It’s Always Sunny in California!..Eh?...L’il Bit!

[mickeystoontown]

Jen, I didn't notice until this morning that you had started your California report. That Claire sure does love to swim doesn't she? It's a bummer that when ya'll got back to the hotel the pool was busy. At least she got her swim time in after ya'll checked in.

Yay for meeting up with your childhood friend! I know that you were happy to visit with her. Oh and I almost forgot....I don't think that seeing a ballerina clown ANYWHERE would be "normal".

 

[Woth2982]

I'm Here! Looking forward to hearing about your conference! I remember liking the DW conference report a lot! Claire really is a night owl isn't she? Reminds me of me! I was NEVER a wake at the crack of dawn child lol. The Marriott looks nice! They are such a reliable chain I find.

 

[luulu1999]

Im following along!! I love reading Trip Reports and can't wait for July so we can finally have ours!!! We are going to be going to a beach too prob not Venice though

 

[KatMark]

for early arrival flights and being one of the first ones off the plane. Sorry you didn't get any scenery pictures, but happy the longer flight didn't bother you.

I'm glad you met up with your long time friend and were able to go for lunch and to the beach. Although that sure was a teaser picture of the beach.

 

[jenseib]

You tease! You leave us hanging with that tiny glimpse of the beach!

What a bummer you didn't have a window seat. There's a lot of scenery to see between Denver and LA. And double bummer that it was foggy in Denver. Did you get to see the mountains at all?

And I forgot to mention earlier......... I love the photo of you on the beach in your first post!

Well I can't post too much or I will have to work harder to get more written up!
I really enjoyed the beach...many more pictures coming up!

Jen, I didn't notice until this morning that you had started your California report. That Claire sure does love to swim doesn't she? It's a bummer that when ya'll got back to the hotel the pool was busy. At least she got her swim time in after ya'll checked in.

Yay for meeting up with your childhood friend! I know that you were happy to visit with her. Oh and I almost forgot....I don't think that seeing a ballerina clown ANYWHERE would be "normal".

I would have eventually sent out a bat signal, but I know during the weekend many people are busy.
Yeah, that site was very odd!

I'm Here! Looking forward to hearing about your conference! I remember liking the DW conference report a lot! Claire really is a night owl isn't she? Reminds me of me! I was NEVER a wake at the crack of dawn child lol. The Marriott looks nice! They are such a reliable chain I find.

Claire is a night owl for sure and she has always slept in, even as a baby.

Im following along!! I love reading Trip Reports and can't wait for July so we can finally have ours!!! We are going to be going to a beach too prob not Venice though

Welcome! Are you going to Disneyland as well?

for early arrival flights and being one of the first ones off the plane. Sorry you didn't get any scenery pictures, but happy the longer flight didn't bother you.

I'm glad you met up with your long time friend and were able to go for lunch and to the beach. Although that sure was a teaser picture of the beach.

I really think breaking it into 2 flights helped me so I could get up and mover around between the flights.
More beach pictures tomorrow...I promise.

 

[dolphingirl47]

What a shame that you did not feel well the night before you traveled. Your flights sounded really smooth. I can't wait to read more.

Corinna

 

[JKSWonder]

All subbed up!

My aunt lives in Valencia, so we have visited California a few times. Only went to Disneyland once though. I loved Venice Beach.

I haven't been to California since I was 25. For a few years, we took no vacations and then Allison was born, and then Michael and then a five hour flight with two kids seemed like a task I wasn't up for. I'm still not up for it, quite frankly, but my aunt would really like us to visit and I will really like to go. I'm thinking next summer might be a possibility.

 

[petals]

We always request a window seat because I'm strange and don't like sitting beside people i don't know Luvin the pics of LA

 

[mom2rtk]

We always request a window seat because I'm strange and don't like sitting beside people i don't know Luvin the pics of LA

My daughter and I always fight for the window seat!

 

[jenseib]

What a shame that you did not feel well the night before you traveled. Your flights sounded really smooth. I can't wait to read more.

Corinna

I really worried, but I felt better in the morning after having a few pills.

All subbed up!

My aunt lives in Valencia, so we have visited California a few times. Only went to Disneyland once though. I loved Venice Beach.

I haven't been to California since I was 25. For a few years, we took no vacations and then Allison was born, and then Michael and then a five hour flight with two kids seemed like a task I wasn't up for. I'm still not up for it, quite frankly, but my aunt would really like us to visit and I will really like to go. I'm thinking next summer might be a possibility.

I have always wanted to go to CA, so I was bursting at the seams when I arrived. Stacy gave me the ultimate 1 day tour too.

We always request a window seat because I'm strange and don't like sitting beside people i don't know Luvin the pics of LA

LOL, when I am alone, I kind of perfer the aisle so I can get out easily if I have to go to the bathroom.

My daughter and I always fight for the window seat!

Yeah, I prefer the window seat too, but Claire has to have it...and then doesn't look out. Skip and I were trying to see out as we came home last week and her big head was in the way. Skip will try to trick her out of the window seat all the time.

 

[mom2rtk]

Yeah, I prefer the window seat too, but Claire has to have it...and then doesn't look out. Skip and I were trying to see out as we came home last week and her big head was in the way. Skip will try to trick her out of the window seat all the time.

I usually don't stand a chance. Because Drew and Katie fight over the window seat. I usually just end up with what's left. That's why when Drew wasn't along last time I put my foot down and took the window seat. I was hoping for some decent scenery.

 

[Poolrat]

Glad your flight was smooth.

Ugh about the coat- I have done that.

The clown ballerina.....

Nice to see a glimpse of the Pacific Ocean.

 

[Mindy5767]

Glad your flight was smooth.

Ugh about the coat- I have done that.

The clown ballerina.....

Nice to see a glimpse of the Pacific Ocean.

Ditto!! The clown Ballerina is scarier than the maniacal clown slide at the Boardwalk resort. I think I commented that on your facebook photo of it.

I have always wanted to visit California for more than 20 minutes. I have only stopped there to change planes on the way to Hawaii. Some day. Heidi, my window seat lover (I'm a middle seater), would really like to visit Disneyland as she sees glimpses on the Disney channel.

Living just a few miles from Washington Dulles Airport, I'm used to planes flying over my house..I don't even notice that kinda stuff.

Can't wait to read more

 

[mousetravel]

Hey, there! I'm here and can't wait to hear all about your trip!!

Sounds great so far!

 

[superme80]

Welcome to my state! I can't wait to read more!!!!

 

[littlenellbell]

Joining in! Sounds like your travel was smooth and Claire enjoyed the pool time! Looking forward to learning more about Disneyland!

 

[jenseib]

I usually don't stand a chance. Because Drew and Katie fight over the window seat. I usually just end up with what's left. That's why when Drew wasn't along last time I put my foot down and took the window seat. I was hoping for some decent scenery.

I do like the window seat, but yeah, fighting against others is just wasted energy. I might have to insist one day when it's just Claire and I. Especially since she is mostly watching her kindle while I am trying to see around her head. I think it grows on the plane....making it harder for me to see around.

Glad your flight was smooth.

Ugh about the coat- I have done that.

The clown ballerina.....

Nice to see a glimpse of the Pacific Ocean.

I was so mad I forgot to take that stupid coat off. It's so bulky and it really needed a washing too, so I was not only carrying extra bulk, but a dirty coat too.

Ditto!! The clown Ballerina is scarier than the maniacal clown slide at the Boardwalk resort. I think I commented that on your facebook photo of it.

I have always wanted to visit California for more than 20 minutes. I have only stopped there to change planes on the way to Hawaii. Some day. Heidi, my window seat lover (I'm a middle seater), would really like to visit Disneyland as she sees glimpses on the Disney channel.

Living just a few miles from Washington Dulles Airport, I'm used to planes flying over my house..I don't even notice that kinda stuff.

Can't wait to read more

The Toledo airport is really close to us too, so I do see planes a lot and we are pretty used to that. But they don't come down nearly scraping our house. We can always tell when flight traing is going on because they will circle around really low. It's actually kind of creepy looking.

Hey, there! I'm here and can't wait to hear all about your trip!!

Sounds great so far!

HEY!!!! I see you updated your Tr and I need to get over and get caught up again.

Welcome to my state! I can't wait to read more!!!!

I really enjoyed your state...and if all goes well, hopefully will be back there next year again.

Joining in! Sounds like your travel was smooth and Claire enjoyed the pool time! Looking forward to learning more about Disneyland!

I like it when things go smooth. I tend to get anxiety when I travel, not because I am scared, but I hate being trappped in a seat for a few hours at a time. I must've glowed enough after I got home though because Skip keeps saying he wants to go to CA next year. I am sure the things he wants to do and what I want to do are very different though. LOL

 

[mom2rtk]

I do like the window seat, but yeah, fighting against others is just wasted energy. I might have to insist one day when it's just Claire and I. Especially since she is mostly watching her kindle while I am trying to see around her head. I think it grows on the plane....making it harder for me to see around.

Yep. We were flying over all this amazing scenery.... and there sat Katie looking at her phone. I did let her have the window seat on the way home, but when the plane headed out over the ocean, she got nervous and decided she wanted to switch!

 

[jenseib]

We are now officially at Venice Beach! We started to walk down the main walkway….I think it is called the boardwalk, though it’s not a boardwalk in the way I would think of one.

There were lots of people on bikes.



You can rent bikes here by the hour.



Stacy told me how the vendor spots are put up for a lottery and you then get that location for so long to sell your wears, or whatever it is you plan to do there.

The Beach looked so pretty and we planned to walk over to the water later after we had some lunch.





If course we checked out some of the strange people walking up and down as well.



This caught my eye right away.



Of course the guy there tried to sell me a smaller version of that.

We found a spot to eat and for the life of me I can’t remember what the name of the place was. We could sit inside or out and we chose outside. It was so nice to be eating a meal OUTSIDE in February!
My view from my seat.



These people were setting up to play and they had the strangest instruments.

This was also in my view from the table.



We made our orders and caught up with each other and the food came out very fast. Stacy had a breakfast platter, while I went with the chicken Quesadilla. It was very good too.



After lunch we moved on and walked around just taking in the sites. I just loved these lifeguard shacks and I kept taking pictures of them.







After a bit, Stacy wanted to get an ice tea and a place she liked was right down a side street. Before doing so, she wanted to show me this really strange house.



Yep! That’s not something you see every day.





They had a sign on the door to tell people not to disturb them too. I found that funny. Why have such an outrageous house and then not want to be disturbed. LOL. I suppose people were ringing their bell at all hours of the day and night.



This sign was out by the house too, so I had Stacy take a picture.



This vine covered house was across the street and I thought it looked really neat too.



I thought these palms really looked neat as well.



And another look back at the strange house.



We then ducked into the shop where Stacy wanted to get her tea. I don’t drink tea and it smelled like coffee in there so I went outside to wait for her and watched these guys a bit.





We continued walking down the street. Stacy had told me about some semi-famous people who worked the area. Well famous to Venice Beach….and this guy was one of them.



I think his name is Harry Perry, but I could be wrong. Anyways, he used to have a different persona, but changed it a few years back to this one now.

There were a lot of shops and attractions along the way, including some freak shows.

 

[jenseib]

Yep. We were flying over all this amazing scenery.... and there sat Katie looking at her phone. I did let her have the window seat on the way home, but when the plane headed out over the ocean, she got nervous and decided she wanted to switch!

Thats funny. I supposed the middle seat is safer than the window seat if you crash into the ocean?