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.

Universal Studios on a cold and dismal day

Someone stole the sun!  Kaye came back from walking Kyle and wrapped herself in a fleece. Tough guy Dave believed the great weather forecast and announced the sun would come out.  We'll see who is the smartest.

The entrance to the Theme Park section of Universal is Gate 6 and the signage is not that good.  We started at Gate 1 but our One Ton Dually Truck does great U Turns, mostly because little California cars just get out of the way.  

As we approached the main entrance (very grand) we were offered a VIP tour  package by an extremely well dressed gent for the paltry sum of $289 (+tax) each.  Why he thought we might be interested I don't know.  Maybe anyone who shows up wearing a PEI Dirt Shirt "T" shirt and shorts on a day when the mercury is struggling to get to 13c must be crazy enough to pay the price.

At the admission booth we were asked how long we were visiting for and where were we from?  "Canada and just for today", was the answer.  "I highly recommend you upgrade to the 'Front of the Line' ticket package if you are only here for the day", was the polite response coupled with a rambling explanation.  "How much would that be?"; asked Kaye.  "Only $49"...."Is that for both of us?"..."No, that is each"..."How much is the general price?"...$80..."Is that for both of us?"..."No, that is each"..."OK, it is cold out and does not look very crowded, we'll take two General Admission".

The park was as to be expected for a class act.  Well laid out, very clean, lots of staff, lots of characters in costume, etc.  Some seasonal stuff was closed (water park for the kiddies and many of the restaurants) as there was really nobody there.  We walked the back streets and viewed the working characters and their sets while we figured out the tour map and locations.  I think you will like some of these photos.

We enjoyed all of the major exhibits and rides with the pleasure of literally walking directly into/onto each one (Here's at Ya: VIP and First in Line fees). 

On the lower lot we saw: Jurassic Park, Transformers, and the Mummy.  First mistake; saw people struggling to put on clear plastic bags on their bodies and did not investigate further.  Second mistake; asking the gate keeper if we needed those plastic bags and believing him when he said; "No". Third mistake; having a wet ass in 13c temp at the very beginning of your day vice the very end.  Canadians...eh!  And "Yes" our accent was regularly recognized.

On the upper lot there are studio lot style streets of different eras and countries along with major and minor exhibits.  The major ones were; Simpsons, Shrek, FX, Animals are Stars, Studio Tour and Waterworld.  We actually had to wait about 15 minutes for the last one hour tour of the Studio Lot; which included major attractions, King Kong in 3D and the Earthquake movie underground scene (same one as Florida), but then we cruised from there to the last showing of Animals are Stars and the grand finale, Waterworld (video clip) without a seconds wait.

It was a wonderful experience and it kept us hopping all day long so the cold did not really sink in until waiting for the start of Waterworld.  I would not want to be here during a busy period and stand in line for two+ hours to see a 10 minute major attraction.  Plan your calendars and come in the off season or accept the agony and pay the price for the Front of the Line admission tickets. When the day is done you will be very happy with your decision in either case.

The Theme park here is far less than half the size of the one in Florida.  This location is more about the massive studio lots (over 100 years old) and the films/shows being made.  Florida is dedicated to being a theme park, so if your sole reason for coming is for the kids, pick Florida.

Hollywood Blvd

Hollywood Blvd.  We waited till after 10am for the traffic to ease on the freeways as recommended.  Parking was reasonable ($15 all day).  We took in the Guinness World Records museum but passed on the wax museum and Ripley's.  Guinness was fun and it was full of neat info.  For many of the categories, either Kaye or I would just say; "but why?".  With all the access to media information these days we were able to pick out the obvious flaws quickly in the sports categories (Lance Armstrong, Phelps, etc) but it was well worth the visit.

It was a 9000 step (pedometer) experience to walk the 'walk of fame'.  For quite the distance it went like this:  Lingerie Shop, Bong Shop, Souvenir Shop, Wig/Costume Shop, Lingerie Shop, Tour Promoter, Souvenir Shop, Lingerie Shop, Tattoo Shop, Wig/Costume Shop: Repeat again and add a restaurant or take out joint every 100 feet.  Who buys this much lingerie, wigs and bongs?  When we reached Fredrick's of Hollywood if was obvious that the class of lingerie had just jumped a 1000 notches.

I did not take this, Kaye did!

On a pleasant note; the tour promoters were not as; 'in your face' as we found in other countries.  A simple; "No thanks" was enough.  Nice.

We found 'Hollywood and Vine' but did not explore Vine.  Save that for next time.

The pangs of hunger found us directed to a Mexican restaurant.  It was very well decorated and bright.  We indulged in the 'set' three course menu and each chose different dishes.  They were all outstanding (see the picture album) and we would recommend it to you all (Loteria).

The people on the street (tourists and locals) were the real sights to see.  We did not photograph them, they are burned in our brains.  You will have to come and experience them yourselves.


It was hoot to read the 'stars' as you walked and then burst out what you best remembered them for.  Many of the people have more than one star and we were stumped by several on what they did to be recognized in a certain category (film, TV, radio, music, broadway).  Some more shots in an album.


 Gruamann's theatre is not Gruamann's anymore (now TCL, whatever that is) but the tour promoters still call it that.  Busloads of Asian tourists came and went every fifteen minutes or so.  We did not go into Madame Tussauds or the Gruamann tour as the day was done and Kyle was at home.

Welcome to Los Angeles...What to do first?

We made the short trek (160 miles) on the 101 Freeway to the Northern quadrant of Los Angeles (Northridge).  I would however recommend you take the Pacific Coast Highway and enjoy the scenery of the ocean and the coastal hills vice the nuthouse of the freeway.  Bitching Betty or Babbling Bob (female or male voices on the GPS) as you may know them are not that good at picking the best route.  Ours is a Garmin and it took us on a delightful romp through beautiful mountain passes on lesser highways with great visual shots but a much longer trip than just staying on the 101 Hwy at 65Mph.  We have her set on "Fastest Route" but she makes some very strange decisions, hence why I call her Betty.

We are staying in a nice place called Walnut RV Park.  No, it is not trees and grass like a coastal retreat but we are effectively in the middle of a 10 million population asphalt and concrete mecca with hotel room rates in the hundreds.  The rates are $65 with tax and Good Sam discount.  Very clean, secure and friendly.

For our first day in LA we really debated what to do.  My bride made the observation; "it will be SuperBowl Sunday, I bet the traffic will be light".  So we decided to made Sunday a sightseeing day.  I am going to place a bet, that other than Christmas, this is the quietest day on the freeways of LA.

Our first goal was the Col. Griffith Observatory, on the highest mount overlooking LA.  It provided the best shots of the Hollywood sign, access to 3000+ acres of park land (donated by the Col.) and a totally free observatory (the Col's goal).Griffith Observatory You would have to spend a complete day and evening to take in all the presentations and theatre events. 

We walked Kyle for a distance up the mount but were humbled by the number of people climbing up the steep cliffs and making the trek from bottom to top and back again.  Another goal for our Bucket Lists when we come back.  Some of the signs bothered Kaye.

Next we headed 30 miles South to Long Beach.  75 Mph, 25 minutes and we were at the pier of the Queen Mary.  Free parking for the first 30 minutes.  Time for pictures, a pee and a wave to the people standing in line with their suitcases to board the now, 'Hotel Queen Mary'. Beach here we come.

The Pacific Coast Highway caught up with us once we turned onto the famous strip of Long Beach.  We pulled into the first public parking area and tried to find signs on the rules for dogs.  No such luck and not a dog in sight.  A very, very tall dark negro man was polishing his Chevy Nova so I just had to stop and ask questions about the rules for dogs.  He informed us that there was a leash free park about a mile down the strip and then offered to 'take a cruise' and guide us there.  Gotta love it.  He beamed when I asked to take a picture of his 'ride'.

Kyle once again was treated to an hour on the beach with friends and we were surrounded by dog lovers who did not care if Kyle pee'd on the leg of their lawn chair! This picture of puppy feet beside baby feet says it all.

Beverly Hills was our next calling.  We cruised Rodeo Drive (Kaye swore she was OK with not stopping), headed through the residential district (looking for the Clampetts) and saw every exotic car ever made in one driveway or another.  We could not find Axle Folly but we did find his hotel. Sunset Boulevard was a neck jerking experience as we recognized the many places depicted in the movies....then there was Hollywood Boulevard.  A decision was made.  We would walk Hollywood Blvd tomorrow and stay another day in West LA.

Finally Warm and at the Ocean

Pismo Beach is the known description for this area but there are actually three long stretches of beach, five small communities and two larger cities near by.  At the bottom of the blog is a link to our FB album of all the pictures and descriptions.

Pismo Beach Area Map

This area has a very high end grouping of Spa resorts located on the best cliff areas of the Coastal Pacific Highway (Shell Road).  This is where we found "Alex BBQ" and the $35 ribs. The rest of the coastal area is fully populated with retiree trailer parks, RV resorts and smaller Motels for those of more modest means.

We normally always seek out the local information office to get a true locals' opinion of what sights we should look for vice the promotional paid books.  We were very happy to hear that they had a complete section of Avila Beach reserved as an "off leash" beach.  Kyle was treated to hours of fun two days in a row.

Kaye is wearing a Pedometer and we are trying to set a goal of 10K per day.  Having Kyle really helps chase the goal.  Kaye dipped her toes into the water and expressed very quickly; "This ain't Mexico!"

We walked the length of the farthest pier as we had been informed that we had better not miss the sights of the Elephant seals birthing and playing.  Yup, they were seals, I guess we have just seen too many up close for the sight to raise our heartbeats.  The views from the piers back over the communities, hills and shoreline were beautiful and made the walk well worth it.  There is a very nice restaurant at the end of the pier and many folks were fishing.  We had lunch overlooking the beach two days in a row and I shot a short video of some brave gulls. Thieves at the beach

Pismo is home to a famous nesting location for Monarch Butterflies and we were treated to seeing them in a state of protection.   As the weather is still considered cold the butterflies mass together for protection from the wind and temperature.  From a short distance away they just look like leaves on the tree.  Local volunteers step up "Spotting Scopes" for the visitors during the day and give interpretive speeches.  No charge.

There is a large area of the beachfront dunes set aside as a State Park.  You can drive on this area of the beach and Quads are free to roam the dunes.  We also found a State Park RV campground right on the beachfront.  Dry camping only but very nice large sites with fire pits and pull through design.  We forgot to find out the cost.

We took a drive to Vandenburg Air Force Base, about 30 miles South.  Their support squadron had listed on their website discounts for tickets to the major attractions in LA (Disneyland and Universal) and when I called they said; "Come on down".  Turns out the support squadron is a little out of touch with the base security.  The main pass gate would not let us in without a sponsor.  I called the base Chief Master Sargent (CMS) and he put me in touch with the support sqn CMS who graciously offered to be our sponsor for a hour and assist in purchasing the tickets...however, it turns out that the special offer ($125 for three days) would mean that the sponsor would have to attend Disneyland with us!!!  As nice as the CMS was, this did not fit into his plans.  So we had a lovely drive through wine fields and vegetable plantations and micro Mexican villages.  It was a wonderful morning.

In all, this is definitely a lovely place to just come and relax.  There are all the amenities you would want close by and the two larger cities have Costco and the mass malls.  The ocean highway provides exceptional scenery while driving but the hills do hit your wallet as far as fuel economy goes.

Full Album of Pismo Beach Pictures and descriptions

We have made reservations in West LA and according to the BCAA tourist book description; driving on the freeways is not for the faint of heart so our 56 feet of white freight train is going to take them on with a smile.

On the Road 2013, Dave, Kaye and Kyle

Hello Friends and Family;
Our travels are about a week ahead of this blog but that is mainly because; we were on a mission to get some work done on our trailer, we were driving through solid rain on Interstate Freeways day after day and really tired of saying: " Oh look, another WalMart!", and to top things off, we were not stopping to see anything except our hotel rooms...

However, it was not all that bad except for a few peek moments.  The ferry ride from the island made my blood boil (or the little bit of Scot blood in me) as our 53 foot travel train cost $258 one way and all we got to see was fog.  The border guards got soaking wet checking out the trailer as we did not fit under the covered area and poor Kyle howled and whined when he had to be put into a bare kennel while they did their inspection.  Only took about 45 minutes total.  When we have our Nexus cards that ordeal should be eliminated.

We have nothing but praise for the Holiday Inn Express chain.  We were still having troubles with our Rewards Program not recognizing us as "Platinum" cardholders when we tried to do our bookings on-line or via the phone.  However the desk staff everywhere we stopped honoured our status, gave us upgrades and exceptionally low rates.  They even let me plug in the trailer to charge the batteries.

When we hit the Southern mountain chain leaving Washington State the sky cleared and the sun even popped out for about half the day.  We were able to snap some great shots of Mt. Shasta.



Kaye is practising with her new camera so Dave; AKA 'Japanese Tourist', has a new competitor.  Kyle has been very attentive to our travels and seems to pay close attention when we are driving.  No barking outbreaks yet, but the most wildlife we have seen are cows and sheep.

We closely watch the outside temperature gauge in the truck and amid the gloomy sky it is exciting every time it climbs another degree!

When we arrived in Fresno, Ca (where we bought the trailer last year) the dealer promised to take us in first thing on Mon morning and let us drop the unit off on the Sunday.  We finally put our bags down for a couple of days and it was heaven.  Hot Tub here we come!

If any of you would like to buy a trailer or a motor home we would be happy to assist you in making a deal with Dan Gamel, owner of RVMall.com in Ca.   They fixed our furnace, replaced our torn slide cover awning, installed the centre jacks I brought from Canada, ordered and shipped a bike rack for me and charged me......nothing...  Gave me $30 off the bike rack and also covered the shipping.  Customer service is what they make their repeat business from and it shows.   Dan showed off his new purchase of a 1953 Jaguar somethingorother, cute but not my cup of tea... And I did not like the look on Kaye's face.


We left Dan's feeling like a million bucks for our first night of truly camping.  We raced to the West Coast of Ca to settle into a nice RV Park just South of Pismo Beach.  We were late getting in and as we went through the check list of hooking everything up we discovered that the flush valve on the toilet was spraying water up the wall of the bathroom.   Too late to deal with it, turn water off and use the community showers.


The morning investigation revealed a hairline crack in the plastic (meant removing the toilet).  We had noticed a trace of water around the toilet last summer but it was hit and miss.  One of our neighbours noticed me and the toilet on the front lawn (gawk) and came for a chat.  He  mentioned that the water pressure at this park was very high (75psi) and that this was a common finding at Ca parks.  The local RV parts dealer wanted almost as much for the replacement parts as the cost of the whole toilet (good business to be in) so I decided to upgrade the toilet to a domestic unit (same as a home) and added a pressure regulator to the water supply.  Bottom line, short $350 bucks and we're OK with that.  Kaye has a full size elongated ceramic biffy and I don't have a leak to deal with.

We are going to stay in Pismo for at least a couple of days.  Our goal is to try and relax and get back into the camping mode.  Hopefully our next post will have a better story line attached.