SoCal and Disneyland Summer

Happy Monday, friends!

If you follow my blog, maybe you noticed that I’ve been on vacation? Maybe not…that’s okay too. I can barely find time to answer emails and follow the news, and I don’t expect you to either.  I should have left a note to say, “hello, I won’t be around for a few days,” but I’m not super thoughtful like that. Will you forgive me?

In case you’d like a peek at some of the cool business we were up to, I’ve got some photos for you of our recent trip to southern California.

We wanted to travel light, so everything here is snapped with my iPhone (please consider this my formal apology for the lackluster shots). However, I highly recommend traveling sans camera. There’s so much less to worry about and the memories are mostly all up in the ol’ noggin.

We ventured south on highway 101 toward Los Angeles (destination Disneyland! Woo-hoo), and first hit ground in one of my favorite weird California spots…Bubblegum Alley in San Luis Obispo. My kids were disgusted, but Scott and I think it’s rad. Local historians say that this sticky project started as far back as the 1950’s, and if you find yourself in the area you can add your bubblicious to the 1000’s of others that preceded you.

We spent a few days with my parents before heading down to California Adventure and Disneyland. While I practically grew up at Disneyland, it was our first visit to California Adventure. Whatever I think about Disney and princesses and commercialization, I have to admit that they do an amazing job at creating a rich immersive experience that makes me 100% present the whole time I’m there. Incredible.

We got there at the crack of early, and it was totally worth it to miss the summer crowds. My almost 3-year old’s favorite ride was Mickey’s Fun Wheel, which you can ride stationary or swinging.

We went for swinging…toddler’s choice.

I screamed every time it dropped and my little one thought that was hilarious.

My older daughter is a thrill-seeker and her vote went to the Radiator Springs Racers. Here’s a tip if you’re going: get in the Fast Pass line for this ride as soon as the park opens. The line may seem long, but it’s so much shorter than waiting two hours to get on the ride.

Another California Adventure highlight was the Animation Academy, where an artist walks you through the simple steps of drawing some of Disney’s most popular characters.

The set-up is awesome, and I was surprised to see my 2-year old got in on the action (complete with a crown, of course).

The next day we ventured over to Disneyland and started our day on my little one’s favorite ride. The cuteness of it never wears thin…

N, my now five-year old, has slightly different tastes, and went on all the big rides more than once.

Tip for families with both little and big kids — if both parents want to go on the fast ride, but they have to also hang out with a child who’s too small for it, they’ll give you a “Rider Switch” pass.

And there we are: my 5-year old riding Splash Mountain for the second time and me holding on for dear life…

A trip to Disneyland is never complete without a visit to It’s a Small World. The clock tower opens up every 15 minutes, and the characters prance around on parade. Did you know that this ride was created for the 1964-65 New York World’s Fair? 

We were in LA to celebrate N’s 5th birthday. If you happen to live in California or know anything about California kids birthdays, you might recognize what’s going on in this next photo. That’s my little brother, the U.S. Marine, making magic happen.

Any guesses? Leave them in a comment and I’ll congratulate you personally!

When we visit Southern California, no trip is complete without a visit to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. My husband wanted to see the Stanley Kubrick and James Turrell exhibits, so while he was off learning and growing his brain cells, the girls and I revisited this favorite: Penetrable by Jesus Rafael Soto. 

After playing in the sea of yellow spaghetti for what could have been hours (I had to drag them out), we went to buy our museum tickets (yes, the spaghetti is free). But wait, our tickets were free too! I’m so excited to share (and maybe you already know this) that LACMA has an amazing new program for young museum visitors under age 18. It’s called NexGen, and all kids are eligible to receive a free museum membership until they turn 18…and the membership admits them and their adult.

Sweet!

With our free memberships in hand, we moseyed over to the Boone Children’s Gallery where an ongoing watercolor painting project was underway. The room was beautiful and truly honored the children who were creating in the space. I appreciated the simple decor inspired by the nearby Korean collection, sturdy wooden tables, high quality art materials, and patient staff who kept the space in elegant order.

We easily spent a full hour painting in here!

We met Scott for some yummy snacks at C & M (Coffee and Milk), and then headed over to check this piece out at the James Turrell show:

If you ever have a chance to see Turrell’s work, go! If you live in or near San Francisco, one of my favorite pieces by Turrell lives in the sculpture garden next to the De Young museum. And since it’s outside of the museum, it’s free!

And then, after all that fun, I returned home and got down to business sorting through the copy edits for my book.  In case you’re wondering, that Mint Mojito coffee from Philz works wonders for powering a gal through over 200 pages of edits. I’m sure this won’t be the first time I’ll say this, but major props go to my amazing editor, Jenn, for her overarching vision and linguistic clarity.

So, that should bring us up-to-speed!

I’m hoping to deliver more tinkering/maker/creative wonders in the upcoming weeks, but I know that you’ll understand if I slip away to enjoy the pool with my kids, visit our local museums and amusement parks, and work on the design of my book. I’m thinking about popping in with quick ideas and updates since I’m sure that you’re just as busy as me. If you’re still reading this, a million thanks.

And now I’ll expect you to get back to your summer.

xo

Some questions for you…

What’s my brother up to in that tree?

Do you have a favorite Disneyland or Southern California destination?

And finally, what has been the highlight of your summer so far?