#62: Tourist Traps, Disney, Locations, Locations, Locations
Hey There!
We hope you're all doing well. Another Saturday and another run on places to see, eat, drink, and enjoy in California.
Patti has lived here all her life, but I'm still a newcomer, according to some friends. I've been here officially since 2006 after leaving the East Coast for good, I figure.
Whenever we post a new edition, I learn something new about this state and other places. I've been to some of the spots we post about since moving here. Others I remember from visiting years ago and places we post about outside of California; some have great memories that I try to bring into the conversation.
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Be Well! Stay Safe!
Mark & Patti
Just like the East Coast, there are tourist traps all around California. It would be best to have a heads-up about where they all are.
I found this post this week identifying 10 tourist traps to avoid. I guess you could agree to disagree with the 10 they posted, but that's up to you. Check out the list below and their reasoning why.
10 Tourist Traps In Los Angeles, Plus Alternatives Instead
by thetravel.com
Los Angeles and the SoCal area, known as the jewel of the West Coast, beckons with its allure of Hollywood glamour and a plethora of entertainment options. Still, let's be honest, navigating the tourist scene can be tricky, as some places turn out to be top LA tourist traps to avoid, offering overpriced and underwhelming experiences. Not all destinations in the City of Angels live up to the hype, and falling into tourist traps can put a damper on any trip.
Spring is approaching, and things are shaping up at theme parks this year. Especially food-related events. Here's a beginning list to check out.
Top Tastes of Spring: Your Guide to SoCal Theme Park Food Fests!
by Samantha Davis-Friedman, Micechat.com
Springtime is food festival time at the SoCal theme parks, with Disneyland, Knott’s Berry Farm, SeaWorld San Diego, and Six Flags Magic Mountain all serving up festival food and drinks. But with a plethora of tempting items available, how can one possibly decide? Fear not, MiceChat’s got your back with our top picks for festival faves – both sweet and savory.
Speaking of tourist traps. There are so many that can take you in as well as your money. How about a simple alternative, visit the Almond Blossoms in Modesto?
Tired of Cherry Blossoms? Try This Uniquely California Bloom Instead
by Molly O’Brien, Thrillist.com
The easiest way to take in this beauty is by taking a guided tour, which are charmingly referred to as Almond Blossom Cruises. These cruises are a great way to learn more about the city’s history, including background on local legends like George Lucas and the Gallo Family, and see the best Instagram-ready photo spots around town. They run the gamut from the Almond Blossom Cruise on The Wayfarer App, a completely self-paced tour that includes an audio guide and all the directions needed to enjoy the bloom for $14.99, to the Motorcoach tour, a four-hour guided tour that takes you through the blooms via a luxury motorcoach for $59.
This next story goes against the idea of avoiding tourist traps, but it's a great story, and I, for one, now want to go to Disneyland to check out this home.
They lived inside Disneyland. Their house is still at the park today.
by Julie Tremaine, SF Gate
The story goes like this: Walt Disney hired Owen and Dolly Pope in 1951 to advise Imagineers on the use of animals in amusement parks, and then to tend to the horses that would eventually power the Conestoga Wagons attraction and other animals in the park. But the animals needed after-hours care. The solution: have them live inside the confines of Disneyland itself.
Speaking of Waly Disney, here's a local spot he loved and often ate there. I just watched an episode of Diners, /Drive-Ins, and Dives with Guy Fieri, and this place was featured. Maybe it's time for the Clifford clan to take a road trip.
Walt Disney himself loved this legendary California restaurant
by Karen Palmer, SF Gate
Two dozen seats ring a long U-shaped counter in Burbank, California. Each red-orange stool gets a view of the action, as it were: a single metal steam table, inset with six bubbling vats of meaty chili, stands ladle-ready for the next order. This is Chili John’s, one of the oldest restaurants in Los Angeles County — and keeper to a 120-year chili throne.
Still, more places to go in and outside of California and the USA…
Dine Where Bruce Lee and Anthony Bourdain dined, Seattle
Historic Chapel Closed, California