The Final Park: Disneyland

25 Sunday Aug 2013

Posted by mrsselfish in Disney, Food & Drinks, Los Angeles, North America, United States

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Cafe Orleans, Disney, Disneyland, Food & Drinks, Los Angeles, North America, Selfish Year, Selfish Years, United States

Mr. Selfish and I finished our Disney tour with the first ever Disney park – Disneyland in California. It opened in 1955 and is the only park designed and built under the direction of Walt Disney. It is the second most visited park in the world with 16 million visitors in 2011 (Orlando’s Magic Kingdom has the highest attendance).

I was quite surprised as to how small Sleeping Beauty’s Castle is. It is tiny compared to all of the other Disney castles around the world, but I guess it was the first one. It is nevertheless quite photogenic, just like all of the other castles.

Mr. Selfish had previously visited Disneyland but I had never been. I therefore had a list of rides that I wanted to try that aren’t at the other parks, including the Matterhorn, Mr. Toad’s, and Indiana Jones.

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Feeling Adventurous at Disney’s California Adventure

24 Saturday Aug 2013

Posted by mrsselfish in Disney, Los Angeles, North America, United States

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California Adventure, Disney, Disney California Adventure, Los Angeles, North America, Selfish Year, Selfish Years, The Selfish Years, United States

Mr. Selfish and I were excited for the last of the Disney parks around the world. We both had never been to Disney’s California Adventure before and were not too sure what to expect. California Adventure opened in 2001 to negative reviews and has never hit targeted attendance levels. However, we had heard great things about Cars Land, which opened in June 2012. In 2012, the park had 7.78 million guests making it the 11th most visited park in the world.

Cars Land: Running for Radiator Springs Racers

We arrived at the park fairly early and headed straight for Cars Land. Mr. Selfish and I were quite impressed with the theming of Cars Land. It was straight out of the Cars movie.

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LA’s Lip-Smacking Cheap Eats

23 Friday Aug 2013

Posted by misterselfish in Los Angeles, North America, United States

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Cheap Eats, Churros Calientes, LA, Los Angeles, Roscoes House of Chicken and Waffles, Selfish Year, Selfish Years, Taqueria El Charrito, Umami Burger

After spending 2 months in Australia and New Zealand, Mrs. Selfish and I were ready for some good ol’ American cheap eats. Something that would satisfy our lust for tasty food without breaking the bank.

Unfortunately, while America specializes in cheap meals ($.99 menu, ahoy!), finding a cheap good meal can be a challenge. Fortunately we once again had access to Yelp, as well as my sister’s local tips.

Chowing Down on Chicken n’ Waffles

Our first stop in America was Roscoe’s Chicken N’ Waffles, LA’s premiere chicken and waffles location. If you haven’t yet experienced chicken and waffles, then you haven’t lived. Not the slightest bit healthy, there is something magical about crispy, savory fried chicken on sweet waffles.

Mrs. Selfish and I split a half chicken with waffles cooked southern style ($16.10 USD), and ordered a side of Mac and Cheese (~$6), another dish that’s pretty difficult to find outside of the States.

The chicken and waffles were amazingly crispy, and every bit as decadent as I remembered. My only complaint was that I hadn’t ordered it with gravy AND syrup, a total rookie error on my part.

The Mac and Cheese, on the other hand, was probably the best restaurant Mac ‘n’ Cheese I’ve ever had: creamy, smooth, delicious – it definitely hit the spot.

VERDICT: Buy it. Try it. Love it.

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Finally Back in the States: Wandering Around LA

22 Thursday Aug 2013

Posted by misterselfish in Los Angeles, North America, United States

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LA Sights, Los Angeles, Selfish Year, Selfish Years

Mrs. Selfish and I touched down back in the ol’ US-of-A three weeks ago in sunny Los Angeles. A massive departure from the tiny hamlet of Queenstown, we were immediately overwhelmed by American English and the shear diversity of the States.

With 19 hours of jetlag between our bodies and sunny California, Mrs. Selfish and I co-opted my sister’s car and hit the mean streets of LA.

Hollywood and the TCL Chinese Theater

Our first stop was Hollywood’s iconic Chinese Theater. Built in 1927, the theater has a regal, exotic feel, which is only slightly diminished by the tourist shops and people dressed in costume. Still, it’s an excellent place to people watch!