Universal Studios

We spent Saturday at Universal Studios, which is literally a 5 minute walk from our hotel. We took the studio tour, including the "back lot" which was fun and interesting. The park is a mixture of exhibits and rides and we managed to do most everything we wanted to do, except "The Mummy" rollercoster (which apparently is new) as there was quite a long wait and we were bushed. One of the shows we saw was about the working animals in Hollywood and it was really great. RJ got picked from the audience to help out on stage with a couple of very cute dogs - it was a lot of fun for all! We also saw the show based on the movie "Waterworld" which had some awesome special effects and a motion-ride/movie based on "The Simpsons." RJ also stuck his head and half his body inside "Jaws!" We got back to our hotel around 7:00 p.m. and the boys went swimming for a couple of hours, while Rick and I nursed our tired feet! :-) Today (Sunday) we decided to lazy around a bit then are going to head out to see some of the famous sites in Hollywood and Beverly Hills. We are such tourists!

Los Angeles - Universal City

We arrived at the beautiful Hilton Universal City about 4:00 p.m. -- it took us over an hour to navigate the 30 miles from Anaheim because of the traffic. We got checked in to a great room on the 19th floor with a view of the Hollywood Hills and west toward the coast. RJ's friend, Mathias, arrived shortly after we did and the boys (along with Mathais's father) walked over to the Universal CityWalk. (Mathias and his father are currently living in LA while Mathias pursues a music/acting/modeling career.) Rick and I stayed behind and admittedly it was very nice to just do NOTHING! :) Today, we are off to Universal Studios which is an 8 minute walk from the hotel. Tomorrow, we are planning on being real tourists and exploring Hollywood, Beverly Hills, etc.

Disneyland Parks - Anaheim, CA

We have had a great time at the Disneyland Parks. We have walked and walked and walked and walked ...been tossed around on roller coasters and other fun rides ...enjoyed great food and libation ....so today (Friday) we are being a bit lazy. We requested late check-out and plan to take our time getting packed up and on to our next destination - The Hilton Universal City. This photo is the view from our hotel room ...it has a great balcony and it's wonderful to sit there and have coffee or wine or whatever! The Sheraton Anaheim Park Hotel is our favorite... this is our third stay and the staff is AWESOME! More later from LA!

Last Day in San Francisco

Monday morning, we slept in a bit (first time on this trip!) and awoke to an absolutely gorgeous day. With the help of Google mapping, I managed to find the address of our former home in Castro Valley, and Rick agreed to drive the 30 or so miles to see it. We drove over the 7-mile San Mateo bridge, which we later found out is the longest bridge in the SF area and the 25th longest in the world, by length. We found the house, thanks to our trusted GPS system. Nothing in the surrounding area looked very familiar, as I hadn't visited in a very long time! The house looked great, though very different than when we lived in it. Afterwards, we drove back to SF and took RJ down the steep, one-block portion of Lombard Street known as the crookedest street in the US. Spectacular views from the top! We ended again at the wharf, and wandered around, enjoying the much less crowded streets. We had dinner at Bubba Gump's on the wharf, a lively joint which offered wonderful shrimp dishes and a drop-dead view of the Bay. It's hard to say goodbye to this city! Tuesday we are off to Anaheim and Disneyland! (hear the groaning in the background? That's RJ, lamenting about the 7 hour drive!)

Alcatraz Island - Fisherman's Wharf

We visited Alcatraz Island -- very interesting! Our tickets included a self-guided audio tour (which we highly recommend). The tour takes about an hour, but you can stay on the island as long as you wish, as the return boats depart about every 30 minutes. We lucked out weather-wise, and the views from the top of the island of downtown San Francisco and the Golden Gate Bridge are spectacular! Once back in San Francisco we wandered along the wharf area, and had lunch at a great restaurant with another beautiful view. The wharf was very busy and is very touristy, but we didn't mind much! We ended the day by taking a cable car to Union Square ...RJ got to "hang on" the outside like a local and thought that was great. We look forward to spending more time in this great city!

Rudy's Can't Fail Cafe - Emeryville (East Bay)

Saturday evening, we made the quick drive over the Oakland Bay Bridge to Emeryville, home to Rudy's Can't Fail Cafe. It's a very small, unassuming place, and the decor as well as the employees that work there seem to embody the punk rock spirit. The menu had something for everyone, the people were friendly and we had a great time. Kudos to RJ for his suggestion -- we had are very glad we had a chance to see the place!

San Francisco

We had a nice, short drive today from Red Bluff to San Francisco. It was beautiful driving in over the Oakland Bay Bridge -- we had great views of San Francisco, the Golden Gate Bridge (though most of it was hidden in fog), Alcatraz, etc. Our hotel is in Brisbane, which is about 5 miles south of the city. This photo is the view from our room...not bad! Tomorrow, we are going to Alcatraz and will spend the day in San Francisco... looking forward to that! Tonight we are going to Rudys Can't Fail Cafe in the very "intersting" East Bay area (RJ tells us it is the birthplace of punk rock, among other things). Rudy's is owned by Mike Dirnt, bass player for the band Green Day and it is this restaurant visit that was the start of our entire California road trip idea. Will post more stories and photos tomorrow and beyond. Here's a link to Rudy's if you're interested!
www.rudyscantfailcafe.com

Mt. Shasta

We finally arrived in California... Eureka! We loved the views of Mt. Shasta and we crossed over the Oregon/California border mid afternoon today. RJ was especially happy to reach our hotel in Red Bluff :-) The temperature in Red Bluff is about 90F which feels wonderful. It's been a long day, having left our house in Puyallup at around 5:45 a.m. and I'm sure that all of us will sleep well tonight. Tomorrow we are headed to the cooler climate of San Francisco, and are looking forward to three fun days in that beautiful city.

Grayland Beach, Washington - June 2009

We spent four days at Grayland Beach State Park (one of our favorite spots) and enjoyed wonderfully sunny weather ...highly unusual for June. Next Friday, we leave on a "road trip" to California and hope to be able to post photos along the way. Blogging is new for us, so stay tuned! :-)