All Dressed Up with Somewhere to Go

 

  Well, it's that time of year again! My favorite of all holidays: Halloween.

  Last year, we celebrated by going to Mickey's Halloween Party at Disneyland, but we didn't dress up. I should expand on that by saying I didn't think we should dress up, because I thought only the kids and a few adults would get in on the fun. Boy was I wrong. So, this year, we went all in.

  For the last few weeks, we've been getting our costumes ready. I had a lot of gear to track down and work on, and I had a lot of fun with it. We decided to go as Captain America (WWII version) and his best gal, Agent Peggy Carter.

  Since we didn't have a big vacation this year, like we planned, we decided to make this a bigger trip for ourselves by staying overnight at the park's Grand Californian Hotel. We'd get to the park early in the morning, roam California Adventure (DCA) until check-in, then get our costumes on and head into Disneyland for the evening's festivites. We also snagged a dinner reservation at Blue Bayou (inside Pirates of the Caribbean).

  This was the first year that DCA went full on Halloween mode, and it was pretty epic. As expected, Radiator Springs was the most decked out.

Mater as "Van-pire"

  Mater's Junkyard Jamboree was made over into Mater's Graveyard JamBOOree, which was really cute. We were cracking up at the music during the ride, which featured songs like "One Geared, One Horned, Driving Purple Fender Bender," and "Monster Truck Mash." (video by disneygeek.com)

  The whole area was adorned with all kinds of car themed Halloween gags, including this "zombie car," that smoked every once in a while and tried to start up.

  There was also an amazing Headless Horseman statue over on Buena Vista street. When it was dusk, all the streetlamps lit up in the park and the Horseman's pumpkin head started glowing from within. His horse's eyes lit up as well, and steam billowed out of his nose. It was really creepy!

  A little after two, we were able to check into our hotel and start getting ready. It took nearly a full hour to kit up. On our way through security to get back into the park, I was told I couldn't wear my helmet in. I was pretty upset, as it was an integral part of the costume and I had worked really hard on it. We were already late for our reservations, so the wife went on, and I went back to the hotel to drop off my helmet.

  I didn't catch back up with her for quite a while, because when I finally got into Disneyland, there was a parade going, and no way around or through it. Total blockage. I had to take a very long and crazy route to eventually make my way around (and catch a sanctioned parade crossing) to Frontierland. Then, I booked it over to New Orleans Square, and finally made it to the Blue Bayou.

  The food, as expected, was delicious, and they worked around our allergies with ease. Our waitress was really accommodating and super nice. The table next to us, dressed up like Muppets, exchanged compliments with us on our costumes.

Seated right on the water, looking into Pirates of the Caribbean

 Then, we hit Disneyland with both barrels. We tricked, we treated, we rode rides. Things only got better and better as night fell. It was, however, in the mid 80's, and I was DYING of heat in my leather jacket. Everywhere we went, though, people were in love with our costumes. There was just a lot of creativity on display EVERYWHERE. I loved it.

Haunted Mansion ballroom with giant gingerbread house on the table

Part of the Dia de los Muertos area of Frontierland

Pirates of the Caribbean, of course

The very fogged-in New Orleans Square

Haunted Mansion's Sally

Happy Haunts in the Haunted Mansion

 
Then it was time for the parade. We staked out a good spot on main street and waited about 45 minutes. It was fantastic, as usual.

The Headless Horseman opens the parade

Then came Mickey and Minnie

The Mayor of Halloweentown

Vampires from Halloweentown

Doctor Facilier

The Evil Queen

  This year, we were able to enjoy the fireworks show as well. Last year, probably due to wind conditions, it didn't go. WOW. It was really, really phenomenal.

  We hit a few more "Treat Trails," rode the Haunted Mansion again, and then packed it in for the night. My feet and neck were killing me, and I was soaked in sweat. The wife had some hellacious blisters going on her feet. It was all so worth it, though. We had an absolute ball.

  The next morning, we had a tasty breakfast (again with a very accommodating chef) at the Storytellers Cafe. I had never been there, but the wife had, and she knew what to expect. Characters! They walked around inside the restaurant, interacting with guests, and they were hilarious. Chip, Dale, Pluto, and Brother Bear were all there. We laughed so much our faces hurt.

  And just like that, it was time to come home. Short, but sweet. Can't wait til next year!!


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Desert views

  Ever since I took the drone out for its inaugural flight, I've been itching to get out with it again. Due to a very hectic schedule, I haven't been able to do that for a few weeks. Yesterday was finally the day!

  I found a great spot off the beaten path near the Red Rock area north of Mojave. It's a geologically fascinating landscape, like something out of science fiction. I got there just after 7:00 so I could have some of that beautiful low-altitude sunlight. It really makes the topography pop in pictures.

  The area I originally wanted to explore, after looking at some maps, turned out to be inaccessible, so I settled for some shots of the immediate area. As you can see in the video below, it did not disappoint!

  After I exhausted my one battery, I decided to explore the roads and see what I could find. And find I did. Amazing landscapes, canyons, rock formations. I even found a hidden spring! It was really strange to find ANY water in this parched environment. I was a little concerned that there might be some predators around that area, napping in caves, so I didn't stick around long.

  I then found a road leading to an area called Black Rock Canyon. Very shortly, the road became extremely narrow, with a huge dropoff on one side. That was about the time I went into full 4WD. The road only got worse from there! And by worse, I mean perfect for my Jeep. Been a while since I've had the opportunity to do some real, honest to goodness four-wheeling.

  Along the "road," I stopped a few times to take pictures of the amazing landscape. At the end of the trail, there was a tall, steep section of solid rock that looked like it might be a continuation, but I couldn't really tell. I grabbed my gear and hiked to the top of it. There, I did indeed find evidence of 4WD traffic. It definitely wasn't impossible, but it really called for a spotter for at least one particular hairy section. I decided that since I was alone, it wasn't worth the risk.

  All in all a very fun day of exploring and photography! Wish I could get out more often to do exactly that. Click RIGHT HERE to go the the video I shot.

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