San Diego

I love San Diego and was sad to leave. I really hadn't seen enough of it, though we did manage to fit quite a lot into our week stay.

At the start of the week we went to SeaWorld, which in case anyone isn't aware is not an aquarium, it is a theme park. Admittedly a theme park with lots of fish and other 'swimmy things'. We saw a seal show, which was Willow's favourite, Cirque du la Mer, which I loved, Shamu Rocks and Shamu Believe, which was ridiculously busy as the show before the one we watched was cancelled as the whales wouldn't work. We saw dolphins, manatees and Sharks swimming over our heads. And in true theme park style we went on the rides and for a change 'all' got soaked on Shipwreck Rapids. Which made a change as usually it is me that gets the soaking. The food at Seaworld amused me, most places had massive ques to get served. All but one, the healthy alternative place, which is where we ate and much nicer than the other fast food places there I'm sure.



We also managed to squeeze in San Diego Zoo which was just a short bus ride away in Balboa Park. I am sure we could have spent a whole week in the park alone, which is home to 15 museums. It looked really big with lots of interesting things to do there, but alas we didn't have enough time for that. The first thing we did in the zoo was go on a guided tour by bus which I think was a good idea as we were pushed for time and got to see quite a lot this way. We saw pandas sleeping and polar bears playing and splashing, monkeys doing roly polys, and koala's hugging. As usual though we ran out of time and Tweedy and Rebecca had to get back for a show and Willow was already late for school, but it is all educational.



The local Children's Museum (a very short walk from the train) is free every second Sunday which is when we were there so we spent quite a bit of time there. There didn't seem that much in the museum compared to some we have been to (yes I know we are a bit spoilt in that field) but it was very hands on. Willow helped paint an old beetle with thick pink paint (“it wasn't a beetle mum it was a car”). We made clay models, though my spider needed a leg transplant with some pipe cleaners after he was badly transported home in my bag. Willows volcanoes fared a lot better. Some of the children from school and the nursery showed up too so she had fun playing with them as well.



The train was parked right next to the Gaslight area but we didn't really get out to explore it enough, it looked like a really fun place, lots of bars and clubs and even a few shops thrown in. Typically though when we are parked somewhere decent there is also stuff by the building. Nothing to exciting but there where lots of shops and it made a nice change just being able to pop over the road to pick up a few things for tea. You really notice this more when you don't have your own transport and have to rely on supermarket runs on the circus bus.

Ontario

This had to be one of the worst train runs ever, not because it was long, thankfully it was very short. If we had monkeys on the show I would have been convinced they had made there was up to the engine and had over powered the driver. And once we actually got in we took forever to spot as work was going to be done on some of the cars this week and we all had to be split. It was very odd not having a vestibule and seeing light from outside shining in through a small gap in the door. It was also louder whenever a train pasted.



Ontario was one of those places that I wasn't expecting too much from but had a pleasant surprise. We found a couple of parks, one small one with a strange roller slide which we found out use to be quite common but have slowly been replaced as they are considered dangerous. Shame really as I thought they were quite fun and a bit of an odd feeling. Felt like I was on a conveyor belt at the supermarket. The other park was not small at all. Cucamonga-Guasti Regional Park is a 150-acres. It had an outdoor swimming pool, a really good play park and a water play area as well as boating and fishing lakes.



Right next to the arena was a Target which was useful and a little walk past that was The Ontario Mills Mall, which was a decent mall with all the usual shops you find plus a few more. Tweedy was happy there was a decent music shop and Willow was happy there was a Build A Bear so she could get a stamp for her pawsports. It also had 2 cinemas and we made the most of this buy going to see Ice Age 3 and G Force. Ice Age was up to Ice Age standard, I really enjoyed it, but I was surprised that I enjoyed G Force as I really wasn't expecting to.

We saw quite a few hummingbirds here, they are so cute and tiny, in fact we also saw bugs bigger than the hummingbirds. Though the animal that I liked the most was a squirrel running across a hot tarmacked parking lot. He looked like he was dancing on hot coals poor thing, though I have to admit I laughed quite a bit at the hot footed squirrel.

We did quite a bit of walking this week though walking over here is still a nightmare with paths leading nowhere.

Anaheim

It was a very strange train run this week. We were only a short distance away so the train moved during the day while the show was still on and everyone caught the circus bus back to the train in the new town. A few of us not involved with the actual show did ride the train though and it was definitely the quickest train run ever. It was also quite odd as we went into Anaheim because the train tracks went right down the middle of a road. It is very strange looking out the vestibule and seeing cars racing you. We always lost!

I liked where we were parked this week. We were still in a dusty ol' train yard but just a short walk and you reached a road that led to civilisation. A mile in one direction led to the building, with a few shops and restaurants and bars along the way. I had a classic moment walking to the building one time and crossed where I wasn't meant to without realising. Now I did this in front of a policeman, in fact I walked straight at him so quite obviously was unaware of my mishap. He sarcastically pointed out my mistake once I was 'across' the road and made me cross back to cross at the correct place.

A little further on from the building was an entertainment plaza type thing with a cinema (movie theater) bars and places to eat. It was very handy having a cinema so close the week Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince was released.

And a mile or so in the other direction from the train was Disney, with more shops along the way there, including Garden Walk shops with another cinema and a Lush.

We first went to Downtown Disney as it was a day when we didn't have as much time. There is all the usual Disney stores and a few others, and another cinema. This one had 23 screens and at 12.01 the day/night that Harry Potter came out they sold out completely. We went the next night at another venue and watch in a near empty room.
Disneyland said to be the 'happiest place on earth' I don't like being told I have to be happy, though a good time was had by all. One of the rides we hadn't been on before was 'finding Nemo' which Willow loved and Tweedy took the chance to nap.
We spent more time in Disney's California Adventure since we have already been to Disney world at the start of the year. Toy Story Mania was good fun and Tweedys gun seemed to be broken 'again' as I retained the champion status on these types of rides . Grizzly River Run was lots of fun too though every little splash of water seemed to have my name on it which amused everyone else no end. Soarin Over California was really good though did make me feel a little sick, though not as sick as Tower of Terror, which I didn't like at all and Willow liked even less.



Knott's Berry Farm was Americas first theme park and is home to Snoopy. It isn't as clean and sparkly as Disney but I liked it more, it seemed more relaxed. It also had loads of stuff Willow enjoyed and in camp snoopy there were rides she insisted she went on her own. The Calico Saloon Show was lots of fun and Everyone Loves Snoopy Ice Show was also good, though I may have enjoyed it more if there hadn't been annoying teenagers behind us (think I'm getting old) Even though we have never been here before Willow recognised a lot of the rides from a TV programme called 'Brain rush', though wasn't very impressed that she was an inch to small to go on most of them.

Ann and Jack's hotel window faced Disney resort and from there you got an amazing view of the fireworks. Willow watched them loads of time from there and when we weren't watching them we could still hear them from the train. Willow stayed quite a lot at the Hotel, hanging out with her Grandma and Grandda in the swimming pool. They even managed to get to the beach a couple of times too.

There have been a few places when one week just isn't enough and I thought this would be one of them, one week may not have been enough but two weeks was to long. It wasn't helped with Willow being ill at the end of the last week. Being stuck on the train for 3 days when you have ever changing scenery is enough to make you go a little stir crazy but being stuck indoors for 4 days not moving is enough to drive you just little bit crazier. Luckily Willow was a very good patient, so it wasn't as bad as it could have been and it did mean I was pleased to move.

LA

This has to be the best train run so far. I do think that quite often but this week had some amazing views and sights. There were times you really didn't know what side to look out of to get the best views and I think on more than one occasion I ran around the vestibule like an excited child. We went around a curve that was so much better than the horseshoe curve the other week. Not only were there no trees in the way to block the view of the back of the train but whoever was driving the train also stopped so we could take some better pictures, OK I'm thinking that wasn't the real reason but it was helpful all the same.



I really didn't like where we were parked this week. Yes it is nice not to be in a dirty, dusty train yard miles from civilisation but I really hate it when we are parked along side a road. It isn't safe for Willow to go out and play and it is a really odd feeling not having the privacy we usually have. It was also one of the longest bus rides in so far, which is a total pain for someone who gets travel sick. At least it is only one week and we move on once more.

It was a totally crazy start to the week with load in being delayed because of Michael Jackson's Memorial Service being held in the same Arena the day before the circus opened and due to the expected crowds on the day the animal walk took place at a silly hour in the morning (4am) with as many extra people as possible to help. Tweedy volunteered and I stayed at home with Willow. He also managed to get a ticket for the Memorial along with a few others from the show, again I stayed at home with Willow.

I went to the Staples Center the next day and was amazed just how quick they had cleared everything away, as though nothing had taken place there at all. Though during the week we were there, there seemed to be lots of red carpet type events going on all around us for various reasons. Some big sports award thing (yep I have no idea) opening of various new places and similar. The red carpets went up and down fairly regularly so I guess they are pretty good and clearing stuff away after an event. Thinking back to Princess Diana when the smell of all the flowers even lingered weeks after, I was a little surprised how quickly it was back to normal, well as normal as LA can be.

Most places we go there are a few things you feel you must do, you know the ones you need to tick off as achieved. There are a lot of these places to tick off in Los Angeles but this week we threw away the tick list. We didn't do any of the Hollywood thing. It isn't really stuff we wanted to do and it felt a bit like we should be doing these things just to tick them off, rather than actually wanting to do them. Willow summed it up when she said “but I don't know who any of these people are” and there were quite a lot of them that I didn't know either. Apparently lots of celeb's came to the show which got a lot of people excited but I hardly recognised half the names.

We did however go to Santa Monica beach which Willow loved. Making sandcastles and playing in the sea was definitely her best bit this week. Even the bus journey there was an adventure with it breaking down and having to transfer to another one. Santa Monica also has a pier with a fair and we had out first taste of funnel cake, which is a tradition American fair, fare. I know I will get flamed for saying it but it was OK I guess, nothing special.



There were also shops within walking distance in Downtown LA with the different districts similar to New York. The Jewelry and Fashion district and Historic Core were the closest to us. One thing that is very clear wandering around the different distracts is where and where not money is spent in this town. We also found some really interesting old (well old in American) buildings that seemed just to be standing empty. Some looked like they would have held many an interesting story within their walls. I wish I had taken more photos of them.



We also found a little park close to The Stapels Center, though we found it a bit late so Willow only got one afternoon there. I liked the little bronze foxes.



We had a good week but I don't feel we 'did' Los Angeles, but I'm not to worried as I don't feel the need to keep up with the Joneses.