Detailed review by normarl
normarl(65)
Cabot, USA92%
Our family Christmas is often spent traveling either here or the UK. Such was the case in 1986. As educators and self employed business owners, we could take up to two weeks for trips. REAL! We were going to Southern California via Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico and Arizona. The winter was indeed proving to be cold, snowy, icy and did I say cold, for we had noticed that the wooly worms had more hairs spikes than usual and the inside of of the chinquepin nuts was in the shape of a spoon, meaning shovel, denoting someone would be shovelling snow and lots of it. REEL- NOT!, for the weather channel was calling for heavy snow in New Mexico and Arizona over the time period of our trip. We decided to call in substitutes for two days and leave early hoping to beat the closing of Interstate 40 upon which we would travel for the most of our trip. Indeed, we left mid morning of the 16th of December retuning on January 3. REAL! We would be traveling in a white Ford double cab pick up for weight on the roads incase of ice and snow. We packed with warm snuggy coats, hats,scarves and gloves even though we were going to Southern California with balmy temperatures. Universal, here we come!
We left with temp of about 30 degrees F with no moisture. 7 hrs later we arrived in Oklahoma City home of Tinker Air Force Base and heard that planes had been grounded pending the over night snow. We were driving into it full force and going to be in the middle of it the next day. An hour or so later we rolled into Elk City OK at the local Holiday Inn with no restaurant because one was next door just a couple of steps across the parking lot. REAL! We walked across to the restaurant for dinner, when we finished and came out there was a light dusting of snow, the little flakes, moist and fine. A kitten was stranded on the parking lot, we took him in for the night. When the wake up call came at 6 am, I looked out the window and saw a large lump of snow in front of our door, it was our truck in and under 5 inches of snow. REAL! We decide to hit the road and do breakfast down the way.
We get across the Texas Border and see a diner with 4 cars and 3 large tractor trailers, that means it is probably good, warm, tasty, and filling. REAL! When we are finished we are almost flung into the parking lot by winding catching the heavy door. Our hands stick to the door handles like sticking your tongue to a cold flag pole. The wind was so high it was hard to walk straight for there was not even a barbed wire fence between us and the North Pole REEL- NOT! It was really windy, but I am sure there was at least two fences in Nebraska and North Dakota to the north. We are really coming Universal!
We cross into New Mexico headed for Tumcari, New Mexico for gas and time change gaining an hour. We have already seen snow plows going easy signaling that the freeway is really covered with snow. We decide it is time to find a Napa Store to get some Rain X for the windshield. It is really coming down now but we move on. Clines Corners is only a huge gas station with millions of gas pumps REEL-NOT! only half a million, some fast foods, large trinket store, and snack store. It is really snowing and 2 snow plows are busy clearing the parking lot, they just get to one side and the other is covered again. We have already been through 2 white outs. We have to take a number for our turn at the pumps. We hear that I 40 is closed half way between Albuquerque and Gallup, NM and not open again until past Flagstaff, Arizona. We finally get back on the road 5 hours later are going over the Sandia Mtn Range down into Albuquerque.
Albuquerque is clear and we decide to take the Interstate south to Interstate 10 and go straight into San Diego for 4 days. We spend the night in Tucson, Arizona with low 60 degree weather. Leave a wake up call for 6am and guess what it is snowing in Tucson, very little but snowing, the locals are crazy they don't see snow except on television. REAL! We're coming!
We arrive in San Diego in late afternoon, check in, go to dinner and to bed. We look around SD for the time there and then on to Santa Anna Christmas Eve and Day with relatives. On to Los Angeles, Long Beach, Hollywood and Universal Studios.
Universal is that wonderfu mix between REEL and REAL. A family bargain for all day and it is warm just light jacket weather. The Adams Family welcome, REEL, a great tram tour through the studio and back lots of television and movie fame are a REAL excitement. Down the streets of Back to the Future, Dodge City with Matt Dillon and Miss Kitty, Marcus Welby, MD and Leave It to Beaver house are the same one on the outside. REAL! We see stunt shows, hear gunfights, lit up with pyrotecnics, hear the switches of the lighting effects, feel earthquakes, jump when Jaws leaps out of the ocean at Cabot Bay right at your window of the tram and look for the seat cushion when the flood waters come down the valley when a dam breaks, and the parting of the Red Sea REEL! Really a long and tiring day. REAL!
The food and drinks are no different than at any other amusement park, not very tasty, not filling, not very much, but very expensive, but all in all tickets for four in '86 were only $62.50 US. REAL!
Go to a Universal somewhere if not in LA go to Orlanda. It is worth it for the kids, Really REEL!
Universal Studios Hollywood9
Ratings
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Accessibility
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"Must See"-Factor
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Budget Friendliness
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Excellent road directions and with navigation systems in cars now you can't miss it.
All kids must see even grandparent kids.
Everything except food.
