Summer Vacation Time - San Diego, Hotel Del Coronado, Catalina, and of course DL

[PrincessInOz]

Looks like you're getting great use of that 10 - 22 mm lens. Pictures are great.


Feel free to forward my Father's Day wishes through to your wife. Hope you had a nice day.

 

[WDWJonasGirl]

I love this so far Mike!!

 

[KCmike]

I love this so far Mike!!

Thanks for joining.

2 days to go!

 

[kaoden39]

Thanks for joining.

2 days to go!

Oh you guys have got to be excited!! I am excited for you!!

 

[KCmike]

So we've tightened up the schedule a little. We've booked the Denver hotel and bought our snacks, water, coke, and other little misc stuff. Kids are getting very excited. Mom and Dad just can't wait to be gone from work for awhile.

Day 1 - Drive to Colorado Springs - thanks to Janet we now know that we can have internet access the whole ride over thru the state of Kansas. Prepared to bring electronics to brace ourselves for the endless miles of wheat and windmills.
Day 2 - Garden of the Gods/see Col. Springs/Drive to Denver in night/most people have told me to skip Pike's Peak so that's the plan. My wife and I have seen the Rockies before but the kids are excited to see the mountains in person.
Day 3 - Fly to LAX in early AM, Nice quick flight, love Southwest!

Do we take time in the morning to see Santa Monica Pier????

Any Votes here?

Or just drive down to San Diego and get on the beach asap?

Day 3-5 Hotel Del Coronado with visits to USS Midway, beach, pool, hot tub and some boogie boarding
Day 6-11 Anaheim, Fairfield Inn, Disneyland, DCA with a visit to Catalina mixed in one day to break up the Disneyland days.

The only big meal we have booked is Steakhouse 55. Would like to sit and enjoy a nice meal at the Carthay Circle but who are we kidding...we aren't going to pay $22 for a burger.
I am a huge fan of Plaza Inn, Riverbelle Terrace, Hungry Bear when they still had reg. fries, and Taste Pilots Grill. My son will be excited for the Boardwalk Pizza area. Obviously excited for all the Carsland food areas and the new rides.

We will try to fast pass for World of Color and take our chances. 2 years ago we were onsite and did WOC twice. Once with a fast pass and once with a picnic meal.

We have a plan for watching Magical and then making our way over for Fantasmic! and we'll have to see if it works.

We've done Lilly Belle before and Walk in Walt's Footsteps so not sure what else we can try to do that we haven't done before.

I thing I do want to cross off my bucket list is the Omni Double Decker Bus. Always wanted to ride it from the top.

Guess that's it for today.

Again would really love to hear from people if its worth the stop to say I've been to the Santa Monica Pier.

 

[kaoden39]

The onion rings at the Hungry Bear are really good. I honestly didn't miss the fries.

 

[KCmike]

The onion rings at the Hungry Bear are really good. I honestly didn't miss the fries.

I love onion rings! Unfortunately the wife and kids don't. They also aren't sweet potato fans either. We love to sit on the deck of the Hungry Bear either upstairs or down and watch the Mark Twain go by. Not really sure what to do here on that one?

 

[mvf-m11c]

You have a great plan for your upcoming trip Mike.

You will like the flat bread pizza's at the Boardwalk & Pasta restaurant.

For watching Magical at 9:30pm and heading on over to F! for the 2nd show at 10:30pm which will be no problem for you and your family. I have done that my past trip of seeing both shows in one night and it was no problem when I got a ground sitting spot at the RoA.

Hopefully you will get to do everything you have on your list.

 

[kaoden39]

I love onion rings! Unfortunately the wife and kids don't. They also aren't sweet potato fans either. We love to sit on the deck of the Hungry Bear either upstairs or down and watch the Mark Twain go by. Not really sure what to do here on that one?

Well, they have lemon cupcakes that I have heard are good. And I loed their sweet tea.

 

[PrincessInOz]

Mike - I've been to California numerous times in the past. Never made it to Santa Monica Pier; have come close but never really to the Pier itself. It is one of those things I need to knock off my bucket list one of these days. It might be worth the stop to say you've done the pier; but it might depend on how you all feel after the flight from Denver. And if it is hot, I'd be heading straight to the beach.
The other thing about the Pier is that I want to try to see it at the weekend; rather than midweek. I suspect it might be a bit like Venice Beach...best seen with more people walking around. Are you flying in on a Sunday? If so, I'd be seriously tempted to go.

 

[KCmike]

Mike - I've been to California numerous times in the past. Never made it to Santa Monica Pier; have come close but never really to the Pier itself. It is one of those things I need to knock off my bucket list one of these days. It might be worth the stop to say you've done the pier; but it might depend on how you all feel after the flight from Denver. And if it is hot, I'd be heading straight to the beach.
The other thing about the Pier is that I want to try to see it at the weekend; rather than midweek. I suspect it might be a bit like Venice Beach...best seen with more people walking around. Are you flying in on a Sunday? If so, I'd be seriously tempted to go.

Yeah it will be a Sunday morning. Not sure how much action we might see on a that morning though. The amusement portion won't open till 11am. The family is split on whether or not to stop.

 

[PrincessInOz]

I haven't been here in years; and I know that you've just gone to an Aquarium. But have you ever been to Birch Aquarium at Scripps Institute of Oceanography?

http://aquarium.ucsd.edu/


I like Scripps and I like supporting them. It might fit in with your drive down as an alternative. No amusement rides.

I will say that it has been so long since I've visited that I don't remember anything other than thinking that the educational talks were quite good.

 

[kylie71]

Mike, I have no opinon, never being to the Santa Monica Pier, but I do enjoy stopping by the Newport Beach/Balboa area. They have a small Fun Zone, right on the ocean, and boat tours up the coast, if you'd like that kind of thing. Balboa is a kind of town the Beach Boys sing about.... ( that dates me )

Anyway, you can google Balboa Fun Zone, and see if you like it... just a idea!
I love Colorado Springs, very pretty town! I used to have an aunt and uncle in Wichita, Kansas.. so we used to make the drive from Northern, Ca every few years when I was little ( 70's ) I loved driving through the Rockies!

Have a safe and fun trip!

~Lori

 

[I'm mikey]

Mike, looks like you have fantastic trip planned, with alot of photo opportunities. Do you have enough memory cards or some way to back-up your pics?

Do we take time in the morning to see Santa Monica Pier????

Or just drive down to San Diego and get on the beach asap?

If it were me, i would want to get to san diego asap and start relaxing on the beach at my hotel.

We've done Lilly Belle before and Walk in Walt's Footsteps so not sure what else we can try to do that we haven't done before.

Have you ever riden in the wheelhouse with the captain on the mark twain or had a tender ride on the DLRR?

 

[KCmike]

Mike, I have no opinon, never being to the Santa Monica Pier, but I do enjoy stopping by the Newport Beach/Balboa area. They have a small Fun Zone, right on the ocean, and boat tours up the coast, if you'd like that kind of thing. Balboa is a kind of town the Beach Boys sing about.... ( that dates me )

Anyway, you can google Balboa Fun Zone, and see if you like it... just a idea!
I love Colorado Springs, very pretty town! I used to have an aunt and uncle in Wichita, Kansas.. so we used to make the drive from Northern, Ca every few years when I was little ( 70's ) I loved driving through the Rockies!

Have a safe and fun trip!
.[/B]


We've actually done Newport Beach a few times. Also Corona Del Mar is our favorite crescent shaped beach and perfect for families. We took a boat out of Newport for $15 a person and got to enjoy the harbor/bay area and was shown several millionaires homes and then they took us out for the sunset over the California hills

 

[KCmike]

Mike, looks like you have fantastic trip planned, with alot of photo opportunities. Do you have enough memory cards or some way to back-up your pics?


If it were me, i would want to get to san diego asap and start relaxing on the beach at my hotel.

Have you ever riden in the wheelhouse with the captain on the mark twain or had a tender ride on the DLRR?

I think your right about the pier. We'll probably do just that...head on down to San Diego and really take it all in.

Funny you should mention about the memory cards. I have a 8gb class 6 SanDisk, a 16gb class 6, and a PNY 16 gb class 10. One of the San Disk cards is very old and I'm not feeling very comfortable with it. I might splurge and get one more class 10 card. I have some rewards money coming from one retailer. I'm not taking any computers with me. I want to totally be away from the laptop and just relax. It will be pain enough just carrying around the camera and the lenses.

 

[KCmike]

One day away. Sort of.

We leave Friday!!! I have to go into work for a few hours in the morning and then we head out.

 

[mvf-m11c]

One day away. Sort of.

We leave Friday!!! I have to go into work for a few hours in the morning and then we head out.

Have a safe trip and have a great time Mike.

 

[mom2rtk]

Hope you guys have an awesome trip!

 

[pas130]

One day away. Sort of.

We leave Friday!!! I have to go into work for a few hours in the morning and then we head out.

Safe travels Mike!!! Tomorrow!!!!