LA Part Two: DISNEYLAND!

In my previous post I wrote all about Pasadena (LA Part l) and now it's time to share the the second part of our LA trip: DISNEYLAND! 

The park goes all out decorating for Halloween. Main Street is covered with Jack o' Lanterns galore!

So cool to see all the pumpkins lining the balconies!

 Here we are! Waiting to go on one of my favorite rides, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, or BTMR as those who like acronyms (TWLAs) call it-

My sister Hayley=the best photo bomber in the world...

We stopped by the Halloween Carnival to check out some mad pumpkin carving skills. Here's Sparky from Frankenweenie

Just goes to show, there ain't no pumpkin like a Disneyland pumpkin. We decided to stop by the Disneyland Ranch to pet the animals (they have a petting zoo there) and visit some more pumpkins.

Just my luck! I find a creepy pumpkin man and Hayley finds a jaunty pumpkin hillbilly. Typical!

Of course, Disneyland wouldn't be Disneyland without a bowl of clam chowder at the Pacific Wharf in Disney California Adventure. Here's a tip: if you love any of the foods at Disneyland, stop by City Hall on Main Street. They have a binder full of recipes. A couple of trips ago, we picked up the recipe for this clam chowder. It tastes almost exactly like the park version..so good!

We stopped by the animation studio to do some drawing. This is one of the hidden treasures of the Disney California Adventure Park , mostly because you get to sit down for like 20 minutes in a quiet room and just draw. I actually kind of hate it (my drawings always end up looking like C-list stars from the 80s), but one of the biggest rules of Disneyland is if you get the chance to sit, sit!

Look at her, so proud.

And here I am with my Tigger that is a dead ringer for Bruce Campbell (from Army of Darkness & The Evil Dead I, II). Look at Hayley, all smug with her normal chinned Tigger- bah! Yes, my Tigger has a quote bubble, "I've got the moves like Tigger!"

Back to Tomorrowland

Time to sample the merchandise-

I entitle this next photo, "What up, girlfriends?" I couldn't resist moving Ursula. It just seemed like a natural fit :)

The ladies in my family suffer from an affliction wherein, if there is a hat present, we must place said hat on our heads. It's genetic.

This last hat (I promise!) is based off of the hat that Walt used to wear when he was jaunting about Los Angeles back in the 20s and 30s.

Another find this trip was Cozy Cone Treats. They just opened these in Carsland (more on that later) and my stars and garters, it might be my favorite place ever. There are multiple "Cones" and each one sells a different variety of foods which they serve in...cones. Gahhhhh! We opted for the Cone that served churros. Picture it: churro bites covered in cinnamon sugar, piping hot, served with a cinnamon chocolate dipping sauce. Forward my mail! I'm living here!

We had to buy the commemorative cups because that is what you do when you realize that you have the option to drink from a traffic cone!

We also tried out a turkey dinner at Flo's V-8 Dinner.

The meal was pretty good, but that's not what actually impressed us. We were eating dinner, just enjoying the view of Carsland, when all of the sudden we spotted...

VANNA frickin' WHITE! Apparently, Wheel of Fortune was taping at Disneyland this week!

Hey that looks like...VANNA frickin' WHITE!

Time to blend into our surroundings...

Back into Disneyland for the night- there's just something about Disneyland at night-

TEACUPS!

So dramatic! The next morning, we got up freakishly early (I swear I saw the sun rise), just so we could finally try out the Radiator Springs ride-

Hayley was a trifle bit apprehensive-

 But she LOVED it and so did the rest of us.

I actually was really impressed by Carsland and I did not expect to be. I kind of don't get the movie. I have so many questions about it. First off, what happened to the people? Are the cars the people? Where are the people? Where am I? What am I? What are we all? Basically, the movie Cars just throws me into an existential crisis, but I did like the land. It was beautiful!

Yes, we had an amazing trip filled with Vanna White, rides, pumpkins, hats, and did I mention...macaroons?

And on that note, this "Matterhorn" Macaroon bids you "Auf Wiedersehen."

Time to Roadtrip

 For the last five years, each October, my mom and I hit the road to L.A. for a weekend of roller coasters, museums, and carbs. This year was no exception. Yes, I realize that October was a while ago (don't count how many months), but in the spirit of a belated Mother's Day, I wanted to share with you why my mom is the ultimate travel companion. 

Now, for the food portion of the trip. We have our favorite stand-bys: Europane in Pasadena, Julienne in San Marino, and of course, room service.

How adorable is she? I completely blame her for my addiction to room service. Seriously though, thanks, Sarah Jean. There is no one that I would rather laugh or travel with :)