California Girl for a week! Part 2: The sequel
…Putting the convertible to good use, the next day we drove an hour and a half up to LA for Universal Studios. It started off cloudy and nasty today, too, but cleared up so we could groove with the top down on the way home. I personally feel Universal Studios is the most overrated of the major southern California attractions, as it’s really expensive (both parking and admission) and there really isn’t all that much there. If my friend wasn’t a movie buff I probably would have skipped it altogether. The reason to go essentially is the Studio Tram tour, which is always enjoyable and different, as you see the ins and outs of an actual working film studio. It’s also a major chunk of your day, as when you combine the nearly hour long tour with the line for it, it’s a two-hour experience. The last time I was here I had been on a business trip, so it’s a very different experience to wander around with a bunch of know-it-all travel agents (me included) who ask a lot of obnoxious questions so we can properly sell the park to our clients, as it is to explore in a purely tourist capacity. This was more fun, but that way they threw in some of the perks, like the VIP tour, for free, so it really came out as a tie.
Late afternoon we’d seen all they had to offer and spent some enjoyable time shopping at the Universal Citywalk right outside the gates. I’m a big fan of Citywalk, the mix of stores is good, not too expensive, very kitchy and touristy (love my touristy crap!) and a good selection of places to eat, from Bubba Gump Shrimp Co to Taco Bell. The Sugar candy store even had a ten-pound gummy bear that had me wondering how I was going to get it through customs. I didn’t.
The following day finally brought the sunshine back with a vengenance, as this was the start of LA’s recent heat wave. It had to be 40 degrees, but it felt soooo gooood on my shoulders! We braved traffic back into downtown LA(top down this time) to do some shopping at the trendy Grove shopping mall and the quaint LA Farmer’s Market, which just so happen to be connected to one another. You know a mall is uber trendy when they offer valet service and have bathroom attendants in the parking garage. Not kidding. Never know if I have to tip those people who stand silently in the corner listening to people pee all day… The shopping there was pretty weak, but that was mainly because neither of us was in need of a $200.00 pair of jeans and the like, but the decor was nice. Dancing fountains and a central piazza that looked straight out of Italy until you turned around and found yourself facing a 20-screen multiplex movie theatre.
The Farmer’s Market was tiny! And I mean tiny. Like thirty different food stalls, two grocery stalls, and ten stores selling crap even too tacky for me, and that was it. It was more like the LA International food court instead of a Farmer’s Market. But there were three places that sold handmade ice cream that was really good (according to me and all the signed headshots of celebrities on the walls), and at the Sur La Table kitchen store I did buy this adonrable pan to make handmade mini doughnuts I’m dying to try out, so it wasn’t all a waste.
The real reason we were in LA today was because we had tickets to a taping of the Craig Ferguson Show at CBS Studios. The studios are actually right beside the Farmer’s Market, too, which is actually how we stumbled upon the market in the first place. In an incredible twist of fate, our plans for the day had been to scope out CBS Studios, then go to the Farmer’s Market, and then make it back to CBS in time for our afternoon taping. It was only when we got to CBS that we discovered our planned desitnations were actually in the same place. High five.
As an aside, we had a Tom Tom with us and that thing rocks. With all the lanes and exits and spaghetti junctons in SoCal, that soothing female voice smoothly guided us everywhere with a minimal effort. Except when the driver failed to listen to her. Or couldn’t get over into the right lane. Mostly failed to listen. Then she gets mad, “as soon as possible, please turn around” “please turn around” “turn around” “TURN AROUND!”.
Back to Craigy Ferg. Our tickets were for a 230 taping, but by the time our crowd got wrist-banded, searched by security, all our cell phones confiscated, warmed up and prepped for the rigorous duty of audiencing, it was nearly 430 and we hadn’t seen anything yet. They instructed us to laugh at all guests equally, not boo if something is offensive, and tone it down if you have one of those “special” laughs (you know who you are). The warm up guy was really funny, and soon we were in studio, watching the show go down live in font of us. John Hamm from Mad Men (surprisingly funny and charming), a surprise Betty White (who actually looks her age in person, but who’s still the coolest thing out there), and the creator of “Bored to Death” on HBO (or some network) who was hysterically funny and talked in a onotone about how he didn’t think he had a real penis since his was so small. No kidding. It was a riot. The whole show was ridiculously funny. Hell, even the guy with the jaunty sweater tied over his shoulders who was pulled onstage and mocked as the “gay guy” despite the fact he was there with his wife and kids was funny. Good times, good times. And if you ever wonder if they do edits and takes on a nighttime talk show, the answer is no. It all plays out rapidly and remarkably smoothly right before your eyes like it would watching at home, minus the commercials. Loved it!
Back to Disneyland for our last full day in California. A friend who lives in LA and has a season’s pass came and joined us and it was a lot of fun. I love Disneyland and I love the heat, but mid afternoon we were all feeling it. The fact that we’d all chosen to wear black didn’t help us out any, either 
Now we were able to go back and ride all our favorites, as we’d already hit pretty much everything once we wanted to, as well as do all the last-ditch shopping we had been meaning to do all week. After dinner at Target (there was no time to stop and eat, there was shopping to do, people! I literally had chocolate covered cherries straight off the shelf as we perused, then had to run the empty box through the register) we caught an opening night showing of the new Wall Street movie (air conditioned!) and concluded another fantastic day by watching the Disneyland fireworks from the comfort of our parkview hotel room’s picture window.
Last day. I can never believe when a trip is over. And I can never figure out where to keep all our crap. It never feels like I’m buying all that much as I shop, but when the time comes to re-pack, there’s never any space. Luckily my friend hadn’t brought a carry-on with him on the way down, so he was able to fly home with all our overflow stuffed animals (when in Disneyland I dare you not to come home without at least two stuffies. Let me tell you, it ain’t gonna work) in a giant Disney bag. I’m sure that helped his street cred We were checked out bright and early, and our last stop was the Crystal Cathedral. I never thought I’d actually intentionally come to the Crystal Cathedral (I used the bathroom there once years ago, but that doesn’t count), but we needed to pick up some souvenirs for the people back home. They have a surprisingly large gift shop, and they gave me a free Crystal Cathedral pen with my purchase of an angel decending from heaven (or ascending to heaven, depending on how you hold it) floaty pen. Bless them.
Saying goodbye to Sally at the Avis lot was a sad, sad moment. It’s like all my coolness went with that convertible. But I promised her I’d be back someday!
Our flight home was surprisingly mellow and easy, thanks to Plants Versus Zombies on iPhone, and before we knew it we were home. It really was a great trip, some very much needed r&r, a little sun, a lot of fun, and a lot of laughter. What more can you ask for? I wish we all could be California Girls (and guys, gotta keep this PC)!!!