The Happiest Place on Earth

I was determined to get to Disneyland while the 50th Anniversary celebration was still on, since the Park and I were both born in 1955. I thought I was going to lose my window of opportunity as the 18-month long gala is set to conclude in a few weeks. In the nick of time, cousin Crissy asked me to join her family there for her daughter’s fourth birthday.

Despite warnings of 102 degree weather in Anaheim that day, I jammed down to LA on Friday after work. After a night in Woodland Hills, I was at the entrance to the Mickey and Friends parking structure (seemingly the world’s most gigantic) by 10:00 a.m. on Saturday. I spent my first hour at the Magic Kingdom trying to get into it. After enduring lines to park, lines for tickets, and lines into Disneyland; I was hot and cranky and I hadn’t even seen an adult in a furry animal suit yet.

I realized an attitude adjustment was in order, so I jumped right on the Disneyland Express railroad and did a calming shaded circuit of the different lands and returned to Main Street in a much better state. I leisurely strolled up and down the faux Americana downtown, not wanting to venture too far since the rest of the gang would be joining me shortly. I discovered that they still sell those great pickles at the General Store and still cut those black and white profile portraits of the small nosed set. Also, they opened a fascinating (and well air-conditioned) exhibit showing various design stages of the park and original mock-ups for different rides in the old “Mr. Lincoln” area... Like you got to see exactly how the track courses through Space Mountain.

Then I plopped down with a cream cheese stuffed pretzel (pretty darn good) at the Coca Cola Pavilion and decided to look for smiling people – this being the “Happiest Place on Earth” and all. In 25 minutes I counted 7. One belonged to a woman escorting an older gentleman in a wheelchair, which I found ironic. The other six were a Hispanic family that sat down right next to me and were obviously delighted to be there (not necessarily next to me). The rest were trudging masses of humanity, grim faced, hassled by their kids and obviously not former Mouseketeers. If they were, they gained a lot of weight in the ensuing years. We all paid $59.00 a pop (plus parking) for this. I became determined to smile from that point forward.

I hooked up with the cousins and off we went. First, a Jungle Cruise for the four year old then lunch at New Orleans Square – since we had accomplished so much already. I had a Mint Julep as a nod to nostalgia. The big girls (the two teens and me and Cris) did Thunder Mountain (always a great choice after a goat cheese salad). And then the teens ditched us to do real rides. The old fogeys decided to get on the train for the birthday girl (who kept sweetly saying “choo-choo”), but as the wait was long, in strong sunshine with no breeze – I bailed to do the Explorer Canoes (I had already done the train once, for God’s sake) I was a great asset to the canoe, as I sat in front and my approval seeking self paddled strong and steady around Tom Sawyer’s Island. Then a quick jaunt through the Haunted Mansion and before you knew it - everyone was heading back to the pool at the Grand California Hotel.

No complaints from me. I had stashed a suit and sarong in Virginella so I met up with them in the very lovely hotel and we spent a few hours relaxing. A swim and a Corona can make you forget the crowds of the park pretty quickly.

On a sudden inspiration, the adults left the kids in the hotel room and slipped out the side entrance of the hotel into California Adventure. Markedly less crowded than Disneyland, we used our expired, borrowed FastPasses to get on Soaring over California in one minute. Bonus! And we learned, it’s true: FastPasses don’t expire! Anyway, I LOVE that ride and it was really cool that it worked out so I could get on it..

Next up, dinner at Naples in Downtown Disney – an upscale pizza place where we indulged in a nice bottle of Barbera (my new favorite wine). We all ate like it was our last meal and headed out at 8:30 just in time to position ourselves for fireworks.

Now, I did not realize that the 50th Edition fireworks were such a big deal, but thousands of people were sitting on all the streets of Disneyland in front of the castle to get a good view. We joined them, and it was my first time sitting on a road in the Magic Kingdom. There are no words to describe how phenomenal the pyrotechnics were – we’ve all seen incredible fireworks show synchronized to music. Like everything Disney does, this was a step above and worth the price of admission.

I was flattered that after the show, the teens wanted me to join them on Space Mountain. We rushed over to Tomorrowland and joined the queue, even though it was projected to take an hour to get on the ride. At this point it’s 10:00 p.m., we were surrounded by style obsessed high school grads making out, and anyone in line that wasn’t kissing was text-messaging. The one huge change I noticed at the park is that at any moment in time, half of the patrons are on cell phones. Weird.

After the allotted hour we were still at least 30 minutes from being in our rocket ship. Afraid I’d have to say quick goodbyes to Mom and Dad, I bailed on Space Mountain, used MY cell phone to locate them in line at It’s a Small World and did a cross park dash to meet them at the singing-doll inferno. I made it in time to cruise the world with them, and then we reunited with the teens who told us that Space Mountain got shut down before they were able to board!

At midnight we straggled out of Disneyland with the kind of bone-tired exhaustion you only get from spending a day with 40,000 of your closest friends. I commented to a friend later, that probably the entire population of Mammoth would equal the number in line for Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. Nevertheless it was a great day, and I smiled a lot.

Summer Solstice 2006

This is a day I always try to imbue with special meaning: it must be the earth goddess in me. My attempts often fail. Today was no exception. I wanted to worship the sunset at the awe inspring Minaret Vista, which has incredible views into the heart of the granite-clad central Sierra. Alas, it was not be. The road is still closed due to lingering snow. Instead, I headed into the forest near the Earthquake Fault (there should be some earth power there, right?) and enjoyed a glass of Merlot (out of a canning jar) and worked on my monologue for the upcoming performance on Monday. I was slightly besieged by small insects, but think I emerged without bites.

This will be a short post, as my computer is attempting to install updates against my will, which makes typing this very slow. I must continually ask the machine not to restart yet.

The summer travel season is upon us and I'm joining in. I just returned from a weekend visit to Disneyland. This week, I lay low in the Sierra, and then I'm off to Clear Lake for the almost annual Fourth of July cousins reunion. I return to work for two days and then take off for Idaho Shakespeare to see Major Barbara (By G.B. Shaw) and rekindle my affection for that college town on the river - Boise. I'm hoping to expand on these topics when my computer cooperates.

In the meantime, tonight on the WeatherChannel there were all these interviews with happy people in Cape Cod celebrating the beginning of summer. Funny, I'm always a little sad on the solstice, as it means the days are getting shorter now and somehow things seem slightly less hopeful.

And now for the good parts . . .

The unwitting reader may have gotten the impression that my Tahoe/Truckee vacation was a bust, due to the unsuitability of the accommodations. Au contraire. Despite the fact that I followed little of my pre-designed itinerary, each day was filled with memorable highlights.

Day One:

I spend the morning organizing and packing since, as recently as the evening before, I was unsure that this trip would actually happen. Nevertheless, I was on the road by 10:00 am, taking a beautiful cruise up the eastern escarpment of the Sierra, while munching on a mini-cake and quaffing mixed berry juice. I detoured through the Smith Valley (in a burst of spontaneity) and arrived in Gardnerville roughly on schedule at 1:00 p.m. The Scolari’s market was a disappointment this time: quite pricey. I blew $20.00 gathering meager provisions for my campout. A quick stop at BK for a fast–food meal ($3.50) and then I headed on up the Kingsbury grade. (I’m trying to do this trip on $50.00 per day, and already falling behind)

I veered up the west shore of Lake Tahoe and stopped at Kiwa Beach, which I’d planned based on some internet research indicating this was an underutilized spot on the lake with ample free parking and good bird watching. I accidentally headed to the parking area for the adjacent lakefront Valhalla Estates and hit upon my first unexpected pleasure. This small state park contains three vacation homes built early in the last century by the Baldwin, Heller and Pope families. The site once featured a large casino and still has the remnants of a small arboretum with ponds and fountains. It was a brisk but sunny afternoon and I could have stayed for hours. I’m hoping to go back for one of the many events (including theatrical) which are hosted there over the summer.

Reluctantly returning to Virginella (my Mitsubishi Outlander), I proceeded around Emerald Bay, through Tahoe City toward Truckee. The falling snow had me a bit worried, but when I arrived at Granite Flat, the weather improved and I quickly set up my tent and enjoyed a few minutes lazing by the river. No sign yet of the horror that was to follow.

Back in the car and off to Reno for an evening of theatre. I pulled off at Exit 10 (McCarran Blvd) to grab a Del Taco bean burrito ($1.06) and change into my evening wear. I drove into the Cal Neva parking lot at precisely 7:10, put a few coins in a slot machine (to help justify my snagging a parking spot there), and wandered over to the Bruka Theatre (www.bruka.org), arriving just as the house opened at 7:30.

Edward Albee is amazing. I was riveted by the dialogue of “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf” for its entire three hours, even though I knew exactly what would happen, having read the play several times previously. I had never seen it performed and the word play was awesome. The Bruka ensemble did a very good job. The production was caught just short of being brilliant, mainly due to the overly stylized vocal characteristics of its George (Scott Beers). His timing was dazzling, but he was a little too strong, upsetting the balance of the play. He didn’t really seem brow beaten by Martha. Nevertheless, it was a very enjoyable evening. It inspired me to look for an Albee play to direct this winter.

I cruised back through the Cal Neva, played some penny slots and hit the freeway back toward Truckee. Another stop at Exit 10 to change into the three layers of jammies I would require for the evening and I was back at the campsite at 1:00.a.m. Not bad for a gal who was too sick to contemplate travel the night before. I headed straight to the tent, to the foreboding sound of chopping wood from the guys “next door” who were prepping a blazing fire. Suffice it to say, it was a long night, punctuated by an unprecedented amount of foul language, puking next to (and on) my tent, threats of violence and scorn for the chirping birds which signaled dawn along the Truckee.

Day Two:

Having had ample time to think the previous night, I had made the decision to pack up and either return home or find a cheap motel somewhere. As I loaded the last of my gear into the car, the Camp Host arrived to check me in. I said “more like check me out” and detailed the antics of the cretin meth heads in spot 74. He was suitably sympathetic and offered two very nice alternate campsites that I could relocate to. I was reluctant, but thought it worth investigating. Spot 12 was indeed lovely, with a beautiful vantage of the Truckee River, a bit further from the highway and near the host (who would subdue any rowdies in the area.) Since I had prepaid and I’m stubborn, I set up my new camp and settled into a nice lunch of cheese and onion sandwiches, carrots, Cheetos and Miller High Life. Despite the fact that I had only slept from about 6:00 am to 10:30 am, things were looking up.

Rather than burning expensive petrol to explore by car, I decided to try a stretch of the Rim Trail on foot. Part of the trail on the west shore overlays the Pacific Crest Trail, so I though that would be a worthy first segment. I made a stop at Squaw Valley to hang out in their “Village,” people watch and listen to a local band. From there it was only a fifteen minute drive to the Blackwood Canyon Road turnoff, but the 8 mile stretch to the trailhead was closed, so I parked in the Snowpark area along the highway and did a stroll on the lakeside bike/walking path instead. It was still chilly, but I had my mini-disc player sporting tunes sung by Bocelli (thanks to Julie) and ducks and clouds to watch. It was welcome relaxation and a chance to enjoy the beauty of the lake.

As it was now about 6:30, I wasn’t quite sure how to spend the many hours left until 11:00 without spending a bunch of moolah. (Way too cold to hang out by the campfire) I thought of hitting the movies, but the two theatres in North Shore start their only evening showing at – 6:30. I cruised the highway, seeking a budget Italian restaurant where I could indulge in a plate of red pasta and a glass of red wine, but alas, the perfect spot did not materialize. Instead, I spotted Thai Recipe, a new Siamese restaurant next to the Incline Village Cinema (X-Men had already started). So, they weren’t Italian noodles, but the Pad Thai was kinda red and better than average. That and the hot tea, tax and tip set me back $15.00, but I justified this as being cheaper than a motel room.

I then hit the Crystal Bay Casinos – first a very dead Cal Neva which was celebrating its 80th birthday that day (some party).But the Indian Room is always good for boning up on local Washoe lore. Then I went to the Tahoe Biltmore and discovered the Twilight Zone penny slot machine. That was pretty fun for about 45 minutes (and $1.00!). I crossed the street to Crystal Bay Club and started playing the 1¢ Lobster Bait machine and ordered a complimentary bourbon and seven – which was incredibly strong. Penny slots are the way to score free drinks in a casino, as once you’ve placed your order, you can play one cent at a time until the waitress comes back! I always tip decently, though. . . As I was savoring the Kentucky liquid, a band started their sound check. They sounded really fun – only four guys, but with brass, congas, a flamenco style guitar and electric violin. I found out they would start playing in 45 minutes, so I returned to the car and prepared for bed (long underwear and 2 layers of clothes) then went back into the Tahoe Biltmore to wash my face and brush my teeth in their restroom. I think I could do a good job at being homeless.

Sol Jibe was a blast! Check them out at www.soljibe.com. I’ve never seen a band play in a casino where everyone stopped what they were doing to come over and listen. In the 45 minutes I was gone, the whole lounge totally filled up, and I was lucky to grab a seat in a makeshift row of chairs set up behind the bar. I only stayed for one set, but if I hadn’t had my huge purse with me (and three layers of clothes on) I probably would have been on the dance floor boogying. The evening’s entertainment cost me $4.00 (slots and tip).

I reluctantly returned to the chilly tent, arriving at about midnight. It was quiet and I slept soundly.

Day Three

It’s hard to leap out of bed in the morning when the air temperature is 30 degrees, so I slept in again and started making campfire coffee at about 10:00 a.m. I took my beach chair down to the river and watched the mergansers (a breed of duck for the uninitiated) shoot the rapids. I’m serious. I saw the same pair make a few runs on the stretch right in front of me. I read the local papers, updated my journal and planned the day ahead.

First stop, Truckee. I had only allotted a short time to stroll the town, but it was adequate. There were a few cute shops, several restaurants that I didn’t have the time or money to visit and some funky old buildings.

I had planned to meet Jeff and Jan at their home above Washoe Lake at 2:00-ish. I decided to stop in at WinCo Foods in Reno to grab a six-pack as a hostess offering, but of course there were deals galore and $20.00 later I had bought a week’s worth of food and a sixer of Blue Moon Belgian Wheat beer. Take that that, Scolari’s! It’s funny how when you’re pinching pennies, a box of Junior Mints becomes a heavenly treat!

I spent a fine afternoon getting caught up with Jeff and Jan and playing with their gorgeous two year old twin girls. The girls insisted on handing me every single item they owned within 5 minutes of my arrival to demonstrate their rapidly growing vocabularies. You can’t say I didn’t feel welcome!

Then, a true moment of bliss – I borrowed their shower! After 48 hours in the woods, I was feeling slightly less than fresh and the simple pleasure of hot water on my head was unbeatable. That, combined with a sunny afternoon in the backyard, gazing at the Sierra crest and watching sunlight flicker on the lake, getting affection from the cats, eating turkey burgers and hanging out with old friends made for a great day.

I ended up staying until 8:00, but then said my farewells and headed into downtown Reno for a walking tour of Eldorado/Circus Circus/Silver Legacy. Not much going on since it was Monday night at the end of the holiday weekend, so I got back in the car for one last trip up Interstate 80 to Truckee. But first, I had to stop at Exit 10 to grab a bean burrito, change into tent attire, and fill up the tank. I’ll always remember this trip when I drive past the West McCarran exit!

Day Four

I scrambled out of the tent at 8:00 a.m. this last morning, since it was a little warmer, finally. I leisurely broke down camp, enjoyed my final coffee along with a WinCo berry bagel by the river and loaded up the car. I decided to visit the Donner Museum which was only about three miles away, but since parking cost $6.00 I decided it wasn’t worth the half-hour stop. Instead, I took Donner Pass road through the real Truckee (where people live) and stopped at Safeway for batteries for the mini-disc player. The place seems to be really booming, like the entire area surrounding Reno.

It was time for a second shot at the Rim Trail. This time, I opted for a trailhead adjacent to highway 267 at Brockway Summit. I knew the road was open, and as the mountains on that side of the lake are south facing, I thought I had a better chance of finding a snow-free trail.

The strategy worked. I headed west from the parking turnout (toward Tahoe City) and made a loping ascent to a high point overlooking Lake Tahoe. It was a beautiful warm afternoon with cloudless skies and I found a great rock on which to enjoy the picnic I had packed. There’s nothing like juicy fresh strawberries when you’ve been hiking. It was early enough in the season to be bug-free and I could have lingered for hours. But with more to do, I headed back down, listening to The Nutcracker and surveying the many dead trees which succumbed to the bark beetle. Thank goodness that pest had little effect in Mammoth.

I had three more items on my vacation itinerary. The first: a stop at a beach on the east side. I found Nevada Beach, again with free parking alongside the road. It was a wide sandy beach, nearly deserted except for me and some Canadian geese. Then, a short tour through the new Montbleu Casino (formerly Caesar’s Tahoe).This place is super trendy and stylish, rather like the Palms in Las Vegas – something Tahoe needed. And lastly, a stop at Izzy’s Burger Spa, to see if their burgers were as good as I remembered. The grilled onion burger did not disappoint and I savored it on the sunny back deck with the obligatory fries and a Diet Coke under a striped umbrella. Cost of the last supper? $6.70.

From there it was a short hop over to Meyers and the glory that is Monitor Pass. I had spent the entire four days enjoying 100.1 “The X” (KTHX) – the greatest radio station on the planet since the demise of KSCA. It provided the soundtrack for my entire getaway and I never once popped in a CD. The outstanding music was definitely a highlight of the journey, from old Neil Young to new Gomez. And yeah, the Dandy Warhols rock. I was saddened when the transmission faded and I knew my getaway was coming to a close.

But what started as a disaster turned into a great vacation experience. I discovered I can stay warm and sleep comfortably in a tent even when it’s below freezing, find good food and entertainment along the road without blowing a wad of money and feel like I’ve experienced a whole new world, while staying within 200 miles of my home.

And the tab? (Drumroll please): $235.56. This amount covers everything: camping fee, gas, food, entertainment and misc.supplies. A tad over $50.00 per day, but a good effort and a great vacation nonetheless. As far as I’m concerned: Mission Accomplished.

Can we talk about Granite Flat?

I survived 3 nights in the Sierra (with laryngitis) in 27 degree weather. The water bottle next to my sleeping bag had ice in it in the morning, but I stayed toasty warm thanks to my low-tech "flying duck" flannel sleeping bag (layered over the fiberfill one) and 3 layers of clothes plus gloves and hat. I would have slept like a baby if it weren't for the 3 sub-human dudes in the campsite next to me (apparently on Crystal Meth) who partied (and chopped wood) until dawn. Throw in the calming sound of Highway 89 a mere 50' from my tent and you can picture this little slice of mountain paradise. Actually, I was the one who wanted to do some slicing (my wrists).