Honeymoon Roadtrip 2016! PTR

[Tinkerbell1989]

I'm back!

I took a break a little longer than I expected from the Disboards - mainly because I was so blue, I wasn't allowed to book another trip!

So since my last trip to WDW in December 2013 - I have started a new job, I have opened a nursery, I have gotten married, we bought a house... oh and we booked our honeymoon!



Welcome to my Honeymoon Roadtrip PTR!

Cast:



This is me, Steffi, and my husband (eek!) Tom. We've been together 8 years and married for 6 months. This trip will also double up as our anniversary trip!

So stick around, and follow Tom and I try to plan this crazy roadtrip of a lifetime!

 

[Tinkerbell1989]

First, the outline of the West Caost super-trip...

So we booked the flights in September 2015, and have been booking hotels bit by bit. As of today, we have 3 hotels left to go!

Saturday 6th August - Flight with Thomas Cook from MAN-LAX.
Check into Super 8 motel Downtown LA

Wednesday 10th - Check out of Super 8, and into The Georgian hotel on Santa Monica beach for one night.

Thursday 11th - Drive along Route 1 to Morro Bay
Check into Embarcedero Inn.

Friday 12th - Continue up Route 1 to Monterey.
Check into Hotel 1110.

Saturday 13th - San Fransisco; check into Chelsea Motor Inn.

Tuesday 16th - Drive along to Yosemite Lodge at the Falls.

Wednesday 17th - Check in to Mammouth Mountain, in Yosemite.

Thursday 18th - Drive through Death Valley stopping for one night.

Friday 19th - Vegas! (no hotel booking yet).

Tuesday 23rd - Vegas to Anaheim (no hotel booking yet).

Saturday 27th - Home time


So we have a fair amount booked so far. Just need to finish off the hotels, and then it's time to book the 'things'.

Although, we do already have our LA Go Cards

 

[Tinkerbell1989]

So, not much has happened here...

We booked our Anaheim hotel though! Yay!

We're staying at the Majestic Garden Hotel, which is *just* across the road from Disneyland.
As much as I crunched the numbers and explored various different ways to do it, I just couldn't justify staying in a Disney hotel. What is already a super expensive trip (haha! Oops!), staying in any one of the hotels meant dropping something else - like a helicopter trip over Grand Canyon, or having a slap-up meal on our last night...

I am so excited!!

Steffi xx

 

[bex7583]

wow great plans so far , congratulations on your wedding

 

[Tinkerbell1989]

After booking our Anaheim hotel, we also booked our Death Valley hotel - the Ranch at Furnace Creek the reviews are pretty mixed, but we just wanted something to break up the travelling between Yosemite and Vegas, but also, it'll be cool to say we stayed in Death Valley!

I also had a heads up about Disney raising their ticket prices, so we bought them and saved £60!

 

[Tinkerbell1989]

wow great plans so far , congratulations on your wedding

Thanks Bex! I didn't see you pop up before! The wedding was an amazing day, although it seems like it was so long ago now!


So, in the last month, we have recieved our wedding gift from Tom's brother and his girlfriend. They went to California last year, and saw the Cirque du Soliel show 'O' in Vegas. Now, I've never seen any CdS show, so they surprised us (well, me, as Tom helped his brother pick the day!) with tickets to see 'Ka'!
Then, yesterday, Tom and I booked our tickets to watch an LA Dodgers baseball game whilst we're in LA. We also discussed what to spend the £500 on that I had been ruthlessly saving pound coins. We decided to splash out on a Grand Canyon helicopter tour whilst in Vegas!

I cannot wait for this holiday!

 

[Tinkerbell1989]

Slowly but surely we are sorting out our day to day plans... whilst trying to plan this my very sneaky but amazing husband bought me tickets to see Adele whilst in LA!!
We also booked a half day wine tour in San Francisco - it does mean we leave SF for the day, but I figured we were so close, it would be rude not to!


Here are our day to day plans so far!


Saturday 6th August - Flight with Thomas Cook from MAN-LAX.
Check into Super 8 motel Downtown LA.
Pick up LA Go Cards from Hollywood and Highland shopping centre.

Sunday 7th - Six Flags Magic Mountain for the day.
Possiblity to catch a showing of 'The Late Late Show with James Corden', or a film in the El Capitan theater.

Monday 8th - Universal Studios Hollywood for the day.
LA Dodgers game in the evening.

Tuesday 9th - Warner Brothers Tour at 10am.
Walk of Fame, Griffith Park, Hollywood Sign...
Adele starts at 730!

Wednesday 10th - Check out of Super 8, and into The Georgian hotel on Santa Monica beach for one night.
Planning to use this day as a catch up, chill out on the beach, and visit Pacific Park on the pier.

Thursday 11th - Drive along Route 1 to Morro Bay
Check into Embarcedero Inn.

Friday 12th - Continue up Route 1 to Monterey.
Check into Hotel 1110.
Visit the Monterey Aquarium.

Saturday 13th - Check out of Hotel 1110.
Try to book in a whale watching trip.
Drive to San Fransisco; check into Chelsea Motor Inn.

Sunday 14th - Wine tour pickup at 1130, drop off in Union Sq at 6pm.
Catch the cable car to Ghiradelli Sq.

Monday 15th - Alcatraz.
Walt Disney Museum, followed by a visit to the Japanese Tea Gardens.

Tuesday 16th - Drive along to Yosemite Lodge at the Falls.

Wednesday 17th - Check in to Mammouth Mountain, in Yosemite.

Thursday 18th - Drive through Death Valley stopping for one night at Furnace Creek Ranch.

Friday 19th - Vegas! Staying at the Venetian.

Tuesday 23rd - Vegas to Anaheim, staying at Majestic Garden Hotel.

Saturday 27th - Home time


So, as you can see, it gets a little fuzzier towards the end, but we still have time to plan in more detail!


Steffi xx

 

[Tinkerbell1989]

Ahh! In 5 weeks time, we'll be at the Radisson Blu hotel at Manchester airport, ready to fly to LAX tomorrow! I am so excited! Only have 2 and a hlaf weeks left at work, then a few days babysitting... then its honeymoon time!

It hit the 60 day mark, so in Disneyland terms, that meant ADR day! Over the 3 days, I have booked Blue Bayou for lunch, a World of Colour Dessert party, and Steakhouse 55 for dinner; and breakfast at Goofys Kitchen on the day we fly!
Hoping the park hours are released soon!

Steffi x

 

[Tinkerbell1989]

Ahhh! Single digits baby! 9 days to go!

I have had today off work, and I've started packing (I've been itching to start for months!). Having never been on holiday for three weeks, let alone on a roadtrip in several hotels, I have no idea how much to pack! I think I might be over-packing!

I am so excited!