Month: October 2026

We woke up late, missed breakfast and was unsure about getting off the ship in Ensenada. We hadn’t booked any tours and it was quite warm. We visited with a few people who had gone ashore and discovered it wasn’t worth the effort. Normally there are souvenir shops near the pier but the buildings seemed quite a distance away and we were told that the area around the pier was a bit sketchy, so we decided to stay on the ship.

Our new discovery? A great poolside place to pick up fruit, salads and sandwiches when the buffet was closed!

We also indulged in Foster Freeze type ice cream for dessert. Normally this area would be crowded with kids, but there were only a few on board instead of the families usually sailing on a Disney ship.

There was a silent film playing poolside. The other two venues for film showings were the Walt Disney Theatre and the Buena Vista Theater. We consulted our guide to see what was going on.

We ended up listening to Tina Sinatra discuss life with Father and siblings. She was visibly impressed by the crew and participants, who asked her such knowledgeable questions about her father. She was having a good time on the cruise, much to her surprise. It was her first cruise. Later that day we saw her by herself in a quiet area of the ship and my sister told her how he played a benefit concert for her school when she was a student at San Jose State. He had a gig on in San Francisco and he brought a busload down, including Nelson Riddle and his band as well as a tap sancer. He didn’t want publicity for his actions. The students were blown away by his generosity. One of the kids knew a guy who knew a guy who had his phone number..contact was made, he said yes, they got an auditorium, sold tickets, and he just kept singing all afternoon. My sister wanted her to know how much it meant to the students. Tina was not surprised. She said that those activities were typical of him and he didn’t want credit for them. She was very generous with her time during their visit.

We spent part of afternoon in the shops. Cruise shops are only open when ships are in port,so we wandered around to see if there was anything we couldn’t live without. I bought a sweater because I froze each time we went to the Walt Didney Theater. There were even blankets for the audience! Why couldn’t they just turn up the heat?

Tina discusses her family with Ben Mankewicz

We had dinner at the Animator’s Palate, which was very cute. I reproduced the menus so you can see what was available.

It was Costume Night. The theme was California Dreaming so there were kots of hippies. Registrants paraded in the lobby, and the winner was decided later that even, poolside. We wore Hawaiian shirts, not that original. Oh, well…

We spent time listening to Leonard Maltin discuss his experiences watching movies and chronicling them for us in his paperback books, which were very popular in my adulthood. Most people referred to him as the movie expert and his stories were fascinating. We also saw “ Heaven Can Wait,” with Warren Beatty playing the role of the football player who died prematurely. Dyan Cannon does a good job of playing a totally wicked woman. Lots of fun!

The evening brought everyone assembled poolside to hear about the winners of the costume competition. The band played, everyone danced and fireworks exploded! A good time was had by all.

The people with the cones on their heads are “ stars” and the cones were the top of the stars. Each person wore a nametag. I spotted Jane Fonda on one of them. The costumes were handmade and very clever. Unfortunately they didn’t win.

”The Valley of the Dolls” with pill bottles won. One of the members of the group was 96 years old, with the green scarf. You’re never too old to have fun!

Mickey Mouse fireworks—only on a Disney ship.

After the results of the contest were announced and the band stopped playing , some of us decided that the party still wasn’t over and assembled for karaoke, which lasted until midnight. The TV hosts enjoyed letting their hair down and singing ( not always on key) for the group.

Saturday October 17: “Pal Joey” at 9:00 AM. We grabbed a protein shake and headed off to the theatre. Another one of my favorite movies. Old blue eyes. San Francisco setting. Rogers & Hart songs. The all-knowing Rita Hayworth and Kim Novak as the ingenue. What’s not to like?

We listened to two interviews: Tina was back explaining that her dad gave the ladies top billing in the movie. After lunch poolside, we heard Olivia de Havilland’s daughter discussing her mother’s correspondence and the nicknames she had for beloved family members, like her sister, actress Joan Fontaine, whom she’d dubbed “ the dragon lady.”

We had dinner back at Tiana’s place where we enjoyed an espresso martini, a first for me!

It was an early evening, for once. The farewell party on deck was lowkey after the excitement from last night. I think we were just tired! There were still movies but I was tired of sitting, so we went back to our stateroom to pack!

As you can see, each day was jammed with activities and fun. The TCM hosts also signed their books and there were long lines of fans waiting to chat with them. The books are interesting but too heavy so I may order at least one of Eddie Muller’s film noir books online from the TCM website.

We got off the ship Sunday morning after a quick breakfast of oatmeal, but we didn’t have to hurry. The San Diego airport is a quick taxi ride and we were three hours ready for our noon flight.

Would we do it again? You betcha. In fact, we are planning on it. Want to join us? The itinerary is the same. The Disney Magic is sailing out of San Diego October 24-29 for five nights.

Thanks for joining me as I recount our tales. We are also planning a spring cruise overseas to see cherry blosdoms in April of 2027. It was planned for October fall foliage, but we had to change it so we could go on the 2027 TCM cruise. Where are we going? Put your guesses in the comments.

Take care and keep moving. Motion is lotion.

That’s it! The internet is very slow today so I will be brief.

I am now trying to post from my iPhone. It is working. The title refers to the two highlights of the day: going to Catalina and seeing one of my favorite movies, “The Fabulous Baker Boys.”

Catalina was warm and sunny. We slept in then had a late breakfast on land.

We strolled around the main parts of town and did some window shopping.

We admired the scenery

We enjoyed seeing our fellow passengers having fun.

Back on board we get ready for the evening: a conversation with Jane Alexander, then a quick dinner at the buffet, followed by Beau Bridges sharing memories of his time playing one of the fabulous Baker boys. The movie came next. It was another late night. Dave Karger is interviewing Jane Alexander in the picture below.

it was another late night but worth it to see the Baker boys. Michelle Pfiffer is wonderful as Susie Diamond the singer and her rendition of “ Making Whoopie” on top of Jeff Bridge’s piano is considered one of the sexiest scenes in filmdom.

Today it’s Ensenada. It’s also another slow start to the day.

I leave you for now with a lovely painting of the unique island of Catalina, 26 miles across the sea ( remember that song?)

Welcome! We are happy to guide you through the next few days as we embark on our voyage of discovery. It is our first TCM Classic Cruise and the first time we have been on a Disney ship. It’s a relatively small ship but there are some differences between the Disney line and other lines we have experienced over the years. There are more accessible facilities in the common areas and more staff to help the many guests who are in wheelchairs and walkers. I thought this line was just for kids and families but I see that it can also be the ship for grandparents. I was quite impressed. Our cabin steward has also gone above and beyond in his duties with little touches, like arranging the cords to our devices so they are not too long. Little things like that add up.

We began our day early with a visit to the Walt Disney Theater, where we watched “From Here to Eternity ” and listened to Tina Sinatra discuss the film and her father’s performance and its effect on his life. Frank Sinatra was a teenage idol but was not doing so well. His award-winning performance changed the trajectory for the rest of his career and life. I had never seen the film in its entirety—just clips of the many iconic scenes, like sex on the beach with Deborah Kerr and Burt Lancaster—and was blown away by the film. If you have never seen it, rent it!

Once again, the TCM host Alicia interviewed Tina Sinatra. She appeared in a puffy jacket because this venue is VERY COLD!

We got through the morning with a protein Shake so we headed off to lunch in the buffet. I had a delicious bowl of lentil soup, garlic bread, enhanced pomegranate water, a fruit cup and dessert!

Beatrice praised her chicken tortilla soup. The food has been consistently good, another plus for Disney!

After lunch we headed back to the Walt Disney Theater for another interview, this one with the daughter of Olivia de Havilland, who did some exhaustive research on her mother. Ben Mankiewicz, the TCM host, asked some probing questions about her mother’s relationship with Errol Flynn. Olivia and Errol had a passionate love affair but he couldn’t leave his wife for her. They made the movie “Robb Hood” after the affair was over and they were “cordial “ even though there were a few mild romantic scenes between Robin and Maid Marion. She did get her revenge on the movie set, though…Ben managed to get a bit of gossip out. She has a book about her mother and her life, of course!

The interviews are lots of fun and draw a big crowd. We watched the Robin Hood movie, which was a hoot, but I was getting tired of sitting so we were glad to have a break. I went to the shops in search of a sweater! We also did some walking around the ship and stopped in our room before heading out for dinner.

This is the menu for our restaurant. We have 5:45 seating at table 7, a table for four. There are two other people assigned to our table but they didn’t show up. My cocktail of choice was a Hugo spritz and I ordered sirloin steak with asparagus and baked potato. Dessert was beignets with chocolate sauce on the side and decaf coffee. It was excellent! Beatrice had wedge salad, prime rib, baked potato and carrots. Fifties food works for us!

We stopped by music trivia on the way back to the Walt Disney stage where Beau Bridges was interviewed. He looks great for 85 and attributes it to his young wife, who is 20 years younger. He discussed the family and its influence on his 80 year career. We look forward to seeing “The Fabulous Baker Boys “ when it is screened later this week.

Last night’s highlight had to be the interview between Ben and Eddie Muller, the TCM host of TCM’s Saturday night “Noir Alley,” where he shows film noir masterpieces from the ‘40s and ‘50s. He has a foundation that is responsible for restoring these films and has a huge fan base. My sister, Marilyn and I are big fans of the show. Eddie introduced his film, a documentary about a blacklisted director Abraham Lincoln Polinsky ( will have to check on last name!). We saw the film. It was excellent. It was its first showing and was very well received. The show ended after midnight and I turned out my light at 1:15 AM.

We were greeted ny a dog and chocolates.

Sunrise, Thursday October 15th. We spotted land! It’s just after 7:00 AM.

We are in Catalina today until late afternoon. No need to rush. Will check out the program later today. It will be nice to revisit this lovely spot. I have been here twice but it’s always a fun place to visit.

We took an Uber Sunday morning from LA to San Diego..the plan was to take the train but there was track naintenance so we UBERed down with our driver, who was very skilled and fast. We were picked up at 11:00 AM and got there just before 1:00 PM. We stayed at the Best Western Plus Bayside Inn, three blocks from the piers. The weatger was cloudy, since tropical storm Ravhel had just passed. Fortunately there was no damage. After we settled in to the hotel, we walked the pier and had a wonderful late lunch/ early dinner at Topsail. Great views.

The shared crab cakes and crab and lobster sliders were perfect!

We returned to our room and watched our Sunday PBS programs and were up and out Monday morning. After a bite to eat at Starbucks —no breakfast available at the hotel— we walked down to the Broadway pier and took the ferry to Coronado. Our aim: visit the famous Hotel del Coronado. I had fond memories of dining the early bird special at the wonderful Crown Room in the 80s and my sister and her husband Ed stayed there twice. It was a trip down Memory Lane. Of course things have changed. We had a perfect sunny day for our excursion.

We enjoyed our usual late lunch at the poolside restaurant. My choice was a chicken naam sandwich with mint yogurt and olives. Beatrice had shrimp. Both were quite filling and set us up for the rest of the day.

We also enjoyed perusing the shops and looking at great historical photos.

It was a long day but a very enjoyable one. We slept well and were up and out at 11 on Tuesday to join the TCM Classic Cruise!

We really REALLY like the ship and our stateroom. The stateroom is divided in two sections and there’s a privacy curtain. Beatrice’s bed is made up at the evening turn down and in the morning it goes back to being a couch. Very clever.

After the mandatory safety drill, we went out on deck for some entertainment and the introduction of the TCM hosts and special guests. We were able to snag a seat near the front. The group was very enthusiastic. I was able to get this shot of Eddie and Alicia but it was difficult to get other photos. Eddie certainly has a flirtatious thing going on with Alicia. We had dinner in the buffet and heard Alicia interview Dyann Cannon. What a hoot! Dyan is almost 90 and is still going strong!

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It is early Wednesday morning. We will see Tina Sinatra introduce her father’s film “ From Here to Eternity ” at 9:30. You can check the schedule at tcmclassiccruise.com. I hope to be able to post with photos when on board the ship but internet connectivity can be tricky since we are sharing my internet access. I signed up for two devices but I need two devices for synching photos from my iPhone to my iPad. I might try carrying my iPad around and not use the phone. If you don’t hear from me, you now know why. In the meantime, I will send you some photos of this beautiful vessel…

The giraffe and two chocolates greeted us on return and Beatrice’s bed was made up. Our alarm is set for 8:30. We will have a breakfast protein shake in the room before getting to the movie. The rest of the day is not planned. It’s a sea day so we can enjoy the ship as well as go to activities. I hope to report back later. Fingers crossed!

We spent our last day in L.A. packing, visiting friends, and getting ready for our next adventure. Yes, the trip is not quite over yet.

My sister taught at Sacred Hearts Academy in Honolulu for many years, and one of her teaching friends, Felice, moved to Los Angeles. We walked to the nearby Cafe Fresco for breakfast.

Eggs Benedict for my sister

My berry French toast was perfect but filling. I finished most of it.

After we parted, we strolled around the neighborhood, looking at the neat houses in the neighborhood.

The winds came up and the weather changed dramatically. Hurricane Rachel was moving into Mexico and we saw grey clouds and some rain! We scurried back to the hotel to pack. Did we bring umbrellas on this trip? Noooo…hmmm. Maybe we need to do that later today. We were meeting Matilyn, her daughter Sarah, son- in- law Mike and dog Henty at a rooftop restaurant and bar at the Klimpton Hotel Wilshire, which is a block and a half away. Let’s hope we don’t have rain later today!

Marilyn drove over to our hotel and we walked the block and a half to the Klimpton Wilshire Hotel and went to the rooftop restaurant. Our table had a raised ledge wuth a canopy cover, protecting us from possible drops. The pool was occupied but since it was late afternoon, there was lots of availability. Mike and Sarah arrived with their dog Henty. He’s the reason we chose a rooftop restaurant— dogs are allowed!

We ordered small plates and shared: tacos, chicken skewers, salad..and some of us had libations as well.

Henry was the perfect canine companion. Mike made his dog bed under the table and he guarded us while we were eating and socializing. I asked Sarah to pose with him. I didn’t notice Mike on the left. I wish I had just turned a bit more to get all of his face!

As the sun was setting, the skies showed off the oink and blue glow amid the skyline.

Since this was a late lunch or early dinner, there was time left for Marilyn to drive us th the CVS store for umbrellas and a visit to the Farmer’s Market in Search of dessert!

Marilyn and I chose southern pecan pie.

Oh my! looks good too!

If you’re ever in LA, check out this place!

We returned to the hotel and got ready for moving day, down to San Diego, spending two nights before our upcoming TCM Cruise. Check out their website for a list of special guests and activities. We have been movie fans all our lives and we watch the Turner Classic movie channel. Marilyn, Beatrice and I watch Noir Alley every Saturday night. When I told people about taking this cruise, some people said “ why would you go on a cruise and watch movies?” Others say “ Wow! That sounds like great fun!” Check out their website and see what you think.

We had LACMA as our #1 on our to do list but I was in desperate need of a hair salon. Managed to fit in a shampoos and blow dry en route at alocal spot, where the owner of our hotel has her hair done. The museum opens at 11 and we had our tickets and were ready to explore by 11:30.

The David Geffen Galleries had just opened. As you can see on the map, the space is huge. We were here to explore the works housed therein.

According to Forbes magazine, Mr Geffen is the wealthiest person in the global entertainment industry, with an estimated worth of $9 billion as of 2024. He has given much back from the community. He is the largest single benefactor to the UC system and in 2015 pledged $100 million to Lincoln Center in New York City. He gave $46 million to the UCLA medical school, which is named after him and donated $150 million in cash to help fund the construction of the museum’s new galleries. The building was designed by Peter Zumthor to house LACMA’s permanent collection. Visitors are encouraged to wander, so we did.

Aftertwo hours of wandering, we were able to get an overview of the collection, then stopped for a smoothie and a chocolate chip cookie at the lovely fountain.

The next stop was to the Resnick Pavilion, where we saw a small show with more of their collection of Impressionist paintings and information about their donors.

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I included a few of my personal favorites above. There’s a Degas donated by the owner of Orbach’s department store, who used to do business at the exact spot where LACMA now stands, on Fairfax.

Our next event was a trip to Santa Monica in search of an art deco hotel that Marilyn had read about. As we walked back to our hotel, we passed by some benches with fun artwork.

We were on a quest to find the Georgian Hotel in Santa Monica. Was it worth the trip? Oh yes. All we had to do was drive down Wilshire until we met the ocean. The hotel is on Ocean Drive. Appropriate.

This picture is from the internet. We had to find it! Isn’t it cool?

Marilyn made a quick detour to visit Rodeo Drive, then went back on Wilshire.

It must be nice to be rich, to buy fancy clothes and cars, and be so rich that you can donate your Picasso or Renoir to a museum, or even hand over a few million to build a new section to a museum…what an embarrassment of riches! Enough musing. On to the beach!

Eureka! We found it!

We check out the ladies’ room, of course and after wandering the public rooms, we decided to stay for an early dinner so we could watch the sun set.

We sat in between the two sets of diners, near the fireplace. It was the perfect place for sunset viewing out the windows and people watching.

Santa Monica had such a holiday feeling about it. Everyone seemed happy to be there and the restaurants were crowded. The heat wave wasn’t nearly as intense here and it was a perfect evening to stroll down Ocean Avenue, for both residents and tourists. The food was delicious. The pasta dishes were small enough that they weren’t too heavy and Marilyn chose two appetizers. We had room for their special house dessert: a huge piece of chocolate cake, festooned with sprinkles and caramel and chocolate sauce to add. It was enough for four people! I was so entranced by the sunsets that I forgot taking pictures of the food but will check to see if others may have done so. You just have to visit the hotel and order it.

As we were leaving, a lovely staff member took us down to the basement, formerly a speakeasy, wher the meals averaged over $100 each, without drinks. It was a very elegant setting, but I preferred seeing the sunset, which was free of charge!

We had Friday night in Santa Monica. Saturday was our last day in Los Angeles and we spent the time seeing friends and — you guessed it —eating! More to come!

We flew from Oakland to Burbank yesterday for a few days of sightseeing in Los Angeles. We wanted to stay in the Mid Wilshire area to spend time with visiting the Academy Museum of Arts and Sciences, AKA the “ Oscars” museum, as well as the Los Angeles County Museum and the Peterson Automobile Museum next door. We also wanted to spend time with our friend Marilyn.

We took a long Uber ride to our chosen hotel, the Wilshire Crest Hotel. It is an old fashioned hotel in a residential area with delightful old world charm, large rooms and a continental breakfast.

Lobby and dining area.

Marilyn picked us up and drove to the Formosa Cafe, a delightful Chinese restaurant that served lots of stars since it was next to the Paramount movie lot. Famous stars would stop for their food in between work. The place is covered with pictures that show a history of the motion picture industry. It is also a railroad car!

We started the morning with a continental breakfast and a spirited conversation with another hotel guest, a retired teacher from Marin. We spent the day at the Academy Museum. It’s a wonderful place. It’s literally two blocks from the hotel. We began our tour with the Oscars, listening to various acceptance speeches over the years.

Just for fun: posing inside the Godfather’s office, conducting business on a very heavy phone. I forgot how heavy they were.

Elizabeth Taylor’s acceptance dress, surrounded by videos of other winners giving their acceptance speeches.

This featured director won the Academy Award for “Parasite.” His works were outlined in this section. This section is changed periodically.

His influences

Storyboarding a scene was a fascinating exhibit. The drawings were matched to the screen images, with notes explaining technical aspects of the shot.

This is the monster in one of this director’s films. It does not have feet! Optical illusion.

His films often contrast the lives of the uber rich with those of the downtrodden members of society. I have only seen “ Parasite “ but will seek out more of his films.

The section on costumes and makeup was riveting, with interviews from the artists and designers.

”Glow” brought us an 11 minute montage of images showing various forms of light.

One of the most distinctive productive design teams is showcased, highlighting how they develop the overall look and visual concept of a movie. I especially enjoyed their work on “Beauty and the Beast,” where they found inspiration from the Jean Cocteau film “ La Belle et la Bete,” which played recently at the Orinda Theatre. The Barbie motifs were fun too.

All of the exhibits were great but I especially enjoyed the exhibit Marilyn Monroe, Hollywood Icon, honoring her on her 100 th birthday. It was very busy. The costumes, newsreels and videos really captured her life with its triumphs and tragedies.

We needed to eat, so returned to the first floor, to Fanny’s Cafe, where we had a Fanny Brice burger, and imbibed a MARILYN in her honor: it contained champagne, grenadine, and amoretto, with a cherry on top!

We only had a few more exhibits to finish our day before the closing of the museum. Hollywoodland explored the history of the rise of Jewish filmmakers in the dawn of the movie industry. Jews were banned from certain professions during these early days of filmmaking, but filmmaking was considered a disreputable profession so they excelled in creating the global epicenter of the cinema.

This was our last exhibit and it was quite popular, perhaps because it is so close to Halloween.

We went to the top of the building to enjoy the view.

The weather has been quite warm here but is getting cooler each day. We had a very busy day and spent the evening recovering from all that culture. We both thoroughly enjoyed our time spent there. This museum has been on my sister’s bucket list since it opened, since we are both such movie fans.

Tomorrow we go to LACMA , the Los Angeles County Museum of Art!

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