My Happy Place

Sara and I decided to meet in California and spend a couple of days at Disneyland.  Best decision ever.  We had a blast.

The first thing you have to know about this trip is that the guy in front of me in line for security at the Salt Lake airport at 6:00 a.m. was wearing paint-splattered jeans and was covered in paint from head to toe.  He also hadn't showered since he finished whatever painting project he had apparently been working on overnight.  I spent 20 minutes in line wondering if there was any set of circumstances under which I would paint like a crazy person all night long, then make a mad dash to the airport without changing my clothes or showering before hopping on a flight.  There isn't.

Once in California, I jumped in our rented silver VW Passat and carefully followed my GPS directions to our hotel.  Checked in at the hotel, then swung back to the airport to pick up Sara.  We were on our way to Disneyland!

Sara with our new friend Snow White. 

Also on Saturday we saw part of a show being filmed for the Disney Channel.  At one point, we were "this close" to Austin (apparently of the show "Austin & Ally") while he rode on the Matterhorn.   Someone asked him if he was famous and he said, "I don't think of myself as famous..."  Which only a teenybopper star on the Disney Channel would say.  Loved it.

We were exhausted after a full day on Saturday, but managed to stumble into the Indian Restaurant at the bottom of our hotel.  Fantastic chicken tikka masalla.  Really fantastic.  Our waiter offered to show Sara his bed.  Which is exactly what it sounds like.  She declined.

Sunday we drove to Santa Monica and I was really proud of myself for driving through LA traffic and actually ending up where we wanted to go!  The Santa Monica Pier was well worth the trip.

Oh, so we ate lunch at Bubba Gump's on the pier.  I had a pear berry salad which I highly recommend.  But make sure your lunch buddy orders the coconut crusted shrimp so you can have some of that too.  Delicious!

 Monday morning.  Classic Disneyland welcome shot.

Outside the Tikki Room.  There is no wait for the Tikki Room - but there is a 40 minute wait for the pineapple ice cream outside the Tikki Room.  Crazy.

 At California Adventure.  We had just hopped off the big roller coaster, so it's lucky I look as calm as I do.

Sara insisted that we wait in line for-freaking-ever to take a picture with Minnie Mouse.  Good thing we did.  The picture is cute and we still got to use our fast-passes for Space Mountain.  Yay hurray!

The "cast member" who offered to take this picture thought Sara and I were sisters.  Pretty darn close. 

What a fun trip.  The weather was about 75 degrees, we got to go to the ocean, and Disneyland is the best.  I'm ready to go again!  Meet you there.