We had an eventful weekend recently filled with unrelated points of interest: chocolate, magic, and mountains.
Yes, Jason was on the run.
On Friday, we went to Taste with Jason’s parents as a birthday treat. As its name suggests, Taste is a place for tasting fine foods with pinky fingers up. Evaluating different types of high-end chocolate was a treat!
Expedious Momentum!
Nope, I’m not too cool for this.
On Saturday, we participated in the Muggles Battle Cancer 5K. We created quick, and reasonably-breathable, costumes for this event using what we had on hand. Jason’s Death Eater tattoo was impressive for a two-minute Sharpie job. It was over 90 degrees when we started this race, so it might have more appropriately been named Muggles Battle Heatstroke. Perspiro Maxima!
Our hiking band included some little rookies.
Below Sunset Peak, Brighton’s lakes formed a string of shimmering circles.
On Sunday, we hiked to Sunset Peak with some of my family members via Lake Mary, Lake Martha, and Lake Catherine. Getting to Lake Catherine takes a 2.2-mile trek. From there, it’s a little over a mile to the top of Sunset Peak. If you are a math whiz, you can add that up to be about 3.3 miles each way or 6.6 miles total. You whiz! Somehow, our distance summed to 7.6 miles, presumably from sidetracks to Dog Lake and around shorelines. I’m going to blame that extra mile for the extra hour it took us to complete this hike. Five hours was the estimate, but we required six.
Wildflowers added a delicate dash of color to Brighton’s terrain.
The air was murky during our climb because of particulates blown in from the California and Oregon wildfires. Sunset Peak still provided inspiring views from its 10,648 feet, but some of the surrounding beauty was concealed in a veil of haze.
Sunset Peak rose above hillsides dimmed by smoke.
It was a varied weekend with a little something for the mouth, the eyes, and the heart.
Some think birthdays are a reason to be sad. Jason and I think birthdays are an excuse to be rad. When both our birthdays came up this summer, rad we were… or kind of cool at least.
Good friends are better treasure than fake gold.
Although Jason took me to California for my birthday, more than enough of a celebration, he still wanted to get together with a few of our chums in honor of my oldness. Hence, he arranged for us to spend three full hours breaking out of Vizzini’s House of Escape with some of our slippery buddies. We covered both floors of Vizzini’s, including Mr. Body’s Game Room and the Pirate Hunter. Mr. Body’s became a battle of boys vs. girls that no one won. (The girls got closer though, which bears mentioning.) We felt a little potato brained after our 90 minutes with Mr. Body, but the prospect of acquiring Queen Anne’s treasure soon had us digging through hidden maps and bone piles with enthusiasm. We completed our swashbuckling quest with 10 or 15 minutes to spare. I guess our minds resembled brains more than spuds after all.
This amazing cake was just one of the three bestowed on us by my friend Robyn this year.
To commemorate Jason’s birthday, I invited a small group of old friends to join us for supper at Brio Tuscan Grille. We gobbled tenderloin on a too-full table and talked about bizarre travel faux pas. It was both a satisfying and entertaining evening.
Birthdays should be a hands-on experience.
I didn’t take Jason anywhere as turbulent as Disneyland for his birthday, but the two of us did gain some heights at Sundance Resort. We ate a bulky breakfast at the Foundry Grill and then took a sultry chairlift ride to the top of the mountain. After disembarking to appreciate some of the landscape, we hiked back to the bottom of the mountain via Stewart Falls. In keeping with the inadvertent woodsy theme of the day, we ate dinner at Log Haven. Log Haven is one of my favorite places to dine during the summer. The food is amazing, and its outdoor patio is filled with the unmistakable scent of pine and the rhythmic splashing of a mossy waterfall.
Red’s Summit is a perfect place to contemplate the passing of another eventful year.
No shoes + a cool stream = a tranquil birthday.
Thanks friends for joining in our birthday adventures. Happy birthday to you and me but mostly me!*
*This is a nerdy Captain Hammer reference not an actual narcissistic declaration.
I have a fantastic hubby. This year, he planned a trip to Disneyland and Universal Studios to celebrate my birthday. Fantastic, right? I only wish Mother Nature’s contribution to my “special” outing hadn’t been a record-breaking scalding. Here’s the lowdown on those high temps and our cool trip.
I hate to ruin fanciful notions, but kids aren’t necessary to enjoy Disneyland.
We spent the first couple days of our vacation in Disneyland. Disneyland was a bit crowded, it being summer and all, but we avoided lines all the same. We took advantage of the FASTPASS system and the thinning of the crowds late in the evening, which resulted in 15-20 minutes being our longest wait. We still hit almost all the most popular rides.
With a spectacular view of the evening parade and fireworks, our dinner at Carthay Circle really was a feast for the senses.
In my prestigious opinion, sampling the food at Disneyland is almost more fun than sampling the rides. With that in mind, we munched corndogs, Mickey beignets, Dole whips, safari skewers, and Mickey macaroons. We endeavored to go easy on the sugar, but it went down a little too easy. We dined at Napa Rose, The Blue Bayou, and Carthay Circle. Since we were celebrating my birthday, the staff at Carthay Circle gave us one of the restaurant’s best tables on the terrace. From that vantage point, we got to watch the evening parade and fireworks. It was, dare I say, magical. Peter Pan gave us a surprised look as he passed us high on his float perch, a startled look he probably gives Carthay’s balcony dwellers every night.
These pixie-dusted flowers were among the items delivered to our room on my birthday while we were out.
My actual birthday was actually awesome. Jason surprised me with a whole assortment of Disney-themed birthday goodies that the hotel staff arranged in our room while we were out; I’m talking Dudley Dursley quantity here. Good thing I’m too old to be classified as “a brat.” Jason also insisted I wear a birthday button. More people seem to be taking advantage of Disneyland’s buttons these days. Hence, only a handful of park goers offered me wishes, but plenty of staff members gave me good birthday vibes.
I guess Camelot will have to wait a bit longer.
I’m no Disney nut, but I have to admit that Disneyland does it right. Not only is the park kept remarkably clean for the number of people that crowd into its borders, but its characters have a way of making you feel enormously important. We ate breakfast at the Storytellers Café on my birthday, and all the critters were so sweet. They held my hand, kissed my forehead, gave me pats; I felt loved. Kylo Ren wasn’t so doting. He attempted to get me to join the dark side. I gave him an ambiguous maybe- I just couldn’t say yes in good conscience.
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter came with a castle and all.
We spent our last couple days at Universal Studios. Jason was a wee lad the last time he went back to the future. And, for me, it had been over a decade. More importantly, neither of us had been to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Birthdays are a good time to remedy oversights like that.
One of the biggest perks of the VIP Studio Tour is getting off the bus.
Our second day at Universal, we decided to upgrade to the VIP Experience. This decision was based off two points. First, a record heatwave was expected, prompting an excessive heat warning from the National Weather Service. As predicted, that hot spell spiked the temperatures at Universal Studios up to 113 degrees and other parts of L.A. to 117, the highest temperatures on record in some of these areas. When things get hot, the hot get guides… or something like that. The other reason? We wanted all the secrets of the backlot to be revealed to us. Thanks to our knowledgeable guide and VIP status, not only did we discover many studio curiosities, we also effortlessly hopped on every ride, walked through the props department, and received a meal that deserved its “gourmet” designation. Our favorites attractions at Universal Studios? We most enjoyed the Studio Tour, Revenge of the Mummy ride, Special Effects Show, and everything Potter.
Recognize this throne? It’s held its share of celebrity butts.
Speaking of Potter, the Wizarding World of Harry Potter was charming but searing. Sadly, Hogsmeade’s winter glazing didn’t make it any cooler; we melted while its snow didn’t. At Ollivanders, an ash wand selected Jason during the choosing show. I guess his magical abilities are as alluring as the rest of him. We tried casting spells throughout the village, sometimes with success and sometimes with fiasco. Although most of the food options at Universal Studios are underwhelming, Jason and I loved the Three Broomsticks with its mix of British pub fare and wizarding ambiance. And, the Nighttime Lights projected on the Hogwarts castle were pretty extraordinary; they are worth catching almost as much as a Golden Snitch.
Beetlejuice! Beetlejuice! Beetlejuice!
That last boiling day in Universal, my bad ankle swelled up in a manner befitting a sad balloon at a clown show. I guess heat does cruel things to impaired tissue. Time to slip some Deflating Draught out of Snape’s stash!
Mother Nature, like my husband, must have pulled out all the stops for my extraordinary celebration because L.A. was 25 degrees cooler a few days later. It was a birthday for the record books!
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