We finally all collapsed into our beds (the week leading up to this was long and hard!) The 4 am wake up call came quickly though and I quietly crept out the door to head to the airport. The shuttle was waiting for me by the time I hit the lobby at 4:50 a.m. and I had a really fast and easy trip through security. The new dedicated TSA pre-check wing makes things much easier!

While waiting at the gate, I looked up and saw Kelley Pidhirsky was on the same flight! We didn’t have a lot of time to catch up before we boarded, but it was nice to catch up for a few minutes. Neither of us was awake enough to document the crazy coincidental flight plans though.

The first flight was great. Smooth and quiet and I had an open seat next to me. I was able to sleep for most of the flight (something much needed even aside from the time change and early morning). I even got to catch up on my book. Landing in Phoenix is a little crazy as you literally fly into downtown. Right over Chase Field!

I was a little stressed about the very short layover in Phoenix. I only had 50 minutes to get two wings over in the terminal. I’ve never been to Phoenix, so the lack of familiarity had me a little anxious. On the way to the gate, the views took my breath away! Even in a most uninteresting context, the mountains and vistas are nothing like home. So very cool. I can’t wait to get back here in a few weeks.

The view from the Phoenix airport

I made my connection with no problem and even had some time to grab a quick sandwich. The second flight was also pretty smooth and my luggage was ready in just a few minutes after arriving in baggage claim. I grabbed an Uber and headed to my Air BnB, who very graciously allowed me to check in early. It was an incredibly easy travel experience overall!

My apartment is in a very quiet neighborhood in San Jose, just a few blocks from the university. A lot of families, a day care and some college rentals fill out the mostly residential street. The apartment is really cute with a lovely patio in front. It will be perfect for my next few days.

After settling in to the apartment, my body just gave up and I took the best nap. I woke up feeling refreshed and ready to explore. I wandered down the street to the Spartan Market, a small convenience store at the end of the block. It didn’t have as much as I had hoped, but I was able to get some wine, snacks, and some whiskey for later.

I had a few administrative things to do for the conference and then headed out for dinner to meet Cara McClintock-Walsh. She was staying on campus so I had a preview of SJSU. It’s a beautiful campus. One thing I can’t get enough of is the random cacti and palm trees just sprinkled all over the place. It’s so great to see a totally different ecosystem than what I am used to.

These succulents were almost as tall as me!

San Jose State University

San Jose State University

We had dinner at Naglee Park Garage, a tiny neighborhood bar with a lovely backyard garden. The food was excellent. We ordered some Brussels sprouts to start and I had a fantastically California mango and shrimp salad for dinner. Topped all that off with some local brews and a great conversation. It was so good to see Cara in person in almost four years!

We parted ways after dinner and I headed back to the apartment to settle in for the night. The weather is absolutely perfect and I am so excited to get this trip started.

Cian McMahon & Matt Spangler with the former mayor of San Jose

San Jose State University

SJSU

After the reception, a few of us headed to dinner. Downtown San Jose is pretty sleepy on a Wednesday night when campus is out of session. It was a little eery to see empty streets and high rises. We finally settled on 55 South for dinner. It’s a cocktail bar with small plates. The food was actually really good and the cocktails weren’t bad, but I’m not sure it was the vibe our group was looking for. Regardless it was great to catch up and share some good stories with each other. We finally called it a night and headed back to our respective places. Conference day tomorrow!

Kersti Powell, Cara McClintock-Walsh, and me

SJSU

San Jose City Hall

Our panel was fantastic and I was really excited by the discussions that erupted out of it. But of course, no matter how many times I do this, there is always an adrenaline rush in preparing. Matt and I both agreed that a margarita was the best way to remedy the jitters.

Matt Fee enjoying a margarita flight after our paper

My margarita flights at FAB

After lunch, Matt and I decided that it was better to spend some time catching up than sitting in panels. We stumbled on the absolute best small brewery called Fox Tale Fermentation. It was incredible - excellent beer, fantastic staff and great vibe. We could have stayed here for hours talking about Irish film, but alas duty called and I had to dash to the Exec meeting.

Rosie cheeks after a few pints at Fox Tale Fermentation

After the exec, Kate and Tim and I headed to dinner at District. It was an absolutely gorgeous night so we sat outside and gorged on wine and cheese and seafood, all while tearing up over some hard stuff. These two were my absolute rocks during the last few years and it felt so good to see them both in person.

Three amigos (Kate Sullivan and Tim McMahon) at District

We moved inside after dinner and were joined by more ACIS friends. Being back together was pure magic and I realized how hard any separation from this was going to be. These people inspire me and give me the energy to do what I do. I am forever grateful.

Tim McMahon & Anna Teekell Hays

Me, Kate, and Matt

The historians! @ O’Flaherty’s Pub

SJSU

I also found these cool scooter racks....

SJSU

We all met up at the AGM and got to celebrate some wonderful book prize winners including Mary Burke!

After the AGM, we headed to a panel, but it was clear that we still needed to time to catch up. Matt, Kate, and I headed back to my apartment so I could drop off my laptop and decided to take advantage of my patio and the beautiful weather. We grabbed some wine and spent the afternoon catching up.

The fanciest of cheese plates.

After a few bottles of wine, we clearly needed dinner so we walked over to Naglee Park Garage, the same place Cara and I started at on Tuesday.

Matt, Kate, and I at Naglee Park Garage

Since this was basically our last night together, we went in search of the rest of the crew and landed back at O’Flaherty’s pub for a few more drinks and laughs before calling it a night.

Matt O’Brien, Tim, Kate, and Sean Farrell

Tim and I

Chickie & Pete’s before takeoff

And they’re off!

Sleepy soldier

And another one bites the dust...

We all landed in San Diego around the same time. It felt so good to see their faces after being apart all week! We grabbed our bags and called an Uber to head to our house. The house is adorable and in a quiet neighborhood (South Park) that is just a block or two away from lots of restaurants and shops. After settling in, we walked into town for dinner and landed at Fernside. It’s a great neighborhood spot, known for adult slushies and good food.

Dinner at Fernside

Shrimp Fried Rice and an Adult Slushie

My slushee

Selfies

The weather is pretty bleak today. Low 60s, really cloudy, and even a little rain here and there. Hopefully it will improve as the week goes on.

After dinner, we found a street side churro stand and naturally couldn’t resist.

Late night churros

We are all exhausted and have a big day tomorrow. Happy to be officially on vacation now!

Coronado Beach

Coronado Beach

The beaches in that area are currently closed for swimming due to sewage and chemical contamination. While we waited for our instructor, we decided to cancel our originally scheduled beach day at Hotel Coronado since the weather is also going to be gray and the kids wouldn’t be able to swim.

Sewage and chemical contamination means no swimming

Our instructor J.T., met us on the beach and we quickly got to work. We first had to “pound up,” our base which means shoveling sand into forms and then soaking it down with large buckets of water. Eventually the forms get pretty solid and you can carve the sand. It was kind of amazing.

Pounding up our base

We had to fill this ring with sand and water to build the base

Then after it was all mixed, we tamped it all down.

It eventually gets so strong you can stand on it.

Adding the next layers

After the forms were set, J.T. Gave us instructions on how to carve and lots of design tips on how to decorate our castle. He demonstrated first and then let us loose to carve away. The final product was definitely impressive! He also gave us tips on how to build when we don’t have the big forms and special tools, so we can show off when we head home.

Our finished product!

J.T. Created that “hole”

TA DA!

All that work built big appetites so we found a quick bit to eat for lunch. We landed at Coronado Brewing Company and enjoyed our lunch before heading back to the house to change and get ready for the evening activities.

Coronado Brewing Company

After a brief rest stop at the house to shower and relax, we took a drive to Mission Bay Beach. It’s a really cute beach area with an amusement park and lots of restaurants. The kids hit up some rides, including an old-school wooden coaster.

Belmont Park

We picked Coaster Saloon for dinner. This is a funky little BBQ joint right next to the park. The food was really good and the inside/outside vibe was very cool.

Coaster Saloon

The day ended with a fire on the beach. San Diego Beach Fires provided us the cutest little setup, complete with s’mores. We also grabbed some Baja blankets on the promenade too. The temps were only in the low 60s!

Beach fire! Mission Bay Beach

These hills are ridiculous.

We drove over to Old City and had lunch at Casa Guadalajara. It was delicious, but it was a lot of food. The walk after a big lunch was very much welcome.

Blood orange margarita and chips and salsa and guacamole

Bean and cheese burrito

We spent the afternoon popping into a variety of different shops and stopped for a beer tasting here and there. Old Town is a lot of fun, and full of Mexicali culture.

Old Town San Diego - Bazaar del Mundo

This used to be the San Diego river

Fiesta de Reyes

Getting her fresh tortilla

Yum!

We took a break at Societe Brewing for a flight while the kids went shopping.

We had some time to kill before dinner, so we got tickets for the Whaley House evening tour. The house is said to be the most haunted house in the country! The tour was interesting (our guide, Oakley, was great) and just a little spooky.

We decided to head back to the house early tonight since tomorrow is an early start. But on the way....we found a cat on a roof!

We spent the next 90 minutes making our way along the rocky coast, hearing about the eco-system and wild life. It was absolutely incredible!

The caves are the real gem of the trip, but are often not able to be viewed on the inside due to safety concerns. We got really lucky and were able to go in today. It was terrifying as the water was rough and the rocky wall were intimidating, but our guides were incredible and guided us every step of the way. We even saw a sea lion hiding from the cameras inside!

The whole trip was exciting and scary, but definitely an incredible and memorable experience.

After we made our grand return to the beach, we dried off and changed and went next door to Shore Rider for lunch. It was the perfect post-kayak lunch. Excellent staff, tasty seafood, delicious cocktails, and a chill atmosphere to let our bodies settle after all that work.

Cordova Paloma @ Shore Riders

We headed back to the house for some rest and showers. We head to LA tomorrow so it was a good time to pack up what we don’t need and get ready for tomorrow.

Next stop was Petco Park and it did not disappoint! The park is a true gem and really works hard to represent San Diego and MexiCali life. The food is great, the beers are local, and there was even a Mexican dance troupe on stage. It’s a great park despite the many spots on the concourse in which you can’t see the game when you’re getting concessions. The energy was great and we had an absolute blast!

Friar’s Ale

Ballpark Dim Sum

The crowds spilled into the city and we tried to move a bit away before grabbing an Uber. Definitely one of my favorite parks so far.

Free DUI proofing!

Today was epic. Top 10 days for sure. But onward to even better days - next up LA!

This may have been my favorite find at WB!

Merlotte’s Bar from True Blood

Stars Hollow Gazebo

Frat House from Sex Lives of College Girls

Frat House from Sex Lives of College Girls

Cafe from Casablanca (since renamed)

Love’s bakery from YOU

Abbott Elementary

We moved on to the second building which had some fun stuff for the kids to try out CG effects, and some old costumes, but most of the building was dedicated to Friends.

The final building was full of DC comics props and costumes. The Batman stuff was kind of cool.

After the tour, we drove back into downtown Burbank and met Jake Hair for lunch at the Hungry Crowd. It was so great to catch up - it had been close to 20 years since we last saw it each other.

We left lunch and headed back to the house for a quick break, but decided we wanted to stay in for the night. Dan and I ran out to Ralph’s for groceries and then we came back and enjoyed the beautiful yard and weather. We were exhausted, so it was nice to just lay low and enjoy the house.

Remnants of a major fire in the early 20th century.

Dan holding a War of the World’s visual

The Bronson Gate

The Forrest Gump bench

Hitchcock’s office

Robert Evans’ door

This backlot set looks just like Dan’s NV5 office in Manhattan

This was the ice cream shop in Grease!

Bumblebee

Optimus Prime

After Paramount, we decided to grab some lunch at The Counter, a local burger chain. We were pretty close to the Academy Museum (our next stop), so we decided to walk. We stopped at the famous La Brea Tar Pits on our way. We didn’t go in the museum, but just popped into the park. Pro tip: they smell terrible.

Tar pits

Also on our walk was LACMA and the outside was just as pretty cool as the inside promised (although we never made it in).

We continued on to the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures. I really enjoyed many of the exhibits, but it certainly is a problematic representation of what the Academy would like people to think and what they actually do in practice. Regardless, the Agnes Varda and Pedro Almodovar exhibits were beautiful.

Ingrid Bergman’s diary from Casablanca

There was also a pretty good Black American exhibit, but that seemed limited in its scope.

The real shining star of the museum is actually the Dolby Family Terrace, a rooftop terrace that offers spectacular views of Hollywood.

I am really going to miss the gorgeous plants out here. Everything is so unique and unlike what we are used to.

Cillian wanted to stop at the GOLF flagship store. Not in a great neighborhood and I’ve never felt more white! But the staff was actually really great and Cillian got a cool new shirt.

Next up in our awkward adventures was a light dinner. We picked what we thought was a sports bar, but even at 4 p.m. that place was bumping with pre-clobbers. It was so loud and our kids were the only kids in the whole place. Again, everyone was super sweet, but I couldn’t wait to get out of there.

When the day couldn’t get weirder, it sure did. We decided to take one of those Hollywood bus tours. It was kind of hilariously awful. The guy clearly wanted to be done for the day, so he drove past everything at 50 mph. We never got close to the Hollywood sign the observatory as promised. We did get a drive down Mulholland Drive which was cool, but otherwise it was lame. And freezing cold!!!!

He finally dropped us off on the Sunset Strip which is basically Times Square West and a 20 minute walk from our car. We did a quick looksy at Grauman’s Chinese Theater which is now covered with a tacky sign for The Flash and peeped a few stars on the Walk of Fame and then I insisted we get an Uber back to the car. That part of L.A. is kind of awful and I did not feel like wandering down the wrong street!

Our last stop was a late dinner at In & Out Burger - we were all kind of underwhelmed, but at least we checked it off our list!

Cillian’s first Big Boy!

I waited 30 years to taste that Strawberry pie again!

The drive took us about two hours and the change in scenery was spectacular.

Dan was very pleased to see this.

Tons of wind farms on the way.

Our first desert stop was Pioneertown. This is a movie set that served Hollywood for decades and is still available as a shooting location.

We had lunch at Pappy & Harriet’s. This place is a gem in the desert and a pretty cool music venue to boot.

We wandered around Mane Street for a bit, checking out the local artisan shops. I found some cool souvenirs as well as soap, body butter, and some art.

We headed back to check out home for the next two days and decided heavy snacks and desserts were in order for the night. The house took our breath away!

The casita

the backyard

Lounging!

We spent the night relaxing in the cowboy tub and soaking up the incredible views!

Happy Father’s Day!

And eventually ended the night stargazing in the hammocks.

Afterwards we popped into The Station, an old gas station turned funky gift shop. This place was awesome and full of cool finds. It is also the home to Big Josh and has reserved parking for Beverly D’Angelo.

I was feeling pretty terrible and the kids were itching to swim, so we stopped at Joshua Tree Coffee Company for some beans and a pick me up and headed back to the house. Cillian opted for a nap in the hammock and I crawled back into bed.

After our naps, Fionnuala got in the pool and Dan made homemade stuffed poblanos and a salad for dinner.

We had hoped to have an outdoor movie and do some more stargazing, but the wind was really bad so we bagged it for a quiet night reading in bed.

The trip to our first stop in Rice, CA was a little nerve wracking. There is NOTHING out there. Just desert for miles.

Our first stop was the Rice Show Fence. I really don’t know why this is here, but alas it sure is. It started as this weird shoe sculpture on an old gas station, but has since expanded down the road to include a “garden” of shoes.

We kept moving through the desert until we landed in Lake Havasu City for lunch. We ate at the Chair in the English Village, with a spectacular view of the original London Bridge.

We had hoped to visit Area 66, but it wasn’t open today so we kept on moving until we stopped in Seligman, AZ, a little town that looks a lot like Radiator Springs along Historic Rte. 66. We popped into a gift shop and then into Delgadillo’s Snow Cap Drive-in, a little burrito/ice cream shop with a lot of character. The ladies that worked there were hilarious and pulling all kinds of jokes on the kids. It was a nice break before we embarked on the last leg to Williams.

We arrived in Williams around 6 p.m. and decided to check out our cabin first. It’s part of a small enclave of cabins outside of Williams, AZ. It is really adorable and comfortable and perfect for our one night.

After unpacking, we drove into Williams for dinner and landed at the Frontier Family Fun BBQ. This place was a ton of fun. Big platters fo BBQ, beer, and lots of games and activities for the kids. There was even a Wild West Cowboy show right outside the gates! The kids mined for gemstones, played cornhole and even tired out the shooting gallery.

The sunset skies here are something else...

We have a big day tomorrow, so we headed back for a movie. Raising Arizona seemed like the right choice...

Before we headed out, I made a quick phone call to confirm the news that I was offered a new job as the Director of Communications for Phoenixville Area School District! I had been interviewing during the trip, so this was really exciting news.

We drove across town to Grand Canyon Brewing Company for lunch. This place was very cool, full of rustic charm and good food and beer.

Our next stop was the Grand Canyon. It took us about 45 minutes to drive there from Williams. The skies were crystal clear, so it was definitely a good day to visit. We entered at the South Rim and headed for the Mather Point Overlook. Walking out to see it for the first time is absolutely breathtaking!

After we took it all in, we hopped back in the car and headed for Flagstaff. This drive was a little longer - maybe 90 minutes - but it was crazy to see absolutely nothing for such a long distance.

We arrived in Flagstaff around 5 p.m. and met our host at the house. He was really cool and showed us around the house and gave us some tips for the area. The house is super cool. It was converted from a variety of uses and has some really interesting features.

After we unpacked, we wandered down San Francisco Street to get some dinner. We landed at Lumberyard Brewing.

We were all pretty tired so after dinner, we just headed back to the house to relax and get some sleep.

Next stop was Walnut Canyon National Monument. This park is home to a