There & Back Again

Travel Log: Friday - Saturday May 1 & 2, 2009

Brent mentioned our plans to head west for vacation to a few co-workers. One of them kindly pointed out their company manages the Westin Long Beach and he might be able to stay there for free. Not only did we get to stay there for free, but we got an executive suite complete with fruit basket and ginormous flat-screen TV. It was perfect for a little family who just needed some downtime. We slept in, napped and went to bed early. On Friday we only left the hotel to walk down to the beach and let Liesel dip her little toes in the Pacific. We grabbed dinner at the Pollo Loco which was a nice walk from the hotel and then relaxed in the gorgeous pool and hot tub which we had all to ourselves.

Saturday morning we leisurely packed up our stuff for the last time. Brent and I both felt Boston calling and I think even Liesel was missing her routine. Nonetheless, it was our last day on vacation and we wanted to make the most of it. In my first area on the mission, the Griffith Observatory was almost always visible high on the hill. Unfortunately it was out of our area so I never had the chance to check it out. That coupled with the fact it's free made it priority #1 on this trip. We found amazing views of the city and Hollywood Hills. Liesel was fascinated by the large pendulum which swings because of the rotation of the earth. Walking around the lovely grounds built up a good appetite for lunch.

I was so excited take my little family to El Tepeyac which is in East L.A.. Brent had actually gone once before when he was in town on a business trip. He was already familiar with their delicious authentic Mexican food. Even though I knew I'd never finish it, I ordered the Hollenbeck burrito for old time's sake. As a missionary we did our service at the Hollenbeck rest home which is just beautiful. I took Brent to the huge cemetery I'd taken my companions to. We weren't allowed to return to our apartment during proselyting hours (mission rule) but every now and again we needed to eat somewhere with peace and quiet. Then I took Brent and Liesel through an abbreviated tour of my old area. It's cleaned up a bit but it still smells and feels the same. Every few blocks had me telling a story I'd almost forgotten. I loved my mission and I still love those people. We're hoping to go to Guatemala next year to visit Brent's mission.

My dear friend Libby gave me the lowdown on the Fashion District before we went. I'm grateful for her advice because I found the most lovely dress for Liesel and was able to get it $10 cheaper because it was available at multiple shops. One of the shopkeepers was open to bartering while the other took one look at my white face and tried to charge me more. I probably wouldn't have been so annoyed were it not for the fact they'd been speaking in Spanish to a group of women shopping for a quincenera dress. They kept telling them how the unmarked dresses were on sale and they could give them an extra discount.

The day was drawing to a close and again Boston was calling. We drove by Disney Concert Hall which really is beautiful and Venice Beach which really sort of isn't. On our way to the airport we stopped by Randy's Donuts and sampled the glazed. Perhaps it was the donut and perhaps it was just us but we didn't think they were anything to crow about. We returned the rental car and found our red-eye flight was delayed an hour. Liesel charmed everyone in the terminal as she crawled around in her pajamas, laughing and squealing at just about everything. She was an absolute doll on the flight home, only waking up once and even then only briefly. We fully intended to make our 1:30 PM church meeting but slept right through it. This trip gave us memories we will forever cherish. But there's just no place like home.

More photos and video here

Lamb, Pinks and Tar Tar

Travel Log: Thursday April 30, 2009

Our friends were dropping off one by one like children in Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory but before she left town, Janeal took her girl to Build-A-Bear. I've heard of these places and seen them in Boston, Minneapolis and NYC but didn't really get the draw so I tagged along. I'll admit upfront I got suckered in. They not only had bears but a fuzzy lamb which was SO cute! Liesel's grandpa calls her a little lamb and it was just perfect. What put me over the edge was the little princess outfit that perfectly matched the one Liesel had. I know the difference between wants and needs and suddenly this little luxury became a necessity. Liesel loved stepping on the pedal to stuff her lamb. We spend so much time trying to keep her away from stuff like that, she just went to town! She may have overstuffed it in fact. She kissed the satiny heart that went into her lamb and she buffed her up when she was all put together. Wooley the Lamb was born.

In a serendipitous turn, Brent's sister Julie was in town for a choir competition. She was able to get permission to hang out with us and since Julie is up for an adventure just as much as Brent is, we decided to try out the famed Pink's hot dogs. Oh my, the menu was the most eclectic mix of hot dog toppings I've ever seen. They actually lived up to the hype too! Brent and Julie got the Ozzy Spicy Dog (nacho cheese, American cheese, grilled onions, guacamole and chopped tomatoes) and I tried the Rosie O'Donnell Long Island Dog (mustard, onions, chili and sauerkraut). Then we all shared the Mullholland Drive (grilled onions, grilled mushrooms, nacho cheese and bacon). It was like a party in my mouth!

Feeling VERY full, we headed to the Le Brea Tar pits. Turns out Le Brea is Spanish for "tar". So they're actually the Tar Tar pits? It was getting dark so we couldn't see much (unfortunately we could smell quite a bit; those pits stink!) but there were some interesting sculptures in the park. Here's Brent thinking outside the box:

There were these tall rows of classy-looking lamp posts which I just loved. In the dark they lit up that whole corner of the park with brilliant light. Perhaps the perfectionist in me was also drawn to the tidy rows. We caught a few photos before they closed the park for the night.

It was really good to get some one on one time with Julie! We had so little time with the family at the wedding, this gave us a second chance to catch up with her.

More photos here

Pint-Sized Princess

Travel Log: Wednesday April 29, 2009

With three little girls headed to Disneyland, I floated the idea of some sort of princess photo to my girlfriends. They ran with the idea and did it better than I ever could have on my own. Janeal found and purchased the outfits, Katrina brought her fancy camera and expertise. I spied the teacup which made for a nice background and then we all proceeded to take some of the most adorable photos I've ever seen. Liesel was stunningly regal in her hoop skirt, princess hat and scepter although she refused to look at me and grimaced a lot. I ran the battery out on our camera trying to get this once in a lifetime shot. I'm SO grateful everyone else thought to charge theirs! The girls got a lot of attention from passers-by.

Our final day in Disneyland was more tying up loose ends than anything. Last minute shopping. One more photo op. Trying to get on that favorite ride one more time. At the end of the day we took the monorail to Downtown Disney with the intent to skip the parade and pack it in for the day. Somehow I couldn't quite say goodbye. I turned to Brent and asked him if he wanted to catch just a few more rides before the park closed. Of course, he was game. We ran.

Once back inside the park, we stumbled through the huge crowd that had amassed for the parade by that point. To avoid the crowd on the sidwalk, we rushed through the chain of shops and once we passed Main Street, broke out in a run for Autopia. Turns out we couldn't do that ride with Liesel. I still don't understand why... the Donner party moved faster than those cars do and they're on a rail! It's not like we can steer it off the course and do any damage. Whatevs. We decided to do Astro Blasters and got on the ride with 15 minutes before closing. When we got off we had 6 minutes left and I asked Brent if he thought we could make it to Small World. I sprinted to get in line while he ran fast on my heels with Liesel (holding on for life no doubt) in her stroller. We just made it at 7:59 to enjoy Liesel's favorite ride one last time! The big clock struck 8 while our boat floated into the tunnel. We'd gotten our little Cinderella to her ball on time :)

As sore as we were from all the excitement, hiking (they say on average you walk 7 miles per day at Disneyland), and jerking from various rides, it was SO worth it to see Liesel light up all over again! I'm glad we fought the crowds and personal fatigue to squeeze every last bit of fun out of Disneyland because who knows when we'll ever be back?

Walking back to the hotel, we called our friends to offer a ColdStone on us after dinner. Turns out they had actually ordered us dinner-a hot pizza was waiting. Man I miss those guys!

More photos here (warning: there are A LOT of them)

The Sunshine State

Travel Log: Tuesday April 28, 2009

We had early entrance to the park so we immediately did some of the bigger rides like Space Mountain and the Nemo submarine ride which is insanely popular. The Astro Blasters ride became one of my favorites which we raced out of and into line again. Brent held Liesel who LOVED the joystick in front of her which spun us around. Meanwhile I played (and soundly defeated) Steve. I later learned the moving targets are worth more points than the stationary ones so I have my strategy all set for the next time I go.

California Adventure wasn't completed the last time Brent or I went to Disneyland so this was truly an adventure for us. It did not disappoint! If anyone knows where we can get a hold of the soundtrack to Soarin' Over California please enlighten me! We've looked everywhere and so far have found a questionable source on Amazon and a non-downloadable MP3 online. The songs leading up to the ride were incredible as well (*****hint B-day, X-mas, Purim gift!). That was definitely one of our favorite rides. An added bonus was that by then Liesel was comfortable hanging out with everyone else so Brent and I got to go on it together. I was wearing flip flops and took them off for the ride so I wouldn't lose them. One of my favorite memories from this trip is kicking my legs high above a domed screen while the scents and scenes of California passed over me.

Although it's much smaller than Disneyland, we had a great time there. Brent overcame his fear of heights yet again to go on California Screamin' three times although we both opted out of the Hollywood Tower of Terror. When I was pregnant with Liesel I was in an elevator that dropped about half a floor and I don't think I've ever recovered. We had the most amazing hand-dipped corn dogs as demonstrated by Janeal . The 3-D Muppet Show movie was lost on Liesel, she just wanted to chew on the glasses but it was a great reminder for us Gen Xers who remember just how great that show was.

It was in California Adventure where I was also introduced to pin trading. A nice gentleman with three kids asked if I was open to trade. Janeal had given us all a Buzz Lightyear pin which I put on my lanyard and forgot until he asked. Then he and his eager kids let me in on it. There's something like 25,000 pins out there and you can trade with any Disney employee as well as try to barter with other people in the park. Some pins have a "hidden Mickey" which has tiny silver ears on it and they are worth more. My pins weren't enticing enough for any of the kids but from there I was hooked. I got two more of the Buzz Lightyear pins to trade. In the end I went home with a classic yellow Mickey Mouse face (with hidden Mickey) for Liesel, a Kermit the frog in mouse ears for Brent and a Pirates of the Caribbean coin for myself. I'd almost bought that pin in one of the stores but when I found out about the trading I set out on a quest to get it for free.

That evening it was the girls turn to have a night out sans children which of course meant shopping on Main Street and in Downtown Disney. Katrina spied an adorable Mickey apron which I ended up getting as well with "Chef Wuehler" embroidered on it. The Mickey ears have come a long way and we found you could get an assortment of caps and then pick out ears which snapped on. Janeal got the most adorable Mickey ears and had them embroidered for her girl. I was tempted by the sparkly pink one with the bow for Liesel but in the end decided just a photo would do. We found books for the girls, jewelry and clothing for ourselves and holiday ornaments to commemorate our time together.

We slipped down to the hot tub to chat and unwind. Afterwards, Katrina and I found our husbands playing games which we joined in on. Ticket to Ride and Rook kept us up late, way TOO, late chatting and enjoying each other's company. I'm smiling just remembering that day. We really have some great friends.

More photos here

The Most Violent Place On Earth

Travel Log: Monday April 27, 2009

Going to a theme park with a baby is like a box of chocolates: you never know what you're gonna get. Some of the things I thought Liesel would enjoy bored her or outright angered her. There were other rather dull things she found to be delightful.

With the park characters I wasn't real sure what to expect. We managed to run into Mickey Mouse, Winnie the Pooh and Tigger on our first day. Liesel was way past nap time when she met Pooh and she out and out whacked him on the head. No lie, she could have cracked the skull of the poor unfortunate dressed up inside the costume and I'm not 100% sure but I think I heard him swear. I'm sure said person was cursing us and his job for that matter. She was a little more sanguine with Tigger although not a bit impressed with his celebrity status.

Here we are with Mickey and again, she seems bored. Perhaps she doesn't like NOT being the center of attention?

In honor of Katrina's birthday we splurged and went to the Blue Bayou for lunch. I found it to be possibly the darkest restaurant I've ever been in. We also discovered Liesel has an affinity for gumbo. I find that curious since even a taste of bread elicits a reaction from her like it's made from hot sauce and jalapenos. She crinkles up her nose and purses her little lips so tight the FBI couldn't get in there. For some reason the gumbo was exactly to her tasting. Go figure! Unfortunately, the Pirates of the Caribbean ride which goes right by the Blue Bayou was closed the entire time we were there. We were still able to enjoy the many other rides though.

We were able to have fun in a good chunk of the park on our first day. We agreed the first night would be a guys night out so the women-folk took the babies back to the hotel and had a quiet evening. Between the ginger ale and urine soaked pants, I was quickly losing outfit options so I did laundry most of the night. Brent reported the guys ran through the park to get in rides like the Matterhorn and Space Mountain before closing time. They were planning to eat at the ESPN Zone for dinner but the Lakers were playing the Jazz and it was packed. They decided to eat and hang out at Denny's instead. Already, the short time with our friends was flying by...

More photos here.

HELLFIRE!

Miraculously, no one was injured. I feel compelled to say that first off.

Yesterday we had Stake Conference which this year was one of the newfangled broadcasts from SLC rather than one with our local leaders. It was right during Liesel's normal nap time at 10AM so of course she was fidgety. Brent and I took turns taking her into the hall to work it out in the vain hopes she might fall asleep. Elder Eyring was the last to speak and as he began his talk, the feed went awry so there was no sound. I joked to Whitney (who opted to come to the Belmont chapel with us rather than the Longfellow chapel) that I wasn't getting anything out of Elder Eyring's talk... was it because I was so hard-hearted? She obliged me with a laugh and Brent told me he overheard in the hall that the Longfellow chapel had been having feed problems all day.

At the conclusion we sang a closing hymn when Elder Christensen (recently released as an Area Seventy) got up on the stand. That was a little odd since President Lowe had been conducting. Then he explained that while we were listening to Stake Conference, a fire had erupted in the Longfellow chapel. Like I said, everyone was safe, all 300-ish people, but the building was completely gutted and will have to be rebuilt. Welllll, that helps explain why they were having trouble hearing conference! We were asked not to rush over there and mob the place as fire fighters were still working on the blaze, which was finally extinguished an hour later at 1PM. A quick text to friends I knew would be there confirmed everyone indeed got out okay.

I waited until dark to head over and check it out with Whitney. Even after all the reports, I was shocked. It really was gutted! Had it been made of anything but brick it would have probably truly burned to the ground. Then I got sentimental. This building is where I attended church as a lost, broken-hearted, single girl with little hope or direction in life. I eventually left on the arm of my fiance to attend church in a family ward in Belmont. Consequently, that building was burned down by arsonists not long after the adjacent temple was built. But I digress.


This chapel is the one where I heard countless talks over the pulpit, made some of the best friends of my life, checked out prospective guys from the balcony in sacrament meeting and tried my best to live up to the callings I had the chance to serve in. The spiritual transformation that occurred for me in that chapel was my balm of Gilead so to speak. It wasn't the typical chapel either! It had chandeliers, high ceilings and a large round window behind the pulpit. To see the charred and broken windows, the complete lack of a roof and the dripping steeple just broke my heart. The building was dedicated in 1951 by David O McKay and was one of the first Mormon chapels in New England. Elder L. Tom Perry was a bishop there many years ago. Countless local leaders attended church there before membership in the area couldn't be contained within its walls. I'm not the only one who's sentimental about the Longfellow Park chapel, believe me. This video shows the curtains covering the windows of the chapel instantly going up in flames:



They will rebuild and because it's in a historic area kitty corner to Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's house (hence the chapel name) it will likely retain some of that New England charm. In the meantime, the 3 congregations that meet there will have to find a temporary home. It will be interesting to see how that works out. I'm pretty sure all the church buildings in the area are at maximum capacity already with 2 or 3 wards utilizing them. Rest assured though, Whitney reports she received an email and FHE is still on for tonight :)

If you'd like to read more, the Boston Globe story here.

Solvang

Travel Log: Sunday April 26, 2009

After relaxing in San Simeon we headed out to visit Solvang so I could connect with my Danish roots. It was a charming village and I loved the names of the streets and even a place called Nielsen's! It all made me want to sing that Danish nursery rhyme my dad taught me once.

I was tempted to get Liesel this overalled jumper but decided against it since it was $42. I still think she would have looked dang cute with her red hair and blue eyes. But would she have looked a little strange wearing it at church? I can't decide.

We decided to try aebleskiver which is like a Danish pancake. They're round balls of dough with apple in it (hence the aeble part) fried and served with powdered sugar and jam. It was SO dang good! I'd like to learn how to make it but apparently you're supposed to cook them evenly by turning them over with a knitting needle? I think I'd need to see it done before attempting that.

All in all I feel like I connected with my Danish roots. I especially love the delf blue and crisp white look they have in their dishes and decorating. I'm imagining a Danish kitchen in my future... complete with a knitting needle :)

Liesel was a tad less enthused about it all:

After Solvang we headed south to finally, finally meet up with our BYU friends. As we neared L.A. of course we ran into traffic. Liesel was fit to be tied, thrashing about and screaming like Gollum from Lord of the Rings. I knew a huge part of it had to be dirty diaper. After a half an hour of that fun I took her out to do a quick change. Yes, we were just miles from our destination but sometimes you just can't take anymore, you know? I swiftly changed her on my lap in bumper to bumper L.A. traffic and just before I had the fresh one all buttoned up, she peed... A LOT... all over my lap. I have never been more desperate to get into a hotel room for a shower.

We settled in and everyone convened in the hot tub where we caught up and then went to dinner at Tony Roma's which was conveniently located next door. With conjoining htoel rooms we put all the kids down for the night and hung out in the next room. We laid out our Disneyland strategy and played Ticket to Ride. I wish I could say we partied all night but between kids, the exhausting trip down from San Fransisco and the peeing incident we were pretty spent. Besides, we needed our energy for our first day of Disneyland!

More photos here

PCH and La Cuesta Encantada

Travel Log: Saturday April 25, 2009

For some strange reason I keep forgetting Brent has a fear of heights. This little fact escaped my memory when I suggested we take the Pacific Coastal Highway from San Fransisco to Los Angeles. The PCH is famous for it's stunning views and windy roads. Most travellers opt for the more pragmatic 101 but we were on vacation and bless his heart, Brent is willing to join me wherever my heart takes me.

The views were indeed spectacular although it was a bit of a white-knuckle ride for me since I drove the most mountainous sections. It's only a two-lane highway with some sections having an extra lane so lead-footers could pass and needless to say, there wasn't much of a shoulder to the road. Every now and again the road would tilt downward so you could get a REALLY good view of the drop off mere inches from your car. For the most part, Brent reclined his seat, snuck a glance every now and again when he could stomach it and and clung to the side of the car. At one point he told me he was grateful I wasn't one of those crazy types that would randomly drive their family off a cliff in a suicidal/homicidal rage. Is that a compliment? Anyway, adding to the excitement was the fact that we rented an SUV so we'd have plenty of room for all our luggage and Liesel's car seat. I haven't been in a driver's seat that high since I drove our nerd van in high school and it added to the effect of being on the edge when we probably had plenty of room. Brent and I both perpetually felt like we were on the verge of falling off the high cliffs into the foamy sea below.

A photo of us with the highway in the background (check out the bridge!):

Brent overcoming his fear of heights:

I've always wanted to see Hearst Castle so we stayed in San Simeon for the night. Brent tried to tell me there wasn't much in San Simeon and he wasn't kidding. When the GPS said I was within .5 miles, I still couldn't see anything. San Simeon is really just a few hotels and restaurants on the side of the freeway. Definitely not a city, town or village. When booking a Hearst Castle tour I was delighted to find one at twilight on the weekends which combines the best of all the other tours. During certain times of the year local docents dressed in period costumes also volunteer. You can approach them and ask questions about the castle or Hearst or the happenings of the time. I learned the hard way not to mention Citizen Cane. Needless to say the tour is VERY Pro-William Randolph Hearst. The dining room was used as inspiration for the Great Hall in Harry Potter. My favorite tidbit from the tour is that Hearst would occasionally dress as a staff member and serve drinks to guests during cocktail hour. Since he wasn't often seen, not many people knew what he looked like. Hearst surreptitiously learned a lot about his guests true character. My kind of guy :)

The Neptune Pool really is gorgeous:

The main house:

Apparently construction halted due to the Depression and Hearst said he was only about half finished with it. As the tour wrapped up and we looked out towards the ocean at sunset I could see why this was dubbed La Cuesta Encantada or The Enchanted Hill. It was just beautiful and quite romantic!

More photos and video here

Kissing Cousins

Travel Log: Thursday - Friday April 23 & 24, 2009

Despite being thrilled to head out for vacation, Brent and I began our time off completely exhausted. At work just when I thought I was out, they pulled me back in. At one point I had to just power down my computer and walk away or I would miss my flight. Brent spent the morning at home with Liesel to finish the last of the packing and apparently she'd kept his hands full as well. We met each other at Logan airport with glazed eyes and the hopes of a relaxing time to come. Liesel had other plans.

This was her first plane trip and we purposely withheld her bottle until takeoff. Because she was hungry, she became extremely fidgety. While the plane was boarding I turned to the girl next to me and pointing at Liesel (who happened to be giving Brent a verbal thrashing at that moment) said, "She's teething, she hasn't slept today and she's a redhead. I apologize in advance for what may happen during the flight." The girl wisely got up and found another seat so we had an open one between us. About 30 min into the flight I could tell Brent really needed a break so I took Liesel. She then swatted at the cup of ginger ale on my tray, spilling the whole thing in my lap. This may be a good time to point out this was a 6 and a half hour NONSTOP from Boston to San Fransisco.

Once we landed, the bride and groom wanted to meet us at the airport. For some reason we couldn't connect and find each other. It was almost 3 AM Boston time and we were beyond exhausted at this point. We finally figured out we were at different airports (we were at San Fran, they were at Oakland) which is why directions to gates and such weren't very effective. Suzanne had kindly made us travel packs with water and snacks inside and sent them along with Jim and Vanessa who picked us up. Once we had them in our hands, Brent and I ate them in minutes because we were starving. We finally connected with her and BJ for a quick hello before we fell (no really, we fell) into bed.

In spite of a late evening, our bodies were still on eastern time and we woke up before dawn pacific time. We had hours before the sealing at the Oakland temple so we took a drive through Chabot Reservation. Not far is this road lines with tall, majestic trees. I love how they're right next to the road and the leafy tops make a charming canopy when you drive underneath them.


We changed and headed off for the temple. My dear friend Cheryl who now lives in San Fransisco watched Liesel while we attended the sealing. I'm no longer the newest Wuehler in-law and I'm excited to get to know Suzanne better in the years to come. I've never quite seen Craig the way he was that day he really blew me away with his suave confidence. We are so very happy for them! Here is one of my favorite photos from the big day. Liesel is being held by her Aunt Julie to greet Craig and Suzanne just as they'd walked out of the temple doors:

Liesel particularly sparked with Isaac who is currently her only cousin on the Wuehler side. They instantly enjoyed playing with each other and for the big family group shot in front of the temple he even held her hand. Whoever took that photo will have to send me a copy! It was adorable. The two of them were just likewise fascinated with each other. While we helped prepare food for the open house, Liesel and Isaac hung out underneath the kitchen island.




Liesel and I never actually made it to the open house because we were exhausted so Brent stayed and chatted with old friends while we blissfully slept. It was a very short window to be with family and friends but we're so glad we could make it work!

More photos and video here

In a Nutshell

Direct flight from Boston to San Fransisco, early morning drive through Chabot Park, Craig & Suzanne's wedding in the Oakland Temple, luncheon, catching up with the Wuehlers, white-knuckle drive along the Pacific Coastal Highway, Hearst Castle, Solvang, hot-tubbing with friends, Disneyland (favorite rides: Space Mountain (Brent), Indiana Jones (Danika), It's a Small World (Liesel)), Princess photos, pin trading, meeting Mickey, California Adventure: amazing corn dogs, California Screamin' and Soarin' Over California (amazing soundtrack), Build-A-Bear, Downtown Disney shopping, Pink's hot dogs, La Brea Tar Pits, lounging at the Westin in Long Beach, dipping toes in the Pacific, Griffith Observatory, El Tepeyac, visiting the mission, L.A. Fashion District, Venice Beach, Randy's donuts, Disney concert hall, delayed flight, red eye from LAX back to Boston.

No wonder I'm still tired!

More individual posts to come but if you've read this, you get the idea so feel free to skim, skip or ignore. I'll still love you. I promise.