A sampling of interesting restaurants.
I haven’t bothered with food posts recently (other than yesterday’s, which was more about the show), but one worthy of note was the historic Bob’s Big Boy restaurant in Burbank, California.
The iconic sign out front:
Big Boy figure and info:
Some shots of the restaurant interior:
The menu:
The meals came with a salad:
Old-style vanilla and cherry Cokes:
Jenn’s club sandwich and fries:
I had to try the signature Big Boy burger and fries:
All very tasty and filling.
While in the LA area we went to Medieval Times for a dinner and show. They have a fixed menu of medieval-inspired food, eaten with hands, and put on a show of knights, squires, a queen, and medieval competitions like jousting and sword fighting.
All kinda cheesy, but fun.
A photo op on entry. Yes, believe it or not, I’m smiling. Somewhat:
The bar area (we were fairly early):
They have a bunch of merch for sale, of course:
Interesting ceiling:
Suits of armor:
Knight info; the Red & Yellow knight was the one we were assigned to for seating as “our” knight:
There are windows into horse stables behind the merch area:
A selfie:
Me:
Jenn:
Announcements:
My place setting:
Menu:
Serving “wench”:
Announcer:
Red and yellow knight:
Queen and knights:
Squires:
Knights:
Showing horses:
A falcon swooping over the audience:
Soup and chicken, to be eaten with hands:
Knights:
Horse:
Knights and tournaments:
The victor:
It was a fun experience.
On the last day of our Disney adventure, we went back to Disneyland for the third time.
A long line of cars to get into the parking structure (and notice the song playing in our truck):
Immediately after entering the park, we did a photo op below the train station (with digital enhancement):
Horse and trolly:
We had resisted doing the Star Tours ride, remembering how cheesy it was when we were last at Disneyland over 20 years ago, but it was actually quite good now:
Another photo op:
Eeyore:
Castle:
Lunch:
Try the gray stuff, it’s delicious:
King Arthur Carrousel:
Sword in the Stone:
Raft to Tom Sawyer Island:
River boat:
Canoe:
Part of the island was closed, as they’re doing refurbishments:
Scenes from the raft from Tom Sawyer Island:
Storybook Land Canal Boats:
We did the Star Wars Rise of the Resistance ride a second time:
Tinkerbell:
The Matterhorn Bobsleds ride:
After that ride, there was sudden music, then a Frozen float went by:
Sleeping Beauty Castle walkthrough:
Mad Tea Party ride:
Astro Orbitor ride:
Dinner at the Golden Horseshoe:
We hadn’t realized the stage was in use; the curtains opened and a piano player performed some songs while we ate:
Heading towards the exit, we stopped in the Main Street Disney theater and watched Disney’s first cartoon:
Then we stopped by Great Moments with Mr Lincoln:
A fascinating model of Disneyland as it was when it first opened; some recognizable parts, some very different:
Photos of original Disneyland:
The Great Moments with Mr Lincoln presentation, including a movie and an animatronic Lincoln:
On the way out, Minnie and Mickey Mouse:
This was a most enjoyable five days, albeit very tiring, especially with the tram from the parking structure to the parks not operating. We’ll definitely visit again in the future, hopefully sooner than another 20 years. And we’re already looking forward to visiting Disney World in Florida, probably in the winter of 2023-24.
Our second (and last, for now) visit to Disney California Adventure.
Starting with a photo op:
We grazed on some food in the lunar new year area throughout the day:
Pacific Wharf:
Goofy:
Parade:
We did the Golden Zephyr ride, spinning rocket ships:
And the Jumpin’ Jellyfish ride:
More food:
The Tow Mater ride:
Photo op:
Horn-O-Plenty:
The Rollickin’ Roadsters ride:
In the Avengers area, Black Widow doing a skit:
Sanctuary:
More food:
After leaving the park, we visited the neighboring Downtown Disney district, starting with the World of Disney shop:
Something for the Portland peeps:
LEGO shop:
Star Wars Trading Post:
Tomorrow, our last day at Disneyland.
On day three of our Disney adventure, we went back to Disneyland for the second time, on Jenn’s actual birthday.
A bridge soon after the entrance, with the train going over it:
The entrance of Adventureland:
We did the Pirates of the Caribbean ride; quite a long line. We used Lightning Lanes for most rides, but that didn’t have one — but didn’t really need one, as the line moved quite quickly:
Captain Jack Sparrow:
The Pirates of the Caribbean ride:
Lunch:
Raft and ducks:
We rode the train around the park:
Dinosaurs from the train in a tunnel:
The park entrance from the train:
The old classic, the jungle cruise:
Sleepy duck:
We really enjoyed the cheesy jokes of the jungle cruise:
Sticking with the Adventureland theme, we did the Indiana Jones ride:
A fun thing is when some spontaneous entertainment turns up, like a marching band:
A popular snack at Disneyland, pineapple Dole whip:
A very popular bar in the Star Wars area, Oga’s Cantina; we managed to snag a spot via a waitlist:
The droid DJ was playing some classic Star Wars cantina music:
Rey:
A quick visit to Toontown:
We did the Thunder Mountain ride, a rollercoaster, confirming that I don’t enjoy them:
Me having a rest near the castle:
While sitting there, we saw two marriage proposals (and a third later):
Main Street lights:
Disney statue and the castle:
Back to the Star Wars area:
We had dinner at Docking Bay 7:
Star Wars shops:
Jenn did a custom build of a lightsaber at Savi’s Workshop, as an extra special birthday treat:
Droids:
Stormtroopers:
Jenn got some photos of her new lightsaber:
Chewie and Rey:
Riverboat at night:
Popcorn cart:
Castle:
Waiting for the evening fireworks:
Some animated GIFs of fireworks:
Heading down Main Street on the way out:
Tomorrow, back to DCA.
On the second day of our Disney adventure, we went to Disney California Adventure. This newer park is just across from Disneyland, sharing the same entry plaza.
The entrance lines were much shorter than Disneyland:
Waterfall photo op:
Digital magic:
Avengers photo op:
The Avengers campus:
Iron Man:
Grizzly Peak:
Soarin’:
Grizzly:
The Grizzly Peak ride was being renovated:
Eureka:
Selfie:
The park was celebrating lunar new year:
Jenn adding a wish on the wishing wall:
Pixar Pal-a-Round:
Pixar Pier:
Mr Potato Head:
Jessie:
Pacific Wharf:
We had lunch at Wine Country Trattoria:
Our favorite part of the park was Cars Land’s Radiator Springs:
Radiator Springs model:
Tow Mater character:
Cones:
Radiator Springs:
Back over to the Pacific Wharf area:
And Pixar Pier:
Disney and Jenn:
We enjoyed the Soarin’ ride:
The Soarin’ seats rose up into a vertical arrangement to watch the big screen, showing scenes of flying over scenic areas around the world:
Donald Duck:
Minnie and Mickey Mouse:
Goofy and Clarabelle:
Donald Duck:
Mickey ice cream bar:
Spiderman:
We did the Web Slingers ride:
It’s 3D, so photos of that part are doubled:
A super(hero) store:
Lunar new year parade:
Back to Radiator Springs:
Cars flowers:
Cars Land photo op:
A fast cars ride, Radiator Springs Racers:
Me and Jenn in the front (our car won the race):
After dark, Radiator Springs lights up in bright neon:
Mater driving off:
Back in the Avengers area, the glowing tesseract:
Doctor Strange and Thor:
For dinner, Pym Test Kitchen food:
Macro-sized chicken patty:
Loki:
We saw Captain America a couple of times, but both times he was just leaving:
Finishing the evening with some kiddie cheese, the Monsters, Inc ride:
Heading out, Hollywood land neon:
Tomorrow, back to Disneyland.
To celebrate Jenn’s birthday, we spent five days at the Disneyland and Disney California Adventure parks in California, alternating between the two parks. This post includes pictures from the first day, at Disneyland.
Lines to get into Disneyland:
A selfie just inside the park:
Minnie Mouse:
Mickey Mouse:
Music:
Due to the pandemic, all of the characters are socially distanced from guests, behind barriers:
Sleeping Beauty’s castle and Walt Disney statue:
Horse-drawn main street transport:
We did the Haunted Mansion ride first (fairly randomly):
We then did the Enchanted Tiki Room, which was rather cringy cultural appropriation:
Hey look, some ducks! Oh, and a castle:
Ducks:
We got the Genie+ option, which lets us use the Lightning Lanes (formerly fast passes) to skip lines. Another benefit is it includes photo ops, so we got some, including in front of the castle:
Photo magic:
Heading through the castle:
Carrousel:
We were keen to check out the Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge area:
We had lunch at the Galactic Grill in Tomorrowland, then afterwards decided to have a drive in Autopia:
Then enjoyed some cheesy goodness at It’s a Small World:
New Zealand got a tiny representation:
Back to the Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge area; we really liked the otherworldly feel of it:
A selfie:
And photo op:
More socially distanced character stuff:
We did the Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run ride, which was fun:
Blue and green milk:
Jenn drinking blue milk:
Then the Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance ride:
After that point it’s a ride in a car, so I put my phone away. A pretty easy ride, with one big drop.
Heading for some shopping:
And a snack:
Back to Adventureland, and a sighting of Captain Jack Sparrow:
Jenn collected numerous smashed pennies:
Dinner:
Shopping:
Finally, the castle at sunset:
Tomorrow, we head to the neighboring Disney California Adventure park.
Tuesday evening at the Xscapers Bash was the mac & cheese fest, where participants made their favorite macaroni & cheese recipes, and others sampled them and voted on their favorite. So that was our dinner:
Afterwards, we went to the top of the bleachers to capture the post-sunset glow:
And a selfie:
After the morning seminar and visiting London Bridge (look for a post on that later), on Monday evening at the Bash, we partook of the food trucks, sampled lots of margaritas, donated and tried for the silent auction, and finished the evening with some raucous bingo.
A Mexican food truck for dinner:
Jenn donated a knitted shawl and hat that she made to the silent auction; here’s the shawl while being blocked (she didn’t bring her blocking mat in the RV, so made do with cardboard):
And the hat:
The silent auction; Jenn bid on a quilt, but was out-bid. Her items had several bids, too; the auction raised over $5k for Escapees CARE, an assistance program for members who can no longer travel:
After that was a margarita throwdown, a competition of margarita samples. Our two favorites were the winners, too:
It was a cool evening, but despite that, we availed ourselves of the ice cream truck for dessert:
We offset the ice cream with the warmth of a heater:
Then chatted with others (around another heater) while the bingo was being set up in the big tent:
Bingo starting:
They played six games, with a half-hour intermission, and hilarity from people who didn’t understand the rules (we’d never played bingo before, but picked it up easily enough):
The prize for the final game, filling all spaces, was an ebike:
Jenn was playing my and her bingo cards:
She was dangerously close to winning; just needed two more:
There were three winners (who all had the same card layout). So they decided on the final winner with a dance-off:
A busy and tiring day.
The highlight of Sunday at the Bash was the lot crawl — like a pub crawl or progressive dinner, but going from RV to RV, one section at a time. Attendees could put out food and/or beverages for others to enjoy.
First up were the party then solar sections:
Leashed cat:
We were briefly distracted by some nice-looking ebikes; something we want to get at some point:
Then it was the General 1 section’s turn — ours. So we set up our spread on our truck’s tailgate, covered with a tablecloth (mainly to hide the junk in our truck bed), since our table was too small to contain everything:
White, red, and virgin sangria, plus banana/PB/nutella and chicken enchilada pinwheel rolls:
The pinwheels seemed fairly popular; several times people came up saying they’d heard about them from others. Though we still ended up with another plate of each left over; we always over-cater, especially when we didn’t know exactly what to expect.
More scenes from in front of our rig:
After an hour, it was time to move up to the General 2 section, as it got dark:
The next day, a moment of Paladin being cute. “How you doin’?”
The Bash isn’t all entertainment, food, and drinking; there are RV-related talks, too. We attended a “Boondocking 101” seminar, since that’s something we want to try sometime; mostly stuff we already knew from prior research, but some interesting tidbits:
Finally, piles of mail by the FeMail room (with Jenn helping out, and a pile for us second-from-right):
