SoCal: Day 4, Santa Barbara

We woke up the next day and started to get ready to leave. Jeff, not realizing how a shower curtain works, flooded the bathroom floor, using up all of the towels save one for him and one for me. I did not have such trouble with the shower, understanding how shower-heads and pressure work.

We packed up the car and checked out, and Jeff took off to meet up with his buddy in LA. I, too, was meeting a friend in LA, but I had several hours to kill as I wasn’t meeting her until the evening. I was going to head to a local bar to watch the end of the Jets game, but it was just too gorgeous outside to sit in a bar. I walked down to the marina and walked along a jetty that went out into the ocean and around the marina. It was amazing, the waves crashing on the rocks next to the jetty, spraying mist high into the air.

After doubling back I walked along the beach a little until I came back to the hotel. I walked back to the Skate Park to watch for a little bit. The kids there were much younger than the evening before, but they were all working and honing their craft. There was an art gallery/sale going on around that area and I checked it out for a bit.

I went back to the car and decided to start to work my way down the coast, giving me time to stop if the desire struck.

SoCal: Day 3, The Rest

We had planned the trip originally intending to meet up in Santa Barbara and check out some wineries, but the area was so interesting we decided to forgo the driving and check out what it had to offer. We walked out to the Pier and trekked out the end of it. It was a very wide pier with parking and a few restaurants, with fishing at the tip.

We headed back to the mainland and started to walk down the coast on the bike road. There was a cool little local skating park and we stopped to check it out. It was fun watching the local kids on skates and BMX bikes all enjoying the park. We tried to figure out protocol and etiquette because there was so much action yet no one was getting into anyone’s way and there were no collisions. It was very wild to see. We saw a few really good guys doing some cool tricks and catching nice air. After about 20 minutes we walked down the length of the bike path and then doubled back, stopping at the skate park again while deciding what we wanted to do next.

We opted to hit a wine-tasting room, and checked out Kunin Wines. Jeff met and spoke with the wine maker, asking a bunch of questions and learning what the wine maker knew. I sat back and absorbed as much as I could while enjoying his wine.

After the tasting we headed back to the room to figure out what to do for dinner. We walked along the strip to find something local. We settled on the Fishouse, a local bar and restaurant, which was good because we could watch the Ducks/Sharks game. Our waitress Corey was absolutely adorable and chatted with us a bit about the local area and the restaurant. We had a great bottle of wine and I had the macadamia-crusted sea bass with rice and snap peas. It was delicious.

After dinner we walked out and hung out the pier for a while and shot the breeze. It was a very relaxing and laid back evening, which was good after all of the running around of the last few days.

SoCal: Day 3, The Drive

I woke up on Saturday and packed up the room and my car. I was parting with Shok and Mary - they were heading to LA for the Devils vs. Kings game, and I was heading up to Santa Barbara to meet my buddy Jeff who himself was visiting California and coming down the coast. You may remember him from the North Carolina blog entries.

With the car packed I met up with Shok for coffee before leaving. After goodbyes I headed out, filling up the car and driving out to Rte 1 (Pacific Coast Highway). I had taken the PCH from Santa Barbara to San Jose a few years ago, so I wanted to do the Anaheim to Santa Barbara leg.

The Anaheim to Los Angeles leg is NOT worth doing. It was a lot dirty little towns and just nothingness. I’m glad I did it, but I won’t do it again. Next time I’ll take the freeway up to Santa Monica and pick it up there. That’s where it gets cool.

Driving through Malibu on the Pacific Coast Highway

Santa Monica and beyond is a lot of cool little towns and beaches, and gorgeous views and vistas. I drove through Malibu which was amazing, and continued up the coast. I knew I was going to be a bit late, but it was worth it to see the scenery.

The PCH meets up with the 101 in a few places, and I would get off and continue to hug the coast to see as much of the ocean as possible on my drive. Getting close to Santa Barbara, I found myself hungry and needing a restroom. I made a pit stop and decided to try Wienerschnitzel. Not wanting to spoil any dinner or wine tasting, I just got their hotdog. It was….okay. But the bun was soggy, which is just lame and unnecessary.

Eventually, just outside of Santa Barbara I hopped onto the 101 to get up there, since there was not much more to see.

I checked into the hotel about 30 minutes before Jeff arrived, and once he got in we unloaded the cars and planned out the rest of the day.

SoCal: Day 2, Ducks Game

We freshened up and prepared for the game. I wore my old-school Mighty Ducks practice jersey, and Shok and Mary both wore Devils gear - white for Shok and red for Mary. We walked along Katella to the game and got there around the time the gates opened, taking pictures along the way.

We entered the arena and walked around some, checking out our seat location. We made our way to the Team Store where I picked up a new t-shirt, as did Shok, as well as a puck for Mary. We kept wandering and I found another shirt that I liked at a smaller stand, so I picked that up too ;)

We grabbed some snacks and headed down to our seats for warm-ups. It’s always fun to watch a hockey game, and I was hoping that the Ducks would pull this one out for me.

After warm-ups we headed back out and wandered some, making it back to our seats for the game.

During the 1st Intermission I headed upstairs to meet some friends, and hung out with Vicki, Abi and some new people that I met off of Twitter. After the 2nd Period I met Amanda, one of the Power Players I’ve befriended on Twitter. It was cool of her to de-skate and come out to visit during Intermission. She was dressed in a Snow White outfit for Halloween.

The third period saw the Ducks give up the lead and ultimately lose. That stunk, but I met a bunch of cool people…that helped take the sting out of things.

We left and headed back to the hotel. Along the way Mary got into a shouting match with some local rapscallions, which was quite amusing. After changing out of our game clothes we headed back out to find a bar for a few night caps. We found this cool little place next to the Grove in Anaheim where we could sit outside and enjoy a libation. Mary discovered on the dessert menu that when you order milk and cookies the bake the cookies fresh, so we ordered a round…which was quickly followed by another round - they were delicious! Though the Ducks lost, it was quite and enjoyable day and night.

Ducks Power Player Amanda cleaning the ice

SoCal: Day 2, Newport Beach

I slept in on Friday morning, which was much needed after such a busy Thursday. After a shower and shave I met up with Shok and Mary and we headed to the beach. I asked my SoCal Twitter friends for a recommendation and I decided on Newport Beach. It was the easiest to get to, which I liked. After stopping for coffee as well as swinging by the local sports shop (where I picked up a Ducks t-shirt and a few coozies ;) we hopped on the 5 to the 55 and out to the coast. I saw the name “Balboa” a lot in that area, which kept reminding me about Arrested Development. There’s always money in the banana stand.

We made it out to Newport Pier and parked the car. We walked onto the Pier to check it out. There were a lot of (presumably) local fisherman on the pier, and it was cool to watch them reel and catch…not so much to watch them clean. One lady, while reeling in her catch, yelped and started frantically reeling. Turned out a loose seal was trying to go after her fish. It would have been amazing to see her hook and pull up a seal.

We walked back to land and checked out a few local stores. Shok bought some flip-flops and we fed the meter, and then had lunch. There was a little seafood joint on the beach, and I had fish and chips…very tasty. After lunch we checked out the beach some and walked along, dipping our feet into the Pacific. We worked our way back to the car and fed the meter one last time, then walked along the beach the other way toward a rock jetty. We went and stood on the jetty for a while and spotted a seal swimming in the surf with the other surfers. The seal was actually surfing, catching waves and flipping over and playing. I can now see why sharks often mistake surfers for seals….they looked very similar in the surf. Well, except for the giant surfboards attached to their ankles. We walked back to the car and made our way back to the hotel to prepare for the game: Ducks vs. Devils!

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.