A trip to California

During this Christmas/New Year holiday break we took a vacation to Southern California. We lived in California in the early 80`s for 3 years and had our first child there, so after 30 years we decided to go back for a much over due visit. This trip we brought our youngest son and his girlfriend.



First we had to book a place to stay. This is a very busy tourist season for Southern California, so it was not easy to find an affordable place to stay. Cue VRBO. We found a place in Newport Beach, and after reading the reviews and comparing prices we decided to book it. Plane tickets bought and all was ready for a late December departure.

We arrived at LAX by noon, hopped in the rental car and stopped for lunch. Next we took off on the drive to Newport Beach, a drive that was a bit over an hour. We did stop at the house we rented just before we moved from Huntington Beach to Indiana. Imagine our surprise to find that the house was gone, but the small apartment complex that was in the back yard was still standing.

As you can see by the size of this empty lot, the house was very small.

Next stop was the apartment we lived in when our daughter was born. It had not changed much, and it brought back a lot of happy memories. This included my first earthquake, the memory not the happiness. I was 8 months pregnant and we were sleeping in a water bed when in the middle of the night I heard the windows rattle and the water bed was making waves. At first I though a truck was going down the alley behind the apartment. In the morning I mentioned to my husband that I thought we had an earthquake in the night that he had slept through, and he kind of brushed it off. I got a call when he arrived at work, this was before cell phones, and he confirmed that there was an earthquake the night before and that the epicenter was just a few miles off shore from our apartment. Ah, the joys of living in California.

Front of the small row of apartments.

The front door to our old apartment.

We had an action packed week. Here is the rundown of our California vacation.

Day one was a tour of the LA area. We took a small tour bus starting at the Santa Monica Pier, to Venice Beach, Rodeo Dr., Hollywood, Griffith Park and LA's Farmers Market. The tour was great and our tour guide was a cute college kid that was a hoot.

The famous Hollywood sign.

The original sign was an advertisement for a Housing development first erected in 1923. It became such a draw for the city that it was altered and has been updated and improved over the years.

One of the most recognized intersections in the country.

This street in Beverly Hills has been used in countless movies.

You do not have to be a human to get a star in the Walk of Fame!

Day two we were off to Disneyland and California Adventure. I am a Disney fan that loves Disney World, so I was so excited to see the original park again after 30 years. The old Disneyland park was like going to Disney World's Magic Kingdom, but California Adventure was a bit of Epcot and MGM mixed together. It was a whole lot of fun, and very crowded to be there on New Years Eve.

The front of Disneyland where they were celebrating their 60th Diamond Anniversary!

This is Mickey's Fun Wheel in California Adventure. I had not been on a Ferris wheel in well over 30 years. I hate heights and remember the old seats that were open and swung. I hated them. How I got talked into getting on this ride, where you were closed in and the cars rolled around and swung outward, is still a mystery to me. There were even puke bags in every car. This will be the last Ferris wheel I ever ride.

Day three was New Years day and we decided to see some local sites. We went to Balboa Island and did some shopping, had lunch at a great Italian Restaurant at Newport Pier, went to Long Beach to check out our first apartment in California, went to see the Queen Mary and stopped at Shoreline Dr.

Newport Pier!

Long Beach's Shoreline Village from across the water by the Queen Mary.

The Queen Mary!

Day four we stopped at the Farmers market for breakfast and lunch on our way to the Peterson Car Museum. This was a special trip for my husband and son. We were on one of the first tours of their vault. This is where they keep the cars that are not currently on display. Great breakfast and lunch and very cool museum. Before we left Fairfax Ave. we decided to go to the famous Canters Deli. This is the deli that is open 24 hours and a favorite place to many stars and musicians. There is a story of Kurt Cobain, who lived close by, parking himself in a back booth in the early mornings to write songs, and recently Bono leaving a $150 tip on a $20 food bill. The corned beef sandwich is good, but not that good, lol.

I remember the first time we went to the Farmers Market in 1983 we saw our first celebrity. Jaclyn Smith from Charlie's Angels.

The Peterson Car Museum.

Canters Deli!

Day five was a trip to San Juan Capistrano one of the oldest Missions in California and then we went to an Anaheim Ducks hockey game. No vacation in our family would be complete without a hockey game. At least that is what the boys think.

The Bells at the Mission San Juan Capistrano are not rung by swinging the bell, but by the rope that is tied to the clapper. The Padre's names that served at the mission are on the largest bell. The bells are rung on March 19th of each year to welcome back the swallows.

Couldn't they come up with a better motto than "Worth a Visit".

These are the ruins from the original chapel that was damaged by an earthquake in December of 1812. The earthquake killed 40 Native Americans that were worshiping in the chapel.

Day six was a returned visit to Disneyland and the California Adventure.

Do you think there are enough people there?

Day seven was an exciting trip to LAX.

We had such an incredible trip and had the best time showing our son a little slice of our past in California.