THE LAST FIVE ...

Closing up shop
- Wednesday, Aug. 02, 2006

It may be time for a change
- Wednesday, May 17, 2006

Entry in the air
- Friday, April 21, 2006

Still here
- Thursday, April 20, 2006

Music of the moment
- Wednesday, March 1, 2006

Or ... BE RANDOM!


GOOD READS

101 in 1001
American Road Trip, 1998


OTHER PEOPLE

Chupatintas
Dancing Brave
Fugging It Up
Kitty Sandwich
Mister Zero
Sideways Rain
Ultratart
Velcrometer


THE BASICS

My crew
Latest
Older
Notes
Our host
Profile

Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2004 - 9:01 p.m.

California: That first trip

After discovering my short travelogue from the 1990 family trip to California last week, I sought out the photos from that adventure when we went back to Little Silver last weekend.While the 3x4 pics aren�t frameworthy, they did serve to fill in some gaps in my memory of the trip.

So, in preparation for next week�s trip -� one week from today, we�ll be deep in the heart of the drunky and the funky � I decided to take a look back at that first trip. After 13 summers of nothing but Memorial Day weekends on Cape Cod and August vacations in Maine, my sister and I were pressing my parents for a more exotic vacation. California � it�s glitz, glamour and allure � called to us across 3,000 miles, from sea to glittering sea. One day, I walked home from school � I was in eighth grade � to find a Print Shop-created sign on the back door that said, "July 3-July 17: California, Here We Come!" We were psyched. (What? I was in eighth grade. "Psyched" was how we described "excitement.")

From that trip came what I suppose was my first true leisure writing endeavor. My mother suggested I keep a journal during the trip. "It doesn�t have to be too detailed," she said. "Just write down a few notes about each day and that will jog your memory later." I got the short notes down fine. It�s taken me nearly 14 years to go back and jog the memory. Here�s the first week.

Tuesday, July 3
What I wrote:
Left house at 7:30 to go to Newark Airport, had 9:35 flight � saw Pretty Woman on the plane (good movie) � flew over Pittsburgh, saw Three Rivers Stadium, the three rivers, and the city � later flew over the Grand Canyon � landed at noon, California time, met Mom�s uncle Ray and got bus to avis parking lot where we rented a blue Oldsmobile Cutlass Sierra with license number 2SEP836 (I was born on September 2, 1976) � then we drove to Karen�s (mom�s cousin) � took a trip and boat tour of Marina Del Rey and saw Ed McMahon�s boat � went to Jeff�s (mom�s other cousin) for dinner � he collects license plates, we saw Will Rodgers� last one and a few governor�s plates � met Jeff�s wife Linda and Karen�s husband Dave

What I remember: The flight was only the second in my lifetime that I could remember; the other had been a 1983 trip to Florida. That first view of the Grand Canyon took my breath away, as did the pilot�s announcement beforehand that we were 50 miles out and would be over it in five minutes. Descending into LAX, I pointed out two things to my father: an abundance of swimming pools in backyards and a McDonald�s. He chuckled. I also wasn�t used to five hours in the air, and I felt nauseated for about an hour afterwards.

One of my mom�s first observations was how weird it felt to have the ocean on our right when we were going south, rather than north, and vice versa. I picked up on it too and took note when, in an attempt to get someplace on the opposite side of a four-lane divided highway, Jeff told dad to make a U-turn from a left-turn lane at a traffic light. We don�t do those things in New Jersey, but as Jeff said, "There�s no sign that says �No U-Turn.� The rule here is, If it doesn�t say you can�t, do it."

Jess and I were too young to remember having met mom�s cousins Jeff and Karen before, but we were fascinated all at once by the warm air, the low humidity, the sunshine and these cool new relatives we were getting to know.

Also, in the opening credits of Gilligan�s Island, when they show the Minnow leaving on its three-hour tour, it�s motoring out of Marina Del Rey.

Wednesday, July 4
What I wrote:
Jeff took us on a tour of Venice Beach, Muscle Beach, Hollywood, and Beverly Hills � that night we had a picnic at the Hollywood Bowl and saw a Disney Spectacular there topped off with fireworks � went to Ray�s house in Thousand Oaks for a few nights

What I remember: What a start to our first full day in LA. I can�t do justice to the fuzzy pictures that remain in my head of the roller skaters on the strand, of the bodybuilders along the beach, of the van covered in various brass objects sitting among other � mostly older, beat-up, surfer�s � cars in a sun-bleached parking lot.

The Hollywood Bowl, the outdoor amphitheater built into the Hollywood Hills, featured songs from various Disney movies � pre-1990 Disney movies. A show like that today would feature "Under The Sea" and "You�ve Got A Friend In Me." The best part � and I cannot believe I did not write this down, not because of a chance I�d forget it, but because it was the coolest aspect of the show � was when Herbie the Love Bug drove out on stage for the finale. Granted, Herbie was my third-favorite car after K.I.T.T. and the General Lee, but it was the first I�d ever seen in person. To that point.

Thursday, July 5
What I wrote:
Woke up and walked into Ray�s heated pool before breakfast � hung out during the day � saw Pirates beat Dodgers at Dodgers Stadium that night

What I remember: I had no idea then where any of the dozens of suburbs were in relation to one another, and I certainly had no sense of where downtown Los Angeles was. Even now, I need a map to know where Redondo Beach lies in relation to Huntington Beach, and so on. But I could tell that Thousand Oaks was a quieter community. Uncle Ray lived in the kind of community I loved in The Wonder Years. Swimming before breakfast was a novelty, something we�d never done before, an activity to which we�d never had access. I�m sure I mentioned it in a postcard home to at least one friend.

The Dodgers-Pirates game was the first major league game I�d seen outside of New York. I should mention, too, that I took this trip with a cast on my left forearm. I spent four months from a week after Easter until August with the cast after breaking both bones just above my wrist in a preseason baseball scrimmage on the last day of Easter (Spring) break. With the waterproof cast, I could swim � if I was willing to deal with the damp, wet cotton padding for a few hours afterwards. Or I could put the plastic bag over it. I did some of both on the trip. But at the ballgame, when I bought peanuts from a vendor in the stands, he tossed the bag at me and then criticized me for not catching it despite my hindrance. The Pirates won the game 9-6, roughing up Ramon Martinez for seven runs in 4 1/3 innings and four home runs overall in the game hit by Sid Bream, Andy Van Slyke, Bobby Bonilla and a young, thin, scrawny Barry Bonds. No, I don�t recall all this off the top of my head; I looked up the box score.

Friday, July 6
What I wrote:
Spent day at Universal Studios � saw shows the Riot Act (stunt show), Miami Vice (stunts), and Animal Actors (animal tricks) � talked to K.I.T.T. from Knight Rider, he asked if I knew how to hot wire a car � took tram ride and saw the back lot which included the town of Hill Valley from Back to the Future � saw sets and stages of Major Dad, Coach, Munsters Today (taping), and the world�s biggest backdrop � the sky in Jaws � Earthquake, King Kong, and Avalanche were neat additions to the tram tour

What I remember: Universal was a blast. Until this California trip, movies and TV shows were confined to screens. I�d never seen any of it, particularly actual sites, up close or behind the scenes. Taking this tour eight years later, the movie used to reference the backdrop had changed from Jaws to The Truman Show. Far and away the highlights fell into two categories: Back to the Future and cars. Downtown Hill Valley had the teal fa�ade of the 80s Caf� because this was just after the filming of the second movie. We also drove by the faux-marble pillar that marked the entrance to Marty McFly�s development, the Lyon Estates. I took pictures of actual vehicles used in The A-Team (remember the black van with the red stripe?), Magnum P.I. (classic red Ferrari) and Uncle Buck (the furry Beetle with giant ears).

Saturday, July 7
What I wrote:
Had lunch with Jeff in Manhattan Beach and went to the beach � drove down to San Diego and had dinner at the Seaport Village

What I remember: All I recall about Manhattan Beach was that I�d read that some Dodgers lived there. At the time, it was second basemen Steve Sax. San Diego, unfortunately, is a blur. I remember the soft dusk at the seaport and putting our name in for a table at dinner: Dad gave Chic ("chick"), the standard abbreviation of our surname, and the waitress giggle and pronounced it "sheik."

Sunday, July 8
What I wrote:
Went to Balboa Park saw auto, model railroad, and sports museums � the auto museum had the presidential limo used by Nixon, Carter, Reagan, and the president after Nixon; this was the limo Reagan was getting into when he was shot � drove to Anaheim for two nights

What I remember: OK, I don�t remember this because it�s a current observation, but the photos in the album are so out of order. There�s the Dodger game, Hollywood, Disneyland, San Francisco then the car museum in San Diego and Universal Studios. I took three pictures of the DeLorean at the museum, from the front, side and rear. But with all California had to offer, something as simple as Balboa Park just didn�t seem as exciting as all the potential diversions in LA. I had no interest in the San Diego Zoo, which I think may have disappointed my mom. It must be tough when the wishes of your kids overrule what you want to do.

Monday, July 9
What I wrote:
Took shuttle from hotel to Disneyland at 7:45 (park opens at 8), came back for rest and dinner at 4:15, and went back to park at 6:45 for Electrical Parade, fireworks and more rides � stayed until it closed at one � GREAT PLACE!

What I remember: Dad didn�t get to go on that trip to Florida in 1983, so he was stoked for Disneyland. Jeff had advised us to get a hotel in Anaheim even though it wasn�t that far from his place because after a long day at the park, we�d enjoy having a chance to lie down so close to the fun. So we went with the plan I wrote about then: eight hours on, two and a half hours off, five hours on. I don�t know how many people were at the hotel and who went to Disneyland, but we ended up on the shuttle from the hotel to the park with the same family in the morning, afternoon and evening (though not at 1 a.m.) and found that hilarious. The hotel was on the other side of Anaheim Stadium from the park, and from the door of our room you could see the tip of the big A of the stadium scoreboard. The Angels, to my disappointment, were out of town though.

My only pictures are of the Dick Tracy show and that view from the hotel at the Anaheim Stadium scoreboard. What was I thinking?

Previous page: Salad
Next page: The second week of that first trip

� 1998-2004 DC Products. All rights reserved.

Yeah, sorry I have to be all legal on you here, but unless otherwise indicated, all that you read here is mine, mine, mine. But feel free to quote me or make fun of me or borrow what I write and send it out as an e-mail forward to all your friends, family and coworkers. Just don't say it's yours, you know?