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[dagobert]

I can't wait to see San Francisco and California, but I have to wait until 2011. Your trip report is very nice and your pictures are great. My girlfriend loves the sealion pictures.

Which meal did you have at the Hard Rock Cafe? We are big fans of the Hard Rock Cafe and we always eat the Veggie Burger. Good to know that there is one in SF.

I'm looking forward to your next parts.

[Riebi]

Which part of your trip was individual and which via tour operator?

Thanks for your reply!
We booked most of the hotels and the rental car through DERTOUR. (They are more specialised in adding individual elements to your itinerary than most tour operators.) The main reason to book the car through the tour operator was the additional insurance: should we have been involved in an accident, this insurance would have covered up to 1,5 million dollars in legal costs etc. - I thought this would be a wise choice when travelling in the US.

DERTOUR was also a good compendium for us while our planning. And it gives you a good impression about prices, possibilities and a good view of the hotels.

We got also a DERTOUR USA Straßenatlas from them  /  which was a good thing cause you have all the cities you need and all maps in one booklet.

I think we booked the city pass from them (via travel agency).

Vegas is great for dining and stage shows, no doubt about that. Some of the rides and coasters are fun too. It is interesting, but not a priority.

That´s one of the best descriptions of LV ever  :lol:

[Riebi]

I can't wait to see San Francisco and California, but I have to wait until 2011. Your trip report is very nice and your pictures are great. My girlfriend loves the sealion pictures.

Which meal did you have at the Hard Rock Cafe? We are big fans of the Hard Rock Cafe and we always eat the Veggie Burger. Good to know that there is one in SF.

I'm looking forward to your next parts.

It was this here:

Hard Rock Nachos
Fresh corn tortilla chips piled high with Jack
and Cheddar cheeses and seasoned pinto beans.
Served with sour cream, chopped green onions,
pico de gallo, jalapeños and a side of fresh Hard
Rock Grilled Salsa. Big enough to share.
Add Grilled Chicken, Bar-B-Que Pulled Pork or
Grilled Fajita Beef for an additional charge.

I added the grilled chicken. It was just a "starter" but it was enough for the rest of the day  :mrgreen:

There are much hard rock cafes at California (hollywood, San Diego, Sacramento, San Francisco). There . My friend collect "jiggers" from hard rock cafe so he was happy that there is now a second one at Las Vegas (Las Vegas - the strip).

The sealions are cool! And the sea elephants too! But also all the other animals. It was very cute to see that you fiend friends at every beach there. I loved the squirells!

[bensmum]

thanksfor a wonderful trip report and I have to say thanks for all the other contributors i am picking up lots of tips for my trip. I will probably start a thread mysef to avoid muscling into yours but have just booked my flight to SanFrancisco for April next year. Returning from Hartford as will fly over there after two weeks in California. Plan to dive down the coast and hit Disneyland and another theme park while visiting relatives. I am loving the reports and the pictures. =D>

[MagicStar]

Meine Fresse!
Riebi -- I would like to plan my next USA-Trip NOW!
Look fantastic. Especially the hard rock meal.
I remember a pic with you and huge Cup of ICE CREAM.
You had the same dreamy facial expression there  :mrgreen:  :mrgreen:  :mrgreen:

[experiment627]

We got also a DERTOUR USA Straßenatlas from them  /  which was a good thing cause you have all the cities you need and all maps in one booklet.

I have got the very same road atlas filed away on my book shelf now.  :wink:
Dertour is simply the best...

[Riebi]

thanksfor a wonderful trip report and I have to say thanks for all the other contributors i am picking up lots of tips for my trip. I will probably start a thread mysef to avoid muscling into yours but have just booked my flight to SanFrancisco for April next year. Returning from Hartford as will fly over there after two weeks in California. Plan to dive down the coast and hit Disneyland and another theme park while visiting relatives. I am loving the reports and the pictures. =D>

Wow sounds great! Have you a place for such a nice person like me?  :mrgreen:

Meine Fresse!
Riebi -- I would like to plan my next USA-Trip NOW!
Look fantastic. Especially the hard rock meal.
I remember a pic with you and huge Cup of ICE CREAM.
You had the same dreamy facial expression there :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

Same feeling:-) But you should see the pics where I eat an enormous Disney´s Soda Shop Sundae :mrgreen:

Dertour is simply the best...

Yes great service!

Nooow:

Day 5

07.10 Visit of Mr. Hearst weekend house "hearst castle" near San Simeon and then down the road to Santa Barbara, Burbank, Glendale and finally Anaheim with Gardenwalk and Downtown Disney

Ok where was I with my report...ah...San Simeon! Day 5 was full of things that happend. So let´s start with the morning. After a really cold night (it seems that the windows of the motel 6 San Simeon are not the best on a energy efficiency point of view) we had a bad coffee at the motel 6 lobby.

Then we were ready to leave this place and find something new (from hell to heaven): The Enchanted Hill next to San Simeon an on top of it: Hearst Castle.

If you want to visit Hearst castle you have to drive to the visitors center. It´s not possible to drive directly to the manor cause they only provide personal guided tours. The visitors center is next to the entrance to the Hearst estate and next to the hearst families airport. That said you can imagine how big the estate really is.

At the Hearst-Castle visitor center you can book your guided tours, you will find a restaurant, a souvenir shop of course and a cinema with a movie about the building process of hearst castle. There are several tours you can choose from. All have diffrent focal points. That because the enchanted hill - where the castle is build - is that big and the manor itself is also a big home.

This are the tours you will find:

Tour 1 - Experience Tour

Experience Tour - the main tour of the Castle, recommended for the first time visitor. The least strenuous of the tours, provides a broad overview of all facets of the Castle. It also includes a ticket to the large format film playing at the Hearst Castle Theater - Hearst Castle Building the Dream. (Tour 1)

Tour 2 - Upper Floors of Casa Grande
 
Upper Floors of Casa Grande - focuses on architectural elements of the main house (Casa Grande) and the art collection. Includes Hearst's private suite and the kitchen. (Tour 2)


Tour 3 - North Wing of Casa Grande
 
North Wing of Casa Grande - provides an overview of the construction and development of the Castle by contrasting the earliest guest house with the most recent work on the North Wing. (Tour 3)

Tour 4 - Garden Tour

Garden Tour - includes the estate's botanical gardens, terraces and walkways. Also includes the largest guest house (Casa del Mar) and a close look at the wine cellar. (Tour 4)
Garden Tour is offered April through October.

Also there is a night tour on some dates. Sadly not at the evening before:

Tour 5 - Evening Tour

Evening Tour - Allows visitors to experience the Castle at night as a visitor to the Castle in the 1930s might have. Features highlights from the Experience, Upper Floors of Casa Grande, and Garden tours. (Tour 5)
Evening tours run from March through May and September through December 30 on most Fridays and Saturdays. Additional nights are added during holiday periods and during the month of April will run every night April 6-18 with the exception of Sundays. Also there will be NO evening tour May 22, 23, September 12, 26, Oct 2 and Dec 5 2009.

More informations: //http://www.hearstcastle.com (also a nice virtual tour)

We took the "Experience Tour" Wish included the pools, a guest house and some rooms of the first floor of Casa Grande (the main house). You get to the mansion by a hearst castle bus. You drive up the hill through the landscape of mr. hearst estimate. We saw some african animals out there, which are the remains of Mr. Hearst Zoo. He had once the biggest private zoo in the world.

While we heared music from the twenties and a voice explained all we saw on our climb we arrived the castle area itself. A guide disguised as mr. hearst welcomed us at the property. After some explaining words to not touch something on the hill we start the tour. First stop was the wonderfull terrace next to one of the guest houses. Here you have a wonderful view over the hills and over the sea.

After this we stopped at the neptune pool (the outdoor pool) which is a wonderful place for a little swim, but also for a rest after a hard working day. After the pool we visited one of the guest houses, which are named after the view they have (Casa del mar (living room windows with views to the sea), Casa del Monte (to the mountains), Casa del Sol (to the sunset)). They are wonderful furnished. The style is mediterranean/oriental and it has some bedrooms and a big living room.
And that´s it cause Mr. Hearst wanted that his guests come over to his main house to have fun, a card play or a movie in his private cinema or they should do something under the sky.

After a short stop at the court between the guest houses and casa grande we entered the main building. It´s such a impressive building. The rooms are full of antiques, arts, tapestry (Gobelins) - most from the 14. or 15. century. The newer pieces are made like their antique complements and it´s a very fitting ensemble which Mrs. Morgan (the architect) and Mr. Hearst created.
We saw the libary/living room, the dining room, the morning room and some other room. At the end we watched a movie from Mr. Hearsts private home movies in his cinema room.

After this we strolled over the tennis court (where charly chaplin and clark gable playes once). Our final was then the Roman Pool, which was Mr. Hearst indoor Pool under the tennis court.

Then our time at the enchanted hill was over and we went back (via some old enclosures of the former zoo) to the visitors center.

I can really recommend a visit of Hearst Castle, that´s one of the places that are even better designed as Disneyland.

With the tour end our time at San simeon had an end too and we then drove down the route toward LA. Again wonderful landscape and so on till we arrived Santa Barbara - our stop for lunch. This is a beauftifull little city that looks like somewhere in spain. Remembers me much at villages of Gran Canaria mixed with some american small town flair.

We had a walk trough the many pedestrian areas and small courtyards and had then a stop for our meal.

Back on road I was very very very very very very very very very very very excited cause our next stops should be Burbank, Glendale and of cour Anaheim. So my friend had a hard drive cause I think I was talking to much and eating to much little snacks in little plastic bags and he said that I´m silly cause I was that excited about a movie studio and something he never heared about: WDI. (Yes he goes with me to DLP since 3 years but he never heard before WDI)

So as we were on the burbank exit he thought he´s with a mad rabbit or else. Just a bow and then in front of me was the Disney Studios! And of course the Animation building, which makes me even more excited.

He seems to be also happy to be there;-)

After our Disney Studio visit we took our next destination: Glendale Flower Street. We found the WDI building immediately and I was even more excited as for the Disney Studios. He was calm. Asking me what they do. "They design the parks! They design the parks!" shouted the mad rabbit. "The parks?" "YES THE PARKS! THE ATTRACTIONS AND ALL THIS THINGS, THE PARKS" shouted the mad rabbit. "Ah, ok" he said. "No not ok! THE PARKS!" the rabbit again. I made some pics. I forced him to make some pics of me in front of.
"ISN`T THAT A THING! WE HERE!" after a asking gaze of a security person the rabbit tried to get his excitment into frontiers.

Ok my friend get me back in the car cause he said that we will drive now to Disneyland.

Next excitment.

Finding the hotel. Checked in. Run to Disneyland Resort. Walk through Downtown Disney aaaand the Anaheim gardenwalk. We saw the firework of Disneyland at Downtown Disney and it was great. We saw people going to a trick or tread party and it was great (the costumes are that good at USA). We ate something at the Cheesecake Factory and it was great. We decided that we eat the cake of the Cheesecake Factory one day later cause our belly was that great full. We strolled a bit around at Garden Walk and Downtown Disney and it was great too.

Short: It was a great day from start to end!

[davewasbaloo]

Sounds like a very fun day. Shame you missed Mission Santa Barbara when you stopped for lunch. It is very beautiful, and interesting to see Spanish and American history colliding.

[dagobert]

Did you take a tour through the Disney Studios or doesn't Disney offer tours?

[Riebi]

Sounds like a very fun day. Shame you missed Mission Santa Barbara when you stopped for lunch. It is very beautiful, and interesting to see Spanish and American history colliding.

We did it by driving past..  But I had in the whole city the feeling to be in spain. Which is really funny if you must say to your self "noo its us" all the time.

Did you take a tour through the Disney Studios or doesn't Disney offer tours?

I didn´t take a tour there and I don´t know if they have something like this. I saw a lot of hard looking security guys  :lol:

Pics of Day 5:



Hearst Castle in the distance -a l l   hearst land


hearst castle sign


stairways to the terrasses


details


one of the guest houses


Neptun Pool


Neptun Pool Detail


Neptun Pool second floor


guest house



guest house


guest room


garden sculpture


view


egyptian sculptures (have I said that we talk here about original scultpures from the egypt empire? over 3000 years old) and casa grande main entrance


parts of casa grande


casa grande main entrance


dining room


roman pool



last view to the enchanted hill



Santa Barbara


without words


WDI


Downtown Disney

[Riebi]

Day 6
08.10 Some spaces without visitors at the Universal Studios Hollywood and my first wonderful piece of Cheesecake from the best cakemakers on earth: The Cheesecake Factory


"Long" sleeeeep day. We went to the breakfast around 9:00 and we were some of the last people in the room. Wonderful view toward Disneyland and Disneys California Adventure. That was a bit silly cause if you know the european resort you wouldn´t think that a Disney Park could be in the middle of a city.
So that was a totally new point. Anaheim by day is a well cultivated city. Not much dirt on the streets, no holes in the asphalt. But it´s a city. And then let me say ten meters ahead there´s a disney resort inside.

Not much parks and green and firstly I was thinking that that doesn´t fit very well but after my days of staying it was ok.

Our first aim for the day was to get our Southern California City Pass. That´s something that will save you much money if you are interested in theme park adventures. (there is also one for other cities/regions. For example San Francisco, cause our time in San Francisco was splitted in two parts.)

That´s what´s inside the SCCP:

3-Day Disneyland Resort Park Hopper Bonus Ticket: valid for back-and-forth admission to both Disneyland Park and Disney's California Adventure Park; also includes one Magic Morning early Disneyland park entry (on Sat, Sun, Tues, or Thurs)
Universal Studios Hollywood: one-day general admission
SeaWorld: one-day general admission including all shows
Option Ticket: Choose to visit either the San Diego Zoo: one-Day Pass including unlimited use of Guided Bus Tour, Express Bus and Skyfari Aerial Tram
OR San Diego Zoo's Wild Animal Park: one-Day Pass which includes the Journey Into Africa Tour, Conservation Carousel Ride, and all shows and exhibits

Cause we planned to visit all this attractions it was a good deal for us. You´ll save around 100 $. If you aren´t interested in one attraction it should even be a good deal. I think the limit is two attractions.

We booked it at our travel agency but you can also get it here: www.citypass.com
You will only get your "real" ticket at the Disneyland Resort. So that was our first stop at the day. My friend lined up, I took some pictures of the DCA entrance and then he needed me again cause they needed my ID and other things to pretend that it´s me at the ticket counter and not someone else (The US-People seems to have a real obsession in this. I never ever had to show my ID that often. Think next step will be to show your id if you order meal at Mc Donalds)

We get a 3 Day Park hopper ticket, a magical morning ticket and a voucher for the rest of the ticket. With this thing you have to go to the guest relations or city hall (Guest relations outside the parks, city hall inside Disneyland Park)
Cause it was already around 11:00 AM we wouldn´t spend the day at Disneyland. It´s better to have a full day at the park (Opening at 8:00 AM).

So we drove to Universal Studios. Thanks Brigitte (new name of our GPS) we found it without any problems and so we were at the studio gates around 12 AM.

I had a some sorrows that we wouldn´t see everything cause the late time and the early closing time of Universal studios. But that was causeless. We enter the studios and startet first with the simpsons ride with a 20 minutes waiting time. "Oh that´s not that long" we said. It was the longest waiting time for the whole day. Seems that they hadn´t that much people in the park. After simpson we went the big stairways down to the other level. We made Jurassic Park without waiting time - an OK-ride but a bit short (as everything except simpsons at the park).
We made our way through the studios got the special effects tour without waiting (great show, much better then armageddon...) we took the Mummy without waiting time (the ride is ok but to short. As the ride stopped (you see a black wall without anything) we had both the opinion that now the main part would start. But the wall opened and there was the boarding area again....)
then we took a meal at the pizza hut express and after that we found the Backdraft show a bit boring for the most parts. The last part was great but this explaining things before...not my cup of tea. After the little movie museum at this level we were both surprised that we done all the things on this level. So we moved back to the top level to do the studio tram tour. (better then WDS)
Then we did the House of Horrors which was fun because a chinese woman in our group was sooo scared that she screamed all the time. We had then Shrek 4 D (good movie. Not the best 4 D movie ever but ok), the Waterworld show (kool stuntshow), the pets-show and that was it. Terminator was closed. Not much to do. it was around 4:30 PM and we done the whole park in just 4,5 hours. It´s a really small park. You wouldn´t know it if you see Universal City and the big entrance. But after all its a really small park. We were both a bit disapointed and seeing the high entrance prices we were even happier to took the City Pass.

I think they can´t take that much money for Universal Studios Hollywood! But ok. We left the park, strolled around Universal city. Universal city remembers me much at Festival Disney / Disney village in the first years. It´s a bit like they did the concept right and developmented it right. Without ripping out all the signs, effects and theme without any replacement. It was a bit as somebody would say "And that could it be if you just develope it in a good way".
Sad but Universal city was better then the studios. (and it was funny to see a ferrero rocher box which you could buy for 14 $!!!! delicatessen. )

So we returned very early. But that was ok. We searched for a meal at the Anaheim Garden Walk but we didn´t found something that we liked. Except: Our dessert at the cheesecake Factory. We took the Godiva Chocolate Cheesecake and the Fresh Banana Cream Cheesecake "to go". They served it in nice decorated boxes and so we took our to pieces of cheesecake and 2 cheeseburgers at Mc Donalds (yes both with cheese!) and went to our room. To eat this pieces of cake was one of the best things happend in my life.
It´s just the best cake ever. Now I´m a cheesecake factory junkie. Hard life, I know!

[davewasbaloo]

Interesting. I really like USH because it is a real studio rather than a theme park. But true, they keep cutting back. When I was a kid, there were 5 or 6 different stunt shows on offer. It was much better back then. But I still like it now.

[davewasbaloo]

Also, I am surprise you did not opt to eat your main meal at the Cheesecake factory, they are great too, in fact we often eat the mains there and don't bother with the cheesecake.

[bensmum]

Thanks for posting. Have I missed where you stayed in LA?

[Riebi]

Interesting. I really like USH because it is a real studio rather than a theme park. But true, they keep cutting back. When I was a kid, there were 5 or 6 different stunt shows on offer. It was much better back then. But I still like it now.

I think it was just the mix there. It was all a bit tacky and the "cast members" hadn´t the best behavior. It´s a good theme park for a day but I think my expectations were a bit higher then just a studio theme park. And I think I was a bit shocked that we did the whole park in a shorter time then WDS.

Also, I am surprise you did not opt to eat your main meal at the Cheesecake factory, they are great too, in fact we often eat the mains there and don't bother with the cheesecake.

Oh we had the a great meal the day before. But at this day we couldn´t eat a piece of cake cause the mains were sooooo much food!

Thanks for posting. Have I missed where you stayed in LA?

We stayed at Anaheim Carousel Inn. I had the fear that it could end into a desaster cause I haven´t heared good things about the hotel before (but my friend booked it already and it was to late to switch...)but I must say it was a good and clean hotel and I haven´t much negative about it. Except that a lamp was broken-down. But because in nearly every hotel room of our journey (only exception Las Vegas) was something broken-down and one lamp wasn´t that hard it doesn´t matter. (Hotel rank list: 1. Las Vegas; 2. San Francisco; 3. Anaheim; big gap; Sacramento; little gap; other cities with most worse expierence at the motel 6 at the San Fran Airport....)

Here now some pics of Day 6

Universal Studios

At the globe

We should be happy with the pumpkin man. Some decorations were just old garbage bags.

The simpsons Ride is one of my favorits of USH

Warner and Disney Studios in the Distance

Jurrrraaaassssic Park. Short but effectiv.

some better decorations

one of our highlights of the day!

Remembers me at Festival Disney 1993. A fish to take photos!

Universal City - the developed festival Disney

Universal City - the developed festival Disney

Godiva Chocolate Cheesecake

Fresh Banana Cream Cheesecake