Quick Getaway

(March 27th - April 1st, 2022)

I've told you before that this blog IS my memories. So if things don't make it on here, it's like they never happened. As I've gone through pictures from last year, I'm honestly surprised at some of the things I've found, since I've forgotten them already. Pretty pathetic really. This trip is one of those things that would have slid out of my brain if not for the photos that proved its existence. 

The creation of this trip is a little sad. In 2020, we planned a family Church History Trip. We were going to start in New York and snake our way back to Utah, stopping at some really cool spots, like Ohio, Illinois, and such. We bought plane tickets and started the planning process. And then Covid. So, you can imagine that trip was canceled, along with hopes and dreams all over the country. We had credit from the tickets, but we didn't know how to use it and honestly  things didn't open up for a really long time. And by then, we couldn't work out schedules for everyone. And June left on a mission. You know...all the stuff. So Tyler and I planned a trip to Los Angeles because that is pretty much the only place they would let us use the credit. 

But it was a great excuse to go hang out together and get away from the normal routine. It was still during the mask time, so you'll see some of that here and there. Let's get rolling.

I think we took the TRAX up to Salt Lake so we didn't have to drive. I don't really remember doing that, but there are pictures at the end with us taking the train back, so maybe we took the train up?? See...zero memory. Regardless, the flight was quick and on the other side, we had a little time to kill before we could get our rental car. We looked up our Air BnB and it didn't seem that far away. It was about five miles. It was just on the other side of the airport. We decided to walk. Good thing we are still somewhat young and active. 

You couldn't actually walk across the airport, we had to walk around it. We actually walked along a section of highway that seemed a little sketchy. I'm just saying that I don't think they get many pedestrians along there. But on another stretch, we crossed right under where planes were landing. You could see all the guidance lights. It was really cool. 

We found this sign on the way. We thought it was such a weird font that we took a picture, sent it to the kids to see if they could tell what it said. *

Yeesh, gas prices were so high. Glad we don't live in CA. 

We eventually arrived and got our car later. We settled in and went to grab some dinner. We found a super yummy Mexican restaurant. It's hard to go wrong with Mexican food. It is one of my favorites. 

We had no itinerary for the trip. We literally planned as far as 'go to Los Angeles.' So we sat at dinner and talked about some of our options. There's a lot we could do. We sort of played it by ear and chose each day what sounded best. The first day we decided to hit the Aquarium. The weather was crazy that day, so an indoor activity was the best choice. It was pouring. There were a few outdoor parts at the aquarium, but those were not really open because of weather. But everything else was fun to browse. I won't bore you with a million pictures, but I will put a couple jellyfish on here. They are some of my favorites and I saw some I hadn't seen before, including the Wart Comb Jelly, which isn't even a jellyfish. (Don't tell them.)

The octopus was so active. Usually they sit partly hidden in a corner of the tank, but this gal was all over the place. Such amazing creatures. 

Did I mention the weather. I sent Tyler back to get our parking ticket to validate it and he tried to cover up, but the water dripped down the side of his hood and soaked the edges of his mask. Whew. 

The weather did get better towards the evening, but we still warmed up with Hot Chicken!! Why is chicken so amazing?? 

The next day was a regular sunny California day, thank you. So we went to Universal Studios. That was a little sketchy, trying to get in with some of the covid restrictions. Guys...I do NOT miss all that stuff.

I have great childhood memories of Universal Studios. The tram ride was the coolest thing ever. They still have it, but they have made some upgrades to it. I actually think they are downgrades, but I can see why they do it. Now they have you put glasses on and there are screens in some of the areas where you just watch stuff happen. I miss the big robot automaton stuff. King Kong was so cool back in the day. Oh well. 

They still have some classics like Jaws (man, he is old), the Psycho house (do kids nowadays even know what that is?) and the flooded street.

We went on the Jurassic Park ride and same thing; they have put some screens in to replace machines. Blah. Oh, you need to check out my witch hair. It seems to get worse with each picture.

We went to see the Water World show. It is still full of cool stunts and people falling from great heights into the water. But who even remembers that show? It came out when I was a kid and it wasn't that great back then. Maybe it's time to update the show...

Harry Potter world was super cool. Some of the rides had screens but they seemed to be mixed in with other effects, so my stomach could handle it. It was actually super fun to see the stores and things they've added. I really like Harry Potter. I've always wanted a wand, but I have no idea which one I like best.

We went to the animal show towards the end of the day. I always enjoy a good animal show. They add humor and the animals know their stuff. They are some of the best actors.

By this point, the witch wings were serious. I made the full transformation and took flight. :)

But I came back down to earth for a Voodoo donut. They are just so cool looking and I'm a sucker for donuts. 

The next day was Knott's Berry Farm. This also has a sweet spot in my childhood heart, but it is a lot different than I remember. Basically I remember the log ride...that's it. We watched a silly show, but it was cute. We went on a couple rides and then we tried the Whiplash or something like that. It was super freaky, but it definitely messed with my head. (Yep, I'm getting old.) So we didn't do too many rides after that. 

We happened to be there during some kind of boysenberry festival. They had different boysenberry delicacies (sweet and savory) all over the park. We got a couple and had a good time enjoying the decorations.

We did make sure to go on the log ride. It was the longest line in the park. We were easily standing there for over an hour. Under a waterfall, I beckoned Tyler over for a selfie. I love the picture he took of me. It makes me laugh.

There was also shopping and booths all around the park. I took a picture of some creepy denim dolls since I could see Ivory having a similar shop someday. :)

We ate dinner just outside the park. The portion size was crazy. I can see why Americans gain so much weight. That is a LOT of food.

Our last day in Cali, we went to visit the L.A. temple. We couldn't go in and do a session because of restrictions, but it was still lovely to see the grounds. 

Toward twilight we walked to a cafe close to our Air BnB. The cafe was not anything special, but we stumbled across an outdoor market with vendors and food trucks. It was awesome. I was really enticed by the cool potatoes on a stick, but I eventually caved to the fresh strawberries. I love berries.

It was such a fun trip. Looking back (now that I have the memories written down) it was a fantastic time. I love hanging out with Tyler and exploring. He is a good buddy for adventures. We came back and took the train and you can bet the kids were excited to see us. (But mostly because I always bring back souvenirs. ;)

* It says Maple. Did you guess?