California-Here I come!!

[Johnie]

We're going to California!! This will be our first trip to the Sunshine State....in fact, it's our first trip west of the Mississippi River.

It all started with a JCPenney's and Dockers promotion to get a free airline ticket. I got my mom a free ticket to Vegas and that went fine. I STILL haven't managed to get my free ticket :mad:

Our cast of characters include:

Me-36, Lover of all things Disney and Walt. VERY excited to go to the Mother Land :p
Alysia-17, my California girl at heart. Has an obsessive need to visit Marilyn Monroe's grave
Jordan- will be 17 when we travel, my other daughter and Alysia's twin. Always up for an adventure with us

We were originally supposed to go to Disneyland in May. However, the school put an end to that trip. They said Alysia had missed too many days of school and although she has A's and B's, is on the Honor Roll and has passed all of her SOL tests with flying colors, they said if she missed anymore days of school then they would take away her credit.

We are flying American from Norfolk, VA in the evening of Aug. 12, 2008. WE fly into LAX. I *think* we are renting a car. I have a GPS in my head so don't worry about driving in new places.

We're staying at the Travelodge International. I got this via Priceline. I am not too happy with this choice of accomodations. I may try to book something else but I don't know yet. We truly don't spend too much time in our room......

We're meeting family that lives in CA for dinner one evening. We were going to spend longer with them but they have a bowling tournament in Vegas that weekend.

I called today and booked the Walk in Walt's Footsteps tour for 9:30am on Aug 14th!! I am soooooo excited!!!!! They give AAA members a 20% discount as well. I didn't know that so I am even more excited to have save money :p015:

I haven't made any ADR's yet. I have no idea where we want to eat. Quite frankly, none of the restaurants sound too promising but that may be cause my tummy hurts right now :(

We're off one day to visit Marilyn Monroe's grave and off to another cemetary to see Walt's grave. Jordan is a HUGE Lucille Ball fan....unfortunately they moved her burial site to her hometown in New York a few years ago or else we would be going to visit her as well. We plan to visit the Walk of Fame as well.

There is also this tour of the beaches we're going to go on as well. The bus is decked out like a Woody car and Alysia is beyond excited about that!

We fly home on Aug 19th back to Richmond.

Those are our plans thus far....we've got a little less than a month to go!

[Johnie]

Here is the Woody...aka the OC Cruiser

[Britchick]

can't wait to see the trip report and photos Johnie and also the comparison. Have never wanted to fly that far in case it's a let down. Although as you say it's the motherland!!

where is walt buried?

[SleepinCatz]

Have a fantastic time!!! You all travel so much that safety tips are a mute point lol. It's a dry heat...different from this side of the country...watch your skin and drink more fluids than you would in Florida. I used to live not far from Disneyland.....years ago...

[Johnie]

Forest Lawn Cemetary in California. Clark Gable is buried there as well.

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=284

[lisaw]

Sounds great Johnie, can't wait to hear all about it - I NEED to do California soon :yes:

[Britchick]

i just said to dh 'when we go to california i want to go to Walts grave' he's like what do you mean- i didn't know we were going to california - silly boy lol

[Johnie]

I'm really looking forward to it. Though I am NOT looking forward to being on a plane that long!

[foreverducky]

That's so cool Johnie. I would love to see some of those graves, hope you bring back pictures. (I know, I can be a little creepy. :yes:)

Sounds like a wonderful trip. How long is your flight going to be? 5 hours?

I wish that I could go to. I use to live in CA, but we lived in the desert.

[Johnie]

i just said to dh 'when we go to california i want to go to Walts grave' he's like what do you mean- i didn't know we were going to california - silly boy lol

:lol: go ahead and blame me, he already thinks I am an axe murderer!

[Britchick]

:lol: go ahead and blame me, he already thinks I am an axe murderer!

:lol::lol::shocked025:

[Johnie]

That's so cool Johnie. I would love to see some of those graves, hope you bring back pictures. (I know, I can be a little creepy. :yes:)

Sounds like a wonderful trip. How long is your flight going to be? 5 hours?

I wish that I could go to. I use to live in CA, but we lived in the desert.


We will be taking tons of pictures! I will definately be taking pics of the graves. I used to that all the time. Old cemetaries were really fascinating to me.

okI exaggerated about the flight home
August 19, 2008, Flight 56 [Non-Stop]
Departing Los Angeles, CA (LAX) at 11:55 AM
Arriving Atlanta, GA (ATL) at 07:26 PM
--- Connecting To ---
August 19, 2008, Flight 237 [Non-Stop]
Departing Atlanta, GA (ATL) at 08:30 PM
Arriving Richmond, VA (RIC) at 10:06 PM

[foreverducky]

Oh no, that's going to be a long flight. Bring the ipod, laptop, video games, cards, and heck, while you're at it, jsut bring along your X-mas cards and start filling those out. :lol:

I took a class for photos in high school and I did my project on grave stones. They were in black and white. So I'm right there with ya. :D

[Johnie]

WE have a stop in Dallas on the way down too. We leave here at 6:30pm and get to LA at 10:30pm which is really 1:30am my time. I can usually sleep and read on the plane. I hate getting up on a plane but I may not have any choice

[PsychoAlice]

heyyy pssst Florida is the sunshine state!!

[PsychoAlice]

California is the GOLDEN STATE...ya know..like the GOLD RUSH....and Im still mad at you for going when I dont live there anymore....

[PsychoAlice]

That's so cool Johnie. I would love to see some of those graves, hope you bring back pictures. (I know, I can be a little creepy. :yes:)

Sounds like a wonderful trip. How long is your flight going to be? 5 hours?

I wish that I could go to. I use to live in CA, but we lived in the desert.



Which end of the desert?

[Johnie]

:oops: I knew I had that wrong.....

You can come visit us! Colorado is a heck of a lot closer to California than Virginia

[PsychoAlice]

LOL I have to save my vacation time for WDW otherwise I would...

[foreverducky]

Which end of the desert?

We lived in 29 Palms for a long time. Visited Palm Springs and San Bernardino.

[Beccaberry]

WE have a stop in Dallas on the way down too. We leave here at 6:30pm and get to LA at 10:30pm which is really 1:30am my time. I can usually sleep and read on the plane. I hate getting up on a plane but I may not have any choice

Did you say Dallas? LOL!!

Have a brilliant time, I'll expect photos in September!!

[Beccaberry]

OOOH!! My aunt and uncle was stationed in 29 Palms...I spent a summer there!

[foreverducky]

OOOH!! My aunt and uncle was stationed in 29 Palms...I spent a summer there!

My father was stationed there twice. It's a real desert. I've seen my fair share of road runners, coyotes, and tumbleweeds.

[Beccaberry]

Yes. I would NOT say it's the prettiest place I've ever been.

[Shellyamc]

I'm so excited for you :smiley4:

I can't wait for the trip reports!! Lots of detail and lots of pictures!! Pleeeeeeeease??

[PsychoAlice]

We lived in 29 Palms for a long time. Visited Palm Springs and San Bernardino.



LOL I lived right outside Edwards AFB...grew up there..

[Wendy]

You will have a brilliant time Johnie :D DTD is completely different to the one in Orlando, I preferred it and the parks are smaller.

If you plan a trip to Hollywood to Grauman's Chinese Theatre and to walk the Walk of Fame it's not what you expect :( we thought it was quite dirty and there were some strange people around :lol: the further we walked the worse it got :lol:

[PsychoAlice]

yea those strange Californians....

while in hollywood...you can do...

See the REAL Grauman's Chinese Theatre .. see the real forecourt...awesome!!

Hollywood Museum at the Max Factor Building....I think it is the best place for hollywood memorabila

The Kodak Theater...where the oscars are held..

If you have an evening do a Haunted Hollywood (http://www.starlinetours.com/los-angeles-tour-22.asp) tour!
This is the only tour in Hollywood that visits famous sites of celebrity murder, mystery, scandal, and death.

Come join the many spirits that bedevil tinsel town on a star studded history tour of actual HAUNTED places. See where blonde bombshell, Marilyn Monroe, breathed her last breath, and then pay your respects to this Hollywood Icon at her final resting place. Other attractions of unearthly curiosity are the crime scenes where Sharon Tate was brutally murdered, where River Pheonix overdosed only blocks from the Chateau Marmont where John Belushi was found dead in his room. Do you know of the Black Dahlia? She was the victim of the most notorious unsolved murder in Hollywierd's seedy past, and you can swing by the eerie apartment building where she lived. Perhaps you'll have a supernatural experience of your own at Hollywood's Most Haunted building, the Hotel Roosevelt, some of this hotel's celebrity guest have never checked out. Hollywood has a haunted history all its own, not even the best of screen writers could conjure up such a diabolical script, and yet, the true biography of this town is more chilling than any fiction known.

The Haunted Hollywood Tour is full of SPINE TINGLING FUN and will take you to ACTIVELY HAUNTED places of interest in and around the Hollywood area.

[Johnie]

ok is it totally macabre of me to say I want to go on the Hollywood Haunted Tour?

[Dorothy]

ok is it totally macabre of me to say I want to go on the Hollywood Haunted Tour?

Nope, sounds like fun :D

[Taja]

Ooooooh! You're going to have fun, Johnie!

Just remember, it's going to be hot. Minimal humidity compared to Orlando, but more heat! :)

One suggestion for a meal at DL/CA is the Storyteller Cafe at the Grand Californian. Prices weren't too outrageous when we were there in 2006. Not cheap, just not too outrageous! :)

[BevW]

Johnie..are you going to visit DLR at anytime during this trip? Hmmmmmm????

I've been to 29 Palms to pick David up (he's a former Marine) and my DD's and I could NEVER find 29 palms! :lol:

I want to go with you Johnie! Waaaah...can you guys tell I'm ready for a vacation!

[Taja]

I've been to 29 Palms to pick David up (he's a former Marine) and my DD's and I could NEVER find 29 palms! :lol:

That's because there are so many more of them now! ;)

[PsychoAlice]

take time to run down beach Blvd and hit the beach and watch 1 sunset...youll never see anything else like it....ever....

[BevW]

Totally loved Huntington beach...the waves were so awesome..and so where the surfers...according to the DD's :lol:

[Rosie0610]

Johnie watch out for the long CA flights. I did the red-eye once and got so discombobulated that I ended up leaving my Disneyland souvenirs on the plane along with my 4 day old portable DVD player. I ended up having to re-buy my souvies on E-Bay!

Also, if you want to make Jordan happy you can always visit Lucille Ball's grave/town and come see me too. It's only 40 mins from where I live!

Have fun!