Ships Ahoy!

Mimosa Toast

Mimosa Toast

A trip of a lifetime; a 7 day cruise with a weekend in Puerto Rico with Tracy and her grandma (Nana), mother (Sheila), her aunts and uncles (Keith, Marsha, Judy and Patti) and lil' ol' me!  We started off at 5:00AM in the morning with a limo picking us up at the house.  It was champagne mimosas to start the trip and we were off to the airport.  A Carnival cruise we had all been saving up for for three years.  We were going to spend 2 and a half days in Puerto Rico then leave to sail in the Eastern Caribbean.  Night one exhausting, but really fun.  The Embassy Suites was an amazing hotel and they catered to our every need.  Every night during happy hour 5:00 - 7:00PM the drinks were free.  Rum punch all around for our group...or should i say Rum with a hint of punch...these drinks were all kick and super tasty.  As you can see in the pic below we weren't shy with the fruity beverages.

The Whole Family

The hotel also offered a free breakfast spread and it was well stocked with fresh fruit, eggs, bacon, sausage, bagels, juices, pancakes, waffles and an omelette station.  With this meal included in the price of the room and happy hour, the hotel was practically free.  The amenities didn't stop there.  The rooms were VERY spacious and had everything we'd need for a two night stay.  The pool was gorgeous and heated (which i took advantage of on night two).  There was an Outback steakhouse inside the hotel as well as a casino.  If you couldn't have a good time in this hotel you were really trying not to.  It's my understanding this is one of the few hotels in the area this nice.  So, if you're planning a trip to Puerto Rico, consider the Embassy Suites.

Beach Side - Puerto Rice

A short walk from the hotel is a nice beach where the Embassy Suites has chairs and umbrellas for it's patrons (show your room key).  The only thing that could've been a little better would've been bar service or something nearby to get some water.  We ended up getting bottled water from a street vendor so we survived.  Funny story, Uncle Keith was so excited to go into the water he ran in with his wallet in his pocket.  Let's just say you should not microwave a wallet to dry it off.  Good rule of thumb.  The weather was perfect and the water was warm.  We had all our chairs lined up and had a relaxing time.

The Bacardi Bar at Bacardi 

Later the same day we took a van to the Bacardi plant for a free tour and samples...yes,...samples.  Guess what?  You get two tickets for two free Bacardi drinks...but if you tip the barkeep you get more than two free drinks.  The super cool part is that you tell them what type of rum you want to try and they give you the best mixer for it.  They are not shy with the pours either.  The tour was really interesting but it was hot and we were starting to wear out.  We still wanted to go to downtown Puerto Rico too.  I wish we had more time to spend there.  Everything was closing up when we got there so we only had about an hour to look around.  The streets are beautiful with cobble stone and different colored buildings.  Very fun.

Us and the Ship - Before we Board

On day three we packed up and we all got on a bus to take us to the port to start our actual vacation.  Even though i already felt like i'd been on one already.  When you pull up and see the ship it's amazing.  It's so much bigger than you imagine.  This wasn't my first cruise, but it was Tracy's.  The first thing we did before getting on board was to get some bottled water and a little soda to take on with us.

Tracy & Senior Frog

On the way back from the store we stopped off at Senor Frogs for a couple of vacation beverages!  I also tried the clam chowder because i always try the clam chowder...LOL.  We had hours before the ship was to set sail and Tracy pointed out we are on vacation so we took the time to stop and smell the roses so to speak.  I'm glad we did, the place was pretty fun.  A chain for sure, and a little campy, but the food was good and the atmosphere helped us keep in the mood for a spirited adventure.

Day one on the ship we got settled and got our bearings of the ship's layout.  Ironically i was on the exact ship on my other cruise so i felt right at home and was able to give a tour to everyone else.  Really they all just wanted to find the casino!  We did a buffet for dinner and caught the welcome show in the Ivanhoe Theatre.  I had my first Miami Vice slushy rum beverage.  I usually have only 1 a day.  We aren't big drinkers.  On the ship the drinks aren't free so you want to be aware of this.

The best part of a cruise is you go to sleep in your room at night and that doesn't change...but you wake up in a different country each morning.  You don't even have to find parking.  We awoke on day two in Barbados.  Each port is unique in it's own way so when you look outside your ship's window (or in our case on our balcony) you see something new.  Private boats in the water are also amazing to see.  You can see why people fall in love with island living.  I think out of all the beaches we ended up seeing on this trip i enjoyed Barbados the most. We grabbed a cab to Brown beach.  When we got there our cabbie actually parked the cab, got out, and escorted us to the beach to make sure we got our chairs and then asked what time we wanted him to return (his name was Paris).  We gave him a time and headed to purchase our chairs and umbrella.

Sonny

Beach Chairs in Barbados

Tourists are typically the only way the island people make money during the year.  You basically "rent" the chairs and umbrella for the day.  It's like $20 for two and well worth it.  They also have people coming around to take your drink and food orders.  The water was super clear and it's truly indescribable, even with photos.  Crystal clear and warm, you just walk right in and enjoy.  After getting out of the water you sit and take in the sun, sights, and sounds.  Just shaking off your day to day grinds and trying to figure out how to retire early.  While we were sitting there this local vendor was walking around (in jeans no less) selling his wares.  Mostly handmade jewelry.  If you saw something you liked, but wanted it in a different size or color he would sit down and make it.  His name was Sonny and he told stories while he worked.  We all liked this turtle bracelet and a couple other pieces and at $10 a pop - between us all - Sonny made about $100.  He told us he loved his job and where else can his "office be outdoors in the sunshine, Mon".

Rainbow in St. Lucia

Wire Artist

Day two of the cruise we awoke in St. Lucia. I was actually pretty sun-burnt from Barbados (even though i had on sun screen) so we really only went to the marketplace and back. No beaches for Tracy and i in St. Lucia.  We did, however, have the honor to watch a local artist at work.  He twists metal wire into these incredible little figures.  This was perfect for us because we wanted to bring the boys back a souvenir more meaningful than just a T-shirt (of course we got those too).  We found Brad this really cool metal guy playing the drums and he happened to be painted lime green (Brad's favorite color at the time).

"Timmy"

St. Kitts (or Monkey island) was our favorite island of them all.  Tracy, Marcia, Patty and I decided to just rent a cab for the day at $20 a head.  This cab driver was the best!  He gave us a relaxed driving tour of the island, stopped off at pic ops and sites, took us to a great swimming beach, and basically protected us the whole day.  He was very knowledgeable about the island and all of it's building's and sites.  As we were driving down a side street we came across "Timmy" who was on the shoulder of a little boy.  Our driver slowed and i was able to talk to the boy.  I asked if i could pet Timmy and he said "sure'...as soon as i did Timmy jumped in the car.  What a cutie pie. Diaper and all, this little guy was as docile as a cat, but playful.  What a great experience.

View on the Left of the Cliff

View on the Right of the Cliff

More Monkeys!

Later that day we ended up at a big tourist spot at the top of a cliff.  From here you can see both beautiful views.  We also had encounters with more monkeys. These pictures do not do these waters justice.  The blues are way bluer and the different shades can't be captured on my simple digital cameras.  It's something you really want to experience first hand. This was definitely a tourist trap, but worth the stop.  As we were standing there some woman came up and threw monkeys on Tracy.  If we wanted to snap a photo it was $5...we actually ended up with two photos and we gave her the $5.  Since we already had the experience of the monkey in the car this seemed only half impressive.  These little monkeys are all over the island so it's no wonder people have them as pets.  They are sweet little guys, but you can tell they want to be mischievous little buggers.  Truly St. Kitts was the best island for us as we did our own thing and Vern, (our cabbie) was amazing!

In St. Maarten we attempted to do the same thing, but the van we got was SO hot and the A/C didn't work.  Plus we got stuck in traffic and that made things worse for everyone.  We did get a chance to stop at Maho Beach which is where the airplanes land and take off so close to the beach that it literally blows people around at take off.  There is a little bar off to the side that actually lists the departures and landings because people are crazy and want to see how close to death they can get without dying.    I didn't shoot this video, but we did see a similar experience.  We carefully watched from the sidelines though.

The next day we were back in Puerto Rico and getting ready to come home.  It was a nice long vacation and Tracy and I can't wait to go back and do the Western Caribbean.  We're already planning it for 2018 out of New Orleans, LA.  Stay tuned!

Splish Splash!

One of the best times i had was when i found a Groupon for a discounted weekend stay at Key Lime Cove Indoor Waterpark in Gurnee Il. The time frame just so happened to line up with the boys birthdays.  We allowed them each to invite one friend so they wouldn't fight with each other so much.  This ended up being Nathan for Brad and "Little" Matt for Devin.

When we arrived and checked in we were WOW'd with the ambiance of the place.  Very tropical and colorful and definitely had a kid friendly way about it.  The first thing we did was find our room where we were pleasantly surprised with a fantastic and clean room with two VERY comfortable queen beds.  There was also a pull out couch so in total there were three beds.  Tracy and i picked ours and the boys basically figured out who was sleeping on cushions and the floor as, God forbid, they share a bed with another boy.  After everyone got settled we had them change into their swim trunks and went down to check out the water-slides, wave-pool, and lazy river.

Everything at this place was done with a wrist band.  Charges to the room, door locks, and getting into and out of the water area (which was more about IF they had them on and less about activating anything).  We had given Devin and Brad each a "room key" in their wrist bands and we both had one.  So after we made sure the location was safe the kids were allowed to come and go as they pleased as long as they stayed on the resort grounds.  I think this was one of the best features because it allowed Tracy and i time to not worry about coming and going.  Everything we needed was here.  Snack bar, restaurants, ice cream parlor, stores, the waterpark, and a ticket driven arcade.  They even had planned activities for the kids.

While the kids were in the water, Tracy and i slipped back upstairs to our room to change into our own swimwear and to bring out our "birthday goody bags" for the boys.  You can't have a birthday party without goody bags.  Inside each bag was a little candy, some puzzle books, a cool pen, and other little trinkets.  We then left and went to enjoy the lazy river.

After a few hours of water time, the boys came back to the room.  We happened to be right behind them when they entered.  It took them a couple minutes to figure out the bags were theirs, but once they did they loved them.  It was about dinner time so Tracy and i went down to the snack bar to order up a couple of pizzas and soda which was actually fairly inexpensive for what we got.  When we came back to the room the boys were quiet and each working on a word find puzzle.  I love it when you can wear them down!  As soon as the pizzas hit the table in the room the boxes were opened and the food was inhaled.  Once they were all full they decided to play a board game we brought along.  Then the boys decided to explore the resort a little more and do some night time swimming.  Once back at the room they crashed and were all sleeping by about 10:00PM!

 We had thought ahead enough to realize we didn't want to leave the resort to drive and park anywhere so we had donuts and milk on hand for breakfast.  Once again we were off to the swimming area to basically play all day long.  Even Tracy and i were having a nice time in the lazy river and wave-pool.

One of the features of the water-park is their tickets-for-prizes arcade area.  We had assessed this the first night and had purchased a higher end package because we knew eventually we'd spend that much money anyway.  This way we had extra "tokens" (which were actually credits on cards) thrown in and we divided it up between the kids.  Since the arcade was right next and in view of (creative marketing i'm sure) the water-park, kids were running in and out of it...half wet to boot!  Our kids were no exception...and i have to admit...Tracy and i had our fair share of fun with it as well.  They had this giant Connect-Four machine that was just too much fun to play.

Throughout the day and into the evening the event staff had activities planned for the kids.  Everything from a "Deal or no Deal" game where the prizes were food items to more arcade credits to scavenger hunts to a dance.  At one point they even had a live yellow boa constrictor to let the kids touch and hold.  I walked WAYYYY around that.

The "Kitchen Sink"

Ice Cream Parlor

To make the day even more fun we decided to take the kids to the D.W. Anderson's Ice Cream Parlor (located inside the resort).  It was really cute and old timer feel.  We all sat down and after looking at the menu decided to get "the kitchen sink".  Which was exactly that...a real kitchen sink filled with 12 scoops of ice cream and all the fixin's.  The boys went up and picked out the 12 different flavors of ice cream.  then we waited at the booth for it to arrive.  When it came out it had lit sparklers on top as well.  As you can see in the photo it was a LOT of ice cream.  So, we all dug in and scooped it into our bowls and started adding the toppings that had come out on the side.  The kids were pleasantly overwhelmed...and that is the way i choose to describe it.  There were six of us so the $30 price tag for the half kitchen sink wasn't too bad at all.  I do admit we had leftovers, and we just let them melt away.  This is one of those moments in life where you can't believe you are given the opportunity to go nuts and you realize your stomach fails you.  We literally gave these kids ice cream for their lunch.  We're horrible and the best all at the same time.  If we had added food to their tummy's having this dessert experience would NOT have been an O.K. thing to do.  I'm sure our boys will remember this for a long, long time.

Sleeve or Slinky?

After the ice cream experience rest was in order so we headed back to the room. Eventually they all headed back down for more splashing and arcade fun.  With all their card credits used up it was time to cash in their tickets.  There was actually a pretty fair amount of items they could select from with their winnings.  As you can see in the picture Devin bought a sleeve with his tickets...or maybe a giant plastic slinky???

All the Candies in the Bag

Another feature the resort had was an alley of shopping and fun little stores.  And what theme park doesn't have a full candy counter?  Well, this one did anyway and we let Brad take his pick.  The girl behind the counter wasn't busy, but i think we annoyed the heck out of her by letting Brad take two of every kind of jellied candy.  Personally, i can't stand but maybe one or two of this type of candy, but he loved it. I think he thought it was super cool that his Mom let him go nuts (sort of).  Hey, it was a birthday weekend without a cake so ice cream and treats made up for it.
All and all the Key Lime Resort and Waterpark were a big hit with the kids and with us.  The Groupon deal made it an affordable weekend and i think it's an experience the boys will take with them.  Oh, did i mention as we were leaving we spotted Lightning McQueen out front?  Celeb photo op!

Viva Las Vegas!

Welcome to Las Vegas!

In March of 2012 my step son Matthew turned 21.  Of course we had to plan a trip to Las Vegas, NV to celebrate.  We invited his best friend Tyler to come along. We bought airfare and  made reservations on the Strip at the Tropicana Hotel and then downtown Fremont Street at the Plaza Hotel and Casino.  Even though Matt's birthday was in March, we made our vacation plans for May so the weather would be nicer. When we arrived in Las Vegas we were treated to a sand storm which made site seeing an impossibility.  All of the "free" Strip attractions were shut down and the sand made my contacts water up to the point i had to hold on to Tracy to get into a building.  It was a huge let down as our first night was one of the only nights we had to walk around.  We did have a meal at the Hard Rock Cafe - which, for the 3rd time at a Hard Rock i was disappointed in the food.  I've been to Hard Rock Hollywood, and Hard Rock Gatlinburg and now Hard Rock Las Vegas - every single time i'm disappointed in the food.  It was super expensive too. For four of us to have one drink each and burgers the bill was pushing $150.00 - which would've been OK if the food was decent.  So thumbs down for Hard Rock Las Vegas! In protest, i am not linking them in this blog.  I would say that day 1 of this trip was a bust, so we all decided to get some sleep and start fresh the next day.

Hoover Dam - Bridge View

Dad & Mom

The next day of the trip my parents were going to drive in from California to see us and we were all going to go to the Hoover Dam.  Over the years, i know people that have left Vegas to go take the Dam tour but i didn't understand why.  This is definitely worth seeing.  I got us all the higher end tour which included going inside the wall of the dam out to the very edge.  This it truly an amazing engineered site.  It really should be one of the wonders of the world.  When you see it from the top looking down it's intimidating.
There is a second bridge now to drive over plus a walkway so you can see the dam from a little distance off.  We stopped here first and trekked up the stairs to the top and walked out across the bridge.  Matt was freaking out, but he did actually make it somewhat out to see the view.  I snapped a pic.  The other pic is of Dad & Mom.  They are so cute and i think my Dad really had a nice time seeing this mammoth structure.

Pawn Stars Location

We did have to make one last stop with my Mom and Dad before they were going to head back to California.  Since my Dad and I both were watching Pawn Stars on TV we decided to hit the place up in hopes of seeing the stars of the show.  They weren't there, but we were able to get inside an look around.  It was kinda fun.  The place was a real pawn shop (obviously) and we realized why they only shoot from the one angle...it's because the rest of the shop is sort of grimy. I mean, it is a REAL Las Vegas pawn shop so our expectation wasn't that high to being with.  I'd recommend this stop off if you're a fan of the show though, it was cool. I snapped a pic of everyone out front.

I do admit we did stop off at Jack-in-the-box on the way back.  Funny story with the two for $.99 taco special.  Before we left Tracy ordered some to-go for all of us back at the hotel room.  She meant to order 6 totaling 12 tacos...3 tacos each for the 4 of us.  Instead she ordered 12 orders (by mistake) and we had 24 tacos.  We ate them like crazy back at the hotel room in between casino runs.  I'll admit, after day two we probably shouldn't have eaten them, but after our casino time and drinking we all thought they were the best thing ever! Krak tacos for real.

Italy's Soda - ICK!

Sample Tray

Tracy and i walked around the MGM Grand area so we could go to the Coca-Cola store and the M&M Store.  Both were a site to see and free.  We did spend the $8 on the Coca-Cola from around the world tray (actually ended up being two trays).  This was well worth the money for the experience.  Some sodas were really tasty while one of them (no Thank you Italy) tasted like nail polish remover.  It was so bad i had to try it twice because i couldn't believe someone would actually order it.  We did see a comedy show at our hotel later that night.  It was pretty funny, but i was exhausted so staying awake in a dark room was difficult.  I used to be able to stay up all day and all night in Vegas....not anymore apparently.

The next day Tracy and I had tickets to see Menopause the Musical at the Luxor.  So we all walked around our general strip area which was New York, NY, Luxor, Tropicana, Excalibur, and MGM Grand.  Tracy and I had a blast and a couple of great meals at New York, NY.  The play was hilarious.  It was nothing like i expected and we laughed and laughed through the whole thing.  Even the men were cracking up.  I wouldn't miss this if it came anywhere near me and i highly recommend this for any women especially.  The humor would be lost on children.

We changed our digs half way through the trip so i could show Matt, Tyler and Tracy Fremont Street.  The Fremont Street experience (overhead light show) is still pretty amazing even though the technology is a little outdated.  For it's time the show was extraordinary and nothing anyone had ever seen.  Today it still stands out as something fun to do for free while downtown.  People still pour out of the casinos during the showtimes.  I know i enjoyed it again and i think the others were impressed as well.  Tracy shot this video of part of it.  Gotta love Freddie Mercury and Queen.  Sometimes the classics are truly classic.

One of the other features of downtown Fremont street is how close and how small the casinos are.  It's the old school stuff so you can dip and and out of casinos without having to rent a car or go for a huge hike like you do on the strip these days.  There is still the element of cheesy sites too.  Showgirls, Elvis, Silver Man, Batman, Michael Jackson, etc...all dressed up outside the casinos to let you take photos with them.  There is also no shortage on booze down here.  On the strip it seemed a little harder to get a cocktail waitress to come by - especially for the complimentary drinks. We aren't big drinkers, but i was enjoying my beers while i played some craps while Tracy found some of the funnest slots.

Us with $1,000,000.00

Tracy with Big Bertha at Four Queens

Cocktail Anyone?

Our room at the Plaza was really nice and roomy.  Our daytime view was OK, but we could see the lights from a few casinos at night and that was pretty cool.  We actually had a blast gambling at the Plaza and the minimums were cheaper than the strip.  With the feel of old school, "we take care of our players" at these more aged casinos we wanted for nothing except a couple of big wins.  We also had a blast and did pretty good at the Las Vegas Club, Four Queens, and the Golden Nugget.  We stopped in the Mermaid late one night for their Nathan's hot dogs and fries...then even later that night for a deep fried Twinkie.  This is a wicked indulgence, but should be experienced at least once if you're on Fremont street.  In addition, we found out the Mermaid had the best "slushie" style drinks.  At $12 - $30 a pop you won't be disappointed.  These drinks are EVERYWHERE, and we tried them at quite a few locations, but the Mermaid had the best tasting, best selection, and the best price.  Of course we took advantage of the free photo with a $1,000,000.00 at Binion's Gambling Hall.  We actually got two photos because there was two of us.  I think Matt and Tyler got one as well.  How can you pass up this freebie.  Yes, that is really a million U.S. dollars under that glass.  It's amazing to look at and makes you hope you can leave Vegas with more than a hangover and pocket change.

 Tracy killed it at the Las Vegas Club on the Ultimate Texas Hold'em machine and cashed out for a little over $400 on a $20 buy in.  Even though it wasn't a million dollars it was a HUGE return on her investment and is even better because she actually cashed it out and came home with it.  I was happy about it too because i know she'll go back to Fremont Street in Las Vegas when Devin turns 21.



All and all it was a wonderful trip.  We saw a lot of new and fun and interesting things.  Some free, some not.  Gambled, drank (which we typically don't do), ate food that was bad for us, slept in, stayed up too late, and got to spend time with our son AND my Mom & Dad.  We only have one story that will stay in Vegas.  Shhhhhhhhhh!

Cha-Ching!

Our annual trip on Good Friday.   Well, it was annual for 3 years anyway until we all started saving our pennies for a Caribbean cruise.  It was "Girl's Day Out".  Myself, Tracy, Sheila (Tracy's Mom), Judy (Tracy's Aunt), and Kitty (Tracy's Grandma).  The first year we went to Ho-Chunk Casino in the Wisconsin Dells.  The second year we went to Oneida Bingo & Casino in Green Bay, and the third year we went back to Ho-Chunk because we all did pretty good there.

We usually have to wait for Sheila to get home from work (about noon) then we all take off and go get lunch. The photos are from our last trip to Ho-Chunk Casino.  We ate at Denny's on the way.  You know, you just can't go wrong at Denny's.  In all the years and all the Denny's I've eaten at, i don't think I've EVER had a bad meal.  Fried, yes...greasy, maybe...but oh so tasty.  I know there are so many more restaurant choices out there, but all of us gals enjoy Denny's.

After lunch we go straight to the casino where we have the car valet parked.  I don't think we are in the casino more than about 10 minutes and we've lost Sheila and Kitty.  Can you say addicted to gaming....well slots?  They both LOVE it.

Lucky Girl!

Tracy has a knack for finding the most fun machines and she's been fairly lucky.  I don't recall exactly how much we took, but i know it was less than $100 each.  I usually circle around her and play machines near so i'm in ear shot if she hits a good bonus.  If i can, i sit next to her and play.

Another game we both like is Roulette.  Not live roulette though...we like the electronic betting one.  The wheel isn't electronic (which i like because then i don't feel like the casino is rigged), but the betting stations are.  Once again Tracy rules on this game.  Somehow she knows what number is going to come up time and time again and her bets are directly on or a portion thereof so she can gamble for a long time.

Kitty (or Nana as we call her) came around and watched us play for a bit, but as soon as i mentioned leaving she took off like a bat out of hell.  At the time, she wasn't moving really fast around the house and such, but the mention of slots and she hauls!

We stayed at the casino for about 6 hours and then we finally got everyone to cash out and head towards the door.  Judy, who spent most of her time monitoring Kitty's spending, helped corral her.  It's not an easy task getting that old woman out of a casino.  She literally stops at every machine on the way out.  So what should take 5 - 10 minutes to get organized to leave took us more like 30 minutes.  That's ok with us though because we threw in another $20 and cashed that out for $40.  A little extra traveling money.

Since we were in the Dells i suggested we eat at Moose Jaw Pizza.  Of all the places in the Dells i feel like the food here is the best.  I get the same thing every time though.  B.B.Q. chicken and bacon pizza with pineapple added.  I have sampled other people's food so i can say more than one thing is good on the menu.  Even though pizza is their primary food, there is plenty of other items to choose from.  In addition, the ambiance is really woodsy and warm.  We've always had a great meal here and this time was no let down.  Nana thought the paper moose rack was worth trying on and i was able to snap this shot before she took them off.  Outside the place we found this carved moose statue so Judy took advantage of this photo op.  I do recommend Moose Jaw to anyone visiting the Dells.

M-I-C-K-E-Y M-O-U-S-Eeeeeeeeee!

View from the Plane

In July of 2011 we took off once again to sunny California.  This time, all three boys and a girlfriend in tow.  THIS was going to be the largest group vacation i'd ever organized.  I was taking the boys to meet my parents before Tracy and i tied the knot in October.  First things first though...how can i take my new little family to California and not hit Disneyland?  The answer...i can't...so we went!

2 for $.99 Tacos

We flew out of Milwaukee and after some small setbacks with flight delays and seating we made it to L.A.X.  I might as well state now that when we fly to California we will likely always end up at L.A.X.  It's just not affordable to fly into other California cities such as San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Santa Maria or even Burbank.  Almost twice the airfare.  So the choice is L.A.X. and rent a car...or in this case a mini van.  Upon arriving we stopped at the best fast food place EVER...Jack-in-the-box. Now, i know people who live near a Jack-in-the-box don't really care, but for those of us living without the 2 for $.99 tacos this is a must stop.  I'm not sure exactly what's in the tacos but they are completely addicting.  Basically the rule of thumb is to order them WITH your meal instead of fries....well, that's our rule of thumb. They look like the shouldn't be good, but they are FANTASTIC!

Devin at Michael Jackson's Star

Brad at Bugs Bunny's Star

After we filled up at "Jack's" we headed over to Hollywood to show the kids the same touristy stuff Tracy and i experienced in April 2009 (read in full detail about Hollywood in my California Here We Come! blog post).  Although i do have to say i had more fun walking around and looking at the stars on the walk of fame with the kids.  They found their favorites...Devin's was Michael Jackson and Brad found Bugs Bunny.  We had fun at the souvenir shops too.  Once we got back to where we parked we all agreed to get going.

We finally headed to our hotel in Anaheim, The Desert Palms Hotel & Suites.  The lobby was beautiful, much more than i expected due to so-so reviews online.  I think we lucked out and caught this hotel between its completed renovations and overcharging customers with the new face-lift.  Lucky us.  Apparently the room we ordered had not been vacated so we got an upgrade...YAY!  Our room was awesome.  4 queen beds and 2 FULL bathrooms which we quickly denoted girls on the right and boys on the left.  We had a view of the California Adventure theme park - too cool all lit up at night.  We were very happy with our room, the cleanliness, the view, and the pool at the hotel.  We stayed here because it was a 10 minute walk to Disneyland so i didn't have to deal with parking.  We relaxed around the hotel and ordered my favorite pizza...Round Table Pizza.  We don't have one near us so it's a treat for me when i come home to California.  After dinner we went for a swim in the indoor/outdoor heated pool.  After a full day we were all ready for a good night sleep before our exciting day at Disneyland.

I was the first up i think out of sheer excitement.  I'd been to Disneyland a few times in my life, but Tracy and the kids had NEVER been.  I know Tracy was REALLY looking forward to it...a dream come true for her.  The kids didn't know what to expect.  We all got moving, showered, and fed and were able to walk from the hotel to the front gates of Disneyland.  As soon as i walked in it was like i was a kid again myself.  Before we really got into the park we were greeted with a performance from the Disneyland marching band.  Too cool!  I feel like we were in the right place at the right time for that experience.  M-I-C-K-E-Y M-O-U-S-EEEEEEEEE! As lame as it sounds it was one of my highlights and i was VERY excited for Tracy and the kids to experience a great magical moment at Disney.

Into the park we went.  As we turned the corner and Tracy saw Disneyland Main Street she paused and kinda cried.  Of course that made me choke up too.  It's a magical place by every definition of the word and until you experience it for the first time you won't understand.  First stop: Tomorrowland where Sarah and Matt had us check out the Innoventions area which had a ton of hands on experiences in science, computers, and video gaming.  This was a very interesting place, but i was chomping at the bit to see the park, not be stuck in a room of gadgets no matter how cool they were. There were rides to be ridden...let's go, let's GO!

Astro Blasters

Captain EO

Finally we decided to go and we got in line for Buzz Lightyear's Astro Blasters.  This was so much fun.  We all had lasers on our carts and got to fire at objects all around while your score on the dashboard accumulated.  It was great fun and we, of course, competed for best score.  We split up after this ride.  Matt and Sarah went their way while the two younger boys, Tracy and i stayed in Tomorrowland to see Michael Jackson's Captain EO. Since Devin is a die-hard MJ fan, it wasn't too hard to convince them to see this 3D experience.  Off to Adventureland to ride Indiana Jones Adventure - this line was LOOOOOOONG - like 1 hour long!  It was a pretty cool roller coaster type ride, but Tracy and i found it to be too jerky to be fully enjoyable.  Probably because we're older though because the boys LOVED it!  I had a few "have to" rides and the Jungle Cruise was one of them.  I loved this ride as a kid and i wanted my kids to at least check it out.  It's a classic.  Next stop New Orleans Square where we of course did the Haunted Mansion and Pirates of the Caribbean (both rides on my "have to ride" list).  Neither disappointed us.  In fact, Disney had upgraded Pirates of the Caribbean to include Captain Jack Sparrow which wasn't a part of the ride in the past.  This was a welcomed addition and didn't take anything away from the original ride.

We grabbed a quick bite to eat then we ventured into Frontierland where we fired away at the Frontierland Shootin' Exposition.  This is a ton of fun for just a a buck or two.  It lights up or makes noise when you hit a specific target so you can kinda rate yourself.  I prefer to try and find the furthest item away and nail it!

Space Mountain

We headed back over to Tomorrowland  to ride Space Mountain.  We found out you can do a fast pass that has a time stamp on it instead of waiting in long lines.  When you go during your timestamp you can go to the front of the line.  Fun story about Space Mountain...we were at the absolute end of the hair-raising ride when it stopped cold.  After the lights came on and the problem fixed we got offered to go again without waiting in the line.  So a second go-round!  Space Mountain is a roller coaster that is entirely in the dark.  It's super fast and there are lots of unexpected turns and drops.

Mickey Mouse in the Parade

When we got done with Space Mountain Brad wanted to ride Astor Orbitor at the mouth of Tomorrowland and just as he and Devin got off the ride we started hearing whistles.  We headed towards the noise and realized we perfectly timed getting a great spot for the Disneyland parade.  This was truly a sight to be seen and i got the chills as colorful float after float past us.  The music was amazing and the characters on the ground matched the themed float and danced around. The highlight was seeing Mickey of course.  I can't even put into words or capture on film the way this parade makes you feel inside if you're a Disney fan.  So much to see and hear...it's almost overwhelming.  Again we were in the right place at the right time to experience this.  If we go again, i'm going to make a point to find out when it is actually scheduled.

Cinderella's Castle

Kissing Mr. Toad

After the parade we headed towards Fantasyland which takes your right through the iconic Cinderella's Castle.  There are so many classic rides in Fantasyland but a lot of them are for little ones.  I really wanted everyone to go on Mr. Toad's Wildride so we got in line for that.  This ride is kinda cheesy, but still fun.  You get in your cart and it runs along tracks avoiding all sorts of potential pitfalls.  I think to this day Brad thinks his steering kept us from a fatal accident with an oncoming train.  Everyone loved the ride and i was taken back to my childhood once again.  I think part of the magic of Disney is so little changes and you can count on it over and over again to be pure and innocent.


We did finally hit Mickey's Toontown, the new addition (new to me), in the back of the park. We met up with Matt and Sarah again for a bit and toured around this area. The structures were phenomenal and it felt like you were inside a cartoon the whole time you were there.  I'm sure this is the intended idea.  We could NOT pass up the opportunity to "do the ears".  I think everyone needs a pair of Mickey or Minnie ears when they go to Disneyland.  Plan on spending at least $20 average on a pair of them and you get your name on the back.

We hung out and ate dinner and then decided that 15 hours at Disneyland was enough and started to head out.  As we were moving towards the gate we spotted them.  Goofy and Minnie Mouse...so, of course, we stopped for our photo ops.  All and all, Disneyland did not disappoint, it was good, clean, wholesome, family fun. Although i would definitely pay for front of the line passes next time just to be able to do more within the same time frame.  I don't think there can be a bad review of Disneyland...except maybe the walk BACK to the hotel after walking literally miles inside the part for 15 hours.  One of the funniest moments was Brad hitting the side of his leg as he was walking trying to wake it up.  We were all behind him looking at him like "what the heck are you doing?"  Too funny.

Brad, Minnie Mouse, & Devin

Devin, Goofy, & Brad

Tracy, Goofy, & Cindy