summer 2023

Radiator Springs

“You’re in Radiator Springs, the cutest little town in Carburetor County!”

It’s time for a look at one of my very favorite parts of our trip to Disney California Adventure…our visit to Radiator Springs!

Cars is the movie I most associate with Turkey’s and Bunny’s early childhood. We went to see the movie at the drive-in theater when our house was being built, and it quickly became a family favorite. It’s still my favorite animated movie, and one of my favorite movies, period. So it was really special to be able to explore that town with Turkey and Bunny!

We discovered that apparently everyone knows to park their strollers by Stanley:

I loved getting to see the Cozy Cone Motel…it’s a popular spot to meet Lightning and Mater, too!

The most popular ride in town is “Radiator Springs Racers.” The area they built up around the ride not only looks really cool, it also tells the story of how Radiator Springs came to be (yes, there is an actual spring flowing from an old radiator!):

We saw other familiar spots, like Ramone’s House of Body Art:

And Flo’s V-8 Cafe, where we stopped for a bite to eat:

Luigi’s Casa Della Tires is also the location of another fun ride, Luigi’s Rollickin’ Roadsters:

We got to see Doc Hudson’s trophy case:

And the Horn-O-Plenty:

There were also cool billboards on the way into town:

We saw three different Radiator Springs residents…Lightning McQueen (of course!), Mater, and Red. They were treated like any other costumed cast member at Disney with handlers and everything!

But what was maybe the coolest part of the whole experience was seeing the neon lit up at night, just like Lightning did for Miss Sally:

I am so thankful we got to have this special experience together!

Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella

I thought it would fun to take a side-by-side look at the two Disney castles I’ve visited. Of course, the Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland is the original, and is iconic, but there’s no denying that the Cinderella Castle at Disney World is much grander (both because it’s actually taller and also because they didn’t screw up the forced perspective). I love that I got to see each of them decked out for a special anniversary!

From the back, the Sleeping Beauty Castle almost reminds me of a child’s castle blocks set, while the Cinderella Castle is fancier:

Walt and Mickey stand proudly in front of each!

I’m not the type of person who wants to visit every Disney park, but I certainly wouldn’t mind seeing “Le Château de la Belle au Bois Dormant” at Disneyland Paris someday, too!

Tasty Tuesday–Tony Packo’s

“Incidentally, if you’re ever in Toledo, Ohio, on the Hungarian side of town, Tony Packo’s, greatest Hungarian hot dogs with chili peppers, 35 cents.” Jamie Farr as Klinger on M*A*S*H

One of the major highlights of going on our trip to Toledo was finally getting to eat at Tony Packo’s!

We went to the original location in the Hungarian neighborhood, and I’m not going to lie…walking in the door felt like going home. It had that great pub feel, but with a Hungarian twist!

OK, a neighborhood pub with a Hungarian twist and lots of M*A*S*H memorabilia!

I wasn’t going to leave there without trying the speciality of the house, the Hungarian hot dog, with mustard, onions, and hot dog sauce:

We tried some other things, too…fried pickles, pierogis, cabbage rolls, chili, and the German potato salad recommended by our waitress. It was all delicious, and again, felt like coming home. It’s not often I get to go to a place that serves the food of my people!

We also grabbed a piece of cherry strudel to go:

My understanding is that thanks to M*A*S*H, the restaurant is quite the tourist trap (they even have a gift shop in the restaurant, and yes, we did pick up a few things, including a jar of paprika to use at home), but I didn’t know it “back in the day,” so that doesn’t matter to me…the food was good, I loved the atmosphere, and the Jamie Farr/Klinger/M*A*S*H connection made me happy!

If I ever have the opportunity to go back to Toledo, I’m definitely going to stop at Packo’s again, and next time, I might try the chicken paprikas served over Hungarian dumplings (which around here we call spaetzle!).

“I’d give anything to be back in Toledo. Sitting in Packo’s with the guys, having a beer and eating a dog while the chili sauce drips down your arm.” Jamie Farr as Klinger on M*A*S*H

Disneyland

I took so many pictures of Disneyland…I made a conscious effort to really see things, notice things, all of the things, not just the specific attractions we were interested in (although I saw plenty of those, as well!). As a result, I have a lot of photos that don’t really fit in any particular category besides “stuff I liked at Disney,” so here it is!

It might not be as magical as Disney World (I have it on good authority that Disney World is the most magical place on earth, after all!), but it is beautiful, and I’m so glad I had the chance to experience it with Turkey and Bunny!

Unfettered Joy–Part Two

What is it about Disney that makes people so happy?

Last year, following our trip to Disney World, I shared a look at a moment of pure joy I experienced there. Looking through my photos from our trip to Disneyland this year, I realized I had a similar moment when we met Goofy. I couldn’t tell you why (I mean, aside from the fact that Goofy is awesome), but you can see from the look on my face how completely happy I was in that moment. I don’t know how Disney does it, but I wish everyone could experience moments like these!

Chasing the Characters

If you look closely at the shirt I wore to Disneyland, it says “Chasing the Fun.” Turkey and Bunny said it should have read “Chasing the Characters,” because apparently that’s what I do best when we go to theme parks!

Here’s a round-up of the characters we met or saw up close at Disneyland and Disney California Adventure (plus Goofy’s Kitchen)….my personal highlights were meeting Donald Duck, and also getting to see Goofy in his snazzy green suit! Also, since I was wearing a birthday celebration pin, many of the characters either said “Happy Birthday!” to me (like Lightning McQueen), or pantomimed it in some way (like Minnie Mouse).

Not pictured, but also seen by us include Peter Pan and Wendy, Captain Hook, the other chipmunk, Mirabel, Pinocchio and Geppetto, Sadness and Joy, Snow White, the Evil Queen, Ant-Man, Thor, Merida, Mr. and Mrs. Incredible, the Dora Milaje, Mary and Bert, Chewbacca, Rey, Mulan, and Clarabelle Cow. I think that’s pretty impressive for just two days in the parks!

Tasty Tuesday–Goofy’s Kitchen

We only had one truly sit-down meal when we were at Disneyland, but it was a very special meal, prepared in Goofy’s Kitchen!

The restaurant is located in the iconic Disneyland Hotel, and I was very excited to have an excuse to stop by there.

The highlight of our dinner was probably getting the chance to pay our compliments to the chef!

We really loved that Goofy’s distinctive profile is prominently displayed on the tables!

It’s a buffet restaurant, but it wasn’t at all what I was expecting. Of course their were kid favorites like mac ‘n’ cheese and chicken nuggets, but there were also some pretty high-end foods, including international options and even a carving station with steak!

Did I mention there’s also a huge dessert section? There were endless options of cakes, cookies, brownies, and also a soft-serve ice cream bar with all the toppings! (One of the dessert offerings is the specialty of the house, peanut butter and jelly pizza, which I’m sure that Goofy created for Max, good dad that he is).

I had quite an eclectic plate, and it was all delicious! Seriously, I wasn’t expecting buffet food at a family-style restaurant to be so good, but it really was! In addition to the steak, I especially enjoyed the fennel salad (I went back for seconds!) as well as the salmon with artichokes. (Not pictured is the carrot cake I had for dessert, which was also delicious!)

Another highlight of the dining experience were the character interactions. We saw Minnie, Pluto, and Chip ‘n’ Dale (why does Goofy employ so many rodents in his establishment?!?), and in addition to going table to table, greeting the diners, they also entertain with dances on a regular schedule. While they’re performing, the diners are encouraged to wave their napkins in the air (which I did with gusto!), which just adds to the fun atmosphere!

This was such a great dining experience…I’m so glad we had the opportunity to eat at Goofy’s!

The Sleeping Beauty Castle

After our trip to Disney World, I really felt like I hadn’t taken enough time to appreciate the beauty and grandeur of the Cinderella Castle. Now, I know that the Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland isn’t as grand, but it’s small stature doesn’t make it any less beautiful, and this time, I made sure to really see it and photograph it. Here are some of my favorite views, from the front, side, and even the back…I feel very fortunate to have seen it dressed up for “100 Years of Wonder,” just as I saw the castle at Disney World decorated for their 50th anniversary!

The castle at night is quite a sight to behold, lit up, and with light illuminating the stained glass windows!

Maybe someday, I’ll get to see “Le Château de la Belle au Bois Dormant” at Disneyland Paris, too!

The Klinger Tour of Toledo

Today is Jamie Farr’s 89th birthday! Inspired by the character he played on M*A*S*H, everyone’s favorite “company cluck,” from Toledo, OH, here’s a look back at the highlights of the “Klinger Tour of Toledo,” a trip we planned in Jamie Farr’s and Klinger’s honor, that we took last month.

We stopped by Jamie Farr Park, located not too far from Michigan and Galena, which is where Klinger said he is from. The quote on the plaque is absolutely lovely, and of course it made me cry!

Our trip to Toledo would not have been complete without a meal at Tony Packo’s, and it was just as delicious as Klinger promised it would be. The M*A*S*H memorabilia everywhere was so much fun to look at, and we loved taking a picture with Klinger and Hawkeye. What was really special, though, was seeing how much Toledo loves Jamie Farr!

The other must-do for our trip to Toledo was a Mudhens game, which was one of the most perfect ball games I’ve ever attended, ending with a walk-off home run followed by a fireworks show. We saw Klinger on the retired numbers wall of the ballpark (I personally think they missed an opportunity to retire number eight in his honor, since he spent so much of M*A*S*H trying to secure a Section 8 for himself!), and also saw Jamie Farr’s name at “Farr Out Funnels.” We had hoped to try a funnel cake there, but unsurprisingly, the line was really long, and we never had the chance.

This was a Big Deal for the boys and me (we’ve been talking about going to Toledo and eating at Tony Packo’s and seeing a Mudhens game since before the pandemic, I think), and I’m so glad we finally got to have this experience together!

As we left Toledo, we all had one thought…”And you made it out alive?” In all seriousness, it was a fantastic trip, and I can see why Klinger (and Jamie Farr) loves it so much!

Partners and Storytellers

I love the two Walt and Mickey statues at the two California Disney parks! The Partners statue in front of the castle is obviously the most well-known (and is replicated at other Disney Parks), but the statue at Disney California Adventure, featuring a much-younger Walt, is also charming!