a Del Taco for the first time. I got a free coupon for a taco at last night's Ducks game and decided to check it out. It was...eh. Nothing special. And my tacos came with fries, which I found rather odd. I ran through the rain back to my car to head up to this little mom and pop (but really only pop) sports store that I found last time. He has a lot of old stuff.
He doesn't have much Ducks stuff anymore, but I did get a rather cool Mighty Ducks rugby shirt. I was talking to the guy while looking around and he said that his sails were awful, and he probably wasn't going to renew his lease. I felt bad leaving without buying anything, and the rugby shirt was the coolest thing he had that I wanted. So I either was a good guy by helping him out, or he's has a great sales gimmick and I'm a rube. No matter - I like the shirt.
I went back to the Pond to do some shopping in peace. Everything there is ridiculously overpriced, but I found a deliciously awful bright orange Ducks sweatshirt on clearance that I just HAD to have.
I went back to my hotel to freshen up and then it was off to Disneyland! One of the girls that I met at the game last night came with me. It was nice to have a local's advice as we walked around. First it was California Adventure to kill some time before Disneyland re-opened, then it was on to the main park!
California Adventure has a cool Toy Story shoot-em up ride, as well as a fun Monsters Inc ride that I did. There's also an interesting movie montage area that has a 20 minute loop honoring all the Disney movie magic. We also checked out the resort attached to that park. Very nice. Has a lodge type feel to it. And the fact that it was so cold made it especially awesome.
We didn't stay there long before heading to Disneyland. Once inside, we did the Indiana Jones ride. You're basically in a giant jeep as you head through an underground...umm...archeological site? I'm not really sure. It was fun though. It was fast, which was fun but a shame because you wizzed past a lot of what looked to be interesting details that were put in. I may have to ride that one again. From there it was off to Pirates of the Caribbean, which never disappoints, and then, after a Churro break, to the Haunted Mansion, that is dressed up for Nightmare Before Christmas. Very awesome!
Next it was the Pinocchio ride, Small World, had to pass on Mr Toads Wild Ride as they were having issues, and a really awesome spiny car ride in Toon Town based on Roger Rabbit. You go through and spin the car like it's a teacup as you go through it. Super sweet!
Next was Tomorrowland and the Autopia, Buzz Lightyear shoot'em up, and Star Tours (which is exactly the same as in Florida...bummer).
And that was the end of the long day. I picked up my ornament on my way out and am now back at my hotel. I'm so sleepy, I think I'm gonna pass out now.
More tomorrow, including another day at Disneyland, and another Ducks game!
I had some errands to run in the morning, which included going to to pick up tickets for the night at Disneyland. After hanging out at the Company Team Center for a little while looking around, I headed back to the hotel to do some research on the computer.
I wanted to find the store I went to last time I was here, and forgot the name of the complex it was in. I did remember that it was next to the Crystal Cathedral, which is, aptly named, a cathedral made out of crystal. The place is called Sports Treasures and is in the Block at Orange. It's a cool little sports store, that doesn't have much by way of hockey, but what it does have is Ducks related. I didn't buy much, a t-shirt, a few coozeys, but it was fun anyway.
After that I stopped by a Del Taco for the first time. I got a free coupon for a taco at last night's Ducks game and decided to check it out. It was...eh. Nothing special. And my tacos came with fries, which I found rather odd. I ran through the rain back to my car to head up to this little mom and pop (but really only pop) sports store that I found last time. He has a lot of old stuff.
He doesn't have much Ducks stuff anymore, but I did get a rather cool Mighty Ducks rugby shirt. I was talking to the guy while looking around and he said that his sails were awful, and he probably wasn't going to renew his lease. I felt bad leaving without buying anything, and the rugby shirt was the coolest thing he had that I wanted. So I either was a good guy by helping him out, or he's has a great sales gimmick and I'm a rube. No matter - I like the shirt.
I went back to the Pond to do some shopping in peace. Everything there is ridiculously overpriced, but I found a deliciously awful bright orange Ducks sweatshirt on clearance that I just HAD to have.
I went back to my hotel to freshen up and then it was off to Disneyland! One of the girls that I met at the game last night came with me. It was nice to have a local's advice as we walked around. First it was California Adventure to kill some time before Disneyland re-opened, then it was on to the main park!
California Adventure has a cool Toy Story shoot-em up ride, as well as a fun Monsters Inc ride that I did. There's also an interesting movie montage area that has a 20 minute loop honoring all the Disney movie magic. We also checked out the resort attached to that park. Very nice. Has a lodge type feel to it. And the fact that it was so cold made it especially awesome.
We didn't stay there long before heading to Disneyland. Once inside, we did the Indiana Jones ride. You're basically in a giant jeep as you head through an underground...umm...archeological site? I'm not really sure. It was fun though. It was fast, which was fun but a shame because you wizzed past a lot of what looked to be interesting details that were put in. I may have to ride that one again. From there it was off to Pirates of the Caribbean, which never disappoints, and then, after a Churro break, to the Haunted Mansion, that is dressed up for Nightmare Before Christmas. Very awesome!
Next it was the Pinocchio ride, Small World, had to pass on Mr Toads Wild Ride as they were having issues, and a really awesome spiny car ride in Toon Town based on Roger Rabbit. You go through and spin the car like it's a teacup as you go through it. Super sweet!
Next was Tomorrowland and the Autopia, Buzz Lightyear shoot'em up, and Star Tours (which is exactly the same as in Florida...bummer).
And that was the end of the long day. I picked up my ornament on my way out and am now back at my hotel. I'm so sleepy, I think I'm gonna pass out now.
More tomorrow, including another day at Disneyland, and another Ducks game!
Monday, December 7, 2009
Anaheim - Day 1
I woke up this morning at about 4am to begin my trek out to California. I wasn't prepared as I was last time, and am kinda winging it. I just made my hotel reservations about 8 hours before my flight. Yeah, not good.
I flew out of JFK on Virgin America for the first time. It was an uneventful flight. I was comfortable, and the TV and Music was nice...but JetBlue has XM, which I like better personally. It ranks up there with JetBlue, but it seems to me like you had to pay for everything extra where JetBlue has more perks. Got me here on time, which is the best perk.
After landing in LAX I picked up my car and headed to Anaheim. A little traffic on the 105 is to be expected I suppose...a car flipped over, which caused some delay.
After getting to Anaheim I promptly got lost thinking that I remembered where I was going from last time. 2 days in a city does not make you an expert. Thanks to Google Maps I corrected my errors. I went to Honda Center to buy tickets for tonight's game. I tried looking on Stubhub and Ticketmaster while on the flight (remember when I said I had terrible preparation for this trip??) but I didn't want to pay the ticketmaster fees, nor did I want to pay Stubhub's "last minute" extortion. I bought a seat in Section 412, upstairs.
After I left the Pond I went to a supermarket to get water and snacks for the room. I checked in at the Best Western Anaheim Inn a little after 3. After freshening up and putting on my jersey it was off to the Pond!
Parking was a snap and I walked around the building outside a little. They have a whole little lot area where they have kids' games set up - a lot of street hockey games going on. Basically a kids-zone, which is always cool to see.
I went inside and checked out the team store. I am from New York and used to NY prices, and I was taken aback by how expensive everything was! I paid $36 for a hat! I only paid it because I know I'll wear it very often.
I went down to ice level for warm-ups which is always fun. After that I headed upstairs to my seat.
The first period saw the Sens and the Ducks score twice each. Each time the Sens scored the Ducks tied it right back up. After the first a few friends I met on Twitter stopped by my section and wound up staying the rest of the game. It was fun to watch the game with other Ducks fans that I (kinda) knew. I know them now!
The game went to a shootout and the Ducks lost. It's a shame - my losing streak continues (up to 7 now...ugh) but I hope to snap it on Tuesday.
I left the game and felt like I was back in NY - freezing! Well, sort of. Not as bad as when I leave games in the Garden in December, but not SoCal weather! I guess I brought the cold with me...
I made it back to my room but was very hungry so I decided to grab a bite at Denny's next door. I'm sure I'll begin to regret it soon, but the hash browns were calling me!
Speaking of calling my, my bed is doing that now.
I flew out of JFK on Virgin America for the first time. It was an uneventful flight. I was comfortable, and the TV and Music was nice...but JetBlue has XM, which I like better personally. It ranks up there with JetBlue, but it seems to me like you had to pay for everything extra where JetBlue has more perks. Got me here on time, which is the best perk.
After landing in LAX I picked up my car and headed to Anaheim. A little traffic on the 105 is to be expected I suppose...a car flipped over, which caused some delay.
After getting to Anaheim I promptly got lost thinking that I remembered where I was going from last time. 2 days in a city does not make you an expert. Thanks to Google Maps I corrected my errors. I went to Honda Center to buy tickets for tonight's game. I tried looking on Stubhub and Ticketmaster while on the flight (remember when I said I had terrible preparation for this trip??) but I didn't want to pay the ticketmaster fees, nor did I want to pay Stubhub's "last minute" extortion. I bought a seat in Section 412, upstairs.
After I left the Pond I went to a supermarket to get water and snacks for the room. I checked in at the Best Western Anaheim Inn a little after 3. After freshening up and putting on my jersey it was off to the Pond!
Parking was a snap and I walked around the building outside a little. They have a whole little lot area where they have kids' games set up - a lot of street hockey games going on. Basically a kids-zone, which is always cool to see.
I went inside and checked out the team store. I am from New York and used to NY prices, and I was taken aback by how expensive everything was! I paid $36 for a hat! I only paid it because I know I'll wear it very often.
I went down to ice level for warm-ups which is always fun. After that I headed upstairs to my seat.
The first period saw the Sens and the Ducks score twice each. Each time the Sens scored the Ducks tied it right back up. After the first a few friends I met on Twitter stopped by my section and wound up staying the rest of the game. It was fun to watch the game with other Ducks fans that I (kinda) knew. I know them now!
The game went to a shootout and the Ducks lost. It's a shame - my losing streak continues (up to 7 now...ugh) but I hope to snap it on Tuesday.
I left the game and felt like I was back in NY - freezing! Well, sort of. Not as bad as when I leave games in the Garden in December, but not SoCal weather! I guess I brought the cold with me...
I made it back to my room but was very hungry so I decided to grab a bite at Denny's next door. I'm sure I'll begin to regret it soon, but the hash browns were calling me!
Speaking of calling my, my bed is doing that now.
Monday, November 16, 2009
Pittsburgh!
I flew into Pittsburgh this morning. I don't know why I insist on putting myself on flights before 8am. It really is a dumb idea. Flying JetBlue out of T5 at JFK was a nice treat. It's kinda like a giant mall with gates and people leaving. As I passed the gates for Barbados, Aruba, and Jamaica I really felt like a dope for choosing Pittsburgh.
The flight was rather uneventful. I snoozed most of the way, except for when the dope behind me kept grabbing the back of my chair when he'd get up. Seriously, it was an hour from take off to touch down. Who needs to get up that often? Thanks to DirecTV on JetBlue, I dozed to some Hitler show on the History Channel. I woke up very angry.
After landing I hopped a cab and enjoyed my first views of western Pennsylvania. Darnell was my cabbie and was very open about his love of Pittsburgh. We talked a lot of sports and he got me to the hotel quickly. He'll be picking me up in the morning too. This is what happens when you're a good tipper.
The Westin in downtown Pittsburgh is a very nice hotel. I walked in around 10am and they gave me a room, which was VERY nice of them. I was exhausted (see: stupidity of an early flight)and was able to take a nice nap after getting upstairs.
Step one (after waking and freshening up) was to find a Primanti Bros joint. I mean, I'm in Pittsburgh, I HAVE to have to check it out, right? I went to the one in Market Square (which will be nice after it's done being renovated I assume) and it was a tasty sandwich. I had the Pitts-Burgher Cheese steak (see what they did there?), but what makes this sandwich joint unique is that they put the coleslaw, tomatoes and french fries right on the sandwich, which is wedged between two big slices of Italian bread. I topped it of with a pop. (yeah, I know).
After grabbing a few pops (I can't NOT laugh when someone says that and means soda) I stopped by the hotel and then went out for a nice long walk around the city. My destination was the park at the point of the 3 rivers, but much of that park was being renovated as well (seriously, LOT of construction in this town at the moment). They have the outline of Fort Pitt, which was destroyed by the French back in the 1700's, and that was cool to see. I walked over the Fort Duchshene Bridge and then up to PNC Park (home of the Pittsburgh Pirates, who seem to be the farm club of the Yankees and Red Sox). I loved the fact that they had some of the ballpark opened. The seats and everything were fenced off, but I was able to walk on the path behind the bullpens and around that area. Very cool of them to keep that opened in the off-season...at least for my purposes. I walked back to downtown Pitt over the Roberto Clemente Bridge, then back up to the hotel.
Now it's time to prepare for the game tonight - Ducks vs Pittsburgh. Here's hoping for a good contest! I've heard great things about Pittsburgh fans in general - I'm very curious to see how I'm treated, especially on the heels of the game in New Jersey.
More later!
The flight was rather uneventful. I snoozed most of the way, except for when the dope behind me kept grabbing the back of my chair when he'd get up. Seriously, it was an hour from take off to touch down. Who needs to get up that often? Thanks to DirecTV on JetBlue, I dozed to some Hitler show on the History Channel. I woke up very angry.
After landing I hopped a cab and enjoyed my first views of western Pennsylvania. Darnell was my cabbie and was very open about his love of Pittsburgh. We talked a lot of sports and he got me to the hotel quickly. He'll be picking me up in the morning too. This is what happens when you're a good tipper.
The Westin in downtown Pittsburgh is a very nice hotel. I walked in around 10am and they gave me a room, which was VERY nice of them. I was exhausted (see: stupidity of an early flight)and was able to take a nice nap after getting upstairs.
Step one (after waking and freshening up) was to find a Primanti Bros joint. I mean, I'm in Pittsburgh, I HAVE to have to check it out, right? I went to the one in Market Square (which will be nice after it's done being renovated I assume) and it was a tasty sandwich. I had the Pitts-Burgher Cheese steak (see what they did there?), but what makes this sandwich joint unique is that they put the coleslaw, tomatoes and french fries right on the sandwich, which is wedged between two big slices of Italian bread. I topped it of with a pop. (yeah, I know).
After grabbing a few pops (I can't NOT laugh when someone says that and means soda) I stopped by the hotel and then went out for a nice long walk around the city. My destination was the park at the point of the 3 rivers, but much of that park was being renovated as well (seriously, LOT of construction in this town at the moment). They have the outline of Fort Pitt, which was destroyed by the French back in the 1700's, and that was cool to see. I walked over the Fort Duchshene Bridge and then up to PNC Park (home of the Pittsburgh Pirates, who seem to be the farm club of the Yankees and Red Sox). I loved the fact that they had some of the ballpark opened. The seats and everything were fenced off, but I was able to walk on the path behind the bullpens and around that area. Very cool of them to keep that opened in the off-season...at least for my purposes. I walked back to downtown Pitt over the Roberto Clemente Bridge, then back up to the hotel.
Now it's time to prepare for the game tonight - Ducks vs Pittsburgh. Here's hoping for a good contest! I've heard great things about Pittsburgh fans in general - I'm very curious to see how I'm treated, especially on the heels of the game in New Jersey.
More later!
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Pittsburgh Planning
My 2009-10 Ducks tour continues through Pittsburgh this year. I decided to make the trip out to see the Igloo (Mellon Arena) before the Penguins move to their new home next season. I'm flying out of JFK on Monday morning (11.16.09) and returning the next morning.
Using Starwood points (Sheraton) that I earned on my trips to Buenos Aires and buying a few more points, I was able to get a room at the Westin in Downtown Pittsburgh for only $70 (the price of the extra points I needed for the free night). I'm flying on Jet Blue and am looking forward to checking out the JFK terminal that they're always bragging about...
Now I just need to get my ticket to the game. I'm amazed at how expensive the tickets are there, especially compared to getting tickets in the NYC area...
Using Starwood points (Sheraton) that I earned on my trips to Buenos Aires and buying a few more points, I was able to get a room at the Westin in Downtown Pittsburgh for only $70 (the price of the extra points I needed for the free night). I'm flying on Jet Blue and am looking forward to checking out the JFK terminal that they're always bragging about...
Now I just need to get my ticket to the game. I'm amazed at how expensive the tickets are there, especially compared to getting tickets in the NYC area...
Thursday, February 26, 2009
DC Day 2
This morning I woke up and checked out of the hotel. I grabbed a quick bite and hopped the Metro to work. I plan to leave here in about an hour and make my way eventually to the Airport. I’d like to go to Arlington Cemetery to see that – that looks really cool.
After leaving work, I walked around to try to find something to eat. Not able to get the Ollieburger out of my head, I strolled back to the Trolley and had another one. Soooo good.
I got on the Metro and headed past Foggy Bottom to the Cemetery. I entered the Visitors Center and got my map – then ponied up the $7.50 for the tour bus. Normally I would just walk the whole time but I had my (very heavy) backpack on my…well…back and I knew I’d get tired out quickly.
First stop was the tomb of President Kennedy. It’s simple and magnificent at the same time. The view from his tomb of DC is phenomenal.
I got back on the bus and headed up to the Tomb of the Unknowns. They were having a changing of the guards at 3pm and it was getting close to that time. It was on this short drive where the magnitude of the Cemetery started to hit me. It’s actually quite moving to see all of the stones, perfectly in line, stretching on and on over the gorgeous grounds.
The Changing of the Guards was cool. I was surprised to see that the guard on duty actually had a little guard shack, like he was going to collect a toll or something. The ceremony of the changing was great to see. Very precise…at times a little overboard. Like dude, he looks good, let him guard.
After the guard finally changed (they really started to milk it) they had a wreath-laying ceremony. Some dude from Greece was there and I guess he wanted to lay a wreath. They didn’t really explain all that much, but there was a Greek flag.
The ceremony for that was long, with frequent pauses. Most of the time my mind was taking in this whole scene – wondering how much they drilled for that, or what it would be like to be in the band. Other times though, my mind was wondering what would happen if I ran up to the wreath that they were laying down, or if I ran to the tombs. Would they do anything? Would I get shot or just stabbed with the bayonet? Did they have snipers watching?
After the almost 40 minutes of ceremony were done I decided not to get back on the tour bus but to stroll around. I made my way past the mast of the USS Maine (To HELL with Spain!!!) and on to the Confederate area of the cemetery. That was quite interesting…seeing CSA on the tombstones.
From there I wandered around – there are a LOT of Unknown Soldiers buried there. I came upon the Tomb of the Unknowns for the Civil War. They took the remains of some 2,000 soldiers found at the site of the Bull Run Battles (and another site too) and buried them there. That was quite moving. From there I walked to the Arlington House, which is where Robert E Lee lived with his wife, the Grand-daughter of Washington (or Great grand daughter…and Washington had step kids…). I was able to tour the house, which was cool, and then went in the back to the old Slave house. Again, powerful stuff. I’ll tell you this – Robert E Lee had a FANASTIC view of Washington DC. Amazing. The designer of DC is buried there too, right in front of the house.
I started to make my way down the mountain towards the grave of President Taft. I have a feeling that JFK is stealing a LOT of his thunder in that cemetery. From there, I walked back out of the Cemetery to the Metro, and hopped the blue line to the airport, where I am enjoying a delicious clam basket as I type this.
The flight back to LGA was quick, but could have been quicker. We came up the west side over the Hudson, then went up and around like the pilot had never flown to NYC before and wanted to see the sites. We circled up around Yonkers then around over the Bronx and back into Queens.
It was a quick 2 days in Washington, but it was, as always, a lot of fun.
After leaving work, I walked around to try to find something to eat. Not able to get the Ollieburger out of my head, I strolled back to the Trolley and had another one. Soooo good.
I got on the Metro and headed past Foggy Bottom to the Cemetery. I entered the Visitors Center and got my map – then ponied up the $7.50 for the tour bus. Normally I would just walk the whole time but I had my (very heavy) backpack on my…well…back and I knew I’d get tired out quickly.
First stop was the tomb of President Kennedy. It’s simple and magnificent at the same time. The view from his tomb of DC is phenomenal.
I got back on the bus and headed up to the Tomb of the Unknowns. They were having a changing of the guards at 3pm and it was getting close to that time. It was on this short drive where the magnitude of the Cemetery started to hit me. It’s actually quite moving to see all of the stones, perfectly in line, stretching on and on over the gorgeous grounds.
The Changing of the Guards was cool. I was surprised to see that the guard on duty actually had a little guard shack, like he was going to collect a toll or something. The ceremony of the changing was great to see. Very precise…at times a little overboard. Like dude, he looks good, let him guard.
After the guard finally changed (they really started to milk it) they had a wreath-laying ceremony. Some dude from Greece was there and I guess he wanted to lay a wreath. They didn’t really explain all that much, but there was a Greek flag.
The ceremony for that was long, with frequent pauses. Most of the time my mind was taking in this whole scene – wondering how much they drilled for that, or what it would be like to be in the band. Other times though, my mind was wondering what would happen if I ran up to the wreath that they were laying down, or if I ran to the tombs. Would they do anything? Would I get shot or just stabbed with the bayonet? Did they have snipers watching?
After the almost 40 minutes of ceremony were done I decided not to get back on the tour bus but to stroll around. I made my way past the mast of the USS Maine (To HELL with Spain!!!) and on to the Confederate area of the cemetery. That was quite interesting…seeing CSA on the tombstones.
From there I wandered around – there are a LOT of Unknown Soldiers buried there. I came upon the Tomb of the Unknowns for the Civil War. They took the remains of some 2,000 soldiers found at the site of the Bull Run Battles (and another site too) and buried them there. That was quite moving. From there I walked to the Arlington House, which is where Robert E Lee lived with his wife, the Grand-daughter of Washington (or Great grand daughter…and Washington had step kids…). I was able to tour the house, which was cool, and then went in the back to the old Slave house. Again, powerful stuff. I’ll tell you this – Robert E Lee had a FANASTIC view of Washington DC. Amazing. The designer of DC is buried there too, right in front of the house.
I started to make my way down the mountain towards the grave of President Taft. I have a feeling that JFK is stealing a LOT of his thunder in that cemetery. From there, I walked back out of the Cemetery to the Metro, and hopped the blue line to the airport, where I am enjoying a delicious clam basket as I type this.
The flight back to LGA was quick, but could have been quicker. We came up the west side over the Hudson, then went up and around like the pilot had never flown to NYC before and wanted to see the sites. We circled up around Yonkers then around over the Bronx and back into Queens.
It was a quick 2 days in Washington, but it was, as always, a lot of fun.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Washington, DC
I flew out of LGA at 10:30am. I was hoping to get on the 9:30 flight but it would have cost the company an extra $75 dollars. Not feeling that it was really worth it, I hung out in the airport for another hour. Had I could the 9:30 flight I would have shared it with Charlie Gibson. Catching the 10:30 flight meant I shared it with Katie Couric. Everyone was going down for the Obama speech I guess.
This was one of the more turbulent flights I’ve been on in a while. It was very windy during take off. When we passed over the Hudson it really looked like a nice water runway…just sayin. But I read on the plane and the hour passed quickly.
After landing I took the metro to the hotel (Capital Hilton) and checked in. I freshened up, grabbed my Frommers and hit the town. I stopped by JR Cigars on L Street and grabbed myself a nice Ashton and strolled around DC. I walked down passed the White House and made my way to Fords Theater. Turns out it was not as close as I thought, but it was okay. I had my XM MyFi with me.
I passed by Ollie’s Trolley and knew I just HAD to have an OllieBurger. It was a couple of blocks away from the theater. I went to get my ticket for the 3pm tour and then went back to the Trolley. The OllieBurger was delicious. Seasoned fries and a diet coke made for a nice meal. After lunch I grabbed myself a cupcake at a little sweets shop and headed over to the theater.
The theater is beautiful. Small and cozy it looks like a great place to see a play. They restored it to the way it was the night Lincoln was shot. It had been changed to office space for a time, later used as storage. They have it decorated like it was with flags. A Park Ranger did a (surprisingly boring) schpiel about the events of that night. I just think that the Ranger can’t tell a story. Have Kevin Smith up there telling it and it would have popped.
After the story I made my way across the street to where Lincoln was brought after he was shot. There was a doctor in the house and, after seeing the President, he knew that there was nothing that could be done. They tried to make him as comfortable as possible. The house doesn’t have the exact furniture that was in it but it has pieces from that period.
All in all it was a cool tour. The ticket was free, and you got what you paid for.
After that I took the metro back to my hotel, and then went to work to do what I needed to do for a few hours.
After I was done with my tasks, I met my brother and his friends for some drinks down the block. DC prices are way cheaper than NYC prices, which is nice. I was able to catch the end of the Ducks game, and the bar we went to was right across the street of the Verizon Center, so we saw a lot of people that just left the Caps/Flyers game. The rest of the evening was uneventful – I went back to the hotel, wound down a little and went to sleep.
This was one of the more turbulent flights I’ve been on in a while. It was very windy during take off. When we passed over the Hudson it really looked like a nice water runway…just sayin. But I read on the plane and the hour passed quickly.
After landing I took the metro to the hotel (Capital Hilton) and checked in. I freshened up, grabbed my Frommers and hit the town. I stopped by JR Cigars on L Street and grabbed myself a nice Ashton and strolled around DC. I walked down passed the White House and made my way to Fords Theater. Turns out it was not as close as I thought, but it was okay. I had my XM MyFi with me.
I passed by Ollie’s Trolley and knew I just HAD to have an OllieBurger. It was a couple of blocks away from the theater. I went to get my ticket for the 3pm tour and then went back to the Trolley. The OllieBurger was delicious. Seasoned fries and a diet coke made for a nice meal. After lunch I grabbed myself a cupcake at a little sweets shop and headed over to the theater.
The theater is beautiful. Small and cozy it looks like a great place to see a play. They restored it to the way it was the night Lincoln was shot. It had been changed to office space for a time, later used as storage. They have it decorated like it was with flags. A Park Ranger did a (surprisingly boring) schpiel about the events of that night. I just think that the Ranger can’t tell a story. Have Kevin Smith up there telling it and it would have popped.
After the story I made my way across the street to where Lincoln was brought after he was shot. There was a doctor in the house and, after seeing the President, he knew that there was nothing that could be done. They tried to make him as comfortable as possible. The house doesn’t have the exact furniture that was in it but it has pieces from that period.
All in all it was a cool tour. The ticket was free, and you got what you paid for.
After that I took the metro back to my hotel, and then went to work to do what I needed to do for a few hours.
After I was done with my tasks, I met my brother and his friends for some drinks down the block. DC prices are way cheaper than NYC prices, which is nice. I was able to catch the end of the Ducks game, and the bar we went to was right across the street of the Verizon Center, so we saw a lot of people that just left the Caps/Flyers game. The rest of the evening was uneventful – I went back to the hotel, wound down a little and went to sleep.
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