Trip Report: My first ever!!

[admel00]

So loving the look of Carlsbad. Great start Jade, look forward to reading more.

 

[shushh]

Yay you've started!!!! Your little one looks so angelic with those gorgeous eyes! And it appears that a whole lot of us enjoys supermarket browsing. Add me to the list!

BTW, your photos are so sharp!

 

[Jade+3]

Thanks everyone for your kind comments.

Ms Shuttergirl, I booked via Air NZ website - there is a holiday's section. I always check for packages, as we managed to score a good deal with Qantas back in 2007.

The hotel in Carlsbad was nice. It was older, and more of a motel style. Our room was in the freeway side, but we did not get much traffic noise. It was also cheap, $254 for 3 nights, thanks to Expedia.

Aussietravellers, it may have been your TR where I first saw PF Changs mentioned. It is not somewhere I would have dined if I had not read about it here.

 

[Jade+3]

Day 3 - Carlsbad - Sunday 11th September

Today we had nothing planned. The kids had not adjusted to California time and were staying up late, so we had a sleep in. Breakfast at the hotel was average. The hot selections were an omelette (which was revolting, I swear they had been frozen and reheated), sausages and french toast. There was also cereal, yoghurt, toast and fruit.

We decided to head into San Diego for the morning. The drive was probably about 40 minutes. The kids wanted to go to a park, so we headed to Balboa Park as we had been there before and there is a great playground. We spent the morning here, then drove through the city and back to Carlsbad.

Lunch was a quick bite in our room from the supplies we had brought the night before at the supermarket. Next stop, Walmart. I love Walmart but this store was some what disappointing. It reminded me of our local KMart, where the shelves are never stocked.

For dinner we went to Mimi's. We have always enjoyed Mimi's in Anaheim. The were not as many menu choices as the Anaheim menu, and it was definitely more expensive, but we had a nice meal. After dinner we finally found the Oceanside Pier, where we watched the sunset, despite 3 children complaining that it was too far to walk.

Playground at Balboa Park

Walmart

Mimi's

Oceanside Beach - DH wants to stay here next time. It is about 10 minutes from Carlsbad.

Oceanside Pier - there is a Ruby's Diner at the end

 

[WAMUMOF4]

In airplanes the cushions come off the seats so they can be used as floatation devices.

Yay! so nice to see how everybody travelled and get updates.

you would think with the amount of times i have flown i would know that it's either the blonde in me or old age
Let me just say i am very grateful my kids did not discover that when they were younger

You must of had an awful lot of willpower to drive past that Disney sign I hope i never have to test out mine

 

[hjd0411]

Your photos are great. I love the sepia ones at the pier. Thanks for another update.

 

[PrincessInOz]

Oceanside is one of my favourite hang-out beach in SoCal. I think it's that link to Surfing that it has that makes the strip of shops interesting; and then all those US marines that are located there makes it feel 'safer'. Thanks for sharing...and in sepia tones. Pictures look great!

 

[australiankaren]

hey

I'm reading along.....and add me to the list of shame..I mean the list of crazy Australian women who spend hours wandering the isles of random supermarkets across the USA...
Walgreens is one of my personal fav's, I've spent many a happy hour oohing and arring over items of awe and wonder.

Keep going, waiting......waiting...waiting......

 

[Jade+3]

Your photos are great. I love the sepia ones at the pier. Thanks for another update.

I have been playing with the lightroom presets, truth is that I suck at night time photography, so I was trying to salvage some of the shots. I keep saying I need a tripod.

Oceanside is one of my favourite hang-out beach in SoCal. I think it's that link to Surfing that it has that makes the strip of shops interesting; and then all those US marines that are located there makes it feel 'safer'. Thanks for sharing...and in sepia tones. Pictures look great!

We did not see any marines, unfortunately. It did look like a lovely area and we would have liked to have spent some more time there.

hey

I'm reading along.....and add me to the list of shame..I mean the list of crazy Australian women who spend hours wandering the isles of random supermarkets across the USA...
Walgreens is one of my personal fav's, I've spent many a happy hour oohing and arring over items of awe and wonder.

Keep going, waiting......waiting...waiting......

We once got asked if we needed help, after wandering around a supermarket in Canada for ages. They must have been watching us on the security camera. I was pregnant at the time and craving Twisties and strawberry milk, and we were trying to find something comparable.

 

[Jade+3]

This trip report will take me to Christmas to finish, if I don't get a move on.

Day 4 - Carlsbad - Monday 12th September

Today was Legoland day. We arrived just after opening, and were delighted to find the car park almost empty. We used our kids free entry coupons that I had purchased from US Ebay for under $8, postage included (thanks to jacs1234 for the tip).

This was our 3rd trip to Legoland so we knew exactly what we wanted to do, but this time decided to tackle the park in a clockwise direction for a change. It was also the first time DS5 was tall enough to ride most of the rides.

We moved from ride to ride very quickly and did not have to wait for a single ride. The kids got to ride some things more than once without getting off. Being a Monday, the new water park was closed (which I had planned deliberately as the kids would never want to leave).

We were done by 3pm. I think this will be the last time DD will enjoy Legoland. If we go again she will be almost 9, and she will probably find the rides a bit too tame.

After a swim, we headed over the road to the outlets, and another yummy meal at Ruby's. They even have gluten free buns for their hamburgers, and they were edible!

That night we went to the hotel gym. I had big plans on going to the gym whenever there was one available, but this was the one and only time I managed to get there. The rest of the evening was spent packing, as we were heading back to LA in the morning.

Legoland

Mini New York - the windows along the base show the subways.

DS2 was scared of the Lego man - a sign of things to come.

DS2 was even scared of Lego Bob. Not looking good for Mickey.

Our final meal at Ruby's.

 

[jacs1234]

Loving this Chris. Keep it up. gorgeous pics.

 

[Jade+3]

Day 5 - LA - Tuesday 13 September

Today was one of those days where nothing went to plan.

We were lucky to have a room near the laundry which opened at 8am, so I used all 3 machines, the we headed to breakfast. The kids had a play in the garden outside while we waited for the dryer to finish, then we sadly said goodbye to Carlsbad. But not before DH called into the Sports Authority store to check out some shoes, but ended up with TShirts.

Our drive back to LA seemed to take forever. There was a roadblock on the freeway which held us up for ages. It was removed when we were about 10 cars away, so I have no idea what was going on.

Marina Del Rey Hotel was our hotel for the evening, which of course was in Marina Del Rey. It had mixed reviews, so we went with an open mind. We are not fussy people and as long as our room is clean and safe, we are happy, but OMG this place was not somewhere I would ever go again.

The public areas were reasonable. The first thing I noticed was the number of people walking aimlessly around with their laptops, as wifi was the most complained thing about in the reviews (we were lucky, our wifi was fine). We checked into our 1st floor room which had shabby decor but seemed to be clean (which I later discovered was not as the kids ended up with filthy feet - I must be the only person who judges hotel cleanliness by the state of my kids feet). The door that opened onto the balcony could be opened while locked, as the frame was bent. That was it, I wanted another room, but DH had me lock him on the balcony to prove it could not be opened from the outside. DH does not like to make a fuss.

Kids were hungry, so we went to try and find the McDonalds we had driven past. This is when I noticed all the signs saying the area was a tsunami danger area, and other signs with the tsunami evacuation route. This got me thinking tsunamis are caused by earthquakes and we are in LA!! If I had not have seen the signs I would never have thought twice about it.

Even though we could see McDonalds, getting there was harder due to the one way streets. I walked in, and promptly wanted to turn around and walk out, but DH told me I was being stupid. It was definitely a lower class area and we stood out being the only touristy looking people in the store.

DS2 needed some Crocs, so we headed to Santa Monica. I had left my camera in the hotel room, so no pics. I got some bargains on the summer clearance rack at Esprit, and DD got some shorts from Old Navy.

We had planned to go to California Pizza Kitchen for dinner, but it was surprisingly busy for a Tuesday night, so we went to Ralph's instead. We had to be at the airport early the next morning for our flight to New York, so we did a test run, then it was back to the hotel to pack.

The front of the hotel

View from the balcony

 

[Jade+3]

Loving this Chris. Keep it up. gorgeous pics.

Everyone is in bed, so I am on a roll! Just wish all photo's weren't in RAW, as that is what is slowing me down.

Just noticed your ticker. Under a month to go. Exciting!!! We will have to try and have a coffee before then.

 

[Jade+3]

Day 6 - New York - Wednesday 14th September

The first thing I will say about this day is RIP my old faithful Tamron 17-50 lens. We pulled up at Alamo, and DH opened the back of the SUV, and my camera bag toppled out onto the ground. The camera and the other 2 lenses were fine, but this one, which was on the camera took the brunt of the fall. I did manage a couple of more shots, but the AF is broken. I brought this lens when I got my first DSLR, instead of the kit lenses. I paid $700 for it, but now they are around $450. I am hesitant to claim it on insurance as we would lose our no claim bonus, and our premiums are already sky high.

Today we were flying American Airlines. I am not a fan of LAX, but we made sure we had plenty of time. We got into trouble at security - again. I was getting our medicines out of the carry-on and they told me not to worry about it, then DH got told off by the screener dude for not taking them out. Can't win! I got pulled aside for the x-ray.

Our flight was on time, but the aircraft had been changed. We were seated right down the back, instead of the middle section that I had booked 6 months prior. DH got the pleasure of sitting next to DS2, and the terror slept nearly the whole flight. I was concerned how the kids would go on such a long flight with no TV, so we surprised DS5 with a DS and some new games. This of course made DD have a renewed interest in her DS. I have no idea what DH did, as I got hooked on Angry Birds. I had put it on my phone ages ago for the kids to use.

We landed at JFK at 6pm. The walk from the gate to the baggage claim area was huge. I should mention here, that when we were leaving from home, DH decided that we did not need to bring DS2's stroller. Sometimes it is best not to argue, and save the 'I told you so' for an appropriate time.

Our bags were already on the carousel when we arrived. This is when I discovered that one case (the new case) was completely soaked in laundry liquid. On further investigation, it appeared the lid had been pierced. There was no way this could have happened in the case, so I do wonder if the TSA may have done it.

I had booked Dial 7 Limo, due to reviews on Trip Advisor. The instructions were simple, go to the phone at the transport desk to find out where to wait. Our minivan seemed to take forever, definitely longer than the quoted 10 minutes. There is only one word I can use to describe the driver - idiot!! He was crazy, even DH was grabbing onto his seat at times. I was actually getting really worried about his lane hopping and sudden breaking, as the kids were not in car seats. He had loud rap music playing and all the windows were down. I did not want to tip him, but did anyway.

Radio City Apartments was our home for the next 4 nights. Love this place. We had a one bedroom apartment - with 2 beds in the bedroom and a sofa bed in the lounge room. DH was impressed about having 2 TV's. There was a small kitchen with stove and fridge. Bathroom toiletries were interesting - soap, shampoo and mouth wash.

It was about 8pm, so we headed around the corner to Times Square in search of dinner. When we saw the lights DS5 says 'I love New York', and the ever happy DH mumbles something about it reminding him of Las Vegas. Dinner was delayed due to checking out the Disney Store. I wish we had taken advantage of the 2 for the price of 1 Ride Makerz.

Dinner was at Applebee's. The food was ok, but the service was incredibly slow. I had to laugh when DH pointed out the 'silly' people who were taking photos of their food.

The kids, who had only adjusted to California time, stayed awake until midnight, so we were going to have a late start in the morning.

No photo's today.

 

[Mum from oz]

That sucks about the Marina Del Rey Hotel. It must of been icky if your kids feet got dirty from the hotel room. How annoying about the aircraft changes, its one of those little things that really annoy you! Also too bad about your lens too. Sounds like one of those days alright!

Glad to see you made it to NY safe and sound. Can't wait to hear more!

 

[OzCath]

Having a lazy Sunday in front of the computer catching up on all these trip reports. Looking forward to more!

 

[Caroline NZ]

Fantastic report, I am loving all the detail.

 

[Ms. Shuttergirl]

I'm enjoying reading along

 

[Travel Mum]

I am also loving reading your report Jade Always fun to read of the adventures of a fellow family-of-five

 

[alicia1506]

yay, another TR!!