Photo TR: Knott's, DL, and DCA in 14 Hours + Joshua Tree/LA

[SoCalJasonland]

I am surprised you got on so many rides at Disney in such a short time. That sounds pretty cool. Racer 5 is pretty good too and I pick up a 6 pack of that from Trader Joes on a regular basis.

[ThemeParkJunkie51290]

Wonderful report! Glad you was able to enjoy yourself and had a fantastic time! I wonder how my schedule is going to look when I visit Seaworld San Diego and Legoland CA in July. YIKES!!! LOL. I visited Disneyland and Disney's California Adventure for the first time in 2011, and I purchased a park hopper (cheap at the time for $105.00 in JULY!!!). I manage to get much done in my time frame as well. Some attractions I missed, but all was good. Life goes on. LOL. Maybe I'll get a chance to visit this happy place some time in the future.

[The Great Zo]

That's a crazy day and a fun story. Well, minus half of Knott's not operating.

 

Taking a few notes for my future travels, and can't wait to see the non-theme-park stuff to come!

[Ed Farmer]

Great report! I haven't visited Disney anything since I was a kid- it was sometime during the Disney World 25th anniversary. Lately, I've been thinking of giving it a shot, and reports like this make it look like good times.

[boldikus]

Love this report and I think you know why!

[Hilltopper39]

Great report man, I used to make quite a few solo trips to parks and it was always kind of fun, go at your pace (usually WAY faster than most people's) ride just what you want, I need to make another trip soon haha.

 

Not to get off topic but how do you like those Snapglasses? I've seen those things floating around for a while online but still haven't seen/known anyone who uses them personally so just curious.

[PKI Jizzman]

They are a little bulky up by the eyes so I wouldn't wear them for pure practical use. The quality is similar to a go pro, the videos look amazing!

[cfc]

Looks like you made good use of your time there. While I prefer a more leisurely pace, sometimes you just have to go for it.

[ytterbiumanalyst]

Front page, woohoo! Well deserved.

[bert425]

Front page, woohoo! Well deserved.

 

agreed.

 

great photos, and tho fast, you got a LOT done and look to have had a great time!

[PKI Jizzman]

Thanks everyone!

 

There will still be another roller coaster in the trip report, but here's the Joshua Tree update.

 

Continuing with things working out perfectly - Knott's is right off the highway on the way to Joshua Tree! Perfect. I had my 3 friends pick me up and we stopped at Porto's Bakery, around the corner from Knott's. http://www.portosbakery.com/content/portos-bakery-cafe-buena-park

 

Porto's is an unbelievable Cuban/international bakery shop which features stunning cakes, meat pies, potato balls, empanadas, and so much more! It's very busy, but the place is so well organized you won't spend too long in line. I got 5 things and only spent $7.

 

Stocked up on good food, we made the 2 hour drive East to Joshua Tree National Park. We got a great airbnb 2 bedroom with a hot tub just outside the park for only 100 a night. (https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/9443663?location=Joshua%20Tree%2C%20CA%2C%20United%20States&adults=4&children=0&infants=0&guests=4&check_in=2018-02-17&check_out=2018-02-19&s=RP42KXqe - Airbnb) Joshua Tree NP is absolutely massive - it takes about 3 hours to drive through. It seems like the amount of trails and climbing spots are limitless. If you like camping, hiking, bouldering, rock climbing, you've got to visit this place.

 

Outside of the park there's plenty of good eats and places to grab a beer at, so you're not in a remote wild west town. BUT if that's what you want, just a couple miles over is Pioneertown, CA which looks like it's stuck in the old western times.

 

It was hilarious that no one we talked to in LA had been to Joshua Tree, but had heard of it and thought it's just 'desert' or 'a place to trip balls' or 'the park near Coachella'. I love music festivals and live music, but I think it would be criminal to go all the way out to Coachella/Palm Springs and not see the other-worldy wonder that is Joshua Tree.

 

Next up ....LA + Santa Monica!

This is just one tiny section of Porto's

Sweet or Savory - they have it all!

Part of my haul

Let's climb up a little for a better view

Fast forward to our first hike + sunset

It was like seeing these colors for the first time

Peace and quiet takes a whole new meaning out here.

Who knows how old this guy is

It's not even 6pm but it's getting very dark very fast!

This is a Joshua Tree. If you don't know, now you know.

This looks very sharp.

I wish this picture could show more depth - the scene just went on forever. There were even white capped mountains.

Just us and mother nature.

Tons of rocks to climb around on.

Friendship is rare

The Cholla cactus garden...just incredible

Notice all the little ones on the ground? Yeah it was like walking through a mine field

They just went on for MILES! So surreal!

Unlimited places to hike and climb.. I'd be out there for a month if I could

Album cover #8

Cactus....sharp!!!!

One last shot from the Cholla cactus world.

[Philrad71]

Great shots - love Joshua Tree NP!

 

Still trying to figure out a way to get out to the Big 5 parks in Utah as well as the Grand Canyon this year. After seeing this, it makes me want to plan a trip to Palm Springs and visit this park again too!

[Canobie Coaster]

Great report! Just getting caught up, but I've never heard of Joshua Tree Park, but it sure looks nice.

 

I'm glad the Space Mountain single rider line is fast and efficient. Is the line just through the exit or is it as funky as Indiana Jones for the single rider? I'm definitely going to be utilizing that on my next visit.

[ytterbiumanalyst]

Very cool. I'm a fan of U2 and national parks, so I do hope to make it out to Joshua Tree one of these days. Looks really great.

[ThemeParkJunkie51290]

Beautiful landscape!

[PKI Jizzman]

Very cool. I'm a fan of U2 and national parks, so I do hope to make it out to Joshua Tree one of these days. Looks really great.

 

Neither I nor my friends listen to U2, but we figured we should play one of their songs as we were climbing and Elevation suited the climb nicely

 

Great report! Just getting caught up, but I've never heard of Joshua Tree Park, but it sure looks nice.

 

I'm glad the Space Mountain single rider line is fast and efficient. Is the line just through the exit or is it as funky as Indiana Jones for the single rider? I'm definitely going to be utilizing that on my next visit.

 

 

Thanks! It definitely took me a couple attempts to find it before I bumped into a cast member that helped lead the way. It's the handicap entrance, I believe. For sure utilize it. You wait in line and they send you down in groups of 5-8, and I never waited more than 10 minutes when the regular line was approaching 80 minutes.

[The Great Zo]

 

This looks like fun.

 

Lots of interesting scenery, unlike anything I've really been through anywhere.

 

Jotting down a note about Porto's, too.

[PKI Jizzman]

AlllllrrrrrIIIiiiiiIIIiiiight! We've made it to the final installment! I'll make it quick.

 

Driving back from JTree to LA, we stopped at an In'n'Out once we were in city limits to see what the buzz is about.

 

Yeah, the fries are a goddamn shame compared to the accompanying burger. Don't waste your money. If you're not knowledgeable about your fries (we take fresh cut fries seriously in Chicago) - potatoes are very starchy, so you need to fry them twice to get a nice golden brown crispy yet fluffy on the inside. In'n'Out only does a single fry, leaving the potatoes limp, soggy, and bland. I heard you can get them well done but that's not the point, why are you serving them as is to millions of people. Fooled me once. Burger was good -fresh toppings (I got grilled onions + pickles), nice bun, good patties. It's right up there with a Shake Shack or Smashburger - and even just as expensive/cheaper than a McDonald's premium burger combo.

 

TLDR - yeah it's a great fast casual burger, but will not compete with the likes of your favorite pub burger or upscale burger; especially if you favor bacon on your burger or guac/jalapenos.

 

We had one task - drop Mark at the airport, shed the rental car so we didn't have to worry about parking or driving. I was getting flashbacks to Andrew's (ytterbiumanalyst) moment in Philly as we were getting gas that accidentally happened to be in Inglewood and not 5 minutes in the gas station I saw:

1) drug deal

2) shop lifting

 

I never felt in danger but it was hilarious watching the teen employee recognize this couple that seemed to frequently pocket whatever they wanted and drop off drugs in the bathroom for someone to pick up

 

After those shenanigans, we walked up and down Sunset blvd to see some record shops, comic shops, and a recommended happy hour + city view. Mondial Hotel's bar provided a cool space with a pool and view, but it also came with the most cliche LA people we've met.

https://sunsettrocadero.com/ For half off apps and drinks for HH

 

"You went to Joshua Tree???? It's just desert right?"

"Joshua Tree??? What happens if your phone died while you were hiking and you got lost?"

"What happens if the sun went down and you couldn't get any service to find the road?????"

 

Well, then we'd be pretty bad at planning. But they kept stammering and couldn't get over the fact that we 'risked our lives to see some plants and rocks'. I'm glad I got to meet the stereotypical LA airheads.

 

After a couple drinks we headed over to Santa Monica area to drop our stuff off. We heard a lot about the Bungalow, both good and bad and decided to check it out before our West Side Comedy show. Cool space, decent drinks, not very crowded on a Monday night; which was a good thing.

http://www.thebungalow.com/

 

 

 

West Side Comedy was also fantastic putting 3 improv teams against each other. I prefer stand up and sketch to improv, but when improv is good it's really good. When it's bad, it's really bad. The first team bombed (and were still arguing with each other in the alley after the show let out ) and the other 2 were A+. http://www.westsidecomedy.com/

 

We called it an early night and got up early to walk up and down the beach all morning, and of course went to Santa Monica Pier when it opened.

 

West Coaster - this is as about as low as I'll go for a credit. It's a tame, short family coaster. What's hilarious is you're so deep in those Morgan trains kids can't even see over the seat in front of them 10 dollars gets you the credit.

 

We went up and down Abbott Kinney to check out shops/eats.

 

URTH Caffe! https://www.urthcaffe.com/

Holy shit the best coffee I've had. I like coffee, don't love it but I had espresso drinks and black coffee that was immaculate. I'm a huge fan of Hispanic food and the tamales here were legit. I love the mantra of this place - serving food/drinks with ingredients as close to how they're found in the wild as possible. Example - olives have pits, etc.

 

Salt + Straw had great ice cream https://saltandstraw.com/la-locations/

 

Hope this helps out anyone looking for ideas/reccs in LA! That's it for this trip! See you next month!

-Zach

#1 grilled + pickle. Great burger, eff you fries.

A look down the hill from Sunset BLVD

This looks cool, let's check it out

It's weird, it's frustrating, it's magical, it's got everything, and it's full of opportunities

Chillin' like a star

This looks familiar...

Drinks at the Bungalow

If I'm not at a park, I'm usually at a comedy show or music act

Shred r die broh

It's a perfect day for a coaster on the beach

Too cold for the ocean, though

$10, cha ching. You get to go around twice.

Chocolatier's Coney Island special at Salt & Straw on Abbott Kinney

Space inspiration in LA.

[ytterbiumanalyst]

Ha, very nice shoutout to my cluelessness and general dumbassery last year. Looks like you had a great time in LA and got to do a lot in just a few days. West Coaster's not great, but I LOVED Santa Monica Pier. Actually only rode the coaster and the Ferris wheel then just walked the pier and soaked in the music and atmosphere the rest of the night. It's a really great place in spite of not having a great coaster.

 

I liked In 'n' Out's burger too, very good for fast food. I didn't think the fries were too bad myself, but then again, you come from a real food town, and I come from the home of cashew chicken.

[PKI Jizzman]

Ha, very nice shoutout to my cluelessness and general dumbassery last year. Looks like you had a great time in LA and got to do a lot in just a few days. West Coaster's not great, but I LOVED Santa Monica Pier. Actually only rode the coaster and the Ferris wheel then just walked the pier and soaked in the music and atmosphere the rest of the night. It's a really great place in spite of not having a great coaster.

 

I liked In 'n' Out's burger too, very good for fast food. I didn't think the fries were too bad myself, but then again, you come from a real food town, and I come from the home of cashew chicken.

 

Cashew chicken is delicious! Haha. Everyone likes their fries a bit different so it's subjective.

 

I totally forgot to mention that I rode the (Moser? ) drop/bouncy tower and it was surprisingly great!

 

The pier does have a great collection of quirky street performers and musicians.

[Philrad71]

Yeah - I agree that the burger looks great and the fries look like total sh%t.

 

I'm with you on the fresh cut fries or nothing at all. My faves are the Belgian where you take them out of the fryer for two minutes after cooking and then fry them for two more minutes after that. A third fry would really get them crisp, I'll bet.

[SoCalJasonland]

I agree In-N-Out has good burgers, but horrible fries. I personally think The Hat or The Habit are better choices. I also have a Portillo's approx 5 miles from me, and they have good food You probably know that though.

 

Los Angeles is a bit strange. Orange County and inland empire have a lot of people that like to get out to the desert with their toys, sand rails, motorbikes, and such. In Los Angeles, they think its cool to pretend like they have never heard of a California City located east of the coast. They just look at you like you are poor, and sorry you have to travel inland.

[boldikus]

Awesome report. Love the shots from Joshua Tree. I really need to get to L.A. I have two lifelong friends that (now with their son) have lived in Venice Beach for years and anytime I talk to them invite me out to visit. It's getting closer to the top of my list. Thanks for sharing!

[PKI Jizzman]

I agree In-N-Out has good burgers, but horrible fries. I personally think The Hat or The Habit are better choices. I also have a Portillo's approx 5 miles from me, and they have good food You probably know that though.

 

Los Angeles is a bit strange. Orange County and inland empire have a lot of people that like to get out to the desert with their toys, sand rails, motorbikes, and such. In Los Angeles, they think its cool to pretend like they have never heard of a California City located east of the coast. They just look at you like you are poor, and sorry you have to travel inland.

 

I was so close to the Habit but we weren't able to fit it in. Portillo's is great! I've stopped there in the city after a flight and seen people that were on my flight in line

[Philrad71]

^^ You can literally spend the entire day just people watching at Venice Beach. Makes NYC freaks look pretty tame in comparison. lol