California Vacation, Part 1 - LA

Flip!  It's like the end of May already, and there is no excuse.  Well, here is a photo essay of our vacation we took at the end of January and the beginning of February to SoCal.  Kenny's work dictated that he take vacation then and not at Christmas right before, and Knott's Berry Farm was having a law enforcement appreciation week with discounts, so he interpreted that to mean it was a sign from above that we were supposed to go there.  And I said, "Well, okay!"  Who wants to hang around rainy, dreary Oregon when fun can be had in sunny places?

We got to California and gawked at an airport where baggage claim is outdoors (and this time, unlike in the San Diego airport during our honeymoon, our bags didn't get stuffed into the lost-and-found): 

Plus, I dug the palm trees, the fiery sunset, and the airport that totally reminded me of the 1930s and also Megan's favorite movie, "Pearl Harbor."  There was a sexy sports car in the car rental area, and Ken and I eyed it greedily and then looked at each other.  "Next time," Ken promised, and then we made our way to our lovely and reasonably-priced Ford sedan.  And, unlike on our honeymoon (which was really quite nice, but unnerving too because Mommy and Daddy weren't there to shepherd us), none of the cars looked hot and I could consult a map while still in the parking lot and not fear for my life!

We texted our friends Jenny and Favio, whom I haven't seen since I was 17 years old, and coordinated a trip to the ultra-swanky "Pink Taco" restaurant right off Santa Monica Boulevard in Westwood, LA.  "Coordinated" might be a poor word to use right here - Ken and I got so lost driving from our hotel in Placentia out to the city due to crazy road construction and hard-to-read exit signs and ended up in the San Gabriel Mountains in the moonlight with Ken swearing and doing u-turns in construction zones and me panicking and texting Jenny like mad.  It was an absolutely gorgeous and breathtaking area and would have been soothing and magical had we not been over an hour late for dinner with friends I hadn't seen in forever and on a school night (their poor daughter!).  Favio was asking Jenny, "Who's driving?  Stevie Wonder?" and making her laugh, and I was freaking out over making everyone wait.  We finally got to Santa Monica Boulevard and I had no idea the Los Angeles LDS Temple was on the same street as the restaurant.  For just a moment I forgot my frustration and just stared out the window at the massive, gorgeous 1930s structure illuminated against the black sky.  Then it was back to the map and getting a good parking spot.  We raced to the Pink Taco and stumbled inside, freezing, to greet our friends and get ribbed big time for being late.  But what a fantastic reunion with people I've loved my whole life!!!  Plus, the tacos and the atmosphere were incredible.  I was just horribly embarrassed that Kenny and I ordered dessert and then Favio insisted that he pay our tab.  (The atmosphere is indeed amazing - the week after we left, Jenny and her daughter Gabriella went back to the Pink Taco for a birthday party and Adam Sandler was there with his kids!  He took a pic with Gabby and wished the birthday girl a very happy day.)

Here we are!  Jenny and Favio's beautiful daughter Gabriella was so cute to tell me, "I'm glad to meet you!"  She doesn't remember me from thirteen years ago, but I loved playing with her when she was just a tiny girl and have enjoyed each and every picture Jenny has sent to us of Gabby over the years:

On our way back to our hotel, we stopped at the LDS temple to take some pictures.  It was just so incredibly beautiful.  Here are a few:

On Monday we explored Knott's Berry Farm first thing.  Kenny's family are big roller coaster folks, so his idea of going to an amusement park is to hit every big ride as quickly as you can so you can get an idea of what the park is like.  This is, I have realized, completely different from my amusement park experience, which has been limited to two types of ride types - "Disneyland" and "Other".  "Disneyland" is exciting yet safe, so it is not only appropriate but necessary to linger and savor the nuance of each ride, area, and aspect of the park to imbibe the spirit of the experience.  "Other" is not and thus should not be trusted.  In fact, I have been to Knott's Berry Farm before while on a band trip my junior year in high school and was so scared of the rides I didn't go on a single one.  So being with Kenny was both frustrating (NO lingering) and thrilling (NO stalling).  The first ride we hit made us so dizzy that we could barely get down the stairs safely!

Woah!

And that's the ride:

After shaking the equilibrium back into our heads, we stumbled onto the next adventures.  Since it was early on a Monday morning and not spring break for anyone, we had almost no one in front of us at all.  At one ride, we had to wait for more people to show up in order to get on!

For some bizarre reason - I think something shook loose in my brain - I wanted to go on this ride:  

Kenny wasn't super keen, but wouldn't refuse to go because the Baldwins never ignore a big ride at an amusement park.  It just isn't done!  I was terrified after I saw how fast the ride took off - 82 mph in 2.3 seconds! - but it was going to happen.  In fact, I was so scared that I shut my eyes as we hit the top and shrieked some not-so-kosher words, which Ken took the opportunity to remind me of when we got back to the ground: "Wow, you said that word and a little girl was sitting right in front of you.  And she heard the Mormon lady say it!"  Whatever I might have screamed in terror at the top of the ride, as we hurtled back to the ground I was laughing my head off and begging for more.  It was that cool!

"Look, sweetie!" I said as we went on the ride again a few days later.  "They grow the grass extra thick at the bottom to make a soft landing for the people who fall off."  Ken looked ill.  Heh heh heh.  Turnabout is fair play!

There was one ride we went on that did a boomerang sort of thing that was terrifying and awful and both of us vowed never again, and another that twisted and spun when it hit corners - dizzying but exciting.  I got us to go on this ride because it looked spooky and I couldn't see any of what was happening inside of it, and it was very tame.  But still fun-looking on the outside!

And then there was this one.  

I love sharp drops, yes, but mind you - I am terrified of heights.  I wouldn't go up into the cupola of St. Peter's at the Vatican (big mistake) because I was so afraid of the high ceilings.  In fact, I had to leave the building and stand outside.  I managed to make it up to the top of the Duomo in Florence, but only through tears and while holding my professor's hand.  When I was little, I used to fantasize about being slowly sucked up to the ceiling of an immense church, pinned with my back to the ceiling in fright, and then suddenly, horribly dropped to the floor below.  (Yeah, that's kind of sick, but that's what sitting through too many long masses will do to a kid with too many nervous habits.)  That is this ride!!!  You are slowly, horrifyingly, agonizingly drawn to the top of a 254-foot tower and then sit there until - oh, God, save me! - a soul-sucking air-brake noise signals your doom.  You are then plunged down to the ground at 50 mph with only your harness to hold you in your seat.  I'm quite sure there is daylight between the seat and your bum.

Do you know what the worst part of all this was?  I thought it was going to be the moment where I could no longer tear from the ride, screaming "I take it back!  I take it baaaaack!!!"  Nope.  It was the part where, all the way up with my lip trembling in terror and regret, my @$$ of a husband gleefully prodded me with, "Wow!  We're really high up!  Goodness - just look at how tiny everything is!  And we're getting higher still!  Up, up, up!"  I limped away from that ride weak with spent fear, hoarse from screaming, and grouchy, yet secretly proud of myself for going on that ride at all.  Also, for not wetting my pants.  Small victories!

Kenny gave the signal and we headed out of the park to make our taping of the Conan O'Brien show up in LA.  I hadn't been to a live taping of a show since Mom and Jim snuck us into a taping of "News Radio" when we were 13 (and not technically 16 like was required).  We drove up through downtown LA and into the hills behind the Hollywood sign to the Warner Bros. Studio in Burbank where we waited in the cool sunshine, checked out the other lines ("'Mike & Molly'?!  Oh, wow, Mom would love that!  'The Big Bang Theory'?  Could you imagine?!?!") and I chatted with a security guard before it was time to be ushered into the studio.  It was smaller than I expected and it was so fun to see the huge moon that hangs over Conan's desk.  A guy came out and began warming up the crowd.  He introduced us to a hot fire marshall guy (I whistled) with some fire safety rules and then asked folks in the crowd where they were from.  After teasing some guys in the front row (man, how did they luck out???) about not remembering their wives' names or how long they'd been married, he asked "through a show of applause" how many of us were from out of town.  I got so excited I raised my hand, and of course the guy zeroed in on me.  Kenny was totally embarrassed, but I played it off and got the warm-up guy laughing and teasing me mercilessly.  The show was about to start, so finally he moved on to some other folks and then reminded us all of the house rules, and the lights were dimmed.  Ken gave me a look which said in so many words that it would be super nice to have a wife he could take out who would not humiliate him loudly wherever she went, but I knew that it's the squeaky wheel that gets all the attention on the comedian's set, so I sat back in my chair pretty pleased with myself.

Conan did a great show with some really funny gags and interviewed James Franco's little brother Dave Franco (who promoted his new movie "Warm Bodies" that we saw later with Mom and Jim, and it was really cute) and Emmy Rossum, who I recognized as "Christine" from the film version of "Phantom of the Opera."  She was way more confident and upbeat (dare I say stuck up?) than I thought she would be and was promoting her new cd.  Kenny and I weren't super interested in the celebrities but really enjoyed the jokes and side shows that Conan does so well.

I also got so excited whenever I'd see something "noteworthy" about California.  Hey, give me a break - I don't live here and the last time I was in CA, I had just gotten married!  So yes, the camera was out a lot, and probably for some very inconsequential things:

Oooh, look!  Famous names!  

A really artsy building we drove by while in downtown LA:

The Hollywood Bowl is near here!  (Well, of course it is.  We are in LA, after all.)

And no trip to California would be complete without a stop at this delicious establishment!  But unlike on our honeymoon, this time we only went there once.  Such restraint!

More to follow!