D34!
As the song goes, “ I hopped off the plane at LAX,” and well
that’s just what we did. Coming
from the snow and freezing temperatures of Denver to the sunny, warm, and about
75 degrees of California, we were all in heaven. There were palm trees all around to greet us as we headed
into the haunted, but beautiful Millennium Biltmore in downtown LA.
I must say that I was a little surprised by how everything
looked in the area here as well as around Hollywood. I mean it always looks so glamorous in the movies and it is
clearly not all that it is portrayed to be. And if the homeless people outside weren’t enough to
frighten you and the gunshots and sirens weren’t either, then the ghost stories
and murders in the hotel were sure to do the trick. And as nice as seeing Hollywood Boulevard, Sunset Blvd., the
Walk of Fame, the Chinese Theater, the Hollywood sign, the LA Live area, along
with seeing all the famous faces in the audience like Adam Sandler, Channing
Tatum, David Beckham, and Chris Jenner with the Grandkids, we were all ready to
head to an area that wasn’t as eerie.
Only about 45 minutes down the road we headed to a place
just like that. Its crazy how in
such a little distance things can be so different.
We were now in the land of fairytales in Anaheim, home to
Disneyland and California Adventure Park.
Of course, we all had to make the most of our time and see what it was
all about. For some of us, it was
all about reliving those childhood memories and for others, it was about
experiencing it for the first time.
And with only one day to do it, which seems to be trend as of late, we
were making the most of our time.
From the theme and amusement parks to our very own company Christmas
dinner we were trying to make the most of every moment that we had and start
bringing in the holiday spirit.
Soon enough, that time was here and we were in Ontario where
Christmas cheer was in full swing.
The lines at the mall just to get in the stores were at least 20 people
long let alone the check out lines, which numbered at least in the 40’s in some
stores. Everyone was out to put
the final finishing touches on their gifts and pick up an ugly sweater and
Christmas décor for the room and Christmas class. There were of course the holiday surprises and an appearance
from Super Josh to top off our holiday week. The potluck dinner was a hit and just what we all needed,
but the thing that seemed to make working on Christmas and being away from home
okay in the moment was the fact that we were all able to call home and chat
with our friends and family along with knowing that we were someone’s Christmas
present. Somehow, that just made
everything all right.
And before we knew it, we were ringing in the New Year in
Long Beach with fireworks over the harbor.
It’s crazy to sit back and actually think about where we
just came from and all the memories we created in just one year. So, it’s going to be interesting to see
what 2016 has in store for everyone on D34 and the new adventures that we will
be taken on.
Until next time Cali.
Off to Las Vegas, Nevada!
Casino after casino, hotel after hotel, bright sign after
bright sign; yes we were on the Vegas Strip. This is what the city is famous for and yes of course there
are the natural attractions like Red Rock and the man-made Hoover Dam, but the
strip outshines both of those.
Everyone comes to Vegas to make their mark and take their steps on the
famous Las Vegas Strip. Its crazy
to think that night after night, year after year, the Cirque Du Soleil shows
are sold out, the Miracle Mile Shops always have someone in them, and the
casinos are open all day and night never putting the machines to sleep.
Luckily, everyone survived the week and we all were able to
load the bus and head to another desert city, Phoenix, Arizona.
Arriving upon the Last Frontier, we were all on our last
leg, but one thing that kept us going was how great the audiences were every
night. They were loud and alert
and interactive which made performing that much more enjoyable. That along with the fact that we knew
Ben Agosto was finally getting to see the show for the first time since the
build.
And even though we were busy at the arena for most of the
time or nursing back to health, we did still manage to find places to adventure
off to like the Grand Canyon if you were daring and Camelback Mountain and even
South Mountain and the ASU (Arizona State University) campus was right around
the corner as well.
And before we knew it, the week was over and time was
up. Another holdover Monday for
about the seventh week in a row was complete. We were off to San Diego.
Looking forward to the sunshine and warm weather, but of
course we arrived on one of the very few rainy days of the entire year.
Luckily, there are still about 265 sunny days to come and we were able to soak
up some sun in between mid-tour evaluations and the shows.
Off to the beach we went to walk the boardwalks and piers
and see the tide pools, but who could forget about our volleyball games! Thank goodness it was all fun and games
because we definitely should all keep our day jobs. It was just nice for everyone to be spending time together
outside of work. It was the first
time since rehearsals when the show was being built back in Ellenton, FL that
we were all together on the beach again.
It brought back a lot of memories, as did the company BBQ. I think if we all could have had a few
more days to spend here we would have before going to the Raisin Capital of the
World; Fresno, CA.
Where we literally found out why this is the area’s only
claim to fame. The downtown area
has now been moved and certain parts, as in the one we were located in, were
supposed to be going through a revitalization process. As for now though, if you didn’t rent a
car to go to the Sequoya National Forest or Yosemite National Park you were in
for a really low-key week.
It was the world’s own way of telling us that we need to
slow down and enjoy our two days off in about seven or eight weeks and it was
the crew’s first day off in that long!
It was also the prime week to focus on contract talks and
where we want to be next year at this time. Sometimes the decision comes easy and other times the same
cannot be said. However, one
way or another a decision is reached.
Let’s see where we all end up…
For now though, back to what is right in front of us and
that was another bus trip to Stockton, CA.
We were in for another week spent mainly around the hotel
and the arena. Not only was there
not a whole lot to do around the area, but it just wasn’t safe. Yes, there were the exceptions of a few
malls down the road with surrounding restaurants, but it was not a place to be
out by yourself. Luckily, this
week the boys had their guys’ night and the girls were looking forward to theirs
the following week.
We were saving up our energy for the next weeks to come with
some big cities on the list like Sacramento, San Jose, Oakland, Salt City, and
Pittsburgh just to name a few.
So here’s to the cities to come and the places we have
already been…See you down the road.
Places to Visit:
Los Angeles – LA
Live, Hollywood, the Walk of Fame, Rodeo Drive, the Hollywood sign, Griffith
Observatory, Sunset Boulevard, Hollywood Blvd., the Chinese Theater
Anaheim – Disneyland
and California Adventure
Ontario - Ontario
Mills Mall, Knott’s Berry Farm
Long Beach – Queen
Mary, Shoreline Drive, the harbor area, Bubba Gump Shrimp, the Ferris Wheel
Las Vegas – Casinos
in every direction, the Strip, Red Rock, Freemont, the Hoover Dam
Phoenix – Grand
Canyon, Camelback Mountain, South Mountain, Tempe, Arizona State University
campus
San Diego –
Mission Beach, Pacific Beach, Fashion Valley Mall, Tide Pools, the Pier, the
Boardwalk
Fresno – If you
rent a car you can go to the Sequoya National Forest and Yosemite National Park
otherwise there is nothing to do here.
Stockton – Weberstown
Mall, Sherwood Mall, Buffalo Wild Wings, Target
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