Em Eye Cee, Kay Ee Wye....

M.O.U.S.E

Just back from two wonderful weeks in Southern California.
Ok we got back on Monday. But five million e-mails (two accounts), a billionty RSS feeds and uploading and editing photos & videos have kept me busy.

(Note: Most pictures can be embiggend by clicking on photo and then clicking on "all sizes" above photo)

This trip we (as usual) spent most of our time @ Disneyland & Disney's California Adventure. But we also rented a P.O.S convertible and visited the general L.A. area. The Hubster reports that we only put 425 miles on the rental during the week we had it - felt like more.

As usual I decided we had to be really early for our flight. So by 6:30 am we were sitting outside the airport sucking back Starbucks. Our flight was @ 10:10.



I used to really love flying - back in the days of Pan Am and Wardair, but it's losing a lot of it's charm.

We flew Alaska. The crew and service were fine, but the seats are getting narrower and narrower, (or my ass is getting - never mind!)

Food service was the ever popular party mix, but the Hubster went out an bought the $5.00 Northern Bites® Picnic Pack and an ok Chardonnay for me.



I was glued to the window. Crop circles?



We stayed at the Hojo Anaheim. It's an 196mumble (same age as me) hotel about a 10 minute walk from the Disneyland main entrance. It's been recently refurbished back to it's original glory and is very retro cool.

What it looked like back then:



And a similar recent shot:



Our room with the new deliciously comfortable bedding. The mattress was an absolute dream.



We overlooked the pool area:



One exit away from yodeling cowboys:



Disneyland & DCA

It was pretty hot most days we were in the parks, so the Hubster partook of the wet rides - often.

Here he is on the Grizzly River Run:



The aftermath:



Favourite new rides:

Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters, where I proved how much I suck at video games:



And Toy Story Mania!, where I proved how much I blah blah blah:



Pixar rules the rides.

Food at Disneyland still sucks (with a few exceptions), but in DCA we both really like Wine Country Trattoria. Italian food and some really nice wines. I discovered a new Favourite: Dr. Loosen Riesling.

Universal Studios

We spent one exhausting day @ Universal Studios Hollywood.

Started with the tour. We've done the tour a few times before, so it was pretty predictable, except for this part: the wreckage from the fire.



Also new and cool this time. The plane crash wreckage from War of the Worlds.





And of course, Bruce was present as usual:



My Favourite ride is still Jurassic Park. Nothing like a 7 story drop into a pool of water to freshen you up.



There is cute / fake English street @ the park, built for the Austin Powers movies. It includes a equally fake Irish pub that serves decent wines and beers. We managed to kill a couple of hours there in air conditioned bliss. That's the Hubster in the doorway on the left:



Afterwards we visited Universal City Walk, a shopping a dining district attached to the Studios:



And had dinner at the Bubba Gump Shrimp Co.. We had, well....





I was a bit reluctant to try out Bubba Gump. A restaurant chain based on a movie seemed a bit of an obvious cash cow. But the food was actually pretty good.

As we were leaving we saw this:



Of course most of the colour show was produced by all the smoke from the fires. Pollution does create the pretties sunsets.

Other Stuff

We had the wise idea of trying to drive to Newport Beach on the 4th of July. Idiots!

We gave up and ended up having a very nice lunch at The Cottage restaurant in Laguna Beach instead.

We did make it to Newport Beach a few days later. One of my Favourite beach communities. I'd buy a house here if I was a kazillionair.



Lunch at the Newport Landing.


It was overcast and quite muggy.

View of the Balboa Fun Zone from the ferry:



Balboa Island security - don't mess with the (rich) locals:



Then on to margaritas at Cabo Cantina (no webpage). Good drink & service. Very grotty! It's amazing the places I'll drink stateside:



No trip would be complete without wieners on the beach:



And alas, home again, home again:



Sigh...

Note: All the photos (from above and more!) are here.