Another GRAND adventure..west coast style W/ PICS!! 11/29 DISNEYLAND! post 163/165

[MA pigletfan]

hey everyone!!!!
I am actually at work..exhausted, stuffed up and still cannot hear in my right ear from the plane ride..other than that..i'm good! hahahh
I will be uploading pics tonight if i can stay awake and am hoping to at least do the first entry of the real report..thanks so much for staying tuned..i promise to make it worth the wait!!!

 

[kaoden39]

hey everyone!!!!
I am actually at work..exhausted, stuffed up and still cannot hear in my right ear from the plane ride..other than that..i'm good! hahahh
I will be uploading pics tonight if i can stay awake and am hoping to at least do the first entry of the real report..thanks so much for staying tuned..i promise to make it worth the wait!!!

Welcome home! I can hardly wait.

 

[DisneyLaura]

I can't believe after 3 years I will no longer have boring white walls!

Just three years, I waited almost 5

i have about 700 pictures to show for it..so be prepared for a VERY picturesque trip report when we return

Welcome home Gina and I hope you're feeling better. I can't wait for the pictures. The more the merrier.

 

[punkin413]

hope you feel better soon.

 

[Spartangirl]

Welcome home, Gina! Glad you made it home safely! Feel better soon!

 

[travelmel]

Welcome !!

 

[MA pigletfan]

Hey gang!
Thanks for the well wishes..i was actually feeling far worse today..luckily i do not have strep as i thought i did..but i still slept most of the day and barely have a voice..HOWEVER one does not need a voice to upload pics and start a report..so in a few minutes i should have my first short installment up..thanks for the patience!!!!

 

[MA pigletfan]

SO our flight out of Logan airport was at 5:50 east coast time, Jet Blue airlines. Some of you know how much of a nervous flier I am so I was prepared for my first cross country flight....I had two vallium and an hour before the flight I took 2 dramamine...so all was well! I actually took one more dramamine about 4 hours in, just in case they wore off...I hate getting sick on the plane and i am sure all around me would not be fans either!! So the flight was great..smooth and I actually watched most of the Sex and the City movie on my trusty I-Pod between snoozing.
We landed at Long Beach around 8:30ish Cali time and i was so excited!!
Long beach is a very small airport and we actually have to walk down stairs across the tarmack to get into the airport itself..and the baggage claim was outside! Pretty trippy..here are some picks of that:

Greg looking oh so happy about having his picture taken after a long flight:

OH well
Anyway..we waited and got our luggage after about 25 minutes and then we went over to meet our friend Corrie!! I was so excited when she pulled up in her silver Toyota..which will be our main form of transportation for the week ..besides being excited to be in California we also realized we were HUNGRY...and where else is there to stop on your first night in L.A....
IN and OUT Burger!!!

OOOOOHHHH yum! I got my cheeseburger animal style ( which is with carmelized onion and special sauce ( kind of like big mac sauce but better)...lt hit the spot. Sorry no picks of the food...but there are many other food porn pics coming up!
Since it was already about 9:30/9:45 West coast time by the time we got to Corrie and Bobby's place in North Hollywood we just stayed in and chatted..it ended up being a super late night, especially for us still being on East Coast time...I think we ended up going to bed around 1 their time!!!
Here is a stow away that Greg packed for me without me knowing

pretty cute!
and here are are digs for the 4 nights we stayed with them in NoHo

I have other outside pics of their cute place to share later..it amazed me that people can have flat roofs out there..no snow to worry about!!
SO that is all we did our first night...but the next day is far more eventful and exciting...here is a preview:

See ya soon!

 

[travelmel]

Ohhh so cute!! Your DH packed you a PIGLET!!!

Mighty sweet of him

That's funny that you noticed the flat roofs. I'm a CA native so having to think about snow when I moved to Oregon for college was REALLY HARD for me! I had no idea what studded tires were or any of that stuff. I was in really bad shape.

I can feel your excitement about your trip! You're doing great so far even though you're not feeling well!

Can't wait for the next installment... I'm supposed to be laying low on the boards (hard on the ole body to be on the computer) but everybody's coming back from their trips all at once! They're are going to be so many fun TR's!

 

[kmab00]

Great start! I'm so glad you guys had a fun time but I'm sorry you're sick!

Wasn't Napa Rose just the best? Such a beautiful place!

I can't wait to hear more! Hope you are feeling better!!

 

[MA pigletfan]

Ohhh so cute!! Your DH packed you a PIGLET!!!

Mighty sweet of him

That's funny that you noticed the flat roofs. I'm a CA native so having to think about snow when I moved to Oregon for college was REALLY HARD for me! I had no idea what studded tires were or any of that stuff. I was in really bad shape.

I can feel your excitement about your trip! You're doing great so far even though you're not feeling well!

Can't wait for the next installment... I'm supposed to be laying low on the boards (hard on the ole body to be on the computer) but everybody's coming back from their trips all at once! They're are going to be so many fun TR's!

Hee hee...sorry for keeping you at the computer..but i am thrilled to have you join me here ..i know alot of TR i subsribe to on this board are just getting cooking too!!

Great start! I'm so glad you guys had a fun time but I'm sorry you're sick!

Wasn't Napa Rose just the best? Such a beautiful place!

I can't wait to hear more! Hope you are feeling better!!

Hey Karen Napa Rose was the best!! I have some great pics of that in our first DL day installment! Thanks for joining in...I am still feeling icky but i think i am rounding the bend!

 

[MA pigletfan]

Our First Full day in SO-Cal...October 4th


OK...soo after finally getting to sleep at about 1 am! I was up at about 6:30! I hate when i am too excited to sleep even though I know I need the extra zzzzs! I guess my body was reverting to east coast time and thought it was really 9:30 or something logical..oh well!
Anyway...Greg and I stayed in bed till about the "real" 9:00 and once Corrie our official tour guide was up we decided we would walk around her hood' and get us some starbucks and see some sights.
Right around the bend from where Corrie lives is the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences building....it was so cool. They had busts and pictures of all sorts of actors, comedians..etc.. all in the open..here are some pictures from our first " hollywoodish" stop:

I love Lucy

heehee..thats me with crazy hair and Alan Alda..I used to think he looked like my dad from the MASH days haha

Me, Corrie and MUPPETS! And Mr. Jim Henson of course.
As we were walking around I spotted this sign and I got SOOO excited:

Soon, Greg reminded me...we will be in DL soon

After walking around North Hollywood ( or NOHO as I soon began to call it)..we got into Corrie's car and she took us for a trip up to the famous Hollywood sign!!!
Getting there...

it amazed me how hilly everything was!!

Getting closer...

There we are!!! It was HIGH up a very winding narrow and car sick inducing hill..but it was totally worth it! It was also quite overcast that day..hence the grey sky...It almost felt fake looking at the sign..very surreal. I mean how many times have I seen it in pictures, movies tv...and now it was right in front of me..one of THE MOST FAMOUS icons in the world..it was very cool.
We got out of the car at the top of the street we were on and took some pics..it was HIGH UP!

There were a ton of Black Hawk copters flying around that day too..I wondered ( and hoped) it was just for a movie;

I have to end part one of day 1 here..but i will be back later with Beverly Hills flyby, the "Grove" and a preview of Hollywood Blvd

 

[travelmel]

Great update!

I live in Portland and they call North Portland NOPO

I didn't know that and I saw a coffee shop with the name, "Nopo Coffee" and i was like what the.......????

I thought maybe you could drink coffee there on a budget??

Silly.

I definitely want to take my DD's on the Hollywood sight seeing route next time we're down in So Cal (which is often as I have family there). I want to take them to the Griffith Observatory.

Was the Acadamy of motion pictures place... was there are tour? Somebody on the boards went to the Warner Bros studio (I think.. now I can't remember, darn it!) and it had a really cool tour! Fun stuff.

 

[Disneygrl36]

Glad you are back but hope you are feeling better.
Loving your NoHo pictures. That academy that is around the corner from your friends house looks very cool. I especially loved the tribute to Jim Henson & the Muppets.

 

[MA pigletfan]

Great update!

I live in Portland and they call North Portland NOPO

I didn't know that and I saw a coffee shop with the name, "Nopo Coffee" and i was like what the.......????

I thought maybe you could drink coffee there on a budget??

Silly.

I definitely want to take my DD's on the Hollywood sight seeing route next time we're down in So Cal (which is often as I have family there). I want to take them to the Griffith Observatory.

Was the Acadamy of motion pictures place... was there are tour? Somebody on the boards went to the Warner Bros studio (I think.. now I can't remember, darn it!) and it had a really cool tour! Fun stuff.

NOPO..thats funny!
Actually the academy of television arts and sciences by Corrie's was just a building they have offices/events in..we just walked through on our own.
HOWEVER...we actually did the WB tour and that will be coming up in our day 3 installment..that was fun times!!!

Glad you are back but hope you are feeling better.
Loving your NoHo pictures. That academy that is around the corner from your friends house looks very cool. I especially loved the tribute to Jim Henson & the Muppets.

Thanks! i am feeling much better..still tired and stuffed up BUT I CAN HEAR!!! i loved the Muppets/Henson tribute as well

 

[MA pigletfan]

Finale of Day 1 !

Ok..where we left off we had just driven up the winding road to the Hollywood sign!
After that we decided that we could all use some lunch, so Corrie brought us to this very cool area called " the Grove" which was essentially an outdoor mallish place with fun stores/restaurants and the Farmers Market is housed there as well.

Even from the parking lot we could still see that hollywood sign!

Here are some picks around "The Grove"

It was a very cool place to walk around..albeit quite crowded as it was Saturday and all.
We ended up going to a place called " The Marmalade Cafe'" for lunch...it was so good..and YES I took pics!!
Here is my bloody Mary:

We all dug into this salad of greens, goat cheese and portobellas:

My turkey club:

Greg had the tuna melt:

It was all sooo good!

Once our bellies were full we decided we should drive through Beverly Hills/Rodeo Drive on our way back to NoHo...keep in mind all these pics were taken from Corrie's car..so they aren't the best quality..it was just soooo busy and we couldn't find anywhere to park and walk around..so we just drove on through...

the REAL Beverly Hills Cops:

Of course I had to take a picture of this ridiculousness in front of someone's million dollar home:

I get it..you are originally from New York..or you just like Lady Liberty a bit too much!

After the whirlwind tour of BH we were beat...the rest of the night we just hung out at their place and ended up getting dinner at a really yummy Greek restaurant called "Daphne's"..I think its a chain place but it was DELICIOUS whatever it is. We were still all confused by the time change so that was all we ended up doing on our first day....

Day 2 up next.. a street fair and Pacific Coast Highway starring Malibu beach

 

[kaoden39]

Finale of Day 1 !

Ok..where we left off we had just driven up the winding road to the Hollywood sign!
After that we decided that we could all use some lunch, so Corrie brought us to this very cool area called " the Grove" which was essentially an outdoor mallish place with fun stores/restaurants and the Farmers Market is housed there as well.

Even from the parking lot we could still see that hollywood sign!

Here are some picks around "The Grove"

It was a very cool place to walk around..albeit quite crowded as it was Saturday and all.
We ended up going to a place called " The Marmalade Cafe'" for lunch...it was so good..and YES I took pics!!
Here is my bloody Mary:

We all dug into this salad of greens, goat cheese and portobellas:

My turkey club:

Greg had the tuna melt:

It was all sooo good!

Once our bellies were full we decided we should drive through Beverly Hills/Rodeo Drive on our way back to NoHo...keep in mind all these pics were taken from Corrie's car..so they aren't the best quality..it was just soooo busy and we couldn't find anywhere to park and walk around..so we just drove on through...

the REAL Beverly Hills Cops:

Of course I had to take a picture of this ridiculousness in front of someone's million dollar home:

I get it..you are originally from New York..or you just like Lady Liberty a bit too much!

After the whirlwind tour of BH we were beat...the rest of the night we just hung out at their place and ended up getting dinner at a really yummy Greek restaurant called "Daphne's"..I think its a chain place but it was DELICIOUS whatever it is. We were still all confused by the time change so that was all we ended up doing on our first day....

Day 2 up next.. a street fair and Pacific Coast Highway starring Malibu beach

You were only around the corner from Slimmons Richard SLimmons exercise studio. You should have stopped in and said hey. He would have loved it. He is a real people person.

 

[MA pigletfan]

You were only around the corner from Slimmons Richard SLimmons exercise studio. You should have stopped in and said hey. He would have loved it. He is a real people person.

where was that!??? in BH or near the Grove? I love Richard Simmons!

 

[kaoden39]

where was that!??? in BH or near the Grove? I love Richard Simmons!

It's in BH like just around the corner from Rodeo Drive on Civic Center drive. He is my hero.

 

[punkin413]

that salad looks really yummy! i love portobellos and goat cheese. you're making me hungry!