5 years ago when we were vacationing with my family in California, we decided to get tickets to the Rose Bowl with my brother and his wife. I doubted our Hawkeyes would ever make it to this prestigious bowl game so figured we might as well see a game here while we can. We cheered on TCU and Wisconsin, taking in the amazing atmosphere. Justin and I mentioned that if Iowa ever DID make it to the Rose Bowl, we would be there.
We aren't spontaneous people. In fact, many people would be annoyed at the degree of planners we are. From planning our meals every week, to planning our weekend 6 days in advance, we like to know what's going on and hate NOT knowing what is going on! So planning this trip in a few hours the day they announced the bowl games was way out of our element.
Weeks leading up to the game we didn't mention to many people we were going, for a variety of reasons. I did chit chat with one of my dialysis patients who was part of the Hawkeye team in 1959 who won the Rose Bowl. He is one of the oldest living NFL players, (and quite stubborn), but a joy to talk football with!
I had serious buyers remorse for weeks as well. I am such a saver and HATE spending money. I rarely buy something unless it is on sale and really dislike spending money on myself. Talking to many friends and co-workers leading up to the trip helped me realize that this was a trip of a life time and you only live once, (or YOLO as my BFF would say!).
I also felt horrible that we were leaving our kids again in the hands of the grandparents who were probably still recovering from the last time we ventured to California, (which was like 5 weeks ago!).
Many people made the trip to CA just for the game. We decided to make the most of it and spent 5 days in this sunny place. We were so lucky to plan our flight when we did because it snowed the day before and the day after we flew out. We had no trouble with our travels but did have to sprint in the Dallas airport to catch our connecting flight.
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| Our fight to LA |
We spent two nights with my cousin Sheila, her husband, Thomas, and their daughter Grace. Grace is a phenomenal swimmer, (we're talking Junior Olympic champion and possible 2020 Olympic hopeful!). I have always wanted to watch her swim so we watched one of her practices the second night we were there. Outdoor high school swimming pools are just not possible in the Midwest!
Having family there was a bonus as Sheila could tell us exactly where to go and what to see. Our first day we ventured to Malibu and after seeing a couple beaches, we had lunch at Malibu Seafood. I ate here when I was in 7th grade, (22 years ago). It was special being able to bring my husband here. After seeing a couple more beaches we went to the Malibu Winery for wine tasting. This winery was adorable with tons of seating and great tasting wine. Many locals brought in their own picnic basket of little snacks to eat with their wine.
New Year's Eve day we headed to the Port of LA where the USS Iowa is. This was an amazing experience. We arrived shortly after it opened and quickly saw the line was a growing. It would have been an hour and a half wait to get on the boat where we were in line. Ironically, we spotted a neighbor from 98th Street who we were able to join in line. Shortly after that we were touring the boat.
Seeing this battleship was quite an experience and I easily would have waited an hour and a half to tour it. I loved viewing the living conditions, where meals were prepared and eaten, and FDRs bathtub. This had to be installed before his trip across the Atlantic to meet with Winston Churchill and Stalin. However, I was most excited about meeting Ernie, a WWII Vet who was actually stationed on the USS Iowa during the war. I have a special place in my heart for our WWII vets, and proudly shook his head after viewing his pictures and memorabilia from his time on the boat.
New Year's Eve was spent in Marina Del Ray with one of my best friends and her husband-it felt like college all over again!
We were up early on New Year's Day to head to downtown LA. We decided to take the metro to the stadium to avoid the game traffic. Surprisingly with all of the driving we have done in CA recently, we never had traffic issues and we both felt pretty comfortable driving in this state. However, with thousands of fans traveling to Pasadena, we didn't want to risk anything. The train ride was smooth and it dropped us off right near the parade route.
We didn't get tickets for the parade for numerous reasons but I wanted to see at least one float live so we watched for a few minutes, taking in the whole experience. We then started our walk toward the stadium which took us through beautiful neighborhoods with stunning homes before seeing the stadium and the golf courses that surround it. This is all quite a site, especially with the mountains in the background. I remember being blown away the first time I saw it and just as much the second time.
Two other couples we knew and us decided to purchase the tailgate package to avoid having to find a grill/cooler, etc for a tailgate. The tailgate was well organized with yummy food and great beer and wine. Looking back, it was quite pricey but again, YOLO! I also was able to participate in a game of Bubble Ball soccer, which was something that always looked like fun!
A few hours later it was time to head into the game. With the recent shooting at San Bernardino, security was increased so it took a little longer to get into the game. I was impatient and snuck ahead in the line, leaving Justin in the dust. I wasn't about to miss the kick off of this game!
Yeah, the game stunk. Honestly, all Iowa had to do was cover #5 like white on rice but apparently they didn't practice that! At least the Stanford fans were classy, (much unlike their band!). It was still amazing to be there watching OUR team at the most prestigious bowl game there is!
Our final day in CA was spent exploring Hollywood and Southern CA beaches (Redondo, Hermosa and Manhattan). After walking along the boardwalk for an hour and a half, watching a beautiful sunset and eating sushi, we headed to the airport for our red eye flight home. Lesson learned: A red eye flight home when you have three little ones to care for is NOT a good idea! We spent the rest of the week catching up on sleep!
What I loved most about the trip was seeing Hawkeye fans everywhere we went: Malibu, Marina Del Ray, Hollywood, and all the beaches. There was always a sea of yellow and black wherever we traveled which made us feel a little at home. What a fun trip!
We didn't get tickets for the parade for numerous reasons but I wanted to see at least one float live so we watched for a few minutes, taking in the whole experience. We then started our walk toward the stadium which took us through beautiful neighborhoods with stunning homes before seeing the stadium and the golf courses that surround it. This is all quite a site, especially with the mountains in the background. I remember being blown away the first time I saw it and just as much the second time.
Two other couples we knew and us decided to purchase the tailgate package to avoid having to find a grill/cooler, etc for a tailgate. The tailgate was well organized with yummy food and great beer and wine. Looking back, it was quite pricey but again, YOLO! I also was able to participate in a game of Bubble Ball soccer, which was something that always looked like fun!
A few hours later it was time to head into the game. With the recent shooting at San Bernardino, security was increased so it took a little longer to get into the game. I was impatient and snuck ahead in the line, leaving Justin in the dust. I wasn't about to miss the kick off of this game!
Yeah, the game stunk. Honestly, all Iowa had to do was cover #5 like white on rice but apparently they didn't practice that! At least the Stanford fans were classy, (much unlike their band!). It was still amazing to be there watching OUR team at the most prestigious bowl game there is!
Our final day in CA was spent exploring Hollywood and Southern CA beaches (Redondo, Hermosa and Manhattan). After walking along the boardwalk for an hour and a half, watching a beautiful sunset and eating sushi, we headed to the airport for our red eye flight home. Lesson learned: A red eye flight home when you have three little ones to care for is NOT a good idea! We spent the rest of the week catching up on sleep!
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| I love a fresh churro! |
What I loved most about the trip was seeing Hawkeye fans everywhere we went: Malibu, Marina Del Ray, Hollywood, and all the beaches. There was always a sea of yellow and black wherever we traveled which made us feel a little at home. What a fun trip!
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