LA Area

The Los Angeles/Disneyland trip was amazing! I was very hesitant to go, but once we got there, it turned out to be the best vacation with the kids. I figured Disneyland would be overcrowded, dirty, and unwelcoming. It actually turned out to be quite the opposite.

We got our hotel for 50% off, which saved us $100 per night. Thank God! Our meals when first going there were within walking distance and we never had to eat fast food for breakfast since our hotel provided it. I love how the kids can pick whatever they want to eat, even though its usually pancakes...

Disneyland was extremely clean, super friendly (especially to the kids), and was barely crowded. I didn't take any meals, snacks, water, etc. I took my phone and my wallet. Once I got there, people had backpacks, strollers (which had to be parked in a lot of areas), and were still able to go on the rides. This is much different than what I'm use to. Most parks have the "no lose items" rule such as sunglasses, hats, flip flops, etc. Of course, we didn't go on any huge roller coasters as a family since the kids are only 3 and 4.

Since there weren't too many people, we got to ride most of the rides. The lines were primarily 5-15 minutes for the majority. Keep in mind we went beginning of November. School and the cool weather is in session. We were lucky enough to get 75 degree days until the day we left.

After the Disneyland and Adventure park, we decided we would check out a couple other places as well. I wanted to stop at a National Forest or Park, but since it rained during our last day, we decided to postpone that idea. I'm not sure how, but hubby found the Fullerton Arboretum at the state college (CSU Fullerton). It has 26 acres of botanical gardens with each section being dedicated to different regions of the world. Their regions included:

Cultivated Region (fruits, garden)
Woodlands (Conifers, Palms, Redwoods, Cycads, Etc.)
Mediterranean (Chaparral, Channel islands) as much as California can get
Desert (Cacti and Succulents ) This was my favorite!
Children's Garden (The kids absolutely loved this area)

We spent a good deal of time there with the kids not wanting to walk. There's also a little museum (with kids activities) and gift shop there too. It was a great free thing to do with the kids.

We also stopped for lunch and Ikea. I forgot I wanted to go to The Container Store in LA, but completely forgot. However, hubby stopped at Ikea and I did get to look at a small drawer cabinet that I've had my eye on!

It was a wonderful trip overall and I cannot wait to go back! I hope next time we can afford to get multi-day tickets to really enjoy the rides and take our time. Now that I know you can take food and backpacks into Disney, it'll be a better planned trip next time. If you do go, wear some good walking shoes!

Thanks for reading!

Disney Theme Parks

What an excursion to Mickey Mouse's shrine. After four years of living in California, I really did not want to take the kids there. The number one reason was money. It costs $100-$200 per person ages 3 and up. It cost us around $700 to get a 2 day park hopper. Ouch. Then hubby found half price on our traditional hotel, totaling $100 per night vs $200 per night. So that was $1,000 right there -not including any food.

Monday: Drive to LA and CA Science Museum
Tuesday: Disneyland
Wednesday: CA Adventure Park (I seriously wanted to go to Cars Land)
Thursday: Morning activity and drive home

The first morning at Disneyland I really didn't know what to expect since I researched several other blogs and articles online plus other people. So many people had conflicting stories about food, rides, etc. We didn't take our stroller for our 3 and 4 year old. We didn't bring any snacks or lunch. All we had on us was our phones and wallets. At the end of the day, my pockets held 4 pins. I didn't think our kids would make it at the end of each day, but they did surprising well- especially since they didn't have a nap.

The California Adventure Park was another story. I again wasn't too sure about taking the kids there, but after going to Disney, it was a blast! This time of the year is their slow season and the kids couldn't go on as many rides as Disneyland, but they did get to go on quite a few. Of course, we had to go to CarsLand both in daylight and at dark. I couldn't resist. Flo's V8 Cafe has the best macaroni and cheese. I did not follow my diet as well as I should have. It's hard to resist the temptation of macaroni and cheese. I did, however, not eat as much meat as I should have.

Well, it's been a wonderfully long day and will write more about my experiences soon!
Thanks for reading!

Surprise Trip to LA

Hubby filled in the calendar for four days this November with "busy don't plan anything". Uh? What the heck? Apparently he planned a trip to LA. I've been wanting to head down there for some time now since learning about all the fun free things to do and yes, the super expensive D and C lands. We won't get to do much, but since seeing Lightning McQueen and Towmater fill billboards along Highway 99 this past spring, I've been wanting to go.

And the time has come! We are officially now in the infamous Los Angeles. I can hardly believe it. I hate the traffic and the smog, but this city has so much to offer from kids (not including Disneyland) to adults.

Venturing out of the lovely smog filled Bako southwards, the kids weren't sure about us going to Disneyland or Carsland. We told them first thing this morning and their response: "No! I'm not old enough!" I couldn't believe my ears. However, the whole drive down here (3 hours) they couldn't talk of anything else.

Having the extra hours to fill before our hotel room was ready, we went to the California Science Museum. It was fantastic. They had everything from ecology, biology, space, animals, earthquakes, structures, and other various exhibits for free. There were other "visiting" exhibits for a cost and although we just did the free ones, we pretty much filled up our day. We were there for a whopping four hours without a single meltdown. It was unbelievably wonderful.

The kids were tired and we still had to check into our hotel room, so my son slept in the car (30 minute or longer drive) as my daughter inquired about earthquakes. She, 4, was inconceivably worried about how and why earthquakes happen (there was a earthquake simulator in the museum). I'm glad she asks questions, but the real question is what does she really retain after all that information is crammed into her head?

The hotel has 2 pools, one heated, a kiddie pool, and 2 hot tubs. The kids actually went into the kiddie pool since they are small, the bigger heated pool, and the hot tub once they were freezing from swimming after dark. There's no better exercise, right? We also met some nice people visiting from Australia. Turns out right now their country is in spring/summer right now as we are in winter. They will be going to Hawaii for a bit and then back to their country. What a vacation!

Tomorrow we will venture to Disneyland for the first time with two young ones in tow without a nap. Hubby forgot his tennis shoes, so it'll be an interesting adventure. I'm praying we don't have any meltdowns or a $0 checking account by the end of the week.

What a fantastic surprise from hubby. So much for getting out of the smog. :( The thick brown air is absolutely disgusting and makes me grateful for those clean air days in the valley, however few they are. Disneyland isn't the only choice for families visiting Los Angeles, but it is however, one of the most popular destinations. This trip is primarily for the big theme parks, but watch out Los Angeles. The next trip will be no theme parks!

Thanks for reading!