tRNscontinental

Day 3: We’re so LA now

January 19, 2014 by trnscontinental, posted in Uncategorized

January 16th, 2014

L.A.

Oh hey people, well we’ve just been so busy and having so much fun that writing the ol blog has kind of taken a back seat in the past couple of days. So here I am, paying penance, staying up late and writing to all of you (mainly because when we got home tonight around 9 or so, I donned my 2 (two) Snuggies and then crashed hard until about midnight, which means I’m on my second wind bayyybeeee!)

Right, so the morning of the 16th started out with a hike up Mt. Hollywood in Griffith Park. Upon leaving the house, we noticed a crazy amount of smoke and cloud in the sky to the south east. We soon found out on the radio that there was a forest fire about 25miles outside of LA in Angeles National Forest. Super sad! In total, 5 houses and a few other structures burned and as of today (Saturday evening) it is still burning, although more controlled. Apparently a state of emergency (drought) has been officially declared in Cali as of today…. 😦

SO, thinking the end was surely upon us, we proceeded down the way we knew to get up to Griffith Park. Eventually we decided that we would listen to Park Gar Min and lo and behold, she took us right down Western Ave, which is the epicentre of Korea Town in LA. Of course she would! 😉 We were really excited to feel like we were in Korea again, seeing the writing and some shops familiar to us from our time there, such as Face Shop and Tom and Toms Coffee.

Our hike was very enjoyable. We started just down the hill from the Griffith Observatory and hiked up to the top of Mt. Hollywood. We originally intended on hiking closer to the Hollywood sign, but couldn’t quite locate the trail and decided the view was just as good on the other trail. It was a scorcher and water was definitely required! The hike is not too long, and affords excellent views of the city, which on the day we hiked were unfortunately rather marred by the forest fire smoke. On our drive back down, we saw (aka almost ran over) two coyotes, whose days may have been numbered, considering around the next corner was a park ranger with one of those loop-stick catchy things.

For lunch, we dined at Haru Sushi, an awesome, actually Japanese run place on S. San Vincente. I had 2 different rolls and Leah had a bento box, which was a huge amount of food and great deal. Everything was REALLY tasty and our server was so cute, friendly, and polite. Definitely recommend this place to eat at due to the super service and delicious food.

We were headed in the direction of the beach next and decided to take the scenic route there, as in, the fashion route through Rodeo Drive. I was basically in fashion heaven, longingly breathing the names of the greats…Gucci…Prada…Bottega Veneta…Chanel… le sigh!! We also drove past the Regent Beverly Wilshire, as seen in Pretty Woman. Super sigh!

From there, we searched out an amazing Persian ice cream store on Westwood Blvd, called Saffron & Rose Ice Cream. The prices were very reasonable and the man behind the counter was SO friendly and helpful. He was really informative, describing how the ice cream was made (it’s an old family-run business), the different flavours, encouraging us to try different things, etc. Such a great experience. We ended up getting almond and pomegranate flavours (me) and almond and espresso (Leah). Definitely to die for.

We finished up our day at the beach near Santa Monica pier. Driving places takes soooooo long in LA that we didn’t feel like venturing further up the coast to Malibu. Good thing too, because we saw two dolphins! They were just casually swimming near the shore and every so often their fins would pierce the water. So cool. It was great weather and a nice relaxing way to end the day and our time in LA.

We headed for home after some iced coffee and spent some time with my family. I will miss them a lot!

Universal Studios

January 17, 2014 by trnscontinental, posted in Uncategorized

January 15th, 2014

Universal Studios, Los Angeles, CA

We set out nice and early for Universal Studios, and for once, arrived EARLY! Apparently the theme of the park is “upselling” as the parking attendant and the ticket dude both tried to get us to upgrade to better parking and a season’s pass of some sort even after repeatedly telling them no, thanks! No wonder it took so long to through those two lines!

When we finally got in to the park, we headed for the studio tour first. Our tour guide was awesome, very well-spoken and funny. The tour took us throughout the backlot where things were actually filming, such as The Mindy Project, and through a really cool 4D T-Rex vs King Kong ride. 4D involves the picture (in 3D) as well as the sound, movement, air movements, AND t-rex “spit” aka water. We also saw sets such as the airplane wreck from War of the Worlds, the Bates Motel from Psycho, Old Mexico (and the flood, as seen in Big Fat Liar), an Old West and a European town, among others. It was very interesting.

After the studio tour, we commenced with the rest of our days activities. We went on: Jurassic Park (my face on the photo at the end of the waterfall was hilarious – all scrunched up and terrified), the Transformers 3D ride (my eyes were shut half the time), the Simpsons ride, and Leah rode the Mummy ride (I abstained!). We also saw the Animal Actor’s show (so cute!!), the Waterworld show (very flashy and fun – hilarious how the actors would get the audience soaking wet), the Shrek 4D experience (really fun!), and the Special Effects studio, which was informative and interesting.

We also took the time to head out to the front of the park, where Extra was taping. Maria was interviewing Chris Meloni and Dean Norris. We got a picture with Chris, who slapped a big ol hand around my shoulder. Never washing it again. Just joking, took a shower the second I got home cuz it was a hot and sweaty day. I had a brookie (a brownie cookie) and a churro, clearly a well-balanced theme park menu, while Leah partook in cheese fries, popcorn, and frozen pink lemonade. Overall, it was a fun day, and reasonably-ish priced, considering the maintenance of the park, and the salaries of all the employees we encountered during the day.

Los Angeles Part Uno

January 16, 2014February 22, 2014 by trnscontinental, posted in Uncategorized

A brief note on January 13th, 2014: We set off from Vegas around 10. Sidenote: Starbucks in Vegas are not only overpriced, but also not that great. The drive to LA was pretty unremarkable other than an accident that took us an hour and a half to get through just after Barstow, in which we turned the A/C on for the first time and we did car pedicures and the road called Zzyzx, oh, and the most expensive gas we’ve come across so far this trip.

Once we got to my cousin’s house in LA, we did a quick visit and then headed to the Kings vs Canucks game. It was a pretty good game, lots of action, lots of fights, but the Kings got a lucky break and scored a goal, and the Canucks lost, even though they played a better game, more shots, more PKs, and better action. Fun game tho!

January 14th, 2014

Los Angeles, CA

So, first of all! We wanted to tell you guys about the O2 bars we saw in Vegas. We meant to mention them before, but totally forgot! We were walking through New York, New York and saw something labelled “O2 bar” and saw people sitting at a bar with tubing and nasal prongs on. We were totally baffled…what is the point of this? As usual, we googled it. Apparently, they basically pipe oxygen (but not medical air) through tubes which are scented and you can tweak it so you have whatever scent combo you like. We couldn’t understand the point whatsoever. Take a deep breath and smell some aromatherapy stuff maybe?!

Anyhow, on to LA. Our first day in LA was absolutely amazing. We made our way down to Venice Beach first of all. Our plan was to rent bikes and go from there to Santa Monica Pier. Unfortunately, the bike place we got a Groupon to was closed on Tuesday so we took it as a sign that we shouldn’t go biking, as we had also tried to get a livingsocial for biking that wasn’t able to be used until the following day. So, we stopped in for a coffee at Menotti’s Coffee Shop, which was really delicious, and decided to walk up to the pier.

We commenced our walk towards Santa Monica pier and marveled at the array of interesting folks and people watching that Venice has to offer. Apparently my Teeki pants were a hit because at least 3 people made a point of telling me how much they liked them. haha! Go Teeki!

When we got to the pier after a lovely walk, we took a ride on the Ferris Wheel. It cost only $5 and we enjoyed the sights of the coastline immensely. After our pier walk, we made our way up to 3rd Street Promenade in Santa Monica. There is lots of shopping to be had along this street and we found some good deals.

Our lunch break for the day was at Real Food Daily. It. Was. AMAZING. Excellent, excellent service, and really awesome food. They serve vegan, organic food, the portions are great. I had the Mediterranean Bowl and Leah has the Essence. We had the Seacake for starters. Everything was really, really TASTY! Definitely recommend!

After lunch, we walked back to the car and headed for Hollywood Boulevard, which took FOREVER. We found street parking and set off looking for stars! There was a red carpet event going on, which was Sports Illustrated’s 50th anniversary of swimsuit editions (or something like that). Clearly, a) being sports related and b) being composed of women who are just going make me feel bad about my body, this was not something that would be on interest to watch! 😉

We walked by Graumann’s Chinese Theatre, put our hands and feet in those of a few celebs, grabbed a drink then got on our way. A truly fun day!

Am I in Korea again?

January 13, 2014 by trnscontinental, posted in Uncategorized

January 12th, 2014

Las Vegas, NV

We spent a full day exploring Las Vegas. Our very healthy morning breakfast consisted of froyo (I put mostly healthy toppings on!) for me and a smoothie for Leah in addition to our usual coffees. We were both shocked at the vast number of Starbucks in the area, as well as the expensive prices of food and drink in general!

We set off through the MGM Grand first of all. For the record, this place smells AMAZING!! They surely must infuse their air with vanilla or something. We were impressed with the cool looking Rainforest Cafe, and Leah got a squished penny, which was pretty exciting.

We continued down the strip and were duly awed by the Bellagio (amazing blown glass and Chinese New Years garden, plus the fountains), and Caesars Palace, which is home to the Colosseum, where Celine Dion plays her shows here. The casinos are well decorated and quite clean, however, the smoking inside thing is really enough to make me not interested in spending any length of time in them.

By this time we were rather hungry, so we made our way over to Planet Hollywood, which has Gordon Ramsay’s BurGR in it. We waited for not too long and soon sat down for a well-deserved lunch. It took what felt like foreverrrrr for someone to come over to the table, and when it was it was some other guy, not our actual server. We choose pudding shakes (#4 and #5), which were AMAZING and so decadent as our drinks. When our waiter finally appeared he seemed not the friendliest of guys, to be honest, and we registered our order of Earth Burger (me) and Hell’s Kitchen (Leah). Burgers here run about $14-18 apiece NOT including sides of any sort. Leah was also keen on trying the sweet potato fries which had a delicious sounding sauce and seasonings. When our burgers finally arrived, they were good but I wouldn’t say anything to write home about. Somewhere along the line, our fries ended up getting missed, which turned out ok because we were both so full. Our waiter never checked in with us to see how things were, and so overall I was pretty unimpressed with BurGR. Go elsewhere, I’d say!

We took a quick rest break at the hotel after that, then headed out to the Celine show. It was AMAZING. Her voice is SO good still and she is quite the showman. Definitely worth every penny!

After the show, we watched the fountain/volcano explode at the Mirage, and explored the inside of the Venetian a bit. We thought about going up the Eiffel Tower, but it was $20! Couldn’t quite justify that one…

On our walk back to the hotel, we stopped in for a roadie. They have adorable mini bottles of wine, which seem to make the perfect mobile bevvy. As we walked down the street, a stranger said, “Be careful, it starts with the little bottle of wine!” Haha! Sadly(?) (Wisely?), we passed on clubbing for another little bottle of wine and some cheese with our poor blistered feet kicked up in the hotel.

Las Vegas can be summed up as follows: ostentatious, extravagant, often obnoxious, excessive, and glittery. It’s the land of plenty and the land of none. I can safely say I think I can live quite happily never returning to this place, although it was amusing while here.

Bright Lights, Big City

January 12, 2014 by trnscontinental, posted in Uncategorized

January 11, 2014

Flagstaff to Las Vegas

We departed Flagstaff mid-morning after a wonderful breakfast prepared by our awesome host Dhruva. Thank you again for your kindness and hospitality!! We truly enjoyed our stay in Flagstaff.

The drive to Las Vegas showcases more beautiful desert views and we were most excited to see people driving convertibles with the top down. Surely we are headed in the right direction then!! This was confirmed when we stopped at a “scenic view” point where we were pleasantly surprised with a warm breeze and no need of a sweater.

We soon came upon the Hoover Dam and pulled in for a visit. There is a security check, but when we pulled up, the guy asked (gesturing to the stuff in the back seat), “Is this all yours?”, to which we obviously answered, yes, and he told us to have a nice day and we moved on! Clearly we are not the most threatening looking individuals. Especially when we pulled up bopping along to Gwen Stefani’s Sweet Escape…

So, there are some parking lots (the ones closer to the actual dam), that cost $10, but if you drive up a bit further, they are free. We took a stroll along the dam, and a few photos. The dam is actually directly between Arizona and Utah, so you can stand in two different states and two different time zones on the dam. Our cell phone was most befuddled by this. We, on the other hand, were super befuddled by all the security and the masses of tourists. It’s just a big, man-made, cement….thingy….right?! We hadn’t seen as many tourists ANYWHERE other than NYC and maybe parts of DC, and could’t quite figure out the attraction.

Lake Mead, which is dammed by the Hoover, is quite pretty and looks like a fun place to spend time in warm weather. From the dam and the lake, it was only about 30-40mins into Vegas. We were struck by the vast expanse of buildings in the desert and it is quite cool to drive into, as it appears on the horizon, the largest accumulation of human life we’d seen in the desert for a bit. We definitely got excited seeing all the buildings in person, and they do look just as in the movies and tv – glittery, huge, and outrageous.

Checking in to our hotel, the Excalibur, (Leah keeps expecting Robin Hood to pop out), I really felt like we were in America as we saw a bunch of cheer teens. It is unreal the amount of makeup on these girls. And the bows on their heads….bleghhh!! So yes, it is just like on TLC. Apparently, America has also not received the memo on secondhand smoke and the wide variety of smoking-related illnesses as it would seem that smoking is still allowed indoors here. Yet another reason we will not be frequenting the slots!

After a little down time, we prepared for our evening’s excursion – a trip across the street to New York, New York to see Zumanity. I was expecting a wild time and I was most excited for the pole dance portion of the show. Unfortunately, they seem to have changed their show a bit and it no longer includes pole, but apart from that, the show was the usual amazing Cirque standards: great live band and singers, hilarious audience participation (Cindy from Colorado, a recently retired teacher, especially seemed to enjoy getting pulled up on stage!), extremely flexible people, and overall good entertainment. Zumanity is less acrobatic than other Cirque shows that I’ve seen, but was funnier and more like a cabaret-style show. It seemed very appropriate to see while in Vegas! They definitely had us giggling away, and at times, totally losing it, the entire performance. I do think that they need to bring the pole dance part back for sure!!

After the show, we walked around the Strip a bit, until our feet told us it was time to go to bed. I can see how Vegas is like an adult playground, but I think it is also a very sad place. The juxtaposition of poverty and extravagance is a little disturbing with too much ponderance. However, I am sure that keeping this in mind, we will certainly have a fun time today as we explore!

(Sidenote: no photos of Leah because they are all on her camera! She was there tho… 😉