California with a Cane

Yep...took a four day vacation to Los Angeles, and packed my knee brace and a cane. You haven't LIVED until you've tried to navigate Huntington Beach using a cane. Contrary to popular belief, it doesn't sink all the way into the ground...just far enough to make it awkward and difficult.

There were DEFINITE perks to using a cane...pre-boarding the flight, having Duane carry my luggage everywhere, and, BEST OF ALL, being able to skip the lines at Disneyland!!! Unfortunately, we didn't learn this last perk until halfway through the day...a lovely girl at the "Peter Pan" ride asked if I'd received a "disability pass"...I said no...because I'm not technically "disabled"...just gimpy...we went on the ride, and the girl at the OTHER end said the same thing (bless those "Peter Pan" girls). The second girl said that we didn't need a pass...that my cane WAS my pass, SO, for the rest of the day, we went to the EXITS of all of the rides, and they loaded us into the flying ship/boat/submarine/etc. then sent us through...lovely (and by that point my leg WAS throbbing after standing in the "real line" at "It's a Small World", the teacups, and going through the "house of tomorrow"...). More about Disneyland soon...

So...we flew out on Saturday morning, and stayed at the Marriott near LAX. I was a little worried about staying anywhere NEAR the airport, but it was AWESOME. We had a second floor room (as FAR from the front of the hotel as we could possibly be...normally no big deal, but with a cane...REALLY REALLY FAR!!!! Here's the view from our balcony...VERY cool place.

OF COURSE, between the airport and the hotel we stopped at Carl's Jr. for the Santa Fe chicken sandwhich (I had two!). Called Robin AND Dave (as is tradition) to rub it in. After unloading the rental car and checking out the hotel, we headed to Antelope Valley to see the poppy fields, which were in full bloom. We got a LITTLE lost on the way there, and the poppies weren't as plentiful as the last time we were there, but it was still GORGEOUS, and worth the hour drive out of the cities to see them.

Sunday, we headed to the L.A. Farmer's Market. We had breakfast at a great little outdoor stall, and saw our only "stars" of the trip...Leslie Jordan (Beverly Leslie on "Will & Grace", and Terry on "Reba"), and Kiersten Warren (Tiffany in "Independence Day", and Nora Huntington on "Desperate Housewives"). We tried to get a picture of Leslie Jordan...one of those "pretend you're taking a picture of me, and then turn the camera a little to the side to get it"...it's on Duane's camera...so will add it to this post later...for now...here are a couple of photos of them from the internet...

Leslie Jordan

Kiersten Warren

After shopping the farmer's market, and the Grove, a HUGE hoity-toity shopping center nearby, we headed to Pasadena to tour the Huntington Library and Gardens...it took us FOREVER to figure out where it was, because I was under the impression it was in Huntington Beach...go figure. After we FINALLY figured that out, it was fairly easy to get to. GORGEOUS place...FABULOUS old 1st editions and a Gutenberg bible. The gardens were flowery and lush, and it was DELIGHTFUL to NOT be in Minnesota!!!

"Blue Boy"

"Pinkie"

After the gardens, we went to El Chollo for dinner...really GOOD Mexican food. Robin and Dave have raved about it for years, so it was finally nice to see what they were talking about! After dinner, we checked out some of the shops near the restaurant (we found a Baskin Robbins!!!). After that, we headed back to the hotel.

Monday, we did the "beach thing" and went to Huntington Beach. I LOVE the ocean, and could stare out across it for HOURS. I love the SMELL of the ocean...I love the FEEL of the wind on my face, I love the SOUND of the waves crashing on the shore, and I LOVE walking through the sand!!!!! Duane is not so enamored of it, but knows how much I like it, so tolerates spending time there. It was sunny, and warm, and the waves washing across my feet (and cane!) was FREEZING, but AMAZING!!!!

We spent the rest of the day at Disneyland. Duane had never been before, so we did the "classic Disney" (as opposed to the more "grown up" California Adventure side). It was FINE with me, because, with my leg, I was SO not up to roller coasters or "grown up" rides (and I don't like them anyway). I have to say that, even at 44, classic Disney was a HOOT! We rode the teacups (three times...Duane likes spinny things), manuevered the rickety little boats on the "Storyland Boat Ride", and enjoyed a day of childhood fantasy...

The thing I remember MOST about my trip to Disneyland when I was 5 or 6 was the submarine ride. I remember the "animatronic" mermaids brushing their hair, and the underwater shipwreck VIVIDLY to this day. Now it's the "Finding Nemo" adventure, but it was still WAY cool to go on...(even though as a grown up, I realized, looking up through the port hole that the surface of the "lagoon" was just above the window...sigh...). There's a COOL poster of the "classic" ride, that IF I become rich, want to buy. It's very 60's looking, and has the mermaids on it.

We also toured the "Haunted House", and rode on "Pirates of the Caribbean". I also remember those from my first trip there, and it was FUN to see that they hadn't changed THAT much. Apparently, Disney "purests" were upset about Disney characters being incorporated into the "It's a Small World" ride, but I didn't think they detracted from it at all...they weren't THAT intrusive at all, and the dolls looked GREAT. TOTALLY sick of that song though...ugh!

We stayed for the fireworks, and I'm glad we did...they were AMAZING. Julie Andrews narrates the show, and it incorporates music and lines from many Disney movies, all timed to specific pyrotechnics...VERY cool!

Tuesday, we got up, had breakfast at an outdoor cafe in Santa Monica, spent some time on the Santa Monica Pier, and then drove up the Pacific Coast Highway to see more of the coast. We made it as far as Malibu before having to turn around to return the rental car.

After that, we headed to the airport, and, after an hour delay because of "brake problems" (no worries THERE!), flew back to Minnesota...where it was snowing...sigh..

Hope YOU were able to get away from YOUR part of the world for a little while too!!!