Rain Rain Go Away: Disneyland and San Francisco December 2022

Well, if there is anything that there has been a lot of in the state of California during the month of December, it's rain.  Weather this month has been interfering with the holiday travel and activities of many a Californian, and we were no exception.  We went to Disneyland in the middle of the month and discovered before we left that there was no way were going to escape the rain.  Then later in the month, our friend visited from western Pennsylvania, and our promised day trip to San Francisco also promised to be awash in rainfall.

Anyway, this post is not about rain, but rather how we managed it and the experiences we managed to have despite the unpleasant weather in both places.

DISNEYLAND:

Well, we had been going to Disneyland in January over the last several years because this had worked out best for the kids' school schedules.  This year all the kids would be home and done with finals by mid December so my family suggested the possibility of going to the Happiest Place on Earth during the holiday season.  We had done this many times in the past, in the days of the now defunct "Fast Pass" system, and all I could think of was "crowded."  My requirement was that if we were going to go during this time, we were going during the week.  After much deliberation, we decided to try a three day single park ticket, which put us in the parks Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday, December 11-13, with our reservations for Disneyland Park, California Adventure and back to Disneyland Park. Our hope was with the forecasted rain and the midweek reservations we would not need to buy Genie Plus.

Ok, well I guess we can talk about rain first.  Sunday at 7:15am, the time at which we departed from our hotel to walk to Disneyland park, the city of Anaheim was under a complete deluge.  We pulled out our rain ponchos and our portable umbrellas and made the 3/4 mile trek to the park entrance.  Without a doubt the rain was keeping the initial crowds away, but when the rain stopped at about 12 noon, a lot more people showed up.  The next day as well, we walked to the park in slightly less rainy conditions and endured rain at DCA until about 9 in the morning.

Now I can't say that an entire day (or two) in a constant downpour would be particularly fun, but days like this in southern California really are quite rare.  It is much more likely that the rain will be temporary.  There are a few items that are an absolute must when rain is expected and came in very handy:  a 5$ poncho from WalMart (ponchos in the park range from about 12-14 dollars), a portable umbrella (preferably a sturdy one and not the tiniest you can find), an extra pair of socks, and a rag towel.  The ponchos cover your bottom and will assist in not sitting in a puddle on a wet outdoor ride and actually keep you quite warm.  Most indoor rides require your ponchos to be removed while you ride (I guess they are trying to keep their indoor rides dry.)  The ponchos fold up and can be returned to your rented locker when the rain stops.  We kept ours with us for riding Splash Mountain in 48 degree weather both nights.  Not a great temperature to be soaking wet, or even mildly wet!

The weather can result in your nighttime shows being cancelled. Fireworks were cancelled "due to windy conditions in the upper atmosphere" (??) Sunday night (and Saturday night apparently) and World of Color was cancelled at DCA on Monday for the same reason (though that day fireworks did go on as scheduled at Disneyland Park).  The most infuriating thing is the way Disney manages to gather every person in the park to one crowded area and then tell them at the last second that the show is cancelled. 😡 Fantasmic show (finally back!) went on as scheduled and fireworks did show on Tuesday night.

Who's afraid of a little rain???

But this rain is serious!!

Well, what about those lessened weekday crowds?  Yeah, well forget that.  The only day that was a little less crowded was surprisingly Sunday at Disneyland Park.  California Adventure was beyond crowded on Monday.  This day was almost a complete disaster. On walking into DCA, nearly every ride was closed, and this lasted for most of the day, so people scrambled from place to place as any given ride would open until it broke again.  With nearly every Genie Plus ride down, the lines everywhere became much longer--causing waits where you never have waits, like for "the Little Mermaid," also which was closed for most of the day.  We were trying to avoid Genie Plus on this day so we waited in some long lines of one hour or more.  We were able to get on the Incredicoaster for the one hour it was open.  Though the line for Guardians of the Galaxy (which I don't ride) said 60 minutes,  I wound up waiting nearly two hours for the rest of my family to get off that ride..omg.  Anyway, the rides were breaking at Disneyland too.  We were on Indiana Jones when the ride stopped, the lights flipped on and there we sat for 15 minutes.  Closures all over the park on and off, but somehow at Disneyland park there are enough rides to buffer it out.  The best part about our terrible day at DCA was that we left early enough (9:15) to get home and get a decent night's sleep.

The last day after the terrible day at DCA the minute the lines got bad, we bought the Genie plus for 25$ per person which is its cheapest price.  Last year we bought it for 20$.  On Sunday it had been 30$ per person. Disney will charge whatever they want and people will pay it, it seems.

A little bit back to the prices, gosh, everything is insane.  Every cocktail everywhere is over 17 dollars.  Dinner at Blue Bayou was just under $300 with just one beer a piece for three of us, Oga's Cantina (again three alcoholic drinks and two not and no snacks) was $80.  Dinner at Lamplight Lounge, which was more like bites than actual dinner (three drinks) was 215$.  Naples, a literal pasta and pizza place, $240.  A pitcher of beer was $50.  Naples and Lamplight Lounge, by the way, were FREEZING.  At Lamplight we were placed at a bar table with a gas fire, which we had to hover over to get warm.  At Naples we sat indoors, but the constant opening and closing of the door to the patio left us unable to take our jackets off.  Maybe take some of the revenue generated by the alcohol and put it into heat.  Anyway, back to cocktails.  The yummy cocktails at the PYM lab have also gone up at least a dollar since we were there one year ago.

Eighty dollars...

Oga's Cantina is a good break and really a fun experience!

It seems like I am complaining a lot, and true, the conditions were not fabulous-but we really had an amazing time.  Genie Plus on the third day really made the day tolerable with less standing in line.  The third day rest stops at both Blue Bayou at 4pm and Oga's Cantina at about 7 pm were also helpful.  I made a promise to my kids after the disastrous second day that I would be staying until the park closed and that I would not complain about being tired even once. I was true to my word.

So the big question is what is my verdict on the choice of ticket?  Well, after some deliberation, we did decide that the two day park hopper with a Genie Plus purchase on a weekday is probably the most bang for your buck.  California Adventure just has too few rides to keep you there full day, making the Genie Plus add on almost imperative to avoid every line being over an hour.  If you were going on a weekday not in high season, it might be reasonable to try to not purchase Genie Plus, but on pretty much every weekend, you are going to need it.  

Here is another picture of Disneyland!

See, the ponchos can come in handy for some cute pictures as well!

SAN FRANCISCO:

We live about one hour south of San Francisco.  We've recently joked that we only go to San Francisco for three things:  Ball Games, Weddings, and Funerals.  Actually the last time I did any form of sightseeing there was when I went with my husband to shop (if you can call that sightseeing) while our daughter did a one day job shadow.  That was 2018!  

Well, our friend came from Pennsylvania and we had promised to take him to San Francisco on December 27th, but alas, what was in our forecast again-RAIN.  Outdoor walking and shopping and cable car rides were just not going to work, so we opted for a free driving tour my daughter found on the web at crosbyreport.com.  She modified it slightly and started us in the middle of the tour so we missed out on a few areas-Mission Dolores Park, the Castro, Alamo Square, Haight-Ashbury.  We did get out when we wanted to but literally in two hours we saw..

The Sea Cliff neighborhood (I didn't even know this existed)

The Presidio (great views of the city from a turnout here)

Chrissy Field and the Golden Gate Bridge (We also got out here and beheld majestic views of the Golden Gate Bridge.  This was especially neat in the rain as the fog horns were blowing from the bridge)

Palace of Fine Arts 

Fillmore Street

Union Square

Chinatown

The Fairmont Hotel/Nob Hill

North Beach

Coit Tower (we actually got out here and had a much needed bathroom break though we did not go up in the elevator)

Lombard Street (we actually drove down the crookedest-is that a word?- street in the world!)

Fisherman's Wharf 

Pier 39

The Ferry Building 

Oracle Park

Anyway, this is a nice way to see the whole city even if its not a rainy day.  We did finally park and get out at Fisherman's Wharf where we enjoyed the Happy Hour menu at the Chowder Hut, smack dab in the middle of the wharf area.  We enjoyed Fish and Chips, Fish Sliders and beer.  There were a few fire pits in the round restaurant, but we were not lucky enough to score one of these.  After eating, it was actually getting dark, and we headed to Pier 39 to see a few seals and browse a few stores.

This area I gotta say is not what it used to be.  When I was in college we used to whip over the Bay Bridge on a Friday or Saturday night and stroll the wharf and the pier and get something to eat or maybe pop by Ghirardelli Square.   Just not that appealing anymore.  A lot of the shops were boarded up and vacant.  A lot of the famous restaurants were we used to eat before sorority formals or on special occasions, places like Neptune's Palace and Rainforest Cafe are gone. Even the crab stands at the wharf are half of what they used to be.  The worst was the demise of the beautifully classic A. Sabella's, which is now an Applebee's.  Not sure when all these changes occurred... too bad, but then again if I had frequented them with more regularity, maybe they'd still be open!

Ok, well that's enough on this long post.  I'm going to Vegas again and seeing a new show and will visit some new bars and restaurants.  Also planning to see the new Diana exhibit.  Ok, now for a few pictures!

The Presidio turn out had a beautiful view

A new way of seeing the Golden Gate Bridge

Our crew at the Chowder Hut

Our trek down Lombard Street

New Experiences in Las Vegas November 5-7, 2022

Well, as everyone knows, it has been less than one year since my last trip to Las Vegas, which was in January of 2022.  Things are ever evolving in Las Vegas, and no matter how often I come, which now has been TEN times in the last 20 years, there seems to be more and more to experience.

Our friends had been planning this trip with us for at least 5 years, with the purpose of taking our daughters (who are now nearly 23) to this ultimate of adult playgrounds for their 21st birthdays, which incidentally fall a day apart.  I was back in planning mode for this one.  I mostly made suggestions,      but I was given pretty much free reign as to what we were going to do.  This can be great, but when taking someone to Vegas for the first time, it can be a lot of pressure!! 

Anyway, we had an absolutely fabulous time, chock full of brand new experiences.  These are the new things we experienced and what I thought about them.

SHOWS:

SHIN LIM: LIMITLESS    

We only saw one show while we were there, and it was hard to find a show I hadn't seen, because I've pretty much seen them all.  I chose "Shin Lim: Limitless" at the Mirage because I had never seen it, as he had only begun his long term residency at the Mirage in October of 2019.  All I knew was that Shin Lim had won America's Got Talent in 2018 and that his act was mostly magic and cards.  I was pretty nervous about delivering on my choice.

Every show I have seen in Vegas has been great.

THIS WAS HANDS DOWN THE BEST VEGAS SHOW I HAVE EVER SEEN

Shin Lim was a marvel.  The 6 of us literally sat with our mouths open and our hands on our faces shaking our heads the entire show. These were card tricks that were completely unimaginable.  Shin Lim is borderline creepy and mysterious in exactly the way you need a magician to be, but then he cracks jokes and interacts with the audience.  There is a good amount of audience participation.

Shin Lim has a sidekick named Chris Cloud, who also does magic, but his line of work is more in the mind reading category.  He is a quirky Scot dressed liked a professor. Chris performs while the headliner is changing sets and preparing how to blow your mind next.  He is equally entertaining and just as mind boggling.

Listen, I don't want to say too much because you just gotta go see it.  This show is an absolute MUST!  At the Mirage theater. 90 minutes. Great seats for about 100$ including fees.

Unbelievable show!!! Not to be missed!!

ATTRACTIONS and ACTIVITIES:

I hesitated to start with Shin Lim because some of the new experiences were not nearly as impressive.

FLY OVER:

It seriously looks nothing like this..

Flyover opened on Las Vegas Blvd in September of 2021.  Its entrance is tucked between the Hard Rock Cafe and a Ross store, right across the street from the Park MGM.

There are three shows currently to choose from:  Wild Wild West, Iceland, and the newest addition, the Canadian Rockies (Windborne), which is what we rode.  

Think of Flyover as kind of a kind of Soarin' on steroids.  There is a pre preshow and then a pre show, both of which are kind of mother earthey as opposed to comic, like the famous quotable Patrick Warburton intro we are all used to.  The turns and swings in the glider are more pronounced on the FlyOver.  The ride is longer (8 1/2 minutes) and the photography is more expansive.  There's a great view no matter where you are sitting and none of the horrific "bent" photography you experience in Soarin should you not get in the best seats.

My complaint is that the "wind in your hair" generated by the ride is FREEZING and blows right into your eyes the entire ride, finally forcing me to put my hands up to shield my face.  Worse, occasionally you go through a cloud, which is actually wet, so now you are both wet and cold.  This killed it for me. I would not go again.   It was 30$ per person.  I wish I had kept my jacket on.

MEOW WOLF:  OMEGA MART at AREA 15:

As I mentioned in another blog post not very long ago,  AREA 15 opened in an off strip location September of 2020.  The building houses a handful of "experiences" and other attractions, such as a hot air balloon ride, a restaurant, a bar, and an axe throwing venue.  Anyway, if you Google AREA 15, you will discover that the anchor tenant is the Meow Wolf Omega Mart which is described online as "an imaginative, immersive installation with interactive artwork, optical illusions and hidden passageways." The reviews were impressive, so despite the fact the tickets were $59 dollars, we decided to take the plunge and go.  Listen, it's Vegas, so it is probably worth it.

Okay whatever? I expected this to be much cooler than it was.  It's a contrived supermarket with a bunch of fake colorful groceries with some doors and passageways that lead to a bunch of weird areas.  There is nothing to do particularly or play with or read or discover.  It's just a bunch of lights and paint and stairs and colorful stuff.  I kept expecting something to happen.  It just never did.

The online guides will tell you to allow 2-3 hours to see the attraction.  We were out in just over an hour, wondering what all the hype was about. There is a card you can add for I guess three dollars which was supposed to add some storyline and context to the whole nonsense, but we didn't get it. Not sure if anything could have helped.

RESTAURANTS:

Restaurants in Las Vegas rarely disappoint.  The restaurants seem to turn over fairly quickly.  I would be inclined to say that at least half of the restaurants we have enjoyed over the last 20 years have folded, some of them quite famous, including Rao's, Spago, Circo (where we spent my 40th birthday), and Alize.

On this trip, we tried five new eating establishments and one new bar,  The two restaurants that I'm not reviewing are Carson Kitchen, at 6th and Carson downtown, very close to the Fremont Street Experience, and the Buffet at the Wynn.  Both were excellent and come with my highest recommendation.  We had a late reservation on a Sunday night at Carson Kitchen and though we had only 30 minutes until the kitchen and bar closed, they did not rush us a bit.  The buffet had everything to eat you could imagine.  The 50$ price tag was well worth it. I also highly recommend the PRE-PAYMENT option, which gets you right up to the front of the line, which was long.

PRIMAL STEAKHOUSE:

If you type "best Steakhouse in Las Vegas" into Google, Primal Steakhouse comes right up. I had never heard of this place before.  The reviews were outstanding and the pictures looked fun so I made the Saturday night reservation

Primal Steakhouse opened in January of 2021 in the unlikely location of Boulevard Mall, a shopping center on Maryland Parkway about 4 miles off the strip.  No joke, though, the medieval decor including red velvet wallpaper, swords, helmets, and candelabras dripping wax transport diners to a different time and place.  There is a specialty drink menu and a fairly good wine list.  Corkage fee is an unbelievable-for-Las-Vegas $25.  Apparently happy hour pricing last all night if you are dining at the bar. Anyway, no drink discounts for us, we were comfortably seated in our cozy booth.

The menu as the name would suggest consists of mostly steak, many of which are too big for one person to eat.  In fact, three of us shared the 32 oz Tomahawk Steak medium rare which was cut up for us on a carving board before we ate.  This steak was so delicious, my husband accepted the dare to try and gnaw on the bone for extra meat!  The meat was complimented by the usual a la carte sides: broccolini, brussel sprouts, mac and cheese and mashed potatoes.  Our share of the dinner with tax and tip for three people was about $285.  Really not too bad.  I have spent more than this for two people in Vegas.

There was some live music which was just slightly too loud for my taste, but it seemed to die down as the night went on. The restaurant has a themed little corner with some props and big chairs and the like where you can take some pictures.  This was a fun end to our time at the restaurant.

Tomahawk Chop, baby!!!

Hard to not have fun here!

HASH HOUSE A GOGO:

This has got to be the most popular breakfast spot on the Las Vegas Strip and we found out why. I warned my friends that there was bound to be a wait and that we should get there as quickly as possible.  We left at nine and were at the restaurant at about 9:20 and we were looking at a 1 hour and 15 minute wait. Luckily the LINQ promenade is right there with its own Starbucks (also with its own very long line) so the time went pretty quickly and we were actually seated in about an hour.

What a menu!  And the portions, holy Toledo!  There are a lot of tempting drinks on the menu, but they are all about 20$ and come with a souvenir cup you are never going to use again, so we mostly opted for beer (remember we had all had coffee at the Starbucks and it had to be 5 o'clock somewhere) except our friend who got the 24 oz Johnny's Famous B.L.T. Mary.  The food was amazing and it was pretty incredible how much of it we were able to put down.  The girls got the Roasted chicken, Garlic, Onions, Asparagus and Rosemary Hash, I got Andy's Sage Fried Chicken and Eggs, and my husband got the Andy's Sage Fried Chicken Benedict. OMG.  I can't believe he did not just lay down and die after that.  I kid you not.  It was serious.

I wouldn't bother going here if you are not eating meat.  It's just pointless.

Andy's Sage Fried Chicken and Eggs

OMG!  Andy's Sage Fried Chicken Benedict

OCEAN BAR AND GRILL:

1 of 3 

This is a great little place largely because of its location in the Miracle Mile Shops so close to our hotel (Marriot Grand Chateau).  The food is not fancy, but man is it cheap, like they have steak and eggs for $12.95. I had a Florentine Benedict for like $7.99.  Breakfast service ends at like 10 or 11, so that is something to keep mind.  The place is large and cozy, and has plenty of televisions for your sports viewing pleasure.

They have a good selection of cocktails all of which are 3 for 12$ all day long.  You cannot split the special but they did not seem to have any issue with us having one at time at the table and all sipping out of it.  If you only drink one at the table, they will give you the other two to go, but we drank all three at the table.  Yes it was 830 am, but how can you pass up a special like that??

PETROSSIAN BAR:

Ok well this is not a restaurant at all but it definitely is a food and beverage experience so it kind of belongs in this category. Anyway, this super classy bar is located in the front lobby of the Bellagio in full view of the front door and the glass flower ceiling.  From the moment you approach the hostess podium the space exudes class and style.  There is a certain clientele visiting this bar, and it's not the same people you see at the Fremont Street Experience or the Dueling Axes.  The chairs and sofa are crushed velvet, a soft piano plays, the lighting is low.  The average age in this bar is definitely higher than we saw at the Golden Tiki.

 I didn't really gather that you could make a reservation here, except for certain events, like afternoon English tea service, which only is available on the weekends.  If you try at a different time the reservation system will default to nothing being available, which does not mean they are full, it just means that they are not taking reservations at that time.  Anyway, we did not have a reservation.  It was a Sunday night at primo happy hour time so we waited about 20 minutes.  

We spent more here than we spent on dinner downtown later on in the night.  There are drinks on the menu that are 40$.  Pretty intense.  There is also caviar service that can cost you over 1000$ dollars-knock yourself out-not really my thing.   I'll stick with the 30$ cheese board.  My Old Fashioned, which was likely served in Baccarat crystal, came with a craft ice cube and was made with Japanese whiskey, was smooth and delightful. Our bill was over 200 for six of us.  One drink a piece and a cheese board.  You do the math.  This was possibly the most opulent Vegas experience of my life.  I would do it again.  I would like to be a bit less rushed.

That's 30$ worth of cheese you're lookin' at!

Thank you for reading my post!  In less than a month we are off to Disneyland!  Looking forward to more experiences and more posting then!