Lookout Disneyland Here We Come Three

Is It Lunch Yet?

I could be blindfold and still know where I was because every spot in Disneyland is unmistakable.   I have been going to Disneyland every year since it opened.  I have seen so many changes.  I have celebrated with my own parents, with my wife and I, and now with my family.  So Disneyland being open 24 hours on February 29th is not something my family and I want to miss.  Here is the opportunity to think about one of the most important Disney traditions, eating.  Now that we have finished our breakfast (see last Monday's blog if you missed it).

With appitates sated we are ready to ride.  Hit the Haunted Mansion it is an easy ride on a full stomach.  It is a short walk from the River Belle Terrace and it is easy on digestion. The Doom Buggies are soothing and the hitch hiking ghost add no weight to the buggy.

Hey, look the wait time for Splash Mountain is short, lets go. For years this attraction was only enjoyed by son and I.  My wife enjoyed the ride but my daughter was too afraid.  She and her brother are twins.  Then a couple of years ago, we convinced her. "It's Disney.  Would Disney do anything to hurt you."
"Yes!" she answered.  "Don't you remember Toontown."
She was right, but that is another story for another time.  However, she decided to try Splash Mountain.  Since that time, she loves it.

Look at the time.  Those Indiana Jones” Fast Passes are redeemable lets go there next.  Now here it comes, hard to believe, but my son says “Dad, can we stop for a snack?”

“What do you guys want?”  My daughter wants a churrro, I want popcorn, and my son wants frozen lemonade, a churro, and some of his mom’s popcorn.  Teenage boys are a bottomless pit.

Now the morning is over and the crowds are picking up, and we still have rides to ride.  Well, it's time to stand in queue lines.  Some would say, “Darn those crowds.“  But I enjoy standing in line. Crazy?  Maybe but this is family time at its best.  We talk about what we have done and what we still want to do.  And of course what we want for lunch. Walt wanted to build Disneyland as a place where children and parents could do things together.

Strangely waiting in line is together.  It gives you a chance to talk about many things.  You are connecting with your kids.  You see their excitement.  Over the years the conversation has changed, but there is conversation.  Also, there are other families in line.  Thank you Mom.  She would talk to anyone anywhere, a trait that I learned from her.  I have struck up conversations with people from all over the world in many of the differt ride lines at Disneyland.

But at this time of the day, the thing that is said the most by my family is, “What’s for lunch?”

The question is do you want to take a break and sit down for lunch or do you want to grab something and continue exploring the park?

The grab on the run is always cool for me.  I like the corn dogs from the Little Red Wagon on Main Street.  This is a perfect corn dog.  It is hand dipped in a cornmeal batter and fried perfectly and served hot.  I love it because it reminds me of the State Fair.  I also looked for the Pronto Pup cart.  I never get that first bite because my wife always asks, "Can I have that bite?"  What can I do but say, "Yes, of course."  I, however, get to enjoy the rest.  Including that little bit of crisp fried batter that clings invitingly to the stick

My wife likes the Bengal Barbeque.  The skewers of chicken are great.  Plus this lunch location’s food is on my diet, but who cares.  There are no calories in vacation food, right. 

My son loves the turkey leg and of course a bag of chips or some french fries. 

My daughter will grab something from the outdoor venders like grapes or an apple along with a Mickey pretzel.

An area where you can get a sit down lunch is where the fight begins.  There are so many choices and so little time.  However, the suggestions are always delicious.  Names get bantered about.  Redd Rockett’s Pizza Port, Carnation Cafe, Stage Door Cafe, and Village Haus Restaurant are all tasty suggestions. 

Crazy as it may sound if I get my choice today it will be lunch in Toontown.  There are three little walk-up windows that offer different choices.  So dump the kids at a table because we are getting food from Pluto’s Dog House, Daisy’s Diner, and Clarabelle’s.

What kind of fare will this give us? 

At Pluto’s Dog House, you can get a yummy hotdog.  It is a skinned eight incher with all the trimming.  When you bite it there is a distinctive snap as you sink your teeth into it.  It is all that and a bag of chips as they say.

Daisy’s Diner has the kids’ favorite, pizza both cheese and pepperoni. 

Clarabelle’s has salads and a great turkey club sandwich.  This is not without problems.  You have to wait in three different lines.  This can take some time.  This is why my wife hates it.  But I love the hot dog so it's worth it to me.

Does this mean we are done eating this afternoon?  Not by a long shot.

The good thing about taking a light lunch is it leaves you room for those late afternoon snacks.  Back to the munching.  There is popcorn to eat.  How can you survive an afternoon with out Mickey shaped ice cream bars?  Everyone in our family agrees on this.  Biting that ear off is addicting.  If you aren't in a diabetic coma yet, you have to have a churro.  It is the perfect portable snack, if it lasts longer than a few steps.  Once you have all that sweet it is back to salty.  Mickey pretzels are the answer.

Now watch a parade, go on more rides, and get some more walking in.  You need to build up that appetite.  Dinner is coming.  So, you better be hungry.

So next week, we will explore those possibilities. So get on your smart phone and transfer funds to payoff your credit because we have reservations at a ledgendary restaurant.

Good bye until next week.  We will see you there.

RARW

This Week in Education

Last Full Week in January, Yeah!

There are many things that are good about teaching fifth grade in California. The curriculum is suited to how I think. I love the history or social studies. We teach some of the differences in the regional Native American tribes. This allows for some arts and craft pursuits. One of these is the modeling of the different habitat structures that were used.




The tepees of the Plains Indians, the long houses of the Northeastern tribes.  The adobe houses of the Southwest, and the plank houses of the Pacific Northwest.  Students can recreate the caravel type ship that brought the explorers from Europe to this new world.





They learn who were colonized and why. This led to the original thirteen colonies, and how each functioned depending on purpose of formation and the geographical region in which it existed. Most importantly the stresses that were put upon those colonies to thrive both culturally and economically. It was those stresses that gave rise to the American Revolution. Once we were free all that was left was expanding from coast to coast, manifest destiny.

 Math is also an interesting course of study. Now the problems become more involved. It takes many steps to complete a problem instead of just some simple computation. This is where students begin to struggle.

If they don't start finding mastery over the processes and problems pre-algebra and algebra are a bridge too far.

Physical Education is a good thing.  Fifth graders get tested in physical fitness.  So, students need to receive practice by doing a regular structured exercise.  But, they can get some kind of activity afterwards.  Kickball, relay races, soccer are student favorites.  It is as enjoyable for me to watch the play as it is for them to participate.

There are many things that make teaching fun, however, there are some things that make it miserable.  I had both the fun and the miserable this week.  Students need to move around the campus in an orderly fashion. Okay, call it by what it is in lines.  As a devotee of Fred Jones, I require the line to be orderly.  It isn't about control.  It is about having the students develop self-control.  There is an old saying, "You can lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink."  Its the same for students in a way.

Half my students didn't go to science camp so they were left behind all week with a substitute teacher.  Sometimes substitutes don't always follow the same procedures and routines that the classroom teacher does.  It's not their fault sometimes, we don't leave detailed instructions on line procedures.  So for a week, I had a constant struggle reminding the students of my expectations on their lines.  So as reinforcer, I told them that they would not have PE activity just exercises until they could line up correctly.

This was starting to work until Wednesday.  My other fifth grade teacher, who lines up next to my students, had a training class therefore he had a substitute.  He allowed the students to run wild.  He gave them three hours of PE.  The other class was outside literally morning, noon, and night.  My class now thought he was the best teacher on the face of the Earth.  My life was miserable because the students ran to the windows to watch their friends play.  How could division of mixed numbers match the spectacle that was unfolding outside.

Then came every teacher's nightmare, synchronized bladders.  All the students who wanted to avoid work were asking to use the bathroom just 10 minutes after coming in from lunch recess. One, two, oodles of students all up out of their seats demanding to go use the restroom.  Typically, only a couple of students need to go after lunch recess and it is close to an hour since their break.  Some of the students I have will go into screaming and imitating their best pee pee dance.  It was pandemonium.

Then Friday, I came out to pick them up and it was unbelievable.  They were in the perfect line. Everyone facing forward and not talking.  I, of course, needed to reward this by giving them their activity back for PE that day.  They played soccer.  It was enjoyable even for me.


Were they little angels after that?  No not hardly, they still need to test the boundaries.  But for a sweet golden moment it was fun teaching.  Who knows what will happen next week, because we start reviewing for a test.  So come back for another episode of "This Week in Education."

Time Machine Travelogue Two

Time Machine to Seattle, Washington

How’s the power in the grid.  If it is sufficient, let’s fire up that time machine again.  We are going to need some extreme amount of energy today because we are going a little further back in time.  The time dials must be set to a time when I was still in high school.  When we pack, we need to leave room for my younger brother.  I’m sure he won’t mind getting snatched from the present and hurled back to an earlier time.  Okay, sit back and buckle up we are headed for a summer vacation with my Aunt and Granny in one of America’s most beautiful cities Seattle, Washington.

Going to visit my Aunt and Granny was always a treat.  They planned something for us to do everyday.  They rented an apartment in their apartment building so we had a degree of privacy and responsibility.  We ate meals together as a family.  Most were in their apartment but sometimes we went out to dinner at a local dinner club.  These meals allowed us to receive our day trips for the next days adventure. 

Since they both worked, my brother and I were two teenagers in a different town on our own.  That probably couldn’t happen today.  My Aunt and Granny would give to us bus fare, admission fees, and a small amount to get lunch and snacks.  The amount varied depending on what was on tap for the day. Our parents also gave us some spending money before we left.

Pacific Science Center

Traveling by city buses was almost as much of an adventure as the location itself.  Many routes required transfer and if it weren’t for the help of the bus drivers I’m sure would not have been able to successfully navigate our daily trips.  We went to the movies on some days, but there were some memorable, educational and exciting days.  We had many adventures that are still great memories today.

Let’s take a bus to the Bon Marche and get on the monorail and head to the Seattle Center. The area was the location of the 1962 Worlds Fair. There are museums, the Space Needle, and my favorite place the Pacific Science Center. We spent many days there playing with the hands on science exhibits. Amoung other day trips, we decided to go to the planetarium.

Ballard Locks

Another day trip I remember was a trip to the Government Locks.  The locks allow boats to be lifted from  the salt water of Puget Sound to the fresh water of the Ship Canal, which connects eastward to Lake Union and Lake Washington.  Watching private fishing boats and pleasure craft moving through the locks was exciting.

Woodland Park Zoo

One of the craziest days was a trip to the Woodland Park Zoo.  Zoos are always fun even for teenagers. However, something happened at the zoo that day that my brother and I will never forget.  We still tell the story to this day.  It may sound a little silly but to a young person it is hilarious.  Arriving at the zoo our Granny told us that she included enough money to go on the guided tour tram to see all the animals and have the tour guide explain the animals to us.  We were walking to the tram and passing by an elephant enclosure when one of the elephants farted.  Today every movie for children has a fart joke.  There were two incredible things that happened.  First, it was super loud.  Elephants eat a lot of grass that bacteria help digest so gasses build up.  So it is no surprise that the volume of the sound was very loud.  Secondly, elephants have a many wrinkles.  When the elephant farted his backside vibrated.  This visual caused us to laugh for hours and now going on years.  Then, we went on the tram tour.  When we drove up to the elephant enclosure the guide said, “That elephant’s name is Elmer.”  We busted up!  To this day anytime I hear the name Elmer it gives me a giggle.
Ferryboat to Victoria, British Columbia, Canada


The most incredible journey was a ferryboat ride from Seattle to Victoria, British Columbia.  Riding on the ferry was an adventure itself.  My brother and I went to the outdoor observation deck.  Many people were reading but there were several people playing cards.  We noticed that two women, they were old like thirty, were playing two-handed pinochle.  We told them we played pinochle, a gift taught to us by our mother and grandfather.  We got to sit with them all the way to Canada and play cards.  

We went to the Empress Hotel.  We walked to the Government House.  We sat and watched the ferries arrive and depart and the people embarking. But, I was on a mission.  I had traveled with my Aunt and Granny before.  There in Victoria is a spot that to this day I yearn for.  The Roger's Chocolate Company.  

So I go to visit my favorite place on Earth, Roger’s Chocolates.  They sell many kinds of chocolates, but for me there is only one kind of chocolate, the Victoria Creams and Squares.  Charles "Candy" Rogers set his mission statement, "To enrich people's lives by creating cherished memories – one chocolate at a time.  I'll take a cherry, peppermint, and a rum home in the time machine.

We had to catch the ferry home where our Aunt and Granny met us in a cab and then we went back home. We were now two teenage men of the world.

Pike Market Center

Many other memorable days were spent with our Aunt and Granny shopping.  This doesn’t sound fun for most boys, but it was where we all shopped.  My Aunt and Granny’s apartment was just off Pike Street.  We would all walk down to the Pike Market Center to buy the ingredients for our meals, fruits, vegetables, and salmon were found there.






The best part is when you purchased your salmon the vendors put on a show throwing the salmon across room while another person would catch it in wrapping paper, wow look at the flying fish.  We then would board the bus and ride back up the hill to the apartment.

So now the time machine is low on reserve energy, must be all the extra riders so we better take it back home now.  But I’ll recharge it for a travelogue next week.  Thanks for riding along.  RAWR

Look Out Disneyland Here We Come Two

Daddy What's to Eat

I am on a diet, who isn’t at the beginning of a new year?  People diet for all sorts of reasons.  Some diet to look attractive to the opposite sex.  While others diet because they have a low self body image. With me it is different, I, am dieting for my health. I am concerned about the extra weight I have gained since the doctor put me on insulin.  He and I decided that controlling my body’s blood sugar would be easier that way.  It was working perfectly too.  Then I had an unfortunate accident. I stuck at the line when bowling an fell onto the lane and cracked two ribs and tore cartilage on my ribcage. This interrupted my exercise routine. Not that I had a routine, but the inactivity and the holidays caused me to gain a quick twenty pounds. 

 Boring I know. But I want to go to Disneyland at the end of February and I hate to say it I like to not only ride the rides I like eating my way through the parks. There are so many foods and treats that I have come to enjoy over the years.  However, the good thing about Disneyland is that you are walking a whole lot more, which I consider makes up for the extra food.

Since Disneyland is going to be open for 24 hours on February 29^th, let’s consider a 24-hour menu.  This should be a sufficient motivation to keep me on my diet, so I can indulge when the time comes.

You start the day at dark thirty, so you can be first in line to enter the park. You are hungry and there is no time to have a sit down breakfast, so you go for the best that Downtown Disney has to offer, Beignets.  Beignets are what donuts want to be when they grow up.  And there are only two places you can get them.  One is in Downtown Disney and one is in Disneyland.

The beignets were featured in the movie The Princess and the Frog. Tiana wants to start a restaurant in New Orleans.  She is famous for the beignets she made as a side job.


That makes any New Orleans themed area a perfect setting for serving beignets.  The Downtown Disney has a place that fits the bill perfectly. It is Ralph Brennan’s Jazz Kitchen.  My wife is drooling just hearing me talking about it.  That is one of the spots we are going to hit on our quick trip this Leap Year.  You can't go to Disneyland without having a beignet or two.

They are warm and puffy.  They pour white powdered sugar into the bag.  A quick but gentle shake of the bag coats the beignets with mouthwatering frosting.  Just writing this has raised my blood sugar.  As you walk along eating your beignet, you have powdered sugar on your face and a snowstorm of powered sugar on the front of your shirt.

If you decide to wait until you are into the park for your beignets, you are going to, of course, New Orleans Square.  There tucked behind the French Market near the train station is the Mint Julep Bar.  Here you can get Mickey-shaped beignets.







They are cute with their little Mickey ears.  They aren’t as good as the Jazz Cafe, but if you are in the park it is the perfect morning sugar rush.  This will get you through the early morning until you have time for breakfast.  Now fueled up go ride some of those rides that have longer lines later on in the day.  Many are open early in the morning. Some of our family favorites can be found in Tomorrow Land.

Try hitting Buzz Lightyear’s Astro Blaster. This is a fun and competitive family attraction.  Tell us quick what is you high score.  Now, run to the email kiosk and send that photo to your friends, family, and yourself.  Then send them to everyone from your smart phone. Make them jealous that they aren't in Disneyland competing against your high score. 

Then move to maybe Star tours or Space Mountain.  For our family we love Star Tours especially now that it is 3D.  We may even ride it more than one time to see if we can one of the many variations that the attraction now has.  This has made it fascinating and unexpected.

Followed by stopping by Indiana Jones to get Fast Passes.  This Fast Pass allows you to return at a later time to enjoy the attraction.  The shorter line time still lets you to see all the Disney touches that keeps the ride's theme faithful to the Indiana Jones's Movies.  But beware don't look directly into the idol's eye. I do every time and it makes for a wild ride.

Finally jump on Pirates of the Caribbean.  You know everyone needs   a great pirate song stuck in you head while you are eating your breakfast. 

After the rides, your ready for a sit down breakfast.

The River Belle Terrace is and ideal spot.  I started going there when it was Aunt Jemima’s  restaurant.  I have many pictures of my friends and family sitting on the outdoor balcony.  I generally wait for the Mark Twain in the background.  This slow breakfast allows to get that cup of coffee since walking and drinking in a crowd is difficult and unsafe.  The country fried potatoes; eggs and fruit platter is a delicious.  

But the reason to go there is the Mickey Mouse Pancakes.  You would think this is for kids, but it is enjoyable by everyone. Well, I'm full now and it's time to hit those ride again.  I have to start thinking of what to have for a mid morning snack.  Also, what would be that perfect spot for lunch.  I will poll my family, and let you know next week.  Stayed tuned Disneyphiles. Till next time. 

RARW.

This Week in Education

There are many challenges being an educator in America today. 

This is true in the California school I currently work for.  If you read my previous blog you know I went to science camp.  Science camp allows students to learn lessons about the environment while being in a camp away from home.  Well, I had to reinforce what they learned that day with students from my school.  

I was walking them to a place to do this debriefing when one student said,
“My dad sent me here to have fun not to learn anything.”  

This is the problem with many students today they want to have fun and not learn anything.  Learning is hard.  Teaching is hard because fun is valued over learning.

            I received a valuable lesson from my grandfather, but it took me years to figure it out.  Many things are like this in life.  He once said to me, “Boy I can’t learn you nothing.” 

At the time I thought, “how ignorant, that is not even grammatically correct.”  Years later I realized what he meant by this.  He could teach me a lot, and he did.  But I had to learn it.  Learning is not a 50/50 proposition; both the teacher and the learner have to give 100%.  Most learners are waiting for the fact fairy to stuff information and knowledge under their pillows instead of quarters. 

I was having to get ready for an awards and a citizenship assembly when I realized that I was giving one of each to a couple of the same students.  That is the reason why some students succeed and some students fail.  It is not only dedicating oneself to giving a 100% to learning; a student needs to follow the rules.  This is where many students depart. This departure causes them not only to fail in school but also in life. 

So in the desire for fun, some students forsake learning.  They are caught in the moment literally.  Learning is a slow process.  It takes years of work.  Fun is easy.  Last week I was teaching the Solar System and the Universe. I was having them take notes.  I told them that the Universe was 13.5 billion years old.  This caused quite a stir.  Several immediately jumped out of their seats and began to sing,

”Then nearly fourteen billion years ago expansion started—

   Wait!
 The Earth began to cool.”

 Then they proceeded en masse to argue that I was wrong because the TV show taught them that the earth is 14 billion years old.  This is why sometimes you think you don’t stand a chance.  But there is that 20% that have, because of their internal make-up or parental upbringing, combined a quest for learning and an adherence to rules and norms.

This is why students struggle.  They believe those little facts captured in their quest for fun are all they need in life.  It is working for them now so why shouldn't it always be so.

Well, this week is over.  Who knows what will happen next week in education.

RAWR

Time Machine Travelogue

Grab a muffin, a cup of cocoa, and put away the magzine it is time to fire up the time machine.

When I was young I was like the Ricky Nelson song 'Traveling Man'.  

Rick Nelson

I felt I had to travel and see as much of the United States as I could.  

This gave me an insight into both myself and the country that I live in.  I took it upon myself to visit as many states as I could.  

Living in California and still having to gather money to make such journeys, I traveled on octopus-armed routes outward from that central point.  If you have ever driven behind a motor home that has one of those maps that fill in they states they have traveled to, I traveled to most of the western states.  I was like a retired guy. Only I was younger and on my own. So, this is like a travelogue time machine. 

 

I would like to start with one of my most moving and fondest trips, a trip to Mount Rushmore. Going to South Dakota takes a person to many states and many sights and landmarks.

I took my personal camper, a 1964 Rambler.  

It worked for sleeping in at campgrounds because the front seats folded down into a bed.  Then you took a large tarp and placed it over the top and shut the doors on it creating a private sleeping area.  

Then with a Coleman lantern, you had an indoor environment.  At any campsite you got out that trusty Coleman stove and you had a spot for your gourmet meals.  Bacon and pancakes for breakfast, canned beef stew, pork and beans, and on a good day steak.

I traveled through western Wyoming to visit a camp at the Grand Tetons. I've seen mountains like the Sierra Nevada and the Cascades but the Tetons were incredible.  

I could have remained there longer but I wanted to see the nations first National Park, Yellowstone.  Things there were unreal, mud pots and geysers and who could go to Yellowstone and not see Old Faithful Geyser.

Approaching Mt. Rushmore from the south, you pass through Wind Cave park.  Now it is Wind Cave National Park. On that road I saw the strangest road sign.  I wish I had taken a picture but this hand drawn one is enough to give you the idea. Approaching the sign made you wonder why don't you just turn right. As you followed, it became obvious that the road crossed a bridge declined and passed under itself.  After making the turn descending to cross under in the middle of the road blocking both lanes was an American bison.

Buffaloes are so big they do whatever want.  It took forever for the beast to finally move.  This caused me to to arrive in the late afternoon.  After a short hike, I returned to the observation platform at dusk.  I gazed at the splendor of the greatest sculptural feat.  The very same monument my grandfather saw in 1936 when he was moving from North Dakota to California.  I wandered over to the guestbook to sign my name.  It was getting dark. I looked up toward the presidents and wrote, "You should put lights on it."  Then I turned and snap the lights came on illuminating the monument. Boy did I feel silly.

That was a wonderful trip my only hope is that I can take my kids on that trip someday.  That is all campers. RAWR