Maggi in 2007

Our third visit to Southern California was for a long weekend over Easter. Mäggi was fascinated with Hollywood, so we wanted to show it to her. We spent a day at Universal Studios, a day in Hollywood, and a day in Palm Springs. Alicia was almost 19, Dana 17 and Mäggi 17.

Mäggi: 04/04/07—04/08/07

Some of the special effects seen in movies were displayed on various rides

Madeline, Dana, Me, Mäggi, Alicia, and Donny

Johnny Depp's hand and footprints

At the wax museum with Rambo, Charlie's Angels, and Cptn. Jack Sparrow

Mäggi sees her first desert

Alicia enjoys her stroll on the beach

We spent our first day at Universal Studios. With the Front of the Line passes you see around our necks, we were able to ride each ride and see each show. Alicia's friend, Donny, who we met on our 4th cruise and lives in LA, spent the day with us.

On Friday, we went into Hollywood. There, we saw the famous sign, the stars on the sidewalks, the footprints, and the theatres. We took a van tour through Beverly Hills and Bel Air, then came back and went through the Hollywood Wax Museum, the Kodak Theatre, and a walking tour of the area.

We went to Santa Monica, where Mäggi stepped in the ocean for the first time.

Dana won our family NCAA March Madness pool. The winner got to choose a place to eat while we were in California, so Dana chose any restaurant in Downtown Disney.

Another friend of Alicia's, Nick, who now lives in the LA area, came to visit us at Disney

On Saturday, we opted for warmth, so we went to Palm Springs and sunny, 90° weather. There, we did some shopping, then went to a small amusement park and got soaked on bumper boats and dried out playing miniature golf. Back in LA, Mäggi got some driving lessons on go-karts.

Who needs Pamela Anderson?

Having some lunch

Through the misters

Go-karting

Sunday we went to Easter Mass in Manhattan Beach. On our way to the airport, we stopped at the beach one last time before flying back to Chicago.

First class gave us our last view of the area