Disney's California Adventure

We loved this place! Here are a few pix. Despite what they say, it did rain on us in California!!

I love how Michael is holding on to Paul's arm. 

The theming at this peak is spectacular. It's relatively new or at least parts are so it has an updated feel to it. 

I loved these Popsicle stick benches. 

Fun big straw...

Mallory and I saw Aladdin while the boys caught some rides. 

It was awesome!

We also went to the Animation Academy where a real Disney animator walked you through drawing a character. 

We all love the big raft rides. They're always our fave at every park we visit. 

Here are Paul and me on the Cars ride, Radiator Springs Racers. 

It was so awesome to ride it at night. 

Day 3...Disneyland!

When we left Legoland we stopped by a California favorite, In and Our Burger, for a late lunch.

The kids both got the Double, Double and devoured the entire thing. Walking around amusement parks apparently makes you quite hungry!

We headed to Anaheim and checked in to our hotel, the HoJo Anaheim, right across the street from Disneyland. We were planning to hit the park the next day so we took a swim and then headed out for something to eat. We found a cool place called Pizza Press where you walked thru a line like at a Subway and picked everything you wanted on your pizza. Then they cooked it on the spot and it was ready about the time you paid and got your drinks. All pizzas were 10 bucks and they were really good.

After this I met a friend of mine from OSU, Lanae, who lives in the area. We went to Mimi's Cafe near the hotel for dessert and had a great time catching up. I didn't get a picture that night!

Wednesday morning, Day 3 of our trip, we headed out the door for Disneyland. We stopped by an IHOP for breakfast as we walked to the park. The set up in Anaheim and at Disneyland Resort is so different from Walt Disney World. From my reading I learned that the entire Disneyland Resort including both parks, all three hotels, Downtown Disney, etc could fit in to the size of Animal Kingdom alone at WDW. I loved that we could walk everywhere. It's very intimate but was hustling and bustling for sure.

We got there a half hour before the park opened and it was extremely crowded. My hopes of it being not very busy in early May while most schools were still in session were unfounded. It was packed.

Here we are approaching the famous Cinderella's Castle.

We did have a Disney photographer take our family pic in front of the castle but I misplaced the card and so it was lost. Bummer.

The weather was perfect and we had a great time. We all thought it was just as great as the Magic Kingdom where we went in 2012.

There's a section called New Orleans Square so we stopped in for Mickey shaped beignets!

The kids wanted to have caricatures done of themselves. We had the silohettes done at Disney World so thought these would make nice souvenirs from Disneyland. Of course we weren't thinking about the fact that they'd have to make the rest of this long trip with us. They did survive I'm happy to report. We used two different artists for the sake of time but looking back I would have used the same artist. Michael's is smaller than Mal's so it would have been nice if they had been more consistent. I do still love them though.

Here's how they look hanging outside the kids' rooms.

We loved Disneyland and would highly recommend it to anyone thinking of going. Don't let the naysayers tell you it's not as good as Magic Kingdom. It was wonderful!

Next up...Disney's California Adventure...psssst...we liked it even better than Disneyland!

La Jolla Cove

I forgot to mention that when we left the San Diego Zoo and headed up to Carlsbad where Legoland is located we stopped by La Jolla Cove. I had been there years earlier with my dad one time and with my friend Talitha another. It was exactly as I had remembered it. So beautiful!! This was the kids' first and turned out to be only time to put their toes in the Pacific Ocean. (Our plan to hit the beach in Santa Monica were unfulfilled due to the chilly May temps).

First stop, we needed a treat and popped in a place for gelato, Italian ice cream. The kids had never had it. I, on the other hand, had it nearly every day on our honeymoon in Italy. Just ask Paul:)

We walked down these steps to the beach area.

There were lots of people around but this wasn't a beach where you would swim. As a matter of fact I believe there were No Swimming signs posted.

La Jolla is a beautiful beach community but it's mostly residential. There are some hotels but it's mostly a typcial California coastal town, well a ritzy one that is!