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This park, California Adventure, across from the Original Disneyland in Anaheim, is a more easy-going park and has a fun vibe. We rose at 5:45ish (with Deborah awake earlier as she is still running partially on East Coast time), and managed to get to Starbucks to get a small item before heading out at 7:15 on the first bus. I had made coffee in the room for us. The shuttle got us to Disney, and we headed into the park.

We headed to Soar’n, but it was out of order. We then turned around and headed to the Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission Breakout! Formerly the Hotel of Terror drop ride. We enjoyed the multiple drops and loss of gravity. However, while we waited for our pass, we enjoyed WEB SLINGERS: A Spider-Man Adventure. We got to shoot webs, and Deborah outscored me. Deborah’s secret was to stop trying to aim but to shoot often. But before all of that, we did Luigi’s Rollickin Roasters, which was a kick. It was an exciting morning.

We finally got Soar’n.

We decided on an early lunch, ordered, and realized it was a twenty-minute wait. We canceled and picked a place in the San Francisco-like area, Lucky Fortune Cookery. This was an excellent lunch, some of the best food we had in California. We took the Bakery Tour, which features an authentic, mechanized bakery located in the middle of the park, Boudin Sourdough! I asked if I could get a hat, but it is not available (I found that I could get an apron on Bourdin Sourdough’s website — but no hats). I got a piece of bread, well, two. It was excellent.

Aside: Although this is not typically something that sounds appealing, the sourness of the dough dates back to the 1800s. It is the same bread that has been around since the Gold Rush.

 

We tried the Incredicoaster and the giant Ferris Wheel with the sliding baskets, waiting for another pass to reach time, but the ride broke, and we instead headed for more Guardians of the Galaxy and did another drop. It was great to get two in!

The car ride at Radiator Springs Racing was always a long wait, and we were not paying $22 each for a pass. We never made it to it; it also shut down multiple times. We accomplished a lot today and did not feel we missed anything, except for the long line. Next time (if it is not too expensive for a pass).

We tried Ariel’s Adventure just because it had a five-minute line. It was a new version of the other rides with better technology. We think it is three minutes long.

We decided to take a break, get some rest, and spend a few hours away from the park. We took the shuttle back. At 5, we were cleaned up and ready for a brief night at the park. We walked around for a bit until it was time for dinner at Wine Country Trattoria, which was recommended by our Mousekeplanner (yes, we have one). Then, we waited about thirty minutes for a table. Our waiter and staff were excellent, and we had great drinks (I tried a flight of California wine and Deborah a Passion Fruit Mule; both were excellent). Deborah had, in her words, the best Sea Bass she has ever had. I had fantastic short ribs and homemade pasta. The pull-apart bread for the apiztzer was great. Dessert, Tiramisu Bread Pudding, was also near perfect. Dinner was the best I have had in California. Wow!

After dinner, we managed to do the roller coaster again. It was still excellent and more fun in dusk light.

The park was setting up for the night show, but we decided to head out. We did more shopping. Earlier in the day, I bought a cookbook-like notebook and a Ratatouille T-shirt. I was surprised that this IP is still being supported. We saw lots of rats on hats and shoulders for younger folks.

It was a good night. I then wrote this blog while Deborah rested. I did 21,700+ steps or 7.6 miles of walking today (Deborah’s watch and phone had a lower number–still, it was a lot).

Thanks for reading!

We did follow the assassination, Trump’s wet parade, and No King protests. It seemed a crazy day.

 

 

 

 

 

We rose at 5:45 and were downstairs in time to grab a snack from the in-hotel Starbucks and catch the first shuttle bus to the park, which departed at approximately 7:15. The driver started us off with the first song from The Lion King. The one done at sunrise. He even held up a little stuffed lion at the correct time. It was a great way to start our early day.

Soon, we were headed to Tomorrowland and soon learned that the Star Wars attractions were located on the other side of the park. Oops. However, we enjoyed our first rides, including Buzz Lightyear, Star Tours, and Space Mountain, and we thought that was a good start.

We found the Haunted House and had a pass for it, so we did not wait more than a few minutes in line. It is a favorite and looks good with a few technical updates.

 

We then walked over to the Star Wars area and rode the two main attractions, and suddenly found that we had checked off all the main items on our lists by 10! We caught the Jungle Cruise and had lunch at The Red Rose. We got some coffee down in Main Street USA and then enjoyed the Indian Jones Ride, which was great. We were mixing Lightning Passes, and it was just a matter of good luck. Deborah was keeping track of the short wait.

We went back to Smuggler’s Run, and this time we were the pilots, scoring poorly, but it was great fun. We were the Engineers last time. We will try to get a few more runs in on Sunday as we enjoy the mix of story and controlling the ship.

Somewhere, we did ‘It’s A Small World,’ and I enjoyed the automated show. It now slides in a few Disney characters. Not terrible at all, but you do start singing the song.

 

We had a reservation for the Star Wars bar and had a few drinks and a snack there. It was a disappointment as there was nothing to do but drink a few drinks and have a snack. No dinner and not show. Hmmm.

We got some older rides done. Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride was a fun ride. Snow White was too short. We enjoyed the Teacup ride, but Alice in Wonderland was always at a thirty-minute wait, and we never got to experience it. We have a few things left on the list for Sunday.

Our last ride for the night, besides the shuttle back to the hotel, was The Pirates of the Caribbean.

We overdid it and were tired, a bit sunburned, and sore. We will try to keep it a little easier for the California Adventure we are doing on Saturday.

I am too tired to comment except to say Smuggler’s Run, Thunder Mountain, and Space Mountain were high on our list. Buzz Lightyear was fun. We are liking some interaction or a fast-moving ride, I think.

Thanks for reading!

 

 

We rose again at 6, with a few moments when we woke earlier and went back to sleep. We got going around six, with me making coffee from the coffee pod machine supplied by the hotel. Deborah was off to the last day of her conference with a light breakfast offered. I was walking to Anaheim today to get the steps and build up to the long days of walking in Disney this weekend.

The city was cleaning a bus station, and I learned that the benches were replaced with seats to prevent people from sleeping at the station. While I understood the reasons, I was disturbed that the homeless (or anyone else) could not even nap in a bus station. I had noticed that without a back support, my ability to sit there was limited. Hmmmm. But they are now easy to clean (eyeroll).

I stopped at Roscoe’s Chicken Waffles and had the grits, eggs, fried gizzards, and other parts with gravy. Yes, there is a little southernness in my genes, and so I was enchanted with the options. The chicken parts were all battered and seasoned, which contributed to the flavor of the deep-fried chicken bits. I wrote the blog, and since they were not busy, they did not mind refilling my coffee and water while I wrote and snacked on too many chicken parts for me to eat and grits to finish. I published the blog there.

I made a mistake and got a bottle of their sauce for an outrageous $12. I soon learned that glass bottles cannot be brought into the park areas (I was thinking of looking for a hat and postcards in Downtown Disney). I could surrender (their words) the bottle and enter the Disney areas, or I could leave, take that to my hotel, and return. I was not going to let that overpriced bottle go to waste.

Next, I was traveling upstream of the crowd, as it was late morning, and the late parkgoers were arriving. I found bus 43 and used my $2 pass to take me back to the hotel. Few were going in my direction.

I took the bottle to the room and met Deborah there during a break between classes. We chatted about our plans and some of the doom-filled news. A plane crashed in India, Israel would attack Iran, an American Senator was roughly handled by the agents from Homeland Security, and Trump was making strange statements about troops needed everywhere here in California. Yikes! We focused on our Disney plans. We are headed to Disneyland on Friday and plan to be there for the opening of the gates.

Deborah finished her classes, and we then got lunch at WaBa Grill as it is light and just works. I ate much less rice as I don’t need it. After lunch, Deborah bought a new swimsuit, and I purchased a light hat at the local sporting goods store.

We could use a rest and spend the rest of the afternoon together in the room. We ignore the news and focus more on our plans for the rest of the trip and the next one in July that takes us to Iceland.

We considered traveling to Disney Downtown for dinner, but Outback Steakhouse is conveniently located across the street. While the same as all others, and not necessarily a bad thing, it was good. Deborah got the “Jaws” drink, where you pour some liquid from a small plastic shark, which is red in color. Our steaks were good, and dinner made us sleepy.

We walked back to the hotel. We watched the light go full circle before we realized that we had not pushed the button. These streets do not pause the traffic unless you request it.

We were back in our room, and I wrote this blog as we will be at Disney all day on Friday. The Star Wars rides are at the top of our list. And while Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride (still in existence here on the West Coast) may not be on our digital list, we will likely ride it. Tomorrow Disneyland!

Thanks for reading!

 

We woke a few times in East Coast time but managed to roll over and rise at 6 as a compromise. It was another day of classes for Deborah, and they were intense. I make coffee from the machine, and Deborah then heads off to a long day of classes with lunch and a social meet and greet at 5-7. I am dressing in long pants and a dress shirt with a sweater vest. It is cold and overcast in the morning and hot and sunny later. But I don’t need any more sun right now. I am more than just pink, according to Deborah, magenta.

One of the recommended places, a Mexican place (with a right-wing political sign), did not open for breakfast until 9 (?!), and thus I returned to the hotel and had a ham and cheese sandwich from Starbucks inside the hotel. With the sign and the strange hours, I will not be back.

I chatted with folks from the convention and another +1 guy who was at loose ends while his wife was in classes. It was interesting to hear from an educator from the California area about how they have little idea what will happen now that the federal government appears to have zeroed out spending for adult education classes, including English as a Second Language. I can see how this is wearing against Deborah.

I wrote the blog while chatting here and there at a table outside, in the cool but warming air. I gave out a few biz cards as folks learned I had a blog that has been going on for years. They might be reading this today! Welcome!

I popped up to the room. The toilet was working again (it had been experiencing some trouble that I had reported), and the room was clean. I dropped off the laptop.

I returned to the outside, where the sun was now hot and bright, and I was happy to have long sleeves and pants, which kept me well covered. My hat is lost and I have not found a replacement yet.

I took the 43 bus towards Disneyland (the roads are not arranged to follow compass directions here, and this means I am using Disneyland as my point of reference). I got out before the Magic Kingdom and walked to the Garden Walk, which is more cement than plants (with artificial grass here and there). I found the Meeples Family store, where you can rent a table and games for $3 an hour each (or a fraction of). There are also cleanup charges for eating and drinking that add to the cost. But their game collection was huge, and the place smelled fresh (not always true of gaming places, as Batman would say, “Smells like Discipline,” see “DCU: Batman and Harley Quinn”). The place has good air conditioning and tables in small tents.

I walked around the area and finally found some postcards, but none of them had Disney images. I guess I will have to find those in Downtown Disney. It was hot, and my feet were complaining that I had taken all 8,000 steps in the last hour, so I headed back. My back hurt, and I started to walk back, as the bus was 19 minutes away, for a 25-minute walk. But I found the 43 halfway and was proud to use my app and actually succeed. Sadly, the bus trip for $2 was only two long blocks long, but success is still good.

I met more folks from the convention, and we talked about food and our experiences. They got a business card as they were interested in the blog. Welcome, if you are reading this!

I headed upstairs and might have nodded off while waiting for Deborah. She appeared, dropped off some stuff, and headed back to a snack-dinner and music event. Later, I would wake to Deborah bringing me a tiny cupcake from the affair, and then we headed to Nova, a fusion joint near the hotel.

There we had some rolls and a dessert. The food was good. We were both tired and soon were together in the room.

Thanks for reading.

We woke late on East Coast time and early for locals. With earlier wakings at various appropriate East Coast times, but a roll-over on a West Coast clock. Deborah’s conference was a long day, with an early start at 7:30 for breakfast and classes running throughout the day, and lunch provided. We would meet at 4ish for a snack and a late dinner to-go at WaBa Grill. We like WaBa’s food in Long Beach and found it excellent here. The price point is also outstanding.

We rose and did the usual things to start the day, with me out of the room with Deborah at 7:45ish. Deborah was in classes, while I tried Coco’s Bakery for breakfast. It is less than a block away and appears to have seen better days. As I got closer and the parking lot was empty, and I entered to find no customers, I was concerned.

The place was not dirty, but not as clean as I like. The carpet recorded decades of food spills. The wood on the table was sticky as the finish had melted and was now tacky. Ugh. The prices were not high, and the staff were friendly and knowledgeable about the menu, but they seemed a bit bored. There were two waiters for three tables (including mine) that filled in for the late breakfast rush.

The food was good, but not exceptional compared to other breakfast places. The bacon was industrial. The breakfast potatoes were from a bag, but at least they were seasoned and cooked with onions. The French toast was made with thin slices of white bread and industrial syrup, slightly warmed. It was nothing that said, “return,” it was great. The torn seats and stained carpet told me to find another place. Breakfast was good, and I would get it to go next time.

I wrote the blog at the table for breakfast with extra napkins on the wood so the finishing would not stick to me. I returned to the hotel and found a table by the pool. The hedge was being cut, and later a staffer would rake up and then blow the remaining tiny bits away with a lot of noise. I finished the blog there and eyed the pool. I started my new solo game, Cold War: Restless in Peace, by Worthington. This is a book game where you write in the book pages to play the game. I have a dice roller set to one six-sided die to play. There are several pages of directions, but I soon learned the process. I was lucky, and I think I misplayed part of the game (4 AP to improve World Opinion, not 3 — there is a misprint). Still, it was interesting and not without careful decisions. For example, Latin America and Africa were easy to use for military operations. A failed military operation moves the clock towards Nuclear War. Still, it was cheaper than diplomatic operations, which often had a higher chance of succeeding and did not have dire consequences for failure.  Additionally, I had to use up all my AP points, which meant often two military and two diplomatic operations (six AP cost).

The USSR (CCCP) was represented by a die roll and a set of charts. I would say I got lucky often with these rolls and was able to stay just ahead of the BOT. I crushed in my first game, but I think I got both lucky and undercharged for the World Opinion purchases.

I am looking forward to trying it again with a 4 AP cost to improve World Opinion for the player (representing a USA-centric West).

I took the laptop and book to the room, changed to swimming trunks, and returned to the North Tower pool. I swam and walked around in the pool. I then dried off and red in the sun (mistake). The mornings are cool, and then they heat up when the clouds burn off around noon. The pool was closing for a private event (Deborah would be at that party later). I moved to the South Tower pool on the third floor. The sun was baking now, and the cement (I hadn’t brought flip-flops) was burning hot. I managed to swim for a bit in the smaller and shallower pool. I sat and read for a bit (another mistake) and soon headed back to the room to shower off the pool water and prepare for a meeting.

I met Deborah at the hotel bar, where we shared an appetizer and a few drinks. She had a social event at the North Tower pool until 7, as I mentioned.

The First United Methodist Church Council met via Zoom at 6:30. I joined and within a record-breaking short meeting of less than an hour, we agreed on some staff updates, and reviewed a refresh of the entranceway and fireside room at the church. I presented the plan. There were no objections, but one follow-up item did surface later.

With that done, Deborah checked in with folks in Michigan, and then we walked to WaBa Grill. We enjoyed dinner in our room and then spent the rest of the evening catching up. It got late faster than we were ready and soon I was nodding off while reading.

I discovered I was pink and sunburned. It took a few hours for my skin to show its displeasure with the hot, sunny California weather.

Thanks for reading!