Today was a very late start. First because it was a late night for us again, but second, because Pete had a tough night. He kept waking up and demanding things like a bib! I think he was having nightmares about a bad meal. At one point, Steve got up and actually found a bib and brought it to Pete and me. I put it on him. When Pete woke up this morning he looked down and looked at Steve incredulously and said “Can you take this bib off??” Straight to the moon, Alice!
We finally got our tired selves up and moving. We got everything to the car, finished up in the hotel and were on the road by 11am. Break of day by Vegas standards. We had decided to get breakfast on our way out. I love the navigation system. I typed in “Donut” and it came up with a few places that were pretty far away, and then I erased that and typed in “Dunkin” and it came up with nothing, so then I tried “Doughnut” and up popped Krispy Kreme. Both Steve and I gasped in unison. It was pretty funny. So, at 11 am we were headed 4 miles out of our way for two boxes of Krispy Kreme Doughnuts. I have GOT to get back to the gym when I get home!! I have vowed that it was my last ‘sin’ for awhile. I guess Vegas does that to you.
Incredibly, throughout the rest of the day, the ‘boy in the back’ occasionally asked if he could have a doughnut. I swear he has a hollow leg. I was smart. I kept the box with me up front. We traveled through Zion National Park and Bryce Canyon (where we were supposed to have camped the night before). It was all incredibly beautiful, and we took a ton of pictures, but it was getting late, so we didn’t travel very deeply into either park (well, Zion you just drive through, but we cut Bryce short). We ate at a buffet just outside of the canyon (before the boy could attack me for the rest of the doughnuts) and headed on out towards I-70. We’ve decided to come home now. The weather showed that it is getting down into the 40s at night in Rocky Mountain National Park and I just don’t think I can do that to Pete. We’ll make it back this way some other time, and perhaps I’ll find a really cool ranch or resort to stay in. Pete will be older, and so we will probably be able to do more activities then, too.
It’s been a great vacation. We are at a Best Western somewhere in central Utah tonight. The drive through the mountains tomorrow will be wonderful, but we are ready to see the dogs and get back to our lives. So this is probably my last post (unless something amazing happens tomorrow during the drive home…but I doubt it). The kids are looking forward to seeing movies now (YES! It didn’t go on ONCE YET!!!)
Thanks to all of you who have stayed wth us and kept reading. It’s been fun to report back. And it’ll be fun to read again sometime to remember just what we did.
Steve will probably post the last of the photos once we are home. Until the next vacation...
Jen
Saturday, August 4, 2007
Friday, August 3, 2007
Friday, Day #15
The day started out pretty slow since the kids had gotten to bed so late the night before. While the kids slept, Steve and I did some research. We called downstairs to find out that they didn’t have any room to extend another night. We started checking out options for other hotels and found a great rate at the MGM Grand. We decided, based on their five pools, lazy river and three hot tubs that it was the winner! Steve went ahead and booked the room.
Meanwhile, we got the kids up and told them that they could take a quick swim before we left the hotel, which they did. Steve took a few things to the car while I took the kids to the pool. The pool was surprisingly small for that size of a hotel, and at 9am it was already crowded. We didn’t stay long.
After a few quick showers, we finished packing the car and headed out. Steve did mention to us at this time that when we were at the pool, he had tried to take a quarter and play a slot machine. But he stood there just staring at the machine, not able to figure it out. He said he walked around with this quarter for awhile completely baffled. Pathetic. Guess they knew they weren’t going to make any more money on us.
We finally got going around 10 and everyone was very hungry, so we stopped at an IHop for breakfast. While eating, we told the kids the good news! They were thrilled to stay another day. We ate as quickly as we could so that we could get to Hoover Dam and back before it got too late.
Fortunately, we were at the Dam early enough that it was crowded, but not too bad. We crossed the dam, parked (found free parking…passed up the $7 option…woo hoo!) and walked to the center of the dam for a few photos. It was 103 degrees. The kids just kept mumbling “five pools, a lazy river, three hot tubs.” It became their mantra.
We got back to the car as quickly as possible, and headed back into Vegas. We were parked, checked in and to our room by 2:30. We were in the pool by 3. We didn’t leave until 6. It was that nice.
After showers, we headed down to the Rainforest Café (which is another restaurant in the hotel) and had a nice dinner. It was nice to not have to leave the hotel at all. We had no desire to walk down the hot hot strip again that night. There were other cool things at other hotels we could have seen, but it was nice to just take it easy in one place. At one point during dinner, I checked the weather for Bryce Canyon on my blackberry (the place at which we should have been camping that night) and noticed there was a flash flood advisory. It’s nice when you realize just what a good decision you have made when you alter plans. After dinner, the kids went to the arcade and spent some of their money, then we all headed back upstairs.
The kids got Pete to bed and Steve and I headed back downstairs for some ‘adult time.’ It was nice. Both Steve and I had only been to Vegas once when we were kids, and we both remember wanting to just play the stupid slot machine once but not being allowed to. Since Steve had already attempted to play a slot earlier in the day and had failed, we decided that we would both go in together and figure this out.
We took our money ($10!!) and attempted a machine. We probably looked pathetic, but soon enough we had figured it all out. We could have it take our money very quickly in the $5 slots, or quite slowly in the 1 cent slots. We decided for the middle ground and played the 25 cent slots. At one point Steve broke even, but by the end we had each lost $5 and were pretty much done. We sat at one of the many bars and watched people go by while making up stories about their lives. We then watched a few of the craps tables (is that where that word comes from?), had absolutely no idea what was going on, but cheered with everyone else when appropriate.
We headed back to the room (it had probably been a whopping 30 whole minutes that we were gone) and retired. The whole thing was pretty funny as I think about it now. When you log onto some of the hotel’s websites they want you to tell them what you are: The Connoisseur, The Player, The Professional, The Party Goer or The Escapist. I guess they should add an option for: The Clueless Parent Who Really Only Cares About the Pool. But that would be too long a title…
Meanwhile, we got the kids up and told them that they could take a quick swim before we left the hotel, which they did. Steve took a few things to the car while I took the kids to the pool. The pool was surprisingly small for that size of a hotel, and at 9am it was already crowded. We didn’t stay long.
After a few quick showers, we finished packing the car and headed out. Steve did mention to us at this time that when we were at the pool, he had tried to take a quarter and play a slot machine. But he stood there just staring at the machine, not able to figure it out. He said he walked around with this quarter for awhile completely baffled. Pathetic. Guess they knew they weren’t going to make any more money on us.
We finally got going around 10 and everyone was very hungry, so we stopped at an IHop for breakfast. While eating, we told the kids the good news! They were thrilled to stay another day. We ate as quickly as we could so that we could get to Hoover Dam and back before it got too late.
Fortunately, we were at the Dam early enough that it was crowded, but not too bad. We crossed the dam, parked (found free parking…passed up the $7 option…woo hoo!) and walked to the center of the dam for a few photos. It was 103 degrees. The kids just kept mumbling “five pools, a lazy river, three hot tubs.” It became their mantra.
We got back to the car as quickly as possible, and headed back into Vegas. We were parked, checked in and to our room by 2:30. We were in the pool by 3. We didn’t leave until 6. It was that nice.
After showers, we headed down to the Rainforest Café (which is another restaurant in the hotel) and had a nice dinner. It was nice to not have to leave the hotel at all. We had no desire to walk down the hot hot strip again that night. There were other cool things at other hotels we could have seen, but it was nice to just take it easy in one place. At one point during dinner, I checked the weather for Bryce Canyon on my blackberry (the place at which we should have been camping that night) and noticed there was a flash flood advisory. It’s nice when you realize just what a good decision you have made when you alter plans. After dinner, the kids went to the arcade and spent some of their money, then we all headed back upstairs.
The kids got Pete to bed and Steve and I headed back downstairs for some ‘adult time.’ It was nice. Both Steve and I had only been to Vegas once when we were kids, and we both remember wanting to just play the stupid slot machine once but not being allowed to. Since Steve had already attempted to play a slot earlier in the day and had failed, we decided that we would both go in together and figure this out.
We took our money ($10!!) and attempted a machine. We probably looked pathetic, but soon enough we had figured it all out. We could have it take our money very quickly in the $5 slots, or quite slowly in the 1 cent slots. We decided for the middle ground and played the 25 cent slots. At one point Steve broke even, but by the end we had each lost $5 and were pretty much done. We sat at one of the many bars and watched people go by while making up stories about their lives. We then watched a few of the craps tables (is that where that word comes from?), had absolutely no idea what was going on, but cheered with everyone else when appropriate.
We headed back to the room (it had probably been a whopping 30 whole minutes that we were gone) and retired. The whole thing was pretty funny as I think about it now. When you log onto some of the hotel’s websites they want you to tell them what you are: The Connoisseur, The Player, The Professional, The Party Goer or The Escapist. I guess they should add an option for: The Clueless Parent Who Really Only Cares About the Pool. But that would be too long a title…
Thursday, Day #14
A quick morning packing up (we actually had to wake Mr. “The Dark Is Gone” to get going!) with a brief breakfast, and we were headed to the main entrance for showers. The campsite was SO dirty that I decided if we showered and came back to the site, we’d all be dirty again! So after we checked out, we checked into the shower facilities. They were SO expensive! (Mesa Verde: Free, Grand Canyon: $1.75, Sequoia: $3.75 for 8 minutes!!) We decided the girls and Pete would go into the Ladies Shower and Andy and Steve would go in the Mens.
Unfortunately, Emily and I decided to shower ourselves first. Once we got Peter completely soaped up, the shower stopped! So, I grabbed a towel, wrapped it around me, walked a completely naked, completely soapy baby (who was rubbing more soap into his eyes) across the entrance to the boy’s showers and yelled to Steve and Andy to take Pete in with them. Poor guy. He wailed all the way in. There were people sitting outside the showers watching this entire thing take place. After I went back into the Ladies Shower, I got dressed as quickly as possible so that I could get Pete’s towel and clothes to the boys. I kept running back and forth between Emily in the ladies shower and the boys in the Men’s shower. The people sitting outside the showers just kept watching the show.
At one point, we realized that Emily really needed something from the car but Steve had the keys. I went across to the Men’s shower once more and yelled in to Steve. There was still one person sitting on the ledge outside the shower. She looked at me and said “The boys went to the car.” It was pretty funny. I think we put on quite a show.
Once we were clean, we finally headed out of the park. It took us an hour to get down the mountain. Unfortunately, we decided to skip Death Valley on our way to Las Vegas. We decided that the kids had seen enough of desert and it was already so HOT, and we would have added another 2 hours to our journey. So, we just headed straight for Vegas. We were feeling lucky.
After as quick a trip as possible across the Mojave Desert, we found ourselves in Sin City. We checked into the Las Vegas Hilton (home of the humongous Barry Manilow Billboard) and into our room. We had a nice view of the strip in the distance (the hotel is one block off of the strip, but it is on a Monorail, so it makes it easy to get to everything.)
We convinced the kids that there wasn’t time for swimming, and so headed out into the night. The Monorail was very easy to use and very clean. We took it all the way to almost the last stop which was the MGM Grand. We walked around for a bit and ended up at Wolfgang Puck’s restaurant (there are a million high-end restaurants to choose from…but we didn’t want to be out of place if it was a really dressy place.) It was very nice, but very pricy, compared to what we’ve been used to (our dinner was more than our hotel!)
After dinner we started walking around the hotel. We saw the Lion’s Habitat, where you can actually stand under a plexiglass walkway and look up at the lions lying above you! After a brief stop for dessert, we left MGM and started walking down the strip. We hadn’t realized how hot it was outside. The more we walked, the hotter (and crankier) we got. We made it to the Bellagio Fountain to see the water and music show playing every 15 minutes. We also passed the Flamingo, and Caesar’s Palace (two hotels I remember from when I was in Vegas with my parents when I was 15). We tried to get to Treasure Island to see the free pirate show that they do four times a night in front of the hotel, but it was so crowded, and by then we were SO hot, that we decided it just wasn’t worth it. Peter had decided he was done and so just wanted to be carried everywhere.
We crossed the street and headed toward the Monorail. It was nice to be able to take that right back to our hotel. We felt bad that the kids hadn’t had any swim time, and we had gotten a call from Mema saying that there was a ton of rain in Utah and Colorado, so Steve and I began to consider staying another day. We’ll try to figure that out tomorrow.
Unfortunately, Emily and I decided to shower ourselves first. Once we got Peter completely soaped up, the shower stopped! So, I grabbed a towel, wrapped it around me, walked a completely naked, completely soapy baby (who was rubbing more soap into his eyes) across the entrance to the boy’s showers and yelled to Steve and Andy to take Pete in with them. Poor guy. He wailed all the way in. There were people sitting outside the showers watching this entire thing take place. After I went back into the Ladies Shower, I got dressed as quickly as possible so that I could get Pete’s towel and clothes to the boys. I kept running back and forth between Emily in the ladies shower and the boys in the Men’s shower. The people sitting outside the showers just kept watching the show.
At one point, we realized that Emily really needed something from the car but Steve had the keys. I went across to the Men’s shower once more and yelled in to Steve. There was still one person sitting on the ledge outside the shower. She looked at me and said “The boys went to the car.” It was pretty funny. I think we put on quite a show.
Once we were clean, we finally headed out of the park. It took us an hour to get down the mountain. Unfortunately, we decided to skip Death Valley on our way to Las Vegas. We decided that the kids had seen enough of desert and it was already so HOT, and we would have added another 2 hours to our journey. So, we just headed straight for Vegas. We were feeling lucky.
After as quick a trip as possible across the Mojave Desert, we found ourselves in Sin City. We checked into the Las Vegas Hilton (home of the humongous Barry Manilow Billboard) and into our room. We had a nice view of the strip in the distance (the hotel is one block off of the strip, but it is on a Monorail, so it makes it easy to get to everything.)
We convinced the kids that there wasn’t time for swimming, and so headed out into the night. The Monorail was very easy to use and very clean. We took it all the way to almost the last stop which was the MGM Grand. We walked around for a bit and ended up at Wolfgang Puck’s restaurant (there are a million high-end restaurants to choose from…but we didn’t want to be out of place if it was a really dressy place.) It was very nice, but very pricy, compared to what we’ve been used to (our dinner was more than our hotel!)
After dinner we started walking around the hotel. We saw the Lion’s Habitat, where you can actually stand under a plexiglass walkway and look up at the lions lying above you! After a brief stop for dessert, we left MGM and started walking down the strip. We hadn’t realized how hot it was outside. The more we walked, the hotter (and crankier) we got. We made it to the Bellagio Fountain to see the water and music show playing every 15 minutes. We also passed the Flamingo, and Caesar’s Palace (two hotels I remember from when I was in Vegas with my parents when I was 15). We tried to get to Treasure Island to see the free pirate show that they do four times a night in front of the hotel, but it was so crowded, and by then we were SO hot, that we decided it just wasn’t worth it. Peter had decided he was done and so just wanted to be carried everywhere.
We crossed the street and headed toward the Monorail. It was nice to be able to take that right back to our hotel. We felt bad that the kids hadn’t had any swim time, and we had gotten a call from Mema saying that there was a ton of rain in Utah and Colorado, so Steve and I began to consider staying another day. We’ll try to figure that out tomorrow.
Wednesday, Day #13
I started the day early because there was FREE LAUNDRY in the hotel! (It is so sad that I get so excited about things like that.) Once we got the kids going and the laundry done (for FREE!...did I already say that?) we were finally out of there and saying goodbye to L.A. (an hour late by Steve’s standard, but the rest of us thought we did a fine job). We stopped at a gas station for ice as we were leaving, but the guy didn’t have any. He recommended to Steve that we go to McDonalds and just get a couple of cups of ice. Thanks for the tip.
Once on the freeway, it was busy getting out of there, but not so bad that it slowed us down. We headed up and over the San Gabriel Mountains and into the valley where California Oranges and nuts come from (well, we saw plenty of nuts in LA, but they grow them here). We passed a sign that said “Cartop Carriers and RV Alert: Gusty Wind Area.” Just about that time our cartop carrier started making an AWFUL noise. So, we stopped and had a potty break while Steve made sure all items were safely secured in the overhead bin. The straps continued to groan for about an hour in the wind, but we just kept peeking out of the sunroof and looking up via the rearview mirrors to make sure everything was fine. It actually got really spooky when the sound stopped!! But not to worry, our items were still up top and not all over the freeway.
Around 12:30 we stopped in Bakersfield for lunch. We decided that it would be our last chance for another In-N-Out burger, so we chose to eat there. It was as good as the day before. I could get used to this! We then drove around in circles for a few moments as we tried to find a grocery store. Emily then recommended we use the navigation system (duh!) and sure enough, it took us straight to an Albertsons about a mile away. We replenished our lunch supplies and got some amazing steaks for dinner as well as a few side dishes and, finally, ice. After 30 minutes of shopping (WAY too long by Steve’s standards), we were finally done.
Headed back to the car Steve noticed that our tire was low again. (At the inspection station coming into California the inspector had mentioned that our tire was low and Steve put air in it then). We went ahead and stopped for more air and Steve realized we had a slow leak. After a brief discussion we decided that it would be smart to get the tire taken care of before we headed up into the mountains where we wouldn’t have much recourse if it just went flat. So, we found a Honda Dealer (amazing how easily it is to find them on our navigation system) and he sent us over to Big Brand Tire Company. Turns out we had nails in both of our rear tires and the treads were wearing off in a weird way. So, woo hoo, we got two new tires! The nice thing was that the kids and I never had to leave the car. We just sat there while getting jacked up and being rotated (sounds much more fun that it was). Pete thought it was a riot.
Well, this did not bode well for our timing. While they were pretty quick as getting new tires go, we had now been in Bakersfield for about two hours! We hustled out of town and tried not to panic about how late it was getting.
It was a beautiful approach to the Sierra Nevadas. It is truly amazing how far up you go to see the Sequoias. After a long, slow, ascent which took about an hour (they were working on the road for two miles which also slowed us down), we finally made it up to the Giant Forest. They aren’t kidding! Even thought we really needed to get to our campsite, we just had to take a detour towards something called “tunnel log.” Turns out we could drive right through a downed tree.
Apparently these trees have a very shallow root system and so can fall without warning. There was one tree that fell in the 50’s without warning that was about 2,300 years old!! They say that when a gust of wind hits it just right, if there has been enough erosion or root damage for one reason or another, it can just fall down. We saw a photo of some guys in 1992 who parked their car, went for a hike, heard a crash, and when they got back to their car it was FLAT under one of these trees! We looked very carefully for our next place to park.
One of the most wild things about this place are the bears. When we first hit the Visitor’s Center there were warnings that we should cover up any food we had in the car so that it wouldn’t be visible through the window. Apparently the “Bear Gangs” have gotten pretty smart and pretty rough. But it gets worse. Once we got to our campsite we had a list of things we had to do before we could sleep that night. We had a special ‘bear proof’ box we had to put any and all food in, including detergents, toiletries, makeup and anything else that might smell ‘nice.’ We had to remove the carseat from the car and leave it outside because it also smelled good (well, good to a bear.) There were photos in the bathroom of cars that had been literally peeled away by bears trying to get at the food.
It really did something to us. We got quite jumpy and concerned about what we were doing. Steve made Emily go through all of her things and remove anything ‘smelly.’ There were quite a few number of things including pens that smelled like fruit and tasty lip gloss. It is amazing how many things you can have that smell nice. Everything went into the ‘bear bin.’ As we prepared dinner we kept looking around surveying the landscape. As Steve was cooking the steak he said “Great…could we have gotten a more ‘bear tempting’ meal?” We ate as quickly as we could, cleaned up the table as fast as possible and tried to get into the tent before it got too dark. We were unsuccessful. As we finished cleaning up in the dark, I kept scanning the hills with my flashlight. No bears.
The last thing we did before turning in for the night was to make everyone take off their clothes which smelled like ‘meat smoke’! We were NOT taking any chances. Even the ‘meat clothes’ went into the bear box. During the night Emily ended up having nightmares that the bears were going to come and shred Peter’s car seat. (by the way, we heard no bears…just the sound of Peter snoring!)
Even though it had been hot getting to the campsite all day (100+), once we got into the mountains it was quite pleasant. As day turned to night, it got downright chilly (we are having decent luck with camping temperature.) Peter ended up being chilly and I had to cover him twice before he ended up in bed with us in the wee hours of the morning. My biggest problem was that I got the joy of sleeping next to Andy. He ended up trying to turn my stomach into a pillow. When he attempted to ‘fluff’ me, I immediately thrust him against the tent and told him to “MOVE OVER!” This is starting to be a theme with him. Next camping stop we’re going to make him sleep in the car!
So now it is morning and we must be moving on. Vegas here we come. COME ON SNAKE EYES…DADDY NEEDS A NEW SET OF TIRES!!
Once on the freeway, it was busy getting out of there, but not so bad that it slowed us down. We headed up and over the San Gabriel Mountains and into the valley where California Oranges and nuts come from (well, we saw plenty of nuts in LA, but they grow them here). We passed a sign that said “Cartop Carriers and RV Alert: Gusty Wind Area.” Just about that time our cartop carrier started making an AWFUL noise. So, we stopped and had a potty break while Steve made sure all items were safely secured in the overhead bin. The straps continued to groan for about an hour in the wind, but we just kept peeking out of the sunroof and looking up via the rearview mirrors to make sure everything was fine. It actually got really spooky when the sound stopped!! But not to worry, our items were still up top and not all over the freeway.
Around 12:30 we stopped in Bakersfield for lunch. We decided that it would be our last chance for another In-N-Out burger, so we chose to eat there. It was as good as the day before. I could get used to this! We then drove around in circles for a few moments as we tried to find a grocery store. Emily then recommended we use the navigation system (duh!) and sure enough, it took us straight to an Albertsons about a mile away. We replenished our lunch supplies and got some amazing steaks for dinner as well as a few side dishes and, finally, ice. After 30 minutes of shopping (WAY too long by Steve’s standards), we were finally done.
Headed back to the car Steve noticed that our tire was low again. (At the inspection station coming into California the inspector had mentioned that our tire was low and Steve put air in it then). We went ahead and stopped for more air and Steve realized we had a slow leak. After a brief discussion we decided that it would be smart to get the tire taken care of before we headed up into the mountains where we wouldn’t have much recourse if it just went flat. So, we found a Honda Dealer (amazing how easily it is to find them on our navigation system) and he sent us over to Big Brand Tire Company. Turns out we had nails in both of our rear tires and the treads were wearing off in a weird way. So, woo hoo, we got two new tires! The nice thing was that the kids and I never had to leave the car. We just sat there while getting jacked up and being rotated (sounds much more fun that it was). Pete thought it was a riot.
Well, this did not bode well for our timing. While they were pretty quick as getting new tires go, we had now been in Bakersfield for about two hours! We hustled out of town and tried not to panic about how late it was getting.
It was a beautiful approach to the Sierra Nevadas. It is truly amazing how far up you go to see the Sequoias. After a long, slow, ascent which took about an hour (they were working on the road for two miles which also slowed us down), we finally made it up to the Giant Forest. They aren’t kidding! Even thought we really needed to get to our campsite, we just had to take a detour towards something called “tunnel log.” Turns out we could drive right through a downed tree.
Apparently these trees have a very shallow root system and so can fall without warning. There was one tree that fell in the 50’s without warning that was about 2,300 years old!! They say that when a gust of wind hits it just right, if there has been enough erosion or root damage for one reason or another, it can just fall down. We saw a photo of some guys in 1992 who parked their car, went for a hike, heard a crash, and when they got back to their car it was FLAT under one of these trees! We looked very carefully for our next place to park.
One of the most wild things about this place are the bears. When we first hit the Visitor’s Center there were warnings that we should cover up any food we had in the car so that it wouldn’t be visible through the window. Apparently the “Bear Gangs” have gotten pretty smart and pretty rough. But it gets worse. Once we got to our campsite we had a list of things we had to do before we could sleep that night. We had a special ‘bear proof’ box we had to put any and all food in, including detergents, toiletries, makeup and anything else that might smell ‘nice.’ We had to remove the carseat from the car and leave it outside because it also smelled good (well, good to a bear.) There were photos in the bathroom of cars that had been literally peeled away by bears trying to get at the food.
It really did something to us. We got quite jumpy and concerned about what we were doing. Steve made Emily go through all of her things and remove anything ‘smelly.’ There were quite a few number of things including pens that smelled like fruit and tasty lip gloss. It is amazing how many things you can have that smell nice. Everything went into the ‘bear bin.’ As we prepared dinner we kept looking around surveying the landscape. As Steve was cooking the steak he said “Great…could we have gotten a more ‘bear tempting’ meal?” We ate as quickly as we could, cleaned up the table as fast as possible and tried to get into the tent before it got too dark. We were unsuccessful. As we finished cleaning up in the dark, I kept scanning the hills with my flashlight. No bears.
The last thing we did before turning in for the night was to make everyone take off their clothes which smelled like ‘meat smoke’! We were NOT taking any chances. Even the ‘meat clothes’ went into the bear box. During the night Emily ended up having nightmares that the bears were going to come and shred Peter’s car seat. (by the way, we heard no bears…just the sound of Peter snoring!)
Even though it had been hot getting to the campsite all day (100+), once we got into the mountains it was quite pleasant. As day turned to night, it got downright chilly (we are having decent luck with camping temperature.) Peter ended up being chilly and I had to cover him twice before he ended up in bed with us in the wee hours of the morning. My biggest problem was that I got the joy of sleeping next to Andy. He ended up trying to turn my stomach into a pillow. When he attempted to ‘fluff’ me, I immediately thrust him against the tent and told him to “MOVE OVER!” This is starting to be a theme with him. Next camping stop we’re going to make him sleep in the car!
So now it is morning and we must be moving on. Vegas here we come. COME ON SNAKE EYES…DADDY NEEDS A NEW SET OF TIRES!!
Wednesday, August 1, 2007
Tuesday, Day 12
We started out late today because they have complimentary guest laundry, and I just HAD to do a load (I mean, come on, it’s COMPLIMENTARY!) So, after a slow start (and about 20 minutes waiting for the dryer), we were finally on our way. We followed the directions from Pasadena all the way into L.A. on Route 66. It’s pretty amazing. Route 66 goes along Sunset Blvd, and then over to Santa Monica Blvd. We saw the Hollywood Sign, Dodger Stadium, Beverly Hills Police Department, past Rodeo Drive and Wiltshire Blvd. We finally ended up at the Santa Monica Pier. We couldn’t go any further west. We were done! After a very quick picture as we turned left, we all cheered, and then headed south a bit towards lunch. I had heard so much about the In-N-Out Burgers, that I just had to have one! So, we went up Lincoln Blvd. for about 2 miles until we found one.
It was a VERY busy place, but you really on can order one of three things: a hamburger, a cheeseburger or a double meat double cheeseburger. We got combos which included fries and a drink. They were very good, very juicy hamburgers. The fries were excellent too (on the box they say that they peel, cut and fry the potatoes right on site…never frozen). I also found it interesting that at the bottom of the hamburger wrapper, in really small print was “Revelation 3:20.” So, of course, being who I am, and having the technology that I do, I immediately went to my blackberry and looked it up. Revelation 3:20 says:
“Behold I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come into him and dine with him and he with me.”
I thought that was a really cool thing for a hamburger joint to put, even if ever so discreetly, on their wrappers!
After lunch we headed back to the pier to park and swim. We went past the original Muscle Beach where we saw guys doing very muscle-y things, so, of course, we had to pose with our muscles out in front of the sign! We also saw a man who had long hair and a long beard running as fast as he could along the waterfront. I said to Steve “Look at that homeless man run!” Steve said “What else has he got to do?” We’re so bad.
We changed in the public restrooms (lovely) and headed for the water. Andy and Emily headed straight in. Pete jumped around at the water’s edge. Steve watched a woman change right on the beach under a towel. He was quite impressed at her dexterity and ability to keep covered up, even though she was a grandmother. I told him that she probably had years of practice. We also saw a family of four nearby each with their own tattoos. What a wonderful family activity.
Andy made a friend (of course) out in the surf. They had a lot of fun ‘catching waves’ and body surfing. It was hard to extract both of them from the water when it was time to go. I told them that I was sorry, but that 1 and a half hours was all we had time for. They said “I thought it had only been like 15 minutes!” Guess time really does fly when you’re having fun.
Once we left the pier, we decided to take the long way home. We drove a bit of the Pacific Coast Highway, and then more of Sunset Blvd. We went through Brentwood, Bel Air and Beverly Hills again. That is quite a drive. Unfortunately, the rest of L.A. was with us, so it was a very slow go. Once we past everything we wanted the kids to see (like famous sights that they’ve never heard of: The Roxy, the Whisky a Go-Go, etc.) we headed back towards the hotel. It took us 2 hours to get back! I told the kids later that they had really experienced the real L.A….from a car, in traffic!
Once back at the hotel, we had a quick dip in the pool (since we still had our suits on) and then we showered. By 6 we were back in the car and headed back into L.A. for dinner. We met Ben Hardy (our old college friend) and his wife Emily for dinner. Well, we picked them up and we all went to El Coyote for dinner. They had WONDERFUL guacamole! Emily is an actress and so we talked about films and actors and the business for most of the time.
After dinner, we went back to their place and parked (they live in Hollywood, just a hop-skip-jump from Hollywood Blvd. and Grauman’s Chinese Theater). We then walked the Boulevard looking at the Walk of Fame and all the names on the stars. We made it to Grauman’s Theater and looked at all the hand and foot prints in the cement. Turns out that Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson had been there July 9th, and so we were able to put our hands in their prints! The kids were thrilled. I also got photos of Peter Sellers and Tom Hanks.
We then walked down to the Kodak Theater where the Oscars are held each year and we walked the stairs, which are covered in the red carpet at Oscar time. To the right of the theater they have a mall now, and if the Hollywood sign had been lit, we would have seen that they have designed the building so that it frames the sign perfectly. Oh well. Next visit?
We then walked back to their apartment and watched some of the commercials and shots from the Hallmark Movie Emily was in. She has the starring role in a horror flick coming out later this year called 12. I’d love to see her in it, but I’m not sure I can stomach a horror flick. It was fun to talk to her, and I think the kids learned a lot, too. From the stuff we saw tonight, you can tell she is very good. I hope she goes very far.
We said goodnight and headed home. It is amazing how much better the traffic was at midnight then when we first tried to go home at 4! It is quite late now, and I should get rest so that I am prepared for our big trip to the giant redwoods tomorrow!
It was a VERY busy place, but you really on can order one of three things: a hamburger, a cheeseburger or a double meat double cheeseburger. We got combos which included fries and a drink. They were very good, very juicy hamburgers. The fries were excellent too (on the box they say that they peel, cut and fry the potatoes right on site…never frozen). I also found it interesting that at the bottom of the hamburger wrapper, in really small print was “Revelation 3:20.” So, of course, being who I am, and having the technology that I do, I immediately went to my blackberry and looked it up. Revelation 3:20 says:
“Behold I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come into him and dine with him and he with me.”
I thought that was a really cool thing for a hamburger joint to put, even if ever so discreetly, on their wrappers!
After lunch we headed back to the pier to park and swim. We went past the original Muscle Beach where we saw guys doing very muscle-y things, so, of course, we had to pose with our muscles out in front of the sign! We also saw a man who had long hair and a long beard running as fast as he could along the waterfront. I said to Steve “Look at that homeless man run!” Steve said “What else has he got to do?” We’re so bad.
We changed in the public restrooms (lovely) and headed for the water. Andy and Emily headed straight in. Pete jumped around at the water’s edge. Steve watched a woman change right on the beach under a towel. He was quite impressed at her dexterity and ability to keep covered up, even though she was a grandmother. I told him that she probably had years of practice. We also saw a family of four nearby each with their own tattoos. What a wonderful family activity.
Andy made a friend (of course) out in the surf. They had a lot of fun ‘catching waves’ and body surfing. It was hard to extract both of them from the water when it was time to go. I told them that I was sorry, but that 1 and a half hours was all we had time for. They said “I thought it had only been like 15 minutes!” Guess time really does fly when you’re having fun.
Once we left the pier, we decided to take the long way home. We drove a bit of the Pacific Coast Highway, and then more of Sunset Blvd. We went through Brentwood, Bel Air and Beverly Hills again. That is quite a drive. Unfortunately, the rest of L.A. was with us, so it was a very slow go. Once we past everything we wanted the kids to see (like famous sights that they’ve never heard of: The Roxy, the Whisky a Go-Go, etc.) we headed back towards the hotel. It took us 2 hours to get back! I told the kids later that they had really experienced the real L.A….from a car, in traffic!
Once back at the hotel, we had a quick dip in the pool (since we still had our suits on) and then we showered. By 6 we were back in the car and headed back into L.A. for dinner. We met Ben Hardy (our old college friend) and his wife Emily for dinner. Well, we picked them up and we all went to El Coyote for dinner. They had WONDERFUL guacamole! Emily is an actress and so we talked about films and actors and the business for most of the time.
After dinner, we went back to their place and parked (they live in Hollywood, just a hop-skip-jump from Hollywood Blvd. and Grauman’s Chinese Theater). We then walked the Boulevard looking at the Walk of Fame and all the names on the stars. We made it to Grauman’s Theater and looked at all the hand and foot prints in the cement. Turns out that Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson had been there July 9th, and so we were able to put our hands in their prints! The kids were thrilled. I also got photos of Peter Sellers and Tom Hanks.
We then walked down to the Kodak Theater where the Oscars are held each year and we walked the stairs, which are covered in the red carpet at Oscar time. To the right of the theater they have a mall now, and if the Hollywood sign had been lit, we would have seen that they have designed the building so that it frames the sign perfectly. Oh well. Next visit?
We then walked back to their apartment and watched some of the commercials and shots from the Hallmark Movie Emily was in. She has the starring role in a horror flick coming out later this year called 12. I’d love to see her in it, but I’m not sure I can stomach a horror flick. It was fun to talk to her, and I think the kids learned a lot, too. From the stuff we saw tonight, you can tell she is very good. I hope she goes very far.
We said goodnight and headed home. It is amazing how much better the traffic was at midnight then when we first tried to go home at 4! It is quite late now, and I should get rest so that I am prepared for our big trip to the giant redwoods tomorrow!
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