Ahhh, there's nothing like a relaxing vacation! Too bad we didn't have one of those. As per usual, Dennis and I embraced the "go hard or go home" philosophy during our jaunt to Los Angeles last week. Our vacation style is to cram as much as possible into the time we're there. It's not for everyone but on the plus side, it does mean that there are always lots of highlights to our getaways. So with that in mind...I present the top 10 moments of our trip.
All in all, we had a great time and it was a refreshing getaway. I'm not sure if we'll be back to California again. It was a lot of driving and honestly - there are parts of it that I don't like. Hollywood Boulevard is one of the grosser places I've ever been. It smells terrible and the shops are all so seedy. Venice Beach was also quite horrible - I felt uncomfortable the whole time I was there. But it was fun to explore some of the other parts of the city. However - there is no place like home! I'm glad to be back with my little Woosters. The best part of every holiday is coming home to my sweet little fur baby.
- Sir Mix A Lot. When Dennis told me that the headliner for the Rock and Roll race concert was Sir Mix A Lot, I was honestly not expecting much. I knew his one song of course but not much else. But I was totally surprised and delighted! He put on a fantastic show. It's not many artists that could have that kind of enthusiasm for a bunch of sweaty people in weird outfits, many of whom were slightly drunk by that time. But he poured his heart and soul into it, even going into the audience during one song. I am now officially a Sir Mix A Lot fan and would go see him if he ever came here.
- Halloween Horror Nights. Also was not expecting this one! We went on the last night of our trip and I was secretly dreading it. I'm not a fan of being scared. I never even liked tag as a kid, because I don't like being chased by things. But it actually was a lot of fun. I screamed a ridiculous amount - at one point, I screamed at a bush that startled me. (And then a ghoul ran out from the bush so perhaps I sensed something.) I was so impressed with the production values. It was amazing and I'm glad I didn't spend the night crying and hiding in fear.
- Casa Nostra Restaurant. Dennis and I went for pasta the night before the run and this place happened to be near our hotel. Lucky for us! The food was fantastic and the service was incredible. Quite possibly the best pasta I've had in my life. I ate the whole thing - it was too good to leave a morsel behind.
- Queen Mary Tour. With being there the full week, we had lots of time to explore. We took a drive out to Long Beach and toured the Queen Mary. It was incredible. It's hard to imagine the size and scale until you are actually on it. So beautiful - ship was such an elegant way to travel back in the day! (If you were stinking rich, that is. Steerage didn't look like as much fun.)
- Kurious Cirque de Soleil. We managed to catch a performance of the show while we were in town. I was a bit hesitant about spending the money (LA in general is not cheap, and the garage expenses were still fresh on my mind). But I'm glad we went. It was a beautiful performance and I loved the steampunk theme.
- Weather. Not that it was horribly cold in Saskatoon but it sure wasn't plus 30. We didn't have a bad day while we were there. It was also nice to let my sundresses have one last hurrah before winter!
- Shopping. While not as good as Phoenix (oh Ross, what wonderful times we had together in Phoenix!) I did manage to find a few deals. Even with the dollar at an all-time low, I was able to pick up a few new dresses. Oddly enough it wasn't Ross that came through for me - it was Burlington Coat Factory.
- Annie the Musical. We managed to squeeze in a showing of Annie at the Pantages Theatre. Pantages is just gorgeous with it's Art Deco motif. I would say Wicked is still my favourite performance but the cast of Annie did a fantastic job and it was a great afternoon.
- TMZ Tour. I'm kind of embarrassed about this one. But some kind of Hollywood Tour seems like a must-do tourist activity and TMZ has an irreverent quality that I quite like. It was not a typical tour - it included stopping at things like the "back alley where so-and-so got drunk". But it was fun although I did feel a little conspicuous at times. I was glad we did NOT see any celebrities as I had no desire to be on the show!
- Knott's Berry Farm. Can you go to Los Angeles and NOT go to at least one theme park? Although we had tickets for the Halloween Horror Nights at Universal, the evening only included a few rides. Knowing how much Dennis loves theme parks we decided to give Knott's a try. It was smaller than Disney of course but the price was better. It was gorgeous out the day we went and it was a nice way to spend the day. I even managed to go on a few rides - including a roller coaster! Well technically it was a children's roller coaster, as it was in the Snoopy area. It was terrifying though. I screamed like a banshee the whole time.
All in all, we had a great time and it was a refreshing getaway. I'm not sure if we'll be back to California again. It was a lot of driving and honestly - there are parts of it that I don't like. Hollywood Boulevard is one of the grosser places I've ever been. It smells terrible and the shops are all so seedy. Venice Beach was also quite horrible - I felt uncomfortable the whole time I was there. But it was fun to explore some of the other parts of the city. However - there is no place like home! I'm glad to be back with my little Woosters. The best part of every holiday is coming home to my sweet little fur baby.