Today we headed home. The seats in the airplane were a little more snug this time, but hey, how can you complain about a $10 airline ticket? By the time we got home, it was about 11:00pm and we were exhausted!
Today we headed to Hollywood. We drove up into the hills and looked at a lot of mansions. We tried to take a tour of NBC, but they were sold out on the tour that we wanted. Jeff & I would have LOVED to have seen a taping of Jay Leno, (especially since Paula Deen was the guest!) but no one under 16 was allowed and we had no one to watch the kids.
We walked down the Hollywood strip and had a leisurely evening. Rachael got her picture taken beside several of the footprints, including Shirley Temple and R2D2
Before we left, we stopped by Victorian Row in San Francisco. This is the backdrop of Rachael's favorite show, "Full House."
We left San Francisco today and headed down Highway 1 (The Pacific Coast Highway) ... the most beautiful road in the world! (We drove down Lombard street in SF today on our way out of town. It's the curviest street in the world...) We stopped in Big Sur to take in the gorgeous sunset over the Pacific ocean. The views were breathtaking!
Rachael & Nick w/ a "living statue" street performer.
Sea lions on Pier 39
Night time in Chinatown
The view from our hotel room...
Today we rode a cable car down to Pier 39. Rachael was fascinated with the history of Alcatraz, so Jeff took her on a tour. We had taken her when she was 3 or 4, but of course she didn't remember it. Since tickets were so expensive, I decided to just hang out with Nick on the pier. He had fun chasing the pigeons and sharing a pretzel. After leaving the pier, we headed to Ghiardelli square where we used to buy huge chunks of the chocolate that were broken. They sold them really cheaply. Unfortunately, they discontinued that about a year ago, and now they just sell their premium gift chocolate ($$$$!) I guess there's no longer any reason to go back...
At dusk, we headed to Chinatown. We found several good deals on souvenirs and took in the unique sights and sounds.
Today we walked across the Golden Gate Bridge. It's a LONG walk ... especially when it's so cold and windy! I took tons of pictures of our favorite icon in the hope that I get a couple that are good enough to frame.
We then drove to Muir woods, toured the giant redwoods, and hung out at the beach. I'll have to post those pictures in a separate entry because it's only letting me post 4 at a time...
Today began with a trip to the Great Mall of the Bay Area in Milpitas. Afterwards, we went in search of wildflowers and found a cool park. They usually offered hang-gliding, but it was closed due to weather conditions. (otherwise this may have been a more exciting post!) For dinner we ate at our favorite restaurant, Chatanoga Persian cuisine (http://www.chatanogaonline.com/) for the second time on our trip...
Today we went to the huge outdoor San Jose Flea Market. We used to go there nearly every weekend. Unfortunately, it was really COLD today! The Mariachi bands weren't playing (which was one of my favorite parts!) This was one of my favorite purchases. Nick picked it out. He looked so cute!
Day 32 - Santa Cruz, Chuck E. Cheese, & Mt. Hamilton
Today we went to Santa Cruz. The boardwalk wasn't open, but we had fun driving over the mountains. We also visited several shops and ended up in a huge arcade where the kids had a blast! We ate dinner at the enormous Chuck E. Cheese in San Jose and then drove up Mt. Hamilton. Jeff and I used to drive up there quite often when we lived in the area. It has to be one of the most beautiful and peaceful places on earth. The night-time views are just magnificent! Jeff and I both had major pangs of regret for ever moving away from there...
Day 31 - The Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum & Planetarium
Today we went to the Rosicrucian Museum & Planetarium in San Jose, CA. Jeff and I had visited here when we lived in San Jose, but the kids had never been. Both of my kids have always been FASCINATED with ancient Egyptian culture. We spent a long time looking at all of the artifacts, reading the historical documents, and watching the movies about new technology in researching mummies. We also went to the planetarium show about the ancient Mithraic religion (which was actually really boring - I never thought a planetarium show could be boring, but it was!)
All in all, we had a great time. Unfortunately, all of their literature is full of New Age, metaphysical, "Find the God in You", humanism junk. Fortunately, Nick was too young to understand any of it (he was just ecstatic that he got to see MUMMIES!) and Rachael was old enough that she got a kick out of pointing out all of the propaganda. ;-D
We left home after Rachael's Taekwon-do class amid a severe thunderstorm warning. It took about 5 hrs. to get to the airport and we arrived at about 3:00am. We flew Skybus (http://www.skybus.com/) for the first time using our $10 tickets! Yes, I said $10!!!! If you've never checked out this airline and you live within driving distance to Columbus, OH, you should check it out! It's a little quirky as far as charging a small fee for checked baggage and food/drinks on the plane, but it was a great flight! The staff (pilots, flight attendants, etc.) are the nicest around! The seats were comfy, and the price was unbeatable!
When we arrived in Burbank, we drove straight up to San Jose. After 18 hrs. of total travel time (including the drive to the airport, the flight, and food/bathroom stops along the way), we were beat!
Day 28 - Headin' off to Paradise ... Big Sur, HERE WE COME!
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
We're flying into the LA area and driving up the coast to San Jose. After 6 nights in San Jose, 2 nights in San Francisco, & then 2 nights in Hollywood we'll be heading home. This is our 1st major vacation (not related to Jeff's work) in a LONG time. I'll be computer-free for the trip since my laptop is broken. I don't think I've been without a computer for this long since about 1994! I'll be in withdrawal!
We have a 5 hr. ride to the airport, followed by a 5 hr. plane ride, followed by an 8 hr. drive in CA. Please pray for our safety and sanity!!!
This will be my last post until we get back. I'll have LOTS of pictures by then!
Name: Amy Home: Indiana, United States About Me: I am a Homeschool Mom of 2 awesome children. This is my attempt at Project 365 - to chronicle our world through daily photos... See my complete profile
SUBSCRIBE HERE
