Day 5, Part 1
January 29, 2020
"The Siracha was Cinnamon. What Siracha? Caliente, remember"
My alarm for the next morning was set for 6:30, but I didn’t end up needing it as I stirred from my well deserved slumber right before. I pulled myself out of bed to shower and finish packing some last minute things.
By 8:30, we were ordering a Lyft and cruising towards Starbucks- of course.
And that’s when karma struck. Back in one of my first posts of this trip, I alluded to this very moment:
Oh LA traffic, you truly are no joke. We hit traffic right around Exit 121 and it didn’t let up...at all. A trip that took us roughly 45 minutes only a few days ago now took us about 2 hours.
Around 10:40, we pulled up to our new home for the next 4 days- the Magic Castle Hotel!
I’m not sure if anyone has heard of Magic Castle, but before Mel and I even started planning this trip. I had read an article about the Magic Castle in LA and instantly knew we had to go. The only catch was that the Magic Castle is pretty elusive to get into. Almost as elusive as Club 33, if I do say so myself. There are a couple of ways to gain entry- the most obvious being becoming a member for only $750 per year (after an initial $1,500 induction fee). Except we aren’t magicians.
Another way to gain access to the mystical Castle is to book a room at the hotel next door! A cheaper alternative! And even better? The hotel next door offers free snacks, free laundry services, and a “popsicle hotline” in the pool! So that’s the route we went.
We quickly checked into the hotel and were happy to have been given a free room upgrade. I’m not sure what room we originally booked, but with our upgrade we now had an entire mini apartment to ourselves. We’re talking full living room, full kitchen, the works!
After unpacking, we grabbed another Lyft to Santa Monica. Today was one of our only completely free days and we were planning on doing some sightseeing.
Moderate LA traffic later, we pulled up to the Santa Monica Pier at 12:45 and off exploring we went. We took a stroll up and down the pier and watched some of the performers. They were something, I tell ya. Not all of them have a future on Broadway- in fact, none of them did. But they were entertaining, so I’ll give them that.
We stopped for lunch at The Albright and opted to eat outside in the wonderful Pacific Coast sun. It was breezy but wonderful and perfectly warm. I went with the fish and chips, while Mel opted for the Pier Club.
Fish and Chips (Beer battered, sustainably caught whitefish served with French fries & coleslaw $14.50) Pier Club (Salmon, greens, avocado, bacon, tomato & Louis dressing $15.95) I don’t see the Pier Club on the menu anymore, but if it is- try it!
Both dishes hit the spot and were just what we were looking for. If we were to go again, I would try some of the fresh seafood. I’m actually not sure why I didn’t. How unlike me!
After lunch, we headed towards the water. This was the first time I ever saw the Pacific and I was ready for it!
And by ready, I mean I took off my boots and dipped a toe into the water. A wave promptly smacked me back. I was a little surprised by the amount of pigeons vs seagulls on the beach. Mel was also surprised.
Surprised by the fact that she got pooped on by one of the pigeons. Again. For the 2nd time this week.
I again lost my mind laughing.
After I gathered myself back together and Mel accepted her new bond with West Coast birds, we collected a couple of beach rocks and headed back to where our Lyft would be picking us up.
The GPS said it would take us an hour and 10 minutes to get to our destination. LA traffic laughed in our faces.
Day 5, Part 1
January 29, 2020
"The Siracha was Cinnamon. What Siracha? Caliente, remember"
Our Lyft driver was a super personable guy and we really enjoyed chatting with him. Nick, that’s him, asked us where we were trying to go. We told him that we heard the best spot to get a view of the Hollywood sign was at this dog park. Nick said absolutely not. And whisked us away to a different spot.
In hindsight, this probably wasn’t our smartest idea but Nick took us up a windy steep road to the very last possible spot a car could go and we snapped a bunch of pics. Should you trust a random Lyft driver in LA? Probably not. Did we? Yes. And it worked out in our favor, this time.
Nick drove us back to our hotel after he made us promise to get some tacos with him later (never did lol). All in all with LA traffic, our hour and 10 minute trip home took about 2 and a half. You win again LA traffic.
Once we were safely back in the architectural arms of the Magic Castle Hotel, we took a quick hour or so nap and by 7, we were ordering another Lyft.
We did not get Nick this time. Which is probably good, since we weren’t planning on having tacos.
Mel and I were off to Sunset Blvd! This was my one LA request. We arrived with relatively no traffic (LA traffic karma must have been having tacos with Nick).
We spent some time walking around and checking out the Viper Room and Whiskey A Go Go before stopping for a drink in Lemmy’s Lounge at the Rainbow Bar.
I was the most excited to see the Viper Room, which was partly owned by Johnny Depp himself from the opening in 1993 until 2004. Most notorious for being the site of River Phoenix's untimely demise in the early '90s, it's regulars at one point in time included Johnny Cash, Johnny Carson (big place for Johnny's it seems), Derek Jeter, and Liberace. Today, it still functions as a venue for metal and punk bands.
The headliners in the photo for Whiskey A Go Go didn't age well. Whiskey A Go Go was a first step for bands like the Stooges, Alice Cooper, Linkin Park, and was the first stage that the Ramones played on way back in 1977.
The Rainbow Bar was frequented by John Lennon, Johnny Cash, and Elvis himself. Motorhead frontman Lemmy used to come to the bar daily, which is why Lemmy's lounge was created. It's essentially an outdoor section of the bar.
Mel went with a whiskey coke and I opted for an old stand by- a whiskey sour.
Whiskey coke not pictured, but I assume it looked like a standard whiskey coke.
After our drinks, we walked the Blvd a bit and ventured into a Psychic. I’m not sure why we thought this would be anywhere near affordable but when she quoted us prices that were in the $400-$500 EACH, we noped on out and headed back to the Viper Room. On the way, we walked past the closed Tower Records. This is a place of nostalgia for me!
When I was about 13-14, I would spend every single Saturday morning at my local Tower Records. I bought many, many cds over that period and discovered many of the bands that I still love to this day. I also remember buying my first guitar strap there- it was a black and white checkered Dickies guitar strap- and some Ernie Ball guitar picks.
It was sad that the Tower Records there was permanently closed, but seeing the sign pulled at my heartstrings.
Our Lyft picked us up around 9 and took us to one of our favorite West Coast spots- In N Out. I know this is a divided opinion but both Mel and I are huge In N Out fans.
I opted for a single-patty cheeseburger (no tomatoes), with animal style fries and a coke ($5.65). Mel went with a double-patty cheeseburger (no tomato) with plain fries and a chocolate shake ($6.70).
Shockingly, the restaurant wasn’t super busy and we were able to order in less than 5 minutes and snag a table right away. And the food was just as good as we remembered. The place is a thing of dreams! Or nightmares, if you don’t like it. But hey, less of a wait when I go then!
By 10, we were back at the hotel and with a quick shower and scroll through social media, I was asleep by 11:30.
***Next up: We're out and about to do some classic tourist attractions! Will we accomplish all? Or will LA traffic continue it's terror reign? Stay tuned. Dun Dun Duuuuun***
I was woken up the next morning by my alarm at 7. Our room was situated facing the busy street so there was lots of street noise, but oddly enough, I found it to be really pleasant.
You can't hear the noise, but you can feel it lol
The Magic Castle Hotel offered a continental breakfast from 7a-10a and had a variety of snacks set out that you could pick up throughout the day. Around 7:15, Mel and I headed down to grab a quick breakfast and scurried back up to the room.
I went for oatmeal, a croissant, and coffee; while Mel decided on a banana, croissant, scone, muffin, and a coffee.
By 8:55, we were fed, dressed, and ready to go. We opted to walk to our destination since it was less than 5 minutes away. The Magic Castle Hotel is really a fantastic location!
Where were we going? Why, to Hollywood Blvd of course!
Our first stop was La La Land Souvenir shop where I picked up some classic LA souvenirs for one of my close friends. La La Land was the mecca of quintessential Hollywood/LA souvenirs and they weren’t super over priced (lookin’ at you Disney). They literally had everything you could think of at one quick stop. Keychains? Obvious check. Magnets? Duh. Fake Oscar awards? Of course. T-shirts? Hoodies? Mugs? Yes, yup, oh yeah.
Then we stopped into the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel to look around.
The hotel was built in 1926 and is the oldest operating hotel in Los Angeles! Notorious guests of the hotel include Marilyn Monroe, Errol Flynn, and Clark Gable. The hotel is also reportedly very haunted- except we didn’t run into any ghosts.
I don’t actually remember what this room is- I think it was the Library Bar, which was currently closed.
After poking around the hotel, we set off to see the stars! There were a few that we had to find and I took many, many pictures. So I’ll just share a couple Disney ones (and Judge Judy, who doesn’t love Judge Judy)
Snow White was the first Disney character to have their name on a Hollywood Blvd star.
Day 6, Part 1.25
January 30, 2020
"We Have An SOS!"
We continued on towards the Chinese Theater, which was only steps away. Yes, THAT Chinese Theater- the one that is recreated in Hollywood Studios.
I, of course, took way too many pictures. But I’ll include the highlights:
Around 10:30, we took a Lyft to our second stop, Olvera Street in downtown LA. The street was recreated as a tourist attraction in 1930 and is set up as a Mexican marketplace.
They had so many pop culture icons recreated as De Los Muertos sugar skulls. I, of course, had to pick up 55 (Edward Scissorhands) and 56 (Beetlejuice).
On Olvera Street is the Avila Adobe, which is the oldest standing residence in LA. It was built in 1818 and was home to various members of the Avila family until the late 1800’s. It wouldn’t be acquired by California until 1953, and has been open to tours since 1976.
The tour was self guided with plaques set up in each area explaining the room. The outside courtyard was my favorite part- it was absolutely beautiful!
Day 6, Part 1.5
January 30, 2020
"We Have An SOS!"
After our history lesson, we headed towards where we would be getting a Lyft from and stopped for a quick drink break. Mel stayed hydrated with a water while I decided caffeine and sugar were in order.
Mel decided sitting under a tree was a good idea. "You've fallen right into your trap" said every single bird in Los Angeles.
I know you're thinking there is no way Mel got pooped on by a bird 3 times in a week. I know that's what you're thinking because I too, thought the same thing. But oh, sweet summer child, it can happen. And it did.
Our Lyft driver quickly scooped us up and brought us to our next destination. The Last Bookstore.
The Last Bookstore’s current store was a former bank- with books and art displays expanding 2 levels. Oh, and the vault is still in use. Well, vaults. There were a couple. 1 houses horror and true crime, and another keeping rare books safe.
The book tunnel is a definite must-see!
There was a cool souvenir vending machine placed in a random corner. Ya know, for all those times you desperately need to spend money that very instant and can't wait a couple of minutes to get to a gift shop.
We were growing hungry so after we spent some time snapping pics, we headed towards Grand Central Market. The place was packed and nothing really piqued our interest. Don’t get me wrong, there were so many choices! There was everything from Chinese to Mexican to wings and bbq, but we decided to move on instead.
There was a smaller, less crowded (and probably less popular) marketplace only a couple of minutes away called Cal Marketplace so we decided to check it out. The only catch? It wasn’t exactly easy to get to.
Instead of getting a Lyft, we decided to catch a ride on the Angels Flight railway. Angels Flight has been operating (well, the original location anyway) since the early 1900’s until it was moved to this new-er locale. Oh, and it costs $1 for a one-way ticket.
So while we hadn’t planned on experiencing another piece of LA history, we certainly didn’t mind.
Day 6, Part 1.75
January 30, 2020
"We Have An SOS!"
Cal Marketplace had a few options- a poke bar, a Greek grill, Panda Express, and a beacon of light itself, Earl of Sandwich. It was obvious what we decided on.
I opted for an Earl Grey lemonade and my go-to: the Chipotle Chicken Avocado (“grilled chicken, bacon, cheddar, avocado, lettuce, and chipotle sauce”). Mel got a root beer and went with her usual as well, the ever so popular Holiday Turkey (“turkey, cornbread stuffing, gravy, cranberry sauce, and mayonnaise”). We opted to split a side of potato salad.
After lunch, we Lyfted ourselves back to the hotel and changed into our bathing suits. Small children screamed in terror- they were sure that the Loch Ness Monsters were coming to take over the pool, but it was just us. Oops. We were one of the only people in the pool- probably because it was not even February yet and only barely touching high 70’s. But we were determined to experience the popsicle hotline!
One of the draws to the Magic Castle Hotel was the popsicle hotline in the pool area. All you had to do was pick up the phone, tell them you wanted a popsicle, and they would bring you a popsicle on a tray. You know what’s better than being in a pool on vacation? Being in a pool on vacation while eating a popsicle.
After our dip in the pool, we picked up our laundry (I actually have no idea when we dropped it off, but I assume it was probably earlier that day) and got ready for our night out.
Where were we going?
The Magic Castle!
The Magic Castle has a pretty strict dress code- we are talking cocktail dresses and suits and ties. This caused a little bit of stress in my life leading up to our trip. You know what kind of person I am NOT? A cocktail dress kind of person. I’m a mini skirt, crop top, Doc Martens kind of person. I ended up having to borrow a dress from a friend and paired it with a pair of black cut out wedge heels that I’ve had for a few years. And by a few years I mean, I’ve had them since college. And I don’t think I have worn them since.
You’ll be surprised to see my dress isn’t black. I am just as surprised. Also pardon the mess, I was too excited to clean up apparently.
At 6:30, we headed to the hotel lobby for our Castle shuttle that would be picking us up. And you know what pulled up? Someone’s mini van. It was literally the guy working the lobby desk’s car. I just...what?
But in his defense, the Magic Castle was just up a small hill (we decided to take the shuttle since we were wearing cocktail dresses and heels, in our defense).
Magic Castle lets it be known MULTIPLE times that you are absolutely forbidden to take pictures aside from the lobby. Other than that? Nope, not one. They will literally kick you out if they catch you. And someone is always watching.
I also didn’t take notes much during our time at the castle so I’m going by sheer memory here. I do have a good memory, but it HAS been almost 2 years so eh.
Once we stepped into the lobby, we had a quick look around and then were instructed we had to go through the “secret door.” Are you surprised that the Magic Castle has a secret door? You shouldn’t be, it is magic after all!
The Castle itself is a winding maze of staircases, small bar areas, and little showrooms with a couple of main showrooms that you can catch the headlining acts in.
We ventured to our first destination when all of a sudden clunk clunk. Hmm, my shoe felt weird but I’m sure it’s just because I haven’t worn these in a few years. I took a few more steps, clunk clunk. I stopped and looked at my shoes. The heels of my shoes were barely hanging on. No wonder I haven’t worn these shoes lately- they were literally falling apart! This is an SOS moment!
After evaluating my shoe situation, I decided I would just have to deal with it. My shoes would just have to hold it together for a few hours- that’s all. Please shoes, I’m begging you!
The first show we caught was downstairs and we ordered a whiskey sour and a whiskey coke from the bartender. Who ended up being the magician. Small world, huh.
The 2nd show we caught was a magician who performed memory acts from a book. I thought he was pretty impressive, Mel wasn’t convinced.
At 7:30, we headed to dinner. The catch of the Magic Castle is you are required to order an entrée. Required. And you know what? It’s a good thing they require it, because no one there goes for the food.
We decided to start with a couple of drinks (whiskey coke again for Mel, and just a regular coke for me) and the garlic bread which came recommended by the waiter (“four cheese garlic bread- jack, aged cheddar, parmesan, cream $15). The garlic bread was probably the best part of the dinner, which is, ya know. A thing.
For our entrees, Mel opted for the Herb-Rubbed Slow Roasted Prime Rib (10 oz Harry Houdini cut- “garlic confit whipped potatoes, seasonal vegetables (which were carrots and green/yellow beans” $45) and I picked the Grilled Filet Mignon (“6 oz filet, garlic confit whipped potatoes, baby carrots, Bordelaise sauce” $44). Both tasted like they had been sitting under a heat lamp for many, many hours. There’s a reason why they require entrees.
We ended up ordering dessert- I’m actually not sure who ordered what but according to the minimal notes I do have, one of us ordered the banana cream pie and the other ordered the pistachio crème brulee with sour cherry compote. Neither are currently on the menu. Also, sometime during dinner I had decided to go out on a limb and order an aperol spritz, decided I hated it, and then ordered a mojito instead. All was now good.
We finished up the night with the main act and a couple more side shows. The last performer was Mel’s favorite of the night- he was super hilarious and seemed to really enjoy what he was doing and didn’t take himself too seriously.
At 12, we decided to call it a night since we had finished all of the listed performances, and headed out. But not before leaving the Castle and entering the main lobby through another secret door. That’s 2 secret doors in one night. Much like Disney, this secret door dumps you into a gift shop.
My shoes were still hanging on, but just barely. And now both heels were flopping around with each step. We decided to walk down the hill since, honestly, it was only a couple of yards to the hotel and I like to play it risky with my shoes apparently. The minute we got back in the room, I ripped off my shoes and vowed never to wear them again. I watched youtube for a little bit, but quickly was snoozing away.
***Next up: Our last full day! What kind of wild times will we get up to? Will we end our west coast adventure on a strong note? Will Mel get pooped on a 4th time? Stay tuned. Dun Dun Duuuuun***
Day 7, Part 1
January 31, 2020
"No One Gets The Potted Cream!"
Today was our last day! Our West Coast adventure was quickly coming to a close. But today was an exciting day, and I was so ready for it! Today was packed with Harry Potter, Tim Burton, and fun!
Which you probably wouldn’t have been able to guess as I soundly slept until my alarm went off at 7.
Mel and I grabbed a quick breakfast from the hotel lobby’s spread.
You may notice how similar this was to our breakfast the day before. Except a couple more scones across the board.
We were dressed and ready to go by 9:15, with a 10a Universal opening. Our Lyft dropped us off at City Walk at exactly 9:30.
We meandered slowly towards breakfast spot #2. VooDoo Donuts.
The last time we were at VooDoo Donuts, I didn't feel super well so I picked the first donut that I saw and ended up not enjoying it. I was determined this time to actually try a donut I knew I would like. And that bad boy was the Grape Ape. Is it sickeningly sweet? Yes. Do I like that about it? Absolutely.
Mel ended up with a Raspberry Romeo and I questioned why she went with such a basic donut when I knew she had been interested in some of the more indulgent choices. “I actually ordered a Raspberry Cannolo (“twisted dough layered with cream cheese filling. Available in raspberry and almond flavors”), but uh, he handed me this instead.”
Grape Ape (“raised yeast doughnut with vanilla frosting, grape dust, and purple sprinkles” $2); Raspberry Romeo (“raised yeast shell glazed and filled with raspberry jelly” $2.75)
They were both delicious and really hit the spot for our 2nd breakfast of the day. I would absolutely order the Grape Ape again. In fact, I think I might just...in 52 days.
We ate our donuts outside on a small metal table and enjoyed the atmosphere of City Walk before heading towards security to get into the park.
I took this on one of the inside tables- but Universal lanyard, Monsters backpack, and He-Who-Must-Be-Named wand? I was ready!
We were on line for security by 10:03, through security by 10:04, and after snapping a few quick pics, we were walking under the Universal Hollywood arches by 10:08.
Universal Hollywood is an interestingly laid out park. It’s just one single park but it’s split up into an upper lot and a lower lot by gigantic escalators. I kid you not. Giant. Escalators.
Day 7, Part 2
January 31, 2020
"No One Gets The Potted Cream!"
Ronald Weasley!
Most of the rides and entertainment is located on the upper lot- such as Hogsmede, Springfield, and what I think is the main draw of the park. The Studio Tour. The lower lot has the Mummy ride and Transformers.
Our first order of business was to tackle the Simpsons’ ride- which had a 20 minute wait. It was a walk on. I’m not crazy about this ride, but I do like to ride it once a trip.
Next, we decided to head to the lower lot to get on the Studio Tour. The Studio Tour closes earlier than the rest of the park and is pretty long. It’s a full hour. Is it worth it? Absolutely. The tour had only a 10 minute wait and we waited every one of those minutes.
We had pretty good seats on the tram, with only 1 arguing family in front of us. The tour is super fun! You got to see so much behind the scenes of a working studio. They were even in the middle of filming SuperStore, which is one of my favorite shows.
When you start the tour, you pass by Universal Movie Posters throughout the years.
SuperStore! Actual working studios and a couple of really cool murals.
Flash flood! *que Stacy* You're gonna get get!
Not sure if they were taking reservations or not.
Looks like a beautiful calm day on Amity Island...
So close, you could almost kiss him
Looks like a room just opened up at the Bates Motel
Day 7, Part 3
January 31, 2020
"No One Gets The Potted Cream!"
Someone should get out there and clean up all that mess!
There were also a couple of “rides within a ride” situations- a shortened version of the Kong ride and Fast and Furious- Supercharged.
After we finished our tour, we headed down to the lower lot and jumped on the Mummy. The wait was slightly under 10 minutes so we went for a second ride. The Hollywood version is slightly shorter (at least it felt that way) than the Orlando version, but it was still a great coaster nonetheless.
Since we were already in the lower lot, we decided to finish out that area by riding Transformers next. On a score of 1-10, I wouldn’t even bother rating it.
Back upstairs in the Upper Lot, Mel decided to head into a showing of Universal’s Animal Actors, while I walked around. I’m not a fan of animal shows. Weird? Probably. But I took a nice stroll around and looked through a couple of shops.
After the show, Mel and I met back up and headed into Hogsmeade.
Our first stop? Well, lunch of course, at the Three Broomsticks.
I opted for a pumpkin fizz (of course! Pumpkin juice is my weakness!) and one of the specials- the cheese toastie with chicken. Mel played it safe with a lemonade and the fish and chips. However, as a true Butterbeer lover, she went out on a limb and tried the Butterbeer potted cream.
Lemonade ($3.99) and the queen herself, pumpkin fizz ($4.99); Cheese toastie with chicken (“grilled English cheddar cheese with chicken, crispy bacon, mustard sauce, and sliced tomato, served with a fresh salad or potato wedges” $16.49); Fish and chips (“two pieces of ale battered deep fried cod, served with chips and tartar sauce” $18.99); Butterbeer potted cream ($5.79)
We took our lunch and ate outside on one of the very back tables. I can’t get enough of that California sun, I tell ya.
Oh the cheese toastie, ohhhh the cheese toastie. I’m not a fan of tomatoes on a sandwich (or on or in anything really) so I asked to have it removed. “Sorry, the sandwiches are all premade, nothing can be changed.” I should’ve taken it as a sign and gone with the fish and chips. I should’ve but I didn’t. The sandwich wasn’t downright terrible, but it wasn’t great. C’est la vie.
Mel on the other hand was pleased with her fish and chips. Then I asked her about her dessert. “No one gets the potted cream,” Mel told me. “I ordered it and she said ‘the what now?!’” HAHA!
I saw this leaving Three Broomsticks- the little touches get me!
After lunch, I headed to Forbidden Journey while Mel sat and muggle watched. The ride only had a 10 minute wait, but with single rider, I was on within 5.
Flight of the Hippogriff was next and Mel joined me. It was a complete walk on. Such a cute, small roller coaster. And Buckbeak!
Day 7, Part 4
January 31, 2020
"No One Gets The Potted Cream!"
We stopped for a Pumpkin Juice for me and a frozen Butterbeer for Mel and sipped our drinks as we walked around Hogsmeade.
I decided to pick up a couple of souvenirs from a few stores after we were done with Hogsmeade while Mel opted to continue people watching. I grabbed a couple of items from the Universal Monsters store. I could’ve spent all of my money in there, I showed restraint and only ended up picking up a shirt for myself, a keychain for my sister, and a shot glass for my ex boyfriend (who I had still been on good terms with at that point, but that changed before I could end up giving it to him. So it’s now mine, lol).
Once I was thoroughly satisfied with my purchases, Mel and I headed over to Despicable Me Minion Mayhem. I love the queue for this ride, so cute! The wait was posted at 20 minutes, but we waited only about 13. Not bad at all.
We finished up our ride experience for the day with Kung Fu Panda Adventure- which is similar to Shrek or Despicable Me. The cool thing is that the theater has an almost complete wrap around screen so the “action” is all around you. And for only a 10 minute wait? Completely do-able.
Cute little nod to Shrek, who previously had residence in the DreamWorks Theater.
Once we were finished, I decided I needed some Dippin’ Dots. I was convinced I had seen a stand somewhere and the park is pretty small, so I was sure I would find it. While Mel people watched, I literally walked about 3 times around the entire park looking for these stupid Dippin’ Dots.
Found this Lunar New Year wish tree in my journey.
And I finally found them!
And they were closed. Ding dang.
On my way back to Mel, I ended up running into Lucy and snapped a couple pics of her. She was very fun and joked around with me for a bit.
Day 7, Part 5
January 31, 2020
"No One Gets The Potted Cream!"
Mel and I checked the Universal app and realized that we had done nearly every ride in the park- well, every ride we were interested in (I think 1 or 2 might have been closed, and the Secret Life of Pets wasn’t open yet). We were pleased with ourselves and decided to head on out. But not before another photo op!
Back in City Walk, I stopped at Popcornopolis for cheddar cheese popcorn and munched as we ordered a Lyft back to the hotel.
By 5:45, we were back at the Magic Castle Hotel and I crawled into my bed for a quick cat nap.
Waking up refreshed and ready for our night, Mel and I changed and hopped into another Lyft. Where were we going now? Well, to Beetle House!
What’s Beetle House? I’m glad you asked.
Beetle House actually has 2 locations- 1 in LA and 1 right here in NYC. According to their website, Beetle House “is a year round celebration of Halloween with an artistic and thematic atmosphere inspired by horror culture, magic, and the artistic, literary, and cinematic works of Tim Burton, Alfred Hitchcock, Bram Stoker, Washington Irving, Edgar Allen Poe, and many more.”
Every inch is covered in Nightmare on Christmas, Beetlejuice, Sweeney Todd, and Edward Scissorhands (among many, many more).
We got to Beetle House at 8:09 and entered a very non-descript room. Well, well, well, what would you know? Another secret door! Once through the secret door, we entered the actual bar area of Beetle House.
We opted to order a couple of drinks while we waited for our dinner reservation time. I went with the This is Halloween, while Mel decided on The Beetle’s Juice
This is Halloween (“fireball, sour apple pucker, pumpkin liquor, hard apple cider. Topped off with ginger ale, garnished with a lime wheel.” $12); The Beetle’s Juice (“muddled blackberries and limes, Tequila, blackberry schnapps, Angostura bitters, splash of cranberry juice. Garnished with a blackberry and a lime” $14)
Both were delicious! We sipped on our drinks while checking out the décor and at 8:30, we checked in for our reservation. And what was that? Why, it’s of course another secret door!
This secret door led to a large dining room area that was just as fabulously themed.
Our waitress quickly stopped at our table and briefly explained how the menu worked. Essentially, it’s a prix fixe menu- with a catch. You could order an appetizer, entrée, and dessert all from the left side of the menu for $49, or you could mix and match the left and right side of the menu for $51.
For appetizers, we both chose left side options. I went for the Big Apple salad, while Mel chose the Butternut Squash Risotto.
The Big Apple Salad (“shaved apple and baby arugula tossed in an apple cider vinaigrette, dried cranberries, walnuts, and brie cheese); Butternut Squash Risotto (“creamy risotto with a butternut squash puree, roasted butternut squash, pomegranate gastrique, pomegranate seeds, crispy fried sage”)
We both could not say enough great things about our choices! Mel almost licked her plate clean.
Day 7, Part 6
January 31, 2020
"No One Gets The Potted Cream!"
Entrees were up next and I went with Miss Peregrine’s Hen (a left side option), and Mel went with the Edward Burger Hands (also a left).
Miss Peregrine’s Hen (“oven roasted chicken breast over caramelized Brussel sprouts with pancetta, fingerling potatoes, black pepper chicken au jus, and crispy fried Brussel sprout leaves”); Edward Burger hands (“honey butter toasted brioche bun, ½ pound certified Angus beef Pattie, bacon, pepper jack cheese, sriracha aioli, roasted bell peppers, lettuce, tomato, fried egg, avocado. Served with fries”)
My chicken was outstanding! As soon as it was placed in front of me, I was in love. The chicken was cooked perfectly, the Brussel sprouts and potatoes were the perfect accompaniment. I ate every single bite- which is super rare for me when it comes to entrees. But when I tell you this dish was a knockout, it really was.
Mel also really loved her burger, but could barely make a dent in it since she was pretty full from her risotto.
For dessert, I went for a lighter option with the Wonderland Mango Panna Cotta (left side), and Mel splurged for the up charge (all $2 of a splurge) and chose the Charlie’s Chocolate River Cake.
Wonderland Mango Panna Cotta (“fresh strawberries, kiwi, Coco puffs, and passion fruit foam”); Charlie’s Chocolate River Cake (“served with a raspberry and strawberry puree and fresh strawberries”)
I thought my choice was just the right option- it was light and tasted fresh. Just what I needed after eating my weight in chicken and potatoes. And who could go wrong with chocolate cake? No one, that’s who.
While we ate our meal, we were treated to a little entertainment. Each night, Beetle House has performers that come and go throughout the night.
Tonight was the Scarollers, who treated us to “I Put A Spell on You” (there was more, but that’s all I can remember because I recorded it on my phone lol).
Beetle House was so much fun, and if it’s something that sounds interesting to you, I highly, highly recommend it. I haven’t been to the one in NYC yet- well, actually I had reservations for last year but the pandemic cancelled that. One day Beetle House NYC, one day.
I did buy a t-shirt though, and I wear it nearly once a week to work. The back of it says “Everyday is Halloween”, which is honestly, my motto!
We took a Lyft back to the hotel around 10:30 and slowly packed up most of our things. Tomorrow was back to reality!
By 1 o’clock I was in bed and dreaming of that chicken dish!
***Next up: We get evicted from the entire state of California. Will we make it home in one piece? Will our flight get cancelled like it did coming to California? Stay tuned. Dun Dun Duuuuun***
Hey hi hello! I’m back to finally tie up the loose ends on this report since Mel and I leave for Orlando in *gasp* 6 days! I am so, so beyond excited! And not only that, but we have another secret trip in the works. But that, like I said, is a secret. For now.
I meant to get this update written and posted much, much earlier than this. But life got busy. I’ve been spending all of my free time (there’s not a lot of it these days) taking small little day trips- a day at the zoo, exploring Sleepy Hollow, enjoying one last day at the beach, and meeting up with Mel in NYC to catch a performance of Waitress on Broadway.
Look at this sweet little baby.
Just a pit of snakes, nbd
My motto
Horsefeathers is my favorite restaurant in the Sleepy Hollow/Tarrytown area. 10/10 recommend.
So happy to see this. Book of Mormons is one of my faves!
Speaking of Broadway, it’s back, baby! And you know what else is back?! Beetlejuice on Broadway! Mel and I managed to snag the opening (reopening?) night tickets for April. Which is *chef’s kiss*. I’m also going to my first concert since the pandemic in Brooklyn in early April (Enter Shakari, if anyone is familiar lol).
But let’s get back on topic and finish this bad boy once and for all.
I woke up to my alarm at 7am and got ready nice and slowly while packing up some loose ends (second time I’ve said that, is this my new phrase? No, I won’t allow it). By 8, Mel and I ordered our Lyft and were barring down for our final face off with LA traffic.
But like the tricky beast LA traffic is, there was none and we were at the airport by 8:30.
Thanks to PreCheck, we were through security in 2 minutes and scoping out a spot to stop for a quick breakfast.
We chose Chick Fil A- I have no memory of what the other choices were, but if we opted for Chick Fil A, I can only assume there was hardly anything. We both got a chicken biscuit meal with tots.
The food was edible, which is usually how Chick Fil A is.
After breakfast, we walked around the terminal and stopped for some snacks to take on the plane. I grabbed some combos, Sour Patch watermelon slices, and a coke.
I took this originally as a joke since in my mind this was the only type of juice "cleanse" young, naïve me would ever think of taking. But now, I literally take some sort of wellness shot every day. So who's laughing now, past me?! Neither of us, that's who.
I was supposed to go to Vegas in March '20 and thought this was a cute little "omg" moment since that is definitely the Vegas sign. And oh a sign it was. Excited to go to Vegas? Too bad. Have a pandemic instead.
We had a quick layover in Nashville- only about an hour from touchdown to takeoff- so our flight out of LA being delayed 5 minutes made me stress. And stress hard.
My notes say: “flight delayed 5 mins, so going to land 10 mins late. Only 50 mins between flights. Delayed extra 10 in air. Only 40 mins between flights now”.
I don’t remember all of the delays but oh, do I remember that stress. Once we were boarded though, the flight was smooth sailing.
We landed in Nashville at 5:40pm, with only 10 minutes from touchdown until boarding.
My one goal for the Nashville airport was to buy a keychain. That’s all. And lemme tell you, I was not leaving Nashville without a keychain. The airport gods were on my side, and for some reason, we didn’t end up having to board our second flight until 6:15. So I got my keychain. We love a good success story.
Don't talk to him about luggage limits. He's got tricks on his head- err, up his sleeve.
Our second flight was super empty with only 96 other passengers. By 6:40 we were in the air and I enjoyed a little Harry Potter on my phone during the hour and 35 minute flight.
We landed on time at 9:35 and were greeted by a wonderfully rainy New York /sarcasm.
We took a little bit of time to park, or whatever it is that planes have to do, and by 9:45 we were off the plane.
Our trip came full circle as we exited through the gate we left from a week ago.
Getting our luggage was simple enough (except I feel like that’s easier to say in hindsight because the actual act of getting luggage from the worst carousel attraction in the world is easily one of my least favorite parts of travel).
My dad was gracious enough to pick us up from the airport and we were back to my house by 10:53.
Sadly enough, after a quick breakfast of some Jersey bagels and coffee, Mel was on her way the next morning by 10:15 and it was back to reality and business as usual. We both had no idea that in a matter of slightly over a month, the world would shut down for the pandemic and we wouldn’t be able to spend time with each other until November of 2020. And we wouldn’t step foot on Disney property, or even an airport, until almost a year after that.
I’ve had more trips cancelled due to the pandemic than I care to count- Vegas, Nevada/Arizona, San Francisco, South Carolina, New Orleans. But finally, in 6 days, one will finally be sticking. And it’s Disney World, baby!
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