Pinnacles National Park has only been a national park since 2013. Dan visited back when it was a national monument when we lived in California years ago.
It's important to know that the park has no through roads, and there are two entrances. The west entrance is obviously closer to Monterey, and has a couple of good hiking trails, but the camping and most of the services are on the east side of the park. We decided to go on a Sunday afternoon with some of Dan's friends.
If you don't have a National Parks pass, there is a fee of $15/vehicle to enter the park. We stopped at the visitor's center to get our passport stamps and pick up a map and some hiking suggestions from the rangers.You can find a map of the park online here to plan out your day.
We debated whether to take the popular but short Balconies Cave trail, or the longer High Peaks hike. Since we arrived late in the day, I convinced the men we should take the easy but interesting Balconies Cave trail and save the longer hike for a day when we had more time and cooler weather. Here are some of the views from the trail.
Just so you know, they aren't kidding when they say you will need a flashlight for the cave. Headlamps are the best because you have to do some climbing with your hands through the cave as well.
The weather was about 20 degrees warmer than on the coast, so it was a nice break from the fog and chilly "summer" weather in Monterey. We will be back again to do a longer hike next time or some camping.
The Point Pinos Lighthouse is in our town of Pacific Grove, CA. While we were there visiting, we heard a lot of people saying that they had living or been coming to PG for years and had never stopped in to visit. Don't be that person.
The lighthouse is set up much like it would have been before it was automated, and has some nice historical artifacts and explanations of how the lighthouse works. It also discusses what it was like to live and work in the light house. You can climb the stairs to the top and get a look at the lens from inside. There is a small room at the top of the stairs with the most amazing ocean view, but I for some reason, did not get a picture! The area around the lighthouse is mostly golf courses, so it feels very remote. It is the longest continuously operating lighthouse on the west coast, and worth a quick visit!
Our first California camping trip was to Big Basin Redwoods State Park which is about 1.5 hours north of Monterey, just about 40 minutes north of Santa Cruz. We made reservations on reserveamerica.com as soon as they became available 7 months in advance, and it looked like all the campgrounds were full when we were there. We were in the Wastahi Campground, which is walk in, but our site was right by the car and bathrooms. One of the trails through the park also ran along the back of our campsite, so it was by no means the most private site. However, we were camping among redwoods and it really didn't bother us.
We left after school on Friday and got there in plenty of time to set up camp before it got dark. We started a fire first thing and had nice hot coals cooking our Sausage and Veggies tin foil meals while we set up. They were delicious, and we ate by citronella candle-light. The site includes a fire ring and bear box, and they ask that you keep crumbs to a minimum because of some invasive bird species that thrive on unwatched and dropped food. It is also very buggy, but we covered ourselves in bug spray and barely got bit. If you have a screened in dining canopy, I would bring it!
The next day we packed a lunch and headed out for a hike. There are lots of trails of varying difficulty, so get advice from the park rangers. We headed out on a trail to see a waterfall, which could have been a full day loop trail, but I was not feeling well and we decided to turn around once we saw the waterfall. Be forewarned, you are hiking into a basin, not up a mountain, so the way back with be harder! The walk was beautiful with lots of big trees.
Dan needed to do some studying, so we headed back to our campsite in the afternoon and just hung out, reading and playing some games. If we had been looking for more to do, we could have done one of the many other easy trails around the park, or visited the small museum.
The following day we planned to stop and do a little exploring on the way home, so we packed up early and went for one last walk on the level, accessible path by the park headquarters, which takes you past the Mother and Father of the forest, and many other trees that are great for photos. We were up early, so we had the whole path to ourselves.
On the way home we had planned to stop in Santa Cruz to explore, but there was a race going on, and the streets were crowded and parking non-existent. So instead, we went to Capitola and had lunch in a place overlooking the water called the Paradise Beach Grill, which had a beautiful view, but the food was overpriced and mediocre.
I think we will go back again to Big Basin Redwoods. They have some tent cabins for the less adventurous, or for colder weather, and more trails we did not explore. If we were to go back, I think I would also like to take the Roaring Camp Railroads tour either into Santa Cruz, or maybe on a moonlight dinner party.
This is a great place to go that is not too far from Monterey, but has some great sights!
As I was planning things for us to do here in California, I came across a website called Everfest that lets you look up the festivals in your area and will even send you reminders when those events are coming up. I had fond memories of attending the Avodcado Festival with the Newcamps years ago and thought we could check some out.
Dan has recently received a kite as a gift, and has been wanting to better learn how to use it (it's fancy, don't ask me), so I thought he might like this kite festival in Berkeley. It turns out everyone likes the kite festival in Berkeley, and it's FREE (except for parking). It was seriously crowded. I wish we could have ridden bikes from near-by because the parking was far away and the lines for the shuttle were long!
We didn't arrive until about 3pm on Sunday but the events were in full swing. There were tons of kites in the sky, from a little kid's plastic CVS kite, to giant squid kites. The event is in a big field overlooking the city with a view of the Golden Gate Bridge from some directions. I unfortunately, brought a camera with no memory card (face-palm) so iPhone photos is all we've got. We brought our folding Mayfly chairs which were perfect, but a blanket would have been good too. There was plenty of space to plop down and watch the main events, and eat some festival food. The did have a tent that sold mangos and other fruit that was cut up right in front of you. It was a nice change from the usual fried food.
We only stayed for about two hours, but honestly, it was enough for us to enjoy it. This is a great event for kids, make sure you bring them a kite to fly. You can bring an all-terrain stroller, but you might be happier with backpacks for little kiddos.
Next year, I would be there when it opens on Saturday and leave around lunch time, head to Berkeley Bowl to get lunch and check out their famously large produce section, and then combine with one of the museums on the Blue Star Museums pass this summer (there are three, go here to check it out) or a walk around the UC Berkeley campus which I hear is very nice.
P. S. It's hard to communicate the number of kites with a simple iPhone photo, so don't be turned off by these pictures. The sky was literally full of kites. It was very cool. We watched some kite dancing which was also impressive.
I never thought I would say it - I'm sad to be leaving Edwards, AFB. When we arrived here four years ago, I felt like I had been stranded on a desert island. I had no idea that Edwards would be the launching point for so many adventures and friendships.
I can't imagine my life without the ladies of 08B, the 461st Spouses or the lovely ladies of the EOSC- I am truly a better wife, mother and friend because of all of you! Thank you for the memories, smiles, laughs and tears, they will be cherished for years to come (and retold with some artistic license.)
Since we Air Force wives never say "Goodbye" I'll just say "See You Later" (because all roads lead to Edwards ;) haha). Our guest room is always open!
We came to Edwards as a family of two and are leaving as a family of three but, our traveling adventures are not over - we just have a new launching point!
Stay tuned for more crazy adventures - this time with a baby!
Christmas is San Francisco is great: the weather tends to be mild (high 50s), lots of decorations and plenty of family fun!
Need to do some last minute Christmas shopping? Head over to Union Square, the shopping center of San Fran. Take a quick break in the Square to look at the giant tree or go ice skating in the park.
Food options about in the area as well. For a quick bite, head to the Cellar in the basement of Macy's for a variety of quick and tasty options. For a more iconic SF experience, head 2 blocks up Powell to Sears Fine Foods- a local institution know for their brunch. (be prepared to wait in line, especially on Sunday.) The lunch options are also yummy, especially the sandwich selection.
For a quiet afternoon, head to the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA). While not great for active kids, the museum has a great introduction to modern art and includes a free audio guide. The museum store is also top-notch, with gifts for all ages.
For a more child-friendly experience, head over to the California Academy of Sciences in Golden Gate Park. The Academy combines an aquarium, a natural history museum, and a planetarium in one building. Grab a free planetarium pass to reserve a seat for one of the hourly showings. Check out the penguins, the rainforest and make sure you meet Claude, the albino alligator.
During Christmas, the Academy has special "tis the season" exhibits, including reindeer, indoor snow, and, on the day we visited, Ghiradelli chocolate was giving free chocolate and activities!
Across the a small park from the Academy is a Japanese tea garden and tea house. It's a nice place to take a break and grab some tea or snacks. Golden Gate park also has a botanical garden, children's playground and other fun activities.
For lunch, there is an a cafe in the academy, but it was such a nice day, we opted for a picnic. There is a Whole Foods market about a mile away at the eastern entrance to Golden Gate park.
Dining is one of the great wonders of San Fran. Around Union Square, check out of the historic seafood places, such as Jake's Grill or Sam's Grill.
The first weekend in December we joined my mom at a conference just outside Palm Springs at the La Quinta Resort & Club.
It proved to be a wonderfully relaxing weekend. The resort features 200 some pools and hot tubs that were all set at the perfect temperature for the chilly weather the Santa Anna Winds had blown into Palm Springs.
Friday we checked out the resort making good use of the gym and walking trails, the pools and the small basketball court just behind the waterfall. The afternoon found us all in a rousing croquet match (which I won!). We stuck to the property for dinner trying out Twenty6. Twenty6 features a menu reminiscent of a dinner - they even have a meal that comes out on a divided TV tray. Don't be confused this place produces gourmet food. They also offered a wide selection of specialty non-alcoholic drinks such as the no-hijto - which somehow tasted just like the real thing!
Saturday I started the day at the Spa La Quinta for a pre-natal massage. It was one of the most relaxing places ever with a mix of indoor and outdoor spaces to be enjoyed between treatments.
After grabbing lunch at Louise's Pantry, a little cafe just outside the LaQuinta Resorts gates we headed into downtown Palm Springs for a performance of the Nutcracker at the Palm Springs Art Museum. The Desert Dance Company has been perofrming the Nutcracker in Palm Springs for 15 years. It is a strange mix of professional ballet and dance recital. There were several stunning performances and several equally as disastrous ones. There is also the introduction of a new "french maid" character in the opening scene which just got everything off on the wrong note. Regardless, it was a fun holiday activity.
The 3pm show ended just in time for us to catch the start of the Palm Springs Festival of Lights Parade. The parade is three hours of Christmas lit cars, balloons and local bands marching the mile long main drag. We were fortunate enough to have dinner reservations at a place we could see the parade from - by the time desert arrived the final lit snow plow was making its way down the road.
Sunday we went to early chuch at St Francis of Assisi Church, grabbed coffee and a bagel at Panera and then drove my mom to the Ontario airport.
Just after dropping her off, we stopped for gas and our car battery died. Fortunately there was an auto-zone across the street and a Cronic Taco in the plaza. Before the tow truck could arrive we had the battery replaced, we were fed and back on our way home. Just another road trip adventure I suppose!
Our traveling has certainly slowed down as we prepare for the arrival of Baby Boy. On top of the traveling slowing down I've had trouble keeping up with the blog. Hopefully I'll catch up here soon.
A few weeks ago - ok more like a month or so ago - we went down to San Diego for Veteran's Day. We were lucky enough to be joined by some old college friends who have recently moved to Edwards and their three adorable children.
The drive to San Diego is remarkably easy. We left here Friday morning and since Legoland is slightly north of the city we hit it on the way down.
Legoland was one of the last remaining items on our California to do list. Although I'm pregnant and had to forgo most of the big ticket items it was still quite a bit of fun. That being said, it's no Disneyland. The whole park could use a fresh coat of paint, which by the looks of things, they are working on. The rides are cute and they have built in Lego waiting areas where little ones can play with Legos while parents wait in line. The Lego-land section of the park featuring Lego versions of everything you could imagine was the highlight for me. I could have spent most of the day looking at these creations.
A few hours there was about all the kids (and I) could handle.We headed into the city - toward our Navy Lodging - to Jimmy's Famous American Tavern for some dinner. They have a great selection of local beers and lots of meal options. I had a sald which was large enough to feed two - good thing there are two of us :) haha. Actually we ended up taking quite a bit back to the hotel with us. Although it has a bar feel it is a family freindly place.
Our friends were in family friendly lodging at the Navy Lodge on 28th Street while we were at the Navy Gateway Inn on Coranado (which does not allow children.) Both are good options for lodging - North Island Navy Lodging is your best bet if it is available.
Saturday we woke up to torrential rain. We met at Cafe 1134, which you may remember from our last visit to San Diego. This place has the best brekfast options! I must have ordered wrong the last time we were here, because I thought I didn't like it but serioulsy I loved everything I ordered this time.
We decided to brave the rain and head over to the USS Midway Museum. Parking can be a bit of a problem, particularly since the America's Cup World Series was also going on right on the waterfront. However right across teh street from the USS Midway is a Navy Base - if you are military you can park there for free and walk through the building to the USS Midway. Save yourself the $20 in parking and find this place.
The USS Midway Museum offers a military rate which includes the audo tour - there is also a self guided tour option. The museum even offers aprogram for their young visitors to earn a badge - just ask at the information desk. The USS Midway Museum takes a few hours just to get through and by the time we were done it was time for lunch but the rain had really picked up. We decided to head to Balboa Park's many indoor attractions. Parking was a nightmare there as well but once we were all parked and dry we returned to the Balboa Park Model Train Museum. This place never ceases to amaze me - I love all the old men working on their hobby and answering the kids questions.
With the rain still coming down we headed back to Coranado to seek refugae at the Coronado Brewing Company. They were happy to find us a large table and change the channel to the ND game. They have only their own beers on tap, but I hear they are quite good. They were also great with the kids bringing lots of activities for them and even sending their food out early.
Sunday our friends handled to return to LA. With the rain gone, we spent the morning on Coranao Island. We parked on the main drag and found a nice park for a picnic breakfast before chuch at Sacred Heart. That afternoon we took advantage of Sea World's free military family tickets for the day. We had been to Sea World on a previous San Diego trip, but enjoyed the low crowds and renovated park. We brought lunch with us since last time we had trouble finding food options I liked, although it seems that Sea World has upgraded many of its resturants from our last visit. The Dolphin Enoucnter was open and we got up close and personal with the off duty dolphins. The New Shamu show is mostly just watching people get splashed for an hour, which may be funny when its warm out but when its cold it feels a big cruel. The real gem is the Dolphin show - Blue Horizons. Again, sit well beyond the splash zone to stay dry. I feel like the low crowds gave us amazing access to all the animals - we sat for an hour in the empty Penguin Encounter listening to a guide tell us about the differnt types of Penguines in the enclosure.
After Sea World we headed into Old Town San Diego State Historic Park just to take a look. I wasn't feeling up for mexican food - although if we had been in the mood this would have been the place to grab a bite. Instead we headed back to Coranado for dinner at Brigantine - an upscale seafood resturant across from the Hotel Del Coronado.
San Diego never seems to disapoint. It is one of the places I will certainly miss when we move to another coast. I didn't take very many pictures but here are a few of the animal highlights.
Fall at Edwards can be a bit of a let down - trees don't change color (there aren't any trees) and the weather doesn't slowly cool down, inviting you to wear jeans and sweatshirts. Luckily just up the road is the "Land of Four Seasons," Tehachapi. The first year we lived here we headed up there quite a bit, then we seemed to forget about Tehachapi until fall rolls around.
The first weekend in October, we headed up there with the EOSC travel club. The original plan was to head to the botanical gardens, but due to fall coming early they were closed. We regrouped and headed to the Souza Family Vineyard for some wine tasting. The vineyard serves only one of their own wines and then quite a few others from around the country. I can't tell you how the wines were since I had to sit this one out but they did bring out a nice food tray for us and were very pleasant to chat with.
Next, apple picking! There are two u-pick places and then 20 or so orchards that pick them from the tree and you pick apples out of a large box. In the fall you can get a map just about anywhere in town with a layout of the orchards. We visited a few to check out what types of apples were available - ask for a taste so you know what you are getting. We ended up splitting a box with the neighbors which gave us each about 40 apples.
We tried a Latin fusion restaurant for lunch. It wasn't terrible but I'm not sure I'll go back. My delicate stomach didn't take well to the smells or tastes but it's not their fault I'm pregnant!
A few weeks later in mid-October we decided to head back to Tehachapi with some other friends to Murray Family Farms. They have really upped their game this year - the hayride to the pumpkin patch is still there as are the pig races but they have added more fun. The kids we were with range in age from 1 to 3 and they all seemed to love it. There were duck races where you pump water to make your rubber duck float down a pipe, "cow" riding where you are towed behind a tractor in a half barrel on wheels painted like a cow and a giant inflatable pillow you can jump on. They had plenty of guides around making this a much more pleasant experience than in years past.
The farm also sells carving pumpkins but you will find cheaper ones at Trader Joe's.
For lunch we headed to Pacino's Spaghetti Factory in Tehachapi. It's nothing special but the food was good and it's a reliable alternative to the Apple Shed. The salads are huge - you can easily split one for your meal.
It's nice to get away and have it feel like fall, even for just an afternoon!
Way back at the end of May, we loaded up the car with the B’s and headed up to wine country. Napa is probably the area of California we have visited the most since moving here, but it never gets old. Every season brings with it a different landscape and different activities. By the end of May the valley is quite green, but still cool. It’s the perfect time to explore the wineries and enjoy some non-drinking outdoor activities.
Friday’s drive into the valley was uneventful. The group had to head into San Francisco to pick me up from SFO. (I spent the week in Virginia for work and flew in to join the group.) Although, we had some traffic as we went into the city and then back out the Golden Gate Bridge, we made the best use of our time by stopping into the Golden Gate National Recreation Area just over the bridge. After a few short walks (and some National Parks Pass Stamps) we headed into Sausa
lito for dinner.Street parking was ample and there were many restaurant options, although we settled on Angelinos, a small Italian place that ended up providing one of the best meals of the trip!
Travis, AFB is a great lodging option, although there are plenty of places in the valley if you prefer to spend a little more and stay closer. We had two full days in the valley and the plan for both days was to visit a few wineries, pack our lunch for a picnic and do a non-drinking activity. We divided our days by valley – Saturday was spent in Napa, Sunday in Sonoma leaving Monday to head back to Edwards.
Saturday morning, after grabbing coffee from the hotel we headed over to the Oxbow Public Market farmer’s market in downtown Napa for breakfast. We prepared fo
r our day by stuffing ourselves with cherries, berries, pastries and even savory creeps. We could have picked up lunch supplies at the market but decided to wait a bit and stop at one of the little groceries further up the valley for sandwiches.(You will never want for food options in Napa.)
V Sattui Winery opens nearly an hour earlier then the other vineyards, so it’s always a good place to start your day. It can get crowded, but we found a spot at the bar and enjoyed a tasting of a variety of wines. V. Sattui has a wide variety of wines and several tasting options in addition to small grocery store where you can pick up picnic supplies. Since it was memorial day weekend they were also barbequing in the back of the property – you can call in advance to see what events they have going on.We almost missed a chance to see the large aging barrels, but we ventured down a p
ath and opened a closed door to find a display area complete with huge again barrels. (If your there its worth a peek, just follow signs to the wine club tasting room.)
Just up the road in Oakville is our favorite place to pick up lunch – Oakville Grocery. We all ordered sandwiches to go and headed a bit farther up the road to Elizabeth Spencer.
We always stop here – partly because we are wine club members and partly because we always hav
e a wonderful time. The wines are a great example
of a small production winery. The tasting room is small but they do have some outdoor seating. We spent over an hour with the lovely people from Elizabeth Spencer learning about their reserve wines.
When we left Elizabeth Spencer it has started to rain, putting a damper on our picnic plans. The boys found a nice rock wall to eat lunch on, while the girls enjoyed our lunch dry in the car in the parking lot of the Culinary Institute of America. Some of you may remember that when Jeff and I went on our “mini-moon” to Napa we had dinner reservations at CIA and accidentally slept through them
after a long day of wine tasting. We decided to try again and made reservations for a cooking demonstration. The demonstration includes a glass of wine and a sample of whatever dish they make. I love cooking classes and this one was a great demonstration of cooking techniques from a CIA instructor. If you’re interested in a class or other activity you should call in advance because they do fill up.
We decided after the cooking class to take advantage of Twitter “check-in specials” around Napa for the remainder of the day – places like Mumm Napa and Turnbull Winery offer t
wo for one tastings when you show your twitter check-in. (We will defiantly take more advantage of these deals the next time we are here.)We found a little church in downtown Napa for evening mass and then grabbed dinner at the Chipotle outside of the base and went back to the room to watch a movie. (Wine tasting will make you very tried!)
Sunday, we had a full day planned over in Sonoma valley – we grabbed lunch at Whole Foods in downtown Napa. (If you tell them your headed out on a picnic they will pack everything so it doesn’t get soggy.) It’s about an hour drive from downtown Napa up into Sonoma valley
. We pulled into Bob Burkes Canoe rental for a half-day trip down the Russian River. Bob’s is your only canoe rental option and they are not organized at all. You should call ahead to make a reservation because they do sell out of boats. You must pay in cash and there is no ATM in the parking lot they run out of – so come prepared. You also will need to leave a drivers license with them to ensure that you return the canoe. Despite their disorganization the canoe trip is well worth it. The river was crowded but there is enough of a current that you will move forward even when you don’t paddle and there are plenty of places to beach your canoe and enjoy lunch. We dinned with a Boy Scout troop on the river earning their canoeing badge. Burkes does have changing rooms when you get back from canoeing so you can continue your day without feeling like you were in a canoe all morning.
Korbel is just down the road from Burkes and is a well-deserved stop. They offer free tours of the gardens and the cellar – both, which are interesting. The tours and tasting are free but are capped, so check in at the old railroad building to find out what the tours are looking like for that day. (We have never had trouble getting on a tour here.) The tour comes with a tasting – although you can also just go do a tasting in their tasting room.Most importantly, Korbel offers a 50% discount on all purchases to all active duty military!
We had dinner at a little place called Uva Trattoria Italiana. Parking was a bit of a problem and the food was fine – on a different trip we had Pizza and Salads at a place jus
t down the road and I thought that place was better. There is nothing wrong with this place, but it just wasn’t anything special either.
Monday we decided to grab a big breakfast at Huckleberry’s on our way out of town – it’s a little breakfast dinner with a “tom sawyer” type theme. The breakfast was delicious and put us all in a good mood for the drive home. There is no good way to get back from Napa – it’s a boring drive. Luckily, I had the Bossypants Audiobook on my iPod and we laughed all the way to Fresno where we finally stopped for lunch at In N’ Out Burger and a tour of Baldasar’s Underground Gardens.
The Underground Gardens deserve their own post. They are weird. They are so weird I am not sure if I should recommend the place or not. Basically, this immigrant thought it was too hot to grow citrus so he dug and then lived in miles and miles of tunnels growing citrus – now they give to
urs. The admission price is a bit hefty, but honestly it was worth it to say we have hit the biggest tourist attraction in Fresno. (I've posted photos bellow to illustrate the creepiness.)
Every May Oxnard hosts their annual Strawberry Festival. It always seems to fall on my birthday weekend and since our arrival at Edwards we've always had plans preventing us from attending. So you could say it was on our proverbial Edwards bucket list. This year, although it was tightly sandwiched between business trips, we were able to attend. On top of that, in the last six months our friends from Dayton, OH have moved out to Point Mugu enabling us to combine the Strawberry Festival with a much overdue visit to Mr. & Mrs. M and their two adorable children.
I'm not going to lie, the Strawberry Festival was a bit of a let down. (As was the Avacado Festival in Carpenteria and the Poppy Festival in Lancaster.) I suspect it is because I have high standards for "festivals." In Georgia the Vidilia Onion Festival, for example, shuts down the whole town. Streets are closed and filled with every type of handmade craft, kids ride and Onion treat that you can imagine. When your at the Vidilia festival you know there are lots of people around, but you never feel crowded. The Strawberry Festival, on the other hand, was quite the opposite. The park and surrounding streets were cordoned off, but then the booths were arranged into a labyrinth - we frequently found ourselves in a dead end with hundreds of other people trying to turn around. Food booths were randomly grouped so that lines ran into the entertainment seating area. Although they have been holding the festival for a long time, it doesn't feel like they have their act together.
It is not all bad though, the fair has a great shuttle system that utilizes the school buses and several shopping center parking lots. We used the free shuttle, instead of paying $10 to park right at the fairgrounds, and found it convenient and quite fun. The shuttles were always there and drop off right at the gate. We were revealed not to be sitting in traffic.
The festival is held smack dab in the middle of the strawberry harvest - everywhere you look there are strawberries being picked. We were able to stop at some road side stands and pick up fresh berries - or you can buy them from the growers right at the festival.
The highlight of our trip was the Kashi/Burts Bees booth where after tasting a variety of products and learning about "7 whole grains on a mission" we were given a gift bag with all sorts of goodies from Kashi and Burts Bees. It was well worth our stop at the fair.
If Strawberries were your main reason for attending the fair - you would not be disappointed. There were strawberry nachos (pictured above), strawberry pizza, strawberry shortcake and strawberry parfaits .. if you could find them. It was hard to find the strawberry treats as they weren't labeled particularly well, but once you found them you were sure to enjoy them.
We stayed for about 2 hours - if we had kids with us we probably could have managed another hour with all the free kids activities. Bottom-line - its worth checking out if your already in the area. My advice would be to combine this trip with another activity in the area or with a visit to friends. You can overnight at Point Mugu and head out to the Channel Islands in the morning, go hiking in the hills or head to the beach.
I've been struggling to pull together a post about my road trip back from Texas with my dad. We covered so much ground, saw amazing stuff and had a great trip.. until I got food poisoning in Las Vegas. (Ironically it was at the most reputable place we ate the entire trip.) That post will come in time but I've decided I have to try to keep up with our adventures now that we are back in California.
A few months ago we landed four tickets to see a Conan show being taped at the Warner Brothers studios in LA. (You can request tickets to the Conan webpage.) Warner Brothers studio is in Burbank - so its a bit closer then if you needed to get all the way into the city. I know allot of people making it to a show while they are stationed here, and if you haven't, I would highly recommend it. Jeff had been to a few shows in the past, but this was a first for me and the rest of our "team".
The experience was quite enjoyable but here are a few lessons that we learned:
1. First come, First served. The instructions said to check in any time between 11am and 2pm - so we figured we had all afternoon before we needed to check in. When Jeff had been to shows in the past they interviewed people to figure out where they should sit. The Conan show is seated on a first come, first seated bases. If being seated upfront is important to you - come right at 11am to get your number and then go have lunch or walk around. Even arriving closer to the end of the bracket gave us great seats - the studio is not that big and all the seats are fine.
2. Lunch. Once you check in you are free to leave until your call time. Check in early and then go get some lunch. There is a taco stand that shows up outside of the parking deck (parking is free for the studio audience) if you decide you want to hang around. We hit up lunch first (see above post) just down the street at Studio Cafe Magazzino. Its a small cafe, just outside the studio walls with delicious food - soups and sandwiches mostly. The soup of the day was a corn chowder and it was amazing - I know it wasn't just me because everyone in the place had a bowl.
3. Hurry up and Wait. You are going to be doing a lot of sitting/standing around. Luckily our little group never runs out of things to talk about. There was plenty of good people watching going on to provide a steady stream of commentary. They try to keep you entertained with clips of the show and little things like that - but basically, except for the 45 min of filming, you will be waiting. If this sounds terrible either (a) bring something to do or (b) abandon your dram of being in a studio audience. We found the funniest part to be when we were organized into groups to be marched across the street with the lights - if ever there is a reason to build a pedestrian bridge, this would be it.
4. They lie. They say over and over and over that you cannot bring your cell phone (see picture at beginning of post) - they lie. I dutifully left my cell phone in the car, only to find everyone in the waiting area playing on their phones! They later make an announcement saying its fine to bring them with you but they must be in your pocket and off. Not that I need my phone all the time - ok, actually I do - but you have allot of time to kill (see #3.) They also say that you can't use the bathroom once you leave the parking deck - lie - there are bathrooms available they just would prefer you didn't use them.
Overall it was a great experience. Conan was exceptionally funny - despite some of his guests being, well... not entirely there. The show lasts exactly one hour - the band will play during "commercial breaks" so although it is not "live" it has the feeling of being live. Our taping stared a bit earlier then usual so we were out by 5pm - just in time to hit traffic on our way home. When we reached Santa Clarita we stopped for dinner at Oggi's Pizza and Brewing Company. The pizza was delicious and it sure beats any place around the antelope valley mall. We skipped desert there and headed across the parking lot to the Cold Stone Creamery. (I had the vanilla ice-cream with strawberry and gram cracker crust mixed it and it was extraordinary. Seriously. You should try it.)
Mammoth Lakes California is about 4 hours from Edwards. This year they had had a record snowfall of something like 15 feet in the month of December, which is obvious by the walls of snow along the roads! Being from New England, Dan and I just have to get out of the desert every once in a while to see it, just to know it’s still snowing somewhere! Even if you aren’t much of a skier, Mammoth can be tons of winter fun. And don’t worry if you are too busy to go this winter, due to its high elevation the ski area sometimes stays open all the way into July! Lodging Lodging in Mammoth Lakes is not cheap by any means. The best deal I found was the Cinnamon Bear Inn, a little Bed and Breakfast located in town. The rates here rivaled even the Quality Inn but I can’t recommend it. The bed was very uncomfortable, the walls (and ceilings) were paper thin (do people really need to walk around in their ski boots at 5am?), and the shower head was so low that at 5’3” I still had to lean back to get my head under the water!! Moving on. You will pay twice as much but sleep twice as well at one of the resorts hotels. Look at mammothmountain.com for lodging options. Mammoth Mountain Inn and Juniper Springs Resort are located right on the slopes if convenience to the slopes is what you are looking for, or the Village lodge located right in the heart of the resort village is convenient to the shops and restaurants and has a gondola that runs right to the slopes. Or take the bus for free from almost anywhere in town. For something a little more remote and rustic try the lodge or a cute cabin at Tamarack Lodge, especially if you want to go x-country skiing on the resorts many trails. This lodge caters more to the x-country group, and is located about a mile from the main village, but the bus runs there as well. If you are on a budget look around and you might find something better than I did, or go in with a few other people for a condo which seems to be a better deal. Skiing Not much to say on this topic, again go to the mammoth website for tickets and information, but it’s a ski resort - you’ll figure it out. Make sure you ask for a military discount, as far as we could tell, there is a 50% off discount on the full lift ticket on weekdays and 25% on weekends. As far as rentals, go to outdoor rec here on base. While you are there pick up some equipment for some of my other winter activities listed below. Scenic Gongola The scenic gondola costs $23 dollars for adults, and is worth it! The view from the top is awesome and there is a little interpretive center and Top of the Sierras cafe. Plan it go around lunch and grab a bowl of chili or chowder to warm you up! Plus you will need a picture by the Mammoth Mountain summit sign, of course. If you have a lift ticket I think this trip is free but if you are too scared to ski/board down (yikes, I would be!!) you can still go to the top just for the view.
Dog Sledding Highlight of the whole trip was dog sledding, hands down! Call ahead for this activity as they are a little hard to get a hold of due to to the fact that they are out with the dogs most of the day. The number is on their website mammothdogteams.com and try both numbers - I had more luck getting an answer or a voicemail at (760)914-1019. The price is $90 per adult for a 50 minute ride, but it was sooo worth it!! Bring cash or a check because you are basically meeting a couple guys and their dogs in the middle of a frozen meadow... i.e. no credit card machine! Bring your camera for the excellent views and dress to be outside for an hour. Get there early to meet and pet the dogs, who are so sweet and love the attention! They love to run, but this is not a fast ride, just a fun way to be in the beautiful outdoors and experience an old-fashioned way of getting around.
Snowshoeing Here is one activity in Mammoth you won’t have to pay a lot for. Rent snowshoes from outdoor rec and head down to Tamarack lodge. You can use their snowshoe trail for free. Walk down a groomed trail until you get to the start of the snowshoe trail where the tracks of other snowshoe-ers will guide you around another beautiful peak. Even if you get warm walking the trail, bring your jacket and hat because you will be on the exposed side of a mountain about halfway through the trail. The trail is not well marked, so be adventurous like we were and head off the trail back to the general direction of the lodge (okay we weren’t being adventurous, we were lost...). Off the trail you will get the true experience of snowshoeing through deep powder! Never been snowshoeing? Let a New England girl give you a quick lesson. 1. Strap on snowshoes snugly around snow boots. 2. Start walking... Yes, it may feel awkward at first and you have to lift your feet higher than normal and set them a little wider apart, but for the most part this is an activity that is fun and requires no real lessons. You might be surprised how much you still sink in the snow, but take your foot out and step down in some fresh powder... you might be up to your waist in snow! X-country skiing So on to the activities we didn’t do - x-country skiing trails are also available at Tamarack lodge, for this you will need a trail pass and rentals, unless you brought skis and poles from outdoor rec. Lessons are available, and the trails are extensive! Make sure you check out the lobby of the lodge with its stone fireplace and old-timey feel, and pick up some hot chocolate at the snack bar before you head back into town. Tubing Tubing is available at Sledz which is on the red bus line on the way to the main lodge. They have a tow rope for hours of fun without getting tired. They also only take cash I’m told, but the price is something like $25/hour. Skating We happened to notice a skating rink in town on our way out to dinner, located on Old Mammoth Road next to Rafter’s restaurant complete with large light-up snowmen. We forgot our skates and didn’t stop to ask about rentals or pricing, but check it out if that is something you like to do (they might have skates at outdoor rec too, you would have to check).
Lunch at Top of the Sierra
Food! Here is a list of the places we ate at and a brief description. We liked almost everything we ate, and there were plenty of other places we never tried that are probably great too! Whiskey Creek - brewery-style restaurant located beneath the Mammoth Brewing company tasting room. Very good food, a little higher priced. Shae Shat’s Bakery - although Shat’s in Bishop claims no affiliation, this bakery hopes to benefit from Eric’s fame, who knows what the real story is, but the bottom line is if you want a latte and pastry, Shat’s is the perfect stop. Top of the Sierra Cafe- this is the one at the top of the scenic gondola, go for the chili or soup. I had the veggie paninni which turned out to be a dry salad on dry bread... only not so great thing I ate the whole trip. Rafters - very snazzy place, great if you like wine! Portions are smaller, so get a salad too or save room for creme brule! Base Camp cafe - very casual but good food, we had breakfast here but heard the dinner was good too! Less expensive choice as well. Tom’s Pizza - Pesto Pizza was awesome, felt like a college town pizza place, TV’s to watch the game. The Auld Dubliner - located in the village this Irish pub had good food and lots of beers on draft. I had the shepherd’s pie and Dan the Guiness beef stew, both of which were good traditional Irish comfort food. Most of these restaurants have websites and menus online - I find knowing a few places I’d like to try before we go takes some of the time out of “where should we eat this time?”
So if you have a long weekend and you are prepared to spend some money, Mammoth is an awesome destination for some winter fun!
