California

I’ve been to Universal Orlando several times, but I haven’t been to Universal California since I was nine. The biggest difference was that while Universal Orlando is more spread out and has a bigger footprint, Universal California is divided into upper and lower lots connected by escalators. Universal Orlando’s Wizarding World of Harry Potter is … Continue reading »

My son’s biggest interest in Los Angeles was La Brea Tar Pits. I’ve heard the name and knew they were in LA from movies such as Encino Man and The Last Action Hero, but I didn’t know much about them. Natural asphalt seeped up from the ground tens of thousands of years ago, and saber-toothed … Continue reading »

We’re spending the next 6 days in Los Angeles. Our first stop was the Hollywood sign, then we spent the afternoon at Paramount Studios. Paramount’s tour included sound stages, back lots, Forrest Gump’s bench, and the water tank where they filmed The Ten Commandments and The Truman Show.

My daughter lives to roller skate, so we’re staying in Venice for two nights. Our apartment is one block from the beach, boardwalk, Muscle Beach, and skate park. So much fun!

Today started really well – the sun was shining and the dunes at Pismo Beach were amazing – unfortunately it ended at the Emergency Room! I had a slight accident and fell off the ATV on my head. I couldn’t remember where I was (I thought maybe Florida due to the sand and ocean?) and … Continue reading »

We’re making our way south from the Russian River Valley to Los Angeles. Our first stop was the Winchester Mystery House in San Jose. Sara Winchester, the widow of the Winchester gun heir, lost her mother, father-in-law, and husband within a few months and inherited a huge fortune. She did not have any children and … Continue reading »

When I start to plan family trips, we have a family meeting to decide what we want to see. I learned the value of family meetings when we traveled to Europe. I thought my family would definitely want to see the Louvre, Mona Lisa, and Notre Dame in Paris, but all they really cared about … Continue reading »

Alamo Square and the famous Painted Ladies rowhouses were beautiful in today’s sunshine. Haight-Ashbury’s hippie vibe is still alive and thriving.

We visited the Golden Gate Bridge this morning. Traffic was heavy and noisy and the weather was cool and windy, so I decided to only walk about halfway across. The highlight of our day was an evening tour of Alcatraz! I knew these tours filled fast, so I booked it in March. The ferry ride … Continue reading »