Day 150 - Crescent City, CA to Reno, NV - Partly Cloudy - Mid 50's
We were back in the car early again this morning as we had a long drive ahead of us to Reno. We had planned a couple stops on our drive down the coast. Our first stop was a beautiful scenic overlook 600 feet above the ocean and the Klamath River delta. It was an amazing view and we wish we had more time to explore and look for gray whales that are migrating North up the coast.
From there we made a quick stop at an Elk refuge where we were able to see a few Elks eating in the fields. It was amazing as Heather had never seen an Elk before. This road also took us to what was formerly the tallest tree in the world. Unfortunately a storm blew the top of the tree off and it is no longer the tallest. It was still amazing to see though!
Our next stop was one that I had been looking forward to for awhile. We arrived at the Tour-Through Tree, paid our $5 fee, and headed up to the huge redwood that we could drive the car through. We got our monies worth and drove through the tree four times and got some great pictures and videos - check them out!! I also used the bathroom here that was inside of a hollowed out Redwood Tree. No pictures-sorry!
After our drive thru we were straight onto Reno. It was a LONG boring drive through the countrysides of California and Nevada. Fortunately we were staying at a hotel with a kitchen so we cooked up some dinner and hit the sack!
Day 149 - Klamath Falls, OR to Crescent City, CA - Partly Cloudy/Rain/Sun - Low 30's to Mid 50's:
After a good night out playing some pong like I was back in college, we woke up early and packed the car and said goodbye to Ryan. He was off to tutor some kids in statistics and we had some miles ahead of us. We gassed up the Saab and headed West again toward the Redwood National Forest.
We arrived in the mid-afternoon and stopped by the visitor center to see what we should see and do while we were in the forest. We were pointed toward a couple old growth redwood forests. These trees were amazing!! We didn't get the same awe moment as we got in the Sequoia Forests because the trees aren't quite as big near the bottom but they sure do seem to stretch forever into the sky. After exploring the groves we went to look for a place to stay for the night. There were many campsites around but the weather called for rain and we didn't want a repeat of the wet night in Virginia, so we checked into the local Econolodge and grabbed some pizza for dinner.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Monday, March 29, 2010
A Day of Nothingness!
Day 148 - Klamath Falls, OR - Cloudy with Rain Low 45's:
This is one of the first days of nothing that we have had in months! I did not leave the apartment at all today. Instead I spent the day catching up on work!! It was wonderful and I feel like I actually made quite a bit of progress. Ben meanwhile dealt with email, tried to figure out our next stop, watched some TV, and hit up the gym with Ryan for some weight lifting and basketball.
Once Ben got back I finished up work and we watched Precious. I have wanted to see it for a while now and I am glad I got the chance. It is an excellent movie and I recommend that everyone watch it. We had some dinner, did some laundry, and are now relaxing watching some TV. Once Ryan gets home from work he and Ben may head out for a little bit...I really have no interest and so I'll likely stay here and read or get everything ready for tomorrow!
This is one of the first days of nothing that we have had in months! I did not leave the apartment at all today. Instead I spent the day catching up on work!! It was wonderful and I feel like I actually made quite a bit of progress. Ben meanwhile dealt with email, tried to figure out our next stop, watched some TV, and hit up the gym with Ryan for some weight lifting and basketball.
Once Ben got back I finished up work and we watched Precious. I have wanted to see it for a while now and I am glad I got the chance. It is an excellent movie and I recommend that everyone watch it. We had some dinner, did some laundry, and are now relaxing watching some TV. Once Ryan gets home from work he and Ben may head out for a little bit...I really have no interest and so I'll likely stay here and read or get everything ready for tomorrow!
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Volcanoes and Creameries
Day 147 - Klamath Falls, OR - Overcast Low 50's:
Today was Ryan's day off from work which was a nice chance for him to hang out with us here in his pseudo hometown of Klamath. We slept in until 10am which was SOOOO nice. I can't remember the last time we slept in and boy have I missed it! I know it sounds silly but all this traveling is exhausting. We were talking about it yesterday because with working you get the weekend to rest and recuperate....with traveling everyday is the same. Again, not complaining too much...just noting that it was GREAT to sleep in!
Once we were up and had our breakfast we made our way to Lava Beds National Park. As we were driving I was surprised to see that we were actually going to California. Klamath is very close to the border and turns out the NP was in Cali. We arrived and made our way to the visitors center. We stopped to take photos at the entrance and low and behold we saw our first tumbleweed! Did I mention it was VERY VERY windy! Ben was excited and was sure to take pictures. We continued to the visitor center to check in and get our free flashlights. Unlike the caverns we have visited in the past, these lava tubes (caves) are not lit with artificial light. Thankfully Ryan had been before and we were prepared with our headlamps and a mag light. He had informed us that the lights they provide weren't that great and he was right!
We spent the afternoon exploring the magnificent caves left behind from lava that flowed during volcanic activity. They are a beautiful...and very sharp. Some of the areas we were traveling in had a clearance of about three feet. We did "duck walking" through these areas. Some of them led to big open rooms while others simply led to dead ends. Our first cave was Mushpot Cave. It was a nice intro to the caves as it was at the visitors center and was well lit. It had guide lights on the floors and also had stops where buttons would light up different features of the caves. Interestingly this one also had a large screen and seating...we're guessing they show documentaries in the summer!
The Golden Dome was our first stop on the cave loop. It got it's name because it has an open area with a golden ceiling (there are any other rooms like this but this one got the name). The gold color is a result of the light reflecting off the water droplets that bead up on a coating of hydrophobic bacteria. It is really pretty.
From Golden Dome we made our way to Hopkins Chocolate Cave. The name is a result of the brown color of the lava coloring the walls. Next up was Blue Grotto which is named for the pale blue-gray portions of the ceiling inside the "Blue Grotto." I didn't see it but Ben managed to find it as Ryan and I made our way out...I think he got some pictures! Catacombs was our next stop. This one made me a bit nervous as the guide said a map of the cave was HIGHLY recommended before entering...the boys though were confident in their navigational abilities. Those consisted of taking rights all the way until we couldn't then going left and working back from that! Well as you can tell we made it out and the cave was spectacular. I would love to have a map and spend some more time in this one!
Continuing on the loop we arrived at Ovis and Paradise Alleys. These were nice because you could walk in one and it connected to the other. There were some great balconies that allowed for some neat views in this one. Leaving here we stopped at the Natural Bridge for some photos before making our last stop on the loop at Sentinel Cave. This one was AWESOME. It was huge and again allowed us to enter at one end and exit at the other. It was without a doubt my favorite!
After exiting the loop we returned to the visitors center to give back our lights. We then ventured to Skull Cave. It's named for the bones of antelope and mountain goats, bighorn sheep skulls, and two human skeletons found inside. It is a remnant of two lava tubes, one on top of each other. It allows cold winter air to be trapped inside creating a year-round ice floor on the lower level. We made our way down but unfortunately we couldn't get very close to the ice because they have it closed for restoration. With so many people traveling in, the ice is not as clear as it used to be and the park service wants to make sure it is around and available for generations to come! It was still neat to see and think that they used to have ice skating parties here!!
From Skull Cave we made our way to Fleener Chimney's. These are spatter cones which were created when globs of hot molten lava piled on top of each other. There are actually holes in each chimney one of which goes about fifty feet down. We were reading that not too long ago they had to clean the holes out because people were throwing things in to try and see how deep they were! So much trash that they took out thirty-five TONS one bucket at a time! Needless to say they appreciate people not throwing things down the holes! These chimney's are the source of the flow called The Devil's Homestead which we saw as we entered the park! The eruption occurred between 2,000 and 8,000 years ago.
The last stop of the day was at Captain Jack's Stronghold. The boys took the trip while I waited in the truck. I was both a bit tired and a bit cold and the area didn't really interest me all that much. Here's what I found for information on the National Park Service Website: "A walk through Captain Jacks Stronghold is a unique experience just waiting to happen. The spirit of the Modoc People can still be found there. Think of the courage it took for them to endure the winter of 1872-73 after their village and winter food supplies had been burned by the army. Please walk the trail with respect and with an open heart. Enter the medicine circle reverently, as you would enter your own church. Let the spirits of the winds, the rocks, and the animals speak to you of past events, as they have always spoken to the indigenous peoples. Listen for their silent voices. The traditional culture of an entire people was lost here, yet a modern culture of their descendants still survives. Don't be surprised if you find prayer ribbons or sage offerings hanging on the prayer tree near the junction of the two trails. Feel free to offer your own. The spirituality of the Modoc Stronghold permeates the whole region and captures the hearts of many visitors, calling them back year after year." (http://www.nps.gov/archive/labe/content/INTERP_To_Do_Captjack.htm, March 27, 2010)
We returned to Klamath Falls and made our way to The Creamery Brewpub and Grill for dinner and drinks. While there a few of Ryan's friends showed up and we enjoyed some time relaxing. It was a pretty nice place. Lots of comfortable seating and big televisions. After we "closed the place down" at 9:45pm we headed to Fred Meyers to grab a Redbox. We are now hanging at the apartment watching The Hurt Locker. Tomorrow is a "day off" as it is supposed to rain all day...then off to...well we're not sure yet but we'll keep you posted!
Today was Ryan's day off from work which was a nice chance for him to hang out with us here in his pseudo hometown of Klamath. We slept in until 10am which was SOOOO nice. I can't remember the last time we slept in and boy have I missed it! I know it sounds silly but all this traveling is exhausting. We were talking about it yesterday because with working you get the weekend to rest and recuperate....with traveling everyday is the same. Again, not complaining too much...just noting that it was GREAT to sleep in!
Once we were up and had our breakfast we made our way to Lava Beds National Park. As we were driving I was surprised to see that we were actually going to California. Klamath is very close to the border and turns out the NP was in Cali. We arrived and made our way to the visitors center. We stopped to take photos at the entrance and low and behold we saw our first tumbleweed! Did I mention it was VERY VERY windy! Ben was excited and was sure to take pictures. We continued to the visitor center to check in and get our free flashlights. Unlike the caverns we have visited in the past, these lava tubes (caves) are not lit with artificial light. Thankfully Ryan had been before and we were prepared with our headlamps and a mag light. He had informed us that the lights they provide weren't that great and he was right!
We spent the afternoon exploring the magnificent caves left behind from lava that flowed during volcanic activity. They are a beautiful...and very sharp. Some of the areas we were traveling in had a clearance of about three feet. We did "duck walking" through these areas. Some of them led to big open rooms while others simply led to dead ends. Our first cave was Mushpot Cave. It was a nice intro to the caves as it was at the visitors center and was well lit. It had guide lights on the floors and also had stops where buttons would light up different features of the caves. Interestingly this one also had a large screen and seating...we're guessing they show documentaries in the summer!
The Golden Dome was our first stop on the cave loop. It got it's name because it has an open area with a golden ceiling (there are any other rooms like this but this one got the name). The gold color is a result of the light reflecting off the water droplets that bead up on a coating of hydrophobic bacteria. It is really pretty.
From Golden Dome we made our way to Hopkins Chocolate Cave. The name is a result of the brown color of the lava coloring the walls. Next up was Blue Grotto which is named for the pale blue-gray portions of the ceiling inside the "Blue Grotto." I didn't see it but Ben managed to find it as Ryan and I made our way out...I think he got some pictures! Catacombs was our next stop. This one made me a bit nervous as the guide said a map of the cave was HIGHLY recommended before entering...the boys though were confident in their navigational abilities. Those consisted of taking rights all the way until we couldn't then going left and working back from that! Well as you can tell we made it out and the cave was spectacular. I would love to have a map and spend some more time in this one!
Continuing on the loop we arrived at Ovis and Paradise Alleys. These were nice because you could walk in one and it connected to the other. There were some great balconies that allowed for some neat views in this one. Leaving here we stopped at the Natural Bridge for some photos before making our last stop on the loop at Sentinel Cave. This one was AWESOME. It was huge and again allowed us to enter at one end and exit at the other. It was without a doubt my favorite!
After exiting the loop we returned to the visitors center to give back our lights. We then ventured to Skull Cave. It's named for the bones of antelope and mountain goats, bighorn sheep skulls, and two human skeletons found inside. It is a remnant of two lava tubes, one on top of each other. It allows cold winter air to be trapped inside creating a year-round ice floor on the lower level. We made our way down but unfortunately we couldn't get very close to the ice because they have it closed for restoration. With so many people traveling in, the ice is not as clear as it used to be and the park service wants to make sure it is around and available for generations to come! It was still neat to see and think that they used to have ice skating parties here!!
From Skull Cave we made our way to Fleener Chimney's. These are spatter cones which were created when globs of hot molten lava piled on top of each other. There are actually holes in each chimney one of which goes about fifty feet down. We were reading that not too long ago they had to clean the holes out because people were throwing things in to try and see how deep they were! So much trash that they took out thirty-five TONS one bucket at a time! Needless to say they appreciate people not throwing things down the holes! These chimney's are the source of the flow called The Devil's Homestead which we saw as we entered the park! The eruption occurred between 2,000 and 8,000 years ago.
The last stop of the day was at Captain Jack's Stronghold. The boys took the trip while I waited in the truck. I was both a bit tired and a bit cold and the area didn't really interest me all that much. Here's what I found for information on the National Park Service Website: "A walk through Captain Jacks Stronghold is a unique experience just waiting to happen. The spirit of the Modoc People can still be found there. Think of the courage it took for them to endure the winter of 1872-73 after their village and winter food supplies had been burned by the army. Please walk the trail with respect and with an open heart. Enter the medicine circle reverently, as you would enter your own church. Let the spirits of the winds, the rocks, and the animals speak to you of past events, as they have always spoken to the indigenous peoples. Listen for their silent voices. The traditional culture of an entire people was lost here, yet a modern culture of their descendants still survives. Don't be surprised if you find prayer ribbons or sage offerings hanging on the prayer tree near the junction of the two trails. Feel free to offer your own. The spirituality of the Modoc Stronghold permeates the whole region and captures the hearts of many visitors, calling them back year after year." (http://www.nps.gov/archive/labe/content/INTERP_To_Do_Captjack.htm, March 27, 2010)
We returned to Klamath Falls and made our way to The Creamery Brewpub and Grill for dinner and drinks. While there a few of Ryan's friends showed up and we enjoyed some time relaxing. It was a pretty nice place. Lots of comfortable seating and big televisions. After we "closed the place down" at 9:45pm we headed to Fred Meyers to grab a Redbox. We are now hanging at the apartment watching The Hurt Locker. Tomorrow is a "day off" as it is supposed to rain all day...then off to...well we're not sure yet but we'll keep you posted!
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Wine Country and Beyond
Day 146 - Klamath, CA - Sunny and Windy Mid 30's:
Crater Lake National Park here we come! The forecast for Klamath Falls was 60˚ and sunny but I know myself well and decided that long johns were probably in order for our adventures at the national park. Ryan had been kind enough to find snowshoes for us from a couple of his friends (I don't know who they were but I am very grateful) so we packed up and headed out. When we arrived at the first visitors center I was astonished by the amount of snow. You have to look at the pictures to get an idea. It was nuts...they have tunnels to the visitors centers (both) and to the bathrooms. It was quite funny.
We got our maps and headed to the rim of the lake to start our snowshoeing trip. There were quite a few people there when we started but not surprising the further we went the fewer people we saw. Crater Lake is the deepest lake in the United States with a depth of 1943ft and ranks 7th in the world. The water is as blue as you can imagine. I had to ask why and here is what I learned: "The color of Crater Lake is the product of its great depth, the purity and clarity of its water, and the way solar radiation interacts with water. Water molecules absorb the longer wavelengths of light better (reds, oranges, yellows, and greens). This energy slowly heats the lake throughout the summer. Shorter wavelengths (blues) are more easily scattered than absorbed. In the deep lake, some of the scattered blue light is redirected back up to the surface where we can see it. Around the edges where the water is less deep, some of the unabsorbed green sunlight is reflected back up. The color of the lake can vary from day to day depending on wind, cloud cover, and the angle of the sun." (http://www.nps.gov/archive/crla/brochures/craterlake.htm, March 27, 2010). It is an amazing sight. We snowshoed in one direction for about an hour or so before stopping for lunch. Our goal was to find a place out of the wind...did I mention it was windy? CRAZY windy!! We did find a spot and enjoyed our lunch before continuing on our way. We stopped at one point to take some pictures of a neat little rock area which led to building a mini snowman. He was so cute!!
After finishing our snowman we decided to turn around and make our way back to where we started. It took a lot less time to get back than we thought and so we continued past where we started in the opposite direction. This led us to some sort of house structure (an inn maybe?). It was crazy because we were practically at the roof line as we walked across the snow. The building also had lots of HUGE icicles that Ben decided to take down and play with...go figure! As we got by the building the wind really picked up but we ventured onward. The terrain on this side was much steeper and it finally reached a spot where I wasn't comfortable going further. I could tell Ben wanted to get to the top of this little ledge though and so I told him to go and I would wait. He was quite happy as he was able to get some pictures of the rocks you can see through the water and of Phantom Ship (it is called this because it fog it sometimes looks like a ship in the lake).
Crater Lake Interesting Info: (http://www.nps.gov/crla/index.htm, March 27, 2010)
- The park averages 533 inches of snow per year.
- Wizard Island is a cinder cone that erupted after Crater Lake began to fill with water. It is one of two islands in Crater Lake.
- The depth of Crater Lake was first measured in 1886 with a simple sounding machine that consisted of a crank and a spool of piano wire. Those first measurements showed the lake to be 1,996 feet deep - not far off from the depth of 1,943 feet that was measured with high tech equipment in 2000!
- The park was authorized on May 22, 1902.
- Seven different trees live on Phantom Ship, an island in Crater Lake. There are also colonies of violet green swallows, and several varieties of wildflowers and lichens living there.
- The "Old Man" of Crater Lake is a mountain hemlock log that has been floating upright in the lake for more than 100 years! Wind currents enable the Old Man to travel to different locations around the lake.
Once Ben returned we made our way back to the car stopping for a few fun photos on the way! We loaded up and headed back to Klamath Falls where we made a trip to the grocery store and to Borders for Ben to get a new book! We came back to Ryan's and made dinner while we watched some TV. We cleaned up a bit and then Ben headed out to pick up Boondock Saints II. We love Boondock Saints so we figured this one would be good too! Luckily Ryan got out of work early and as I write we are all sitting here watching the movie! Tomorrow it's off to some lava formed caverns...we'll see if they can live up to Luray!
Day 145 - Sonoma, CA - Sunny Low 70's:
Today we left our gracious hosts Kathy and Pierre and started our way toward Ryan's in Klamath Falls, Oregon.
Our first stop was in Sonoma, California otherwise known as WINE COUNTRY. Ben was very excited for the tastings while I was more excited for the scenery and history. We arrived around 11am and headed to our first winery. Kathy had recommended Vinasa as a GREAT first stop. Not only do they make wine but they also make their own spreads. I actually didn't find any tastings of the spreads but Ben found the wine tastings. There were a couple that he REALLY liked but we didn't want to have them shipped and all that so we took their list and highlighted the ones he liked...maybe when we get back we'll order a bottle or two.
After Vinasa we made our way to Jacuzzi Family Vineyards. YES the same Jacuzzi as in the hot tubs. It was a GREAT stop. Not only do they have wine here but they also have a business called The Olive Press where they produce their own olive oil. We were able to sample the oils as well as the wines. The oils were AMAZING. The favorite was Italian Herb. It was DELICIOUS...I think I could have drank the whole thing. We decided that we will definitely be ordering these when we get back home. From here we made our way to the visitors center. We were on the lookout for a particular wine and figured they might be able to point us in the right direction. We were right. Of course it was the vineyard that we were like oh...we don't need to go there. So we took some photos at the visitors center. They have some interesting furniture and decoration.
We arrived at Cline Cellars Winery and made our way to the tasting room. As an FYI, Jacuzzi and Cline are the only two wineries in Sonoma that still offer FREE tastings. Everyone else charges at least five dollars for the tastings. Cline was Ben's favorite stop. It was nice and big, the people were so friendly...it almost felt like family...and we spent quite a bit of time there. At this stop they have a museum, a tasting room (in an old farm house), and gorgeous grounds which they offered tours of during the day. Unfortunately by the time we realized that placed offered tours we had missed all the ones near us! We were a little bummed but what can you do! Oh and did I mention they didn't have what we were looking for but they did send us to another place where we could find it.
From Cline we made our way to Shug Carneros Estate Winery. A cute German winery with gorgeous hillside grounds. Again Ben partook in a tasting. Here they specialized in Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays. The bartender was a great storyteller and very well informed. He shared lots of information with us and you could tell he was very passionate about the wineries. Here we did find what we were looking for but Ben was not a fan of their version and so we pressed on looking again.
After leaving Shug we made our way to downtown Sonoma for lunch. We found a cute little cafe called Sunflower Caffe where everything was made from scratch. We both thoroughly enjoyed our meals and I would strongly recommend visiting here if you are ever in town.
Our last stop of the day was our final chance to find our mysterious and elusive wine. We were directed to Ledson Winery and Vineyards. This was without question the most BEAUTIFUL vineyard we saw during our visit. It was amazing as you can see in the pictures. Here we found what we had been looking for which made both of us very happy. Ledson was certainly the priciest of wineries that we visited but according to Ben it was with good reason.
We left Ledson and with that said goodbye to Sonoma. Even though I'm not a wine drinker I really wish we had planned to spend more time here. It is a beautiful area and I would have loved to explore more, poke in stores, and go on the tours. As we continue to say when we leave places we really enjoy...all the more reason to come back! The drive to Klamath Falls was LONG and uneventful. The start of the trip took us through the beautiful country side of Lake County and Napa County where there were more wineries and fields of grapes. It was just gorgeous. It also took us by Clear Lake which is the largest freshwater lake in California. It's BIG! The rest of the drive was uneventful highway travel. We were amazed when we got into Oregon. The mountains were lit by moonlight and you could see the snow covered terrain. We tried to take pictures and video but nothing could capture what we were seeing.
Our final destination we reached around 11:30pm. Ryan had been kind enough to set everything out for us in case he was still at work. He wasn't but he was just down the street so he came back once we were here. After we unpacked he and Ben made their way to a small get together while I did some work.
Crater Lake National Park here we come! The forecast for Klamath Falls was 60˚ and sunny but I know myself well and decided that long johns were probably in order for our adventures at the national park. Ryan had been kind enough to find snowshoes for us from a couple of his friends (I don't know who they were but I am very grateful) so we packed up and headed out. When we arrived at the first visitors center I was astonished by the amount of snow. You have to look at the pictures to get an idea. It was nuts...they have tunnels to the visitors centers (both) and to the bathrooms. It was quite funny.
We got our maps and headed to the rim of the lake to start our snowshoeing trip. There were quite a few people there when we started but not surprising the further we went the fewer people we saw. Crater Lake is the deepest lake in the United States with a depth of 1943ft and ranks 7th in the world. The water is as blue as you can imagine. I had to ask why and here is what I learned: "The color of Crater Lake is the product of its great depth, the purity and clarity of its water, and the way solar radiation interacts with water. Water molecules absorb the longer wavelengths of light better (reds, oranges, yellows, and greens). This energy slowly heats the lake throughout the summer. Shorter wavelengths (blues) are more easily scattered than absorbed. In the deep lake, some of the scattered blue light is redirected back up to the surface where we can see it. Around the edges where the water is less deep, some of the unabsorbed green sunlight is reflected back up. The color of the lake can vary from day to day depending on wind, cloud cover, and the angle of the sun." (http://www.nps.gov/archive/crla/brochures/craterlake.htm, March 27, 2010). It is an amazing sight. We snowshoed in one direction for about an hour or so before stopping for lunch. Our goal was to find a place out of the wind...did I mention it was windy? CRAZY windy!! We did find a spot and enjoyed our lunch before continuing on our way. We stopped at one point to take some pictures of a neat little rock area which led to building a mini snowman. He was so cute!!
After finishing our snowman we decided to turn around and make our way back to where we started. It took a lot less time to get back than we thought and so we continued past where we started in the opposite direction. This led us to some sort of house structure (an inn maybe?). It was crazy because we were practically at the roof line as we walked across the snow. The building also had lots of HUGE icicles that Ben decided to take down and play with...go figure! As we got by the building the wind really picked up but we ventured onward. The terrain on this side was much steeper and it finally reached a spot where I wasn't comfortable going further. I could tell Ben wanted to get to the top of this little ledge though and so I told him to go and I would wait. He was quite happy as he was able to get some pictures of the rocks you can see through the water and of Phantom Ship (it is called this because it fog it sometimes looks like a ship in the lake).
Crater Lake Interesting Info: (http://www.nps.gov/crla/index.htm, March 27, 2010)
- The park averages 533 inches of snow per year.
- Wizard Island is a cinder cone that erupted after Crater Lake began to fill with water. It is one of two islands in Crater Lake.
- The depth of Crater Lake was first measured in 1886 with a simple sounding machine that consisted of a crank and a spool of piano wire. Those first measurements showed the lake to be 1,996 feet deep - not far off from the depth of 1,943 feet that was measured with high tech equipment in 2000!
- The park was authorized on May 22, 1902.
- Seven different trees live on Phantom Ship, an island in Crater Lake. There are also colonies of violet green swallows, and several varieties of wildflowers and lichens living there.
- The "Old Man" of Crater Lake is a mountain hemlock log that has been floating upright in the lake for more than 100 years! Wind currents enable the Old Man to travel to different locations around the lake.
Once Ben returned we made our way back to the car stopping for a few fun photos on the way! We loaded up and headed back to Klamath Falls where we made a trip to the grocery store and to Borders for Ben to get a new book! We came back to Ryan's and made dinner while we watched some TV. We cleaned up a bit and then Ben headed out to pick up Boondock Saints II. We love Boondock Saints so we figured this one would be good too! Luckily Ryan got out of work early and as I write we are all sitting here watching the movie! Tomorrow it's off to some lava formed caverns...we'll see if they can live up to Luray!
Day 145 - Sonoma, CA - Sunny Low 70's:
Today we left our gracious hosts Kathy and Pierre and started our way toward Ryan's in Klamath Falls, Oregon.
Our first stop was in Sonoma, California otherwise known as WINE COUNTRY. Ben was very excited for the tastings while I was more excited for the scenery and history. We arrived around 11am and headed to our first winery. Kathy had recommended Vinasa as a GREAT first stop. Not only do they make wine but they also make their own spreads. I actually didn't find any tastings of the spreads but Ben found the wine tastings. There were a couple that he REALLY liked but we didn't want to have them shipped and all that so we took their list and highlighted the ones he liked...maybe when we get back we'll order a bottle or two.
After Vinasa we made our way to Jacuzzi Family Vineyards. YES the same Jacuzzi as in the hot tubs. It was a GREAT stop. Not only do they have wine here but they also have a business called The Olive Press where they produce their own olive oil. We were able to sample the oils as well as the wines. The oils were AMAZING. The favorite was Italian Herb. It was DELICIOUS...I think I could have drank the whole thing. We decided that we will definitely be ordering these when we get back home. From here we made our way to the visitors center. We were on the lookout for a particular wine and figured they might be able to point us in the right direction. We were right. Of course it was the vineyard that we were like oh...we don't need to go there. So we took some photos at the visitors center. They have some interesting furniture and decoration.
We arrived at Cline Cellars Winery and made our way to the tasting room. As an FYI, Jacuzzi and Cline are the only two wineries in Sonoma that still offer FREE tastings. Everyone else charges at least five dollars for the tastings. Cline was Ben's favorite stop. It was nice and big, the people were so friendly...it almost felt like family...and we spent quite a bit of time there. At this stop they have a museum, a tasting room (in an old farm house), and gorgeous grounds which they offered tours of during the day. Unfortunately by the time we realized that placed offered tours we had missed all the ones near us! We were a little bummed but what can you do! Oh and did I mention they didn't have what we were looking for but they did send us to another place where we could find it.
From Cline we made our way to Shug Carneros Estate Winery. A cute German winery with gorgeous hillside grounds. Again Ben partook in a tasting. Here they specialized in Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays. The bartender was a great storyteller and very well informed. He shared lots of information with us and you could tell he was very passionate about the wineries. Here we did find what we were looking for but Ben was not a fan of their version and so we pressed on looking again.
After leaving Shug we made our way to downtown Sonoma for lunch. We found a cute little cafe called Sunflower Caffe where everything was made from scratch. We both thoroughly enjoyed our meals and I would strongly recommend visiting here if you are ever in town.
Our last stop of the day was our final chance to find our mysterious and elusive wine. We were directed to Ledson Winery and Vineyards. This was without question the most BEAUTIFUL vineyard we saw during our visit. It was amazing as you can see in the pictures. Here we found what we had been looking for which made both of us very happy. Ledson was certainly the priciest of wineries that we visited but according to Ben it was with good reason.
We left Ledson and with that said goodbye to Sonoma. Even though I'm not a wine drinker I really wish we had planned to spend more time here. It is a beautiful area and I would have loved to explore more, poke in stores, and go on the tours. As we continue to say when we leave places we really enjoy...all the more reason to come back! The drive to Klamath Falls was LONG and uneventful. The start of the trip took us through the beautiful country side of Lake County and Napa County where there were more wineries and fields of grapes. It was just gorgeous. It also took us by Clear Lake which is the largest freshwater lake in California. It's BIG! The rest of the drive was uneventful highway travel. We were amazed when we got into Oregon. The mountains were lit by moonlight and you could see the snow covered terrain. We tried to take pictures and video but nothing could capture what we were seeing.
Our final destination we reached around 11:30pm. Ryan had been kind enough to set everything out for us in case he was still at work. He wasn't but he was just down the street so he came back once we were here. After we unpacked he and Ben made their way to a small get together while I did some work.
Friday, March 26, 2010
Hiking
Day 144 - San Francisco, CA - Variable Sun and Clouds Low 60's:
I woke up early today for a bit of work before heading out to Mt. Tamalpais State Park for a day of hiking. Pierre had recommended a trail and we decided to test it out. We began on the Matt Davis trail which led us down through the park, past redwoods and to Stinson Beach. It was a beautiful 4.3 mile hike that started in the clouds and fog and ended in the sunshine of the beach. Once we got down to the beach we took out our lunch and munched. After lunch we made our way to Dipsea Trail that led us to the Steep Ravine Trail. These together added up to about 2.7 miles giving us a total of 7 miles for the day.
We headed out of the park and made our way back to the city. We made a trip to Mitchell's Ice Cream. Pierre and Kathy had recommended this as a GREAT local place where they make their own ice cream and if you know Ben you know we couldn't pass this up. Ben got Irish Cream Ice Cream while I had Thin Mint. Both were delicious.
After ice cream we headed back to the house to shower and get dressed for adult night at the California Academy of Sciences. It's a really neat event that they do on Thursdays. They have drinks, music, and speakers. The place is AMAZING. They have a huge aquarium, a Rain Forest, a planetarium, and other exhibits. We had a blast! The best part was definitely the planetarium show called Fragile Planet. It took us from the museum to space and back. If you get the chance to come to San Francisco I STRONGLY recommend visiting this place. The only thing that I wish was that we had had more time.
We left the academy and made our way to Chow for some dinner. It is a great local spot and if you happen to visit, the minestrone soup is outstanding. We enjoyed our fabulous hosts for the last evening before making our way back to the house for some much needed rest!!
I woke up early today for a bit of work before heading out to Mt. Tamalpais State Park for a day of hiking. Pierre had recommended a trail and we decided to test it out. We began on the Matt Davis trail which led us down through the park, past redwoods and to Stinson Beach. It was a beautiful 4.3 mile hike that started in the clouds and fog and ended in the sunshine of the beach. Once we got down to the beach we took out our lunch and munched. After lunch we made our way to Dipsea Trail that led us to the Steep Ravine Trail. These together added up to about 2.7 miles giving us a total of 7 miles for the day.
We headed out of the park and made our way back to the city. We made a trip to Mitchell's Ice Cream. Pierre and Kathy had recommended this as a GREAT local place where they make their own ice cream and if you know Ben you know we couldn't pass this up. Ben got Irish Cream Ice Cream while I had Thin Mint. Both were delicious.
After ice cream we headed back to the house to shower and get dressed for adult night at the California Academy of Sciences. It's a really neat event that they do on Thursdays. They have drinks, music, and speakers. The place is AMAZING. They have a huge aquarium, a Rain Forest, a planetarium, and other exhibits. We had a blast! The best part was definitely the planetarium show called Fragile Planet. It took us from the museum to space and back. If you get the chance to come to San Francisco I STRONGLY recommend visiting this place. The only thing that I wish was that we had had more time.
We left the academy and made our way to Chow for some dinner. It is a great local spot and if you happen to visit, the minestrone soup is outstanding. We enjoyed our fabulous hosts for the last evening before making our way back to the house for some much needed rest!!
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Running through town.
Today we got up bright and early to make our way to the Japanese Tea Garden by 10am for free Wednesday. The gardens are beautiful which you can tell from the pictures. We spent about an hour walking around looking at all of the statues and buildings within the garden. We left the gardens and made our way to Twin Peaks. These are two hills at the top of a big hill. They are the highest points in San Francisco and offer the most beautiful 360˚ views of the city. If only it had been as clear today as it was yesterday!
We left the peaks and made our way toward Union Square and Chinatown. Union Square is known for it's shopping...think high end...and theaters. It was a nice area but we didn't really spend much time there...it's like torture to me because I can't shop! We wandered through Chinatown for quite some time where Ben got a t-shirt. It's such an interesting place to visit. We've now been to the one here and the one in NYC and I can't say that one is any different than the other. Lots of culture and lots of tourist souvenirs.
After leaving Chinatown we made our way back to Kathy and Pierre's. Much to our surprise and Ben's sheer delight they have a HOT TUB. We took a nice dip in the hot tub before making our way to Trader Joe's to pick up dessert for dinner. Ben had never really spent time walking through a Trader Joe's...he'd been in one but never really looked around so we spent some time poking before heading out.
Once back I took care of the laundry while Ben prepared our brownie dessert. We are now both working on the blog and watching a little Wheel Of Fortune. We are FINALLY caught up YAHOOO!!!
Day 142 - San Francisco, CA - Sunny Mid 70's:
Today we woke up and made our way down to Crissy Field which has a path that leads to the FAMED Golden Gate Bridge. We walked up and started our run at the official gate. Over and back is 3.4 miles up hill both ways!! The way over was good but the way back was a little tough with the very strong winds in our face. While the scenery was beautiful I can't say that I would do it again simply because of the car fumes. I felt like I was breathing in exhaust the entire way. Ben naturally was a bit ahead of me and ran back to the car to get the camera while I was finishing. We had decided on a meeting spot before the run and I only had to wait a few minutes before he came over the hill camera in tow! We took some post run photos in front of the bridge and then made our way back to the car.
Our next stop was at Ben and Jerry's for FREE CONE DAY! We figured that at least we had run it off and hey it was FREE. From there we made our way to Golden Gate Park to enjoy a nice picnic lunch. It was an absolutely beautiful day. The park is enormous...20% larger than Central Park! After lunch we headed over to the Japanese Tea Gardens. We were planning on going in until we saw that Wednesday mornings we could get in for FREE and we love FREE. So instead we made our way to the Botanical Garden. It was so beautiful to see flowers in bloom and we took lots of pictures. As we were getting ready to head out I look up and low and behold who do I see but Jesse's (Ben's cousin) good friend Spike. I knew he was in the city but he was only there for a couple of days and we had no way to contact him. Our second BIZARRE run in on our trip. Unfortunately we forgot to take a picture...oh well...we know it happened.
After leaving the gardens we made our way back to Kathy and Pierre's for much needed showering. After getting cleaned up we made Mexican Roll-Ups for a little family dinner. We figured it was the least that we could do considering they were letting us stay in their house for so long. It was DELICIOUS! After that I watched my first American Idol of the season. So much fun!
Monday, March 22, 2010
...the San Francisco Treat
Day 141 - San Francisco, CA - Sunny Low 70's:
Fortunately we didn't have to get up TOO early today as our first stop was picking up Ryan and Jess (we had his truck) and making our way to Pier 33 for a boat ride to Alcatraz. This is something that I have wanted to do for years and years but this was the first chance I've ever had to actually do it. We made it to the boat with about five minutes to spare (just Ben's style). The boat ride was short and nice...thankfully for the drinkers the seas were very calm. We got off the boat and listened to a ranger quickly informed all of us about the rules. He then let us know that many of the things we came to the island thinking were not true. We all came with preconceived notions thanks to movies like Escape from Alcatraz and The Rock. Much of the information in them is inaccurate and untrue but we still like them!
Originally Alcatraz was a military base but it is most famous for the 29 years it spent as a federal prison holding some of the worst criminals that this country has ever known. We began by walking the grounds and exploring the gardens, the living quarters of the families, the morgue, the guard tower and the chapel. I was shocked to find out that families actually LIVED on Alcatraz while it was a prison. Children grew up here and on our audio tour we learned about their experiences of hearing the prisoners yelling but still doors were never locked. They had a little store, a recreation building that had everything from a bowling alley to a place where they could watch movies. CRAZY HUH!
From the grounds we made our way into the cell house for our audio tour. We entered the building into the shower room. I can't even begin to imagine. There was just a long row of shower heads with soap and everyone showered together. The cell house audio tour is so interesting however I could never possibly remember even half of what they told me which is so disappointing. One of the things I do remember was spoken by one of the inmates and that is a Regulation #5 which states, "You are entitled to food, clothing, shelter and medical attention. Anything else that you get is a privilege. " The cell house was a very freaky place to be and I cannot imagine being there for an hour let alone the average stay of eight years. Each cell was 5ft wide and 9ft long which is not very big. We were able to tour A Block which was used for storage not inmates, B Block, C Block which is where one of the most famous escape attempts took place, and D Block which was reserved for the worst of the worst. Here the criminals were kept isolated from the rest of the inmates. In this block they had slightly larger cells but were only allowed out once a week to the recreation yard one at a time for one hour. The end of D Block had even more isolated cells that were light and sound proof. It was SCARY to stand in one of these with your eyes closed and imagine spending days that way.
Once we walked through a few of the cell blocks we made our way out to the recreation yard. Here is where inmates could EARN the privilege of outdoor time. They could play shuffleboard, basketball, baseball, or just enjoy the outdoors. It's crazy to imagine being out here and seeing freedom just across the bay but knowing full well that you cannot get to it. The prison had a library which inmates could request books from and they would be placed in their cell...it is well known that many of the inmates were more versed in classic novels and philosophical books than most of the American public to this day. We learned a bit about their daily schedule which was VERY regimented as you can imagine. We got to see some of the gardens that the inmates tended and they are today beautiful which I would imagine that they were back then.
There were fourteen attempted escapes from Alcatraz none of which were successful. The most famous attempt was in June of 1962 by American criminals Clarence Anglin, John Anglin, Frank Morris, and Allen West. These men had worked for over a year at their attempt. They are believed to have used spoons and other silverware from the dining hall to dig through the crumbling Alcatraz walls around the vents in their cells. They created dummy heads using a mixture of soap, toilet paper and real hair. This allowed them to escape after lights out as guards were checking for bodies and not actually doing a count. They climbed up the ventilation shaft which was behind their cells and unguarded, "through one of the chimneys and reaching the top of the roof. The trio then climbed down the rooftop and paddled away on rubber rafts. The next morning police searched for the escapees on Alcatraz and Angel Island without success. In 1962 the three were put on the FBI's Most Wanted List. West did not make it out of his cell and no charges were pressed against him." (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/June_1962_Alcatraz_escape, March 22, 2010) We were able to look into the cells and into the shaft where they escaped...I still don't know how they did it! Although they were never found it is almost certain that they drowned in San Francisco Bay but nonetheless are still considered fugitives.
We got to go to the visitation area. Here men at Alcatraz could sit behind bulletproof glass and visit with someone in their family, a friend, or a lawyer only once a month. Our tour concluded in the dining room also known as the most dangerous room in the prison. Just imagine being on duty as hundreds of the most dangerous criminals in the country held forks, knives, and spoons. From here we learned about the closing of the prison. It was due mainly to the high cost of keeping the prison open and to the deterioration of a building that was not originally intended to be used in this way.
After we left the cell house we walked around the grounds for a bit longer and observed the first lighthouse to exist on the Pacific Coast. We took some great photos and made our way back to the boat to get back to the mainland!
Quick Facts:
- There were no executions on Alcatraz.
- There were eight murders, five suicides, and fifteen natural deaths.
- The most inmates recorded was 302, the lowest 222, and the average 260.
- There were 1,545 different inmates on Alcatraz although some visited more than once.
- There were fourteen ATTEMPTED escapes.
- Guards on the cell house floor did not carry keys or weapons for safety.
- There was a separate area called the XXXXX which is where the keys were held and where a guard with a gun stood guard behind additional bars.
Famous Prisoners:
- George "Machine Gun" Kelly
- Al Capone
- Henry Young
- Robert Stroud "Birdman of Alcatraz"
- James "Whitey" Bulger
Once we were off the boat we headed down to Fisherman's Wharf. Ryan and Jess's school mascot is the owl and Jess wanted to get a Hooters t-shirt in honor of the school. From there we made our way to Coldstone Creamery so that the three of them could get a treat. We made our way back to the truck and headed toward Lombard Street. This time instead of driving down we parked at the bottom and walked up...a much better decision!!
From Lombard Street we made our way to Alamo Square to see the FULL HOUSE houses. These are known as the Painted Ladies and we had a blast posing for pictures. The whole time we were there and for quite a while after I couldn't' get the theme song out of my head!! After our photo shoot Ryan and Jess dropped us back at Kathy and Pierre's and headed out of the city.
Once back at the house we headed out to get groceries...we were completely bare of food and so it was nice to stock up!! Once Kathy and Pierre were home we made our way to XXXXXXX for neighborhood night. We met up with a couple of their friends once we were there and got ready to enjoy a delicious dinner. It was pizza for the second night in a row but it was so different. For a set rate you get unlimited salad an pizza. They walk around offering you different kinds and they give you small slices so you can try a bunch of different kinds. It was a great night!
Day 140 - San Francisco, CA - Sunny Mid 60's:
We slept in a bit today which was a nice change. Kathy and Pierre had offered us their bikes to explore the city and we quickly took them up on the opportunity. Well Ben took them a little quicker to take up the offer than I was since I can't honestly remember the last time I rode a bike! We got ready and hit the road.
It was a GORGEOUS day. We made our way down 16th street and over to 3rd which led us to AT&T Park (home of the San Francisco Giants). Once we passed the park we made our way to the waterfront. It was a beautiful ride. Our first stop was at the base of Telegraph Hill. I'm not sure if you are all aware but San Francisco has more hills than you can ever imagine and none of them are small. We locked the bikes and made our way up the many stairs to reach Coit Tower. From the area surrounding the tower you can see all of San Fran including the famous Golden Gate Bridge. It was SPECTACULAR. Inside the tower are beautiful murals. These murals "were carried out under the auspices of the Public Works of Art Project, the first of the New Deal federal employment programs for artists." (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coit_Tower, March 22, 2010). The artwork was so neat and depicted what appeared to me to be many of the livelihoods of people at the time they were painted. Now, the main reason we actually headed up this way was because Kathy had informed us that it was an area that is full of Parrots. We were disappointed not to see any on our way up and were not sure that we would see any on our way down. As we were walking and talking though I heard people telling us to SHHHH. I look down and there are two little boys with their dad pointing to Parrots and telling us to be quiet. Turns out they had been looking for over an hour and had finally found two!! We took pictures and observed for a little bit before continuing on our way.
From Telegraph hill we made our way down to Fisherman's Wharf. There are a lot of street performers and a fair number of tourist trap stores to go with all of the restaurants. We had planned to finally visit In-N-Out today. Ben had been before but it was my first time. I was not overly impressed I won't lie...even Ben said once you've had Five Guys Burgers and Fries there's no turning back. I will also publicly confess that I did have a few french fries even though I gave them up for the year...I figure it's unlikely that I'll ever come to In-N-Out again. After lunch we continued on our way down the pier, through some of the parks, and close to the entrance to the Golden Gate Bridge. We knew that the bridge was about three and a half miles back and forth and rather than push ourselves and not be able to walk the next day we started to make our way back toward Kathy and Pierre's.
On our way back we stopped at Ghirardelli Square. Let's talk CHOCOLATE. They even give out free samples. The area is mostly shops and restaurants but it was fun to look at all the different chocolate that we could get!! We continued on our path to the house. On our way their we stopped at Levi Square...as in Levi's Jeans. At the square they have a history exhibit of Levi Strauss & Co. It was so interesting. Here they not only show and explain the history of the company but they also have a replica of the Levi Archives. Here they have thousands of articles of clothing from the beginning of the company through today. We saw jeans from the 1800's! The preserve and do not attempt to fix many of these items which have been found after years of wear. Each year however Levi's puts out a vintage item and it is an EXACT replica of one of these items. When I say exact I mean to the nth degree. They goes as far as measuring stitch length, putting the same worn crease marks, and using identical buttons. It was a really interesting process to watch (via video) as they went through the process.
We left Levi Square and made our way back to the house for showers and clean up. The timing worked out well because as we finished getting ready Ryan and his friend Jessica arrived at the house. Ryan is one of Mick's (Ben's brother) good friends and is going to school in Oregon. We are actually planning to go to his place at the end of the week. Well it turned out that he was going to be in San Fran with his friend Jessica who he goes to school with while we were here and so we had planned to meet up and hang out. We headed out from the house and made our way to the Mission District for dinner. We met up with another Skowehegan kid Ian and chose Little Star Pizza for dinner. The pizza was DELICIOUS. We sat and chatted over dinner and drinks for quite some time which was a nice change. After dinner Ben and I drove Ryan's truck back to Kathy and Pierre's and then I drove Ben back to the Mission District and dropped him off. The four of them were planning to hit up the town for the night but as you can imagine a week away from the Internet had left my work email quite full. Therefore I became the "tipsy taxi" as I returned home to work while they enjoyed their time together.
It worked out perfectly as I was able to get TONS of work done and they finished their evening out just after I finished work!!
Day 139 - Big Sur to San Francisco, CA - Sunny Mid 60's:
Today we left Big Sur headed for San Francisco! driving out of Big Sur was a beautiful way to leave. The views are spectacular. We drove over the Bixby Bridge which is a 714ft long, 280ft high bridge along US route 1. It was a fun place to stop for pictures. From there we made a couple more photo stops but it was straight driving until we reached Gilroy. Here we stopped at the outlets. Ben has been in dire need of new walking shoes and low and behold there was Reebok outlet. After a new pair of running shoes...not walking shoes...were in the bag we made our way to do some spring cleaning. We of course have no house to clean but we cleaned the car. Once we washed and vacuumed we made our way back to the highway for the rest of the trip to San Francisco.
We arrived in San Fran around 4:30 and made our way over to Lombard Street. In case you are unaware this is known as the curviest street in the US. What they don't tell you is that the way to the curvy part may be one of the steepest streets in the US. It was unbelievable. We were almost vertical. In addition to that there was SO much traffic. This caused us to sit on the hill. We sat for quite some time...so long in fact that the car in front of us overheated and smoke started billowing out of the hood. We finally reached the top and drove down the street of turns, it was hairpin turns for an entire block. We didn't really stop for pictures because we needed to make our way to Kathy and Pierre's for dinner.
It was so exciting to see more familiar faces. Kathy and Pierre live in an area of San Francisco called Portero Hill. It is a very nice, VERY hilly area. They have a two bedroom house with an apartment in the basement. They were equally excited to see us which was nice. We unpacked the car and settled into the house. We spent lots of time chatting about where we've been and about their recent trip to Little Corn Island. Pierre made a delicious dinner with Kathy's tasty dressing on the salad. They did their best to recreate some of Mark's work and as far as I'm concerned they did an EXCELLENT job. We sat on the couch, watched some TV, and caught up on emails and Internet news before heading to bed.
Fortunately we didn't have to get up TOO early today as our first stop was picking up Ryan and Jess (we had his truck) and making our way to Pier 33 for a boat ride to Alcatraz. This is something that I have wanted to do for years and years but this was the first chance I've ever had to actually do it. We made it to the boat with about five minutes to spare (just Ben's style). The boat ride was short and nice...thankfully for the drinkers the seas were very calm. We got off the boat and listened to a ranger quickly informed all of us about the rules. He then let us know that many of the things we came to the island thinking were not true. We all came with preconceived notions thanks to movies like Escape from Alcatraz and The Rock. Much of the information in them is inaccurate and untrue but we still like them!
Originally Alcatraz was a military base but it is most famous for the 29 years it spent as a federal prison holding some of the worst criminals that this country has ever known. We began by walking the grounds and exploring the gardens, the living quarters of the families, the morgue, the guard tower and the chapel. I was shocked to find out that families actually LIVED on Alcatraz while it was a prison. Children grew up here and on our audio tour we learned about their experiences of hearing the prisoners yelling but still doors were never locked. They had a little store, a recreation building that had everything from a bowling alley to a place where they could watch movies. CRAZY HUH!
From the grounds we made our way into the cell house for our audio tour. We entered the building into the shower room. I can't even begin to imagine. There was just a long row of shower heads with soap and everyone showered together. The cell house audio tour is so interesting however I could never possibly remember even half of what they told me which is so disappointing. One of the things I do remember was spoken by one of the inmates and that is a Regulation #5 which states, "You are entitled to food, clothing, shelter and medical attention. Anything else that you get is a privilege. " The cell house was a very freaky place to be and I cannot imagine being there for an hour let alone the average stay of eight years. Each cell was 5ft wide and 9ft long which is not very big. We were able to tour A Block which was used for storage not inmates, B Block, C Block which is where one of the most famous escape attempts took place, and D Block which was reserved for the worst of the worst. Here the criminals were kept isolated from the rest of the inmates. In this block they had slightly larger cells but were only allowed out once a week to the recreation yard one at a time for one hour. The end of D Block had even more isolated cells that were light and sound proof. It was SCARY to stand in one of these with your eyes closed and imagine spending days that way.
Once we walked through a few of the cell blocks we made our way out to the recreation yard. Here is where inmates could EARN the privilege of outdoor time. They could play shuffleboard, basketball, baseball, or just enjoy the outdoors. It's crazy to imagine being out here and seeing freedom just across the bay but knowing full well that you cannot get to it. The prison had a library which inmates could request books from and they would be placed in their cell...it is well known that many of the inmates were more versed in classic novels and philosophical books than most of the American public to this day. We learned a bit about their daily schedule which was VERY regimented as you can imagine. We got to see some of the gardens that the inmates tended and they are today beautiful which I would imagine that they were back then.
There were fourteen attempted escapes from Alcatraz none of which were successful. The most famous attempt was in June of 1962 by American criminals Clarence Anglin, John Anglin, Frank Morris, and Allen West. These men had worked for over a year at their attempt. They are believed to have used spoons and other silverware from the dining hall to dig through the crumbling Alcatraz walls around the vents in their cells. They created dummy heads using a mixture of soap, toilet paper and real hair. This allowed them to escape after lights out as guards were checking for bodies and not actually doing a count. They climbed up the ventilation shaft which was behind their cells and unguarded, "through one of the chimneys and reaching the top of the roof. The trio then climbed down the rooftop and paddled away on rubber rafts. The next morning police searched for the escapees on Alcatraz and Angel Island without success. In 1962 the three were put on the FBI's Most Wanted List. West did not make it out of his cell and no charges were pressed against him." (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/June_1962_Alcatraz_escape, March 22, 2010) We were able to look into the cells and into the shaft where they escaped...I still don't know how they did it! Although they were never found it is almost certain that they drowned in San Francisco Bay but nonetheless are still considered fugitives.
We got to go to the visitation area. Here men at Alcatraz could sit behind bulletproof glass and visit with someone in their family, a friend, or a lawyer only once a month. Our tour concluded in the dining room also known as the most dangerous room in the prison. Just imagine being on duty as hundreds of the most dangerous criminals in the country held forks, knives, and spoons. From here we learned about the closing of the prison. It was due mainly to the high cost of keeping the prison open and to the deterioration of a building that was not originally intended to be used in this way.
After we left the cell house we walked around the grounds for a bit longer and observed the first lighthouse to exist on the Pacific Coast. We took some great photos and made our way back to the boat to get back to the mainland!
Quick Facts:
- There were no executions on Alcatraz.
- There were eight murders, five suicides, and fifteen natural deaths.
- The most inmates recorded was 302, the lowest 222, and the average 260.
- There were 1,545 different inmates on Alcatraz although some visited more than once.
- There were fourteen ATTEMPTED escapes.
- Guards on the cell house floor did not carry keys or weapons for safety.
- There was a separate area called the XXXXX which is where the keys were held and where a guard with a gun stood guard behind additional bars.
Famous Prisoners:
- George "Machine Gun" Kelly
- Al Capone
- Henry Young
- Robert Stroud "Birdman of Alcatraz"
- James "Whitey" Bulger
Once we were off the boat we headed down to Fisherman's Wharf. Ryan and Jess's school mascot is the owl and Jess wanted to get a Hooters t-shirt in honor of the school. From there we made our way to Coldstone Creamery so that the three of them could get a treat. We made our way back to the truck and headed toward Lombard Street. This time instead of driving down we parked at the bottom and walked up...a much better decision!!
From Lombard Street we made our way to Alamo Square to see the FULL HOUSE houses. These are known as the Painted Ladies and we had a blast posing for pictures. The whole time we were there and for quite a while after I couldn't' get the theme song out of my head!! After our photo shoot Ryan and Jess dropped us back at Kathy and Pierre's and headed out of the city.
Once back at the house we headed out to get groceries...we were completely bare of food and so it was nice to stock up!! Once Kathy and Pierre were home we made our way to XXXXXXX for neighborhood night. We met up with a couple of their friends once we were there and got ready to enjoy a delicious dinner. It was pizza for the second night in a row but it was so different. For a set rate you get unlimited salad an pizza. They walk around offering you different kinds and they give you small slices so you can try a bunch of different kinds. It was a great night!
Day 140 - San Francisco, CA - Sunny Mid 60's:
We slept in a bit today which was a nice change. Kathy and Pierre had offered us their bikes to explore the city and we quickly took them up on the opportunity. Well Ben took them a little quicker to take up the offer than I was since I can't honestly remember the last time I rode a bike! We got ready and hit the road.
It was a GORGEOUS day. We made our way down 16th street and over to 3rd which led us to AT&T Park (home of the San Francisco Giants). Once we passed the park we made our way to the waterfront. It was a beautiful ride. Our first stop was at the base of Telegraph Hill. I'm not sure if you are all aware but San Francisco has more hills than you can ever imagine and none of them are small. We locked the bikes and made our way up the many stairs to reach Coit Tower. From the area surrounding the tower you can see all of San Fran including the famous Golden Gate Bridge. It was SPECTACULAR. Inside the tower are beautiful murals. These murals "were carried out under the auspices of the Public Works of Art Project, the first of the New Deal federal employment programs for artists." (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coit_Tower, March 22, 2010). The artwork was so neat and depicted what appeared to me to be many of the livelihoods of people at the time they were painted. Now, the main reason we actually headed up this way was because Kathy had informed us that it was an area that is full of Parrots. We were disappointed not to see any on our way up and were not sure that we would see any on our way down. As we were walking and talking though I heard people telling us to SHHHH. I look down and there are two little boys with their dad pointing to Parrots and telling us to be quiet. Turns out they had been looking for over an hour and had finally found two!! We took pictures and observed for a little bit before continuing on our way.
From Telegraph hill we made our way down to Fisherman's Wharf. There are a lot of street performers and a fair number of tourist trap stores to go with all of the restaurants. We had planned to finally visit In-N-Out today. Ben had been before but it was my first time. I was not overly impressed I won't lie...even Ben said once you've had Five Guys Burgers and Fries there's no turning back. I will also publicly confess that I did have a few french fries even though I gave them up for the year...I figure it's unlikely that I'll ever come to In-N-Out again. After lunch we continued on our way down the pier, through some of the parks, and close to the entrance to the Golden Gate Bridge. We knew that the bridge was about three and a half miles back and forth and rather than push ourselves and not be able to walk the next day we started to make our way back toward Kathy and Pierre's.
On our way back we stopped at Ghirardelli Square. Let's talk CHOCOLATE. They even give out free samples. The area is mostly shops and restaurants but it was fun to look at all the different chocolate that we could get!! We continued on our path to the house. On our way their we stopped at Levi Square...as in Levi's Jeans. At the square they have a history exhibit of Levi Strauss & Co. It was so interesting. Here they not only show and explain the history of the company but they also have a replica of the Levi Archives. Here they have thousands of articles of clothing from the beginning of the company through today. We saw jeans from the 1800's! The preserve and do not attempt to fix many of these items which have been found after years of wear. Each year however Levi's puts out a vintage item and it is an EXACT replica of one of these items. When I say exact I mean to the nth degree. They goes as far as measuring stitch length, putting the same worn crease marks, and using identical buttons. It was a really interesting process to watch (via video) as they went through the process.
We left Levi Square and made our way back to the house for showers and clean up. The timing worked out well because as we finished getting ready Ryan and his friend Jessica arrived at the house. Ryan is one of Mick's (Ben's brother) good friends and is going to school in Oregon. We are actually planning to go to his place at the end of the week. Well it turned out that he was going to be in San Fran with his friend Jessica who he goes to school with while we were here and so we had planned to meet up and hang out. We headed out from the house and made our way to the Mission District for dinner. We met up with another Skowehegan kid Ian and chose Little Star Pizza for dinner. The pizza was DELICIOUS. We sat and chatted over dinner and drinks for quite some time which was a nice change. After dinner Ben and I drove Ryan's truck back to Kathy and Pierre's and then I drove Ben back to the Mission District and dropped him off. The four of them were planning to hit up the town for the night but as you can imagine a week away from the Internet had left my work email quite full. Therefore I became the "tipsy taxi" as I returned home to work while they enjoyed their time together.
It worked out perfectly as I was able to get TONS of work done and they finished their evening out just after I finished work!!
Day 139 - Big Sur to San Francisco, CA - Sunny Mid 60's:
Today we left Big Sur headed for San Francisco! driving out of Big Sur was a beautiful way to leave. The views are spectacular. We drove over the Bixby Bridge which is a 714ft long, 280ft high bridge along US route 1. It was a fun place to stop for pictures. From there we made a couple more photo stops but it was straight driving until we reached Gilroy. Here we stopped at the outlets. Ben has been in dire need of new walking shoes and low and behold there was Reebok outlet. After a new pair of running shoes...not walking shoes...were in the bag we made our way to do some spring cleaning. We of course have no house to clean but we cleaned the car. Once we washed and vacuumed we made our way back to the highway for the rest of the trip to San Francisco.
We arrived in San Fran around 4:30 and made our way over to Lombard Street. In case you are unaware this is known as the curviest street in the US. What they don't tell you is that the way to the curvy part may be one of the steepest streets in the US. It was unbelievable. We were almost vertical. In addition to that there was SO much traffic. This caused us to sit on the hill. We sat for quite some time...so long in fact that the car in front of us overheated and smoke started billowing out of the hood. We finally reached the top and drove down the street of turns, it was hairpin turns for an entire block. We didn't really stop for pictures because we needed to make our way to Kathy and Pierre's for dinner.
It was so exciting to see more familiar faces. Kathy and Pierre live in an area of San Francisco called Portero Hill. It is a very nice, VERY hilly area. They have a two bedroom house with an apartment in the basement. They were equally excited to see us which was nice. We unpacked the car and settled into the house. We spent lots of time chatting about where we've been and about their recent trip to Little Corn Island. Pierre made a delicious dinner with Kathy's tasty dressing on the salad. They did their best to recreate some of Mark's work and as far as I'm concerned they did an EXCELLENT job. We sat on the couch, watched some TV, and caught up on emails and Internet news before heading to bed.
On the edge of the United States
Day 138 - Big Sur, CA - Sunny Mid 70's:
We woke a little later than normal and packed up camp making our way to Juliet Pfeiffer State Park. Here we went on a short hike that led us to the only waterfall located on the entire Pacific Coast. It was beautiful. The area where the beach and waterfall area are located are closed to the public in order to ensure their safety for generations to come. After the hike we made our way to Fernwood Campground to have our lunch. We unpacked a little and then headed back out to Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park for some additional hiking. We started with the Buzzard's Roost trail. This was supposed to be about a four mile "rugged" hike that would take about two hours. Well we finished in about an hour which really forced us to re-plan the day. So from there we went to the Pfeiffer Falls hike. This was about a two mile round trip hike that led to a waterfall. Unfortunately due to recent rock slides, we really couldn't explore much once we got there because it had been closed off. It was a nice hike regardless.
After the hike we returned to the campground where I was able to check my email and Ben was able to practice his fly fishing. He was quite happy about this!! After that Ben cooked a GREAT dinner while I was in the shower. We enjoyed dinner and then cooked a pasta lunch so that it was all ready for the next day. Once dinner was over I finished my bathroom routine (blow drying my hair was really all that was left). Ben tried to get a fire going but the wood that had been given to us as a gift was too wet to burn so we decided to hit the sack!
Day 137 - Sequoia National Park to Lucia, CA - Low 70's to Mid 40's to Low 70's:
Today we awoke to a beautiful morning. It was in the mid-60's when we awoke and packed up to make our way to Sequoia National Park. This was something that was on my list of "can't wait to/must sees." Our camp sight was about fifteen miles from the park and about thirty miles from the Giant Forest. We made our way up a VERY windy road. It was funny to look at the GPS because it was like someone just scribbled on the screen. As we drove UP the temperature went DOWN. By the time we reached the Giant Forest the temperature had dipped to about fifty degrees and there was EIGHT FEET of snow. It didn't matter one bit though because what we witnessed was unlike anything I'd ever seen. These trees are amazing. They look out of place in the woods and yet this is the only place in the WORLD that they grow. Our first stop was at the Giant Forest Museum where we got to touch the tree bark and were able to go inside a fake tree stump. From there we went outside and started taking in the views. We both kept saying just how AMAZING they were.
From the museum we continued through the Giant Forest and made our way to General Sherman. The path leading to the tree was quite fun and even had a tree that we got to walk through! CRAZY.
General Sherman Facts:
- This is the largest tree by volume in the entire world (see the video on the video page).
- This is the heaviest tree by weight in the world.
- The tree is approximately 2,200 years old.
- The diameter of this tree is 36.5 feet at the base.
- The largest branch is 6.8 feet in diameter.
- The weight of the tree is 1,385 TONS.
- The circumference of the tree is 103 feet around.
- The volume of the tree is 52,500 cubic feet. To put this in perspective this tree could be filled with enough water for 9,844 baths. That means you could take a bath everyday for 27 years.
- The tree is 275 feet tall. To put this in perspective, a human looking up at this tree is the same as a mouse looking up at a six-foot tall human.
- 180 feet up, the tree still has a diameter of 13.7 feet.
We spent time walking through the snow (thank goodness for waterproof hiking boots) getting views of not only General Sherman but of many other Sequoias. It's amazing because it seemed like it wasn't until we looked at the pictures that we really got how big they were...we knew as we looked at them but when your in the midst you don't really get it. I am SO HAPPY that we made our way here. Unfortunately we could drive much further into park because there had been an avalanche earlier in the week and so we had to turn around and head out the same way we came in! On our way we were looking at the map and Ben noticed there was an "auto log." The road to this was closed but Ben decided he wanted to walk in the snow to reach it...so he did that while I sat in the car. Partially because I didn't want to trudge through the snow in jeans but even more because the rangers told us not to leave the car unattended. We had lots of food in the car and if there's one thing bears who are just waking up from hibernation like...it's food!
We made our way back out and started the LONG ride to Big Sur. The drive was gorgeous and curvy. Rolling hills of green will always make me happy...they are just so beautiful and so foreign to me. The roads we were on were rather obscure and before we knew it we were entering Fort Henry Liggett where we both had to present our ID's in addition to the car registration and insurance. Here's where it got interesting. Our insurance card was expired and as the officer (who was incredibly kind) informed us as he was getting ready to call it in and make sure we were insured...it is a $700 fine. He was kind enough to offer us time to check and make sure we were up to date with our payments but we knew we were and once we had been cleared we continued on our way.
We arrived at Big Sur around 7:30pm with the intention of finding a pizza place for dinner. Well that didn't work out because there is little to nothing near the "town" of Lucia. When I say little to nothing I mean one building. So we made our way to Kirk Creek Campground and made our own dinner. The campground was in a stunning location right on the edge of a cliff overlooking the ocean. It was a long day of driving and we were happy to hit the hay!
We woke a little later than normal and packed up camp making our way to Juliet Pfeiffer State Park. Here we went on a short hike that led us to the only waterfall located on the entire Pacific Coast. It was beautiful. The area where the beach and waterfall area are located are closed to the public in order to ensure their safety for generations to come. After the hike we made our way to Fernwood Campground to have our lunch. We unpacked a little and then headed back out to Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park for some additional hiking. We started with the Buzzard's Roost trail. This was supposed to be about a four mile "rugged" hike that would take about two hours. Well we finished in about an hour which really forced us to re-plan the day. So from there we went to the Pfeiffer Falls hike. This was about a two mile round trip hike that led to a waterfall. Unfortunately due to recent rock slides, we really couldn't explore much once we got there because it had been closed off. It was a nice hike regardless.
After the hike we returned to the campground where I was able to check my email and Ben was able to practice his fly fishing. He was quite happy about this!! After that Ben cooked a GREAT dinner while I was in the shower. We enjoyed dinner and then cooked a pasta lunch so that it was all ready for the next day. Once dinner was over I finished my bathroom routine (blow drying my hair was really all that was left). Ben tried to get a fire going but the wood that had been given to us as a gift was too wet to burn so we decided to hit the sack!
Day 137 - Sequoia National Park to Lucia, CA - Low 70's to Mid 40's to Low 70's:
Today we awoke to a beautiful morning. It was in the mid-60's when we awoke and packed up to make our way to Sequoia National Park. This was something that was on my list of "can't wait to/must sees." Our camp sight was about fifteen miles from the park and about thirty miles from the Giant Forest. We made our way up a VERY windy road. It was funny to look at the GPS because it was like someone just scribbled on the screen. As we drove UP the temperature went DOWN. By the time we reached the Giant Forest the temperature had dipped to about fifty degrees and there was EIGHT FEET of snow. It didn't matter one bit though because what we witnessed was unlike anything I'd ever seen. These trees are amazing. They look out of place in the woods and yet this is the only place in the WORLD that they grow. Our first stop was at the Giant Forest Museum where we got to touch the tree bark and were able to go inside a fake tree stump. From there we went outside and started taking in the views. We both kept saying just how AMAZING they were.
From the museum we continued through the Giant Forest and made our way to General Sherman. The path leading to the tree was quite fun and even had a tree that we got to walk through! CRAZY.
General Sherman Facts:
- This is the largest tree by volume in the entire world (see the video on the video page).
- This is the heaviest tree by weight in the world.
- The tree is approximately 2,200 years old.
- The diameter of this tree is 36.5 feet at the base.
- The largest branch is 6.8 feet in diameter.
- The weight of the tree is 1,385 TONS.
- The circumference of the tree is 103 feet around.
- The volume of the tree is 52,500 cubic feet. To put this in perspective this tree could be filled with enough water for 9,844 baths. That means you could take a bath everyday for 27 years.
- The tree is 275 feet tall. To put this in perspective, a human looking up at this tree is the same as a mouse looking up at a six-foot tall human.
- 180 feet up, the tree still has a diameter of 13.7 feet.
We spent time walking through the snow (thank goodness for waterproof hiking boots) getting views of not only General Sherman but of many other Sequoias. It's amazing because it seemed like it wasn't until we looked at the pictures that we really got how big they were...we knew as we looked at them but when your in the midst you don't really get it. I am SO HAPPY that we made our way here. Unfortunately we could drive much further into park because there had been an avalanche earlier in the week and so we had to turn around and head out the same way we came in! On our way we were looking at the map and Ben noticed there was an "auto log." The road to this was closed but Ben decided he wanted to walk in the snow to reach it...so he did that while I sat in the car. Partially because I didn't want to trudge through the snow in jeans but even more because the rangers told us not to leave the car unattended. We had lots of food in the car and if there's one thing bears who are just waking up from hibernation like...it's food!
We made our way back out and started the LONG ride to Big Sur. The drive was gorgeous and curvy. Rolling hills of green will always make me happy...they are just so beautiful and so foreign to me. The roads we were on were rather obscure and before we knew it we were entering Fort Henry Liggett where we both had to present our ID's in addition to the car registration and insurance. Here's where it got interesting. Our insurance card was expired and as the officer (who was incredibly kind) informed us as he was getting ready to call it in and make sure we were insured...it is a $700 fine. He was kind enough to offer us time to check and make sure we were up to date with our payments but we knew we were and once we had been cleared we continued on our way.
We arrived at Big Sur around 7:30pm with the intention of finding a pizza place for dinner. Well that didn't work out because there is little to nothing near the "town" of Lucia. When I say little to nothing I mean one building. So we made our way to Kirk Creek Campground and made our own dinner. The campground was in a stunning location right on the edge of a cliff overlooking the ocean. It was a long day of driving and we were happy to hit the hay!
The Hottest Place On Earth
Day 136 - Death Valley to Lemon Cove, CA - Sunny Upper 70's:
We woke early again because of the darn sun. After a small breakfast we packed up camp and drove to our last hike in the park. It was a great hike through Mosaic Canyon. The canyon has some great marble walls that you get to walk through and ends at a dried up waterfall. It was cool to see the waves within the marble and we got some great pictures. After our return we piled back into the car and started our drive to Sequoia National Park. On our drive from Death Valley our journey took us through the small town of Trona and it was quite fascinating for Heather because we drove past a backhoe which was on top a mountain of salt. They had a huge salt flat that they harvested and processed.
We then drove toward the Sierra Mountains and made our way through one of the open mountain passes. We were pleasantly surprised to find that parts of the mountains where in bloom and gorgeous. We both thought that it looked like the rolling hills of Ireland that we have seen in pictures. There were green grass covered hillsides with wildflowers everywhere. We took our sweet time through the switchback and steep downhills. I think it was mostly because we wanted to enjoy the spring feel as long as possible. We made it though the mountains and into the small town of Lemon Cove where we set up camp and had some dinner before calling it a night.
Day 135 - Death Valley, CA - Sunny Mid 80's:
Today we woke up with the sun because it was way too hot to sleep. We cooked breakfast and planned our day. We realized that Death Valley was more of a driving park because all the sites are spread out. Our first stop was to go below sea level to the lowest point in the western hemisphere. The valley floor is 282 feet below sea level and covered in mostly table salt. We discovered that the run off from the surrounding mountains makes its way to the basin floor while passing over rocks and collecting minerals. The water then collects because it can't make its way out to sea due to the elevation and the extreme heat then evaporates the water leaving behind the minerals and causing the salt flats. We walked out to the salt flats and were amazed at the scenery. Against my doctors orders I had to try the salt water. After getting some pictures and enjoying the salt we decided we wanted to see the valley from above so we piled pack into the car and drove up to Dante's Peak where we were told that you could see the lowest point and highest point in the contiguous United States. Along the way we took a trip around the artists drive with a quick stop at the artists palette where the minerals within the rocks cause an array of great colors. We took some pictures and headed for the top of the mountain.
After a steep stretch and a bunch of switchbacks we finally made it to the top of the mountain. We ate our lunch we got and got out to explore. No question we could see the lowest point but couldn't find the highest point Mt. Whitney. They had no signWe had an amazing view from the top and enjoyed the cooler weather for a bit. We then made our way on to the next campground to set up camp and relax for a while in the sun. After a quick stop by the general store for some ice and beer we made our way down to the sand dunes. Even though we had no sleds for the sand dunes this time we took a stroll to the second highest dune and I tried some long jump from the top. Check out the video. This place is what we imagined the Sahara Desert would be like. After our short stroll through the desert, we headed back to camp and met our neighbors a college group from Montana. I then cooked a great dinner and it was time for another campfire and Phase 10. This time I kicked Heather's butt!!
Day 134 - Death Valley, CA - Sunny Mid 80's:
Today we left LA in the morning and made our way out of the traffic and hustle and bustle of the big city. We drove most of the day and arrived if Death Valley National Park in the late afternoon. We were both surprised at how busy the park was and we couldn't get a camp site in the main campground. Luckily, there was another one just down the road with sites available. We set up camp for the night and because there was plenty of daylight left and still really hot we decided to try a short hike. We drove down to the Golden Canyon trail head and took off for the 4 mile hike. The hike through the canyon was great and we got our first taste of the unique rock formations that lie within the park. Heather was a bit worried that we wouldn't make it back to the car before sunset but luckily we didn't get lost and found our way back with plenty of time to spare. It was then back to camp to cook some dinner and have a campfire. Heather really liked camping here because it was the first time she didn't need to wear shoes while we sat around the campfire. The couple next to us had a high powered laser pointer which really fascinated Heather because you could point to the different constellations. We played a quick game of Phase 10 which Heather won by only five points. It was then time for bed because we knew it would be an early morning.
We woke early again because of the darn sun. After a small breakfast we packed up camp and drove to our last hike in the park. It was a great hike through Mosaic Canyon. The canyon has some great marble walls that you get to walk through and ends at a dried up waterfall. It was cool to see the waves within the marble and we got some great pictures. After our return we piled back into the car and started our drive to Sequoia National Park. On our drive from Death Valley our journey took us through the small town of Trona and it was quite fascinating for Heather because we drove past a backhoe which was on top a mountain of salt. They had a huge salt flat that they harvested and processed.
We then drove toward the Sierra Mountains and made our way through one of the open mountain passes. We were pleasantly surprised to find that parts of the mountains where in bloom and gorgeous. We both thought that it looked like the rolling hills of Ireland that we have seen in pictures. There were green grass covered hillsides with wildflowers everywhere. We took our sweet time through the switchback and steep downhills. I think it was mostly because we wanted to enjoy the spring feel as long as possible. We made it though the mountains and into the small town of Lemon Cove where we set up camp and had some dinner before calling it a night.
Day 135 - Death Valley, CA - Sunny Mid 80's:
Today we woke up with the sun because it was way too hot to sleep. We cooked breakfast and planned our day. We realized that Death Valley was more of a driving park because all the sites are spread out. Our first stop was to go below sea level to the lowest point in the western hemisphere. The valley floor is 282 feet below sea level and covered in mostly table salt. We discovered that the run off from the surrounding mountains makes its way to the basin floor while passing over rocks and collecting minerals. The water then collects because it can't make its way out to sea due to the elevation and the extreme heat then evaporates the water leaving behind the minerals and causing the salt flats. We walked out to the salt flats and were amazed at the scenery. Against my doctors orders I had to try the salt water. After getting some pictures and enjoying the salt we decided we wanted to see the valley from above so we piled pack into the car and drove up to Dante's Peak where we were told that you could see the lowest point and highest point in the contiguous United States. Along the way we took a trip around the artists drive with a quick stop at the artists palette where the minerals within the rocks cause an array of great colors. We took some pictures and headed for the top of the mountain.
After a steep stretch and a bunch of switchbacks we finally made it to the top of the mountain. We ate our lunch we got and got out to explore. No question we could see the lowest point but couldn't find the highest point Mt. Whitney. They had no signWe had an amazing view from the top and enjoyed the cooler weather for a bit. We then made our way on to the next campground to set up camp and relax for a while in the sun. After a quick stop by the general store for some ice and beer we made our way down to the sand dunes. Even though we had no sleds for the sand dunes this time we took a stroll to the second highest dune and I tried some long jump from the top. Check out the video. This place is what we imagined the Sahara Desert would be like. After our short stroll through the desert, we headed back to camp and met our neighbors a college group from Montana. I then cooked a great dinner and it was time for another campfire and Phase 10. This time I kicked Heather's butt!!
Day 134 - Death Valley, CA - Sunny Mid 80's:
Today we left LA in the morning and made our way out of the traffic and hustle and bustle of the big city. We drove most of the day and arrived if Death Valley National Park in the late afternoon. We were both surprised at how busy the park was and we couldn't get a camp site in the main campground. Luckily, there was another one just down the road with sites available. We set up camp for the night and because there was plenty of daylight left and still really hot we decided to try a short hike. We drove down to the Golden Canyon trail head and took off for the 4 mile hike. The hike through the canyon was great and we got our first taste of the unique rock formations that lie within the park. Heather was a bit worried that we wouldn't make it back to the car before sunset but luckily we didn't get lost and found our way back with plenty of time to spare. It was then back to camp to cook some dinner and have a campfire. Heather really liked camping here because it was the first time she didn't need to wear shoes while we sat around the campfire. The couple next to us had a high powered laser pointer which really fascinated Heather because you could point to the different constellations. We played a quick game of Phase 10 which Heather won by only five points. It was then time for bed because we knew it would be an early morning.
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Updates
So I know we're really behind but we've been without internet for over a week. I have uploaded pictures to all of the old posts (this extends back as far as DAY 120) with the exception of the zoo and USS Midway as I have some work to do on those photos. We will slowly over the next few days get caught up with blog entries, photos, and some pretty neat videos. Thanks for reading we really appreciate the comments and well wishes.
Monday, March 15, 2010
What's your dream? Everybody's got a dream...What's your dream? Welcome to Hollywood!
Day 133 - Los Angles, CA - Sunny Mid 70's:
Ahhhhh! We slept so late today and it was so wonderful. I didn't wake up until 11am which is actually 12pm with the time change. Once we got up we ate brunch (really it was breakfast just at lunch). Jamie had taken Amanda back to her place and once he got back we headed out to Temescal Gateway Park for a hike. It was an awesome hike. When we reached the top we were overlooking all of Santa Monica, a bit of Malibu, and Culver City. We made our way back down to the bottom. It was not the longest hike, only about three hours, but it was a GORGEOUS day and it was so nice being outside.
We got back to Jamie's and left him to do his schoolwork while we went to get groceries. We wanted to stock up for our trip into Death Valley. We got back and Ben and Jamie made enchilada's and salad for dinner. It was wonderful. While making dinner we started laundry. Jamie has it at his building which is so nice. After dinner Ben made chocolate chip cookies and watched the movie Jumper. We now have all the laundry done and Ben is watching Food Inc. I've been working on the blog, folding the laundry when it was done, and catching up on my favorite shows with Hulu. It wasn't the most eventful day but it was much needed!
Los Angeles has been a great stay. I would love to have lived here when I was 21 or 22 but now I don't think I'd love the CONSTANT traffic or the lack of green space. Let me clarify traffic. When we went to Runyon Canyon it was only 8 miles away. It took us over 40 minutes to get there. This was not during any kind of rush hour. It is an amazing place with so much going on all the time. There is so much opportunity here for music, acting, and fashion. I wish I had come here earlier in life...but then I wouldn't have met my love :)
Day 132 - Los Angeles, CA - Sunny Low 70's:
We woke up bright and early and headed into Hollywood and Highland to tour the Kodak Theater and visit Madame Tussauds Wax Museum. Initially we had planned to take one of the tours of the stars houses but in the end we realized that there was no way to know if we were being told the truth and in reality all we would likely see would be gates and bushes. So we started with a tour of the Kodak. Rather than write it all in paragraph form I'm going to list it all out.
Theater Information:
- Cirque Du Soliel is coming at the end of the year. They've signed a 10 year contract.
- The stage is 113ft by 65ft
- The building cost 94 million dollars to build and encompasses 180,000 square feet.
- They have 300 production days a year.
- Shows held at the theater. American Idol Finals, So You Think You Can Dance Finals, ESPY Awards and others.
- David Rockwell designed the building.
- When you enter there are photos of amazing and memorable OSCAR moments hanging in front of screens made of the same material as the original movie screens. The movies used to be filmed on silver nitrate....hence the name SILVER SCREEN.
- The staircase leading to the floor of the theater is brushed with silver leafed paper in honor of the silver screen.
- There is a George Eastman VIP room that is used for VIP's during screenings and special events. The room has glass patented just for that room that is called vision glass. As you get closer to it it fogs over but when you are far away you can see right through. This way when Brad and Angelina are inside they have a sense of privacy even if you are up close.
- George Eastman was the founder of the Eastman Kodak company.
- There are 40 dressing rooms in back and underneath the stage.
- Since real estate is hard to come by in LA the majority of storage and set space is vertical. They lift and lower sets rather than push and pull.
- It takes 2 weeks to set up for the American Idol Finals and 4.5 weeks to set up for the OSCAR's.
OSCAR Information:
- They shut down Hollywood and Highland for one week prior to the show.
- The story claiming to know how it's named. Margaret Harrick the original librarian for the Academy Awards said it looked like her Uncle Oscar. So it started as a joke being called Oscar. Walt Disney was the first to refer to it as Oscar when he won for the movie Tortoise and the Hare.
- During the awards there are seat fillers. These people sit in seats of others when they get up to go to the bathroom or to the bar.
- The boxes on the side of the theater are for Hollywood royalty during the awards show. This includes Sophia Loren and Kirk Douglas.
- In order to qualify for an OSCAR you must have a film that runs in an American Theater for one week and then has to be submitted.
- The OSCAR's have 3,500 guests and employee over 9,000 people.
- In the week prior to the show they run the show three times a day to coordinate camera movements because no one knows the winners so they have to practice for each scenario. They know where the guests will be sitting so they can practice.
OSCAR Red Carpet:
- The red carpet is 500ft by 33 ft and spans the entire width of the street.
- The red carpet is used for two years and then sold to smaller awards shows.
OSCAR Voting:
- The minimum number of statues given out on awards night is 24. There can be more depending on the number of people nominated for the movie...for example if there were two costume designers they would give out 25 awards.
- The initial ballot is created by a select group of academy members. They watch EVERY movie and create the "short list" which is sent out to every academy member.
- Academy members write the name of the person or movie they think should win in each category.
- The accounting firm of Pricewaterhouse-Coopers has two members who count each ballot and creates the actual voting ballot from the top five or ten (depending on the category) which are then sent out to academy members.
- The final ballot is a check box.
- All votes are handwritten. The only two people who ever see the ballots are the same two accountants from the original votes.
- The votes are counted by hand in an undisclosed location that changes every year.
- Note even the president of the academy has the results until they are announced.
OSCAR Statue:
- The statue weighs 8.5 pounds and is 13.5 inches tall.
- They make 50 statues each year to ensure they have enough for the show.
- The statues used to be engraved off sight and then mailed to the winner a few weeks after the show. This year was the first year they had an engraver on sight so the winners took them home that night.
- The statue depicts a night rendered in holding a crusader's sword standing on a reel of film with five spokes. The five spokes each represent the original branches of the Academy: Writers, Actors, Directors, Producers, and Technicians.
- It takes eight people twenty hours to make one statue.
OSCAR Costs:
- The show costs 30 million dollars to put on which is initially paid for by the Academy.
- ABC pays the Academy 60 million dollars for the rights to the show.
- ABC sells each 30 second commercial spot for 1.5 to 1.8 million dollars.
Academy Information:
- There are 6,000 Academy members that vote for the winners
- Once you are a member, you're a member for life.
Media and the Winners:
- After winning, the stars walk down winner's row. It is a short path that connects to the Renissance Hotel where they will do all their interview.
- The OSCAR's are a media free zone. This means that every time you see someone say "backstage" they are actually located in the Renissance Hotel. This is so that the stars can feel free to roam the building without the fear of being photographed.
- The show uses 20 high-definition cameras for the broadcast and they are the only camera's in the building during the show.
- The Governor's Ball which is the most exclusive ball of all post show parties is held on the 5th floor of the theater.
After we left the theater we headed straight over to Madame Tussauds Wax Museum. There's really not a lot to say here...more to look at so once I get the pictures loaded you MUST check them out. I will say it was quite fun. I've always thought they were probably not worth the money and while I still think it's a bit over priced, it was WAY fun. The statues are so lifelike that it's a bit creepy. I am including a link that tells you how they make them so you can read (how to make a wax figure). It's FASCINATING. The crazy thing is that they are all to scale and it takes 800 hours to make each one. I felt very tall and in some cases VERY large. Jennifer Lopez, Britney Spears, Penelope Cruz are incredibly tiny but they have big heads which is weird to me. Oh and did I mention my future husband was there...you'll have to check him out in the pictures!
Once we were finished at the wax museum we made our way to Beverly Hill and took a ride around. We drove by the famed Beverly Hills Hotel. I wanted to get a picture and so we drove in the parking lot. We were unable to stop and get a photo though because there was AN INCREDIBLE AMOUNT OF TRAFFIC. It appeared that there was a wedding just ending so we just passed through. We then made our way into the hills. Our first stop was Greystone Mansion aka the Doheny Mansion, is a mansion in Beverly Hills, completed in 1928. The house was a gift from oil tycoon Edward L. Doheny to his son, Edward "Ned" Doheny, Jr., and his family. The City of Beverly Hills purchased the estate in 1965, in 1971 the property became a city park, and in 1976 as Doheny Estate/Greystone it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. The home is currently under restoration and has the most spectacular grounds. The home is not only a public park but is also home to the annual Hollywood Ball where celebrities gather for a fashion show and auction. More famously though the home is used for movies on a very regular basis. These include, Batman & Robin, Big Lebowski, The Bodyguard, Dynasty, Entourage, Gilmore Girls (The Chilton Academy), "I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)" (music video), Indecent Proposal, National Treasure: Book of Secrets (Benjamin Gates and Abigail Chase's mansion. Seen when Conner, Abigail's date, drives her up to the front door, filmed in the courtyard of the Mansion), Rush Hour, Spider-Man, Spider-Man 2, Spider-Man 3, There Will Be Blood, and X-Men. It was a gorgeous home with the most spectacular view of Los Angeles.
We left Beverly Hills and headed down to Robertson Boulevard. This is a street full of shopping often visited by celebrities. I was headed there to visit Kitson. I have visited their website and always wanted to go to the store. I can't afford anything there but it was still fun to browse. We did venture into 1969 which opened just a few weeks ago. In case you weren't aware this is the jean brand of GAP. While there we watched the filming of a few jean makeovers by one of the contestants from Project Runway. I wish they had asked me because they got a free jean outfit. Unfortunately I don't think I was quite small enough for them to be interested. I did find two pair of jeans that I LOVED but I had left my gift card at home. I did write down the names though so I could buy them later.
We left Robertson and made our way to Mulholland Drive. It is a stretch of road that travels through the mountains providing outstanding views of the city, mountains, and ocean. The road is winds back and forth and doesn't allow for a fast pace. We drove approximately Sepulveda Pass to Cahuenga Pass. It was a wonderful relaxing drive allowing us the chance to see Hollywood from a whole different view. We made our way down and took a quick drive through Studio City before heading back to Jamie's to get ready for dinner.
Once Amanda and Jamie got home we all headed out to dinner at a great Italian restaurant called Michelangelo's. It was so nice to have a really wonderful meal and enjoy it with great company. We all were very happy with our meals and left feeling satisfied.
From dinner we headed over to Amanda's to pick up her roommate Carol so we could go to a party in "the Valley". It was the birthday party for a couple of Amanda's friends. It was a good time and the boys enjoyed a variation on beer pong called baseball. The crowd was interesting. An eclectic mix of actors, fashion employees, and who knows what else. One of the birthday boys is actually the new Free Credit Report guy so I'll be interested to see the commercial.
We stayed for a few hours but checked out early as we were all pretty beat.
Day 131 - Los Angeles, CA - Sunny Low 70's:
We woke up a little later than planned today but were quickly out the door to hit up Runyon Canyon. I had wanted to hike this (slightly in hopes of seeing a star or two...they frequent here) and Heather had suggested that we give it a try. We ended up meeting Heather at the park for the hike. It was a GREAT hike. Very steep but not too long. It took us up to a peak overlooking all of Los Angeles. We took a few pictures and then made our way back to the bottom. Fortunately Heather had a friend who lived nearby so we made a quick trip over to change our clothes.
Heather had offered to be our tour guide for a little while so we headed to Santa Monica to grab some lunch. We went to a Japanese place called Monsoon. Both Ben and Heather love sushi so they mowed on that while I had some Pad Thai. It was delicious. From there we walked around the Third Street Promenade which is a beautiful area of shops and restaurants. We walked all the way down to the beach. We stopped short of the pier as we took the stance once you've seen one, you've seen them all! From Santa Monica we headed to the Westwood area. This is where UCLA is located. Heather wanted to take us to a place called Diddy Riese Cookies. She had been raving about this place BECAUSE they make homemade fresh cookies everyday. Then they have the ice cream. For $1.50 you can make a cookie sandwich. You can do this in so many combos. Ben had a chocolate chip cookie on top with mint chocolate chip ice cream and an M&M chocolate chip cookie on the bottom. Heather had a cinnamon sugar cookie on top and bottom with vanilla ice cream. I had a chocolate chip cookie on top with vanilla ice cream and a cinnamon sugar cookie on bottom. I should have taken Heather's choice. The cinnamon sugar cookie was AMAZING. In fact I ate the chocolate chip one first so I could savor the other. I still can't believe how cheap it was but if you are ever out here you MUST visit. After dessert, Heather left us. She is driving across the country to move back to Maine and was running last minute errands before her departure on Sunday. We were so thankful that she showed us around for a bit considering her busy schedule!
We left Westwood and headed down Wilshire Boulevard with the intention of just driving down Rodeo Drive. I was feeling a little gross from the hike and didn't think that I was dressed appropriately. Then again Julia Roberts didn't look all that appropriate in Pretty Woman and she did just fine on Rodeo! That all changed when Ben saw the Bugatti. As soon as we drove by that we were parking the car and heading back to take pictures. Apparently this is the fastest car in the world. I don't know a lot about it but I do know that Mick and Ben were VERY excited. After looking at the car we continued down Rodeo. The stores are incredible. Harry Winston, Cartier, Louis Vitton, Michael Kors, Tiffany's, Chanel, Georgio Armani and so many others...in my dreams I'll be able to afford this stuff!
From Rodeo we headed back to Jamie's apartment so that I could get ready to out to have some drinks with Ginger and her girlfriends. We went to a place in downtown Los Angeles called The Edison. I met up with Ginger while Ben, Jamie, and Amanda went to dinner and grabbed some drinks. The bar/restaurant was a really cool place. It had a 1920's vibe. The waitresses were dressed like flappers while the bar tenders were in black and white. It was so nice to be able to catch up! We had a blast and her friends were GREAT. My crew came back and picked me up around 11:30pm. We headed back to the apartment and hit the hay!
Day 130 - Los Angles, CA - Sunny Low 70's:
We woke up relatively early today and headed straight to Venice Beach. We had been informed of the CRAZIES we would see and so we just had to check it out ourselves. Venice Beach is also home to Muscle Beach where Ben wanted to stop by and show his strength :) To say it was a unique experience would be an understatement. If you want to see all the world has to offer just stop by here on any beautiful afternoon and you are bound to be entertained. The thing that I could not get passed was the fact that Medical Marajuana is legal here. You have to visit a doctor, have an ailment, get a perscription, and have it filled. Venice Beach has many locations where you can get your perscription filled and they aren't shy about letting you know. For someone who has never done drugs in her life, it was quite interesting to see.
After Venice Beach we headed over to Paramount Studios. Ben's family has a long time friend John who works for CBS television. He has an office at the studios and was kind enouh to get us a VIP tour of the lot. It was a very intersting tour and we learned so much about the history of the studio. Paramount was founded in 1912 and is currently the oldest existing studio in America. Today's Paramount Studio was originally two separate lots. Orignially half of the lot was owned by RKO Pictures. RKO is well known for such acts as Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire as well as Bette Davis. RKO ran into a miryad of issues and eventually was forced to close down. At that time Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball were well-known in Hollywood and the world. They opened a production company called Desilu Productions. Desilu was home to such television hits as I Love Lucy, Star Trek, The Andy Griffith Show, The Dick Van Dyke Show, and Mission: Impossible (yes it was a TV show before it was a movie). I had no idea of what Lucille Ball did for television. Are you aware that we have reruns thanks to her. She created the idea that shows should be put on tape so they can be seen again and again...prior to that they were shown live or just once. Eventually Lucille and Desi broke apart and Lucille was the sole owner of the company. Unfortunately the stress of her own weekly show and the task of running Desilu took it's tole on her and she sold the company to Gulf and Western which merged it's studios with Paramount. Today is what remains of that sale. A VERY LARGE and VERY SUCCESSFUL television studio lot.
Our tour took us around the lot. We saw the studios where such shows as Cheers, King Kong (which was shot in the smallest studio on the lot...ironic?), I Love Lucy, Family Ties, Star Trek, and so many more were taped. We pulled up to a studio that looked like it was being used but they were on a break and we were allowed to go inside. It was the set for TBS's My Boys. It's crazy to see behind the scenes. They eyes and mind can be tricked so easily with simple paint and fabric. Things that appear to be skyline and trees are really just sheets with paint. It was so interesting to look around and see exactly where these stars spend fourteen to sixteen hours a day. From here we continued to ride around the studio...it's huge...until we came up on Community. They have to studios that they film in each day. They were filming in one but we were able to go into the other. If you aren't aware it's about a run-down community college. Oddly enough even inside it's exactly what it looked like. The detail work that set designers use is unbelieveable. Everything from creating college flyers to course listings is an intentional act. Again though, the tricks they can play on you is just plain nuts!! We drove by the set where Hung (it's on HBO), some show on Nickelodeon, and GLEE. I was VERY disappointed that we couldn't go into GLEE but they were filming. The did let us sit outside for a bit while we learned some information but no one came out and the red filming light stayed on.
While driving we came onto a green area. It was here that we learned about a few more of Lucille Ball's interesting and ingenious ideas. She had this space put in for many purposes. One, it allowed for filming in green space. Two it looked just like (on purpose) her lawn at home so she could sit outside and have photo shoots showing her with her children. You see it wasn't "appropriate" and/or well accepted that women would be in power and therefore she could be on set, take photos and say "Hey look I'm not working...I'm at home". Beside the green area was an entry way designed as an exact replica of her Broolyn apartment. She would do the same thing here so people would think she was spending time as a mom in Brooklyn when she was really at work! This doorway led into her private dressing room which then led directly onto the set of I Love Lucy this way she had no concern about her hair or makeup being disturbed because of the weather. Back out in the park area we were able to see where Greg Brady got caught smoking under the tree on the Brady Bunch as well as the outside of the school that the kids went to...it's actually offices now and we could see the OSCAR that was won by Ryan Murphy for the series Nip/Tuck. Across the park we were directed to look at a building which we learned houses a daycare. This is another Lucille Ball idea. She instituded thsi so that mothers and fathers could come to work and their children could be nearby...SO SMART SHE WAS! On a different side we were shown the windows of the former office of Lucille Ball and above them were the windows to the offfice of Tom Cruise while he was filming Mission Impossible. He's a bit of a germaphob and had it written into his contract that the toliet seat in his bathroom had to be replaced once a week. In addition to that he had a key pad installed so only he could use the bathroom. In addition he had a third window put in because he couldn't see the famous Paramount water tower which he claimed he needed for inspiration. WEIRD!
A few other interesting things we got to see were the streets of NYC. They have all different neighborhoods and building types so that any scene can be taped without actually having to go to NYC. Interestingly though the buildings are only facades. They look like building on the front but in reality if you go inside it's just a series of ramps and walkways. We learned that some extras are paid just to walk back and forth on these all day to make it look like people are inside. Ben was excited to reinact the scene from Seinfeld where Jerry tries to throw the bread up to George. He stood in the same spot only there was no bread and no George!
We also go to see the B Tank that is used for many water scenes. When there used to be an A-Tank, the two tanks were filled to spill into each other and then reversed on film, to depict the parting of the Red Sea in "The Ten Commandments." Now B-Tank is all alone, but it's still keeping busy — both when wet and dry. For "Waterworld," the space was enclosed with scaffolding and nylon sheeting. "Snake Eyes" used it for a tunnel leading out to Atlantic City's boardwalk during the storm. And, most recently, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" used Tank-B for a Brad Pitt rowboat scene. There's a 175-by-75-foot blue-sky backdrop that can be used for any kind of background. A story that we were told that was about when Sam proposed to Diane on Cheers. You see it takes twenty-four hours to fill the tank and it's not always warm. Shelley Long (the actress who played Diane) arrived to do the scene which takes place on a boat. She is supposed to fall into the water. She touched the water and refused to get in because it was too cold. They had to drain the tank which takes twelve hours. They then had to refill the tank which is taking another twenty-four hours. Needless to say the execs were not too happy. Interestingly she was never seen again on the show! Coincidence? When the B-Tank is not in use, it's just a parking lot.
Of course we saw the famous entryway, the water tank, and the Paramount Theater where they often have movie premiers and screenings. It was an incredibly informative tour and we were so greatful to be able to take the opportunity to visit.
After the tour we headed over to John's office to visit. He was so wonderful and so excited to see Ben. He couldn't get over how much Ben looked like his mom. We spent some time catching up and learning how John went from living in Skowhegan to living in LA and working for CBS Television. It was so interesting. We snapped a photo so that Gug, Nancy, Sue, and Karen could have a look at how good John looks. We look forward to seeing him in Skowhegan this summer hopefully.
We left Paramount and headed to Beachwood and Franklin Street. Amanda had informed us that Beachwood was the best street to drive on in order to get a good look at the Hollywood Sign. For many years now the Hollywood sign is not something that you can actually get close to. There were too mny people vandalizing it. So we got as close as we could and took some pictures.
Next we made our way to The Grove! I've seen so many pictures of celebrities shopping here and I wanted to see what it was all about. It is a beautiful outdoor mall with great shops and restaurants. I even managed to let myself make a purchase at Banana Republic! We didn't have time to visit the Farmer's Market but someday when I come back I really want to check it out and eat dinner. Both John and Heather highly recommended it! While we were at The Grove I did manage to see one celebrity. Chelsea Hightower who used to be on So You Think You Can Dance (click here for video) and is now on Dancing with the Stars (click here for a video). She was actually one of my favorite competitors ever on So You Think You Can Dance so it was fun to see her pass by. She was much shorter than I expected!
We ended our evening with dinner at Amanda's apartment. She lives in an area called Los Feliz which is a district of Los Angeles. We made a delicious stirfry! We hung out for a bit but she needed some rest before work so we all headed back to Jamie's apartment for the night!
Day 129 - Palos Verdes Peninsula, CA / Los Angeles, CA - Windy Mid 60's:
I woke up bright and early this morning to hit the gym for a run. I wasn't meeting Ginger at her school until 10:15am so I had plenty of time. On my way I dropped Ben off at Manhattan Beach, he was meeting his friend Heather and they were going out for a run. She was able to drop him off after which was nice so I could have the car. I left him and took off.
I met up with Ginger which was so fun. We haven't seen each other since graduation and so to see her was like a mini reunion. She showed me the grounds of her school. IT'S GORGEOUS. She works at Chadwick School which is a private school in a VERY nice neighborhood. Unlike in Florida at the school I visited, here they do not have uniforms but just a dress code. The campus is large and serves students K-12. It is not cheap to go to school here which helps in the beauty of the campus. From some areas you can see all of LA and Long Beach. I guess I should mention that like many of the homes, the school is built on the side of a mountain! It was so nice to be back in a school. I visited a 6th grade math class where they were learning proportions, ratios, and equivalent fractions. I then went to a 7th grade class where they were learning how to construct figures. Lastly I went to an 8th grade honors Algebra I class where they were learning different ways to solve systems of equations. I got to do a bit of teaching, a lot of observing, some learning, and a great deal of observing. I really didn't want to leave. I chatted with Ginger for a bit before heading out. We made plans to get together on Friday to really catch up. I'd write more about the school but most people won't find it nearly as fascinating as I do so I'll just move on!
I got back to the hotel and we jumped right into the car to head into HOLLYWOOD. Our first stop was Hollywood and Highland. You may not be so familiar with the name but you are familiar with what's here! Hollywood and Highland is home to Grauman's Chinese Theatre. It is well known not only for star studded movie premiers but more so for the famous hand and footprints in the cement out front. There are so many incredible stars who's name are in the cement and let me tell you some of them have VERY LARGE FEET! We walked down the Hollywood Walk of Fame looking at all the star's stars. We saw so many people's. Britney, Madonna, John Travolta, Bob Hope, Michael Jackson, and a whole lot more. While here we decided to take the opportunity to watch a movie at the famed Grauman's Theater. We viewed Up In The Air starring George Clooney. It wasn't really what I expected but it was worth the watch nonetheless.
After the movie we made our way to Santa Monica to grab some dinner. Heather (Ben's friend) had recommended a place called The Counter. Apparently among the many amazing places to eat, gourmet burger joints. Well let me say it was DELICIOUS! The burger was perfect. They have so many choices in fact the choices they offer allow for more than 312, 120 different permutations! How's that for some math! Ben would also like to note that the sweet potato fries were AMAZING.
We finished dinner and headed over to Jamie's apartment. We were so excited to see another familiar face especially since this one is one that we both know. He lives right near Culver City in a three bedroom space with a couple of roommates. We got to meet his girlfriend Amanda who is an LA native. There aren't many natives around so he lucked out!! We hung out chatted caught up and then hit the sack!
Ahhhhh! We slept so late today and it was so wonderful. I didn't wake up until 11am which is actually 12pm with the time change. Once we got up we ate brunch (really it was breakfast just at lunch). Jamie had taken Amanda back to her place and once he got back we headed out to Temescal Gateway Park for a hike. It was an awesome hike. When we reached the top we were overlooking all of Santa Monica, a bit of Malibu, and Culver City. We made our way back down to the bottom. It was not the longest hike, only about three hours, but it was a GORGEOUS day and it was so nice being outside.
We got back to Jamie's and left him to do his schoolwork while we went to get groceries. We wanted to stock up for our trip into Death Valley. We got back and Ben and Jamie made enchilada's and salad for dinner. It was wonderful. While making dinner we started laundry. Jamie has it at his building which is so nice. After dinner Ben made chocolate chip cookies and watched the movie Jumper. We now have all the laundry done and Ben is watching Food Inc. I've been working on the blog, folding the laundry when it was done, and catching up on my favorite shows with Hulu. It wasn't the most eventful day but it was much needed!
Los Angeles has been a great stay. I would love to have lived here when I was 21 or 22 but now I don't think I'd love the CONSTANT traffic or the lack of green space. Let me clarify traffic. When we went to Runyon Canyon it was only 8 miles away. It took us over 40 minutes to get there. This was not during any kind of rush hour. It is an amazing place with so much going on all the time. There is so much opportunity here for music, acting, and fashion. I wish I had come here earlier in life...but then I wouldn't have met my love :)
Day 132 - Los Angeles, CA - Sunny Low 70's:
We woke up bright and early and headed into Hollywood and Highland to tour the Kodak Theater and visit Madame Tussauds Wax Museum. Initially we had planned to take one of the tours of the stars houses but in the end we realized that there was no way to know if we were being told the truth and in reality all we would likely see would be gates and bushes. So we started with a tour of the Kodak. Rather than write it all in paragraph form I'm going to list it all out.
Theater Information:
- Cirque Du Soliel is coming at the end of the year. They've signed a 10 year contract.
- The stage is 113ft by 65ft
- The building cost 94 million dollars to build and encompasses 180,000 square feet.
- They have 300 production days a year.
- Shows held at the theater. American Idol Finals, So You Think You Can Dance Finals, ESPY Awards and others.
- David Rockwell designed the building.
- When you enter there are photos of amazing and memorable OSCAR moments hanging in front of screens made of the same material as the original movie screens. The movies used to be filmed on silver nitrate....hence the name SILVER SCREEN.
- The staircase leading to the floor of the theater is brushed with silver leafed paper in honor of the silver screen.
- There is a George Eastman VIP room that is used for VIP's during screenings and special events. The room has glass patented just for that room that is called vision glass. As you get closer to it it fogs over but when you are far away you can see right through. This way when Brad and Angelina are inside they have a sense of privacy even if you are up close.
- George Eastman was the founder of the Eastman Kodak company.
- There are 40 dressing rooms in back and underneath the stage.
- Since real estate is hard to come by in LA the majority of storage and set space is vertical. They lift and lower sets rather than push and pull.
- It takes 2 weeks to set up for the American Idol Finals and 4.5 weeks to set up for the OSCAR's.
OSCAR Information:
- They shut down Hollywood and Highland for one week prior to the show.
- The story claiming to know how it's named. Margaret Harrick the original librarian for the Academy Awards said it looked like her Uncle Oscar. So it started as a joke being called Oscar. Walt Disney was the first to refer to it as Oscar when he won for the movie Tortoise and the Hare.
- During the awards there are seat fillers. These people sit in seats of others when they get up to go to the bathroom or to the bar.
- The boxes on the side of the theater are for Hollywood royalty during the awards show. This includes Sophia Loren and Kirk Douglas.
- In order to qualify for an OSCAR you must have a film that runs in an American Theater for one week and then has to be submitted.
- The OSCAR's have 3,500 guests and employee over 9,000 people.
- In the week prior to the show they run the show three times a day to coordinate camera movements because no one knows the winners so they have to practice for each scenario. They know where the guests will be sitting so they can practice.
OSCAR Red Carpet:
- The red carpet is 500ft by 33 ft and spans the entire width of the street.
- The red carpet is used for two years and then sold to smaller awards shows.
OSCAR Voting:
- The minimum number of statues given out on awards night is 24. There can be more depending on the number of people nominated for the movie...for example if there were two costume designers they would give out 25 awards.
- The initial ballot is created by a select group of academy members. They watch EVERY movie and create the "short list" which is sent out to every academy member.
- Academy members write the name of the person or movie they think should win in each category.
- The accounting firm of Pricewaterhouse-Coopers has two members who count each ballot and creates the actual voting ballot from the top five or ten (depending on the category) which are then sent out to academy members.
- The final ballot is a check box.
- All votes are handwritten. The only two people who ever see the ballots are the same two accountants from the original votes.
- The votes are counted by hand in an undisclosed location that changes every year.
- Note even the president of the academy has the results until they are announced.
OSCAR Statue:
- The statue weighs 8.5 pounds and is 13.5 inches tall.
- They make 50 statues each year to ensure they have enough for the show.
- The statues used to be engraved off sight and then mailed to the winner a few weeks after the show. This year was the first year they had an engraver on sight so the winners took them home that night.
- The statue depicts a night rendered in holding a crusader's sword standing on a reel of film with five spokes. The five spokes each represent the original branches of the Academy: Writers, Actors, Directors, Producers, and Technicians.
- It takes eight people twenty hours to make one statue.
OSCAR Costs:
- The show costs 30 million dollars to put on which is initially paid for by the Academy.
- ABC pays the Academy 60 million dollars for the rights to the show.
- ABC sells each 30 second commercial spot for 1.5 to 1.8 million dollars.
Academy Information:
- There are 6,000 Academy members that vote for the winners
- Once you are a member, you're a member for life.
Media and the Winners:
- After winning, the stars walk down winner's row. It is a short path that connects to the Renissance Hotel where they will do all their interview.
- The OSCAR's are a media free zone. This means that every time you see someone say "backstage" they are actually located in the Renissance Hotel. This is so that the stars can feel free to roam the building without the fear of being photographed.
- The show uses 20 high-definition cameras for the broadcast and they are the only camera's in the building during the show.
- The Governor's Ball which is the most exclusive ball of all post show parties is held on the 5th floor of the theater.
After we left the theater we headed straight over to Madame Tussauds Wax Museum. There's really not a lot to say here...more to look at so once I get the pictures loaded you MUST check them out. I will say it was quite fun. I've always thought they were probably not worth the money and while I still think it's a bit over priced, it was WAY fun. The statues are so lifelike that it's a bit creepy. I am including a link that tells you how they make them so you can read (how to make a wax figure). It's FASCINATING. The crazy thing is that they are all to scale and it takes 800 hours to make each one. I felt very tall and in some cases VERY large. Jennifer Lopez, Britney Spears, Penelope Cruz are incredibly tiny but they have big heads which is weird to me. Oh and did I mention my future husband was there...you'll have to check him out in the pictures!
Once we were finished at the wax museum we made our way to Beverly Hill and took a ride around. We drove by the famed Beverly Hills Hotel. I wanted to get a picture and so we drove in the parking lot. We were unable to stop and get a photo though because there was AN INCREDIBLE AMOUNT OF TRAFFIC. It appeared that there was a wedding just ending so we just passed through. We then made our way into the hills. Our first stop was Greystone Mansion aka the Doheny Mansion, is a mansion in Beverly Hills, completed in 1928. The house was a gift from oil tycoon Edward L. Doheny to his son, Edward "Ned" Doheny, Jr., and his family. The City of Beverly Hills purchased the estate in 1965, in 1971 the property became a city park, and in 1976 as Doheny Estate/Greystone it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. The home is currently under restoration and has the most spectacular grounds. The home is not only a public park but is also home to the annual Hollywood Ball where celebrities gather for a fashion show and auction. More famously though the home is used for movies on a very regular basis. These include, Batman & Robin, Big Lebowski, The Bodyguard, Dynasty, Entourage, Gilmore Girls (The Chilton Academy), "I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)" (music video), Indecent Proposal, National Treasure: Book of Secrets (Benjamin Gates and Abigail Chase's mansion. Seen when Conner, Abigail's date, drives her up to the front door, filmed in the courtyard of the Mansion), Rush Hour, Spider-Man, Spider-Man 2, Spider-Man 3, There Will Be Blood, and X-Men. It was a gorgeous home with the most spectacular view of Los Angeles.
We left Beverly Hills and headed down to Robertson Boulevard. This is a street full of shopping often visited by celebrities. I was headed there to visit Kitson. I have visited their website and always wanted to go to the store. I can't afford anything there but it was still fun to browse. We did venture into 1969 which opened just a few weeks ago. In case you weren't aware this is the jean brand of GAP. While there we watched the filming of a few jean makeovers by one of the contestants from Project Runway. I wish they had asked me because they got a free jean outfit. Unfortunately I don't think I was quite small enough for them to be interested. I did find two pair of jeans that I LOVED but I had left my gift card at home. I did write down the names though so I could buy them later.
We left Robertson and made our way to Mulholland Drive. It is a stretch of road that travels through the mountains providing outstanding views of the city, mountains, and ocean. The road is winds back and forth and doesn't allow for a fast pace. We drove approximately Sepulveda Pass to Cahuenga Pass. It was a wonderful relaxing drive allowing us the chance to see Hollywood from a whole different view. We made our way down and took a quick drive through Studio City before heading back to Jamie's to get ready for dinner.
Once Amanda and Jamie got home we all headed out to dinner at a great Italian restaurant called Michelangelo's. It was so nice to have a really wonderful meal and enjoy it with great company. We all were very happy with our meals and left feeling satisfied.
From dinner we headed over to Amanda's to pick up her roommate Carol so we could go to a party in "the Valley". It was the birthday party for a couple of Amanda's friends. It was a good time and the boys enjoyed a variation on beer pong called baseball. The crowd was interesting. An eclectic mix of actors, fashion employees, and who knows what else. One of the birthday boys is actually the new Free Credit Report guy so I'll be interested to see the commercial.
We stayed for a few hours but checked out early as we were all pretty beat.
Day 131 - Los Angeles, CA - Sunny Low 70's:
We woke up a little later than planned today but were quickly out the door to hit up Runyon Canyon. I had wanted to hike this (slightly in hopes of seeing a star or two...they frequent here) and Heather had suggested that we give it a try. We ended up meeting Heather at the park for the hike. It was a GREAT hike. Very steep but not too long. It took us up to a peak overlooking all of Los Angeles. We took a few pictures and then made our way back to the bottom. Fortunately Heather had a friend who lived nearby so we made a quick trip over to change our clothes.
Heather had offered to be our tour guide for a little while so we headed to Santa Monica to grab some lunch. We went to a Japanese place called Monsoon. Both Ben and Heather love sushi so they mowed on that while I had some Pad Thai. It was delicious. From there we walked around the Third Street Promenade which is a beautiful area of shops and restaurants. We walked all the way down to the beach. We stopped short of the pier as we took the stance once you've seen one, you've seen them all! From Santa Monica we headed to the Westwood area. This is where UCLA is located. Heather wanted to take us to a place called Diddy Riese Cookies. She had been raving about this place BECAUSE they make homemade fresh cookies everyday. Then they have the ice cream. For $1.50 you can make a cookie sandwich. You can do this in so many combos. Ben had a chocolate chip cookie on top with mint chocolate chip ice cream and an M&M chocolate chip cookie on the bottom. Heather had a cinnamon sugar cookie on top and bottom with vanilla ice cream. I had a chocolate chip cookie on top with vanilla ice cream and a cinnamon sugar cookie on bottom. I should have taken Heather's choice. The cinnamon sugar cookie was AMAZING. In fact I ate the chocolate chip one first so I could savor the other. I still can't believe how cheap it was but if you are ever out here you MUST visit. After dessert, Heather left us. She is driving across the country to move back to Maine and was running last minute errands before her departure on Sunday. We were so thankful that she showed us around for a bit considering her busy schedule!
We left Westwood and headed down Wilshire Boulevard with the intention of just driving down Rodeo Drive. I was feeling a little gross from the hike and didn't think that I was dressed appropriately. Then again Julia Roberts didn't look all that appropriate in Pretty Woman and she did just fine on Rodeo! That all changed when Ben saw the Bugatti. As soon as we drove by that we were parking the car and heading back to take pictures. Apparently this is the fastest car in the world. I don't know a lot about it but I do know that Mick and Ben were VERY excited. After looking at the car we continued down Rodeo. The stores are incredible. Harry Winston, Cartier, Louis Vitton, Michael Kors, Tiffany's, Chanel, Georgio Armani and so many others...in my dreams I'll be able to afford this stuff!
From Rodeo we headed back to Jamie's apartment so that I could get ready to out to have some drinks with Ginger and her girlfriends. We went to a place in downtown Los Angeles called The Edison. I met up with Ginger while Ben, Jamie, and Amanda went to dinner and grabbed some drinks. The bar/restaurant was a really cool place. It had a 1920's vibe. The waitresses were dressed like flappers while the bar tenders were in black and white. It was so nice to be able to catch up! We had a blast and her friends were GREAT. My crew came back and picked me up around 11:30pm. We headed back to the apartment and hit the hay!
Day 130 - Los Angles, CA - Sunny Low 70's:
We woke up relatively early today and headed straight to Venice Beach. We had been informed of the CRAZIES we would see and so we just had to check it out ourselves. Venice Beach is also home to Muscle Beach where Ben wanted to stop by and show his strength :) To say it was a unique experience would be an understatement. If you want to see all the world has to offer just stop by here on any beautiful afternoon and you are bound to be entertained. The thing that I could not get passed was the fact that Medical Marajuana is legal here. You have to visit a doctor, have an ailment, get a perscription, and have it filled. Venice Beach has many locations where you can get your perscription filled and they aren't shy about letting you know. For someone who has never done drugs in her life, it was quite interesting to see.
After Venice Beach we headed over to Paramount Studios. Ben's family has a long time friend John who works for CBS television. He has an office at the studios and was kind enouh to get us a VIP tour of the lot. It was a very intersting tour and we learned so much about the history of the studio. Paramount was founded in 1912 and is currently the oldest existing studio in America. Today's Paramount Studio was originally two separate lots. Orignially half of the lot was owned by RKO Pictures. RKO is well known for such acts as Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire as well as Bette Davis. RKO ran into a miryad of issues and eventually was forced to close down. At that time Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball were well-known in Hollywood and the world. They opened a production company called Desilu Productions. Desilu was home to such television hits as I Love Lucy, Star Trek, The Andy Griffith Show, The Dick Van Dyke Show, and Mission: Impossible (yes it was a TV show before it was a movie). I had no idea of what Lucille Ball did for television. Are you aware that we have reruns thanks to her. She created the idea that shows should be put on tape so they can be seen again and again...prior to that they were shown live or just once. Eventually Lucille and Desi broke apart and Lucille was the sole owner of the company. Unfortunately the stress of her own weekly show and the task of running Desilu took it's tole on her and she sold the company to Gulf and Western which merged it's studios with Paramount. Today is what remains of that sale. A VERY LARGE and VERY SUCCESSFUL television studio lot.
Our tour took us around the lot. We saw the studios where such shows as Cheers, King Kong (which was shot in the smallest studio on the lot...ironic?), I Love Lucy, Family Ties, Star Trek, and so many more were taped. We pulled up to a studio that looked like it was being used but they were on a break and we were allowed to go inside. It was the set for TBS's My Boys. It's crazy to see behind the scenes. They eyes and mind can be tricked so easily with simple paint and fabric. Things that appear to be skyline and trees are really just sheets with paint. It was so interesting to look around and see exactly where these stars spend fourteen to sixteen hours a day. From here we continued to ride around the studio...it's huge...until we came up on Community. They have to studios that they film in each day. They were filming in one but we were able to go into the other. If you aren't aware it's about a run-down community college. Oddly enough even inside it's exactly what it looked like. The detail work that set designers use is unbelieveable. Everything from creating college flyers to course listings is an intentional act. Again though, the tricks they can play on you is just plain nuts!! We drove by the set where Hung (it's on HBO), some show on Nickelodeon, and GLEE. I was VERY disappointed that we couldn't go into GLEE but they were filming. The did let us sit outside for a bit while we learned some information but no one came out and the red filming light stayed on.
While driving we came onto a green area. It was here that we learned about a few more of Lucille Ball's interesting and ingenious ideas. She had this space put in for many purposes. One, it allowed for filming in green space. Two it looked just like (on purpose) her lawn at home so she could sit outside and have photo shoots showing her with her children. You see it wasn't "appropriate" and/or well accepted that women would be in power and therefore she could be on set, take photos and say "Hey look I'm not working...I'm at home". Beside the green area was an entry way designed as an exact replica of her Broolyn apartment. She would do the same thing here so people would think she was spending time as a mom in Brooklyn when she was really at work! This doorway led into her private dressing room which then led directly onto the set of I Love Lucy this way she had no concern about her hair or makeup being disturbed because of the weather. Back out in the park area we were able to see where Greg Brady got caught smoking under the tree on the Brady Bunch as well as the outside of the school that the kids went to...it's actually offices now and we could see the OSCAR that was won by Ryan Murphy for the series Nip/Tuck. Across the park we were directed to look at a building which we learned houses a daycare. This is another Lucille Ball idea. She instituded thsi so that mothers and fathers could come to work and their children could be nearby...SO SMART SHE WAS! On a different side we were shown the windows of the former office of Lucille Ball and above them were the windows to the offfice of Tom Cruise while he was filming Mission Impossible. He's a bit of a germaphob and had it written into his contract that the toliet seat in his bathroom had to be replaced once a week. In addition to that he had a key pad installed so only he could use the bathroom. In addition he had a third window put in because he couldn't see the famous Paramount water tower which he claimed he needed for inspiration. WEIRD!
A few other interesting things we got to see were the streets of NYC. They have all different neighborhoods and building types so that any scene can be taped without actually having to go to NYC. Interestingly though the buildings are only facades. They look like building on the front but in reality if you go inside it's just a series of ramps and walkways. We learned that some extras are paid just to walk back and forth on these all day to make it look like people are inside. Ben was excited to reinact the scene from Seinfeld where Jerry tries to throw the bread up to George. He stood in the same spot only there was no bread and no George!
We also go to see the B Tank that is used for many water scenes. When there used to be an A-Tank, the two tanks were filled to spill into each other and then reversed on film, to depict the parting of the Red Sea in "The Ten Commandments." Now B-Tank is all alone, but it's still keeping busy — both when wet and dry. For "Waterworld," the space was enclosed with scaffolding and nylon sheeting. "Snake Eyes" used it for a tunnel leading out to Atlantic City's boardwalk during the storm. And, most recently, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" used Tank-B for a Brad Pitt rowboat scene. There's a 175-by-75-foot blue-sky backdrop that can be used for any kind of background. A story that we were told that was about when Sam proposed to Diane on Cheers. You see it takes twenty-four hours to fill the tank and it's not always warm. Shelley Long (the actress who played Diane) arrived to do the scene which takes place on a boat. She is supposed to fall into the water. She touched the water and refused to get in because it was too cold. They had to drain the tank which takes twelve hours. They then had to refill the tank which is taking another twenty-four hours. Needless to say the execs were not too happy. Interestingly she was never seen again on the show! Coincidence? When the B-Tank is not in use, it's just a parking lot.
Of course we saw the famous entryway, the water tank, and the Paramount Theater where they often have movie premiers and screenings. It was an incredibly informative tour and we were so greatful to be able to take the opportunity to visit.
After the tour we headed over to John's office to visit. He was so wonderful and so excited to see Ben. He couldn't get over how much Ben looked like his mom. We spent some time catching up and learning how John went from living in Skowhegan to living in LA and working for CBS Television. It was so interesting. We snapped a photo so that Gug, Nancy, Sue, and Karen could have a look at how good John looks. We look forward to seeing him in Skowhegan this summer hopefully.
We left Paramount and headed to Beachwood and Franklin Street. Amanda had informed us that Beachwood was the best street to drive on in order to get a good look at the Hollywood Sign. For many years now the Hollywood sign is not something that you can actually get close to. There were too mny people vandalizing it. So we got as close as we could and took some pictures.
Next we made our way to The Grove! I've seen so many pictures of celebrities shopping here and I wanted to see what it was all about. It is a beautiful outdoor mall with great shops and restaurants. I even managed to let myself make a purchase at Banana Republic! We didn't have time to visit the Farmer's Market but someday when I come back I really want to check it out and eat dinner. Both John and Heather highly recommended it! While we were at The Grove I did manage to see one celebrity. Chelsea Hightower who used to be on So You Think You Can Dance (click here for video) and is now on Dancing with the Stars (click here for a video). She was actually one of my favorite competitors ever on So You Think You Can Dance so it was fun to see her pass by. She was much shorter than I expected!
We ended our evening with dinner at Amanda's apartment. She lives in an area called Los Feliz which is a district of Los Angeles. We made a delicious stirfry! We hung out for a bit but she needed some rest before work so we all headed back to Jamie's apartment for the night!
Day 129 - Palos Verdes Peninsula, CA / Los Angeles, CA - Windy Mid 60's:
I woke up bright and early this morning to hit the gym for a run. I wasn't meeting Ginger at her school until 10:15am so I had plenty of time. On my way I dropped Ben off at Manhattan Beach, he was meeting his friend Heather and they were going out for a run. She was able to drop him off after which was nice so I could have the car. I left him and took off.
I met up with Ginger which was so fun. We haven't seen each other since graduation and so to see her was like a mini reunion. She showed me the grounds of her school. IT'S GORGEOUS. She works at Chadwick School which is a private school in a VERY nice neighborhood. Unlike in Florida at the school I visited, here they do not have uniforms but just a dress code. The campus is large and serves students K-12. It is not cheap to go to school here which helps in the beauty of the campus. From some areas you can see all of LA and Long Beach. I guess I should mention that like many of the homes, the school is built on the side of a mountain! It was so nice to be back in a school. I visited a 6th grade math class where they were learning proportions, ratios, and equivalent fractions. I then went to a 7th grade class where they were learning how to construct figures. Lastly I went to an 8th grade honors Algebra I class where they were learning different ways to solve systems of equations. I got to do a bit of teaching, a lot of observing, some learning, and a great deal of observing. I really didn't want to leave. I chatted with Ginger for a bit before heading out. We made plans to get together on Friday to really catch up. I'd write more about the school but most people won't find it nearly as fascinating as I do so I'll just move on!
I got back to the hotel and we jumped right into the car to head into HOLLYWOOD. Our first stop was Hollywood and Highland. You may not be so familiar with the name but you are familiar with what's here! Hollywood and Highland is home to Grauman's Chinese Theatre. It is well known not only for star studded movie premiers but more so for the famous hand and footprints in the cement out front. There are so many incredible stars who's name are in the cement and let me tell you some of them have VERY LARGE FEET! We walked down the Hollywood Walk of Fame looking at all the star's stars. We saw so many people's. Britney, Madonna, John Travolta, Bob Hope, Michael Jackson, and a whole lot more. While here we decided to take the opportunity to watch a movie at the famed Grauman's Theater. We viewed Up In The Air starring George Clooney. It wasn't really what I expected but it was worth the watch nonetheless.
After the movie we made our way to Santa Monica to grab some dinner. Heather (Ben's friend) had recommended a place called The Counter. Apparently among the many amazing places to eat, gourmet burger joints. Well let me say it was DELICIOUS! The burger was perfect. They have so many choices in fact the choices they offer allow for more than 312, 120 different permutations! How's that for some math! Ben would also like to note that the sweet potato fries were AMAZING.
We finished dinner and headed over to Jamie's apartment. We were so excited to see another familiar face especially since this one is one that we both know. He lives right near Culver City in a three bedroom space with a couple of roommates. We got to meet his girlfriend Amanda who is an LA native. There aren't many natives around so he lucked out!! We hung out chatted caught up and then hit the sack!
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