dry pants are good

Greetings from California, indeed.

We rolled out of Lemoore at 5:30 on Sunday morning and traveled 4 hours down I5 to Anaheim, where some of my favorite folks were waiting for us at Disneyland.

The last time I saw my mom, stepdad, and stepsister was when I was home for Christmas last year, so I was long overdue to see them. Jason hadn't seen my mom and stepdad since she moved from Massachusetts back to Michigan two years ago, and he had never met my stepsister. We also got to meet my stepsister's fiancé for the first time.

We hit all of the major Disneyland attractions, including Splash Mountain, which resulted in me walking around soaking wet for a good part of the day despite the sun and 80-degree heat. My advice: go on the water rides last or bring a change of clothes.

I was thrilled to relive part of my childhood at the Captain EO Tribute, but I had to wonder if those 3D glasses have been around since 1986 when the original Captain EO debuted.

The one major thing we didn't get to do at Disneyland was Star Tours, which is closed for refurbishment and reopening next year. I was really bummed about it, because I know Jason would have loved it. I can't be too sad, though, because it gives us a reason to go back to Disneyland next year when Jason gets home from his long cruise. If we do make it back, I'm hoping that Indiana Jason will reappear.

On Monday we went to California Adventure, which is right next to Disneyland (and where that first picture was taken). I managed to not get wet, which was a huge improvement over the previous day. California Adventure's rides are not as tame as Disneyland's, so Jason and I were happy. Even my mom liked it--she spent a day and a half freaking out about riding the Tower of Terror, but after keeping her eyes shut and screaming "oh shit" over and over on the first ride, she wanted to go on it again immediately.

I did well food-wise on this trip, but I didn't manage to take any pictures. We had lunch at Café Orleans in Disneyland, where Jason and I shared a salad, French fries, and Creole ratatouille. All three are easily veganized simply by leaving the various cheese garnishes off. The ratatouille comes with cornbread which is almost definitely not vegan, but they could probably substitute something else for people who are strict. It was very good, but I probably would have enjoyed it more if my pants hadn't been soaked through.

At California Adventure, we had dinner at Wine Country Trattoria, which offers a most excellent vegan pasta option (with broccolini!) and where I discovered the best wine I have ever tasted--Snap Dragon riesling.

Look how happy it made me!
I found out it's distributed locally, so I think we're going to have to invest in a corkscrew.

We got home Tuesday afternoon and my mom and stepdad arrived in Lemoore yesterday evening. Jason welcomed them with a home-cooked steak dinner--even I was impressed. I pitched in with mashed potatoes, green beans, and my favorite kale and mango salad.

They'll be here for a few more days--we relaxed today, but weekend plans include hiking in Sequoia and Yosemite national parks. If I can stay dry over the course of those trips, I'll consider them a success.