Where Sasha Went

California Adventure – Anaheim, California

I am old enough to remember a time when the California Adventure park in Anaheim California was a parking lot. Literally it was, we parked in it once. Now its a neighboring park to Disneyland, and you can buy a ticket that will get you into both parks in the same day.  The park boasts slightly more grownup rides than the Disneyland site but does still pack in plenty of kiddie things, including my favorite The Little Mermaid Ride.

I have much fewer memories of this park, as it is relatively new. I at least feel like it is new, but I did just look up the open date which was 2001. 17 years ago?! That was a big year for me, but I don’t recall at the time the opening of this park being front and center in my mind. I do however recall my parents going to Disneyland for the first time that year without me and telling me that there was a new park that they visited and “boy was it fun” said they, while their daughter was busy studying in college. Alas education first, and I have since had the chance to visit plenty of times and I do love it.

As far as real estate goes it is a much larger park, the walk ways are wider and there is more space in the waiting areas. It tends to lend itself to a much more relaxed less frantic atmosphere than Disneyland. We often get park hoper tickets when we go and skip over to California Adventure when the afternoon crowds start to get the best of us. But for all intents and purposes it is just as well executed as Disneyland. Rather than the sole focus on cartoon characters California Adventure celebrates the adventurous spirit of the state, while still managing to stay true to its brand. I really can’t say enough good things about either park. If you find your self having to decide between one or the other I would just do your research because they are both equally fun, but in very different ways. But either way you are sure to have a blast, we always do.

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Disneyland – Anaheim, California

I love Disneyland. I have loved Disneyland since I first went when I was nine years old and I will continue to love it for the rest of my life. I am not a Disney fanatic, I don’t wait impatiently for every movie, I don’t obsess about it’s history or collect certain souvenirs. I just really love the park.
There is something truly magical about it that manages to somehow manifest the nicest behavior in everyone. Despite being jammed into a park surrounded by thousands of complete strangers, everyone every single day I have been there is nice. So usually about once a year we pack off for a long weekend and head south to Anaheim with the singular purpose of spending a couple days at the park.

Part of the draw is the sunny dry climate. After sitting around in our perpetually rainy state it is a welcome reprieve. And for better or worse, even though it is a very intentional carefully planned type of magical atmosphere, the place really is magical. The attention to detail in everything, the cleanness, the kindness, the nostalgia…for a couple days a year it really hits the spot like nothing else does. But also Dole-Whip (see picture above).

My love of Disneyland is multi layers.  I love art and models and history and the park itself is a living breathing work of art in miniature (or perhaps more accurately 75% scale). I am and continue to be totally blown away by the attention to detail and seamless creation of an entire world and mood. I could sit in one place in the park all day and be happy just observing all the minuet details that have been put into the place to create the mood of which ever part of the park you are in.

Then there are the rides, if you are a roller coaster person there isn’t a lot of rides in the park for you. They are all small, low key and even the fastest not all that daring. But I love them all the same, and again part of that is the attention to detail. The rides aren’t just about the thrill. Its about waiting in line and being surrounded by this new world, which is approximately 20 feet from a totally different world. I like the nostalgia and the fact that these rides were invented and have been operational longer than I have been alive in most cases.

I first went when I was nine years old with my mom, step-dad and three step-sisters. I was very tiny at the time, and didn’t get to go on many rides. The first time I rode splash mountain was actually several trips later when I went with my dad.
He stood outside the Splash Mountain ride and told me he was going on and either I was going with him or I was waiting at the entrance by myself until he got back. He claims to have no memory of this. But it happened,  and I went on the ride with him. Do the things that scare you right. I loved it.
My husband and I went there to celebrate a big job change for me. We celebrated by Mom’s 50th and 60th birthdays there. I have ridden Space Mountain, and Thunder Mountain so many times I can repeat all the announcements and warnings in my head right now, in both English and probably in Spanish as well if I thought about it hard enough.

Yes the park is crowded, yes the food is expensive, yes the lines can be long. My only suggestion is to find what works best for your family. Once you have an idea of what kind of experience you are looking for a simple web search will be given more options than you know what to do with. For me though the point is to go to a place with a history of family joy and memories. Its bobbing and weaving through crowds and still being able to pick out your people among thousands. Its standing in line with the people you love most in the world and having conversations you might not otherwise because when do you stand still with another person for more than 20 min. It’s about sharing and experiencing the expensive food that you have worked hard as a family to afford. And then going home and having all those memories to cherish for years to come. It’s about parents and aunts and grandfathers and kids and everything in between all getting to be kids at the same time.
It’s magic. Pure and simple.
Questions:
Have you ever been to Disneyland? What are you favorite things about it?

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Tocaya – Los Angeles, California

You know when you travel how your schedule gets off and you just start to feel icky. Then on top of the schedule your eating is off because you don’t have your kitchen, your stores, your meal prep and you start to feel more off. I almost immediately start to feel like that. I LOVE food, all kinds, but my system seems to prefer simple unfussy foods. Mostly veggies, no sauces, simple fats and lean protein. This can be very hard to find when traveling, less so on the West Coast but still a challenge.

I was so pleased to find Tocaya on Sunset Blvd, right down the street from where we were staying. It is a build your own food type of place, mostly in theme of Tex-Mex but with the typical SoCal organic flair. I can take or leave the organic thing, but I did very much appreciate the simplicity of the food and the ability to add what I wanted and nothing more.

I ate here more than once in three days, I loved the outdoor seating. Cannot pass up the chance to sit outside in the mild California weather. And the food always left me feeling satisfied but not weighed down. Sword Fish salad for the win, olive oil dressing, simple greens, manchago cheese and mixed fruits/nuts. Perfection.

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Sunset Blvd – Los Angeles, California

Back in June of last year as I have mentioned in the previous few posts we were in LA for a part work part play trip. We were also lucky enough to stay with extended family rather than the hotel my husbands office wanted to put us up in.

So while we was off working for half the week (with our rental car) I was on foot. Luckily the house we were fortunate enough to stay in was in a nice part of town and near some pretty  fabulous areas to walk, the Sunset strip being one of them.

The strip, long famous for its night clubs such as the Viper Room, is still packed with venues of all sorts. But the streets are clean, the sidewalks wide and it is dotted with shops, countless restaurants, and plenty of watering holes if you fancy yourself a drink.
I spent a couple days walking around the area, one day I walked east and found myself down at the Farifax Farmers Market. And another day I walked west and found myself on palm lined streets of Beverly Hills.

My favorite spot to stop was of course the book store called Book Soup which famously takes its name from the Groucho Marx movie Duck Soup. I went to the store more than once, wandering around the winding stacks. I never did quite figure out their system. There was certainly a fiction section in the center of the store. Off to the right seemed to be books on California and celebrity biographies. Where as the left offered up art books of all kinds. I didn’t buy any books as I was already toting three library books with me, but I bought some fabulous cards to send to some friends in the upcoming months.

Needless to say, whether you are a person who likes urban hiking like myself or if you would rather tour via a tour bus. Or anything in between, I think the Sunset Strip is well worth exploration while in Los Angeles. There is a lot of see, a lot to eat and plenty of opportunities to see filming locations or possible celebrity sightings.

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