We took one day off from San Francisco, and headed to Sacramento to visit family friends. But the morning was all spent in one of the happiest places on earth... Or, the second happiest. Here is the last installment of the series, hope you enjoy it.
Leave your heart here
26, August 2015
For one day, we had to rent a car in order to make it down to Sacramento. Bright and early, we had breakfast on the go. Since we didn't know what to get, we ended up getting Starbucks... Nothing too special, but I did find amusement with this post:
Every store should consider having this poster
Before making the road trip, I had to go to one place. I'm not sure why it's located in San Francisco, but I was ecstatic to step back into time and see the history behind the mastermind that is Walt Disney. It may not seem big from the outside, however, you could spend your entire day here. And what else would one wear other than Disney apparel? Not exactly Walter's era, but still, nostalgia for me.
Upon entry, you are introduced to a series of awards given throughout his life. After passing through the shining room, it leads you to a dark hall, and then you are welcomed by images of the early years of Walter. He began as a cartoonist for a newspaper, and he was stunningly creative.
What I didn't know was his work with live action films. He created a series about a girl named Alice, and then slowly moved to creation of his first character, Oswald. However, that fell through when the company took the character from him. But that didn't stop Disney, as he kept moving forward, creating the beloved character of all time... Now that's a comeback.
From there on, Disney lived a happy life with his wife, filling the world with his imagination and creativity. If there is anyone to admire, it would be the man who never had to grow up. It's incredible to see his previous works, from art animation for the Army to the early works of timeless masterpieces like 'Alice in Wonderland.'
Since film was not enough for Walt Disney, he decided that one day he would open a theme park of his own. Got to admire a man who dreamed big, and achieved beyond his own dreams. Even got to sit on one of the park benches where he came up with the idea from the Griffith Park carousel. 60 years later, it's one place everyone still wants to go!
One of my favourite films of all time would have to be 'Mary Poppins,' the technology from the 1960s was absolutely miraculous. Beloved by many (other than the author), it's kept in a special part of my heart. Another favourite Disney thing of mine would be the ride 'It's A Small World.' When I was young, the fact that the puppets sang the song in their language kept me amused. Every time I am on that ride, I always notice something new. Just shows you how timeless Disney can be.
At the age of 65, Walt Disney died. Although a short life, his legacy remains to this day. It's incredible to see what one person can do and literally change the world to be a happier place. Makes you wonder what you can do with your own life.
I decided to have lunch at the cafe while waiting for my family. On the menu was Walt Disney's chilli, the style he enjoyed most. Without question, I went for it, not knowing how cute the layout of the food would come out... They always find a way to subtly place Mickey whenever they can! Not spicy, but absolutely delicious. When they arrived, they decided to eat what they got from a restaurant my brother's been wanting to try. And naturally, this lead to even more photos.
After, we made the two-hour drive and headed to Sacramento. I'm not sure what it is about this place, but it is the home of my father's high-school friends, Uncle Luis and Aunt Emma. My brother and I met them a long time, and haven't seen them for about eight years - my sister never met them. I can't recall what their house use to look, other than the stairs... It's a big place. The main attraction had to be the backyard, including a garden that goes and goes and a koi fish pond.
While my father caught up with his friends, we went to the mall. A lot of people say there's not much to do in Sacramento, but the shopping is pretty good. Their mall has a playground with these musical tiles that make sound every time you step on them. We then went back to the house for dinner, and they cooked a feast! Everything looked like takeout, but my father's friends simply love to cook. They invited other friends who also went to high school with my father... Like I said, they all chose to live in Sacramento.
In addition to seeing my father's friends, we also got to see their son (he belongs to Uncle Luis and Aunt Emma). He has hydraulics on his cars. If that doesn't define success, I don't know what does. Clearly, he is not the boy with the skunk hair that I recall eight years ago. Regardless of the memories, it was pleasant to do something not touristy for once.
The next day, we had the morning dedicated to shopping before hopping on a flight back home. All over town, they have these hearts on display, painted by individual artist. Usually, people would pose with these hearts, which is exactly what we did. There were only two shops that we needed to see: for my brother, it was Goyard; for me, Uniqlo. I swear, those are the only shops that we don't have home! But everyone had a fun time, my father even bought clothes for himself.
This leads to the end of the (short) vacation to San Francisco. Though there were a lot of photos, there are many adventures to see around this small city. Who knows, maybe next time I'll go to places I didn't notice last time. Until then, let's wait and see where they family goes next.
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