Disneyland Day Three

Well, Disneyland Day Three was by far the biggest day of all. First I went on Pirates of the Caribbean, saw the two turkeys that G.W.Bush pardoned in Santa's Reindeer Round-up, took a rare ride on the tall ship Columbia, then rode the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.

Pirates of the Caribbean

I really enjoyed the changes they made to the ride to promote their Disney movie Dead Man's Chest. It was fun to see Captain Jack Sparrow and Davy Jones on the ride.

Columbia

I was really surprised to see the Columbia navigating the waters of the Rivers of America. I can't remember the last time I rode on her. It was really great to go below deck and see the captain's quarters, the galley, and crew's quarters. This was an unexpected bit of fun.


Big Thunder Mountain Railroad

This ride is fabulous. The coaster so smooth and one of the greatest mine train rides around. A great way to finish my three wonderful days at Disneyland. Watch this short funny video of the ride I found on You Tube.

Disneyland Day Two

Before seeing For Your Consideration, the new Christopher Guest film, I went to Disneyland for a few hours - day two. I bought an annual premium passport which is good 365 days at Disneyland. Considering I live about 18 minutes from Disneyland when traffic is good, it's a fun day trip or even for a few hours. I rode the train around the park and enjoyed the nostalgic trip through the Grand Canyon diorama featuring life-sized audio-animatronic dinosaurs and cavemen (originally built for the 1964 World's Fair in New York).

I spent most of my few hours in California Adventure. Not nearly as cool as Disneyland but a really nice walk and you feel like you are on an old boardwalk like Santa Cruz.

I capped off our day with a Turkey Dinner at Claimjumpers. Way more food than you can eat at one sitting so I have lots of leftovers just like all other Americans today.

Happy Thanksgiving at Disneyland

If you cannot be with your family on Thanksgiving, then what a great way to spend Thanksgiving in Southern California: Disneyland. Clear sky and 71 degrees, I was shocked at how crowded it was and how beautifully it was decorated for Christmas.

For the first time I was able to ride the Nightmare Before Christmas Haunted Mansion. My wait time with FASTPASS was 4 minutes. I was skeptical at first but really loved it, especially the snow scenes. Some of it was corny but I'm really glad I finally got to see it. I think they've been retrofitting the Haunted Mansion during the holiday season for several years now.

I also went on the Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh which is where Country Bear Jamboree used to be; simple ride and lots of fun!

Most notably closed was the Monorail which I usually love to ride. The monorail is closed from August 21 to December 14, 2006 to prepare for the opening of Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage in Summer 2007 which I can hardly wait to ride. Rumor has it that they are putting all new monorails in Disneyland in 2007. The new Mark VII trains are scheduled to be completed and installed in 2007 with a whole revamp of the system, including a name change (Disneyland Resort Line) and aesthetic changes to cast member uniforms and stations.

It was a great Thanksgiving! Happy Holidays Everyone!

Ed Bradley, Dead at 65

I met Ed Bradley in the 90's. Rest in Peace. Steve

Ed Bradley, a pioneering black journalist who was a fixture in American living rooms on Sunday nights for more than a quarter century on “60 Minutes,” died today. He was 65. Mr. Bradley died at Mt. Sinai Medical Center of complications from chronic lymphocytic leukemia, said Dr. Valentin Fuster, his cardiologist and the director of the Cardiovascular Institute at Mt. Sinai. Mr. Bradley, who underwent a quintuple bypass operation on his heart in 2003, was diagnosed with leukemia "many years ago,” Dr. Fuster said, but it had not posed a threat to his life until recently, when he contracted an infection. His most recent segments on “60 Minutes” had been on Oct. 15 (on the rape case involving Duke University lacrosse players) and on Oct. 29 (an investigation of an oil refinery explosion in Texas). Even many close colleagues had not known that his health had been deteriorating precipitously for several weeks. On the day that last segment was broadcast, he was admitted to Mt. Sinai. He remained there until his death. “This has been a long battle which he fought silently and courageously,” said Charlayne Hunter-Gault of the “News Hour with Jim Lehrer,” who was one of several close friends at Mr. Bradley’s side when he died this morning. “He didn’t want people to know that this was a part of his struggle. He didn’t want people feeling sorry for him. And for a good part of his life, he managed it.”

What I'm Reading Now: Still Life With Crows

Well, travel season is over and I'm well into my Agent Pendergast Series. This will be the 4th book in the series that I'm reading.

• Still Life With Crows -- Agent Pendergast travels to midwestern Kansas to the dying farm town of Medicine Creek to investigate a series of brutal and ritualistic killings. He teams up with teenage malcontent, Corrie Swanson to solve the case.

The Great Pacific Northwest

Well I'm in the great Pacific Northwest. In addition to speaking in both Seattle and Portland this weekend I need to finalize the Keck School of Medicine of USC website project as well as celebrate my parent's 5oth anniversary and then get back to USC on Tuesday for the USC Presidential Retreat. Probably too much to fit in one weekend but, hey, it's the 21st century.