California's Central Coast: Monterey and Santa Cruz

For Spring Break this year, my oldest son (almost 7 years old) and I took a road trip to Santa Cruz and Monterey for 4 days and 3 nights.  As I've written before, I had the wonderful opportunity to live in this area for a brief time in my life and it always feels like coming home when I visit.  This trip was no exception.

My son and I stayed at the Fairfield Inn in Capitola.  It was a nice hotel, though definitely more geared toward business people this time of year than tourists and children.  Still, it was enjoyable.  We had a 1 king junior suite.  No exciting views, but the room was spacious, there was a bathtub, which is my son's primary request in a hotel, and it was a lot nicer than the old hotels you find on the beach.  The free breakfast was pretty basic fair, but my son did say this place had the best waffles he's had in the past 2 years of trips he remembers.  As an added bonus, one of my local favorites, Erik's Deli, is only about a 5 minute walk from the hotel.  And the mall, which includes a Target and Kohls, is only about 7-10 minutes on foot.  Great location overall.

I let my son lead the trip this time.  We took our required trip to the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk for a bit to play miniature golf.  My son went on a couple of rides, but as it's the off-season, not much is open and they're doing a bunch of construction, so our time there was limited.

On our second day, we took a brief drive to Felton before driving down to Monterey.  It was a beautiful morning.  A little fog, still damp from rain the night before.  The forest has never looked more beautiful than it does right now with all the rains this past winter.

By the time we got to Monterey, the day was gorgeous.  Weather was in the 60s with plenty of sunshine.  We started off our day by taking a walk from Fisherman's Wharf to Cannery Row.  This walk is not too hard, but it is a long walk (about 2.4 miles each direction), so don't do it if you aren't good with walking long distances.  It's worth it though for the beauty.

Once we got to Cannery Row, we went to the Monterey Bay Aquarium.  My son enjoyed it much more this trip than he did when we went a year ago.  Without the little ones, we were able to go at his pace and explore what he was interested in.  He was especially fascinated by the jellies and sea stars. 

On our final full day in the area, we decided to take it easy and explore Santa Cruz.  My son and I woke up early to see the sun rise over the Pacific Ocean.  There are few places on the Pacific where you can do this since, you know, the sun rises in the east and we're on the west coast.  So, it was a special experience for my son.  We watched the surfers and fishermen, took a walk along the paths on West Cliff Drive, and tried to soak up the beauty of nature.

It's amazing how much beauty is in such a small area.  I can't wait to go back again sometime soon.  If you're thinking about taking a trip to this area, do it.  You won't regret it.

Last Minute Trip to Universal

My annual pass for Universal is about to expire.  Since I don't plan on renewing it this year, I decided to take a day off work and squeeze one last solo trip in before I ran out of time.  It was a beautiful day with clear sky and weather in the 70s.  It's refreshing after weeks of rain, which is not normal at all (though definitely welcome with the drought we've had).

I started my day touring the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.  The main ride wasn't open, but it gave me the opportunity to tour the castle without being rushed through the line.  Here are some of my favorite shots:

After that, I took a tram tour, my favorite part of going to the park (outside of Harry Potter of course). I think they were training, so there were some awkward pauses, but it was still a good tour.

I spent the rest of the day just wandering, taking random pictures.  It was a pleasant way to spend a few hours.  I didn't see any shows, but the shows aren't really why I go anyway.

Universal, it's been fun.  Can't wait to see you again in a couple of years when my little ones are old enough to enjoy it a bit more.

Day Trip and the First Look at Guardians of the Galaxy Tower

My family and I had the opportunity to go on another day-trip on Saturday.  It was a beautiful day for a trip.  And, we got to use our new stroller.  Now that our twins are 3, we invested in a cheap double umbrella stroller.  It takes up less space when we park it and just makes more sense since the kids spend more of their time walking than riding.  We got a Delta City Street LX.  We managed to purchase the version that usually goes for about $90 on Amazon for around $70.  For the price, it is definitely a good stroller.  No bells and whistles, but it's a place to put their butts, it's easy to steer, and even though my 6-year-old exceeds the weight limits, he can also fit in it and it's still easy to steer even with him. 

Now on to the day.  We arrived later than usual (around 8:30 on an 8AM opening) and headed to California Adventure.  There was no line to get fastpasses for Radiator Springs Racers, which is unheard of.  So, I quickly grabbed passes for a 10:30 return and we took off to ride on Toy Story and Little Mermaid.  After a bathroom break, we went back to Radiator Springs, where we took turns riding with our oldest while the other watched the little ones. 

Tried to get the twins on Mater's Junkyard Jamboree.  My boy twin loves it, but his sister wouldn't even sit.  She wanted nothing to do with it.  Oh well, maybe next time.  On our way out of Carsland, we stopped to take a shot of the recently uncovered area of the former Tower of Terror, soon to be Guardians of the Galaxy warehouse.

My thoughts on the new facade so far?  Well, I know it's not finished, so there's that.  In some ways it reminds me of DCA 1.0 (California Adventure pre-Buena Vista Street).  On the other hand, it looks cartoon-y.  This will probably be fine when it's surrounded with other Marvel features, but right now it looks kind of awkward.  It's not the most ugly thing I've ever seen, but it's not really an improvement over the dilapidated Tower of Terror either.  We will see what happens in the coming months I guess.

We had a delicious lunch at the Pacific Wharf Cafe, where the clam chowder in a bread bowl really hit the spot on a cool day.  The kids enjoyed their turkey sandwiches and fruit, too.  Everyone loved listening to the live Mariachi music while we ate.

 After lunch, we headed to Disneyland.  It was a bit more crowded than I was hoping considering there was a chance of rain and it was raining our entire way through Los Angeles to get there (somehow the rain never touched Disneyland Resort).  We were able to go on Small World, walk through Toontown, and check out the Star Wars exhibits in Tomorrowland before we had to leave.

Overall, it was a nice day.  I wish we could go on a non-crowded day, but those seem few and far between these days.  At least we made it before the price hike on Sunday (had to get my mother an AP before prices went up).  It was really fun (insert sarcasm) reading the article out loud while we were standing in line and having all the non-APs ask us to give them more information.

The Main Street Electrical Light Parade is Home

This past weekend, I took my kids to see the Main Street Electrical Light Parade at Disneyland.  My first memory of Disneyland is of watching the little electrical bugs dancing in front of me.  And now, my children will have that memory, too.  There's something so magical about hearing that synthesized voice announce the start of the parade, the Baroque Hoedown playing along as the floats glide down the street.  MSEP might not be Pain the Night in terms of technology, but for what it lacks in technology, it makes up for in charm.

It was opening weekend and a Saturday.  The parks weren't very crowded at all as it was cold out and rain has been in the forecast on and off for a week.  Haunted Mansion just opened up after being closed to take down the holiday overlay and all that remains of the holidays is the Small World setup.  But, plenty of people showed up for the parade.  We were lucky to get a spot on the parade route as seen above.  We started staking out a spot about 4 hours before the parade, which was a good thing because by 2 hours before the parade, all the decent viewing areas were filled and by 1 hour before it started, announcements were being made that all areas were full.  Perhaps the later parade was easier to get into, but with kids, this was our only option.  I expect it to be even more crowded once Remember Dreams Come True returns as the fireworks show next month.  So, if you're going, be prepared to wait or buy a dining package.

There was some nice merchandise and the CMs say there will be more in the coming months.  A commemorative electronic ear headband will cost you about $16 and adult t-shirts are in the $30-$40 range.  APs can also get a popcorn bucket for $15 that will allow them $1 refills for the next few months during the off season.  Definitely worth it, especially if you visit frequently.

Next month, I'm going to shoot for seeing RDCT.  Not sure since I don't normally stay that late, but it's my favorite fireworks show and I think it will be worth it.

First Trip of 2017

This morning, my 6-year-old and I ventured out for a day-trip to Disneyland.  It was cold, crowded, and awesome.  With my son, it's something new all the time.  Gone are the days of only riding the slow rides.  This kid's favorite rides now are Indy and RSR, which are coincidentally 2 of the rides on my top 10.  It makes trips just a little bit more exciting.  I think that's the best thing about taking kids to Disneyland annually if not more often--you get to see how much they change in a very short time.

It was still the holiday time, so crowds were pretty high, but from 8AM-1PM, we were able to ride Indy, Pirates, Haunted Mansion, Pinocchio, Teacups, Small World, explore the Star Wars Launch Bay (no character meets though, too long to wait), and head over to DCA for Monster's Inc., the Jellyfish, and the Zephyr.  Not too bad for only 5 hours, and we took breaks to snack on churros, eat a pizza and salad lunch, and do a little shopping. 

I'm looking forward to hopefully seeing MSEP again (it's the parade I grew up with, so I'm still in love with it even though it's old and dated) in late January when we go for my littles' 3rd birthdays.  Until then, here's a couple of shots from our day:

November Disneyland Trip Part 2: 3 Kids and a Sick Husband

To follow up on my last post, I wanted to address the second day of my most recent Disneyland vacation.  My husband unfortunately came down with the flu on the second day of our trip.  Thankfully, he had his flu shot and the worst of the symptoms lasted only one day.  But, that's one day I ended up with no help, 3 kids, and a very crowded theme park.  As a parent of twins plus 1, this is one of my worst nightmares.  The idea of losing one of them terrifies me.  And yet...I did it.  I did it because I didn't want to ruin my kids' vacation.  So armed with a diaper case, jackets, some snacks, a stroller packed with 2-year-olds, and my...well, for this vacation we'll call him 7-year-old boy (technically he's not quite 7 yet, but we'll get to that...and yes, I know it was not the best choice, but we had no other option)...we embarked on a journey to Disney's California Adventure.

First off, we could not have done this trip if my older son hadn't easily passed for 7.  There aren't really any attractions that allow 4 in one row of a vehicle.  So, yes, my son was 7 for the day.  And he acted every bit as mature as he needed to.  It wasn't a choice I wanted to make, but it was the only choice that would allow all of my kids to enjoy the day while their daddy was passed out in bed moaning like death warmed over.  So, please try not to judge.  As I said, I don't like the choice I had to make, but that's that.

So, first off, we went on Mater's Junkyard Jamboree.  The twins rode with my and my oldest rode by himself.  My boys enjoyed it, but my daughter was less than thrilled.  Perhaps it has to do with her being the smallest and being smashed between her brother and me.  Other great rides we went on included the Chew-Chew train, Monster's Inc., and the Little Mermaid.  Our options for rides were very limited.

We also managed to visit Santa Claus over in the wilderness area.  When we arrived, it was about a 20 minute wait.  Somehow, my kids were all calm and patient.  Santa was great, too.  Even my oldest decided this was definitely the real Santa since he looked so much better than the mall Santas.

The highlight of our trip was the Disney Jr. show.  While my oldest is bordering on being too old for it, even he enjoyed this show where kids sit on the floor and all their favorite Disney Jr. characters (or at least the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse gang, Jake and the Neverland Pirates, Sofia the First, and Doc McStuffins) come out to sing and dance and celebrate Minnie's birthday.  My 2-year-olds loved it and were singing and dancing right along.  When the bubbles and confetti flew from the sky, they were in heaven.

By lunchtime it was pretty crowded and my 2-year-old boy was displeased at having to ride in the stroller.  He had pulled one of his stubborn "refusal to move" tantrums right in the middle of a busy walkway.  Oh, the joys of parenthood!  So, when my oldest decided he wanted to leave and go to McDonald's for lunch, I jumped on the opportunity.  We grabbed some McDonalds on Harbor Blvd. and went back to the hotel to check on Daddy and get some rest.  Five hours with 3 kids and me in a busy theme park though?  I felt pretty accomplished.

Thankfully, my husband felt well enough to keep the little ones for a while in the afternoon since they needed a nap and rest time anyway, so I returned with my oldest and spent a little time in Disneyland, just the 2 of us.  Let me tell you though.  It is no joke when crowd levels between a 9 and 10 descent on the parks.  By 2PM, we could barely walk.  And, there was even a line for Tarzan's Treehouse, which is just ridiculous (and was the one thing my son really wanted to do).  We managed to get the treehouse and the teacups in, but all else was far too packed.  So, after our second viewing of the Christmas parade and a very long wait for a circle tour on the monorail, we took off, grabbed Panera for dinner, and took it back to the sickie and our starving preschoolers.

Overall, it was a good day.  Not perfect, but I am so glad I took my kids even if I did have to do it on my own.  Parents, and especially those with multiples, I know the idea can be daunting.  But, go out and do this for yourself and for your kids sometime.  Even if it's hard and you're ready to have a breakdown, you will be glad to have done it.  I'm not so scared of taking the three of them by myself anymore.  So, some good did come of it.  Word to the wise though--don't do this on a peak day.  The crowds were unreal even if I had had help.

Edited to add:  I'm sorry I never got a chance to talk about day 3 and day 4.  Life got busy with the holidays.  I promise to be back in 2017 with more stories.

Disneyland and DCA--Back for Another Year, This time with an Extra Month! (Part 1)

I'm a bit behind on my review of my last trip to Disneyland.  With Thanksgiving and upcoming holidays, it's been a busy time.  But, the good news is that we were able to upgrade our tickets to APs!  With the current 13 months for the price of 12 deal, I couldn't say no.  So, we'll have another year of Disney to share with all of you, including D23 in July.  It's going to be a great year!

So, for this past trip, we stayed the Sunday-Wednesday before Thanksgiving.  We stayed at the Howard Johnson, but this time chose to go with the cheap basic level rooms.  The room itself was a decent size and clean.  However, as all the basic rooms are in the older, 2 story buildings, there were some signs of wear and tear.  There were a few tiles cracked in the bathroom and a cracked fixture or two.  It also wasn't quite as quiet as building 1.  For the price, it was still comfortable and clean.  But, I definitely prefer paying a bit more to be in building 1 with queen beds and slightly better upkeep.

Our first day was awesome and easily the least crowded of the days.  I would call it "normal Sunday" in terms of crowds.  It was a rainy day, which I think helped.  We managed to go on Pirates, Haunted Mansion, Splash Mountain, and a handful of other rides before lunch.  I am happy to say that my 6-year-old is finally brave.  His new favorite rides are Splash Mountain and Indiana Jones!  Thrilled that I finally have a companion for Splash Mountain as no one in my family enjoys it but me.  Jingle Cruise was the favorite of the day among my almost-3-year-olds.  The decorations seemed extra "in-your-face" on the ride and the jokes were...well, the same classic jokes we've all heard for years, but isn't that part of its charm?

After a quick lunch in Toontown, we decided to check into the hotel and take a break before coming back.  The line for Small World was 45+ minutes and that was one of the shorter waits, so it was time for some down time anyway.  Upon return, we picked up our Aladdin's Oasis to go meal for Paint the Night.  Unfortunately, we didn't get to see PtN as it started raining, but the food in the meal was fairly good and worth the money, especially taking into account the parade had it been running.  Much easier than having to wait 2 hours for a good spot for the parade.

As far as parades go, we were able to see the Christmas parade before the rain became too much for us (and the performers).  I hadn't seen it in the evening before, usually opting for the earlier one.  However, I will say after seeing it that the evening parade is the one to see.  It's much more beautiful as the sun is going down and it starts getting dark out.  Here are a few pictures:

So, that was it for day 1.  Tomorrow, read about my day 2 adventure, or, a day with 3 kids and sick spouse.