SoCal: Day 5, Disneyland and Flight Home

The girl at the gate at Disneyland last night told me that the park opened at 8am today, so I set my alarm for 7, showered and packed up the room so I could enjoy the morning at the park. Well, when I arrived with my spirits high at 8am sharp I discovered that the girl was wrong and the park opened at 10. Crestfallen, I went back to the hotel and grabbed the car, going to the Company D Store/Team Center to see if they were opened. They opened at 9, so I went to the gas station to fill up the car and clean out the trunk. I headed back to the Team Store and made some purchases, then went back to the hotel to check out.

After checking out, I went back to the park, as it was now 10. I went in and went to the Lincoln Experience. This exhibit was closed last year when I was here, so I was glad to check it out. Turns out this exhibit has changed often throughout the years, being revamped about 5 times. They restored it to the original, which was very cool since it was restored to what Walt himself planned and wanted. I was amazed to see how much of the show was also incorporated into the American Experience at EPCOT Center in Walt Disney World.

After Lincoln, I went to Adventureland and Pirates of the Caribbean. It did not disappoint, again. I found Jack the Pumpkin King and Sally outside the Haunted House, and seeing as how there was no wait I went on the Haunted Mansion again. Oh, but before going on the ride I grabbed a churro since the stand was finally open ;)

After the Mansion, I walked around some to absorb the park- making my way to Fantasyland and Tomorrowland, winding up back on Mainstreet USA I walked toward the exit and stopped by the Firehouse to pay homage to Uncle Walt. I turned to leave - I really only had about an hour and a half to enjoy the park since I didn’t want to be late for my 1:40p flight. Of course, I did grab a fresh churro on my way out ;)

The drive back to John Wayne only took about 20 minutes, and returning the car was a breeze. I flew through security and had about an hour before my flight. I was very disappointed to see that the only food options in the airport are McDonalds and Starbucks, some bars and restaurants (not quick) and bookstores. I’ll have to remember that for next time and grab food on the way. Or eat in the park, but I didn’t want to waste what little time I had there eating.

The flight is rather light again, and I got my own row. This time we are flying a little higher tack, and I was able to see the Grand Canyon from the air, which was amazing. I hope to see that in January. The Rockies were incredible - way better than the part we saw on the way out. Perhaps it’s because we’re coming the other way and the setting sun is hitting them, but it’s simply gorgeous.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to get myself another CranApple…

SoCal: Day 4, Hollywood

I pulled into the driveway and headed upstairs while Lindsey finished getting ready. We hopped in the car and drove down into Hollywood to the Silent Movie Theater. It’s this old Silent Movie Theater, the last of it’s kind, that was saved by some movie lovers. They show ‘talkies’ now, but they still show Silents with live pianists/organists, which sounds really cool. We went to the special Halloween show, a Vincent Price double feature with works of William Castle.

It was sold out when we go there, and we put our name on the wait list, and we were the last people to be chosen and seated. The movie was House on Haunted Hill, which was fun. I had never seen it before, and I can’t remember the last Vincent Price movie I watched. It was a lot of fun though, seeing it on the big screen, and the audience seemed to really appreciate that genre.

We decided to leave after the movie and not stay for the second, which was good as I was getting tired as was she since she’s training for a marathon in Catalina. We left the theater and drove around a bit until we found Umami Burger. It turns out burgers are getting big in California like in NY, and this place was pretty good. I got the Umami Burger (have to go with the signature, right?) and fries. It was good…nothing amazing, but a good solid burger. While we were eating a party bus of Halloween-clad drunk kids came in, which was interesting but made it rather loud, and distracted our waiter from paying any attention to us, so it took a while to get out of there. My favorite was the slutty bride.

I drove Lindsey back to her place and changed her bathroom light bulb since I’m tall and she asked. After saying goodbye, I headed back to the 101 South and made my way back to Anaheim.

The bad thing about the time difference on Sundays is that Breakfast with the Beatles is on at 6am. The good thing is that the replay starts at 9pm. I listened to that as I made my way south, and made it to Anaheim in no time. I swung by the Best Western Anaheim Inn where I stayed last year and got a room for the evening. I tried to go to Disneyland for a few hours, but it turns out it was a special Halloween event that required a special ticket…so I walked around downtown Disney for a bit and headed back to the room. I was really tired anyway.

SoCal: Day 1, The Rest

The flight was fine. My back wasn’t too much of an issue - it was a light flight and I had a row to myself. I was able to stretch when I needed to, which helped. I dozed for the first half of the flight, but was awake as we flew over the middle of the country. In past flights to California, I’ve always had an aisle seat so I’d be able to stretch my legs. Being able to sit next to a window was quite fun. It was amazing to look down at Kansas as we flew over - the perfect grid of farmland divided for miles and miles - truly awesome to see. The juxtaposition between that and the Rockies was quite wild. It was also cool to see the red rocks of Arizona from the air. It was a most enjoyable flight. And, of course, the Minute Maid CranApple was simply the icing on the cake!

The approach into John Wayne Airport was really cool - hills and mountains and little communities. There were lots of tennis courts and swimming pools and red roofs to check out as we made our decent.

John Wayne airport is small, but it did the job well. Getting out was a piece of cake - the rental car company was right on the premises and I was on my way quickly.

I was meeting my friends who were flying down from San Jose while following the Devils around California. Their flight was a few hours away, so I drove around the area a bit to find a supermarket and get some supplies. It’s a really pretty area, with colleges very close by. I began to think that I made a poor choice going to college in the Northeast…

I tried my first Carl’s Jr. meal. It was….meh. I had the chicken strips, which seemed on the verge of being under-cooked…but I needed to get some food in me - I wasn’t sure what the plan was for the rest of the day and I just had snacks on the flight. When my friends Ashok and Mary landed I made a pass by the passenger-pickup and grabbed them. John Wayne Airport is sooooo much easier than LAX.

Greetings out of the way, we headed up to our hotel near Honda Center and checked in. After freshening up we headed up to Disneyland. Much to our dismay, the park was closing at 8pm that night for some special party, and it was already 4:30. We parked in Daisy 6G (or, apparently, Andy Green, 6) and rode the tram to the Park.

We entered and I made a bee-line to the churro stand near the entrance for a stick of that cinnamonny-sugary goodness. It was delicious, and worth the trip alone. Not having much time we made our way to Adventureland. My friends are big fans of Nightmare Before Christmas and Jack Skellington, so the Haunted Mansion was now on our much shorter to-do list.

But first, Pirates of the Caribbean. The line was minuscule and we were quickly in a boat. Words cannot describe my absolute glee, so I won’t even try.

After Pirates, I resisted the urge to immediately ride it again and we walked over the Haunted Mansion. There was a little bit of a line, but that was okay - it was a nice time to catch up some more and people-watch. Shok and Mary really seemed to enjoy the Mansion, which was awesome. They really do it up nicely for Halloween.

A popcorn and diet coke later, and after shopping at the Jack Skellington kiosk outside the mansion, we wandered to Fantasyland and Alice in Wonderland. It was a Mary request, and I had never been on it before. The squeals of delight coming from the front of the car told me that it was thoroughly enjoyed, which was awesome. We wandered some more into Mickey’s Toontown, and did a little shopping there. We tried to take the Train over to Tomorrowland, but it was late and the train that showed up was being put to bed. Not wanting to waste 10 minutes waiting for the next train we decided to walk it, through the parade route.

Once in Tomorrowland, Shok and Mary went on line for Space Mountain. I was going to check out the revival of Captain EO, but had 20 minutes before the 8pm show. I walked back to Mainstreet USA and thought about grabbing a snack, but didn’t want to have a whole corndog. Instead, I ran back to Adventureland to check the line for Indiana Jones. It was non-existent, so I ran and did that. I figured I’d rather do that ride than see Captain EO, since my hatred of Michael Jackson is well documented. Indy is such a fantastic ride; I know I made the correct choice.

I booked it back to Captain EO afterward but the 8pm showing already closed. I hung out and waited for Shok and Mary to be out of Space Mountain - and almost saw a fight break out between some meatheads. That was fun.

After Shok and Mary got off the ride, we headed out to Mainstreet USA and walked toward the exit. I tried to grab one more churro but they were closed. (D’oh). No matter. We started to walk toward Downtown Disney and checked out World of Disney. Shopping ensued. After that we got some cotton candy and waited for the tram. Mary kept us all entertained, and especially a cute little blond boy next to us in line, and we boarded our tram. Somehow the boy and his mother didn’t get on our tram, and I regret not helping them out.

We got back to the car and headed back to the hotel. After contemplating going out for a nice dinner, we decided to hit up Dennys since I was starting to crash from the flight and time-difference. The Lumberjack Slam was just as good as I remembered. After dinner, we headed back to the hotel where I passed out shortly thereafter.

SoCal: Day 1, flight

I don’t know why I keep booking flights so early in the morning. The night before is always a jumble of packing and making sure I have everything I need, followed by too few hours of sleep, and then a mad dash to the airport only to sit there for over an hour waiting to board. But, no traffic and a breezy security screening means that everything is going to plan.

This morning I’m flying from JFK to SNA (John Wayne Airport in Orange County, CA) on Delta. It’s my first time flying into Orange Country directly, and I’m looking forward to the convenience of NOT having to deal with LAX. Upon checking in I found that the flight is fairly light- I changed my seat to the back of the plane so I could have my own row. With my back still a little tight, this is most fantastic news!

Odd thing I just saw - we have a male flight attendant - a little older, very pleasant. He’s walking down the aisle offering blankets (for a fee, I’m sure). A few aisles away I heard him quip “it’s for the ladies - guys don’t use blankets.” I found it a little odd that a male in a stereotypically female job would make such an antiquated joke playing on traditional machismo. Eh. I laughed in my head.

I can’t wait to fall asleep.

Anaheim - Day 4

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!

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!

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!

Thursday

I woke up in Santa Barbara to a gorgeous day. I just knew it would be a great day for a drive! After checking out and filling up at the pump next door I hit 101N for a bit, and then CA1, the Pacific Coast Highway. Around that area there were a few cool stretches through the mountains – kinda felt like I was driving thought South Korea to the 4077.

For a while it would alternate between little towns and just land – mountains or farms. Usually the ocean was in sight, but not always.

I stopped in Pismo Beach to take a look at the ocean for a few minutes and snap a picture or two (Here we are! Pismo Beach and all the clams we can eat!) After the pitstop I was back on the road. The rest of the trip through Pismo Beach was uneventful, and eventually the road opened up to some ordinary scenery. I almost felt like I was driving in Upstate New York a few times. I almost started to feel that I had erred and that the PCH was a different road.

Then it opened up to the ocean on my left and big brown land on my right. I decided to pull over to one of the scenic areas and take a picture of the ocean. It was a little bit of a drop but enjoyed inching up to the edge. I went back to the car and pulled out a map to make sure I was doing the right thing (I was, just wasn’t patient enough).

I’m standing outside the passengers side of the car with the door opened flipping through my map book when something catches the corner of my eye. And what do you think it was that caught my eye? Yup – a squirrel. A damned dirty squirrel! I closed the door to the car, thinking it would jolt him away. Nope – it didn’t. He just stood there staring at me. Taunting even.

Taking that as an omen, I got back in the car and drove away. I don’t want to piss off another family of squirrels, so I kept driving north and saw the entrance to Hearst Castle. I pull in there thinking that it might be right off the road. Nope – it’s waaaay off in the distance on the top of a hill. I stopped in the visitors area there to check my distance from Big Sur and make a pit stop since I was off the road already. It was a nice area, with plenty of exhibits about the newspaper baron. I wish I had more time built into this part of the trip because I’d have loved to take a tour of the Castle, but it just wasn’t on the schedule. I may have to add that to the list for next time.

On my way out, the lady at the front desk handed me a flyer about the elephant seals that had a beach about 4 miles north, right off the road. It’s like she knew that I loved watching seals! I headed up that way and stopped to take a look. They weren’t exactly playing, but they were cool to see. Huge! Just laying on the beach, soakin up the sun. Lucky seals – they didn’t have to get back in the car and drive anywhere! But I did, so.

I hopped back into the car, and this is where the trip when from interesting and fun to absolutely breathtaking. The stretch between Hearst Castle and Big Sur is something everyone should drive in their lifetime. And that’s not just me saying that, I’m sure there are a thousand “Do Before You Die” lists out there that contains that statement. It was amazing. All of a sudden the road starts climbing and climbing and starts to hug the mountains, winding around them like you see in the movies. This went on for quite a while, and just got higher and higher. I pulled over once or twice to soak in the views. After over an hour of this I finally hit Big Sur and my lunch destination, Nepenthe.

Nepenthe was recommended to me by several people and it did not disappoint. I had a view of the ocean from the top of one of the cliffs while I ate my chicken sandwich and sipped my Chardonnay. It’s a very peaceful, relaxing spot, and I’d recommend it to anyone that is driving the PCH.

I didn’t feel like driving anymore, but I still had a little ways to go yet. I was about 2 and a half hours south of San Jose, and it was about 3pm pt. After my piece of pumpkin cake (Allison the waitress is a good salesperson!) I was back on the road. I took rte 1 up to 17, which took me right into San Jose. There were some nice stretches along here as well. Monterey was quite lovely, with beautiful views of the ocean crashing onto big rocks. Great colors. I watched the sun set while sitting in traffic while getting close to the 17 turnoff, but I still had plenty of time before the game.

The HP Pavilion (Shark Tank) is very easy to get to – right off the highway. I threw the car into a lot (I did NOT feel like driving around to look for cheaper parking!) and donned my Ducks jersey. I hit up will call and waited outside the Tank to go in. It’s very pretty from the outside.

Once inside the Tank I took a stroll around the concourse. It’s one large concourse for both levels, but it’s big enough that I didn’t feel crowded (can we say Long Island…or the old NJ arena…). I went down to the Team Store to get my game puck (I get a puck for every arena I go to), but the lines were way to long. They did have a cute shirt for the Ducks/Sharks rivalry. Picture the Jaws movie poster, but instead of a girl swimming it’s a little rubber ducky. I was going to get one, but the lines were too long, and I’m a rubber ducky fan, so. I wound up getting my puck from one of the smaller side vendors.

The seats I had were pretty good. Center ice upstairs, but two rows up from the press row. I was actually sitting right behind the Prime Ticket announcers for the Ducks. It was fun to watch that, but the light and camera were a little distracting during each intermission. The crowd was a sell-out, and the usher in that area seemed to know everyone (including the Ducks announcers). He said he’d been there since the place was opened. He greeted season-ticket holders by name which was cool, and had little pieces of candy for all the kids.

The crowd was a lot of fun. I was wearing my Ducks gear but wasn’t really hassled (once or twice maybe). They do a thing where someone (or multiple people) give two beats on a Duck call (one of those hunter things) to which seemingly the entire crowd replies “Ducks Suck”. That goes on for a while. It had me laughing – I love that this is a real rivalry. I’d rather that than no caring at all.

I was sitting next to this old lady who brought her grandkids to the game (I don’t think I’ve ever seen that in the Garden). She would frequently lean over to me to ask about the game. It was only her second time there, she informed me, and she said she had a tough time following. At one point, the Sharks had a good scoring opportunity but the shot went wide. She asked me if it went in. I said no. She said she couldn’t tell because the puck was moving so fast. First, I pointed out the lights behind the goal, and how if it turns from green to flashing red a goal was scored. Secondly, I told her “If the Sharks score, you’ll know.” Sure enough, a few minutes later the Sharks scored their first goal and the roof blew off the place. I turned to her and said “They scored one!” Near the end of the game, as tempers were beginning to flare, the Ducks were crashing the net trying to get a goal (they were down 2-0), and at one point a Duck ran over the Sharks goal tender. Well, a brew-ha-ha ensued for a few minutes and there were a few penalties. The old lady leaned over and asked why they were fighting. I smile. It was so adorable that she was trying to learn and understand the game. I told her that the Ducks player crashed into the goalie, and the Sharks didn’t like that. Plus, the Ducks haven’t been able to score, and they’re frustrated. She just laughed. At the end of the game she thanked me for answering her questions. The game needs more people like that old grandma who are willing to take the grandkids to a game and also want to learn a little something about it.

After the game, I got to my car (after some good natured heckling from the Sharks faithful) and made my way out of downtown San Jose. It wasn’t too bad getting out of there. One of the better arenas (getting out of the new Devils arena is easy as well). A quick shot up the 101 brought me to Redwood City where I bedded down for the night. I checked in – brought my stuff into the room, and promptly passed out. THAT was an exhausting day!

I've realized what I never liked about Disney...

Tourists! Last night was awesome, and I realized the Parks are so much better when there aren't any of those pesky tourists around! But I guess I can say the same thing about Times Square.

I weaseled my way into the Park last night and had a wonderful time. Perhaps it was the severe lack of sleep, combined with my second wind, but I felt like I was 10 years old again. The shear giddiness I felt on Mr. Toad's Wild Ride was embarrassing. I also rode some Snow White ride and Pirates again.

They had Sleeping Beauty's castle decked out with holiday lights. It was quite amazing.

Sleeping Beauty's Castle decked out for the Holidays!

They also decorated the It's A Small World ride for Christmas in a way that would have made my mother cry it was so amazing. I had to ride that because if I didn't she'd have beat me mercilessly. So there you go Ma, I rode Small World for you. They had the whole ride decorated and adjusted for the holidays. They kept going between "It's a Small World" and "Jingle Bells". I think I'm good with that ride for another decade now.

This is "It's a Small World"

I was also able to get about 90% of my Christmas shopping done last night, which is pretty awesome.

All in all, I was pleasantly surprised with Disneyland. So many people have told me that it would pale in comparison to Disney World. And it does, but it was better than I thought it would be. One thing I noticed were the type of tourist that were there. Disneyland seems like it caters to more American tourists, while Disney World seems more international. Perhaps flights from Europe to Florida are cheaper/quicker? Or that Disney World is so much bigger that you get more bang for you already stretched buck? I don't know. But it has been a great experience so far.

Today I go back to the Parks for the day. I have to check out California Adventure, and there are a few more things to do at Disneyland that were closed last night.

Tonight I go to the Pond for the first time! So excited!!

Okay - time to get motivated and moving. Sleep was definitely awesome last night, but I must go out and enjoy this Southern California morning.

I'll try to make another post tonight when I get to Santa Barbara, if I'm not too exhausted!