Links EmailCalifornia 15-23 February 2002
We arrived in Los Angeles mid afternoon 15 Feb; but with the time difference of -8 hours, it was really after midnight, so we stayed at the Quality Hotel near the airport. [Beverley's comments, "This isn't Quality". But it was fine for a bed for the night.] The only place to find something to eat nearby, in the early hours of the following morning, was McDonald's!
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Up bright and early we set off to Sea World in San Diego. Even with taking a break at Oceanside on the way, we arrived before the 10am opening. "Pay full price for a day: Get a "Fun Pass" giving free entry for the rest of the year". Great; we didn't have to spend the whole day in the park, but could have a few hours each day instead. See the photographs |
Sea World San Diego is very similar to the park in Orlando, and the shows seemed identical. It always makes for a good day out. [Our Dec '99 photos in Florida can be seen here.]
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A short hop from Sea World on Mission Bay, we stayed here for 2 nights. A nice hotel and Beverley & Howard would have been quite happy to have remained here for the rest of the holiday. View our photographs |
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A lovely beach area, with boats for hire etc. Pity it was so cold. But we did manage some time on the beach and a swim in the pool [in the rain!]. View the Live Beach Cam. |
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With the others asleep on the first evening I took the trip on Bahia Belle, a sternwheeler, across the bay and back to the Catamaran Resort Hotel. [Free for guests]. |
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We toured San Diego following a 'Scenic Route' marked on our street map of the city. Through the old town, around Balboa Park where the Museum of Man and San Diego Zoo are situated. Onto downtown, and along Broadway to the front, past the Convention Centre and through the Gas Lamp Quarter. We stopped at Seaport Village, a touristy shopping area on the front. Quite pretty to walk around alongside the marina, and opposite the North Island Naval Air Station on Coronado. |
Back up Harbour Drive past the cruise-ship terminal, the Maritime Museum with the Star of India [the world's oldest active sailing ship who began her life on the stocks at Ramsey Shipyard in the Isle of Man in 1863; initially she bore the name Euterpe, after the Greek goddess of music], before the route took us around the north end of San Diego Bay and back towards Mission Bay. Browse the sights
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18 Feb saw us crawling back up the freeway for a wonderful night aboard RMS Queen Mary in Long Beach. See the details and Photographs |
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On to Anaheim and the Radisson Maingate, for the remainder of our stay. Howard's verdict - "Half Posh", but it really needed a good lick of paint. Holidays are always too short and with Disney offering a 4 day Park Hopper for the price of a 3 day, we took advantage of that with our flight on the final day not until late evening. |
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During the evenings we 'explored' the area in a different direction each night. On the way to the airport we went to Santa Monica, but with roadworks and traffic at a standstill we couldn't get to the front. Neither could we see 'Hollywood' on the hills due to the yellow haze! |
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Disneyland itself hadn't changed much; a few new rides. Quite a number were closed for overhauls though, including a favourite, the Pirates of the Caribbean:( There was a cursory glance in everyones' bags on entry, and with the park being very busy due to President's Day this week, we made good use of the Fast Passes. We stayed for the Parade on the Friday night and watched the fireworks from our room, on the 7th floor. Our photographs |
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Disney's California Adventure, built on what was previously the car park [we had a free trolley bus from the hotel so didn't have to worry about the parking aspect], was new since our previous visit. As was Downtown Disney. Plenty of shops and restaurants, but finding somewhere to eat in a reasonable length of time without booking was impossible. As for the Rainforest Café, the queues were round the side of the building. So the evening we went there to eat, we ended up back on the Monorail to Tomorrowland for food. See the photographs |
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