It was Sad to Leave the Ocean

It was a wonderful relaxing experience at Surfside Beach so we decided to stick to the ocean front road as much as we could on our next leg.  We were warned that there was a toll to cross a bridge from the island we are on, to the next island, Galveston.  The toll broke our budget for the day ($2), we asked if it was free for Canadians but the toll attendant said he didn't get the memo.

The drive along these two islands, that are at times only the width of the road wide, was worth experiencing.  On Surfside island the cottages, homes and resorts were nice,  I would call them 'middle class'.  Once we were on Galveston Island the homes, spas, retreats, restaurants etc started to move up in decadence the closer we got to Galveston.  Soon we were among massive Hilton style hotels and every tourist trap you could imagine.  We will have to go back and drive it again as the fog moved in just after we got started and we could not see the expanse of the beaches for most of the drive.  Google Map Link.  Galveston Island, the new pier and the village area at the beach are definitely a place we need to spend a couple of days during warmer weather. 

To get off Galveston Island we had to take a FREE ferry (20 mins) that runs 24hrs a day, with two boats running on the half hour during busy periods.  We waited less than 10 minutes to load.  We had a hoot with the gulls during the ferry ride.  They flew right into your face.  You could reach up and touch them.  Here is a cute video I made out of linking pictures together.

The ocean front road ended shortly after the ferry ride.  The rest of the shoreline is an animal preserve that stretches all the way to the Louisiana state line.  If you go back to the map link above you can 'click' and drag the map along the coastline to follow our route.  I was surprised to see Oil Pumpers located in the preserve. We stopped at the end of the beach road and had our lunch, waved goodbye to the ocean and let Kyle have one last swim.

Before we left Surfside we booked an RV site just outside of Beaumont.  This was a very short distance.  Our concern was not knowing how long the wait would be for the ferry or the road conditions next to the ocean.  The road was rough and slow at Surfside. As it turned out  the road quickly improved and we reached Hidden Lake RV Park early in the afternoon.  It was not far off the highway and the owners were super nice.  Their stocked lake allowed for catch and release fishing and they even provided the canoes and fishing poles for the kids.  Since it was winter we were advised it was too cold for swimming.  I asked if they minded if Kyle went for a swim and the owner answered; "By all means, there was an alligator being a nuisance but we haven't seen it in the last little while"...Nope, Kyle did not get to go swimming.

The resort was super clean with an inexpensive laundry.  Most of the rigs appeared to be permanent residents.  We were given a very long back-in site next to the park fence that was perfect.  As we were getting settled a train whistle exploded on the other side of the fence.  Kaye jumped out of her shorts and swore.  Nearly every little town we have stayed in, is located right next to the rail lines.  Which all makes sense, as it was the rail's progress West that created the towns to begin with.  When Kaye mentioned the train to the owner and queried if it came through during the night, the owner said; "What train"?

Our plan is to skip New Orleans on this trip.  The storm we are following has moved East and North so we should be able to catch up some miles.  We are going to hit the big interstate (I10 and I12) and do a long drive to the famous Biloxi, Mississippi.

Finally, the Ocean. What a Sight

After five days in Fredericksburg we were a little behind schedule, so a plan was hatched to drive a big day all the way to the Gulf of Mexico.  The great WiFi at OakWood allowed us to make phone bookings and we knew we would need two nights to recover.  Our choice was the island location of Surfside Beach, South of Freeport in the Brazosport county of Tx.  After some intense searching we found the only Hotel/RV park truly 'on the beach'.  Breeze Hotel and RV Park.  It has no resort amenities like hot tubs and laundry, not even an indoor bathhouse or cable TV, BUT IT IS ON THE BEACH ON THE GULF OF MEXICO!!!

The drive turned ultra ugly once we got close to FreePort.  Not because of the roads, it was the scenery   It turns out this is one of the homes of Dow Chemicals,plus hundreds more chemical refineries, oil refineries, and acres and acres of....just looks bad.  The companies have built sprawling masses of cheap apartments/condos for their workers to rent/own.  We were so shocked with the visual we forgot to take a picture.  Imagine the worst cement factory/oil refinery you have ever seen and then multiply it by 50.  Once we crossed over the high rise bridge to the island, the ugliness was left behind and the ocean appeared.  The houses and cottages are all built on stilts (pilings) and many are abandoned or in ruins from the last big storm in 2009.

After a quick check-in and set-up, Kyle was dragging us towards the beach.  The signs were still up for the Surfside Marathon that had just finished right in front of our location.  Porta Potties were stretched out down the beach and the '26' mile sign was still stuck in the sand.  Kyle looked up and just started to quiver as I reached to undo his leash...hesitation and then..explode.  All the memories of Huntington Beach flooded his head.  Man and dog walking together.  Priceless.  Nope, Kyle, Gone.

To us, the breeze was warm but everyone else was covered up like snow was coming.  And in fact it was according to the news we listened too later.  We immediately noticed that there were Christmas Trees laid bottom to top and tied together all along the upper sand line of the beach.  Miles of them?  We even found a sign that stated the penalty for taking them apart and using them for firewood on the beach?  Not sure what they are really for but they make great garbage blockers from the wind.

You may drive on the beach, have fires and there are garbage cans every 100 yards or so.  They make it easy to enjoy that which belongs to the public.  And public access is every few hundred yards.

In the morning we hit the beach with Kyle for another long walk.  I shot some video and took pictures of the multicoloured homes/cottages on stilts.  There seems to be a competition to see who can build the longest walkway to the beach.  There is no river, no snake infested grassland or even a road to cross.  They just like building walkways from 'their' decks to the sand on the beach.  Good on em!  

Many of these units are rentals and only a few appear to be lived in full time.  I asked the owner of the RV Park about flooding and all the homes being built on stilts.  Insurance is non existent.  In 2009 this area suffered moderate damage but just North of here they were wiped out completely.  We will drive through that area on our way to Galveston.  One area or another gets wiped out every twenty years or so.  Cost of living on the ocean!

Cooking suppers on the BBQ, next to the beach, brought back bad memories of Manitoba... Mosquitoes!!!  Slower than molasses but their bite has left Kaye with giant welts that even chlor-tripolon didn't help...Did I mention that I was the chef and she was inside watching TV!  Inch thick pork chops, bone in, were to die for.  Just sayin.

This is more like a place we could call home for winter than the desert parks of Arizona.  Kyle put on 50 miles, we put on at least 10 and I did not want to leave.  We have made plans to drive the coastal highway to Galveston and take the ferry across the gulf opening.  We will not travel far because of the uncertainty of our destination and the storms that are brewing.

A Place of History: Fredericksburg, Tx.

At the end of my last post I said to add 'Fredericksburg, Tx' to your Bucket List.  I am not kidding.  We chose the Oakwood RV Resort.  The park has quite close sites but that is offset by every amenity and super nice staff.  Lots of walking room for Kyle and just close enough to downtown.  It just happens to be located right beside Street Dreams Classic Car Sales). I already posted a picture album of three cars that I knew would interest my friends.   Kaye kept a close watch on the cheque book but she was safe.  The car I would love to buy already had a sold sign on it.  But there are more. 

This little town of 25K has more hotels, motels, spa resorts, B&Bs and camping than all of Canada, but they are hidden away and disguised in period architecture that took us a day to notice.  It is the tourist retreat for all the big towns in Texas and more.  Kinda like rushing to cottage country for the weekend.  There are race tracks, ball fields and lots of advertisements for: "Rally Troupes Meet Here". The total decor of the town is period.  No traditional commercial signs, all blended to match the old world stone and masonry brick work of Europe brought over from Germany in the very early 1800s.  This is the Sedona, Az of Texas.

Our goal was to see the Admiral Nimitz and War of the Pacific Museums.  Once we found them, we knew we were in trouble.  It was already after two in the afternoon and the museum closed at five.  The lady on the counter told us our retired military entry fee was only $10 and that our ticket was good for 48 hours!  We ended up doing two hours the first day, four hours the next day and then two more on the morning of the third day.  The museum covers the history of the Nimitz family using his original birthplace building which was operated as a hotel on the corner of Main street and Washington and then blocks of new buildings housing the War of the Pacific Museum and two blocks away a complete outdoor museum with original war pieces (Avenger, PT Boat, Tanks, etc) and an amphitheatre that plays live shows of a beach front battle.  Our tour guide for the outdoor section was an 86 year old Navy Vet who served in the Pacific during the final year of the war.  Very well spoken.

Main street is over a mile long and both sides of the street are packed with German restaurants, beer gardens, antiques, nick knacks  and....everything.  Even chocolate covered bacon and pickles.  Kaye found some preserves that were from her namesake; "K-Ann".  There are at least ten winery outlets that all had 'sample' rooms for both wine and beer.  The costs varied but if you bought their wine they refunded the 'sampling' fees.  Kaye resisted.

The old hospital has been turned into a Kitchen Shop with a hundred rooms and anything you can imagine in gadgetry displayed somehow.  We went everyday for their special 5 cent fresh ground coffee and then sat and read cook books.

Dropped some coin at a local world famous spice, sauce and jelly farm outlet.  Incredible flavours. Fischer and Wiese have a tasting outlet right across from the Nimitz Hotel.  We ate too many crackers trying too many flavours.  Our German lunch was to share a plate of three different sausages with an appetizer consisting of a hard boiled egg, rolled in spicy sausage and crumbs and then pan seared with a mustard sauce and a side of coleslaw.  Stupidly Delicious. Their private brewery offered six beers that you could order as samples for $1.  Yum, good thing we are walking.  Kaye ordered 'German Potato Salad' as a side dish and spit the first mouth full onto the plate.  Warm and ugly.  She questioned the waiter and he said; "you either love it, or hate it.".  One for the Hate Column.

Lady Bird Johnson has the honour of having the local city park named after her.  We went to look for a place for Kyle to run and found a full service RV park ($30), river, ball fields, 18 hole golf course, driving range, nature trails and, and, and.   The only thing we were missing was the camera.  Kyle took off after a Herring Fisher and jumped onto the concrete wall of the river dyke not knowing there was a pond on the other side.  Splash!  He just swam around in circles until he focused on my voice.  That will be the last time he clears an obstacle he can't see over or behind.  Man I wish I had the video camera.

The park attendant said that it should be impossible to get a site here or anywhere in normal years.  However, the economy is so down that the RV park is now only full on the major holiday weekends and during special events.  Cheapest diesel in the USA so far.  $395 US Gal.

On our last night in town we celebrated our fifth anniversary of being 'smoke free'.  The guest at the next table were discussing their 'oil' lease that was not producing up to spec!  Yup, we are in Texas.

We could not have found a better place to wait out the storms hitting the country.  There were hail storms just to the East of us, snow that interrupted a PGA event in Arizona behind us and Tornado warning with high winds and rain through the Louisiana coastline and northern Florida.  All of which we have to cross.  Our one day plan turned into five...and we might be back.

Racing through New Mexico, Texas Here We Come!

Willcox, Texas was a hoot and we were very happy we found it.  We will explore the area South of there next year.  The next leg of our trip seemed to indicate that we were going to be spending a night in or close to, El Paso.  After an hour of searching and reading reviews on the Internet we could still not find a suitable RV site.  The reviews were horrible and several included profanity.   We gave up for the night.

It was time for a hot tub.  A couple, 10 years our senior, were already relaxing.  After introducing ourselves and being asked; "Where are you headed", we mentioned El Paso.  Last words we spoke for the next hour.  The lady hammered home that El Paso was overrun with violence, drug cartels, border raids, sirens and filth.  She then gave us the oral version of Woodall's RV guide and AAA travel attraction listings all the way to Florida (where they too were headed).  It all turned into a blur and we did not know how to escape but we were able to confirm that there was a very nice RV Park in a tiny town called VanHorn, two hours East of El Paso, that also had a hot tub.  Sold! Eagle's Nest RV did not have a website and Google could not find them but our destination was set...

The desert driving speed increased to 80mph.  We stuck to 65.  The interstate rest stops are frequent and very well adorned, including shade trees.  Some even have coffee outlets.  No matter how nice they are, the desert just seems to go on forever. What beauty there is was destroyed by the blight of hundreds of Wind Farms covering so much of the high ground. Not our cup of tea.
We went through three 'Homeland Security' road stops and at one we were asked; "Who's in the back?".  I thought he wanted to see Kyle so I rolled the window down but he was asking about the trailer.  All I know is; Kaye put on lipstick after the first stop.  I guess he was 'hot'.

The traffic and expanse of El Paso was not something we expected.  The city seemed to carry on like LA, sprawling over the hills with no end in sight. The I10 literally follows the Mexican border for miles and miles with several huge bridges acting as border crossing roads.  The traffic was nuts but it all flowed at 70+mph.  


We stopped at a McDonalds to hook up to their WiFi and try and confirm a reservation at Eagle's Nest.  No WiFi.  Little English.  But tons of filth. There is a recycling fee when you buy items but there is no 'return' for refund.  The open land behind the truck stop and McDonalds contained enough beer bottles, plastic bottles and other garbage to overflow our little land fill in the Comox Valley.  I could not even let Kyle wander to pee on a bush because of the broken glass... the lady in the hot tub was right!

Two hours later I pulled off the Interstate and 'Bitching Betty' took us to Main Street VanHorn.  Eagles Nest RV was totally boarded up, along with many other shops on the single street town. Crap.  We idled along the street and spied another RV Park right before the sign for rejoining the Interstate.  Desert Willow, a tiny place, only a couple of trailers.  $25 total, full hook-ups, satellite cable, WiFi (secure!), pick your own spot.  The bathroom/showers were brand new, tiled from floor to ceiling and show home quality.  Kyle even got a 'treat bag' from the check-in office.

As I was setting up, I noticed the flash of light from an electric welding stick at a shop across the street.  It was Sunday!  Our bike rack holder had developed a bad crack bouncing down the back roads of the desert which had forced us to store the bikes in the trailer.  A real pain in the butt.  I wandered across the street and introduced myself to 'Willy'.  His English was; "no so good" but his welding looked fine.  I pointed and talked with my hands, he said a lot of "Si" and "I come see".  Willy came, complete with his welding truck. Kaye offered him an orange juice, he measured, then cut and trimmed a steel support plate and welded it to the bumper of the trailer around my hitch.  He worked for nearly two hours.  When done I asked for the cost and he looked at his watch and then upwards to the now darkened sky, on a Sunday, in the middle of nowhere, and said; "Fifty", he got $60 and another orange juice.  Outstanding.

So Thank-You Desert Willow, VanHorn and of course the couple from the hot tub.  We half expected them to show up at our site but I guess they carried on when they found Eagles Nest closed. Kyle got a super off leash walk, I did not even have to unhook the trailer and the showers were almost as good as a hot tub.

The secure, fast, WiFi allowed us to post our pictures, catch up on banking, call relatives and plan where to go next.  I wanted off the Interstate but still keep to a general line for the Gulf Coast.  We picked the 290E, North of San Antonio.  The travel book had a huge write-up about a town called Fredericksburg, Tx the hometown of Admiral Nimitz and a German heritage dating to the early 1800s.  

Hint, put Fredericksburg, Tx onto your Bucket List... More to come.

It is a long, long way to the Sea..

The internet did not work at Bashford's either but old fashion maps made us decide we needed to knuckle down and get some miles behind us.  Only desert awaits which included Yuma and Phoenix, which we visited last year.  None of our friends are currently in either city so a plan has been made to stick to the Interstate and take advantage of driving at 65mph.

Kaye dug into the books and we found a place on the other side of Tucson called Willcox which sounded most interesting.  A quick Magic Jack phone call from a McDonald's free HotSpot Wifi in Yuma and we were booked for the night.  6+hrs of driving at 65.  Boring driving but we did stop in Dateland and this time we bought a World Famous Date Shake.  Very sweet taste.  Worth the adventure.

Willcox, Az is right off the I10.  We came in from the West entrance and the first impression was; 'ghost town', thankfully we could see McDonald's and Fuel Station signs high in the sky further along so there had to be life somewhere.  Our RV park was everything it said it was.  This is desert, so no trees etc, but gravel footing, full hook ups, pool, hot tub, exercise facility, cable and WiFi.  For the whopping sum of $27.50 per night, taxes in. 

Kaye had been reading the history of the town while on the freeway and after driving through old main street and seeing the board walk we were convinced to stay an extra day right at check-in.

This is the birthplace of Rex Allen, the Country and Western singer, movie star and legendary voice of over 100 Walt Disney nature films. (Rex Allen Link).  The old town is rebuilding itself as a tourist destination with the restoration of buildings, many museums and thrift shops.  The Marty Robbins tribute museum has also relocated to Willcox.  There are wineries in the area with established tasting galleries on the old main street along with art galleries.

Several hours were spent in the local town museum learning the real story of Geronimo, not the Hollywood movie version.  He was from this area along with the towns and legends of Apache Pass, Tombstone, the Earp family and Boot Hill.

A late lunch was taken at Rodney's where you order at the cook shack and then sit in the building next door. You can ask Kaye in person about the posing pictures of half naked men on the wall.  We could not have a beer (in the beer garden) because the saloon on the corner was being reworked after a water pipe burst and it was their liquor license not Rodney's. Share and share alike.

We found ourselves donating entrance fee money at the Rex Allen museum with a local curator sporting a real gun on his hip and a love to tell the story of Rex. We could not escape him!  As soon as you looked at a picture, portrait, anything he broke out into a prerecorded story.  Hours passed and then there was the gift shop!

It gets very cool quickly once the sun sets in the desert.  We soaked in the hot tub, enjoyed a 'tail gate' BBQ of ribs and chicken and decided to stay yet another day.  Kyle got to chase jack rabbits in the scag bush behind the RV Park and might just be getting the hang of being a sniffer dog. I wanted to catch up on our writing and photos and we had been too late to get into the Marty Robbins museum so we had to go back to town!

We took Kyle with us on our walk of town, he does not seem to mind being the centre of attention.  We bought some souvenirs from the lady's shop that we met in the pool last night and I picked out another walking stick.  If you like American Pickers, you could spend a lot of time in this town.  Walking home, we passed the outdoor Saturday Auction.  The Auctioneer could be heard saying; "Sold" for $5.60...Kaye picked up the pace as I peered between the pick-up trucks and wire fencing.

We will definitely pass back through this area, likely taking the lesser roads South of here (Highway 80) to visit Tombstone and several of the other famous western towns.  This place is one to keep on the map.  ps. The Rex Allen days are 4-6 Oct 2013.

Heading for the Desert

We have been trying to plan our next stop but with an internet connection that rates behind the Tortoise, we were not doing well.  Kaye kept her nose buried in the maps, CAA guide books and the RV Bible (Woodalls).  Email was working so we sent a request several days ago to a place that sounded too good to be true in the book.  The Bashford Mineral Hot Spring Spa overlooking the Salton Sea.  Overnight pull throughs welcome, access to the mineral pools is included in your stay, swimming pool, hot tub, dog friendly, Good Sam Club, WiFi and $35 per night, taxes in. Sign us up! I explained our situation and that we did not have a phone etc and asked if there was space available for Wed.  Not a peep was heard. Oh well.

Our last night in Anaheim was a visit back to Disney for the evening production of the "World of Colour".  It is about a 30min show put on by water jets, bright light projectors, music and singing.  It was awesome!  You could reserve your viewing area by getting a free pass during the day and there was tons of seating for us cripples.  It was a perfect ending to a magnificent week in LA.  Sorry no pictures, you will have to come and visit but here is a link to me filming the 'Screamer' with my GoPro. Yes, that is Kaye screaming for the whole ride.

 Even better was to find a return email from Bashford Hot Springs when we got home.  In broken English, with no punctuation, it said that that they are not very good with email, don't take reservations and to call first to see if anything is open....crap.  We decided to roll the dice and head in that direction as it was only 4-5 hours depending on the traffic.

We braved the major freeway traffic to get out of LA.  You have a small window of time.  10:30 to 11:30 and 12:30 to 2:30.  I set my goal to get off the major Interstate highway and onto some lesser roads as soon as I could.  No accidents, smooth sailing and when we turned off the highway we found the side road freshly paved and traffic vacant.  

From a great distance the Salton Sea (AKA Sonny Bono State Park) looks very attractive.  This state park continues for most of the Eastern side of the lake, with campgrounds every few miles. A lot of campsites but mostly empty.  Many closed down businesses with all the same signs; "Liquor and Bait".  A very barren landscape and flat as it comes.  We found out later that the salt lake (ice age remnant) had good fishing in the 30-60s and the baby boom turned it into a camping mecca with boating resorts, winter Oasis homes, etc.  As the years past, the lake rescinded, the salt level is now twice that of the Dead Sea and all businesses and real estate venues have died.  The state took over the shoreline some time ago to preserve it and many still come to run their off road machines and dry camp.

Bitching Betty found the turn off to the Spa and it was clear the road headed East into the foothills of the mountains. There were abandoned mobile homes and Adobe buildings all along the way and the road was so bouncy our speed was reduced to near walking.  However, there were also massive signs announcing the coming of Bashford Hot Springs and The Fountain of Youth RV Spa Resorts at every mile marker.  We felt much better.

Palm trees appeared above the underbrush and the sight of RV roof top Air Conditioners gave us confidence.  At check-in the lady in the office spoke just like she wrote in the email but there was 'Room at the Inn' and we were happy.  The RV Park was estimated to be 75% Canadian.  As we arrived, a 'service' was just ending for one of the long time park guests so there were golf carts abandoned everywhere around the Social Centre which was right in front of our pull through. As we were getting set up, people came to introduce themselves.  Lots of prairie folk.  It turns out we had arrived on 'Happy Hour Wed' which meant a live band in the social room starting at 4pm.  With Corona in hand we took the bait.  We were likely the bait as we were certainly the youngest there.  The three local campers belting out 50s/60s tunes, all in the same key, were the hit of Broadway and the dance floor was packed.  They play the legion too!

At our table, our new found friends stated that they now own a doublewide mobile in the park.  Bought it last year for $4200 complete with outbuildings, golf cart and furnishings.  They explained how they stopped in for one night three years ago, ended up staying for a week, then came back for three months and then bought the mobile following a resident's death.   When we asked about the services for the fellow that passed they explained that the park has a nickname: "God's waiting room!". We looked at each other and said in poor harmony; "Time to get out of Bashford!"

Now that the poking fun is over, do not stroke this place off the map.  The park was very clean, the showers were great, the mineral tubs were true to form and the pool/hot tub were excellent.  If you need to kill a couple of days and just relax before hitting the highways of California, keep this one in mind.  Have your fridge stocked before you arrive as there is nothing close.

We found Mickey !!

We thought we were so smart hitting the beaches on the weekend and then returning to Disney for the weekdays.  On Monday, the sun came out and we hit the park at opening (10am). It was a madhouse.  Our goal had been to get FastPass tickets to the Futureland rides and the new 'Cars' attraction on the California Adventure Land side of the park.  Not happening.

When we arrived at Cars there were already signs up saying that the Fast Pass tickets were booked for the complete day!!  Turns out it was a holiday which we still cannot nail down.   We did make it onto the Screamer which I filmed with the GoPro. Cars is the 'newest' attraction and with so many people waiting to get on it, it took the pressure off most of the other California attractions, however the Disney side was jam packed everywhere.

The 'Soaring Over California' ride reminded us of Expo 86 and the IMax Theatre production of 'Seeing Canada'.  There were lots of 3D shows.  California is really focused on teens and above.  However we could not find Mickey and Kaye wanted Mickey.

We planned to come back for the World of Colour show at 8:15pm which we did do, but mechanical difficulties cancelled the show.  Oh well, we have one more day.
You are allowed a one day early admission on your multi-day hopper passes.  After the insanity of Monday we decided we better take advantage of that for our last day.  So up quickly and off to the shuttle stop.  It was just leaving as we got there...Next one 30 minutes....then sitting in rush hour traffic in a shuttle bus...arrived at Disney 10 minutes before regular opening.  Great plan gone sour but guess what...no people!

We walked main street as the park opened and guess who we found.  Kaye ran, shoulders down again other mothers, young children and strollers.  A place in line was established.  Dave took up position as chief photo guy and then it was the moment worth waiting for.  Smile says it all.

We breezed through Tomorrow Land, did Cars, did the Screamer again (Kaye kept her eyes open for some of it) and had a wonderful 'meat loaf and mashed potatoes' late lunch in a quiet diner.  We clocked over 20K on the pedometer marching back and forth between the two parks to meet our Fast Pass ticket timings.  It was a great day.  We have lots of photos to post but the internet connection we have is so slow that it is not worth the effort.  Stay tuned and we will catch up with more photos, videos and descriptions.

All the best; Kyle says; " Hi Too"

Anaheim, Ca

As nice as Walnut RV Park was, we were not going to try and commute 60 miles to Disneyland each day.  We snuck across LA at 1:30 in the afternoon on a Wed and in just over an hour we were safe and sound in the Anaheim RV Park, less than a mile from the gates of Disneyland and Disney's California Adventure Park.

We booked for two nights on-line, then after speaking with the check-in hostess for 30 minutes we extended our stay another night. That plan went South after we reviewed all the great tourist material she gave us, so after dinner we decided to stay for a week ($330 w full hook-ups and $220 each for three day Disney Hopper Passes).

While shopping we questioned people about how long it would take to get to the famous Huntington Beach and Laguna Beach based on traffic woes.  Answer; Weekdays are madding, so the weekends will be reserved for beach adventures and the weekdays for the theme parks.  We were informed that there is a dog friendly beach close to Huntington so guess who gets a special day for themselves.  

The park shuttles run every 20 minutes for a whopping $5 a day, come and go as many times as you please.  Disney is so classy and well organized.  I swallowed my pride and with my balancing stick in hand accepted a Guest Assistance Card.  Even though the park was very quiet the card provided a place to sit and wait vice always standing.  Heaven.

Since we took the shuttle we did not have to deal with parking.  However, once inside the park, we were introduced to massive parking lots. Stroller parking...Kids don't walk anymore, only their parents do.  Gone are 'baby strollers' for newborns, most of these behemoths are three wheelers capable of carrying 200lbs+.  Sad...

Great news is that Disney has a FastPass system for the major attractions.  You put your ticket into the pass machine and it gives you a window of time to return at which time you go straight to the entrance gate.  With the pass registered you can feel free to roam and visit the minor attractions without having to just stand in line for hours and hours.  And, it is a free system.  At Universal I explained that the 'Front of the Line' pass was an extra $50 each, per day.  As I said; Disney is classy!

It was a cool day and the crowds were very small.  This is one of the slowest periods of the year.  The good news is that meant almost no waits for the attractions but the bad news is that several of the major attractions were undergoing renovations.  For Canadians, I would still pick missing a few attractions over fighting crowds and standing in line in high temperatures.

While waiting in line we spoke with a couple entertaining a young child.  When we asked what her favourite experience was 'yesterday' they said it was watching the ducks while they had lunch.  Reminds you of Christmas Day when the best present for a little one is letting them play with the wrapping and boxes.  Makes you rethink the 'big' present you spent too much money on.

It was my first time using the Go Pro so I had no idea how it would handle the darkness in the theme rides like 'Indiana Jones' and 'Pirates of the Caribbean'.  Turns out it does not handle 'dark' well at all.  Darn, but the video is still fun.  Try and listen for Kaye's screams.  When I finished editing the movie, I hit the Upload button for YouTube and it said it would take 775 minutes to upload a three minute movie!!!  Does that give you an idea of how slow our Internet connection is.  I formatted it to a lesser quality and got it to load in less than two hours.  However after viewing it, I too, am disappointed.  Guess we will have to wait for a better connection.

A Weekend Exploring the Coastal Towns

We must be getting adjusted to the climate.  It was 14c and we felt cold.  The ocean front highway (Pacific #1) is a wonderland of sights that just don't stop.  We drove to Seal Beach via the freeway system (just South of Long Beach) and then wound our way South on the original Pacific Coast Highway.  When we approached Huntington Beach we were in awe.  The beach runs for miles and miles and miles and seems to not stop.

Our first stop was the dog friendly beach.  What a place of magic and smiles.  The picture of Kyle does say it all.  We and the other dogs exhausted him completely.  Leashes are actually required, however the volunteer society that has been managing the beach for the last 16 years looks after the beach and area and pays the city via donations and sales of merchandise. In return, the city does not patrol the beach or enforce the leash bi-law.  Strange way to do business but if it works....

At downtown Huntington there is the famous pier with Ruby's Diner at the very end.  They had excellent coffee and a menu that did not appear to gouge considering their 'location, location'.  We were entertained by buskers, doomsday preachers, giant pogostick jumpers, fishermen, surfers and of course, beach volleyball players.  Kaye got all the eye candy on this day.

Halfway out on the pier was a Pelican hamming it up for whatever photographers would pay attention.  There was no lack of photographers including us.  Professional photographers were everywhere and photo shoots were everywhere.  Nobody offered me a job...

We wandered through many of the main street tours and eventually found the Surfer Museum.  Check this one off for the bucket list too.  It is only one large room but we spent over an hour reading the history, watching the videos and sorting through the memorabilia.

Kaye found a classy ladies beach shop and we are the proud owners of a new bathing suit.  I just liked getting to sit in the ladies change area and watch...

We headed home from Huntington via Beach Blvd and joined up with the 22 highway four miles from Disney.  4-6 lanes all the way and co-ord lights.  Piece of cake.

On Sunday we headed out on the I5 South to join Laguna Beach at it's Southern point and work our way North back to Huntington Beach.  When we left the freeway the drive became very attractive.  High mountains with rolling hills and twisting roads.  Once you could see the ocean, the commercial signs became listings for 'spas, spas, spas,'...As we entered Laguna Beach the most noticeable objects were the parking meters.  They are out into the residential district.  Parking fees are not stupid and the meters are limited in time so it creates a changeover in the downtown area quite quickly but wow, this community wants it's fees.


Laguna Beach is the 'Artsy, Gay, Alternative, etc, etc,' homeland of the Artisan world in California.  We walked the streets and the galleries. If you understand and appreciate art, you could not only spend a couple of days here but you could drop some serious coin on artwork. We don't, so we were safe.  Here is a description of the parking spots on 6th street.  Lamborghini, Porsche, Merc, Porsche, Merc, Merc, Merc, Merc, and a scattering of BMWs and Cadillacs where they could fit....They all still got out of my way when I turned on my signal.   Must be a Canadian thing.

Laguna has a boardwalk that follows the cliffs for about two miles.  There are picnic sites with outdoor BBQ pits and the area is immaculately groomed.  Turn off #1 towards the water and follow the cliff road.  Parking is reasonable and the view and walk is worth the price.

We drove the #1 back to Huntington and joined Kyle for another 6000 steps on the dog friendly beach.  Overall, a great weekend at the best beaches California has to offer.  This is a place to remember and come back to.

The weather says that the sun is coming so it will be back to Disney for Mon and Tues.  Wish us luck.