Disneyland 2011

We realized that this trip to Disneyland was our first with just the two of us in a long time. Sure, we really enjoy taking others, but it was very nice to do things we wanted to do and be on our timetable, not someone else.

One of the different things we did this visit was to notice all the construction that was going on in both parks, but especially in California Adventures.

Entry and exit at California Adventures are under construction. Gone are the big letters that spell out the state. Detours are required to go around where they are removing the old turnstiles and installing the new ones.

The Golden Gate Bridge is slated for removal as part of the overall remodeling. Take a good look, it may not be there much longer.

Construction barriers are up around the new Cars Land and where the farmers market area (next to bugs land) used to be. Cute signs.

Little Mermaid ride is almost done, slated to open in May 2011. It's been interesting to watch the progress.

But the construction in the lagoon is all done and open for the World of Color. Now if we could only stay awake until 8 pm to see it! But we did get fastpasses, so I guess that's the first step.

Even the Disneyland Hotel has major construction going on. Maps are posted to show what the improvements will bring.

Splash Mountain closed for refurbishment
Playhouse Disney is changing to Disney Junior

One of our unique adventures was to eat at the Blue Bayou. It is definitely one of the most expensive in Disneyland but set right along Pirates of the Caribbean ride. Even though there was not much I could eat, our server graciously allowed me to order just the potatoes. DeeAnn had their version of prime rib. Not much flavor. I really enjoyed the salad and gave me an idea for lunches for work (craisens, blue cheese).

But the shrimp salad and cheese soup served in a fresh sourdough bread bowl is a required food when we visit.

A Mickey pretzel and a Mickey ice cream bar are also part of our tradition when we visit.

We went to see Tangled, the current Disney movie. We really enjoyed it and are thinking it might be one to buy for our own collection. Course, I have this strange desire to go out and get a cast iron fry pan for DeeAnn.

We walked over to Paradise Pier hotel to look around. Very impressive and a hotel we will certainly consider for a future visit.

We ate, for the first time, at McCormicks a& Schmidt's at the mall near the park. DeeAnn enjoyed a Parmesan encrusted tilapia that she said was the best tilapia she has ever had. The menu was more limited for me so I had the spinach and artichoke dip with chips.

Rainforest Cafe serves breakfast. Not at all impressive but was fast and not very crowded.

I knew that Disneyland had their own garden, and here is proof, with the orange tree and other plants I could probably identify if I ate fresh vegetables.

And the gardens throughout the park are always impressive. a beautiful wife, beautiful gardens, and being in Disneyland. Can life get any better?

We also found a new restroom we did not previously know about. It's a secret so we can't tell you where it is!

Goofy is alive and present in Disneyland

Christmas Around the Corner

Last night we enjoyed the Christmas concert of Mannheim Steamroller. Before the concert we enjoyed a dinner at Cowboy Grub. Very tender roast beef.

Bravo Broadway

Last night we enjoyed Bravo Broadway, one of the pops concert series. Selections included tunes from several Broadway productions, including:

• My Fair Lady
• Applause
• Easter Parade
• Bye Bye Birdie
• The Music Man
• Damn Yankees
• A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum
• West Side Story
• Kismet
• Flower Drum Song
• Music Man
• Chicago
• The Little Mermaid
• Les Miserables
• Mamma Mia
• Wicked
• Cats
• The Phantom of the Opera
• Hair

The symphony performed the music while Stephanie J. Block (Wicked), Debbie Gravitte (Jerome Robbins' Broadway), and Gary Mauer (The Phantom of the Opera) sang the different selections.

Before the performace we enjoyed a few hours at the Family History Library and an enjoyable dinner at Cafe Molise.
DeeAnn enjoyed the marinated Beef ribeye and grilled mushrooms while I enjoyed the Gnocchi. It was a very enjoyable meal and a restaurant to which we'll look forward to returning.

We thought we might have to turn around since we experienced our first major snowstorm of the year, but once we hit the Salt Lake valley, the storm lessened. By the time we got out of the library, the snow had stopped. Even though it was cold, there was not a lot of snow on the sidewalks or streets.

So now we are looking forward to Mannheim Steamroller concert later this week.

Our Viennese Evening

Last night we enjoyed visiting the Vienna Bistro (132 South Main, Salt Lake). The Salt Lake Dine-a-round was going on so we thought we might like to try something new. Austrian food is very similar to German food so DeeAnn enjoyed one of the evenings specials. They brought her out a salad of combined dishes: coleslaw, seasoned carrots, and beets. I don't remember what the entree was called but it was potato cakes and steak. I had Käsespäzle, caramelized onions, Gruyere, Appenzeller and Raclette cheeses baked with spätzle (small potato dumpling). For dessert we shared a plum dumpling baked in a cinnamon coating. Needless to say the meal was delicious and we look forward to going back.

Dinner was followed by a very enjoyable evening at the Utah Symphony. The night's performance, the season opening, featured 3 pieces from Beethoven: Overture to the Creatures of Prometheus, Concerto for Violin in D Major, and Symphony No. 5 in C Minor. The violin soloist for the second piece was Jennifer Frautschi, who was outstanding! I particularly enjoyed hearing the complete piece of Beethoven's 5th. I didn't realize there were three additional movements to the famous piece.

It was a very nice themed evening of Viennese food and music.

Shedding in the Rain

This weekend has been pretty busy for us. Saturday morning was spent putting more of the shed together. This included installing the gables, trusses, and roof, or at least most of it.

Then it was off to Saratoga Springs to attend the blessing of both Andrew & Kim's baby James and Todd & Jeni's baby Owen. As the day proceeded, the weather decided to turn a little weird. Firsts, it was raining then it started to snow. Hey, it's only September but the drivers didn't care!

After we left Saratoga Springs, we headed north for our weekend away from the animals. We stopped at the new IKEA store and were amazed at the sheer size of the place and the variety of merchandise they carried. Then we went up to Salt Lake City and checked into our hotel, Little America. Our room was beautifully decorated in a French motif.

The views of the downtown were nice, even though it was still snowing.
After a dinner at the hotel, we decided to take TRAX, the city's light rail system up to the University of Utah Pioneer Theater where we would spend the next 3 hours enjoying the sights and sounds of the play Paint Your Wagon. Fortunately, it stopped snowing by that point. After the performance, we made our way back to the hotel.


The next morning showed a little snow on the top of the mountains.

It was off to TRAX again, this time it was to Temple Square to enjoy the live broadcast of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. There is something indescribable about watching the choir in person in comparison to the television broadcast.

After the broadcast, we hopped back on TRAX and back to the hotel. Little America is famous for their Sunday brunch, and we were not disappointed. There was an omlet station, pasta station, meat carving station, crepe station (one of my favorites though their selection of fillings was not half as good as the Grand America's we enjoyed last Christmas), bread, pastry, cheese, fruit, breakfast items, and dessert items.

Then it was home to meet and greet the neglected pets, an afternoon nap, and updating the blog.

Eating Out--Too Much

This is an old picture but I thought it was just too fun not to share. Here my nephew Jordan enjoys his first full-size lobster while we were in Boston last January.

Jordan is one of those rare kids that will try anything once (I've dragged him to New Orleans for Jambalaya, to Philadelphia for cheese steak sandwiches, and to Washington DC for Indian food). And yes, he did eat all his food.

I was reminded of this picture yesterday after we took my step-mother out to lunch for her birthday. We enjoyed a very nice lunch at Buca di Beppo in Salt Lake (200 W & 300 S). It's a fun restaurant with pictures hanging all over, including the elevator and restrooms. Highly recommended with locations all over the country (we first ate here in Las Vegas and enjoyed it so much we wanted to eat here--2 Utah locations).

A few other recommendations:

--An Italian restaurant in Washington DC near the zoo entrance--don't remember the name and can't seem to find it but I will post it as soon as I do. This restaurant was one of the best we have ever been to. Our food was fresh, the chicken and asparagus tender, served over a nice plate of pasta. My dish was equally delicious, a very nice helping of ravioli.
--Macaroni Grill (several locations)--our favorite is the "build your own pasta" where you can chose the pasta, the sauce and toppings. My choice is the penne with garlic sauce, pine nuts, roasted garlic, and broccoli. Our only complaint (which has been ignored) is they only have 2 handicapped parking stalls for a restaurant that probably seats 300.
--Los Hermanos (Lindon and Provo, UT)--a great Mexican restaurant that has been around for a number of years. Our favorites include the specialty drinks (free if you wear the Los Hermanos shirts) and the cheese enchiladas. Their Lindon location continues to place obstacles on the ramp leading to the rear dining room, making it very difficult to navigate (and dangerous in case of an emergency) but otherwise an enjoyable night out.
--Legal Sea Foods (multiple locations)--We enjoyed a fine dinner in Washington DC where the restaurant was more than accommodating in preparing a pasta dish for me without the seafood they are so famed for. This is also where Jordan (pictured above) enjoyed his first lobster.
--Jim's Steaks--One of my favorites (though I haven't taken D there yet). They serve great cheesesteaks in a tiny location at about 3 locations around Philadelphia.
--Casa Rio (San Antonio, TX)--One of the first restaurants along the famed Riverwalk, I have visited them three times now, once with a group of colleagues, once with Jordan, and once with D. Each time they have served us fresh salsa and chips and wonderful Mexican dishes. It can be a challenge finding the wheelchair entrance (route goes through the kitchen) but well worth it.
--Space Aliens (Bismarck, ND)--Clearly a location for the kids--loud, but fun. The restaurant is themed around space aliens ( hence the name), has huge portions, but features a collection of games that keeps the kids busy. If you don't mind spending $20 for a 99c toy, it's fun. My favorite dish here is the giant stuffed baked potato. They must go to great lengths to find the largest potato they can then stuff it with either barbecued chicken, beef or pork. The barbecued ribs are also very good.
--Cafe Trang (4 locations in Utah)--I first ate at this Vietnamese/Asian restaurant while attending graduate school and, as a result developed an addiction. We have ate at their downtown location (now in the Crane Building at 3rd West and 3rd South in SLC), and at their Cottonwood Mall location. Both maintain the same quality and levels of expectations. I visited the Draper location for takeout though I have never enjoyed their dine-in option (yet). My favorite is their vegetable fried rice, a delicious combination of rice, broccoli, carrots, mushrooms and tofu.
--Callaways (Smithfield and Providence, UT)--a great Italian restaurant in an old, converted service station, north of Logan. I've never been disappointed with their food. I have ate here several times and would take visitors here to enjoy a nice meal while getting out into the outer portions of the state. Their salads were a favorite of D.
--Union Grill (Ogden, UT)--We took my step-mother here recently and enjoyed it immensely. I had been here before, while working in Ogden, but it has since matured into a very nice restaurant, with a very loyal cliental. The salads were very good.
--Timbermine (Ogden, UT)--2006 location for the nephews birthday dinner. We enjoyed one of the best steaks we have ever had here. It's a little on the expensive side but worth a special occasion. It is decorated like a mine, complete with artifacts. Located near the mouth of Ogden Canyon; their sister restaurant, the Prairie Schooner, is just down the road.
--Greenery (Ogden, UT)--One of my favorites that I have enjoyed over the years. They have a delicious baked potato topped with real butter, sour cream and bacon (no fake stuff allowed). They have great sandwiches and are known for their Mormon Muffins.
--Tepanyaki (several locations in UT)--Yummy. The meal is prepared before you sittin around a Japanese-style teppan grill. Knives and spatulas flash in a flurry as the chefs even set fire to the meal. My favorite is the volcano they make from the onions. While I can't eat a lot of the food here (lots of seafoods, even has sushi in some loactions) it's still a fun show. Brian, my very-picky-eater-nephew, tried the noodles here and has been a fan ever since! Be prepared to pay for the meal and show though. 2005 location for the nephews birthday dinner.

Some of our more unusual selections have included:
--Hooters--well not actually the Hooters. We ate here while we were dating and didn't realize it was Halloween. Our well-endowed waitress was wearing a Hooters t-shirt that we thought was very unusual, until it finally dawned on us. It was a very nice meal but unfortunately replaced by another restaurant.
--Chelsea (aboard the Queen Mary, Long Beach, CA)--while on our honeymoon, we decided to spend the night aboard the Queen Mary (now docked and a hotel). I knew my new wife enjoyed seafood so we choose to eat here. Not being able to eat seafood, I found what I thought was a safe selection, the blackened Ahi (hey, I can eat canned tuna afterall). Well, a few hours later I had developed hives and spend a very uncomfortable, itchy night. The next day we found a grocery store and bought some Benedryl. About an hour later I became very sleepy so we pulled into what we though was a very nice area. When we noticed men with guns hunting sagebrush and figured out that we had stumbled onto some kind of military operation, so immediately left. We found another location, I took a nap while my new wife enjoyed a couple of hours of watching the ocean. A very memorable honeymoon!

-K