Do Not Die Today: Southern California, 2022 (COMPLETE 2/23)

[Captain_Oblivious]

Definitely an end of an era! Thank you for sharing your family adventures with us - they have been some of my favorite TRs over the years here. Also thankful Julie's health issues were over relatively quickly.

That is incredibly nice of you to say, thank you! And we are beyond blessed that Julie's issues weren't worse. We got off very easy, to be honest.

Have fun exploring another country now that you have completed this one!

Thank you so much! Hopefully I won't do anything stupid while trying to drive on the wrong side of the road.

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

I am so glad Julie is doing so much better. I will miss reading your reports. You defiantly inspired me to go to the parks and see every state.

Thank you! I hope you get as much joy out of your travels as we have. And thank you for being a faithful reader.

What a joy and pleasure it has been to follow along in your family's journey. The kids have grown up before our eyes and while we may not "know" each other, I feel like I have learned so much from you guys! We have followed in similar footsteps, making travel a priority for our family. I have zero regrets. It is worth it to sacrifice in other areas to be able to eat pb&j overlooking a national park!

Well, you know I agree wholeheartedly with that! It brings me great joy if I've had any part in inspiring you to travel with your own family. I hope it's brought you great joy.

So thankful Julie is on the other side of the health scare, and I know how precious family time is. Enjoy it but know we are always here with welcoming arms if you decide to return and share your European adventure with us!

Thank you so much! Like I said to others, never say never. It would be cool if I had the time again to do this, I do enjoy it.

 

[melk]

Well, I explained to pkondz above that I got tickets to the Open Championship in Scotland, so that kind of set the destination for us. I think it'll be a good way to test the waters for overseas travel in that I at least can still somewhat understand the language in the UK.

Since you’re going to Scotland you are correct in saying you may still “somewhat” understand the language. But you will love it. We went to Scotland last year and it was fantastic. And since you’re a golfer (I’m not) I will share we went to St. Andrews and took our picture on the Swilcan bridge, which my husband was very excited about.

 

[bennifer]

Thank you! I'm thrilled to hear that you're traveling as well. Sounds like you're doing great. What are the big plans this year?

Thanks for reading me over the years. Enjoy your travels!

First, thank YOU for letting us join in on your travels and letting us all get to know you and your family!

We're doing a road trip on the Natchez Trace in a few weeks, but starting in New Orleans and at the end driving thru KY to make it home to Western PA. Then we're doing Hawaii in June and in August we'll be doing a New England road trip! After that we'll have completed all of the eastern states, except DE! We might add it onto our NE trip. (Can you believe I've lived in PA for my entire life and I've never been to DE?)

Last year we went on a 3 week western road trip that was supposed to be a southern trip! We started out in Vegas and Utah, but my son got sick from the heat and we were in the middle of that heat wave, so we scrapped that and went to CO, Yellowstone, Glacier NP and then to the PNW. We're also trying to get some international travel every other year, so we went to Iceland , too, which was AMAZING.

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

There is only one option open to you…

Fifty Hail Marys?

Does “seppuku” have one “p” or two?

Oh. Oh, that's much worse.

Admirable… but misguided.

This is a good summary of basically every decision I've ever made.

Always good to bring along a snack.

Usually the dashboard is where we're drying out bathing suits on road trips.

I’m positive it does.

It has to, or else they wouldn't do it this way.

Except this time it worked in favour of Joe Public.

A rare victory!

Along with Bigfoot, Nessie and The Bermuda Triangle.

Yet to be solved: who put that stew in the break room fridge that's been growing mold for 8 months?

It’s good that you can easily tell which are adopted.

This is true. I do not have a hotel room at home.

See? Exotic!

Oh you are.

I'm so glad I have you here to confirm these things for me.

Kidding aside, that’s great, Mark! Really!
Very happy for you.

Thanks! We're excited. And nervous. But mostly excited.

Meh. Commit to a chapter every other week or even one a month. That’s not so bad is it?

Sadly, I wasn't even able to keep up with that schedule! Maybe I just needed a reset.

Ah ha! Knew it!

And… excellent!

I hope I can pull it off.

Yes.
I think it was Stephen King who was approached once by someone who offered “I have a great idea for a novel… I’ll tell you it and you write it and we’ll split the profits”
King wrote that he has tons of ideas. That’s the easy part. Writing is the hard part.

Might have been another author.

That's exactly right. It's easy to get caught up in the details, too. Trying to make every word perfect. Then it just feels like a mountain you'll never climb.

Really! You’re on your way! Good for you!

Trying. It feels so slow sometimes. If I didn't have any responsibilities I bet I could go faster.

Wrong. I’m positive you’d have more than that. I know I’d want a copy. I’m sure I’m not alone there.

Well, thank you. It's fun to dream, but I think it's also important to be realistic about how hard it is to get anything published. The system is not set up to welcome the newcomer, I know that much. But that's a worry for another time. A good problem to have, as they say.

You have to write for you… not for others.

I feel like when an idea sticks with you, and refuses to die, it feels like you're meant to go with it and see what happens.

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

It would be a good excuse to meet up for a beer… , but no, keep it.

I'm sure we could come up with an excuse for that. I was talking with the boys about trying to get to an O's game this season.

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

Since you’re going to Scotland you are correct in saying you may still “somewhat” understand the language. But you will love it. We went to Scotland last year and it was fantastic. And since you’re a golfer (I’m not) I will share we went to St. Andrews and took our picture on the Swilcan bridge, which my husband was very excited about.

I have a British friend who lives in London and I even have trouble understanding him occasionally. They have a lot of turns of phrase I've never heard before. I'm sure a Scottish accent/dialect will throw me even further for a loop. But others have gone before me and figured it out.

I hope to get the same photo! I heard the Old Course was open as a public park on Sundays so I'm hoping to walk it then. The rest of the family is just going to have to come along.

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

First, thank YOU for letting us join in on your travels and letting us all get to know you and your family!

We're doing a road trip on the Natchez Trace in a few weeks, but starting in New Orleans and at the end driving thru KY to make it home to Western PA. Then we're doing Hawaii in June and in August we'll be doing a New England road trip! After that we'll have completed all of the eastern states, except DE! We might add it onto our NE trip. (Can you believe I've lived in PA for my entire life and I've never been to DE?)

Wow, that's a lot on the horizon! It's always great to have another trip to look forward to. And Hawaii is amazing! You will love it, for sure.

I'm not wild about this purposeful avoidance of Delaware, though. What's up with that? You're missing out on all there is to do in Delaware: you could go to Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington D.C...

Last year we went on a 3 week western road trip that was supposed to be a southern trip! We started out in Vegas and Utah, but my son got sick from the heat and we were in the middle of that heat wave, so we scrapped that and went to CO, Yellowstone, Glacier NP and then to the PNW. We're also trying to get some international travel every other year, so we went to Iceland , too, which was AMAZING.

That's quite the ad-libbed road trip. Sounds like you got to see some great places. Some of our favorites for sure.

I had briefly looked into a stopover in Iceland on the way to the UK. Iceland Air lets you do that with no extra charge on your flights if you book through them. But it was just too cost-prohibitive to try and add on with all 6 of us. Someday we'll get there.

 

[bennifer]

Wow, that's a lot on the horizon! It's always great to have another trip to look forward to. And Hawaii is amazing! You will love it, for sure.

I'm not wild about this purposeful avoidance of Delaware, though. What's up with that? You're missing out on all there is to do in Delaware: you could go to Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington D.C...

I know, I have this awful personality trait. Either I procrastinate or I want things done immediately. And I want to travel immediately. I can't wait for Hawaii!

I swear it wasn't purposeful! I just can't find a great reason to go other than the beach and my husband doesn't love beach only vacations. Funny enough, we've spent time in all of those places, but it never occurred to us to head to Delaware, too!

That's quite the ad-libbed road trip. Sounds like you got to see some great places. Some of our favorites for sure.

I had briefly looked into a stopover in Iceland on the way to the UK. Iceland Air lets you do that with no extra charge on your flights if you book through them. But it was just too cost-prohibitive to try and add on with all 6 of us. Someday we'll get there.

It really was! It was especially funny because of our clothing. All we had were tanks, tees and shorts. One hoodie each. We drove thru snow going into Grand Teton NP. In Glacier, my son was hiking in snow in crocs! I had already researched those places, so I knew the basics, but we definitely need to go back to Yellowstone and the PNW. We need much more time there!

You should absolutely try to get to Iceland. I wasn't sure I would like it, but it's in my top lifetime experiences!

 

[Hufflepuff]

Wanted to say thanks for all your trip reports, especially your 50 state travel. As a kid, my parents drove us from Philly to Denver multiple times to visit family. It was nice to actually revisit some places i went as a kid through your posts. Last summer I took my family on a San Fransisco and Yosemite Adventure and used your trip to help plan it all. Thanks for sharing your all your adventures...Go Birds!

 

[pkondz]

Oh. Oh, that's much worse.

I dunno… 50 is a lot.

This is a good summary of basically every decision I've ever made.

I believe this whole heartedly

Usually the dashboard is where we're drying out bathing suits on road trips.

Plenty of room for everything

Yet to be solved: who put that stew in the break room fridge that's been growing mold for 8 months?

Oops. Sorry. That was me.

Still gonna eat it though.

I'm so glad I have you here to confirm these things for me.

Literally the only reason.

That's exactly right. It's easy to get caught up in the details, too. Trying to make every word perfect. Then it just feels like a mountain you'll never climb

Just write. Editing comes later.

Trying. It feels so slow sometimes. If I didn't have any responsibilities I bet I could go faster.

I think most people would say that.

I feel like when an idea sticks with you, and refuses to die, it feels like you're meant to go with it and see what happens.

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

I know, I have this awful personality trait. Either I procrastinate or I want things done immediately. And I want to travel immediately. I can't wait for Hawaii!

Hey, I kind of have that trait too. Mostly I procrastinate by doing vacation plans.

I swear it wasn't purposeful! I just can't find a great reason to go other than the beach and my husband doesn't love beach only vacations. Funny enough, we've spent time in all of those places, but it never occurred to us to head to Delaware, too!

I'm not big on beach only vacations, either. I can do it for a day, but then I get bored and want to go do something else.

But hey, Delaware also has...um...a shopping mall.

It really was! It was especially funny because of our clothing. All we had were tanks, tees and shorts. One hoodie each. We drove thru snow going into Grand Teton NP. In Glacier, my son was hiking in snow in crocs! I had already researched those places, so I knew the basics, but we definitely need to go back to Yellowstone and the PNW. We need much more time there!

Agree, you can't spend too much time in either place. Just beautiful.

You should absolutely try to get to Iceland. I wasn't sure I would like it, but it's in my top lifetime experiences!

Awesome! Someday we'll get there, after we kick more kids out of the house.

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

Wanted to say thanks for all your trip reports, especially your 50 state travel. As a kid, my parents drove us from Philly to Denver multiple times to visit family. It was nice to actually revisit some places i went as a kid through your posts. Last summer I took my family on a San Fransisco and Yosemite Adventure and used your trip to help plan it all. Thanks for sharing your all your adventures...Go Birds!

That's awesome, I'm so glad you found this helpful! I'm very thankful that you took the time to read these, and it's really kind of you to comment.

Go Birds!

 

[jedijill]

Yes, I'll take any tips we can get! We'll be there like 5 days, I think. One of those may be jet-lagged. Doing a lot of the normal touristy stuff like the museums, Churchill War Rooms, Tower of London, Harry Potter, etc.

The HOHO bus is a good way to get your bearings but may be pricey for the whole gang. Book tickets to Churchill War Rooms and Tower of London ahead of time...when I was there in April they were sold out for the day so I was happy I was an obsessive planner! I also signed up for the Royal Palaces annual pass that covered the Tower, Hampton Court Palace (Henry the 8th) and Kensington Palace (plus others that I didn't visit!) which included free guest passes. Something to run the numbers on. Windsor Castle was well worth the short trip. Book the HP Studio tour as far in advance as you can...tickets include the bus from the Watford train station.

Have an amazing trip!

Jill in CO

 

[bennifer]

Hey, I kind of have that trait too. Mostly I procrastinate by doing vacation plans.

But hey, Delaware also has...um...a shopping mall.

You're really selling it

 

[Dizzy4DL]

I'm not a complete lurker, but I don't frequent the boards when I don't have a trip to Disney planned. One thing that brings me back to check in, are trip reports from you and Alison. Following along through NP adventures and your Disney escapades have been amazingly entertaining for me. Your jokes do translate (at least they do for this baby gen-xer with a broken sense of humor).
I am so happy that Julie is okay. I can't imagine how stressful that was for your family. Here's to many happy, healthy years in her future!
If you write a book, please let us know on the DIS. I am a librarian who is always looking for a good read, and I have a feeling that is exactly what you'll produce.

Thank you! And don't be a stranger.

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

I dunno… 50 is a lot.

On the plus side, I'd still be alive at the end.

Just write. Editing comes later.

It's hard to turn off that internal editor, though. Especially when you know something isn't quite working.

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

The HOHO bus is a good way to get your bearings but may be pricey for the whole gang. Book tickets to Churchill War Rooms and Tower of London ahead of time...when I was there in April they were sold out for the day so I was happy I was an obsessive planner! I also signed up for the Royal Palaces annual pass that covered the Tower, Hampton Court Palace (Henry the 8th) and Kensington Palace (plus others that I didn't visit!) which included free guest passes. Something to run the numbers on. Windsor Castle was well worth the short trip. Book the HP Studio tour as far in advance as you can...tickets include the bus from the Watford train station.

Yeah, that "paying for 6 people" thing is still jumping up to bite us. I need these kids to start paying their own way. So I'll probably skip the bus. I think we'll end up trying to hit various attractions in geographical areas of the city so we can walk between them as best as we can.

Near as I could tell, a lot of the attractions open up reservations about 2-3 months in advance so I guess I'll have to keep my eye on it!

Have an amazing trip!

Thanks so much!

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

You're really selling it

That's how I roll.

I'm not a complete lurker, but I don't frequent the boards when I don't have a trip to Disney planned. One thing that brings me back to check in, are trip reports from you and Alison. Following along through NP adventures and your Disney escapades have been amazingly entertaining for me. Your jokes do translate (at least they do for this baby gen-xer with a broken sense of humor).

Well, I really appreciate you taking the time to keep coming back to read these, and I'm glad I amuse someone! I need to screenshot this to show my kids.

I am so happy that Julie is okay. I can't imagine how stressful that was for your family. Here's to many happy, healthy years in her future!

Thank you so much. It was a trial for sure, but at the same time we got off easy compared to a lot of people. I'm just amazed at what modern medicine can do.

If you write a book, please let us know on the DIS. I am a librarian who is always looking for a good read, and I have a feeling that is exactly what you'll produce.

I hope I reach that point! I'm a long way off from even finishing a first draft, let alone ever something decent enough to publish. And I know enough about the publishing world to know that you're most likely to be published if you've already been published. So it's a very, very tall mountain to climb.

But it's fun to dream, isn't it? Thanks for the encouragement.

Thank you! And don't be a stranger.

 

[Flossbolna]

I have spent a lot of time in London as a poor student, you don’t have to do all the expensive stuff, but you can have a fantastic time with free things!

Free and quintessential London:
Changing of the guards at Buckingham Palace
Walk through Hyde Park, Regent’s Park and St. James Park
Visit Harrods
Look at Tower Bridge
Cross the Millennium Bridge (and marvel at the engineering failure it was)
Walk along South Bank on the Thames
Camden Market - make sure to look at the canals there or another place
Borough Market
Visit Greenwich and the Prime Meridian
Also, lots of the museums are free. My favorites are Tate Modern (the building itself is impressive!), the Imperial War Museum (a very sobering look at the history of war, but still done in an engaging way. I know it sounds strange, but this is a fantastic museum!), Museum of London Docklands (explains how England got so rich in the slave trade amongst other things)

I know it’s easy to say when you have already done the big sights: but in my opinion you can have an excellent visit to London without seeing the Tower of London (I actually much prefer Hampton Court) or the British Museum.

Also: I would suggest to walk a lot, London is incredible walkable. When I lived there we walked all over the place to save on the bus fare. And otherwise take a bus if possible, especially if it’s a two story bus where you can sit upstairs. You will see so much more of the city!

Hope you have a great time.