VDO Nov '10 #2

Our site at Valle del Oro is #1354. Here is our nice (concrete, level) patio. We set up the table,chairs and BBQ. In bg is Mom's scooter, Becca and my bikes

Among the wildlife in the park are quail. This is not a very good pic. They scamper (is that a proper quail verb?) among the shrubs.

Int. Exercise Room. Yonder are the treadmills--that's my primary machine.

Here is the big swimming pool. In fg is one of two hot tubs.

A short distance away is the lap pool. This is the "pool area" that Becca and I prefer.

This is what they call the "Ballroom". On Thanksgiving they had a sit down turkey dinner here for 1000.

There is a lending library

On the left are the P.O. boxes, where we can receive snailmail

At the Activity Center you can get tickets for events and ask questions not covered in the monthly newsletter

And one of the reasons we feel we have found our tribe--a Mac Computer Room, where we are thinking of taking a course or two--since Ganon and Jon are so far away.

VDO Nov '10 #1

This is our winter headquarters for the second season. It will take more than one blog to show the many aspects of this park that make it the best one we've been in.

Our site is on Ruby Street at the corner of Bear Valley Road, the main road.

Becca, showing off our spacious site

Around the corner is the main building with, among other things, is the office and the Post Office--yes a real Post Office. Well, shipping boxes require going off campus to a huge PO a few blocks away.

The grounds are uniformly well kept, including the rose gardens

Cacti of various kinds are everywhere. We should do a blog just on the cacti. I know you can't wait

Becca and I have been riding our bikes in the morning over to the state-of-the-art Exercise Room where I "exercise my legs" as Becca calls my treadmill walk.

Our California Adventure Adventure

On October 27, 2010 we were in Anaheim to make a presentation at the International Student Media Festival. Our topic was Student Produced Animation. ISMF had made arrangements with Disney to allow ISMF participants to take a special animation tour. Gramma, Becca, Jon and I signed up to go. So that morning we needed to show up at the California Adventure Park.

Becca wore her Tinker Bell shirt that her sister Kelly had given to her. Kelly, who is an expert on all things Disney, prepared a customized agenda for our one day visit to this park.

Becca was pumped the entire day. She appreciated the giant "R", for "Rebecca"

After doing some research, we decided to bring Bigfoot to the park so Gramma would have her scooter. Here we are in the parking lot after Jon and I got the scooter out.

DL is all about taking care of everyone. Even the trams from the parking lots to the theme parks are designed to care for wheel chairs and scooters.

Here is Gramma crossing the special little bridge onto the tram

As part of the animation tour we went into this little studio where everyone was given an easel, paper and instructions to draw Winnie the Poo. Jon's was best, then Mom's. Kelly had told us this was a fun stop, and it was.

This past summer Gramma began watching Handy Manny on the Disney channel. She loves him, the Tools, and the kind stories this animation series tells. And so it was a big thrill for her when Manny came to the park to say Hi

Becca enjoyed standing near Lightning

And Mater

Becca poses next to the Grizzly Bear after she and I rode the Rushin' River ride. "It was awesome" she exclaimed as we got out of the raft soaking wet. Since the animation tour took a big chunk of our time, we were only able to see a fraction of the attractions Kelly had suggested for us. But going on this ride made Becca's day.

Kelly suggested we go to see this 3D Bug's Life film attraction. It was fun right down to the bugs running under our chairs at the end of the show.

Becca and I wait for the afternoon parade to begin. Mom in her scooter with the camera was across the street.

The parade was the last adventure of our day. Seeing Crush reminded us of the amazing Talk to Crush attraction where the turtle talks to the audience through the glass wall of his large aquarium. Our tour guide said that the secret of this attraction was "Magic". That word would describe our whole day.