Dreams, Moments, Travels
Too tired to cook tonight, we took the easy way out and went for dinner. Ok, we probably do this and use the same excuse too often. Lone Star Steakhouse was our choice this evening. Regarding Caroline and vegetarianism – well, there are always baked potatoes and salad on the menu whilst the carnivores masticate the flesh.
After Disneyland yesterday, we drove up to Santa Barbara to spend a little time with my Uncle Woody and Aunt Ann. They took us for German dinner, Jutta’s first German food in America, and, as usual, packed us up with a trunk full of lemons, drinks, TP, food, and miscellaneous stuff. Our visit was short, but my aunt and uncle enjoyed meeting my mother-in-law for the first time.
On the way home to Phoenix, we stopped at Tommy’s at Rampart and Beverly Boulevards, and while it is famous to Angelinos, it was Jutta’s introduction to the chili cheeseburger, and it definitely won’t be as memorable for her as for others. That might have to do with what happened just after eating her burger on the way back to the car when a man in a wheelchair offered to have his photo taken with my mother-in-law when he saw my camera and as she got into position, he offered a goose on her butt, that was first and funny enough, it elicited a good laugh.
While a typical stop for Caroline and me, my mother-in-law had no idea what boba tea was, but upon learning it was sweet, it was good enough for her, though she found the tapioca balls kind of awkward.
Up early on Saturday and second in line at the gate waiting for the park to open at 8:00, this was Jutta’s first time going to Disneyland. Our first ride was on an old-fashioned car that delivered us to the top of Main Street and then we walked over to Pirates of the Caribbean.
After riding Winnie the Pooh, Tigger embraced Jutta, letting me snap this nice picture.
Meet Dumbo, Eeyore, and the wicked mother-in-law.
To be honest, here, Caroline was of the opinion that we were probably wasting our time taking Jutta to Disneyland as this “Isn’t really her thing.” Well, put a churro and Mickey Mouse ears on anybody and they’ll be a convert.
We can’t really know if Jutta was really happy here but that smile while riding a horse on the carousel sure seems legit to me.
Maybe she was just enjoying hanging out with us and is able to put it on, but if you knew my mother-in-law, she’s a terrible actress so I have to go with the idea that she blended right in at the Happiest Place on Earth.
On the way to California for the weekend, we pass the Welcome to California state shield near Blythe and the Arizona border. We are going to Disneyland on Saturday, much to Caroline’s surprise.
On the way over, we had to stop for a break, that kind of break, and seeing we were here, why not pick up some yummy dates at Hadley’s? For dinner, we ate at Mix Bowl Cafe, our absolute favorite Thai food place we have ever been to. Mix Bowl is a neon-lit, pop music-filled, late-night joint we stumbled upon years ago, located at 1520 Indian Hill Blvd in Pomona, California. Overnight, we stayed at the Anaheim Stardust as we have on many previous occasions.
Jutta and I went to the Heard Museum this morning. To our great surprise, the museum has undergone a dramatic renovation.
The new layout has cost about $8 million, but it looks as though the money was well spent.
Two new short films about the native people of the Colorado River and the Havasupai are shown on demand, and a longer 45-minute film about native culture is shown continuously. A media center offers electronic research.
A new garden with native plants is underway. Other parts of the museum are still being renovated, but don’t let that stop you from visiting; the Heard has gone from nice to absolutely great.
Update: in 2023, I refreshed this post with four new photos that I took back during this visit and updated the top image that was the original that accompanied the post. The text is all original.
Giant Robot magazine is a favorite for both Caroline and me. Sadly, it only comes out about four times a year. They have a store in Los Angeles that we have been wanting to visit for years but have yet to stop by; there is even a restaurant now.
GR features reviews on interesting Asian films, interviews with Asian directors and actors, artists, and musicians, toymakers, an odd recipe here and there, and some useful, even entertaining information on Asian culture in every zine. Matter of fact, visit their website right now to read a short story about Stephen Chow in America for the premiere of Kung Fu Hustle.