Day 18 - Wednesday, April 18 - More Cambria

We visited the Hearst Castle, just north of Cambria, today. This opulent mansion was built from 1919 to 1947 and is a reflection of the massive wealth and extravagance of America’s most wealthy at that time.
It is now a museum, owned by the State of California.
It was designed to be like a little Spanish village with the guest areas modelled on a typical Spanish house. We went through one that had 18 bedrooms and 18 bathrooms - just amazing.
The main outdoor pool is also incredible. It is modelled on Roman ruins, like those found outside many Spanish or Italian towns.
The main house is designed to be like a Spanish church.
It reminded us a lot of Portugal and some of the villages we visited there - only much more opulent and clean and with nothing falling down.
The house and gardens are full of antiquities and other pieces of fine art. The front door , for example, was from a Spanish convent.
The huge main living area (modelled on the great hall in a castle) and the dining room feature wooden panelling from European churches, huge tapestries from England and Europe and beautifully carved ceilings also taken from European palaces.
The whole lot shows the massive wealth and America’s prime place in the world at that time.
Billionaire William Randolph Hearst built the mansion and lived there with his mistress while his wife and children lived in New York. He also had a private zoo - and the ranch around the museum (which is still owned by the Hearst Corporation) still has elk, zebra and barbary sheep, as well as the cattle.
The tour of the castle, which lasted about an hour-and-a-half, was well worth it.
We then headed back up the coast about 5km to a viewing point for Elephant seals. You can actually see these animals on the beaches for quite a long stretch on this part of the highway.
The viewing point was an excellent spot to be able to watch the animals. We also really enjoyed that.
All that’s left for now is for us to pack and get ready to head back to LA tomorrow and our flights out. We’ll be back in Australia on Saturday morning - what a wonderful holiday!
Carlene

Day 17 - Tuesday, April 6 - Cambria

We spent today exploring the little town of Cambria - a slower day after the big day of travelling down the coast on Monday. We started with a walk along the small cliff at the end of our street. The upper edges have been planted with a variety of wildflowers.
The beach is grey sand/gravel - like a lot of the beaches in England and parts of Europe. I always find it really odd to be on a beach that is not sandy white/yellow. The girls enjoyed paddling in the small estuarine creek that runs alongside the main beach and into the ocean. They said the water was freezing - personally I wasn’t risking it.
The beach is a driftwood preservation area, so it was covered in beautiful huge whitened logs and other things thrown up from the sea.
We then spent the afternoon exploring the interesting galleries and shops of Cambria before walking back to the house via a trail through some woods.
Carlene

Day 16 - Monday, April 6 - to Cambria

We left beautiful Muir Beach today and travelled down the Highway 1 coastal route to a sleepy coastal town called Cambria.
We started off with a quick visit to Muir Woods - it had been too wet to get to the woods on Sunday so we started off there. The woods had huge stands of coastal Californian redwoods - the tallest trees in the world. They were spectacular but I didn’t think they were as impressive as the giant Sequoias in Yosemite’s Mariposa Grove.
We then cut across the San Francisco peninsula to Monterey and then followed the coast down.
It is a great coastal drive with beautiful cliffs, rocks and seascapes, as well as impressive forests and mountains.
It was a gorgeous blue skies day and so everything looked even more spectacular.
The road in places was a bit scary - it was starting to break off in parts and even went down to one lane in several places to avoid the part that was in poor repair.
They are working to fix the road in many places.
We arrived in Cambria just in time to pick up the key for the house, which has a lovely view across the ocean. We ate out at a very typical American grill. Food came in massive serves - we had the small serve of ribs - 7 each. They were good but the ranch beans with them were a bit sweet. The girls didn’t like the chips very much. It was an experience I guess we had to have but I wouldn’t be rushing back there.
A lot of the food here in the US is very sweet. We have struggled to find bread without sugar - and had some so sweet (molasses, honey and sugar in it)) that we couldn’t eat it (even the girls complained).
For those who have been asking, we did not feel the earthquake from southern Mexico at all. Thank goodness - we were right on top of the San Andreas fault in Muir Beach!
Carlene

Day 15 - Sunday, April 4 - San Francisco

I hope you guys liked the video I took of the penguin pushing the younger looking penguin in. Yesterday we went to the Aquarium and the Museum we were going to go to the Planetarium but they said only if you have passes. We had a great time but it was raining, which made it a bit worse when we were trying to get to the car. We went on the lift, which made a big difference. I miss you all seeya.
ELLEN!!!!!!!!!

Day 15 - Sunday, April 4 - More San Francisco

It was wild, windy and rainy again today. I think San Francisco’s motto must be beautiful one day, rainy the next. The view from our house changed again - it’s been great to see the changing mood of the sea from our windows. We went to the Californian Academy of Science museum today. It has a range of exhibits including a rainforest in a giant dome and an aquarium. The girls really enjoyed all of the displays - especially the one on climate change and the display of African penguins (Ellen took the video below). The museum is well set up but it was packed today as it was wet and they had just launched a new exhibit, which we could not get tickets to see as they had sold out. We also couldn’t get into the Planetarium. But the rest of the museum was really good - especially some parts of the aquarium featuring the marine life of southern and northern California. Ross and Sussana also visit the De Young Museum of Modern Art, which is just across from the science museum. Both museums are in Golden Gate Park - which looked great but given the extremely wet conditions we weren’t tempted out to explore (mind you that doesn’t seem to stop the locals who we saw bike riding and jogging in the pouring and very cold rain). We then went for a drive through some of the incredibly hilly San Francisco streets and past all the Victorian houses. We finished up with a drive down Lombard Street (the really crooked street). Then it was back across the Golden Gate bridge to our house. The bridge is just as impressive from on top as it is from the water and it was good to get to go across it both ways as we travelled from Muir Beach to San Francisco and back again. Tomorrow we leave this lovely city early in the day. I can understand why people always say you will love San Francisco - it really is a lovely city. Carlene

Day 13-14 - Friday, April 2, and Saturday, April 3 - San Francisco

We have spent the last two days in San Francisco and seen the weather extremes for which the city is renowned. Yesterday we awoke to wild wind and rain. It was freezing outside.
As Ross was recovering from a severe head cold and the girls were tired of travel we decided to spend the day in the house at Muir Beach. It’s a great place for such a day. We watched the rain showers come across the ocean and the wild waves pound onto the beach. We also watched the birds of prey that circled above the nearby cliffs. The girls enjoyed the day playing with the Wii console in the downstairs kids retreat area.
Today was still cold but delightfully sunny. We firstly went to Sausalito and spent a bit of time wandering around the art galleries and other shops before taking the ferry across to San Francisco. The ferry is a great way to really appreciate the beauty of the city and gave us a great view of the Golden Gate bridge and Alcatraz prison.
We then walked along the harbour from Pier 1 right up to Pier 41 and Fisherman’s Wharf. We had lunch at one of the establishments along the way - with a rather surly waitress. I had delicious mussels and clams cooked with chilli, garlic and lemon.
The sea lions at Pier 39 were great to see - unbelievable to see them in such an urban environment.
We then took another ferry back to Sausalito and then celebrated the girls’ birthday with dinner at an Italian restaurant there. It was great and the waiters brought out a tiramisu cake and sang Happy Birthday to the girls.
Ross and Sussana gave the girls these lovely handbags Susanna had made for their birthdays. We bought them some things during the day - books for both and a hat and left-handed pen for Ellen. Katherine couldn’t choose anything she wanted - so hopefully we can persuade her to get something in the next few days.
Carlene

Day 12 - Thursday, April 1 - to San Francisco

Today we said goodbye to the wonderful house at Cascadel. It has been a lovely relaxed house in a beautiful environment and we have enjoyed exploring the local area as well as Yosemite. You could stay here for six months and not get close to visiting all the spectacular places and walking some of the trails in this area. Many were still closed because the snow had not yet melted.
We then set off for San Francisco - about a four-hour drive back through the San Joaquin Valley. The rich agricultural region again impressed - we passed miles and miles of nut and fruit orchards with perfectly straight lines of trees that stretched as far as the eye could see. I haven’t seen anything like the scale of these operations before. We also saw some more of the huge dairy farms and huge expanses of crops and lucerne for feeding to the cows.
We then travelled up through the hills and into San Francisco. The eastern side of these hills was literally covered in wind farms. There wasn’t a tree in sight but the wind farms and the accompanying power pylons were like forests on the side of the hill.
We have all been amazed by the American houses and the way they are built to consume power. Both the houses we have stayed in have been poorly insulated and basically designed to have the air conditioning (whether cooling in LA or warming in Cascadel) operating all the time. They are also designed to consume water - with huge bathrooms (though in Cascadel they did have water saving shower heads).
Our final destination today was the house at Muir Beach - which is north of San Francisco. We didn’t go over the Golden Gate Bridge but the Bay Bridge to get here. The whole bay area was beautiful - and the suburbs of San Francisco reminded me a lot of Sydney with the undulating streets leading down to the bay.
Muir Beach is about 30 minutes north. The road winds around one of the bay inlets until it comes around to the ocean.
This house is spectacular. It sits atop the ridge and looks out onto the Pacific Ocean and back across to San Francisco. It is beautifully set up with loads of skylights and windows (double glazed) to let in light. Both the main bedrooms have been designed with double doors that can be opened into the main living area to look out across the ocean view.
It was bright and sunny but the wind was very cold when we arrived and we walked to the beach and had a look around. We then spent time just watching from the living area - with Pacific gulls and hawks circling around and even a little hummingbird coming onto the deck. We could also see the giant container ships making their way into the bay. At night the lights of San Francisco sparkled across the water.
We had dinner at the only commercial establishment at Muir Beach - the Pelican Inn, which is an English pub. The food was pricey and not that great but the atmosphere was good.
Carlene

Day 11, Wednesday 31st , snow

Today we woke up to snow. It was wonderful. I was so excited.
First we decided not to go out while it was snowing because it would be like rain but not as heavy, so we decided to make a list. We probably didn't follow the list at all once we got out though.
First we went out once it was finished, and had a snowball fight; it was so good better then my expectations!!
All of us then set out and played on the toboggan, which was really good. Then we built the snowman - Mum and Dad even helped. In the post below this there is a video of us doing its finishing touches!!
We then went fishing since it was not snowing down in the valley, it was fun and also my first time EVER!!! Today was very fun because I saw the snow for the first time.
Katherine

Day 11 - Wednesday, March 31 - Cascadel in the snow

Today we awoke to Cascadel in the snow. It is just spectacularly beautiful. It has been a real experience to be in this lovely house and experience three different seasons - the sunshine and new growth of spring, the wet foggy rain and the pristine snow. Ellen woke up first and came running into our room excited because it was snowing. Everything looks so pretty - the bare branches of the trees that are not yet out of winter dormancy were starkly defined by the snow while the pine trees looked like Christmas trees with a gentle dusting of snow of the pine needles. The girls have had a wonderful time already (I’m writing this at lunchtime). They have had snow fights, built a snowman and tobogganed down the slope in the snow tyres. It’s actually quite warm (well for snow!) and as a I write the sun is coming out and everything is glowing. Luckily the road is being snow ploughed regularly so we shouldn’t have any problems getting out tomorrow morning.
Carlene

Day 10 - Tuesday, March 30 - Cascadel in the rain

We awoke this morning to rain in Cascadel. The mood outside the house changed considerably with many of the pine trees peeking out from behind the fog. It was quiet and beautiful.
Alastair and the girls walked down to the waterfall to find it quite transformed by the rain. The rocks the girls had scrambled across on Saturday were now covered in a gushing current.
Alastair, Katherine, Ross and Sussana also ventured to Oakhurst to visit some of the art galleries there.
We went to the Mexican restaurant again for dinner to enjoy some of the excellent cuisine. There was an article from a local newspaper on the wall that explained the philosophy behind the food. The couple cook the authentic food of the region in Mexico from which they come - I think it was the northern central region. So it is not the “taco bell” Mexican. Apparently when they first opened 15 years ago they struggled because the locals were looking for the Americanised Mexican. But they now accept and look for the different food. Ross and I had prawns cooked with chilli and coconut - yum. Alastair and Sussana had the pork chops - very tender and delicious. It came with rice, beans, broccoli and shredded squash.
Carlene

Day 9 - Monday, March 29 - More Yosemite

Today we visited the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias just inside the south entrance of Yosemite. We were lucky that the road was open. Usually it opens in early April but conditions have been mild enough this year that it is already open.
The area was covered in snow. It was magical walking through the forests scattered with the giant redwoods.
The trees are truly impressive - massive diameters and many split through the middle. They looked really beautiful against the white snow.
The girls also enjoyed a play in a snow play area just outside of the park. We took a toboggan and two snow tyres from the house (really convenient to have all the stuff in the house to use). The girls had a lot of fun - even though the snow was fairly limited in area and not very deep.
They are forecasting a cold change for tomorrow and then snow on Wednesday. So we are planning to do things closer to home for the next couple of days - including some local art galleries and some walks around the Sierra National Park.
Carlene

Day 8 - Sunday, March 28 - first day in Yosemite

We spent our first day in the magnificent Yosemite National Park today. It was a beautiful spring sunny day without a breath of air - just perfect for enjoying the absolutely unbelievably beautiful scenery.
It took about 45 minutes to drive from North Fork to the park entrance - through some areas that had heavy snow. The girls were especially thrilled to see the snow.
We then made our way from the south entrance of the park to the Valley floor - about an hour’s drive. This was through stunningly spectacular landscapes - snow-topped hills, magnificent granite cliffs and waterfalls.
The Valley floor was stunning - lovely grassy meadows with a sparkling river running over rocks. We stopped at the Sentinel bridge and walked around a meadow and looked at all the stunning scenery around us.
Once in the main part of the valley we had some lunch, and then Alastair, I, Ellen and Katherine did a hike about half way up the Yosemite Upper Falls trail. This very steep path went up 1000 feet through 60 switch backs to a rock from which you could view the Valley floor below and the snow-topped mountains and rocks. It was breath taking. Mind you by the end of it I was completely exhausted and my knees were aching but it was well worth the climb.
We then headed home - and as it was getting late we saw deer - two different kinds - in their natural environment. A spectacular day.
Carlene

Day 7 - Saturday, March 27 - Cascadel

We decided to have a quiet day today in our beautiful Cascadel mountain woods house. A minor hiccough in that the hot water was not working and we needed to get in touch with the owner who had to organise to get a neighbour in to fix it but it took all day and three visits by two different neighbours before it was working again.
The house is lovely. It is an A frame and has a cathedral ceiling. All the rooms have beautiful views out onto the woods.
Yesterday, Alastair spoke to a lady at the community centre about 400 metres down the road and she invited us to the community fire meeting and free barbecue today.
So we all went along at lunchtime. Alastair had a great time talking to the firefighters here and checking out all the fire equipment. We all got to meet some of the very friendly people around here and talk to them and enjoy some really good home-cooked barbecue and salads. It was just great - a real piece of American culture.
We then spent the rest of the afternoon wandering around the beautiful woods that have little brooks and creeks flowing through them everywhere and wide grassy meadows with little patches of wildflowers.
We went to a local Mexican restaurant tonight. Food was excellent. We were later told by the bloke who came to fix the hot water that the man who runs the restaurant is a 5-star chef - and the food certainly reflected that. All the adults had pork tenderloins cooked with two different types of chillies, Katherine had chicken and Ellen has Quesadillas - tortillas folded over with cheese in between and then grilled. We had black beans, rice, asparagus and pumpkin with our meals. All delicious.
Carlene

Day 6 Friday March 26

Today it has been a long day. We set off to Yosemite at 10.00am our time, your time probably 4.00am, you would be asleep. It took approximately 5 hours in the car and we stopped to have lunch at a lovely park. It was obviously just time for school to go out because there was a flood of kids that came out of some building that didn’t look anything like a school. I am definitely looking forward to the snow. We miss you so much. Wish you were here.
ELLEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Day 6 - Friday March 26 - to Yosemite

Today we made the long trip to Yosemite. We drove basically along the freeway to LA and then headed north to Bakersfield, Fresno and onto Yosemite.
The drive up through the hills north of Los Angeles was spectacular. The hills are quite bare but you climb up very high into the hills. The temperature dropped by more than 20 degrees Fahrenheit.
We then passed through the San Joaquin valley. This is a huge agricultural area with huge vineyards, orchards and dairy farms. The dairy farms are huge - all cows in open sheds and feedlots but very large numbers.
Lunch was at a rather dodgy looking place called McFarland. We used the GPS to find a park but it was in a rather rough looking town - fortunately near a school so it was relatively safe.
We arrived at North Fork and our accommodation late in the afternoon. North Fork is just like you imagine one of those redneck towns to be - something a bit like the places in Deliverance! It has 7 churches, a pub (which the owner of the house recommended we not go to unless we were after some 'local culture), a Mexican restaurant, an Indian museum and a supermarket. Plenty of US flags on display (including four on the sign going into town). The drive in from Fresno to North Fork is really pretty - lovely wooded hills with wildflowers everywhere. It's a bit like what you used to see in those old Western movies where the cowboy rides around the ranch.
We are staying in a small community about 5km out of town (a bit like Williamson Court to Carisbrook). This area is really beautiful and spectacular. We are in the middle of a forested area that has a snow-fed creek running through it. About 200 metres down the road from the house is a wide open meadow with a small community centre - a red log cabin - in the middle of it. At the end of the meadow is a gorgeous waterfall with stunning views across the hills.
Alastair spoke to one of the locals and they said they get black bears, deer, coyotes, mountain lions and plenty of other wildlife around here. So we are hoping to see some examples tomorrow!
Í’ll post some pics tomorrow - it's getting late and it's been a long couple of days.
Carlene

Day 5 - Thursday, March 25 - last day at Disneyland

Thursday was our last day at Disneyland and we set off early. Our three day hopper pass gave us one Magic Morning entry, which means we got in at 7am before the main gates opened at 8am. This meant there were much smaller crowds and that basically no queues for rides. But only certain areas of the park were open.
Ellen and Katherine took advantage of this and immediately rushed off to the Space Mountain ride - after reading Mr P’s recommendation. They managed to get onto to it twice in 15 minutes. They then had a few more rides before we had a quick breakfast and then headed off to California Adventure.
This had some big rides - which the girls enjoyed - though they found the California Screamin’ rollercoaster a bit overwhelming - Ellen was a bit pale after it and Katherine a little shaky.
It also had some great shows. We saw a High School Musical concert - which was very impressive - and a fantastic stage play performance of Aladdin. This was really first class with lots of humour and a flying carpet. We were up extremely high in the balcony but it was still great to see.
I also enjoyed the animation area. In one you got to talk to Crush the turtle out of Finding Nemo. It was incredible to see an animated character talking with people in the audience - I’m not sure how they did it but it was incredible. We also went into a session where they taught you how to draw cartoon characters.
That was the end of our Disney experience - a fantastic family holiday experience.
On Thursday night we went out for dinner. Ross and Sussana had it all organised and so when we arrived at the restaurant the menus were printed with Happy Anniversary for our wedding anniversary, which was a lovely surprise.
Carlene

Day 4 - Wednesday, March 24, 2010 - San Diego Zoo

Today we took a break from Disneyland and headed to San Diego Zoo with Ross and Sussana. More experience on the California freeways - absolutely amazing! We were able to get onto the freeway about 1km from our house and took a series of interconnected freeways all the way to within 1km of the zoo. Incredible. The freeways were six lanes each side - so you really needed to keep your wits about you to get from one side to the exits. The other incredible thing was the “car pool” lane. If you had 2 or more people in a car, you could use these specially designated lanes on the extreme right side of the highway. The most amazing thing was that so few cars were able to drive in these lanes. LA really is the home of the car - everyone of the millions of residents use cars for everything. San Diego Zoo was a nice park, but I was a bit disappointed in the exhibits. I reckon Melbourne Zoo beats it hands down - not to mention Dubbo Zoo. A lot of the exhibits had animals from two or three continents housed together - it was really odd. The other thing that was really strange from our point of view was the koala exhibit - it’s a really big deal and so heaps of the souvenirs from the zoo feature koalas and kangaroos. Really strange. Ellen took the video at the elephant exhibit. But overall it was a nice relaxing day and great for us all to spend some time with Ross and Sussana. We got back to the house and enjoyed some time in the spa. The house has been great - a lot more space than a hotel with a backyard, pool and spa - and all within walking distance of Disneyland. And with the two families sharing, also a lot cheaper than a motel by the time you cook some of your meals. It’s also really good when the girls are tired to be able to have a normal meal instead of going out to a restaurant. Plan is to get back to Disneyland tomorrow before we head off to Yosemite on Friday. Matt - girls are keen to have a go on the Space ride - but as for me I plan to give it a miss. Can you remember how I was on the bus on the school camp to Rose's GAP - the idea of being spun around in the dark DOES NOT appeal at all. Carlene

Day 3 - Tuesday, March 23, 2010 - More Disneyland

Today we spent more time at Disneyland - haven’t got to California Adventure Park yet because there is so much to see and do in Disneyland itself. We got the FastPass system working really well today. FastPass is a special ticketing system for the most popular rides. You insert your main ticket into a machine and get a pass to come back to the ride at a specified period of time later in the day. You can only get one FastPass at a time, but if you plan it properly you can get to most of the rides you want. So we went on heaps of rides today. The girls really enjoyed the Indiana Jones ride and the Splash Mountain ride. I loved the Pirates of the Caribbean ride - a bit corny but lots of fun. It is an underground ride - so all in the dark. You are in these little boats that go along a roller coaster. It starts with a couple of dips - one through a stream of light that looks like a waterfall - and then you go around a series of pirate scenes. The animated models were quite realistic and the special effects were fantastic. At one point you feel a swish of air behind your head as if a cannon ball has been fired past you!! The other thing I really enjoyed today was the Celebrate Street Parade - it was like you’d stepped into the middle of a Disney musical - all colour, sound and movement - totally spectacular. I’ve loaded a little video I took of part of it to give you an idea. Hopefully it works OK - I’ve saved it to be as small as possible so you can watch it on the internet. Also went on Autopia again today - this time I was with Katherine. Now she showed a bit more promise for the EBT trikes and managed to keep things fairly straight. Alastair bravely volunteered to take Ellen and said she was much improved - so there’s some hope for her yet! The other one I liked was the Astro Blasters. It’s based on Toy Story and you have to shoot at Zurg from inside these space rocket type cars as they travel around the ride. We went back tonight and watched the fireworks from inside Disneyland. They were really spectacular. The park was also great at night as lots of areas are dark so Sleeping Beauty’s castle and all the other things that are lit up looking even more spectacular. Glad to hear you are all enjoying the blog.

Carlene

Day 2 - Monday, March 27

Today we went to Disneyland. It has loads of people and lots of rides and shows. There are 8 different parts to it; each part has different rides or shows. I will explain them to you.
The first one was called Main street U.S.A., which has 8 rides or shows and has 6 restaurants, the second one is New Orleans square, which has 3 rides or shows and 4 restaurants, the third one is Adventureland, which has 8 rides or shows and 5 restaurants, number 4 is Critter Country, which has 3 rides or shows but only 2 were operating and has 2 restaurants, the next one was Mickey toon town, which has 8 rides or shows and 1 restaurant, and Frontierland, which has 8 rides or shows but 2 were closed and 5 restaurants. Now we’ve got 2 more first one is Tomorrowland, which has 10 rides or shows and 3 restaurants and lastly is Fantasyland, which has 18 rides or shows and has 1 restaurant. I had the most wonderful time seeing everything and all the people.
My favourite ride was Big Thunder Mountain Railroad in Frontierland because it was fun and fast.
Katherine

Day 2 - Monday, March 22, 2010

Thanks for all your messages. We miss you all. We have had an exciting but exhausting time in Disneyland.
My favourite ride was The Thunder Railroad we went on with Dad. He shut his eyes and covered himself all the ride because he was scared.
Wish you were here.
ELLEN!!!!!!!!!!!!

Day 2 - Monday, March 22, 2010

Ross and Sussana arrived close to midnight last night after their plane was delayed for two hours in London after it was decided someone on the plane was too ill to fly - so they had to remove their bags before they could set off.
This morning we all were pretty tired - though Ross and Susanna were up early with their body clocks still in UK time.
The girls slept quite late with their body clocks still in Aussie time and recovering from the long trip.
So we set off for our first visit to Disneyland after an early lunch. It was just a 20 minute walk from our house.
Disneyland was fantastic. Ellen and Katherine were quite overawed at first: it is a real assault on the visual senses. In some ways the colour of everything is amazing - it really feels like you have just stepped into a cartoon.
The girls enjoyed several rides and we really got a good feel for the park. We stayed there until about 7.30 - the 7 hours we were there just flew by.
My favourite ride today was the Nemo Submarine; the girls liked the Big Thunder Railroad that they went on with Alastair.
I went on the Autopia ride with Ellen - OMG I am NOT looking forward to teaching her to drive! This ride consists of little cars that run on a concrete track. I operated the accelerator as it was quite hard to push and Ellen managed the steering. Thank goodness it had the concrete barrier that meant you couldn’t get off the road. Ellen managed to continually steer the car into the barrier so I came off the ride feeling like I’d been on a dodgem car.
Watched the fireworks again from the front porch after dinner. Planning a big day at both theme parks tomorrow.
Carlene

Day 1 - Sunday, March 21

Thanks guys for all your comments. We are having a very good time today. The flight was good with interactive games, movies and TV.
Katherine

Day 1 - Sunday, March 21

Today we left Australia at 9pm Sunday and arrived in the US at 3.30pm Sunday. Girls were really thrilled with the idea that they could have Sunday afternoon/evening and Monday morning twice over (even if most of one was spent in that hell on earth - long haul flight). Though to be fair, V Australia planes are really well set up and we had a very smooth flight. We all managed only a few hours sleep but still arrived reasonably fresh.
Picked up the Dodge Caravan hire car (a 7 seater that is the size of a small caravan) and then with the help of the TomTom GPS managed to find our way from the airport to Anaheim in under 40 minutes. Alastair then gave me a bit of a fright - he went to do some basics shopping and obviously got caught up in the overseas supermarket experience (you know how the supermarkets always provide a window on the culture when you are overseas). Anyway after an hour I was starting to get a bit concerned - especially as I started unpacking and realized Alastair didn’t have the GPS, his passport or his international drivers licence with him. Anyway he eventually turned up - no harm done - with a couple of bottles of local wine in hand that he obviously had spent some time selecting.
Girls already love the house we have rented. They had a swim this evening in the heated pool and then we watched the Disneyland fireworks from the front porch.
Carlene

Getting ready

We're all getting excited about our holiday now. Just finalising a few things.
Carlene