Magic and the 90210

Disneyland. The happiest place on earth. In comparison to Disneyworld, it's smaller yet just as magical. There are the same rides, just not as many. They have two rides Florida does not...this makes standing in line so much better! There is nothing more exhilarating than riding a thrill ride for the first time. The unknown and anticipation is great! Unnecessary screaming is a must. There are many reasons to love a day at Disney. For starters it's a great place to people watch. Mainly kid watch.  One can't help but smile when they see the look on a little face when Mickey waves to them or the real Cinderella blows them a kiss. Their joy is contagious. It's also great because it shows the true sacrifice of a parent. Nothing wins you dad of the year more than standing in line for hours wearing mouse ears so your daughter can meet Elsa. Hats off to these parents. That line was long. But the real reason Disney is great is because it's good for the soul. When you are in your thirties and you spin with joyous abandon in a tea cup or fly through the air on an elephant named Dumbo, you become five again. And for a fleeting moment your world is magical and your heart carefree. 

After a day of fun, we headed to the LA area. At the start of the trip we fell into a driving pattern. We simply take turns for a day. The drive in LA fell on my day. Joy. For the most part it was okay. You have to be aggressive and quick on your feet to make it though. We were only honked at twice and only used the sorry from Virginia line a few times. However, we will never complain about Nicholasville Road again. 

The first order of business was the Hollywood sign. We wanted to get a good picture. A fairly close one. Having been there before I knew we could make this happen. But of course we arrive and the trail is closed to hikers. After some inquiring we are told to make a simple left and drive to the top. We will find a park there and it's a good spot for the pic. There is nothing simple about this. We zig zag through the Hollywood Hills neighboorhood and this is a difficult task. How these people get around up there is beyond me! Pauley was stressed out and nearly sideswiped multiple things. We finally made it and learned there is a simple way to get there. A more normal road. Maybe next time...

The main reason LA was on the list was so Mindi could find Ellen's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. She's at the complete opposite end of where we started but...Success!!

I found Dr. Seuss :)

And of course we had lunch like a Californian. 

One can't visit the area without paying a visit to the 90210. Before we meandered the streets of Beverly Hills we traded our flip flops for strappy sandals and the camera bag I've been using as a purse for something a bit trendier. We didn't want to have a repeat of the classic Pretty Woman scene on our hands. 

 

As a huge fan of the mindless Real Housewives television show, we had to head to Kyle's store first. This led us by the Villa Blanca restaurant. Unfortunately no housewives were spotted. I did almost buy a pair of flip flops from the store but they didn't have my size. 

From here we perused a few more stores. We learned that body suits are coming back...oh dear. And we did a little suvenir shopping at lulu lemon. 

Pauley, who is covered in dirt, felt a bit out of place next to this guy!  

The Santa Monica Pier brought fun Ferris wheel rides and the end of Route 66. 

We ended the day camping in Malibu and a morning trip to the beach. It's was cold and overcast and we didn't see any of the rich and famous. Moving on up the coast now!

Here are the LA reviews:

Mindy: For me LA had a check next to it and I didn't need to make it two. Now it has two checks next to it and I don't know that I need to make it three. 

Mindi:  The movie Pretty Woman pretty much sums up what LA looks like. I prefer the Beverly Hills area. It's not a place I would choose to come back to...unless Ellen invites me to her show!