Day 9: That's A Wrap

NOT the OC

So I've been re-corrected. Apparently almost none of yesterday was in the OC. Oh well. I'd mistakenly referred to the city as "the LA area" previously and was told it was called the OC. But not all of it I guess. I'm from out of town and though I'm sure it's vitally important to the locals to differentiate the two (just try telling someone living in Windsor Heights, West Des Moines or Clive it's "all Des Moines" back home) but I must admit it doesn't really matter to me. Sorry LA and OC-ers. I'm going back to calling it all "the LA area."

They're On a Mission From God

In 1983 I visited southern California on a family roadtrip. Visited family in "the LA area" and also some family in San Diego. And while I don't remember stopping at the Mission San Juan Capistrano when traveling between the two cities, I had indeed been there before. I confirmed that by texting my parents and asking if we'd stopped there way back then. Because I recognized something. Not the mission itself. I don't remember a thing about that. (Not surprising, I'm sure a 13 year old couldn't have been less interested). What I did recognize was the tacky Capistrano Trading Post souvenir store across the street... which apparently hasn't changed in at least 30 years.

Hasn't changed in 30 years!

Leapin' Lizards!

I'm from the Midwest. Whenever I travel anywhere that has lizards just running around like we have squirrels or chipmunks back home, I get a charge out of that. I wonder if 13-year-old me tried to catch any lizards while getting drug through the Mission back in 1983? I appreciated it a bit more this time through.

Land Ho! (Who You Callin' a Ho?)

I've passed through many towns and of those towns, many have their own special festivals at one time of year or another. I've seen signs for things like Strawberry Days, Clam Festivals and Artichoke Festivals. The Tall Ships Festival (brought to you by Toshiba. Because when you think of Toshiba you think of old style tall mast sailing ships, right?) in Dana Point happened to actually coincide with my trip though. Unfortunately the shuttle and parking situation turned what I was hoping would be a quick hour or so stop into a three hour ordeal. Still, seeing the ships and walking on their decks was very cool, and not something I'll ever get the chance to do back home. Not a lot of tall mast pirate ships on Saylorville Lake.

Literally Tons of Fun

OK, I'm going to admit something right off the bat - when I arrived at Sea World it was fucking miserable. Nearly 90, not a cloud in the sky and horribly crowded. Can I just say children are a plaque? Like locusts but worse. And the shows were somewhat disappointing. The dolphin show consisted mostly of some sort of bizarre parrot themed Cirque de Soleil knock-off (I actually left it early, was miserable in the direct sun), and the Shamu show seemed to exist only so the killer whales could splash the first 15 rows. Where was the dramatic jump out of the water with a trainer balanced on the nose of one of the killer whales?!?! 

Things got better as the families started leaving around 5:00 and things cooled off. I got the chance to see the animals I wanted to, cool off in the penguin experience, find out that Wild Arctic is still a fun ride (though not the mind-blowing experience it was when I first rode it back in the late 90s, they need to update the ride/technology), got to enjoy sea otters play wrestling each other with almost nobody else around watching, watch the beluga whales and sea turles, and go through the shark tube.

*nudge nudge*

During the aforementioned family roadtrip to San Diego we visited Sea World. The walrus viewing area was much different then than it is now. The the walruses (Why is it "walruses" but "cacti?" Why isn't it "walri"?) were in an open air habitat surround by a wall, and you looked down into the pool to see them playing in the water below you. On this occasion the big bull walrus was just rolling over and over in the water. While watching him play my father gave me an elbow nudge, pointed to the walrus below and said "Check out the size of the wang on him." And yes, it was quite large. Very proportional to the size of the animal. Heck, I'd even say he was well hung.

Years later I told my dad that memory and he said "Of all the stuff we did that day you remember THAT?"






My Future As a Mexican Wrestler

Just when I thought my day was over and I could lay down, I end up at a hotel just two blocks from Old Town. And there's an old car show! Which, unfortunately, I was about 10 minutes too late for. Oh well. There were still a few cars around. And I spotted some Mexican wrestler masks in one of the shops and it has me rethinking my career. From now on please refer to me as El Mike-o.