2.25.2011

VISIT L.A. and VISIT US!

Being so far from most of our friends and family, I've taken it upon myself to highlight a few reasons you should visit us, and visit LA!

These are in no particular order:

 HIKING!!!

The Hollywood sign from Runyon Canyon - the canyon we hike most often

The Hollywood sign from the  Bronson Canyon Hike
(There's a horseback tour along this trail, I'm hoping to do that as soon as the arm is 100%.)
Awww, Drake enjoying Runyon Canyon

HOLLYWOOD
*Disclaimer/spoiler alert*
If you've never been to Hollywood, and plan to do so in the near future, I wouldn't recommend staying long. Hollywood is the definition of tourist trap. However, you have to go, even if for a little bit... Just to say you've been there :)
Pretty self explanatory - Home of the Oscars

Grauman's Chinese Theatre
The infamous Walk of Fame

LONG BEACH

Queen Mary
This boat is particularly cool on July 4th. Admission on the boat is FREE, and spectators hang out on the boat until sunset, and then have an on-the-water view of fireworks.

The fireworks.

PASADENA

No caption needed.
The Rose Bowl is a short drive from LA.

UCLA v. Oregon State

DISNEY CONCERT HALL

For Christmas, Scott surprised me to a concert at the concert hall. The place is amazing, and the concert will become a yearly tradition for us.
(photo courtesy of wikipedia.org)

SANTA MONICA

Perhaps a bit touristy, but the pier is iconic, and fun to visit.

On the pier is a small amusement park. The rides are kid-friendly, but the ferris wheel is a must (don't ask Scott his opinion on the ferris wheel :)!

On the ferris wheel. Scott's enjoying this, obviously.
The 3rd Street Promenade is GREAT for shopping.

BEVERLY HILLS/BEL AIR
The oh-so-famous signs entering Beverly Hills

Amidst all the concrete LA has to offer, there's Beverly Hills. People living here actually have yards and green space!

Bel Air - some AMAZING homes in this area! Still haven't seen the Fresh Prince...
Pretty much my FAVORITE store in Beverly Hills (maybe because it's the only one I can actually afford to enter?!)!! The cupcakes here are THE BEST in the city. The line to get in can be 45+ minutes, but it's worth the wait!
(photo courtesy of washingtoncitypaper.com)

LA BREA TAR PITS
Just steps from our front door... There are several tar pits that are being excavated, or have been excavated. Finds include fossils/remains of Colombian Mammoths, Mastodons, American Lions and Saber tooth Tigers.

A big pit of tar.

PINK'S

Soooooo good! 
Yep, it's a hot dog stand. But, the most amazing hot dog stand! They have every possible hot dog combo. Here's the  BEST part - they have TURKEY DOGS!!! The line can get pretty long, but it's worth every bite! A must-do while in LA.
THE PCH (aka Pacific Coast Highway, aka Highway 1)
The PCH takes you along the coast and has some spectacular view along the way.

THE BEACHES and SUNSETS

Venice Beach
We've seen some pretty spectacular sunsets.
Manhattan Beach
Our favorite beach!

ANAHEIM
A quick train ride will take you to Anaheim.
The train literally drops you off in the parking lot of the A's Stadium!

It's no Kauffman, but it's pretty cool :)

THE STAPLE CENTER/L.A. LIVE

Our first NHL game - Go Kings!

The Staples Center is also home to the Laker and Clippers. Tickets to those are a bit more expensive, but we're hoping to see those teams, too.
There's still so much Scott and I have on our to-do list... But, this is a good start!
See anything that looks like fun? You should be answering "yes!" We have an extra bedroom that's always open - we love having friends and family visit!! Once your flight is booked let us know, we can't wait to see you! And, we can't wait to explore more of LA with you! 

2.18.2011

Into the World of Blogging We Go!

After following several friends blogs, I felt compelled to create one for the Macke household.

To be totally honest, I most likely won't be updating this daily. If something out-of-the-ordinary or exciting happens, odds are it will be posted. :)

Let's bring this blog up to speed!

October 2, 2010 will forever be one of the most important days in Scott and my life. On that special day we were so blessed to be surrounded by so many friends and family as we said our "I Do's."
(Our wedding party)



For me, the Honeymoon was a total surprise. Scott did an amazing job booking and planning our trip to St. Thomas. Though Tropical Storm Otto graced us with its presense the majority of our trip, we had a great time. Due to the storm we weren't able to see/do much, so we've deicded to take a second honeymoon... When and where is yet to be determined.
(On the beach outside our resort - before Otto dropped by)

After the honeymoon we were hoping to settle into married life, nice and easy. No such luck. In November I was involved in a head-on collision. The crash resulted in the radius and ulna being broken in my right arm. Scott has been nothing short of amazing as I make my recovery.

(An X-ray view from the side; both radius and ulna looked like this)
(Post-surgery; bones are back in place)

Even though the arm isn't 100%, Scott and I were fortunate enough to get away from LA for a few days. A wedding gift to beautiful South Lake Tahoe was all in thanks to my awesome Aunt Sharon, Uncle Shorty, and cousins, Myles and Deb. Skiing was out of the question (for me), but we had a blast in Tahoe and hope to return next year!
(Lake cruise)

(Along one of the beaches)

(Our snowmobile tour)

... And we're up to speed in the Macke world!