Did you hear what happen in Anaheim?

Did you hear that on October 9th, 2011 all the Orange County Bloggers were invited to the amazing city of Anaheim to attend a bash? It was hosted in the long standing Anaheim Convention Center. My husband and I both attended this exclusive Blogger Bash hosted by Anaheim Orange County Visitor & Convention Bureau and Moms LA.

From the moment you entered the bash you felt transported to another time, as the nights’ theme was the 60’s Mad Men.  In the 1950s and 1960s, the advertising industry was based on Madison Avenue in New York City. In fact, “Madison Avenue” used to be slang for “the ad industry.” Madison/ad men was contracted into “mad men” (no women, of course) by the mad men themselves.  My how times have changed.  The event was full of fun conversations and lots of great creative people.  This was the event of the year to attend for OC Bloggers, the new era of mad (wo)men and some men.  I found myself thinking about life in the 60's all night.  In every corner of the room, there was an item that reminded you of the 1960's.  There were cars, movies and fashions on display creating a vibrant visual display.  Visions of Hollywood royalty, Audrey Hepburn and Lucille Ball, were exuded by all of the beautiful women dressed to impress for the evenings gala.  The 60’s offered change and new adventures however fast-forwarding to 2011, blogging is the new adventure for making a change with electronic advertising.

As I left the OC Blogger Bash, I realized Orange County is a wonderful place to live and visit because of the people who make it into a community.  Orange County has embraced bloggers and is making them an integral part of their business community.  This was evident when the AOCVCB shared their pictures of the new “Grand Plaza” that is being completed in 2012.   The Grand Plaza will line the street from the convention center past the Hilton.  The plaza will have a running river through it as well as meeting and dining places allowing for business and entertainment to cultivate and flourish.  Additionally, we were given a preview of the new Cars Land attraction at Disneyland.  Story boards of the new Cars Land were displayed showing the magnificent detail that Disney is placing into the new play area.  The attractions in Cars Land will be completed in 2012. 

As an OC Blogger I feel that Orange County is the perfect place to live and work because it has a community feel.  We all work together to provide information and successes allowing for greater growth and prosperity.  This was evident by the exhilarating event hosted for us bloggers.  There are so many opportunities for bloggers/writers as executives from major corporations came out to participate in the evenings’ event.

I wish to take the time to thank the following persons and companies for their generosity and time out to recognize the writers of the future.  On behalf of the CEO and CFO from Field Trip Mom, Thank you McDonalds, Knott’s Berry Farm, Disneyland, Medieval Times, MomsLA, 300 Anaheim, Anaheim Marriott, Angels Baseball, Aquarium of the Pacific, Casa Resorts, Costa Mesa CVB, Hilton Anaheim, Honda Center, Hyatt Regency, Laguna Beach CVB, Pacific Edge Hotel, Photo Booth Pro, Pretend City, Queen of Heartz, RWB Party Props, Sheraton Park Anaheim, Sunset Flying, The Outlets at Orange, Anaheim White House, House of Blues Anaheim, Huntington Beach Marketing & Convention Bureau, Irvine Barclay Theatre, Montanya Spa, OC Wildlife & Travel, Universal Studios Hollywood, Discovery Science Center, Hilton Anaheim Health Club, Lux Aveda Salon & Spa, Ra Sushi, Roy’s Anaheim.  Without these wonderful companies, this post would not have been possible.

If you are thinking of starting a business, looking to move, or just to host a great event, consider Anaheim and Orange County.  For more information about these companies listed as well as the Anaheim Orange County Visitors Convention Bureau, Please click on the links above. 

Orange County is my community and I am happy to share pictures:

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Farm Adventures with Grandma and Grandpa (Knott's Berry Farm that is!)

Ever since I was a kid, I can remember driving past and on a few occasions going to Knott’s Berry Farm. There are so many fond memories that bring back excitement and joy when thinking back. From the “E Ticket rides” to the “Western Stunt Show”, panning for gold and the famous Mrs. Knott’s Chicken Dinners, great memories come from these words. Although Knott’s in the 1970’s and 1980’s was far different than it is today, however, it still has that great fun feeling. Knott’s Berry Farm has had a very long history, starting out as a very simple business concept and emerging into America’s first amusement park. Now, I know what you are thinking…Knott’s isn’t for small children and Grandparents with all of those speedy roller coasters and huge dropping devices! That could not be further from the truth….Knott’s Berry Farm allows Grandparents to re-live their youth and enjoy memories with their Grandchildren. Sit back and enjoy the rides.

Our Adventure to Knott’s Berry Farm

Last week, my parents came into town from Fargo, ND to visit with their Grandchildren. My Dad, remembering how we kids loved Knott’s wanted to take our kids for their first trip to the park! Honestly, I think he was excited himself to go remembering all of the fun times our family had in the 70’s and 80’s attending the park. Not sure if he was looking forward to the trip for himself or for the Grand kids alike!!! I took the day off work simply to help them with the boys. The aches and pains Grandmas and Grandpas have don’t cooperate with the excitement and quick legs of 7 and 4 year old boys. 

We arrived to the park and discovered that a small, soft sided cooler was allowed in the park for water and juice boxes. When we walked in, we were greeted by photographers wishing to capture us, excited for the day and allowing us to collect a memory photo later in the day. We dashed off to Camp Snoopy and Grandma quickly jumped on several rides with the boys. They were so excited to have them there, especially since it was my kids’ first visit to Knott’s Berry Farm.

Next we headed through the Old Ghost Town and straight to the Calico Mine Rider and the Timber Mountain Log Ride. These were our family favorites when I was a kid and it brought back many conversations and memories that we shared with my boys. Grandma and Grandpa were having a great time, talking with the boys, teasing them and playing in the park. Soon, we found ourselves playing some of the carnival games and my youngest won his first stuffed animal throwing a ping pong ball into a bowl floating in a water pond. It was a proud moment for Grandpa! Next, my oldest and I played a game of chance tossing small balls onto a board with colored circle cut outs. He won himself an “Angry Bird” stuffed animal. 

Grandma was ready to visit the old fashion candy shop and the boys were attached to Grandma’s hip like they had been glued to her. We walked the complete park, hopping on the Merry Go Round, the Fiesta Village rides, and more Camp Snoopy rides. We finished our day in the Old Ghost Town looking at all of the wears for sell. 

It was a great day, my kids were exhausted, Grandma and Grandpa were satisfied and I was proud of the moments we got to share together! It was a great day. Thank you Knott’s for the past memories, providing my parents with more great times and for the fun my kids had at your park. I know we will be back soon!!!! 

 The History behind Knott’s Berry Farm

All historical information is credited to the Knott’s Berry Farm website at www.knotts.com.

The year was 1920 when Walter and Cordelia Knott moved to the then-sleepy community of Buena Park, Calif. to farm 20 acres of rented land. Today, that land is part of 160-acre Knott's Berry Farm, America's first theme park and the 12th most-visited amusement park in the country. And, while the Knott Family no longer owns the venerable attraction, the Knott spirit of hard work and down-home hospitality lives on in new owner Cedar Fair, L.P., who acquired Knott's Berry Farm in December 1997.

The Knotts' first winter on the Farm was unseasonably cold and much of their first crop was ruined by frost. But relying on his ability to make the most of what he had, Walter initiated his practice of selling directly to grocers, thus eliminating costly middlemen, and was able to realize a small profit.

Walter's keen eye for sound enterprise and his dogged determination to succeed were attributes which became evident early in his boyhood years and remained solid through his life and career. His father died when he was six and by the time he was nine, Walter was raising vegetables on vacant lots, selling the produce in the morning before school and delivering newspapers in the evenings to help supplement the family income.

In 1927, Knott bought ten acres of land. The Depression hit a year later and land prices dropped. While maintaining the original payments, Walter bought an additional ten acres at the lower price and spent the last of the family's savings to build an adobe structure that became the Farm's first permanent building.

Ready for occupancy in 1928, the building was 80 feet long and housed a tea-room, berry market and nursery where berry plants were sold. By now, the Knotts had four children - son Russell and daughters Virginia, Toni and Marion - and, working together, they formed a family bond that prevailed throughout the years.

It was not until the 1930s that Walter became associated with the "boysenberry" which would become the family trademark. Nearby, Anaheim Parks Superintendent Rudolph Boysen had experimented with a new strain of berry but the plants kept dying on the vine. Walter took the scraggly plants, nurtured them to health and named the new berry - a cross between a loganberry, red raspberry and blackberry - after its originator. Today, all boysenberries in the world can trace their roots to Knott's Berry Farm.

As another means of staving off Depression hardships, Cordelia began selling jams and jellies made from Walter's berries. These were soon followed by home-baked pies, hot biscuits and sandwiches. Then, on a night in June 1934, Cordelia served eight fried chicken dinners on her wedding china - for the all-inclusive price of 65 cents each - and the world's largest chicken dinner restaurant was born. Today, the Chicken Dinner Restaurant seats more than 900 guests at a time, serves more than 1. 5 million guests each year, and is the largest full-service restaurant that serves chicken as its main course.

The success of the chicken dinners was immediate and by 1940 the restaurant was serving as many as 4,000 dinners on Sunday evenings. To give waiting customers something to do and to pay homage to the pioneering spirit of his grandparents and his love of the Old West, Walter developed Ghost Town, eventually the first of Knott's Berry Farm's six themed areas. Over the years, Mrs. Knott's Chicken Dinner Restaurant has hosted thousands of celebrities and VIPs, including: Elizabeth Taylor, Connie Stevens, Lucy Arnez, Donnie and Marie Osmond, John Wayne, Harriet Nelson, Burt Reynolds, Jane Russell, Natalie Wood, Charles Bronson, Amos and Andy, Eddie Fisher, Jonathan Winters, Chuck Norris, and many more…

The first structure was the Gold Trails Hotel, which had originally been constructed in Prescott, Ariz. in 1868. Adhering to authenticity, Walter brought in other buildings from deserted ghost towns and Knott's Ghost Town as it exists today emerged. Additions were made as the years passed.

In the 1960s, the Calico Mine Ride and Timber Mountain Log Ride were added and Knott's built its second themed area: Fiesta Village, a tribute to California's early Spanish heritage. The third themed area opened in 1975 - Roaring 20s (re themed in 1996 into The Boardwalk) - featuring the Corkscrew, the world's first looping coaster.

In 1983, Knott's debuted a first in the amusement park industry with its six-acre Camp Snoopy, the world's first theme park "land" designed specifically for kids. Wild Water Wilderness, a four-acre outdoor river wilderness area featuring the whitewater rafting ride Bigfoot Rapids, was added in 1988, followed by Indian Trails in 1993.

It was also the Knotts' decision to build the country's only brick-by-brick replica of Independence Hall, complete with an exact replica of the Liberty Bell, as a free-admission educational resources for Farm guests and Orange County residents.




Cordelia Knott died in 1974 at the age of 84 and Walter Knott continued to live on the Farm he loved until his death in 1981 - a week before his 92nd birthday. The Knott Family maintained operation of Knott's Berry Farm until its friendly acquisition by Cedar Fair, L.P. in December 1997.

In keeping with Walter and Cordelia's original goals, Knott's Berry Farm continues to combine quality, wholesome family entertainment with nostalgia and history. Cedar Fair is currently expanding Knott's Berry Farm with the most new rides, shows and attractions in the park's history, while maintaining those simpler features that continue to make it "The Theme Park Californians Call Home®."

The Modern Adventures

No matter if you are 4, 24, 44 or 74, Knott’s has you covered. Knott’s Berry Farm has something for everyone. Children of all ages can enjoy rides and entertainment at Camp Snoopy, a Knott’s Berry Farm icon since 1983. Grandparents, listen up! This is a great opportunity to enjoy some good old fashion fun with your Grandchildren. Jump on the Rocky Road Truckin’ Company and enjoy your extended family driving you around in the big rig of your choice. Ride the waves with the little ones on Lucy’s Tug Boat or skateboard with Snoopy on the Joe Cool’s Gr8 Sk8! Some rides in Camp Snoopy have size limitations however Grandparents, sit back, take a break and snap some memorable photos of your little ones huge smiles while they enjoy these attractions.

Honestly, you have no excuse to not take your kids on these memorable adventures. Knott’s offers a full line of electric scooters, wheel chairs and wagons for rent to ensure tired legs can make it through the day and into the night. Located just beyond the entrance gates, walk to the left into the Old Ghost Town and you will find the rentals on the left hand side. Easy to rent and return. My dad is 67 and has loved Knott’s Berry Farm since he was a youth in the Navy. His hips bother him if he walks too far so we rented him a wheel chair. He was able to enjoy the park, the rides and his Grandchildren with very minimal discomfort and got to enjoy the fruits of his hard work over the years as I pushed him around the park. It was a win for everyone!

Oh, but you are thinking, “Well, I’m 50 ish, and I just can’t be zipping around at 82 MPH in Xcelerator!” Don’t worry, Knott’s still has many of the rides you remember as a kid including the Calico Mine Ride and the Timber Mountain Log Ride just to name a few.

Today, Knott’s Berry Farm still holds its tried and true base business foundation with Mrs. Knott’s Chicken Restaurant and Virginia’s Gift Shop however many new places have been included to keep the excitement fresh and alive. LA and world famous Pink’s Hot Dogs and TGI Fridays are on site to help feed hungry patrons. 








In addition to the Old Ghost Town and Fiesta Village of yesteryear, Knott’s Berry Farm has added several new roller coasters for fans of all ages. Kids 48” in most cases and 54” in other situations; can ride these roaring adventures. Check the website for more details on height restrictions.

In addition to all of this, Knott’s Berry Farm has many, many more rides, shows and attractions that this blog cannot begin to talk about without several more articles.

Tickets

Tickets can be purchases on the website or at the box office in front of the park. Group discounts and annual passes are available. Be sure to look for discount offers provided by local Southern California retailers or with the Automobile Club. For the latest discount offers, please see Knott’s website. Go to www.knotts.com for more information.

How to Get There

Located at 8039 Beach Boulevard Buena Park CA, 90620. Knott’s Berry Farm is easy to find from the 5 and 91 Freeways. Exit either of these 2 Freeways at Beach Blvd, head South on Beach Blvd and Knott’s is conveniently located on the corner of Beach Blvd. and La Palma Ave.

Scan this QR code with your smart device for quick and easy address information about Knotts.

Special Thanks Are a Must 

Special thanks to Anaheim Orange County Visitor & Convention Bureau, OC Blogger Bash, Moms LA, Cedar Fair and Knott’s Berry Farm in which this piece is dedicated. Without their support, generosity and very exciting events, this piece would not have been possible. Knott’s Berry Farm knows how to show its’ guests a good time. Again, on behalf of my parents, my kids and I, Thank you Anaheim Orange County Visitor & Convention Bureau and Moms LA for the OC Blogger Bash and Thank You Knott’s Berry Farm and Cedar Fair! You are all one of a kind!!!!

For more information please visit:

http://anaheimoc.org/
http://www.cedarfair.com/
http://www.knotts.com/
http://momsla.com/
http://ocbloggerbash.wordpress.com/

This blog was written by guest blogger:  Tim Bosek, CFO of FieldTripMom.

Riley's Apple Farm Adventure

We visited the Apple Orchards in Oak Glen, California.  The day of the field trip the weather was not too hot or too cold just perfect.  Packed snacks and a light lunch and made the (2) hour trip with my two little boys. The adventure began almost as soon as we crossed the first county line. Hungry and needing to go to the bathroom we made a stop in Riverside County. When we finished our meal and restroom stop we jumped back in the car and rushed to Riley’s Farm inOak Glen(Yucaipa, CA). We were meeting up with my moms group up in the apple orchard for a fun day of apple picking and apple eating.

On the way there I encourage my boys to look out the window and tell me what they saw. Making fun games out of reading road signs and giving directions.  I gave a few instructions on how to find the signs and how to read them. My idea was to cover maps, roads and apple education all in one day. Of course, I made it into a fun game with music and dance (light movement). The dance was more like moving your upper body to the song.

As we drove through the cities, the boys would point out funny signs or things that were different. Closer to Beaumont, suddenly, I heard my boys say,” Mom look at those trucks? There are a lot of them on the road! They look like the ones in the movies?”  I looked over and there were several Military Humvee driving down the freeway. (It broke my heart to see the young faces inside those Humvees.  It gave me a lump in my throat.)  I decided to be brave and tell my boys about war? (Something I did not want to discuss.) I explained that not everyone likes Americans, so we have soldiers to protect us. The military Humvee carry very brave soldiers, who fight for our freedoms.  America needs them; otherwise without them we could not go on these field trips or any other fun adventures.  I asked that they wave to the soldiers and wish them well. We said a little prayer and off we drove past them. (The Humvees were not driving very fast.)

We finally got to our destination and headed up the mountain using my phones GPS.   A few miles into the drive up the mountain, my cell services starts to fade. We turned to the old Thomas Map guide for the rest of the way (always carry one). Up a curved road to Riley’s Apple Farm we went.  No phone service meant I had no address or contact information. So I stopped at the first place that said Riley’s Farm. 

It was so beautiful from the parking lot. The clean air, the trees, the waterfalls and all the trees that surrounded the farm. We walked up to the farm lawn there we saw people doing a civil war reenactment. It was really educational. I then realized that this was not the tour I had signed up to attended with my boys and the moms group. I went into the office and asked about where my group was stationed.  They were not able to tell me, because they did not keep a list of the groups at all the different Riley Farms tours.   The lady behind the counter told me that Riley’s owned several farms. She told me to start up the road and try the next one over. We all got back in the car and headed up to the next farm. I still did not have cell service, so calling anyone in my moms group was out of the question. As we drove to the next farm we saw the moms from our group and were excited. We quickly parked the car and jumped into our farm tour.

At the farm the kids learned many things. One of them was how to make rope and smooth out the loose threads. Second they got on a hayride to visit the apple trees and pumpkin patch. Third the driver narrated while we were on the hayride. He would pointing to the apple trees and their history. Sharing stories about the farms water system and how they cared for the apple trees. He also shared how they pruned the apple trees for easy picking.  As we drove through the apple orchard listening to the history and how to care for apple trees, a little stream of water seemed to flow throughout the apple orchard, which reminded me of the Little House on Prairie.  Our final stop was feeding the mama pig that had just given birth to her babies. The driver feed her a fresh apple from one of the trees. All the kids loved watching the pig family.   After the hayride tour was over, we headed over to lunch. 

The picnic tables on Riley’s ApplenFarm was next to a wall of raspberry bushes. Large trees hangover as canopies to the picnic tables. In the distance you could see the sun trying to share its rays of light. In the background you could heard the stream of water traveling throughout the farm.  We all sat and ate lunch under these wonderful conditions. After lunch, the kids played finding rocks, leaves and sticks to use as toys.  When playing was over we headed back to the apple orchard to do our apple picking. For only $2.55 per pound you can pick your very own fresh apples. We did! Each child got a bag and off we went to pick apples in the apple orchard.

Walking up and down the apple trees made them thirsty and tired. So we paid for our apples and headed home. As the kids said good-bye to Riley’s farm our feet started to feel tired. Both kids fell asleep the minute I began to drive off. On the way home there would be no dancing or singing. The only sound I heard from the back was snoring.  The time flew by and it seemed to take only a few moments and the whole trip took about (7) hours. Where does time go when you have fun?

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Non-Carving Pumpkin Carving Art

This weekend we attended a very special art class hosted at the local grocery store "Produce World" in the city of Orange. The art class was offered by "Dragonfly Shops and Garden". We arrived a little late to class, because my kids wanted to stay home to play the Wii. It was Saturday and they did not want to do anything. To get them in the car I promised them a fun time with pumpkins. As we drove to the class my kids asked many questions. What is non-carving pumpkin carving? Why do we have to go? Are we going to get candy? I answered the questions as best as I could. We finally arrived and I was ready for the kids to get curious.

We walked up to the table and noticed that there were no paint brushes or paint. The tools and decorations were from the hardware aisle of Home Depot or Lowes. There was a table full of  bailing wire, thumb-tacks, washers, nails, screws, bolts, pipe hangers and hammers. I am sure there might have been more hardware items on the table for decorating the pumpkins, but I was busy helping the kids to notice anymore. The instructor was Libby Williamson a soft spoken lady with a great smile. She quickly gave instructions and off we went to create our own "Non-Carving Pumpkin Carving" creation art piece.

In that second the kids forgot about the Wii and thought it was really great to use a hammer on a pumpkin. My (4) year old had the screw on the pumpkin in seconds and made it look like it was the pumpkins eyes. The (7) year old saw the fun in adding hair out of bailing wire.  Both kids wanted to make the pumpkins themselves. They used washer for eyeballs, screws for feet, paperclips for ears and pipe hanger for a nose. My kids were naturals at creating pumpkin art with nails and pipe hangers. I watched and held the pumpkins while the kids decorated the pumpkins with hardware. We all had so much fun.

When we were done with our non-carving pumpkin, we walked over to see the other pumpkin creations. The little girls on the other side had made cat faces, princess and cute fun faces from the hardware. The pumpkins all seemed to have their own personalities. It was really a great class for the kids and adults. In that moment I saw that art is in all of us and in everything.

The pumpkins were fresh and came from "Produce World" in Orange, CA. The art class was held in front of  "Produce World". It was a rare event, because most classes are held at their location down the street from "Produce World". What a great idea! 

Inside produce world there was a 92 lb pumpkin waiting for someone to take it home. It is the biggest that they had in the whole store. If you are in the area stop by and  see for yourself. Maybe you will want to take it home. Make sure you visit the produce area as well as the selection of gourmet foods and coffees. Produce World has been in Orange, CA for 30 years. I was very grateful to them, Dragonfly Shops and Elite Social Management for inviting me to this great event. Thank you!


Non-carving Pumpkin carving in a produce store with hardware as your paint. Who knew?

http://www.beyondthegrind.com/


Meet the Art Teacher:
Libby Williamson, Owner Blue Design

When Libby Williamson of Blue Denim Design ties on her art apron, she comes alive as a vibrant teacher. Libby received a BA in Fine Arts from Saint Lawrence University of New York where she lived in the basement of the college art building. Living in an art building surrounded by art around-the-clock gave her a passion for all types of artistic mediums.

Libby’s passion lies with opening the world of art to children of all ages and abilities. As a free-spirited teacher certified to teach art from preschoolers to junior college, she enjoys showing budding artists how to express their creativity through a variety of mediums to create collections of masterpieces. It’s no surprise that Libby loves art, her mom is a fiber artist creating beautiful quilts and her dad is an industrial design engineer specializing in boats and planes. He even built a sailboat that he named after Libby.

In addition to teaching art exploration classes at Dragonfly Shops & Gardens, she also designs

scarves and home accessories which are for sale inside the shop

 Picture and Bio: DragonFly Shops & Garden

 Produce World
1885 North Tustin Street
Orange, CA 92865
(714) 974-1830
http://www.facebook.com/ProduceWorld

The Dragonfly Shops & Gardens
260 North Glassell Street
Orange, CA 92866
Telephone: 714-289-4689
http://www.facebook.com/ProduceWorld#!/DragonflyShopsAndGardens

Want to go to the next art class? Go to their calendar and sign-up before Halloween is over.
Click on the calendar of events.
http://www.dragonflyshopsandgardens.com/