Shark Lagoon at Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach, CA

Rating: You Might Like It

This post is not about the entire Aquarium of the Pacific (since I didn't get to experience half of it on this trip), but rather about the FREE Shark Lagoon Nights I found out about this year.  On certain Fridays, from 6pm-9pm, admission is free to everyone to come and experience the

The Getty Museum in Los Angeles, CA

Rating: You Should Go

The J. Paul Getty Museum is the kind of museum you can spend all day at (and you'll need to if you want to see everything it has to offer).  There are two locations, one in L.A. and the other in Malibu, but Nate and I have only been to the L.A. location.  There are four main

Believe 5K/10K

Rating: You Should Go

The Believe Walk for the Cure is another big Stater Bros event that I just learned about this year.  This one was held on a Sunday morning in October and there was the option to do a 5K or 10K.  We chose to walk the 10K with our friends and their dog.  The walk had a lot going on.  There were people who spoke before the walk (which made us start rather late), hand-made posters lining the streets, and tons of vendors donating free stuff afterward.  They even gave out fruit and water bottles before the walk.

Phantom of the Opera

Rating: You Might Like It


Nathan and I saw Phantom of the Opera at the Pantages Theater in Los Angeles as an early Christmas present from my parents.  My parents had seen the musical when I was 10

Light the Night 5K and Fun Run

Rating: You Should Go

I didn't realize how involved Stater Bros is with charity work until we met our friend who works there.  She told us about the Light the Night 5K that's held at Angel's stadium to benefit the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.  Being fans on the Angels and having had a family member who died young of leukemia, Nate and I jumped on the opportunity to take part in this charity walk.

The Olde Ship in Fullerton, CA

Rating: You Should Go

The Olde Ship is a British-style pub in the downtown area of Fullerton.  I first heard about it from Nate's old roommate a few years back.  It's the perfect place to get away from it all.  The dimly lit pub is perfect for calming the nerves (along with their selection of beer and wine).  I've tried a few dishes here and been satisfied with them all.  They have some very British selections (like Bangers and Mash), some simple seafood dishes, and even burgers.  Nate and I split One Piece of Cod and "chips" (that's fries to us Americans) and it was plenty of food.  Although I haven't tried it, I hear the Captain's Burger is the best thing on the menu.  The average price is $10-$15 a plate (although your bill could be much higher depending on how much you decide to drink).  If you want a real pub feel and a chance to hang out with good friends while eating good food, this is the place to go.

Dana Point Turkey Trot 5K/10K

Rating: You Should Go

I first heard about the Dana Point Turkey Trot when my sister-in-law got myself and her parents to run the 5K with her.  Ok, so she ran it with a friend while her parents and I walked the entire way (I ran at the end simply because I refused to let a poodle beat me to the finish line).  Now despite what I'm about the tell you, I love doing this 5K and plan to do it again for many years.  Nevertheless, Thanksgiving Day 2008

Ralph Brennan's Jazz Kitchen in Anaheim, CA

Rating: You Should Go

We celebrated Nate's 23rd birthday at Ralph Brennan's Jazz Kitchen in Downtown Disney.  Rick Solem was the piano player featured that night (it was a Monday) and we hoped to get a good seat.  We made reservations and forgot to request to sit

Our First Trip to Vegas - Food

Cheeseburger Las Vegas in the Miracle Mile Shops - You Should Go

The first day we arrived in Vegas, we ate at Cheeseburger restaurant.  It was really hard to find with our GPS, but if you go inside the Miracle Mile Shops and follow the map you'll find it easily.  I don't know if it was the burgers themselves or the fact that I hadn't eaten since 11 that morning and it was 9:30pm by the time

The Sahara Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada

Rating: You Might Like It/Don't Go

We did not take any pictures of our room or hotel during our stay at the Sahara.  It might be better that we didn't.  We stayed in a room that was $50 a night on the weekend.  The room was clean but the furniture was scratched and had cigarette burns.  There was an extra fee to have a refrigerator in the room ($10

Our First Trip to Vegas - Acitivites

I've been trying to get away from writing mass blogs, but there is so much to do in Vegas that I thought it would be better to list similar aspects of the trip all in one place.  I'll split the blogs into accommodations, food, and activities.  If we go again, I promise not to repeat information so that each Vegas blog will be different.  Also, I'm going to start writing in the first person since, let's be honest, I (Michelle) am the only one that's been writing these things.  Finally, to explain the picture on the left...Nathan is a nerd.  With all that out of the way, onto our trip.

Destination Temecula Wine Tours

Rating: You Should Go

Our anniversary weekend ended with a wine tour of 3 Temecula wineries through Destination Temecula.  There were a lot of options for tours, but we chose this one because it offered a more scenic ride to the wineries and it was more intimate (only 15 people in our group).  The tour started around 1pm with a pretty quiet

Baily's Restaurant in Old Town Temecula, CA

Rating: You Should Go

On our anniversary weekend, we had dinner at Baily's Restaurant in Old Town Temecula.  This is a very complicated restaurant.  There's a fine dining section, the part actually called Baily's, which is upstairs.  There's a night club called Eleven that opens after 10pm on Friday and

Hampton Inn and Suites in Temecula, CA

Rating: You Should Go

On our one year anniversary, we decided to take a short trip to Temecula.  We stayed at Hampton Inn and Suites for a night.  It was not the cheapest option ($130 a night) but it was very nice.  The room was very clean and had

The Glockenspiel Restaurant in Mt. Angel, OR

Rating: You Might Like It

Mt. Angel is a little German community in Oregon.  It's a fun place just to take a stroll, but we happened on it while there was a little festival going on.  There were old cars and a live brass

K-R Drive Inn in Oakland, OR

Rating: You Should Go

Just off the I-5, there is a beat-up looking Drive-In that serves some amazing ice cream.  If you're traveling North, you'll see the tall sign to the left.  Take the Rice Hill exit to the right and it

Saturday Market in Salem, OR

Rating: You Should Go

The Salem Saturday Market may not seem like much, but it is a lot of fun on a Saturday morning.  The market caters to local growers and producers.  Coming from California, we were impressed by how environmentally

Williamette Valley Fruit in Salem, OR

Rating: You Should Go

While in Oregon, we passed several signs that advertised pick-your-own berries for $1 a pound.  Having grown up in the suburbs and never picked any berries of our own, we couldn't pass up the experience or the deal.  We went to the Williamette Valley Fruit Company's new building in Salem, OR.

Pageant Park in Bend, Oregon

Rating: You Should Go

Pageant Park in Bend, Oregon is a nice place to stop and smell the flowers.  It has a lovely bridge overlooking the Deschutes River, shaded benches, and grassy banks.  It's a great place to feed the ducks or feed the family (including pets).  If you're in Bend (which we definitely recommend visiting), make sure to stop by this park.

Sno Cap Drive-In in Sisters, Oregon

Rating: You Should Go

Sisters, Oregon is named for the three snowy peaks that overlook the valley below.  It is also home to Sno Cap Drive In, a small ice cream shop and eatery.  This shop is placed amongst a quaint town (which is also worth a visit) and can be easily recognized by the long line of people going out the door.  There's not a lot of room inside to sit down and eat, but it's worth the wait for the delicious ice cream and malts.  We didn't try the food but it smelled really good and the people eating around us seemed happy.  The prices are very affordable ($2-$6).

Silver Falls State Park in Oregon

Rating: You Should Go

Silver Falls State Park is great for people who like to take leisurely hikes around cascading waterfalls, or just sit on shaded benches overlooking cascading waterfalls.  It costs $5 per vehicle to get into the park (make sure to have exact change when you go because there was just a machine when we went).  We had a picnic lunch on a bench along one of the hiking paths then walked the paved path to the South Falls.  It's an easy walk down but a little harder getting up.  There are large grassy areas with benches and flowing streams that are also good for having lunch, playing games, or just lounging.  There are also more challenging hiking trails for those who are a bit more in shape.

Tillamook Cheese Factory in Tillamook, Oregon

Rating: You Should Go

The Tillamook Cheese Factory is a must for our family of cheese lovers.  We went on a Sunday and most of the machines were down, but we still got to walk around the gift shop, sample different kinds of cheeses (Squeaky Cheese is surprisingly good), and have the creamiest ice cream we have ever tasted.  The ice cream is cheap ($3 for a large scoop), and the cheese samples are free.  It's a fun stop even if you have to go a little out of the way.  If you're in the area, definitely check it out.

Lion King the Musical

Rating: You Should Go

I have been a big fan of The Lion King movie since it was released.  Nathan went to see the musical with his family when he was young, so for my birthday we both went to experience it together.

We saw it at the Orange County Performing Arts Center (OCPAC) in the Segerstrom Hall theater.  OCPAC is a nice group of theaters.  As far as the one we saw The Lion King in, we sat in Tier 1 near the back right and had our view slightly blocked by the Tier above us. Probably not the best place to sit, but it

Aliso Beach County Park in Laguna Beach, CA

Rating: You Should Go

This place had been a favorite of my parents for a short time before we decided to go there.  It was our sixth dating anniversary when we went for the first time, and also happened to be the place Nathan decided to propose.  Needless to say, Aliso Beach holds a special place in our hearts.

Steamers Jazz Club in Fullerton, CA

Rating: You Might Like It

We wanted to go out for a spontaneous date night.  Nate had looked up jazz clubs and found Steamers Jazz Club and Cafe in Downtown Fullerton.  It was a small cafe (max capacity 91), with a stage taking up most of that space.  We

Botanical Garden in Claremont, CA

Rating: You Might Like It

The beautiful Claremont Colleges are home to a public garden called the Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden.  We went here for something a little different on Valentine's Day.  The place is beautiful and rather large.  We only saw about half of the garden in the few hours we were there, but we also stopped to sit on a bench for a while and watch the squirrels.  It was a nice relaxing afternoon.  The admission is $8 for adults and $6 for students.

Western Trails Horseback Riding in Norco, CA

Rating: You Might Like It

For my birthday we went horseback riding with Western Trails Horseback Riding in Norco.  I had been horseback riding before but Nathan had never been.  It's a really good place for new

Angels Game Tips and Deals

Rating: You Should Go

We are Angels fans that love to get out and see the guys play. We've gone to five games so far this year at an average cost of $12 a person ($5 up to $20 on a splurge event).

Our first trip we sat on the first base side, Lower View Level.  Lower View is probably

Huntington Library in San Marino, CA

Rating: You Should Go

We have been to this beautiful garden/museum at least six times over the years (twice most recently just to take engagement photos).  This place is huge and has so much to do and see.  There are about 7 museums (including a large historical library building) and 13 or 14 gardens.  This place is great

Aladdin Motor Inn in Sonora, CA

Rating: You Should Go

We continued our journey northward through California and stopped off for the night at the Aladdin Motor Inn in Sonora (sorry, we didn't take pictures).  Just as a heads-up, Google maps took us the right direction all the way there until the last step.  It told us to turn left when we really should have turned right.  The Inn is just

Pea Soup Andersen's in Gustine, CA

Rating: You Might Like It

We drove up with a friend to Tuolumne, CA (which is near Yosemite) for a friend's wedding.  It was a short trip but a lot of fun.  On the way there, we stopped at Pea Soup Andersen's in Gustine.  We had never heard of the place but our friend said his family went there all the time, so it turned into our little adventure.  The place is

Honeymoon in Key Largo - Food

The Buzzard's Roost - You Should Go
 This place was recommended by our hotel staff.  We loved the food, service, and atmosphere so much we went there again that same trip.  It's located right off of a dock so you're not right on the water but you've got a good view of it.  The food is in the $10-$15 range.  It's just got a good relaxing feel to it.

Hobo's Cafe - You Might Like It
This place does not look like much from the outside and there is no ocean view (no view at all, really), but they've

Honeymoon in Key Largo - Activities

Dagny Johnson Key Largo Hammock Botanical State Park - Don't Go
We thought it would be nice to just get out and walk around for a while.  It was so hot and humid in the Keys that walking was not usually an option.  We decided to try a state park.  Besides having the longest name ever, the entrance to this park was really hard to find.  We drove fifteen miles to the end of a road and back before we saw that the park was at the very beginning of the road we had started on (I guess we hadn't started looking until after we passed it).  Once we got there, we sprayed ourselves with mosquito spray, put a small donation in the box ($5), and

Azul Del Mar in Key Largo, FL

Rating: You Should Go

Honeymoons are great for getting special treatment.  We got our rental car upgraded from economy to luxury, our hotel room upgraded to an ocean-view suite, and all the free key lime pie we could stomach.  There were a few things we had to pay for on our trip, though, and it was all worth it.  The next several blogs will give you a breakdown of where we went and how it measured up, starting with where we stayed.