Life is a Journey

Ever heard of The Avocado House? I hadn't either until I drove by it a while back. Right as I was driving by, my friend was looking on Yelp for a place to eat and it popped up so I made a legal U-turn and we pulled into the parking lot. What originally caught my eye was the building - it's an old, OLD, gorgeous house. Well, it was a house until the late 1990's. They have a blog (which doesn't seem to be updated often) and they got good reviews on Yelp but wait...I'm getting ahead of myself! We, parked and walked inside and were given two menus. We decided to sit out on the front porch because it was awesome (the porch) and it was gorgeous outside. We sat there for a little while waiting for someone to take our order and I was admiring the place when my friend got a phone call so while I was waiting, I struck up a conversation with a man at the next table and I asked him if the food was good. He nodded vigorously while chewing and then asked me what...

I have to be honest with you. Normally I avoid Innoventions. Saw it once, that was enough. However, on this day, I decided to take a second look since it seemed that hardly anyone was going inside. I can't quite put my finger on why this place doesn't interest me but on this day, I took some time to walk around and actually noticed a few things that caught my eye. I have to admit that I do like all the digital photo frames they have all over the place. And this is kinda cool... ...as is this view... What really surprised me was what I saw when I decided to sit for a spell and let the building revolve. I noticed some murals that had old attractions incorporated into them. For example, this one shows the House of the Future! This one as the old clock that was at the entrance of Tomorrowland. This one doesn't have anything old but it shows Space Mountain in the background. This one has the old bandstand! I thought it was pretty cool that someone thou...

While walking around Tomorrowland, I noticed these phones. I literally stopped dead in my tracks - payphones?? Since I could no longer ride the Skyway, I decided to walk up the queue for Innoventions to get a semi aerial view of Tomorrowland. It ain't the Skyway view but it's still neat. Quite a few guests came out to enjoy the great weather. Speaking of the Skyway, do these stairs look familiar? Here's a closer look. PeopleMover loading area, I miss you! Wouldn't it be cool to walk the track? Oh and have you seen this???

The Matterhorn is still under refurbishment but once it's done, I think it will look great. Since we can't ride it, let's look at the surrounding area. The flowers here are always so gorgeous! Naturally, I have to put my camera through the fence for a peek at whatever it is they are doing! Hmmm...that right there would be enough to scare me! It looks kinda creepy, doesn't it? I'll be so happy when the Matterhorn reopens!

This place is not only interesting, it draws you in as you examine each display. Those who owned the orchards became instant millionaires when gold was discovered in California. Who knew? Make sure you super size these next two so you can get a good look at all the different types of citrus. You'll never guess my favorite:  Blood Oranges! This I needed to know because I'm always wondering when the good grapefruits are in season. Once you leave the museum, there are many, many trails you can walk that take you right into the thick of the orchards. In March, the aroma is amazing! The other side of the park is set up for picnics. Before leaving the park, we took a quick video. This is the official website for the park. Hope you enjoyed our little trip.

The California Citrus State Historic Park is very close to where I live. I've driven by it a thousand times and have always wondered what was in there. I finally found out! For starters, there is a small but information packed little museum. In the 1920s, a plaque was placed at the foot of the parent orange trees that started the huge citrus business in Riverside. This plaque is still in place and the trees are thriving just a few blocks from my house! Like I said, I live near this spot so let's step into my magic travel machine and visit the location as it appears today.... OK, now let's continue our tour of the California Citrus State Historical Park! Several displays tell the history of citrus. I never knew the ancient Egyptians loved citrus. Now wait until you see this thing! It's not edible like an orange but you can zest the "fingers" for fantastic citrus flavor in your recipes. They have these actually growing at the park! ...