It's a Great Big Beautiful California - A 2015/2016 Holiday TR- COMPLETED

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We were told it would take some time to be seated for dinner since they were supposedly the only place on the mountain not requiring NYE dinner reservations. We heard so many rude people getting ugly with the staff in there for the wait and any number of things. I'm not sure if us being quiet and pleasant played any role in us getting seated in under 20 minutes while others were still being told over an hour wait. I wasn't complaining, but K didn't like ditching her head gear during the meal.

It didn't really have much of NYE vibe, but it did feel ski lodge-ish.

At least one kid was happy.

And maybe it wasn't the smartest thing with the way I was feeling, but I had some heavily spiked cocoa with my tall glass of water.

DH got a pork belly sandwich that was only ok.

I had mac & cheese with asparagus and prawns.

Whatever the kids had must not have been all that exciting, but we did find out that we could get fruit for them at every meal even if we weren't supposed to. Something about how it's coded and we could have it all. OK

We head back to the room after this, get the kids in bed since we have a really early start the next day, and I have to prep everyone's stuff even though I'm feeling downright awful. I know we had one of the NYE specials on in the background, but with us being on Pacific time, I think the ball had already dropped in NYC and the telecast was in replay mode...so it sort of lost its luster. So, Happy New Year to us...and off to bed for me.





Coming up...I guess I won't be taking a lesson, not a total loss, up and down the mountain, the Yodeler, watching the kids, meeting Mo.

 

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January 1st...

I wake up nice and early to get myself ready. While the kids were booked for lessons...I was too...and I was not looking forward to it. I was up on and off through the night not feeling great, but had taken some pain killers and was trying to hydrate throughout the night. I'm sorry to sound like such a Debbie Downer, but let's be honest...I'm just not feeling this part of the trip. Still, Sammie would need a snowboarding buddy...so I was doing this for her. So, I get on my base layer and my ski pants. And then I start getting the kids up to prep them. I'm still feeling awful...like someone punched me in the face...and then I feel some dripping. I have allergies and sinus issues, so I figured it was something with that. Nope...it would progress into a gushing, very hard to stop, nose bleed. At this point, even DH agrees that I should skip it. He is good enough that he needs no lessons and figured it wouldn't be fun just skiing on his own while the rest of us are at the bottom of the moutain, so he was already planning on a day off. So, now we were going to have a day off together. Once I get things under control with myself, I help him finish up with the kids. We get some grab and go breakfast (fruit bars I picked up outside of Anaheim) and head over to the main lodge.

Oh...and in case you were wondering about temps...this is what we were looking at when I woke up. Certainly not the coldest I've experienced, but it's cold...and while I did go out layered up...it didn't feel bad at all.

It was a holiday, we had to check in for special stuff, deal with my reservation, get the kids fitted, and talk to them about K's allergies, so we got out early...too early. We sat in the check in area of the main lodge for a while before anyone showed up. And when they finally did, they sent us back over to the kids activity building. They were very nice about it, but we could have gotten a later start and gone to a building a little bit closer to the resort...not like any of this is really that far. It's like being in the WS and walking from Mexico to China vs. Mexico to Norway. So, we get into the kiddie building and I'm mixed on the experience. The girl helping us and checking us in was grumpy. I tried to make some goofy awkward conversation, but it was going nowhere. It's sad, because this is night and day from the guys handling the main counter over at the lodge building. Oh well, on the plus side...she took my reservation, converted some of it into gondola tickets for both me and DH, and then gave me a $100 credit for future ski bookings for use within the next 3 years. I don't plan on using it since don't plan on returning to Mammoth, but it's better than them just saying that $ is gone, and we were planning on riding the gondola...so at least we were getting that covered

After finishing with check in, we went over to the fitting area and waited with the girls.

There were two guys manning the area...one was really sweet with the kids and the other was like the girl who checked us in...and yeah, we got him. Still, it was ski and board fitting time.

And now's a good time to bring up the cost of skiing. Yes, our hotel was already on par with staying at the DLH or GC, but when you look at the cost of lessons and rentals...it starts making DLR and WDW feel like a bit of a bargain. Sure, you don't need lessons every day and lift tickets and rentals on a normal day wouldn't be as much...but lessons...1 day of lessons/rentals = nearly the price of a 3 day hopper at DLR. PAINFUL! Oh...and a full day equals 8am to 3pm...so even more painful.

So, we are done being fitted and we start making our way out.

DH handles K's check in and I bring over Sammie...

I couldn't place the accent of the one guy checking us in, but sounded like a mix of French and German. Sammie was excited, so I just tried to step back and let her go.

Not sure why I took this pic, but I was fascinated by the chalets.

The kids would later ask to ride the snowcat and my wallet was pretty much screaming no at this point.

Now to try and spot K in her ski lesson...

There she is!

Oh...also need to note how windy it was out there. Sparkly snow was flying everywhere with each gust.

Back to the kids...and Sam is just standing there...

 

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We wander a little bit to check out plans for a little bit later...

We decide to head back to the hotel so we could relax and pop in and out at our leisure to watch the kids.

And I immediately run back out because I can see Kendall is doing some single ski work..

OK- back to wandering. This is a better view of the building we're in...

And just a few other angles from the area...

Sorry...really liking the windy snow sun pics...

This was for the toddler age kids...

Icicles...

(also avoiding some of the yellow snow in this area - lots of dogs at this place!)

I guess the tree is used to this...

 

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I head up to the deck and notice I'm being watched by a raven...

Time to head in a bit...

I went downstairs a bit to watch some of the Rose Parade, but I missed the Disneyland float...

Not quite Mickey Mouse, but they have Wooly come out to greet guests...

I also took a selfie to commemorate my first time in real snow since 1995...

We decide it's time to use our gondola tickets. The ticket covers a rid up to the middle section and as many rides up and down from mid mountain and the top...but once was come all the way down, we're done. At least it's all done by RFID cards, so you can just zip that away and you're set.

People boarding the gondola for scenic rides get priority access, so we're immediately loaded and on our way up to the mid mountain level...

We're not very far up, but it's starting to feel high to me.

Lots of people skiing

And the reality...we're still pretty low on the mountain...

 

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We decide to get off at mid mountain to grab some drinks...

We kept getting covered with snow flying off the roof...

Time to check out the mid mountain area a bit...

We decide to head up to the top. We have to share a gondola car this time, but we're with a pretty nice bunch of guys. My only issue with this part...both the employees and the people in the gondola are all like...OOOOOOOOOOO PHOTOGRAPHER! Basically, we stood out because we weren't skiing, but the camera (vs all of the people with GoPros mounted to their helmets) was a big standout. I don't know...just made me feel out of place. Oh well, just gonna take pics.

We get out up at the top and start checking out some of the observation areas inside...

It was about this point when DH was really wishing he was skiing...

I had been looking forward to getting up to the top since some of the views from up there are actually the southeastern side of Yosemite National Park. In fact, the airport is actually Mammoth Yosemite and is one of the airport options for summer travel to Yosemite. Unfortunately, during the winter, the access from this side to Yosemite is closed. i.e. road safety issues with ice and snow. The closed road at the far end of our resort and the main lodge is actually what you'd take to get into Yosemite. It was driving me nuts being so close to Yosemite and not able to go in. I mapped other options, but it would be about an 8-9 hour drive to get around the mountains and to the other entrance. Not happening. After going to Yellowstone and Grand Teton back in 2005, Yosemite was added to my must do national park list...but not this trip. Oh well. But...I guess know that in my next batch of pics in this TR, some of what you see may be in Yosemite.

We're now peaking outside, but I'm not ready to go out just yet...

This pic was the funniest moment up there. I saw the view through the interior windows and it was spectacular, so I go to open the door and get a better look. I wasn't even looking at what it was, but DH grabs me and tells me I can't just barge in on Ski Patrol to take pictures. Yeah...I'm feeling stupid. So, I take this awful pic through the interior windows.

 

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Beautiful, right? Well, just as I'm going to walk away and give up...one of the Ski Patrol guys comes out ... really nice ... and invited me to come in and get a better vantage point for pics. Sweet! And DH's jaw hit the floor.

Not that they spend all day in the office, but imagine this as your view at work every day.

I didn't want to intrude for too long, so I thanked them and decided it was time to head outside. I was actually kind of scared. I'm sort of a clumsy person and I had this fear of tripping and tumbling down the mountain. But here I go...I'm heading out.

Yeah...I'm still standing on the stairs. LOL. I was wearing a heavy pair of Sorel Caribou boots, so I was at least in decent footwear...still...scared.

DH manages to get me off the steps and while my head is still hurting from the elevation issues (yeah...those 2 bloody marys at mid mountain may not have been the best choice)...I wanted to show how high we are.

Before the trip, I registered for all kinds of emails from Mammoth as well as liked their Facebook page. Consequently, I get "dump alerts" every time they get a new batch of "fresh pow." This recent pic really floored me since you can see how much snow they've gotten since I took the pics above.

***Insert Pic***

CRAZY!

They had a few runs closed off because of winds and inability to groom those spots. So, of course DH goes and stands right near one of them. I couldn't convince myself to get any closer. Not sure if I was more afraid for him, or afraid that he'd drop that colorful IASW LSS pouch in his left hand down the mountain. Those are Kendall's Epi Pens.

Seriously, my heart was racing just watching him stand there. I have issues.

If it were summer, I would have gone in search of this mountain lake. I think (think) it might be Convict Lake, but not 100%. That's the one lake I kept reading about up in these parts.

We were starting to get hungry and all of the cafeteria style eateries up on the mountain were pretty crowded. So, we decide to head down.

My favorite lift name...

And we're still traveling down.

I was not thrilled with the going down...it scared me more, but watching this person do moguls was a good distraction.

Almost back to mid level...

 

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While we knew we couldn't head back up to the top again if we headed down to base, we were done...so we took the next gondola to the bottom.

Almost there...

We get to the bottom and you can really see how the wind is kicking things up at the higher elevations...

I really like the big Mammoth...

We decide to try the restaurant across from the main lodge and across from our resort for lunch.

There's a bit of a wait and the place is crazy chaotic, so DH gets me some spiked peppermint cocoa. Nice.

There were so many people who would come in put their name on the list and debate if they could make at least a smaller run on the mountain in time to be seated. They would forfeit their spot in line if they weren't there when called, so it wound up not taking too long for us to get seated.

It was at least nice and festive inside.

And that big Alpenhorn...they'll let patrons try and blow through it...

DH just got a burger, but he said it was really good.

I got vegetarian goulash with spaetzle, and it was great.

We still have some time before we need to pick up the kids, so we head back to the room for a nap!

Oh, and while I know it looks cold...it's really not that bad. At base level, I was walking around for a while without my coat on and I had my coat open at mid mountain. It wasn't until the winds really picked up later that I'd feel more of a chill. This is what it was looking like out there around nap time.

Coming up...more of New Year's Day

 

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Jan 30th continued...

As I think back on things...I know I said kid pick up was 3, but now I think it was some time between 3 and 4. Oh well. We head out to check on the girls as we're nearing pick up time and right away, we see Kendall.

Kendall is this crazy mix of super stubborn do it yourself perfectionist and super helpless baby me and do it all for me. So, I really wasn't sure how she'd do with all of this. Seeing her getting by on her own was the sure sign that skiing really suited her well.

Next was to find Sammie. It's hard to tell here, but she's waiting in line to go up the magic carpet.

And there she is...

Lessons weren't quite over, so she went back with her instructors.

We watched her going down the mini hill...

It looked like she was doing really well, but we couldn't grasp why they were still in this little area this late in the day. Sammie's class was less than half the size of Kendall's, so you'd think that nicer student to teacher ratio would equate to doing more.

But it's back to the magic carpet for Sammie...

I was hoping maybe they took them up on the lift earlier and were back to the magic carpet for new skill sets, but I'd have to wait until class ended to find out more.

In the meantime, the pink legs you see below are Kendall going up on one of the lifts...

Considering how crazy helpless she can act, it was so amazing to see her embracing this and doing well. I kept looking for her, wondering what I'd see since we hadn't actually seen her come down, and after a little while...there she was. Totally doing it and loving it.

Sorry, just being crazy crowd parent at this moment!

Classes were over, we got report cards and a recap for their instructors, and then it was inside for some post class hot cocoa. It was kind of funny to smell all of the hot cocoa with all of the fresh pine in there. Sometime after we went through fittings, they took down all of the fresh pine garland in the building. It was just sitting on the floor and it smelled like Christmas!

Gear is now off, but we'd wind up taking it with us. They let us take our rentals for the next day without any extra charge. So, we checked the skis, board, boots and poles with the ski valet at the resort.

What to do the next day would be the great debate for the rest of the day and even part of the next. It turned out that by the end of the day, Kendall had gone up the lift 5x and came down on her own without falling or needing any help. She loved it and was dying to get back out there. She was only doing greens, but she had progressed far enough that DH could get out there with her. Sammie, on the other hand, never got up on the lift. Her instructor tried to say if it were a private lesson or there were fewer kids, but again...her group was a fraction of the size of Kendall's. Now, I know some say snowboarding is harder to pick up than skiing, so that might be some of it, but her instructor did say she was ready to go up on the lift. Unfortunately, without having been up on the lift several times with an instructor to help guide her down...i.e. some experience...it didn't seem wise to have her go up with DH and K. DH has no snowboarding experience, so he really wasn't comfortable with it. So, in any event, this was the great topic of debate on the table for a while.

We go back to the room so the kids can relax...

 

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After some relaxing, we debated about dinner. Like most ski areas, there is all kinds of free transportation, but it was a little more tricky with our resort. The main bus line stopped running to our area around 5:30pm. There was the option of getting a cab, but I read a lot of horror stories on the pricing (fleecing) with the main cab company. They also had a courtesy shuttle which you could call for when you needed a ride back to the resort, but the front desk said that wait times could vary a lot depending on the location of the shuttle and the other guests requiring pick up. We were tired and I was still not feeling right, so we decided to dine at the resort again.

I started with some French onion soup...

DH got a chicken Caesar salad for his entree...

And I got a burger on a pretzel roll...

Nothing was tasting quite right to me, but the burger was the best thing I could tolerate out of the meal.

We'd also meet Mo tonight. We'd seen her the previous night, but she'd be our server tonight. She had that total CA chill ski area sort of way about her and the girls loved it. She praised them for noticing the New Year's lei she'd tossed up into the rafters which had not yet been noticed by the restaurant manager.

We called it a night after that and went back to the room. I'd heard we might be getting some light snow showers in the morning and I was started to get nervous, so I was hoping to just go back to the room and take a relaxing bath. Of course, we couldn't get it out of shower mode...so, so much for that.

This video is a sneak peak of what we'll wake up to in the morning...

Coming up...A Snowy morning, to ski or not to ski, you'll have that pretzel and you'll like it, touring the town, an amazing discovery, and third time's a charm.

 

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January 2nd

So, we'd heard that there was a chance of some snow...early morning snow...but nothing major. I really didn't think it looked all that bad.

The pics from my phone (above) make it look more gloomy, but the ones on my DSLR don't look as bad...

I really didn't think it was all that bad, but I started getting emails and texts from my dad who was very concerned. I mean, we are at a ski resort...they kind of need it to snow now and then so people have snow to ski on. The next major "dump" wasn't expected until late on the 3rd or early on the 4th, so this was just supposed to be shower. No biggie...right? It really wasn't bad...but it was enough to put chain restriction on pretty much ever road in and around Mammoth. So, while we didn't need any chains on our way in, we might be in trouble if the sun doesn't come out and heat things up.

I can't do anything about it so I see if the kids want to play in the snow. Kendall is content to sleep, but Sammie is up and game so she and I suit up in snow gear and head out to the garage roof area. We took the GoPro with us and we thought we were getting some great vidoe, but we'd find out that was not the case. Still, we were having a blast chasing each other down and flopped into mounds of fluffy powdery snow. I've never played in powder before, but there was no way to make snow balls or snow men. So, lots of snow angels would have to do. Not sure how long we were outside, but we'd eventually come in and find DH and K just chilling out and watching tv. I put the GoPro down on the dresser, under the tv, and get some things organized for the rest of the day. When I come back out, I decide to try and upload the memory card data. There are small videos on there, but they are all of the tv in the room. I guess it wasn't turning off (we'd had issues with it, as I noted) and I guess it kept overwriting what it recorded vs. saying the card is full. So, now I had about 11 small videos of the tv and the ceiling. I have no idea what's up with the camera, but it's been sitting in a closet since the trip because I'm still just so ticked off at it.

While we hadn't fully decided on this, we pretty much came to the conclusion that there was no fair way for DH and Kendall to ski. We had a talk with the girls, more in depth, about their lessons the previous day and it would turn out that Kendall's really was more about skiing and Sammie's...well, there was no way she was ready to get up on a lift. For Kendall, they went over fundamentals all morning, took a fast lunch at the main lodge cafeteria, and then went over some key skills before starting on the lifts. Sammie...she went over some stuff...then they took the kids up on the gondola to see the same top of the mountain stuff DH and I saw...they had lunch at the Yodeler...and then spent what was left that afternoon going over some skills in that little area. Kendall was furious and it would be an issue for a while. We go looking around for some lunch options with happy kid and grumpy kid and wind up back at the Yodler.

This time, I try an alcoholic hot apple pie drink.

When we were in the Yodeler the day before, we saw people getting the giant pretzel on the menu. We didn't want to get it until we had the kids with us and we were hoping it would help get Kendall out of her funk. So, I present to you...the big pretzel.

DH's hand should offer some decent perspective. Both kids were kind of anti-pretzel until they were forced to try a piece with cheese...and then all they wanted was pretzel.

DH got a personal pizza...half of which would come back to the room with us.

K got a burger.

Sam got a kiddie pizza...which was really just half of an adult pizza.

And I guess I was missing HBD, so I got a Cobb salad (which would pale in comparison to HBD's)

Oh...and while I still wasn't 100%...I was feeling much better today. Well, minus my nerves over the road conditions and restrictions.

We decided to go check out the rental's tires for size and head into town...and maybe just suck it up and buy chains. We'd already seen a number of vehicles this day at the resort with them (and a few the previous days), so I was getting a pretty good idea of what we might want. The cheapest chains, which would have only run us about $30, also seemed to be the variety I kept seeing that were broken. The sound of tire chains smacking against a bumper or fender was LOUD and in several cases...highly destructive. We didn't want that on a rental, so I remember some advice I'd received on one Disney forum saying that the cable variety is more stable. They'd cost more like $85-130, but still less than what we'd be coughing up if cheap chains ripped up the rental's fender or bumper. So, I take a pic of the wheel...

I realize I can't tell a single thing from this pic, so I get down on the parking garage floor and try and get some close ups. And this is what I get in my first pic...

Do you see that M + S ??? That's MUD & SNOW!!! I danced around the car! The tires covered the state snow tire minimums!!! And while one area of the main route out was at R2 level - meaning tire chains or AWD/4WD, there was a way around this that was all R1 level that was chains or snow tires. Now technically, if even this restriction is up, you're supposed to have chains with you...but...the weather was improving and there was no snow expected for a while. We decided to skip buying chains. BREAKING THE LAW!!!

It's still pretty early in the day and everyone was in a better mood (for now), so we head into town on the red line. The bus area is right at the end of the drive for our resort, so pretty convenient. We saw an older man slip as he was climbing onto the bus, have his feet fly out from under him, and fall backwards off the bus...smacking his head on the pavement. I really thought it was going to be bad...it looked ugly. But some people helped him up and he got onto the bus without issue. We were careful to watch our step as a result.

My riding buddy...

Waving good-bye to the main lodge area for a bit.

 

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We stop in the Village area, and Sammie makes a friend.

And we're wandering...

We go into one of the main resorts in the Village area and while I take my typical pics...

DH wanted to know why I didn't opt to stay here. I would have loved to, but it was another $250 a night and we were already paying the equivalent of WDW Deluxe resort pricing.

We went back out to go in search of a store with some sodas.

It was an overpriced general store, but it did sell liquor and that and soup seemed to be the big draw for everyone in there. DH bought his soda and we decided to walk a bit more...

Village tree...

There's also a lift in this part of town.

There was very little to do in town, so we got back on the bus.

The drive was scenic, but nothing all that interesting. We just went through a lot of areas where I guess people commonly stay if they're renting condos or in timeshares. We confused the heck out of the driver too because I don't think he's used to people going round trip. We had debated about staying in the village area for dinner, but we didn't see anything so worth it that we'd want to deal with the courtesy shuttle. So, we head back. We'd also return the rentals at this point, which put both girls in a bit of a funk.

So, after a rest...it was another night of dinner at the resort. I think this was the night where a really stuffy group sat next to us and went on to the server how their food and service was more 4 star vs. the 3 star they were getting on the various websites. They also must have seen my DL Retro Dooney, because they spent a solid 20 minutes talking Disney...and it was mainly WDW. They were loud and while most of the stuff was OK...there were a few times, as a Disney fanatic, that I wanted to jump in and be like NO...NO NO NO! It wasn't huge stuff, but if you're going to talk loud and start convos b/c of my Disney gear, I sometimes feel like I deserve to jump into your convo and set you straight. I held my tongue.

Beyond the people at the table next to us, I ordered the macaroni with prawns and asparagus again, and the girls were thrilled that Mo would be our server again.

We weren't quite ready to call it a night, so we headed over to the lounge with the kids. Oh yea...kids in the bar!

Hey! They had crayons! And really...it was dead in there that night.

And I'm not talking about them pretending to be zombies.

DH and I each had a few drinks...and we all just sat there watching the groom the mountain (those lights through the window are all the vehicles grooming)

 

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It was also getting pretty windy out there. Check out the flags!

Somewhere on round 2 of drinks, the girls started being all secretive and may or may not have been plotting against us.

We were checking out the next day to head back to LA for our final vacation night, so I suggested we get back to the room so I could start packing...again. While we had a good plan in place for the chain restrictions, we knew the next day would be warmer and sunny, so...no need to wake up super early. Just enough to get everything in order and be in Bishop by lunch and give the roads some extra thaw time. It was a Sunday, so there wouldn't be rush hour in LA, but we surely weren't the only people driving back to LA after the holiday weekend...and there's often traffic in LA...so we didn't want to stick around in the mountains too long either.



Coming up...pets and receipts?, the drive out, lunch, our insane car, the insane bathroom stop, back in LA for one last night.

 

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January 3rd

I guess we all slept in some. Check out wasn't until noon, but I didn't want to wait that long to get on the road. Still, I was up first and wanted everyone to rest, so I tried finishing up the packing while not being too disruptive. In all of my packing, I noticed our express check out receipt had been slipped under our door. I was expecting it to be the resort fees I was unaware of when we booked, but it was more than that...A LOT more than that. They charged me over a hundred dollars in pet fees for EACH day of our stay. Funny, but last time I checked, the dog was at our boarding facility in Texas and I was paying for her to be there. I was already bothered with everything from check in and the quality of the room, but this really ticked me off. Everyone was starting to wake up, so I called the front desk. I wound up speaking to the same girl who checked us in and she said she could have sworn I said we have a dog. Maybe it was an honest mistake, but accidentally charging me close to $350 doesn't sit well with me. She said she'd remove it from the bill and I could come down to get an updated check out statement with the amount removed.

Sammie must have heard me getting upset, because she looked like she was ready to throw a punch.

We loaded up the car after this, but decided to head to the front desk to get the new statement before moving the car out of our prime spot in the garage.

I thought it would be simple enough to get an updated statement, but oh how wrong I was. I wind up with the same girl again at the front desk and she again says that she could have sworn we had a dog at check in. I clarified that we own a dog, but that she's in Texas and that we don't fly with her. Seriously!!?!?!? So, then she can't print the receipt, so she has to get her manager. The manager then claims it's so hard because I didn't book directly from them so it's hard for them to get a receipt for something that was done with third party billing. And I'm like...well, you somehow found a way to bill me for the resort fees and the erroneous pet fees, so it should have no impact whatsoever on how I booked my main reservation. They looked confused. I didn't know any clearer way to explain it, so I was like LOOK...reverse the charges and make up something on your letterhead now that reflects the proper billing. And wouldn't you know it, they magically had a new billing statement for me confirming the reversed charges in just a couple of minutes.

I was livid and ready to get the heck outta there. We all walked to the car and before DH pulled out, I checked the CalTran map and as luck would have it, the road restrictions had all recently changed to R1...meaning snow tires were sufficient. Yeah, breaking the law for not having chains on us, but at this point...we just wanted out and we were willing to take the chance based on the lack of police enforcement we'd seen the day before. The roads in and out of Mammoth aren't as steep and narrow like what you see in Colorado and traffic was light, so...well, so be it. DH drove and I took pics as we made our way out...

Not sure if you can read that sign, but it says chains required...snow tired OK autos and pick ups -carry chains. So, we're just not carrying chains...all else is good.

And now we're finally getting out of the town area...

As much as I didn't love Mammoth...it is a pretty area...

This would also be the start of my ears popping. I think I'm developing inner ear issues as I get older. I know - I know...enough with the old stuff...but seriously, my ears pop so much more these days.

Oh, and let me introduce you to our insane radio system in the Malibu...

It may have been my old messed up phone confusing it...but every time we plugged my phone into the USB port, it would do very strange things. Sometimes it would take over the navigation and it would sound like a bad Dr. Who episode. Seriously, it would just start barking out random driving commands in that Siri voice. "You have arrived - your destination is in 500 ft - your destination is in 1000 - at the next intersection do a U Turn - at the roundabout - at the roundabout - at the roundabout - your destination is on the right." It was so creepy! And then it would play my custom ring tones underneath...so we kept hearing a very faint Baroque Hoedown from MSEP or Boo To You from the MNSSHP parade in the background. And then sometimes it would flip all of this off to a satellite channel. It was crazy.

We get to Bishop and everyone seems to want breakfast, so we go cheap and go to Denny's.

Denny's was also still in holiday mode with food and decor.

 

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If you look closely, you can even see the Denny's Christmas tree in the pic above.

We were relaxing, just watching some football over our meals, but we really needed to hit the road again...

We'd grab some gas a little farther up the road and start heading back to LA. At some point, the kids needed to use the restroom, so we stopped at this strange random gas station. It had lots of signs that the bathrooms were only for paying customers. OK...we'll buy some sodas...but the store had no lights on inside and it was filled with odd little souvenir pieces and collectibles that were not so collectible. We get to the bathrooms and it looks like the toilets haven't been flushed for weeks...yet it doesn't smell. And there are signs saying they are having plumbing issues. So, I guess the toilets just wouldn't flush. We got out and I begged DH to buy sodas fast and get out...just seemed really off. Another couple showed up while we were there and it was a similar reaction for them.

I drove the rest of the way into LA and to our hotel for the night. I know some people like to get away to the country, but having grown up in the NY metro area, I seem to be much happier in the mess of suburbia in a major city. So, even though we hit a bit of traffic, I was really happy to be back in the LA area.

Our hotel for the night was right near LAX...in El Segundo to be exact. What's funny...we were only about 5-10 minutes away from our lodging those first few nights in Manhattan Beach. When I first booked this place, it was when I thought we'd be flying back from Mammoth and was hoping to use their free shuttle to and from LAX. I decided to stick with it since it would be good for getting to LAX with plenty of time on our return day.

The hotel was nothing overly exciting (although it was the girls' fave of the whole trip), but it was a Hyatt Place, which is pretty good for generic business travel. Nice...clean...modern...courteous staff...good wifi...and nice free breakfast. We check in with no issues and head up to our room. Well, not before the girls get all silly over the water wall and lobby decor.

I think they all pretty much look like this...

The room was also nice and spacious...

For as close as we were to LAX (and we were close), we didn't hear a single bit of jet noise.

I think DH was really done with being on vacay, so we just did nothing until dinner. My MIL had given us gift cards for Christmas that she was hoping we could use for food while we were away. Mine was a Disney one and I put it towards our meal at Cafe Orleans, but DH's was for Outback Steakhouse. Not my favorite place, but I'm not going to complain at cutting the cost of a meal. We look online and the closest Outback is in Torrance. Not exactly a quick drive, but nobody wanted to go with my suggestion of In-N-Out burger...so, we drive to Torrance. The drive also reminded me of how I could go from there to get back to Anaheim if we wanted to see fireworks. Hey, I could also try and get a pic of Randy's Donuts...which we passed on our way out that day. But nobody was really up for that, so it was just a trip to Torrance.

The wait at Outback was LOOOOOONG because they have call ahead put your name on the list. We weren't really thinking about any of that, so we had just shown up. It also wouldn't help that the girls' tummies were still not 100%. We would eventually be seated, have a decent meal, and make the drive back to El Segundo.

We get back to the hotel, get everyone ready for bed and I start doing the final pack up. I remember finding the girls' Disney autograph hats in their carryon bags and having this mix of...I love how they turned out AND I can't believe this trip is pretty much over. Still, I think the hats turned out great.

(still space for Donald to sign)

The hats are now hanging in their room near other park faves like their pin collection royal corkboard and homemade Frozen inspired snow globes.

The last thing I did before I tried to sleep was secure our luggage tags. The new American Tourister ones provided by Disney are super cute...

...but they don't stay on as well as the older cheaper ones.



Coming up...our last day.

 

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January 4th

Our flight was around 10:30am PT and LAX isn't exactly a tiny airport, so we wanted to get an early start. We also knew we'd have very little chance to eat, so we took full advantage of the Hyatt's complimentary breakfast. There was everything from cereal, muffins and bagels, to French toast, sausage, bacon and eggs. We also grabbed some extra containers of cereal as snacks for the plane.

It was a quick drive to the rental car place and then it was a matter of catching a shuttle to the airport. DH saw one for the company we used for the first rental so he ran down to ask them if we could use their services. The answer was no...which was fine, because our shuttle was there 2 minutes later. The kids were going nuts because there are these pretty light up elements at LAX and we were driving by all of them (even if it was in daylight). We were flying Southwest, which apparently doesn't allow stopping right in front of their doors. Our driver tried to pull farther up, but there was a big tour bus dropping off a football team that I guess had been in the area for some kind of bowl game (wasn't Rose). So, we got out and lugged everything a ways back to the Southwest area.

I had checked us in the previous day and was able to get boarding group A, so I was feeling pretty good about things. We added some new tags to some of the bags and jumped into the much shorter line for just checking bags. In the process, a women working for LAX started to gush over my bag. At home, the only people who seem to say anything about my Disney bags think it's kind of silly, I was complimented 5 or 6 times (while off Disney property) and even DH started to take notice. Even the day before, I was going through the lobby of the Hyatt and a woman checking in was carrying the letter carrier version of my bag and clearly noticed I was holding the matching wristlet. In any event, it was a nice little perk of the trip.

We got through everything with the bags, but they were so overloaded with bags...they couldn't put them on the belt and asked us to walk the bags over to a side area. It didn't look very secure, so we actually stayed there until we could confirm our bags were handled properly. Still odd.

Before we left the area, we did see one of the last signs of the holidays being put up.

We made our way through security and had lots of time until our flight. We did see one or two other random decorative balls, which I'm sure would be gone before the end of the day.

(hanging at the gate)

Before long, it was time to board...and this time, both girls wanted to be with me.

(she found a hidden Donald!)

We push back from the gate and I get one last good view of LA.

The take off pattern reminded me a lot of how it's done in Ft. Lauderdale. You take off, going out over the ocean, and then u-turn back to land.

We settled in for a LONG flight. While not quite as long as going to the east coast from LA, we were stopping in New Orleans on the way back. Yes, we'd be flying over Houston before turning back to come home. It felt just as crazy as it sounds, but it also saved me several hundred dollars.

So, we have fun with fruit loops...

They gave us little kits to build airplanes as well as wings.

Thankfully, we had tv on this flight...so that helped A LOT. At one point, I remember looking down and realizing we were over Texas...and remembering just how huge the state is. Eventually, I would recognize Baton Rouge from the air and eventually, the route we'd take into NOLA.

We landed in New Orleans, moved up a few rows on the plane, and Kendall went back to sitting with DH. Part of us really wanted to get off in New Orleans. Some good friends would be arriving two days later for a 50th bday long weekend, but we just thought it would be too much after spending all this time in CA. So, we'd wave good-bye to New Orleans...

Sammie and I take a few funny filter pics to pass the last portion of flight time...

And it looks like we're almost home...

Actually, speaking of home...our neighborhood...and pretty much our side of town...seems to be one big flight path for flights coming into Hobby. We see planes fly directly over our house all the time, but we've never before been on that path...until now. I was looking out the window and while we live pretty far out - like super remote burbs - things started to look familiar. And then I saw the highway just outside our neighborhood and everything that would be to the right and left of our home. We were going right over top of our house! Goofy, but kind of cool.

After that, it's luggage...shuttle to my vehicle...and the drive home. Since I'd missed over a week of lighting the holiday lights and I'm not totally ready for the holidays to be over, I light all of the lights and the kids get under the tree for a Big Thumbs up to Santa for a great trip!

Coming up...some final thoughts.

 

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Conclusion...

So, I'm ending this report almost exactly 2 months after this trip started...and like usual, the act of doing an ultra-thorough TR helped me past the dreaded post trip depression. Just a few final thoughts I'd like to share...

CA in general - While I don't want to sell FL short, since I know there is plenty to do there beyond WDW, Uni, etc. ... in California ... there's just so much to see that I couldn't imagine going there just for Disneyland. That's not to say it wouldn't be fun, but we only scratched the surface. If we hadn't gone skiing, maybe we would have spent some time in San Diego...maybe even San Francisco! Still, California isn't cheap. Between gas prices and all of the extra taxes and fees for this, that and the other thing...costs add up quickly. In light of that, DH doesn't want me to plan any trips back any time soon. I still think we will end up back at some point, but it will be a while.

LAX - it's really not bad. Again...maybe I'm just used to big airports, but I have no regrets with flying in and out of here. It saved us a lot of $ and was never a headache. Like never a cry your eyes out or cursing situation.

Disneyland - I think it goes without saying that it's a must for any Disney fan and I think it will hit everyone differently. For me, I really enjoyed it and wouldn't mind a second visit at some point, but it's not my home park and I guess 30+ years of WDW memories with my family still trump going to Walt's park.

Good Neighbor Hotels - Maybe I would have felt more of the magic bubble if we stayed at one of the three Disney hotels, but I'm not so sure. If we go back at some point, I would like to stay at the GC or the DLH to find out. Still, the HoJo was great for the price and location...and there are so many convenient options on Harbor.

Mammoth - It should be no surprise that was not my favorite part of the trip and with California's tire chain laws, it's just too much of a pain to be a repeat ski destination for us. I have a friend who has been going to Tahoe a lot of late and was wondering how they dealt with it. It was a mess of options that were all a pain that caused a lot of travel stress for them as well. In light of this, New Mexico is next in our plans for skiing. At least that's a relatively easy drive.

The bad airfare - First off, I'm thankful that I didn't book the one that would have taken us through San Franciso. Not that I wouldn't have minded a quick spin through through San Fran, but considering how much I botched booking simple r/t air between LA and Mammoth, I can't imagine how much my stressed out brain would have destroyed things if I tried to plan in a stop in San Francisco. There was a silver lining with this. I emailed the airline...made it very clear that it was my mistake and I was not seeking a refund or any exceptions, but just that they needed to examine their customer service training for these situaitons. i.e. mistakes happen, but their representative's poor attitude and reaction to my error wasn't a great reflection of the high level of service I'd heard their firm would usually provide. I never got irate...if anything, you could tell I was on the verge of tears. I honestly was just looking to hear that they were sorry that the service I received didn't meet their standards and that they'd be addressing this with the rep and their mgmt. I guess they waited until both parts of the air went unused, because a few days after we got home, I got an email saying they were making an exception and refunding my money! I was shocked.

The holidays - I'm not going to lie...it was crowded. That being said, there were only a handful of times where the crowds really frustrated me. I always hear people saying how there is no slow time left in the parks, but maybe it's because all of our early trips were spring break or 4th of July...or maybe it's because the bulk of my WDW experience is from the pre-fast pass world...but it really didn't bother me that much and I don't think it hurt the quality of our trip. We certainly got to ride everything we set out to ride. So, is it the ideal time to go...no. And maybe my background gives me a higher tolerance for crowds or a different definition of what crowded really is. I don't know, but it was still really enjoyable. So, if the holidays are the best time for you to go, don't let someone freak you out and tell you it's awful and miserable. It reminds me a lot of how people flip out over the summer in FL. Everyone has different tolerances, and maybe Christmas or August is a nightmare for them...but keep you in mind...because you may be just fine and be able to enjoy a time when it's just too much for some.

The future - DH really wants to put the house on the market next spring and we have a lot of work to do to get it ready. In light of that, I don't see anything Disney being in the budget for a while. We MAY (big may) wind up in Orlando this July for the DIS Unplugged's 10th Anniversary event, but if we do it...it will be on the cheap. 2018 is probably the next time we'll be able to do a big trip. I put three options on the table, so I can start researching...

1. Uni Orlando/Cruise/WDW
2. Uni Hollywood/Aulani/DL
3. San Fran/Alaskan cruise

So far, #1 is getting all the votes. At Uni, the lodging would probably be either Cabana Bay or Royal Pacific...2-3 nts. For cruise, still up in the air on RCL vs DCL. When I first started considering cruises a few years back, I saw so many people sticking their noses up at anything that wasn't DCL, but some of those people are now questioning themselves and the value. That's not to say that DCL isn't supposed to be amazing...I've just seen more people starting to say that RCL ends up being better bang for your buck, especially if you have older kids and wind up sailing on an RCL Quantum or Oasis class ship. There's also the gambling aspect that I know makes RCL more appealing to DH. No decisions have been made yet or will be made any time soon, but if we decide RCL is the better option for us...it might not only give us the better experience for us, but save us some $. As for the WDW part...thinking 4-6 nts...GF, Contemporary or Boardwalk. But it's so far from now...who knows???

So, that's it. I'm sure there's more I intended to say, but just forgot. I appreciate everyone reading along and all of your wonderful comments. Now hopefully, work won't consume every moment of my life this year so I can read along about all of the other great trips you guys are having!