MEXICO
“I can’t believe you’re coming with me to Tepusco,” My partner said laughing. “When we started dating, did you think you’d be in such a small town in Mexico?”
The idea of going to Mexico was actually one of the things that I considered when I thought of our future, “If we’re still together in the future, maybe I can go visit his family.” I always considered relationship’s futures as “If we’re still together,” something that often bugged my exes but not him. He just accepted that it was something I needed to take time on, which was just the understanding that has helped us last this long.
But my time in Tepusco was amazing. For about two weeks we ate great food - me mostly eating quesadilla because we had been snacking on Fresa con crema, gorditas, and other things that the family passed out and the idea of having something with meat too was just too much for my stomach. We drove around with windows down, walked around Villa Hildago, Tequila, Teocaltiche, and Calvillo. We celebrated 100 years of San Ignacio, and searched high and low for boots for my partner and me, I read three books over the weeks, and saw newborn puppies. I was teased by family members and used my limited Spanish for more than just Duolingo.
Imagination Unlimited
I was so thankful to be able to to explore the Jim Henson Exhibition at the Maryland Center for History and Culture because I have been a fan of his works for my whole life. Did I know it was Jim Henson? No. I just knew that it was fun and enjoyable. The Muppet show and movies, Sesame Street, Muppet Babies, Fraggle Rock, The Dark Crystal, Labyrinth… these were staples of my childhood and have influenced my adulthood. There are jokes that still make me laugh that I did as a child, and there are new jokes that previously went over my head. They inspired me to be positive and to do what’s right even when it’s hard.
The Exhibition was definitely much smaller than the Disney 100 exhibit, but it was no less engrossing. In fact, due to it’s size and the number of people who were around, I was able to spend 2 hours reading each sign, designing a puppet, taking photos, and even putting on a performance of my own. During my time I learned about Henson’s early life, and the support he had from his family. The creative pursuits he had with commercials, and how he seemed to reach for every opportunity available. They featured some of his works from the 60’s that were outside of what we all know, his more experimental ideas, and it was great to see how he never really limited himself.
We see about how he initially wasn’t too interested in Sesame Street, but after talking with the creator, he loved the message and ideas behind it and wanted to be part of it. There were classic characters on display such as the Count, Grover, Bert and Ernie, but there was also Slimy’s circus which came out after Henson’s death. They also featured different characters from the Muppets, and there was a whole section dedicated to his works from the 80’s.
Overall, it was a great time, and I felt like they had some great pieces. I did find myself wanting more, because his work is so wonderful to look at, but I think that they choice wonderful pieces. I would recommend this to any fan, and I wish I had known it had toured earlier, because maybe I could have gone when it was on the west coast and again on the east.
Disney 100: The Exhibition
The Franklin Institute
I was so lucky to be able to travel up to Philadelphia in order to explore The Franklin Institute’s Disney 100: The Exhibition while on the East Coast. I went with my boyfriend, his brother, and his two nephews all of whom do not have the love and nostalgia for Disney like I do, but were down to see what the experience had to offer.
There were so many people, it felt hard to really sit and absorb everything. I appreciated the employees telling everyone that we can come back to different parts to re-explore, and I wish that I had taken more time to go back and forth and read/watch each part a few times. Another challenge for me, was that we went at 5:00 pm, which, after a day of travel, exploring, and then going around this very expansive museum it felt hard to focus.
Overall though, the exhibits were interesting and I loved reading the details about the history of the Walt Disney Company and seeing everything they had on display. There were interesting props, beautiful art, and fun interactive sections. There were experiences for everyone… huge fans, fans, and casual observers.
Because they had to cover a wide variety of knowledge and interests, some of the props were more popular properties like Snow White, Cinderella, Frozen, but they brought it other pieces like a statue of Elliot from Pete’s Dragon. If you are a huge Star Wars or Marvel Fan however you might find the exhibits lacking. Though their advertisements included both Franchises, I only saw a wall of props each.
If you’re going into this thinking that you will see only rare Disney artifacts, original artwork, or really in-depth displays of their partnerships with LucasFilms and Marvel you will probably be a little disappointed. The photos were reproductions (though they looked real upon first look) and while they have some hidden retro gems, overall it is the tried and true classics on full display.
I was thrilled for the Nautilus from 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea to be featured and that they had clips for Zorro and Bedknobs on Broomsticks, I just think I was hoping for a bit more. If you are in the area, it is certainly worth the visit. The tickets are affordable and I liked that you had the option to buy a ticket to see every exhibit in the museum or just the Disney 100: The Exhibition.
Philadelphia, PA
June 2023
Obligatory couple photo
Anytime I see my home town’s name somewhere odd I have to take a photo
I went to this market when I was in High School and was so glad to go back and have an AMAZING bagel.
We walked by LORE’s Chocolate and had to check it out. Totally worth it, the chocolate was DELICIOUS.
Tina
The Tina Turner Musical
Tina Turner was my mother’s first concert when she was in 4th grade, so of course when Tina came to The Smith Center of Performing Arts, I had to get a ticket for her. This show was only at the Smith Center for a week and I called three different times to reschedule our tickets (due to my sister’s graduation and their limited availability) luckily we were able to do this.
I had grown up watching the Tina Turner movie with Angela Bassett a few times, so I knew there was abuse, the hallway scene is the one that stuck with me my entire lifetime… but that did not make me ready for this Musical.
At one point, a tear fell out of my eye, did I know I was crying? NO, it just happened. It was gripping and moving and during the intermission the women’s bathroom was full of women struggling to come to terms with what we saw.
Even with all the trauma that this woman faced, there was triumph and strength, and after the show ended we were given a concert to celebrate the wonderful woman who had only passed a few weeks before.
If you are able to see the show, I would wholeheartedly recommend it. The performer we had, Naomi Rodgers, was phenomenal, and my mom and I talked about the show for several days. This is a piece of theater that takes a person that you are familiar with, whose music everyone knows, and expands upon it in such a way that each viewer, whether a fan or newbie finds something to love.
The WB Studio Tour - Hollywood
Los Angeles, California
Warner Brother’s Studio is celebrating 100 years of existence and thanks to an ad on social media, I saw that they offered tours of their studio. Since my partner and I were already going to California for a different reason, I asked if he’d be interested in going. He said yes, so I bought tickets to the most popular Studio Tour, which starts at $69.
My partner is not as interested in movies/television as I am. He’ll watch a movie, but he won’t always know the studio that produced it. He enjoys the movie for what it is. With this in mind, I was a bit worried that he wouldn’t enjoy the tour. But, as he’s someone who’s always open to trying new things, and never didn’t touristy things while living in LA himself, he was down to experience the tour for what it was.
The tour is advertised as about one hour for a guided tour, two-plus hours for a self-guided tour, as well as opportunities for shopping and dining. For the two of us, as we explored the lot, we were shocked that we were able to explore and spend so much time at the studio. It didn’t feel like we were there for over three hours. And, both of us enjoyed the experience immensely.
As I mentioned, my partner and I view media differently. If I like a movie/television show I can become really interested in the studio, production, and cast information, and go down many a YouTube and Google rabbit hole. So, for me, getting to be able to see where Gilmore Girls was filmed, seeing Lorelai Gilmore’s house being the back of Sookie St. James’ house (a fact I knew but is still great to see in person) was magical.
For my partner, seeing how they were able to manipulate buildings and change the facades was fascinating. He’s very handy and so seeing how they are crafted gave him a unique experience. He may have never watched an episode of Friends, but he was going to enjoy a sandwich, cheesecake, and coffee at Central Perk. Additionally, one of the places he enjoyed most of all was the (small) Game of Thrones experience and the DC section.
There was also a Harry Potter area, which wasn’t as expansive as the tour I went to in London, but for fans of the franchise (not my partner, who has never seen the series) it is still interesting to experience. If you are a fan of the Big Bang Series, you should also know they have few photo spots where you can in their living room or bang on the door calling, “PENNY.”
For me, another great moment was being able to see the costumes from My Fair Lady, Casablanca, and being able to experience the different areas of production. There are sound design rooms, foley artist showing their work, a place where you can do voiceovers, and you are even able to experience how set design works - such as the optical illusions used in The Hobbit.
While I wish I could have seen the Animaniacs running around the Warner lot, I felt like this tour was well worth the money, and is great for people of all levels of interest when it comes to filmmaking. You can find tickets to the tour HERE.
For those interested in seeing my garden, see the photo below
The Springs Preserve
Las Vegas, Nevada The Springs Preserve is not always a tourist destination when people visit Las Vegas, but when I have friends visiting it’s always someplace I recommend (as long as the weather is good because I once went in August and… Vegas is too hot to be outside at that time of year). This is a beautiful 180 acre piece of land that is home to multiple museums and exhibits, for example, when I went in April, they were hosting a Butterfly Habitat.
I went to the exhibit around 1:30 pm and there was not a long wait, in fact, the person greeting us wen we arrived said it was the shortest the line had been all day. The habitat is great because you get to walk through what seems like a Greenhouse full of sustainable plants and butterflies. There were a series of different kinds and there were fact stands around the habitat giving you more information. Mostly, I loved just being surrounded by the butterflies in such a beautiful area.
From here, armed with our Smoothie and Iced Vanilla Chai beverages from the onsite Springs Cafe (brought to the location by Bronze Cafe), my boyfriend and I toured two of the museums onsite and walked through their different gardens, looking at roses and walking by a spot where they were teaching people how to grow vegetables in the city. We went through one of their eco-friendly homes of the future on site, and walked through a few different gift shops. The whole experience inspired me to start a garden of my own (without vegetables, just flowers).
We wanted to explore the trails outside the main area, as well as see their Boomtown, inspired by Las Vegas when it was first formed, but it was too late as they close the trails/train to the area around 3:30 pm and the entire preserve by 4:00 pm.
That said, there was plenty to see and explore. It was fun for me as a Vegas native to point out our state fossil the Ichthyosaur Shonisaurus popularis (have you had the “get sticky with icky beer?) as well as to see the natural wildlife living happily in the middle of our metropolis.
I would say this is a great way to explore how the city of Las Vegas was able to survive and thrive for families as well as for those who enjoy museums and great food.
You can find tickets Here.
Disneyland - 100th Celebration
Anaheim, California
I am one of those adults. Those adults who really like Disney. I would say that I am a Disney Adult, but that takes way more commitment than I think I can truly give. That said, I do go to the parks, I watch Disney Plus and a few different Youtube Channels that focus on the parks, company, and examinations of the movies.
Having grown up in Las Vegas, Disneyland was a pretty easy drive for my mother and I to make for vacations, and it was something we all enjoyed. Walt was right, there are few places in the world where adults and children can have fun and connect with one another, and Disneyland has been someplace that my family has travel to multiple times. The nostalgia with Disney is strong. And as a millennial, I thrive on that nostalgia.
I remember the first time seeing the stones in front of the park’s entrance celebrating 50 years of Disneyland, and I know that my mom, sister, and I were able to go to Disneyland to celebrate the 60th (I got a ‘Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln’ and ‘Jungle Cruise‘ pin and it makes me happy each time I see it.)
Along with that, I was also a Disney College Program (DCP) participant and worked the Halloween and Christmastime season in Disneyland. I was even fortunate enough to go to Disney World to celebrate the 50th anniversary last December. I have seen how Disney Celebrates, and after 100 years of the Disney company being in existence, I desperately wanted to visit Disneyland to see what they did to mark this momentous year.
I was disappointed.
My first signs that I would be, were:
My mom, stepdad, and sister went to celebrate my sister’s impending high school graduation and when they came back they didn’t say anything about the celebration themselves, but about the lines and inside jokes from the trip.
The merchandise on Shop Disney. I LOVED LOVED LOOOOVED that they were doing the “Decades” of Disney and thought, “Wow I can get some really cool and unique to the era style merch!” But there wasn’t much that had me going, “OH I MUST have this.” I loved the Three Little Pigs, and would love to have something from that short, but what would I do with stuffed animals? And all we got were some Pegasus stuffed animals from Fantasia. Where was there anything Art Deco or Art Nuevo? They could have really doing a lot of unique things… like a brass table lamp of the three pigs. I would more likely buy that than stuffed animals… and really, aren’t I part of the demographic of these decades? A childless Millennial with disposable income?
I wish they would have done more to celebrate. They had some decorations across the park gates and on the castle, but it didn’t really feel like they went above and beyond.
That said, I went for one day and did a park hopper, so I was a little more strapped for time. I didn’t see any parades, though my opinion is that there should be more to celebrating than the shows…
My partner and I did get the dinner special at California Adventure’s Wine Country Trattoria, which gave us tickets to the new World of Color experience ONE (I couldn’t finish my dessert and was very sad about it, but luckily I was able to take it home and eat it on the drive back to Vegas - 10/10 would recommend).
My boyfriend had never seen World of Color, and he was very excited about the technology involved to make the show happen. I would say that I liked the characters highlighted and I certainly enjoyed it. I felt like the rest of the experience could have been like that.
We also saw the updated Mickey’s Toontown, which still has some interactive spaces, but a lot more grassy areas. Young kids were having a lot of fun playing and pushing different buttons for different effects. I liked the changes that they made. I didn’t go on the new attraction, Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Train because we had gone on it in Disney World and the line was too long.
Since we went for one day and were park hopping, I had us get Disney Genie Plus with our tickets, which didn’t include all rides, but did help for some of the “must-go-ons” for me. We also prepaid for parking, which to me didn’t seem like it made the process any more quicker than paying.
Disneyland has also been saying that Magic Bands are now in Disneyland, and they are offering the chance to buy them, but I didn’t see anything really interactive that seems to make the price worth getting one. The only thing we seemed to find was a water fountain in Downtown Disney that sparkled (video included). I wish they had done more of that.
Disneyland is a place that I really love going. I love the immersion and the effort that they generally put in. I wanted more for the 100th celebration. Does that mean that I won’t go to the park anymore, or check what each Decade holds when it’s released on Shop Disney? Probably not… and I’m sure that’s the problem. If people stop going to Disney and stop spending then eventually they’ll have to change things, but we won’t do that. They have a cultural hold on all of us.
BUT, I will say that what they’re producing is not enough anymore. There is a lack of magic, and I think that it’s reflected in the quality of the celebration. I think it’s also why Cast Members don’t seem to be enjoying their time as much as they used to. There needs to be more innovation in the merchandise, more care for the Cast Members, and more magic to the celebration. You should be able to see it wherever you go, not just select areas.
Got to rock my Powerline backpack! 
A bit of Disney Magic in the park
I didn't comment on this, but we go this at Pym's Test Kitchen. 
Splash Mountain didn’t come to play during this trip. We were drenched.
