Chocolate Factory

Hey Ya’ll,

I’m happy and excited to announce that I’ve been able to cross off another item from my bucket list.  CHOCOLATE FACTORY...Yay!! 

However, I’ve been lazy this year.  I started the year with the intention that I was going to cross off as many items as possible. At the beginning of the year I created charts, lists, and calendars of how I would get it all done but then somehow I let life get in the way, especially laziness.  With that said, I went to this chocolate factory last year (2012) in November.  I just hadn’t made time to write the post, but all that stops today! From now on I’m on it!!  You’ll be hearing from me more often. 

So let’s begin.  It's Thanksgiving and my friend Rosy from Mexico was in Los Angeles on vacation, and my family invited her for Thanksgiving dinner.  She brought her boyfriend with her, who we met for the first time.  After dinner we sat around talking and catching up.  I don’t recall who said it first but I think it was my brother in law.  He said, since we have these next couple of days off why we don’t go to Las Vegas?  We were all like yeaaaaaa!! So the next morning my friend Rosy, her boyfriend, my sister, her husband, and my god daughter made the 4 hour drive to Las Vegas.  While checking in at the hotel I start browsing through all the brochure fliers in the lobby.  That’s when I see it, a brochure to the Ethal M. Chocolate factory in Henderson!!!  Henderson is a neighboring city to Las Vegas.  It’s so close that you’ll think its Vegas.  I thought to my self this is my opportunity to go to a chocolate factory. Woo Hoo!  In Los Angeles there aren’t many chocolate factories.  I had attempted to contact one in Los Angeles twice with no success, plus they charge for the tour.  Back at the hotel lobby I’m going through the flier and I like what I’m reading.  It’s a free self guided tour with a cactus garden.  I talk about it with my family and they’re all in.  This made me super happy!  We decide to go on Sunday right before we head back to Los Angeles. 

We arrive early.  Actually we’re the first ones there.  It’s open but as we walk in it’s empty.  There are no workers on the line.  Makes me wonder if they're close for tours or are we too early.  It’s a long corridor and when we were reaching the end that’s when we saw them! The workers on the line.  Phew! There is a window that divides, so you can't to them.  We stood there for a while watching and taking pictures.  At the end of the corridor you get a chance to pick out a free chocolate.  I don’t remember what I picked. L After that you step in to store.  We browsed for a while.  I bought some chocolates with peanut butter. OMG!!! To die foooor!!! Soooo goooood.  No complaints about the chocolate.  I don’t know if it’s because they are made with no preservatives, but they were soooo delicious.  Is it a little pricey? Kind of, but totally worth it.  I also purchased a tote bag, which I still have.  Once out of the store we toured the cactus garden.  They have tons of different cactus's.  I don’t know if it’s because I’m Mexican and we love to eat cactus, but the garden was super cool.  We took some pictures and left.

All in all I’m happy with the experience.  It was free so you can’t beat that and as a bonus they had a lovely garden.  The chocolates are superb.  I would’ve liked to see more action on the chocolate line but you can’t win them all.  If you're in the Las Vegas area I highly recommend stopping by and checking out the chocolates and the garden. 

Thank you for reading,

xoxo

AlcatrazesDeColor

Sad face because at first I didn't see any workers on the chocolate line.  Were we too early?

We found them! Working the chocolate line.

My family.

The workers! Look at them go!!

Receiving my free chocolate. Yummm!

Browsing through the store.

                                     

I found this cute Mexican utensil to make hot chocolate.

The chocolates!

Outside in the cactus garden they had a kiosk.

Zip Line

Hello Ya'll,

I'm happy and excited to announce that I've been able to cross off another item on my bucket list...ZIP LINING!  Yayyyyy!! 

It was so awesome! If this is something you would be interested in doing I highly recommend it.  It's nothing to be afraid or nervous about.  In my opinion it is a very low risk adventure.  On Saturday May 11th 2013 we made the one hour drive to Skull Canyon located in Corona about 47 miles away from Los Angeles.  Two wonderful coworkers joined me on this adventure Patty & Azeron. 

I want thank Azeron for making all the arrangements.  He scheduled our appointment for 11:00 am.  We met up at our job site at 7:30 am grabbed some breakfast and then off we were to Corona.  Once we arrived we signed some paperwork and then we put on our head gear.  I was glad to see that we were a small group of five the three of us and a young couple.  They drove us up the canyon and then we took a small 10 minute hike up to the starting point.  We go down the zip line one at a time down 7 lines.  Like I said before it’s nothing to be afraid of its all fun.  The three of us all enjoyed zip lining down all the lines.  It took about an hour and a half to do the 7 lines.  For an additional
$20.00 we were able to zip line down a long line with a partner side by side.   Patty and I went down side by side.  In total we spent $100.00

If there was any down side to all of this it was the weather.  It was a little too hot and not a lot of shade a side from that we all enjoyed the experience.  Also, the staff was super nice and friendly. 

Patty, Azeron and Me!

Thank you for reading.
XOXO

Alcatrazes De Color 

The Morrison Hotel

Hey Ya'll,

I'm happy to announce I have been able to cross off another item on my bucketlist.  Visit the Morrison Hotel.

As long as I can remember I have always enjoyed the music from the band The 

Doors.  If you don't know who The Doors were click here for a quick bio. I truly enjoy listening to their music, but it is there fifth album that I am most intrigued with.  The Morrison Hotel sometimes referred to as Hard Rock Café from the title of the first side of the LP, whose second side is titled Morrison Hotel.  

The cover photo was taken at the actual Morrison Hotel located at 1246 South Hope Streetin Los Angeles. The band asked the owners if they could photograph the hotel and they declined, so the band went inside when nobody was looking and took the photograph. The rear cover features a photograph of the Hard Rock Café on 300 East 5th Street, Los Angeles.  The founders of the later and otherwise unrelate Hard Rock Cafe chain used the name, having seen iton the Doors' album. The original cafe is no longer open for business.

Seeing that I live in Los Angeles, it just made sense to go visit these "landmarks." First, I went looking for the album on vinyl.  Somehow having thealbum on vinyl made this more real and exciting.  It wasn't easy finding the album.  I went to a local swap meet 2 times, going around asking if anyone had the album.  No! No one had it.  Grrrr!!! I then went to a local record store and they also did not have it.  My brother has tons of vinyl albums and I asked him if he knew of any place I would be able to find it.  He suggested Amoeba records in Hollywood.  On a nice Sunday afternoon I drove to Amoeba records and FOUND IT! :) Total excitement.  I was ready for my visit.

Two weeks later on Saturday 02/04/12 my two best friends and I drove to what was once The Morrison Hotel.  Not far at all from my home in East Los Angeles.  We mapquest the address and off we went. We arrived at about 10:00AM.  It's located not far from the Convention Center.  We stayed there for about 20 minutes.  Took pictures but of course right when we started taking pictures the memory cardwas full.  I totally forgot to check the memory on the card before leaving.  Ugh! I hate when I do things like that.  We had to use our phones to take pictures.  The building is now closed.  There is really nothing to see but the outside of the building.  Once we were done, we headed to the Hard RockCafe.  The bar is located in skid row, not far from The Morrison Hotel. However, unfortunately there were too many homeless people around. First we couldn't find parking and second we felt uncomfortable getting off and taking pictures of what seemed to be a liquor store surrounded by homeless people.  It was skid row; I don'tknow what I was expecting.  So we drove away.  Despite not being ableto get off we had a great time exploring these “landmarks.”  Even though this was my “thing” to do, I’m glad that both my best friends enjoyed it as much as I did. 

It was a little adventure, and so close to home.  As I stood there posing for pictures I thought of The Doors and of Jim.  Imaging how they were once there and what had become of the hotel.  But above all I thought of all the people who love The Doors and pass “The Morrison Hotel” day in and day out and not even know it. 

What was once the entrance to the hotel....Peace!

1246 South Hope Street

Behind us, the window were the cover picture was taken.  With me  the BFF Yadi. 

With the BFF Karla.

Being silly and trying to do our version of the Abbey Road cover from The Beatles...lol

This car was sooo annoying me.  It HAD to get in the way!

A big special thanks to my two best friends Yadi and Karla for joining me.  You girls made it so much fun!

Thank you for reading.

XOXO

AlcatrazesDeColor