Wow, you know the weather's been good in Copenhagen when you find me procrastinating on my blog posts! In between work, I've been enjoying the sun, BBQs and long walks. Oh, and I've also managed to create an Instagram account for my blog, so now you can follow me on the go there as well -- just search for becauselifesaparty.
But now on to the blog posts I've promised you about my trip to California and Nevada, a.k.a. Our Official Honeymoon! (A term which gets you a room upgrade, free wifi and free dessert. Just sayin'.) Ok, we got married in January, but technically we didn't really have a honeymoon, except for a few extra days at the luxury resort where the wedding was held.
My husband and I jetted off to Los Angeles, which was our base for the trip since we had family living there. I love any place that has a beach, palm trees and anything else which reminds me of growing up in the Philippines, so in many ways, I felt right at home.
Before exploring any place, you need a good, hearty breakfast. Like a big omelette and Strawberry Cheesecake pancakes with a round of Iced Coffee at the local IHOP near you. Let's just say I didn't feel the need for food again until many hours later, and though it was a fun experience, the calories in that one meal will warm my heart for a whole year!
What's a visit to California without some seasfood? We hit a Joe's Crab Shack on Long Beach and got a whole pot of delicious steamed crab and shrimp as well as the not-so-fashionable bibs to keep us neat and tidy. I can't say the same for the rest of the table, though. My crab utensil skills weren't the best.
If you got time to take a detour to Anaheim, I can surely recommend a visit to the happiest place on earth -- Disneyland! After 32 years, I finally got to see Disneyland and it was fantastic!
There's actually two parks across from each other. There's Disneyland, which has Sleeping Beauty's castle, Toon Town, Enchanted Tiki Room, Haunted Mansion, Mark Twain Riverboat and many other great attractions and rides. There are also a bunch of shows all over the park, so keep your eyes open for the schedules and get a good seat.. And be sure to catch Mickey's Soundsational Parade down Main Street with all the beloved Disney characters.
Then there's Disney California Adventure Park which has some newer rides and other themes, such as California Screamin' (literally!), Twillight Zone Tower of Terror, Paradise Pier, Soarin' Over California (must try!), Animation Academy and Mickey's Fun Wheel. Tip: you might not want to get on the swinging gondolas of Mickey's Fun Wheel right after getting off California Screamin' rollercoaster. Let's just I have a husband who regretted that decision.
I can recommend the Fast Pass system if you want to avoid standing in lines too long. And catching the night time shows before the parks close, Fantasmic! at Disneyland, along the waters of Frontierland and World of Color at Disney California Adventure Park across Paradise Pier. Both shows are one-of-a-kind and truly amazing for anybody that is young at heart.
Disneyland is definitely awesome! Even after 13 hours!
Anybody who goes to L.A. has to swing by the Walk of Fame in Hollywood. Note the impersonators you can have your picture taken with for a small fee. You can even have two Jack Sparrows in the same photo!
Hollywood and Highland is the mall right by the Walk of Fame. In between sightseeing, you can hit a few shops, get some coffee or maybe grab lunch.
And on the other side of Hollywood and Highland, you can actually see the Hollywood sign in the hills, although slightly unclear because of the infamous June Gloom that seems to hit L.A.
The TCL Chinese Theatre, formerly Grauman's, is also right by Hollywood and Highland. Great for a few photo opps or for comparing your shoe size to famous Hollywood stars who have literally made their mark in concrete in front of the theatre.
Just a short drive away is Santa Monica and the famous pier you see below. A tip is to park in the garage of the mall, Santa Monica Place, which also has some great shopping opportunities, and then walk down the two blocks to the beach and the pier. Grab a cup of coffee and a pastry on Third Street Promenade on your way back and soak in the pleasant atmosphere.
After all the shoping and sightseeing and traipsing around, you might need a day or two of just chilling and casual drives like we did. We explored the charming suburbs in Long Beach and discovered some beautiful residential streets.
Or drive up to Signal Hill and enjoy a panoramic view of L.A. while soaking up some sun.
Or visit the Earl Burns Miller Japanese Garden at California State University Long Beach for a bit of tranquility and marvel at the massive koi that you can actually touch in the ponds.
There's tons to see and experience in L.A. and everybody prefers different things on a vacation. Luckily, we know that we will be back so that we can catch anything we missed We did, after all, do massive sightseeing and drive over 3,000 kilometers and try many different things in two weeks, so we've saved some things for our next trip, like Universal Studios.
I definitely can't wait to visit the City of Angels again!
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