First DLR Trip was magical! TR (3/09) Heading back for more magic! TR w/pics (4/10)

[TheTXTaylors5]

Kim and I never saw the Hollywood sign. I have seen it before so I didn't care, but I felt bad for Kim. I can't wait to here about your trip up the cost.

Sorry Kim missed seeing the Hollywood sign. You could see it from the Highland Shopping Center and on the roof of the hotel (Melanie would know about that. )

Glad to have you along for the ride. It was great traveling with you. Hope to see you on PCC 2.0 Bill has the wheels in motion.

Jennifer

 

[Disneygrl36]

This hotel is so convenient. It was perfect! Especially since we had never been to Hollywood. Everything you would want to see in Hollywood was right outside your door.

The one thing I forgot to take a picture of at the Highland Shopping Center was the "casting couch". If you have a picture, I'd love to see it.

Jennifer

Hi Jennifer . I do have a pic of the casting couch. Our computer crashed & we have a new one. My hubby is going to put all the stuff from the old one (including pics) back on the new one this weekend & I will post it here then.

Oh & yes I know all about the roof of that hotel.

 

[TheTXTaylors5]

Monday - April 12, 2010 (Continued)

Here are my first views of the Pacific Ocean from the PCH ...

The sun was trying to peer out from behind the clouds. This may be a great day afterall.

The view was great. But, where are the cliffs I see in all the movies? As I learned from this trip, patience is a virtue and will be rewarded later on.

The PCH 1/101 winds near the ocean on 1 and then takes you onto 101 away from the water for a bit. We were a little worried because we hadn't seen the ocean for awhile. I didn't read about all the hills and non-beach roads in any of the guidebooks. They only show you the cliffs with the ocean crashing in the background. That's what I think of when someone says "Pacific Coast Highway". Again, be patient a little birdy tells me ...

On one of the roads, it looked like they cut right into the rock to make the road. I saw this road/rock on a car commercial last night!

We headed further north through avocado farms and luscious hills. But, where was the ocean????? We actually started to think we took a wrong turn. But, the woman on the GPS kept urging us on.

An avocado farm.

The hills. (It's okay to break out into the Sound of Music at this point. )

We were taken back onto the highway and decided at this point to take a break and get a cold drink. We saw the familiar golden arches in the distance and decided it would make the perfect stop. By this time, the sun was really shining. It was time to put the top down on the convertible!!!

We drove on 101 for about 40 minutes when Bill said it looks like clouds ahead. Should he pull over and put the top up? I told him to go with his instinct. So, he pulled over to the side of the highway. He hit the button to close the top (it looked very easy) and he pulled back onto the highway. Not five minutes later, the pitter patter of rain started to fall on the windshield. From then on, I let him dictate when the roof came on and off. He had a knack at it. The rain didn't last. Like the weatherman stated, it really was scattered showers that day. Maybe, they should have called it sporadic showers.

During our travels north, we went through a tunnel. It looked very familiar like it had been in some movies.

The tunnel.

On the other side of the tunnel were more hills. After about another 30 minutes, we could see the ocean to our left again. In my mind, I knew I wanted to stop at the next major town. I wanted to stop and smell the ocean air and get some beach pictures. I don't have the greatest camera for taking action shots from the car.

If you've seen the movie Clueless with Alicia Silverstone, you might remember during the movie she is raising money and goods for the "Pismo Beach Disaster". We saw a sign coming up for Pismo Beach. It was a familiar name. So, we decided to stop there for lunch and to relax. It is a cute little seaside down where all roads leads to the coast. We parked the car at a town lot right on the beach. We did zero pre-trip planning on lunch for today. We decided to go with the flow. I stopped a group of twentysomethings and asked where they recommend we eat lunch. All three at the same time said The Splash Cafe. That was a good sign. They were all in agreeance. It is known for it's clam chowder. Growing up in Massachusetts, I was born eating clam chowder. I am always up to try a new recipe. So, off we went to find The Splash Cafe. By this time, we were hungry.

It didn't take us long to find the restaurant. The town only consists of a few blocks. Bill still was not 100% better. He had the after food poisoning sour stomach. So, he decided to skip the milky clam chowder. He ordered the fish and chips. One thing to note when orderding fried fish on the west coast, it is going to be frozen and can sometimes taste frozen. Bill didn't like his fish at all. He ended up sending it back and ordered a grilled cheese sandwich. I did order the infamous clam chowder in a sourdough bread bowl. OMG! This was so good. Pictures can't do it justice because you can't smell the yumminess. The bread was toasted and buttery, the clam chowder was tasty, thick and full of clams. Sometimes, I am leary when a place prides themselves on a certain dish. However, here it was well warranted. If you are ever in the area, make sure to pop in for some clam chowder (just stay away from the fried fish!).

Check out The Splash Cafe website HERE.

The Splash Cafe - Pismo Beach, CA

My bread bowl clam chowder.

Bill's fish and chips.

 

[Disneygrl36]

Your pictures so far of your trip up the PCH are great. You know we didn't even see the ocean while out there. There's always next time.

 

[TheTXTaylors5]

Monday - April 12, 2010 (Continued)

Stopping off at Pismo Beach was our first taste of getting out of the car and experiencing the ocean. So, I went a little picture happy here. Here are some pictures from Pismo Beach ...

The sun was brightly shining. Time to put the top down again! Here are some car shots in Pismo Beach ...

I was only "posing". Bill did all the driving this trip.

It was time to bid Pismo Beach a farewell. There was more to see ...

Somehow leaving Pismo Beach, we didn't hear the GPS woman when she told us to turn. It must have been all the wind ripping through our hair with the convertible down. We ended up at a dead end. This is when the term "it's the journey, not the destination" came into my mind. We never would have found this little gem, if we hadn't gotten lost. Someone how we ended up at Harford Pier. The only way I remember the name is because I took a picture of the sign. It looked like whale watching and fishing tours leave from the dock here. It was very picturesque. When I stepped out of the car to take some pictures, I was almost attacked by squirrels. They were everywhere! There was even a sign warning not to feed them. I had never seen so many squirrels hanging out at the beach. They surely were lost. After a quick stop to take some pictures, we make a u-turn to head back the way we came to find the road we missed.

Pictures from Harford Pier ...

(not a bad place to get lost to!)

Beware of the attack squirrels!

 

[TheTXTaylors5]

Monday - April 12, 2010 (Continued)

Once we made the stops in Pismo Beach and Harford Pier, I wanted to see more than just the roads along the PCH. So, when we came upon Morro Bay, Bill made me happy and pulled into town so we could explore more. Who knows when we will get back to these parts again. I wanted to savor the experience of traveling the PCH. What caught my eye at Morro Bay was this HUGE rock sticking out of the water. You couldn't miss it. We could see it from miles away. As we got closer, we had to check it out.

Pictures from Morro Bay.

Morro Rock.

We drove to get a little closer to Morro Rock.

I honestly knew nothing about Morro Rock until I came home and did a search online.

From wikipedia:
Morro Rock is a 581-foot volcanic plug located just off-shore of Morro Bay, California at the entrance to the Morro Bay Harbor and a causeway connects it with the shore, effectively making it a tied island. The area around the base of Morro Rock can be visited. The rock is protected as the Morro Rock State Preserve. Climbing on the rock or disturbing the bird life is forbidden by law.

Morro Rock was first charted in 1542 by the Portuguese explorer, Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo, who called it El Morro which is the spanish geographical term for a crown-shaped rock or hill. Since then, it has become an important landmark to sailors and travelers.

You learn something new everyday.

After admiring the view, we headed north once again. We were driving up 1 when we saw a sign for an overlook to view Elephant Seals. Up for more nature, we stopped to check out the view. We could see the seals napping on the rocks. My camera is not the best to zoom and get a crisp picture.

Here are some pictures of the seals on the rocks.

 

[thmar]

I love driving the 1...beautiful scenery.

 

[KCmike]

Loving the report.
We drove the entire stretch of the PCH from LAX to Monterey then to SF and then to Yosemite Natl Park and back down to DL. The PCH is amazing. The views get more and more breathtaking as you go north to Big Sur and into Monterey. I thought the hills in the middle of Cali were spectacular. If you haven't been to Yosemite Natl Park you need to do it asap. Words can't describe it.

Can't wait for the DL part.

 

[tinkermell]

Hey, you stopped at one of our favorite places to go. Pismo Beach and Splash Cafe, are just west of where we live. The soup there is yummy! Usually on weekends, the line for Splash wraps all the way around the cafe onto the side street.

Wish I had known that was your plan, cuz Pismo is one of the very few beaches that you can drive your car right onto the sand. Lot's of people also camp out right on the beach. Most of them take their all terrain vehicles and ride the dunes.

Oh well.

Loving your report so far! I recognize many places you are seeing. DH and I have eaten at a restaurant on the pier where you got lost.

 

[blabbermouth]

Wow, what a beautiful drive. It's in one of our possible vacation plans for this fall.

Glad you liked your chowder, it looked delicious. Too bad about the fish, although I'm sure you can find lots of non-frozen fish on the west coast too, just maybe not in diners.

 

[Disneygrl36]

Jennifer.....loved all the beautiful ocean & coast pictures.
Here's the only one I have of the casting couch...sorry I'm in it.

 

[TheTXTaylors5]

Monday - April 12, 2010 (continued - this was a long, long day ... )

"On the road again" - Willie Nelson

We got back on 1 heading north when we spotted hundreds of elephant seals on the side of the road. Bill braked and made a u-turn back. When we got out of the car it was kind of eerie. They weren't moving. Were they dead????? Once we got closer, one of them poked his head up and let out what sounded like a loud burp. They were alive alright. Just napping in the sun.

We got within a few feet of them, with a fence between us. They weren't afraid of us at all. It was really cool to see them this close in their natural habitat. It was moments like this, I wish the kids were here. They would have loved it!

Elephant Seals along the PCH.

(Looking at this picture, you can see now why we thought they were dead! No movement.)

(This little guy kept coming closer and closer. He was not shy!)

After visiting for a bit, we headed back north on a mission to find the section of the PCH we had been dreaming of.

We drove through a little more of this scenery ...

Then, we finally came to this ...

It was breathtaking. Pictures cannot do it justice. We stopped for a few pictures ...

This trip up the PCH was taking longer than anticipated. As you can tell from the pictures, it was getting dark and cloudy. On with the top again. At first our goal was to be in Monterey for lunch, now we were "hoping" for sunset.

Bill drove the little car through the twists and turns of the PCH. I wasn't even driving and it was making me nervous. Thank goodness we were heading north. We had the protection of the rocks on the right of us. However, the rocks can be deadly too. We saw a few rocks slides while making our way north. There was even one section with a road crew clearing the road. You could still see the mud on the road from the rockslide. It was scary!

The further north we went, the more beautiful the scenery got. It was amazing! Of course we had to stop for some more photo ops ...

More beautiful Pacific Ocean photos.

The sun was starting to set. We hurried off to Monterey.

After driving for another 30 minutes, we knew there was no way we were going to make it to Monterey before sunset. So, Bill pulled off the side of the road and we watched the sunset on the PCH. It was so peaceful and romantic.

Sunset on the PCH.

After we watched the sun disappear for the evening, we hopped back into the car. By this time, we were famished. We hadn't eaten since lunch. So, it was Monterey or bust for dinner.

We pulled into Monterey in pitch dark and a sprinkling of rain.

This is where our GPS came in handy once again. Bill made reservations in Monterey for lunch, which we missed. He really wanted to have dinner at the restaurant. He had already pre-typed in the address before our trip. So, we followed the GPS to the Old Fisherman's Wharf in Monterey. I am sure during the daytime it is beautiful and bustling with activity. At night, it was romantic with only a handful of patrons. We parked the car and made our way to the Old Fisherman's Grotto Restaurant on the Old Fisherman's Wharf. (That sounds like a tongue-twister!)

We found the restaurant without any problem. It was the only place on the wharf showing signs of life. We were seated right away to a table right on the water. Again, I am sure it is beautiful during the daytime. At night, we really only saw hints of water and docked boats lit from the moonlight and the candles on the table. It was a very romantic restaurant. The servers were very attentive.

Old Fisherman's Grotto Restaurant.

You'll never guess what I got for an appetizer?????? If you guessed clam chowder, you are correct! Bill was feeling better by this time. So, we shared a bowl of clam chowder. Which turned out to be this big shell of never-ending clam chowder. We ate and ate and the bowl never seemed to get lower. For our main course, I got scallops and Bill got coconut shrimp. Both were just "okay". But, the clam chowder stole the meal. It was delicious!!!!

The clam chowder.

After dinner, we walked around the deserted wharf for a few minutes and then hopped back into the car.

Old Fisherman's Wharf Statue.

The plan was to drive back to Hollywood. However, it was around 9 PM and we had been going all day and poor Bill had been driving all day. So, after he almost nodded off on the highway. We pulled off around 10:30 PM and found a Holiday Inn Express for the night "somewhere" along 101. We still had a room back at the Hollywood Renaissance. But, there was no way we were making it back there tonight. We both took showers and in no time were catching some zzzzzzzzzzz's.

Tomorrow, we would make the drive back to Hollywood and start our Adventures by Disney Tour with fellow DISers!!!!

 

[TheTXTaylors5]

Tuesday - April 13, 2010

We woke up around 7:30 am and slowly made our way down to the continental breakfast at the hotel. After breakfast, we were back in the car on our way back to Hollywood.

We took the "speedy" way back, no PCH today. However, we found a different kind of beauty today. We traveled along miles and miles of vineyards and mountains. California has it all, the ocean and mountains. Y'all are lucky!

Some beautiful vineyards along the highway.

After the rolling hills of the vineyards, we started to see more mountains to our left and higher hills on our right.

We made a pit stop to stretch our legs and admire the beauty around us.

Pictures from our pit stop.

Today was a beautiful day. The sun was shining. It was time to put the top down on that convertible!

We were getting closer and closer to LA. How could we tell?????

Traffic ...

Los Angeles is notorious for traffic. We found this to be true on our way out and into LA. We were starting to see familiar street names and soon it was time to exit at Highland Avenue for the Hollywood Renaissance Hotel.

We pulled into the hotel around 1:00 PM. The Hertz rental desk is right inside the parking lot entrance. So, I ran in quickly while Bill waited with the car. Within a minute the Hertz Agent was taking the car and we were off into the hotel.

We noticed an Adventures by Disney table set up in the lobby. So, we went over to check-in. This was our first encounter with our Adventure Guides Michael and Jaime. They were very friendly and handed us our Adventure Guide for the week. It gave a detailed itinerary of the week. At this time, we gave them our lunch order for the next day at The Jim Henson Company. We ran into some fellow travelers while at check-in, including Kevin and John from the DIS-Unplugged Podcast. Everyone was friendly. You could see the look of anticipation on everyone's faces. We have waited almost a year for this Tour to finally start. It was surreal that our Welcome Dinner was that evening. Bill and I visited for a little and then excused ourselves. We needed to head up to our un-used room to get refreshed for dinner that evening.

 

[TheTXTaylors5]

Jennifer.....loved all the beautiful ocean & coast pictures.
Here's the only one I have of the casting couch...sorry I'm in it.

Thank you for the picture!!!! I forgot you went during the holidays. We plan to head back west some winter to see Disneyland decorated for the holidays.

Jennifer

 

[TheTXTaylors5]

Loving the report.
We drove the entire stretch of the PCH from LAX to Monterey then to SF and then to Yosemite Natl Park and back down to DL. The PCH is amazing. The views get more and more breathtaking as you go north to Big Sur and into Monterey. I thought the hills in the middle of Cali were spectacular. If you haven't been to Yosemite Natl Park you need to do it asap. Words can't describe it.

Can't wait for the DL part.

We plan to come back to California in 2012 (Cars Land opens!!! ). Next time, the three kiddos will be with us. Yosemite National Park will definitely be on the itinerary. Thanks!

Jennifer

 

[TheTXTaylors5]

ABD California Backstage Magic Tour - DAY ONE (April 13, 2010)
Welcome Reception and Dinner

When Bill and I entered our room, I noticed the light was flashing on our phone. I had the "Do Not Disturb" sign on the door. So, I assumed it was housekeeping wanting to know if we needed service. To my surprise, it was someone wanting to deliver something to us. A few minutes later there was a knock at our door. A man delivered us a little package from ABD.

Here are our ABD "goodies".

Included in the package was an ABD duffle bag, (2) pens, (2) wipes, (2) binoculars & cleaner cloths.

Yay! We were starting to get ABD presents. There were more to come!

Upon check-in earlier, we were instructed to meet outside The Twist Restaurant and Lounge, located inside the hotel, later that evening. After a much needed nap and shower, Bill and I headed down to finally meet our fellow Adventurers. We had been chatting online and on a thread for almost a year. We felt like we knew everyone already. Also, Bill and I attended DAP this past December at WDW. So, we got to meet some fellow Adventurers in person. It was going to be fun to see some familiar faces and make some new friends.

When the elevator door opened, we could hear the chatter of people. It was time to get this party started! We made the rounds introducing ourselves and giving hugs to old friends. It was funny, when making introductions, our first name was followed by "my screen name is ... " If you were an outsider walking by, it may have sounded odd. Kevin from the Podcast handed a little gift to everyone from the DISUnplugged Podcast crew. He gave us a sun visor with DISUnplugged ABD 2010 on them. It is a great hat and very appreciated! We’ll definitely be wearing them in the parks. Bill was glad because he now has a hat to go with his DISUnplugged t-shirt. He’s coordinated.

DISers mingling.

After a little mingling, we were led into a conference room where drinks and finger food was waiting. This is where our Adventure Guides (Michael and Jaime) made their official introductions and gave us an outline of what was in store for us this week.

Our Adventure Guides Michael and Jaime with Bill and I.

The ABD DISer Mixer.

After a little more mingling, we filed out of the conference room on our way to dinner. This is the first time the Adventures by Disney sign came out. We would follow it for the next five days. The group of 40+ took over the Hollywood and Highland Center on our way to dinner located at Trastevere Ristorante. We were escorted to the back of the restaurant where a whole room was set up just for us. You couldn't help but notice four podiums in the front of the room. I assume those were for the game show I had heard so much about at the Welcome Dinner. The doors to the patio were open to show a spectacular view of LA.

The view from our private dining room. You can see the Capital Records Building.

Waiting on the tables were breads, bruchetta, antipasto and salads. So, as soon as we sat people started munching and socializing. We had a limited menu to order our main course.

The Menu

(Thanks Tonya!)

Bill and I ordered the Penne al Pomodoro e Basilico. Nothing else on the menu sounded appetizing. When our main course arrived, I was a little underwhelmed. The past was very bland. It was so bland, I tried to spruce up the dish by adding some eggplant and peppers from the antipasto plate. Nothing helped the poor pitiful pasta dish.

Dinner at Trastevere Ristorante.

Before we knew it, it was time to play Disney trivia. The host needed four players. To get his players, he asked a question and the first person with the correct answer won a spot at a podium. I'll be honest, the questions were VERY easy. My children probably could have answered them. I did get picked to answer a question. I remember the question, "Which Disneyland attraction has a basketball court in it?". I've watched enough Disneyland travel shows to know the answer is ... "The Matterhorn Bobsleds". Yay! I won a spot at a podium. However, I decided to pass the baton to my husband Bill. He is a very shy person in group situations. I knew this would be a great ice breaker for him, and it was! He was great and a real sport when one of his questions had to be sung. Where's the video camera when you need it?!?!?!

Bill making his way to the podium.

For the evening, Bill's name was "sucker". Those on the trip know why ...

Bill and the other contestants for Disney Trivia.

When looking at this picture, have the song "We are the World" in your mind ...

(Thanks Heather!)

All of the contestants were funny and knowledgeable of Disney trivia. In the end, Kim won "big cheese" Mickey ears ...

(Thanks Anna!)

Bill got a consolation prize of a Donald Duck Kooky pen. It is really cute.

Bill's winnings.

After the game, it was time for dessert. A tiramasu was placed before me. Again, it was "okay". I'm not a big tiramasu person. I like my cake and pudding as two separate desserts.

During dessert, one of our fellow Adventurers (Matthew) announced that he made everyone a special t-shirt for the trip. There were 44 of us. That was VERY generous of him. Also during dessert, Bill and I passed out Texas pralines to the group. We couldn't come empty-handed meeting our new friends. Throughout the trip, other fellow DISers gave out little gifts too.

Before we knew it, dinner was coming to an end. We were on our own for the remainder of the evening. Upon exiting the restaurant, the Guides were waiting with our official ABD lanyard or pin pouch and "pin for the day". Each day of the Adventure you are given a different pin to represent that day. Also, each day has a "theme" and "word of the day" to represent the day's activities.

Today's Theme: It All Started With A Mouse
Word of the Day: Mickey
Pin of the Day:

(Thanks Tonya!)

After leaving the restaurant, Bill and I wanted to call it an early night. We had to be downstairs bright and early to meet for our breakfast at the Disney Soda Fountain and Store. So, Bill and I went up to our room. However, after being in the room for less than an hour we both were still hungry. Neither of us ate that much at dinner. So, I pulled out the room service menu and we both agreed pizza sounded good. We ordered two sodas and a margherita pizza. To our surprise when the tray arrived, the chef included two complimentary cookies. Both the pizza and cookies were yummy! We fell asleep with full bellies and dreams of what tomorrow would bring.

Pictures of our real dinner for the evening.

 

[DisneyTaylors]

Great trip report so far Baby!

I feel like I was there when I read it.

- Bill

 

[Disneygrl36]

Impressed that you were so able to roll with the punches & improvise when your PCH trip took longer than expected.
Pics of the vineyards & scenery are great. California really is beautiful with a bit of everything.
Hate that your dinner was so bad that you had to order pizza, but at least it was good.

 

[Tonya2426]

I had the chicken for dinner that night - it was fine - a little dry but edible. This was by one of the worst meals on the trip.

But the room service pizza looks great!!!!

BTW, last night I was looking for something in my bag and I found the Texas Chewies that you handed out - it was YUMMY!!!!!

 

[TheTXTaylors5]

I am so frustrated!!!! I had day two almost complete and the power went out. I will recompose it and post after I pick the kids up from school.

Jennifer