Big, Big Trees...

Alright, I'm only falling a bit behind... My next big adventure of July 2008 was a trip to Big Basin, California for the not-so-annual J.D. Clark Reunion. I flew to San Jose while the rest of my family drove from Wyoming. I'd rented a fancy Dodge Charger online - my Dad was going to drive it back to the airport with me and he thought that might be a fun car to drive. Yet somehow, when I got to my highly-anticipated cool-oozing rental car, there was not a sleek Dodge Charger sitting there waiting for me, but a light blue boat of a car - a Grand Marquis. My first reaction was to check the number again and make sure I had the right spot. My second reaction was to look around and make sure nobody saw me getting into this ugly thing. I swear you could fit 5 dead bodies into the trunk! It had to be a Mobster's dream car! Once I got going though, I had to admit that the seats were pretty comfy...

I got there a bit before the fam, so I passed the turnoff for Big Basin and headed on down to Santa Cruz to grab a bite to eat. I didn't want to stray too far, so I stopped at the first cafe I saw and sat, ate, and read a book for a couple of hours. It was nice to relax alone and not have anywhere to be. Ah, independence...

We all met up in Big Basin and went to Uncle Dale's campsite for some grub. I met some of my 2nd cousins that I hadn't seen in decades. I have to say, I'm related to some pretty good-lookin' folks! All of my grandma's siblings were there and it was awesome to be with so much family - and to realize that I did remember most of them from some function or other.

On Friday we spent the day at the Santa Cruz boardwalk going on rides, eating corn dogs and funnel cakes, playing mini-golf and arcades, and getting sunburned. There was a concert on the beach that night - Blue Oyster Cult. Yes, yes...they played the infamous "More Cowbell" song. We walked along the beach and ate some amazing seafood on the pier that night. It was a great day! Too bad the drive back up to camp made us more sick than the rides on the boardwalk!

The next day we went for a drive up Hwy 1. We saw a lighthouse, some tide pools, Pebble Beach, and some guys kite-surfing. It was tons of fun and nice to spend some quality family time. That night was the official "reunion" part of the reunion, so we all gathered and ate together. Grandma Brown had some interesting trivia questions about her parents and siblings. It was a lot of fun to see how much (or little) I knew about these relatives/ancestors. Tons of pictures were taken and it was an all-around good time.

Sunday morning our immediate-extended (?) family went for a small hike through the Redwoods. What awesome trees! I hadn't seen them since I was somewhere around 10. They are quite impressive! I love spending time with my extended family! They're so entertaining and cool (if I do say so myself!). Dad and I left that day, but it was a nice, relaxing (mostly) weekend in the California Redwoods. Here are some pics:

New York, New York

At last. We come to the promised travel blogs. I'll start today with the first trip of the summer. This trip kind of took me by surprise - I wasn't planning on going for the longest time. But, through some gentle persuasion, and my never-failing desire to travel, I made the decision. And I'm so glad I did!

This year I spent July 16-20th in Manhattan for a Broadway Teacher's Workshop. I went with fellow teachers from the Hollywood Kids Academy where I run the vocal program. There were 8 of us that went and we had such a ball! I mentioned before that there's something about New York that I love. I'm still not sure what that is, but it's specific to New York. I've been to other big cities, but this one has a different...aura, I guess. It's full of excitement, attitude, character... I just love visiting there!

Of course, a major highlight of the trip were the five Broadway shows we went to see. First was Legally Blonde. This show wasn't included as part of the workshop, but we had a free night and thought, what better way to kick it all off? It was such a cute show! I loved the movie to begin with, but it was super entertaining to have all the added songs. The performers were awesome and it was a great feel-good experience!

Next we saw Young Frankenstein. What a trip! If you've ever seen the movie (or any Mel Brooks movie, for that matter), then you know exactly what to expect from this show. It was hilarious - mostly thanks to ingenious casting - but it also had it's slightly uncomfortable moments... I loved it in spite of those, though! It was entertaining for sure. I especially loved the 'Putting On The Ritz' number. That and 'The Brain' were my favorite songs. Although 'Transylvania Mania' was a riot too! So much fun!

The next night I was 10 minutes late for A Catered Affair. Jessica Elmer and I were shopping in the Virgin Records store in Times Square when we realized it was 8:02 and the show started at 8:00! Good thing it was fairly close! This show was not a comedy and had more depth. I thought the performances were what made it good. I didn't care much for the storyline, but the way it was executed was absolutely stunning! It starred Faith Prince, Harvey Fierstein, and Tom Wopat - all of whom were exceptionally brilliant!

Up next was possibly my favorite show experience ever - The 39 Steps. This show is not a musical, but was soooo entertaining - I would see it again and again! It's a spoof based on an old Hitchcock movie (which is based on a book) and has a cast of four. Two of the actors play around 10 characters each, with different accents, postures, voices, genders (no kidding), etc. It was remarkable how easy they made it all look! It was such a hilarious show and I highly recommend it - I hope to see it again someday!

Lastly, but definitely not least, we saw the revival of South Pacific at the Lincoln Center. Apparently it's virtually impossible to get tickets to this show, yet it was part of our package deal with the workshop. Honestly, I've never been a huge fan of South Pacific. The storyline never really appealed to me and I'd always thought the music was just okay. But this was the most incredible show! They did the whole thing (it was 3 hours long!) with full orchestra. The staging, singing, acting...everything was amazing. I guess this show was nominated for something like 11 Tony Awards this year and won several. I see why!

So, the shows were great, but I also really enjoyed the Workshop. It was super fun to go to classes like Stage Combat, Mirroring, Audition Tips, etc. We got to hear from Jason Robert Brown, whose music is definitely cool. We also had a session with a Music Director for several shows and I learned quite a lot about coaching for a show. It was also fun hearing from the performers and seeing the backstage tour. It made me very excited for what we're doing at Hollywood Kids.

Aside from the Broadway experience, we had a great time with the New York experience too. Eating in cafes, shopping on 5th Avenue, walking around Central Park, visiting the Upper West Side, riding in taxis, standing in Rockefeller Plaza outside the TODAY Show watching Matt Lauer and Al Roker, eating a hot dog from a street vendor, and browsing through Tiffany's - all these small experiences were wonderful. But probably the best experience was going to the Manhattan Temple. It was such a comfort to be in that haven with so much of the world around you, and to focus on eternal truths. What a beautiful temple! It was quite the unique experience!

Here are a few photos from our trip:

Jess and I in Times Square

Me in Rockefeller Plaza

The gang at Bubba Gump's in Times Square

Times Square at night

Central Park

Travel Bug...I Got It!

As previously mentioned, I love traveling. And that's what I've been doing for the past three weeks. And that's what I'll be doing for the next 10 days. I had planned on posting something about each of my travels, and I'm still going to do that, but somehow time has gotten away from me. So, before I'm jet-set again, I'll just write a quick teaser about a previous trip.

At the beginning of July I had the opportunity to go to New York City to take part in a Broadway Teacher's Workshop with the other teachers from Hollywood Kid's Academy here in Las Vegas. The training sessions were amazing and we saw 5 shows! It was fantastic. There's just something about that city that I love. I really enjoy the energy and independence there. Not to mention the power suits and their inhabitants!

I'll be posting more details and photos soon...