Following another very crowded breakfast at our hotel, we bid farewell to Sequoia National Park and headed back to civilization and Los Angeles. Three days without cell service – oh, my! My cousin Susan had graciously invited us to have dinner at her house in Pasadena while we were in town. Our hotel was right on Colorado Blvd, where the Rose Bowl Parade is. We got to see the special markings on the street that the float drivers use. So glad that my cousin Richard also happened to be there! A Tolsma two-fer LOL!
I think Sue is Jonalyn’s new favorite cousin because she has a pool in her back yard! If we ever move anywhere warm, a pool will be a must. The girls and Doug had a great time in the water. I also got to Facetime my aunt and uncle, so that was fun.
This is my dad and my cousin Richard.
Sue set such a pretty table for us on her patio. One of the benefits of living in a warm climate is the ability to use the outdoor space – and there wasn’t a single mosquito!
Enjoying our delicious meal! I never knew what tri-tip was before (a cut of beef), but it was fabulous. We also had roasted potatoes and vegetables, a yummy salad and lemon cake or berry crsip for dessert. Hmm, California might not be such a bad place to live after all. Anyway, Sue is the one in the pink. It might be the only picture I got of her 🙁 We laughed and laughed and laughed. I can’t remember anything specific that we said, but it was great. It’s funny how with family, you seem to pick up with each other right where you left off.
Lovely yard, lit up for the evening.
The next day, Alyssa decided that she wanted to go to Hollywood. And she wanted to go shopping in Hollywood. We talked her out of Rodeo Drive (LOL!) but Sue pointed us to the shops on Hollywood Boulevard. I’ve taught that girl well – she headed to the back of each shop where the clearance items were and got some great deals. We also got to see the stars on the Walk of Fame.
The famous Chinese theater.
Jonalyn actually wanted her picture taken with Shrek. For a kid who is normally terrified of anything in a costume, this is a huge step. And she’s smiling!
We drove around and around looking for the Hollywood sign, which Alyssa wanted to see. Couldn’t find the thing. You’d think it would be so easy to spot. Not really. We’d given up hope and got on the highway headed for San Diego when we spotted it. I rolled down my window, grabbed the camera and started shooting. This is cropped quite a bit, but I got the picture for Alyssa!