Jelly Belly factory

here we are just before we actually entered the factory, they started giving us jelly belly's..we got to try the latest flavour of honey..it was good ..and as went around you tried them in different stages as well..it was really great to see,

The factory was not at full production, it was just coming back after two weeks off, for maintenance..but it was still a great tour. I bought Belly Flops, which are the Jelly Bellys rejects, when they are graded for size, shape colour, before they print jelly belly on, they get rid off the rest..and , of course, bag them and sell them..they are so good..the ones that fall on the floor are sold to the local farmers for fertilizer..no wastage at Jelly Belly

Grand canyon

we went to the grand canyon on our way back from California, and it was spectacular..i flew over it recently as well on my way back from Utah, salt lake City, which was also an amazing sight.

I never seem to have time to finish this blog these days..i promise to spend more time on it next week and put loads of photos from our summer up there.

Off to see the statue of marshall..the person who first found gold

The person who first found gold and started the gold rush, was James Marshall, he found a piece when they were building a mill in Coloma, to get more timber to build Sacremento..and then he found that first piece which started the California dream, although he died in poverty..did not handle the gold, money and enjoyed the liquor too much.

He is now honoured in the village of Coloma, and they have put a statue up which we got the boys to all hike to from our picnic spot..Victoria and I cleared down the lunch and drove up..which i would have to say there were groans and moans about..but Allan led the way and exercise they had.

We panned for gold....

So went to the visitors centre, learnt a lot about the native Americans who were displaced by the gold rush..but are almost back to there original numbers...saw a film in the theatre, bought our pans and spoons to get us started..and off we went..Aaron was the first to find gold, and then Jordan and Alex became experts at finding the flakes..and really got into the whole 'gold' we will be rich...but the sparkling flakes were hard to catch and the nuggets were nowhere to be found...better luck next time!!

Another day over only one more full day to go...sad to be leaving

tomorrow we are going to pan for gold..Alex is obsessed with the fact that gold prices are rising and if he can find 1oz he will get a $1000..which one of you wants to tell him the odds of this...as his mother..I am going to roll with the day..minds you his dad will be looking just as hard...I will post more tomorrow..then it is heading home time, we will be driving all day Wednesday,, then Thursday we are at the Grand Canyon, and Friday we are on the final to see Cara and Tex...via the Capitol building in Santa Fe if I can sweet talk Allan...the blog will tell you who won that round...but of course it is marriage and not a competition

Salmon feeding..or rainbow trout..both love a nickle of food

We went to feed the salmon after Jelly Belly..being state run..and the State of California is BROKE..big time...they closed at 3pm..so we fed the salmon and Rainbow trout but did not get to go into the visitor centre..(Jelly Belly won on our time!!!) so we just fed them..which they loved..and the boys did as well. then we walked down by the river, and generally had fun today...

Jelly Belly Factory..so much fun

We went of tot he Jelly Belly factory today..I learnt all sorts of things..jelly belly were making candy well before Jelly Belly..chocolates, candy corn...a whole mixture of candy( sweets for those in UK who are worrying about me right now). They went through the recession and collapsed, but did not give up, and restarted a company again, ..they do not throw away the ones that fall on the floor, they give them to the local farmers for the animals feed, they do not sell the rejects as jelly Belly's they call them Belly flops..I bought a load of them today..just love the name..who wouldn't. The kids had a ball..they enjoyed trying the newest flavour of honey..mum it is lovely..really honey..from now on you need a brandy, a lemon and a honey jelly belly and you will never suffer from a cold again( Tamzin's medical opinion)..and we all know what I think of the medical profession..

I love the name Belly Flops..so much..have bough a heap..think Cara should give them to the kids on her swim team..not sure they will appreciate it..but I do

On the Lake

we had a fantastic time on the lake yesterday..lake Folsom, we spent time anchored and just swimming, jumping and drinking, snacking and laughing..a great day..very relaxing.

The weather was super, the water was delightful and the sun was hot..you dried off really quickly which was great.

Sonoma...adult time..no kids

So off we went to Sonoma, Allan and I did Napa a few years ago when we were out, so this time we decided to do a champagne day over at Sonoma..it was a lovely day, started out overcast but it burnt off and turned in to glorious day, magnificent views, great company and just a delightful day all round.

We started in Domaine Carneros, which is owned by Taittinger...and is in the foothills of Napa..but on the way to Sonoma..we then moved on to an olive plantation, and did anotehr winery..which I was not so impressed with, Gloria Ferrer, and then went for lunch in Sonoma town itself, and for the afternoon we went to a Vin yard on the outskirts of Sonoma town, a wonderful day..the last picture is from the last vinyard...Gundlach Bundschu..which they iconed out on t-shirts..a gun, a lock, a bundt, a shoe..very impressed. Lovely place.

Feeding the Giraffe

We went on an extra tour to see the animals up close in the huge enclosures..and we fed the giraffes..which was so much fun. Ben was unsure at first, but soon got in the spirit of the whole thing, which surprised em as he is my adventurer and Alex is more likely to hold back until sure..but not on this adventure..he loved the giraffe and being up close...although the Rhino decided to come over and check us out, and rubbed his horn on the truck..which was a little scary as we could tell the three rangers with us were all watching very carefully..and the photographer was standing back but braced..so we were not sure what could happen but decided it might have been fun..

who is the size of a gorilla??

We found a mould of a gorilla foot and hand..so the boys had to try and see who is more like a gorilla..in size Allan wins..in actions..hard to tell between my three men on this trip...

More on Legoland

Well I have tried to put a selection of photo's on from Legoland..the boys had a blast, they had been saving there allowance for this trip for over 7 months and were soooo ready for this day. They had a great day and went on all rides..so did I. I am scared of rollercoasters and decided to just roll with it..how bad can legoland be..it is designed for younger kids..I was WRONG..oh boy. A and B enjoy telling anyone how much I screamed. We have photographic evidence that I was not all that happy.

So the photo's show them on the water play scape..we had trouble getting them away from that amazing contraption, and it had giant buckets that filled up and then tipped over, which is what the photo is trying to show. They went on a pulley system ride, and had to use team work and effort to get them up, we watched a show, with the Legoland firefighter..very funny, but we had to be in the 'you will get wet zone'....they loved some of the giant Lego characters, and then one photo of Mini USA...i love the mini lands they do...I could put a whole section on here of just that, loved it in Windsor, and loved it here..but since this blog is about us and USA am restraining...
They went and got their Legoland driving licenses..which is what Cara and Jack did in Windsor, so am tempted to post when i get home, the photo's of then all getting their licenses, even though Cara was 7 when she got hers and Jack was about the same..
You have a token photo of me on a ride as i am frequently told I am not on the blog enough..that is because i had myself in photo's and I HAVE THE POWER...not to post what i don't want!!!!!

missing photos

so these are the missing photo's, will try harder next time...I am sure it said for me to do that on all my school reports anyway...obviously times have not changed.
Anyway, to sum up our evening in El Paso, much more mountainous than we had expected, seeing Mexico across the river..which by the way is the Rio Grande..which stands for 'great river'..is not great at this point of its journey..it is a pathetic trickle that is no more than ankle deep and only about 15'' wide..so very disappointing...the imagination is much better than reality!!!
Anyway, back to Mexico..there is a shanty town across the river, only feet separate the two countries, but the difference in appearance is stark. We followed Mexico for a lot of our journey to San Diego..will be posting more pictures..had to go through lots of border check points to confirm we were legal..they let us keep going...we obviously look fine..although Allan gets very antagonistic when being questions..he becomes very bullish, even in the airport..nightmare.but they still let us go..one check point suggested we carry all our documentation because we are British citizens, but the others were happy with our American driving license..which needed all the documentation to get...anyway..husband and wife survived the border control check points...just!!!
We ate in an Italian restaurant, always a winner with the boys, and when they are tired and hungry, you need to be thinking ease of a meal..and it worked for all of us.., slept well and were back on the road by 0630.
We had crossed a time zone just before El Paso so were now an hour behind Texas..in New Mexico it stayed the same, but Arizona do not recognise daylight saving, so they were still on pacific time, so when we went there it was back another hour..which we did not realise until we stopped for lunch in Tucson...and the Subway clock was at a different time..another story, am going now..need to get this day going

El Paso

so we arrived in El Paso on Saturday evening, it had been a long boring drive across Texas but the kids had enjoyed there new DVD player and films and no arguments had happened..in fact the first 'are we there yet' came from a friend in England texting us..so funny..made us laugh in the car..

I learnt that El Paso means..The Pass..so obvious when you see it, it literally lies in a break in the mountain range..and would have been a pass for those first traveling across this vast continent.

It is a long and thin town, but has all the trappings of a busy town..all the shops, high rises and traffic you would expect..although for some reason after all the comments I had heard about El Paso, I was expecting a more basic town...I also think it would be defined a city in Texas..so sorry if I got that wrong. Not sure where the other photos have gone I had downloaded..hate computers..will have to find them..one was of laura medical school..the reason she left us in Austin and moved here, one was a huge capital A on the side of the mountain..Alexander is fixated with that, sure it has been put there for him..and one of all the men up the mountains above Laura and Alfred's home, and of course El Paso. well lets try and find those while this posts..ahhhhhhh  com puters

Our Road Trip..Our first..so excited..

So we started our road trip on Saturday morning..June 12th...and now I am writing from San Diego. This is a picture of the 'boys' at the first comfort break stop we did, into west Texas. the rest area was very pleasant, had about 10 areas for families, with shade, a grill and lots of bins and more than adequate restrooms for us.

We carried on to El Paso, and i will post more pictures from there as well, and stayed with Laura and Alfred, friends from Austin who moved there last summer..some of you will remember Alfred, he is the Sheriff Cara has been out on ridealongs with, and he is in uniform at some of our parties, because he was working, he would pop in to say hi during the party.

From El Paso we traveled into New Mexico, crossed right over it, into Arizona..had lunch at Tucson and then kept on going to California..crossed it to San Diego..where we arrived last night about 6pm local time..we are now two hours behind Texas, crossed mountain time and are now in pacific time zone.

Last night we walked down to the harbour to see the USS midway, which is the ship we are going to explore today and walked back, had Pizza in Sammy's pizza house and went back to the hotel..the boys..we only have the younger ones with us..were so good. anyway, a quick update is what this was, so I am going to publish and try and get some more pictures on the blog for you all.