The Lesser Known Disneyland

Aimee's mom was in town that you know what that means...Disneyland! Now, we've actually haven't been there in a while so Thommy, Geof, Parker and I decided to join them. First stop...the newly converted Pirate Island (aka, Tom Sawyer's Island) where Geof steered us to his favorite spot...Dead Man's Grotto. What's with Disney and the word ''grotto.'' Geof loves it because he know I hate it. Plus, it made his mom scream in fear (a jump scare in the middle) so he knows Parker would love it Yeah...it made him cry. Once out, we spent a few moments on the other side of the island, decompressing. Parker's thought regarding the pirate ship that sailed by...''Mommy, that boat has a book on it.''

After Thommy's required fried chicken lunch, we headed to the Golden Horseshoe for ice cream and a floor show. Unfortunately, edging past Parker's normal naptime, the little guy went into tantrum mode as we waited for the show to start. Fortunately, he was mesmerized as soon as the music started. Surprisingly, the show was pretty entertaining.

From Dland, we headed to California Adventure where Thommy, our resident Pluto stalker, ''found'' Mickey's pet pal. It took three photos for Parker to finally warm up to him. Go figure.


Well, contrary to Thommy believe, we went to California Adventure to check out the Pixar Play Parade (no to stalk Pluto), which truly did not disappoint Parker. He saw all his favorites -- Lightning McQueen, Buzz, Woody, and Mater. He started the parade chillin' in his stroller and ended it on his feet, straining to see who else may come around the corner to squirt him with water.

Now I know what you're thinking...so what did Aimee's mom want to do...what? Okay, I guess, while writing this I see that we may have shanghaied their visit to Disneyland. I hope they didn't mind as we truly enjoyed spending the day with them.

Shogun

Shogun,
originally uploaded by Car2nGrl.

Don't be surprised, Thommy. Believe it or not, there's really good sushi in Palmdale. They don't advertise because ''it attracts weird people.'' Go figure. Well, word of mouth alone keeps this place hopping.

Where's Grandma?

Where's Grandma?,
originally uploaded by Car2nGrl.

HOT DOG! Ketchup red Mustang and mustard yellow coat. What a cool old lady! Can you imagine if this were your grandma picking up you up from elementary school? STAND BACK! Here comes Gram!

New vs Old vs New Again

New vs Old,
originally uploaded by capsulec.

I know that sex sells but please, not in my coffee.

So I thought this was a new logo but I now see that this brown logo is actually the company's old logo. Now I don't mind the breasts but the fin spread is, well, a little too...inviting.

And to be honest, you know the mermaid isn't happy that her thighs look that big.

Check out How the Starbucks Siren Became Less Naughty and Starbucks Logo for a couple interesting articles on the evolution of the Starbuck logo.

Happy Birthday Carli!

While I was out writing with Thommy, Parker and Chris headed over the Eric & Amy's to celebrate Carli's 4th birthday. Wow! I can't believe how big she's grown. Same with Jasmine and Josephine. It's absolutely amazing how fast time flies.

No tires! Just gas!

No tires! Just gas!,
originally uploaded by Car2nGrl.

I guess Parker's seen Cars maybe one too many times as that what we heard him repeating over and over again. ''No tires! Just gas!''

Death Valley Birthdaze - Sunday

The next day we head out for the Valley floor. On the way, Chris keep seeing this red flower and we eventually had to stop to he could check it out up close. From what I can tell, it's called the Ocotillo, a.k.a. Chris' obsession. At Stovepipe Wells we hit sea level. Soon after that we hit the desert's sand dunes.



We soon discovered that sand was too hot for the puppies feet. So Robin and Chris took them back to the cars as the rest of us explored the miles and miles of sand. Aimee laid on the ground to take a picture of Nick. But my shot of her looks like she's taking a picture of a 10 inch person. Go figure.


After the dunes, we checked out the Harmony Borax Works. Am I the only person who remember Borax...that powdery soap dispensed out of public restrooms? Well, Aimee, Matt, and Erin weren't aware of it so either I'm way old or I spend too much time in public restrooms. Neither seem to be good options.


Last stop was the Valley's lowest point...Badwater. It's the hottest point in the valley and yet there's water just inches below our feet. Seeing that we were standing on a salt flat, though, you can easily see how Badwater got it's name.

Death Valley Birthdaze - Saturday

This year, Aimee wanted to go camping for her birthday. So bright and early, we packed the cars and headed out to the desert. Yes, we were camping in Death Valley. (You know, Aimee. Turning 29 is not the end of the world.)


A couple items of note regarding Death Valley. Don't buy gas at Panamint Springs. It's way more expensive than other stations in the Valley. And, when it come to camp restrooms, I've got to express my love for the pit toilets at the Wildrose campsite. I can't believe how clean they were. They're definitely better than any gas station toilet. (Yes, Brittney. This maybe one public bathroom where you can go barefoot! Wait. Yeah, that's never a good idea.)


Camp life was all about music -- until the rangers shut us down for the night. I guess the drums could be heard a quarter mile away. With the dogs also having to remain on leash, it made camp life a tad restrictive. (Sorry Frankie, no more fetch)


Nonetheless, the dogs -- Frankie and Raven -- seemed to enjoy themselves, even if they got pretty dusty laying on the camp floor. As the evening moved on, the fire started and the libations poured.


Raven seemed a tad tense (based on the dandruff that accumulated on her back). However, overall, all was well as we played board games and ate food. (Steaks! Yum!)

Afterward, we hung out around the camp fire. Quietly (so as not to alert the rangers), Matt and Erin serenaded the birthday girl. And we ended the evening with roasted marshmallows and ghost stories. (Of course.)