Disneyland When No One Is Looking

One thing I love about Disneyland is how magically clean it is. Every time I visit the park, it looks like it has just opened. And I got a special invitation for a sneak peak visit. "Welcome, Princess Katie!" an animatronic blue bird chirps as I step through the turnstile at the ticket booth. Once through the portal, a park employee named Eduardo places a diamond encrusted tiara on my head. As he does that, he whispers "welcome home" into my ear, which sends tingles of excitement down my back. Eduardo snaps my picture and then hands me a map. A marching band plays "Push It" by Salt-n-Pepper in the background.

This is an incredible feat for a place that receives 40,000 visitors daily. Clearly, I do way more damage to my one bedroom apartment all by myself! I don't think you understand how impressed I am!

Reflection: Hearst Castle Visit

This post was originally written on December 13th, 2010. I'm not sure why I never posted it. Too nerdy, maybe? Oh well!
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It is 10:12 on a Monday night. I am laying on a bed in my room at the Wine Valley Inn in Solvang. To my right is the bathroom, where the pipes sound like rain. To my left is my mother snoring away. There isn't much to do in Solvang. It is a lot like Bruges... but less historic. The roads are cobbled and the shops close at five. There is nothing good on TV. So I blog.

(Ed. Note: Our trip to Solvang was filled with In Bruges references, cause that movie is the effing best!)

Today we visited the estate of William Randolph Hearst in San Simeon, also know as the Hearst Castle. It was pretty incredible.  

I was blown away by the sheer size of the ranch. Everything about this well-preserved Hearst dwelling was monumental. For instance, this is the guest house. The guest house!