Disneyland, Anaheim CA

Today was fabulous. It couldn't have gone more smoothly. The crowds were low, it was a bit overcast - the sun came out later, and the day was incident free (no lost hats or 'lost' lunches!)

Disneyland is an amazing place. Very well staffed, and superbly maintained (as it should be for the entry cost). Everything was clean and ran so smoothly. I am so proud of the kids and how they handled the day. We arrived at 7am to go through security, and collect pre-paid tickets, and left at 5:30pm. The 'Fast-Pass' tickets that enabled us to just turn up at a ride and not wait in line were fantastic. A superb day all round.

Waiting for entry - Halloween themed Disneyland

Oliver's face looked like this all day!

This 'Yoda' backpack was cool!

Another happy child!

Exiting 'Alice in Wonderland' - the batteries ran out after this one, and quite frankly no photo could do justice to the fun we had all day today! It is 'The Happiest Place on Earth!'

Santa Monica LA

SItting at Santa Monica Pier - 23 deg - gorgeous day.
Just donated to the Obama campaign, and am now the proud owner of several Obama badges :)
Low key day in preparation for Disneyland tomorrow.

Hurricane Sandy

Seems we have been very, very lucky.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/9639244/Hurricane-Sandy-live.html

Last day in the RV

Spent the day washing, cleaning and re-packing in readiness to return the RV tomorrow, pick up our hire car, and head to our final home in Los Angeles.
The kids were very good and tolerant of our day today, that we took them to see 'Hotel Transylvania' this afternoon. What a great little film that was. We all really enjoyed it.
So what have we learnt about living in an RV for 5 months?

• We don't need a 6 bedroom house to treat each other charitably - though, I do miss the space! 
• The kids all talk in their sleep - Ben and Oliver are best of 'frienemies' even when unconscious.  At least Tori and Phi stop fighting when they are asleep. 
• Sophia and Oliver grind their teeth - unfortunately they get that from me. 
• Give the girls a light source and a book and they are happy well into the wee hours of the night.
• We can live without tv. I knew this. This confirmed it.
• An RV is easier to keep clean than a house.
• Driving on the wrong side, and driving a heavy vehicle, both take about 1 week to get used to, then they feel as natural as breathing.
• We don't need stuff. (Let me clarify that shoes are NOT stuff ... I really missed my shoe collection and cannot wait to get home and reorganise so my many new pairs fit in the closet.)
• There are some dire campgrounds out there, but more often than not, there are some beauties. TripAdvisor and RV reviews are your best friend.
• Living in an RV teaches the kids to put things back where they belong. I hope this lesson is not forgotten too quickly upon our return.
• Make sure you remember your highschool physics - you can get a rather large rock out from between two tyres if you use leverage!
• Schooling on the road is taxing yet greatly rewarding. I know the children have seen and experienced things that conventional schooling just could not offer, and I hope those new learnings can be drawn upon, and contextualised, for the rest of their lives.
• Discretion is the better part of valour ...
• I love my kids.
• I love my husband.

Now, we just have to survive Disneyland on Wednesday, and all will be well!

Los Angeles

Just arrived at Ventura Ranch, our RV park until Monday am, when we return the RV to pick up a hire car and drive to our final homestay. A beautiful 30 degrees here. Blessedly there is a jumping pillow at this park, so we have sent the kids off to jump whilst we clean and pack up.

Joshua Tree CA

We have spent the day at Joshua Tree National Preserve. We began the day with a tour of Keys Ranch, where Mr Keys and his family spent their life in the early 1900s. What a dry, difficult life they lead. Afterwards we drove around the park to various points of interest such as Jumbo Rocks and Chollo gardens. We had a picnic lunch at Hidden Valley in the park and took a short hike there through the rock formations.

Tomorrow we head to Los Angeles. The holiday is, sadly, almost over, and we have about 10 days left until we fly home.

Ranger talk at Keys Ranch

The mountains around here are all boulders - seemingly stacked in impossible formations

On the ranch

Ranch house

Mr Keys collected anything and everything he could find

Joshua Tree

Sophia working on her Ranger Workbook

Chollo Cactus

Mojave Desert CA

Spent most of today driving through the Mojave desert on our way to the Joshua Tree National Park for two nights. Dry, dry, dry .... boring scenery ... and a little more dry to look at. We did break our trip at the Mojave National Preserve Visitor Centre (also dry) for a look around, Junior Ranger workbooks, and a bite to eat.

In the Mojave visitor centre

Diner in the visitor centre

Mojave desert

Mojave desert

Las Vegas day 2

We headed for the 'Mob Museum' this morning and spent some time there. This museum is curated by the same people who did the 'Spy Museum' in DC, and I definitely preferred the DC museum to this one. However, it was well done, with interesting and fun ways to present information. The 'Spy Museum' had more things for the kids to do in it.

Afterwards we went walking to the 'Burlesque Museum' only to find it closed today, as was the 'Shoezeum'. Pity.

We did however come across an interesting restaurant with fun signage out the front.

"Heart Attack Grub" Cafe - Over 350 pounds eats free! That's 159kg!!!! Far out brussel sprout!!!!

The Heart Attack Menu

More signage outside the restuarant

And this too!

Neon shoe :)

The Shoezeum - closed :(

(Ken: What Julie didn't realise at the time was that "Chumley" from "Pawn Stars" was in the ShoeZeum.  His back is to us in this photo, just behind the Guinness World Records sign.)

What was the most exciting thing about Las Vegas ... riding the banana bus in the bendy bit of course!

The Strip, Las Vegas NV

We spent time today taking a bus along The Strip to see all the different casinos, before taking in a show - The Mac King Comedy Magic Show, at Harrah's. This was a great show. Some adult humour tastefully done to fly over the children's heads, but well paced, great tricks and funny. The kids have bought the magic kit to practise with when we get home.

We also spent time in Caesar's Palace wandering through the shops at the Forum. The children were really taken with the ceiling painted like a daytime sky - truth be told, so was I! We wandered in and out of the high end shops because we could, and wandered how anyone had any money left over to spend in the shops after being held captive by casinos 24 hours a day. Being in the casinos was certainly like that scene in the Percy Jackson novel where the main characters are continually offered lotus flowers, and before they know it, they've been stuck in the casino for days. These places are deliberately confusing in layout, cavernous, and all too convenient for someone not wanting to leave their 'lucky' machine. Still, we had a fun time wandering around, and enjoying the children being beguiled by the lights! They will tell you they "love Las Vegas", and we will tell you it is because of the visual bling. Thankfully they are blissfully unaware of what really keeps this city ticking - even when it is plastered over billboards and up in flashing lights!

We dined at the Monte Carlo this evening, and although I always appreciate not having to cook or clean up, I am looking forward to getting back to my kitchen to prepare our usual fare.

The bus trip home this evening was interesting, with a Snoop Dogg lookalike wandering the bus and talking to anyone he happened to know (or not!), and a Mr Spock onboard - I kid you not, he had the full kit on, pointy ears and all! I thought it would be too intrusive to take photos, so unfortunately there are no photos of that for the blog.

Las Vegas had to be visited, though it is not somewhere I would return to. I did spend a good deal of time today thinking "goodness, I never thought I would visit here, and here I am - and I kind of wish I wasn't!". However, I do have an overwhelming urge to re-watch 'Ocean's 11' again :)

The Luxor

Excalibur

New York New York

Monte Carlo - where we had dinner

Inside the Forum shops

and again ...

and again ...

At the Mac King Comedy Magic Show, at Hurrah's

The Bellagio by night

Las Vegas!

So here we are! The kids have been so excited to go to Las Vegas, that they sang for what seemed like the full 3 hr drive from Zion to LV ... "Viva Las Vegas". Well, except for Benedict, who sang "Beaver, Lost Vegas"!

Upon arrival here, we headed to a gaming shop for Ken - 'The Little Shop of Magic' and came away a happy man with 3 more board games.

We then headed for Makino Gourmet Sushi buffet restaurant - conveniently located at North Las Vegas Outlet stores!

Typical family photo - faces full of food

Naturally we did a spot of shopping afterwards, and now we are at 'The Hitchin' Post' RV park.

For the next two days we will head for The Strip to wander and wonder. I hope to visit the Burlesque Museum, The Mob museum, and the store featured in the TV show 'Pawn Stars'. We are also looking to get tickets to a show whilst here - and we are very carefully choosing that show to ensure 'family friendliness'. It seems we may be seeing a "Pets" show, replete with cats pushing prams and singing dogs. (*Sigh* ... the things we do for children).

We decided to give Hoover Dam the big swerve due to the overbearing and onerous security requirements. However we are not too upset as we have just enjoyed Glen Canyon Dam - on a far more upclose, and less expensive tour.

Emerald Pools Trail hike, Zion AZ

Oliver enjoys gesticulating in photos, "Look at that down there!"

Lower Emerald pools.

At the upper Emerald Pools

Looking back down into the canyon

See the water running off the rock behind the kids? They enjoyed walking under that curtain of water as we continued around the trail.

Clouds rolling in.

Zion

Some pictures of our trail hike through Zion National Park today.