California and the National Championship game

I finally went to California! I have always wanted to go out west to Cali and this year I was finally able to do so. My mom, Amanda, Lura (Amanda's best friend) and I went on a girls trip to California for the BCS National Championship game. We flew out of Birmingham on Tuesday morning on a chartered flight. They served us chick-fil-a for breakfast and played Sweet Home Alabama plus the fight song during the take off and landing. Our hotel was in Santa Monica so after we checked in we walked around the promenade and pier there in Santa Monica. It was so beautiful there. I was amazed at the beauty of the mountains behind the beach. They have the best of both worlds.... beach and mountains! The weather was incredible every day. We went from freezing temps in FL to sunny and 70 in California. It was fabulous!

On Wednesday we walked around on Rodeo Drive and then up to Hollywood Blvd. It was funny to see so many people walking up and down Rodeo Dr. and very few with shopping bags. I felt very out of place walking through the 2 stores we went in! Rodeo Dr was a beautiful street with palm trees lining the middle of the road.... then you go to Hollywood Blvd- very different than what I had imagined. It was dirty and crowded. Seeing the Kodak theater was really neat, but also not what I expected. The TV makes it look much more glamorous with the red carpet than it really is. That night my mom got so sick so we got her back to the hotel room then Amanda, Lura and I went back to the promenade for dinner. We ran into two of Amanda's friends and ended up ice skating. Who would have thought- ice skating in Southern Cal. We had so much fun!

Thursday was game day and thankfully my mom was feeling much better. When we got to Pasadena we went to an Alabama tailgate with lots of food and even some of the band and cheerleaders there to entertain the fans. We spent a few hours at the tailgate and then made our way into the Rose Bowl--which was such a neat stadium. My mom and I were in the Texas end zone about 9 rows up from the bottom. We had excellent seats and were happy to see that there were quite a few Bama fans around us. It was an exciting game and I am glad that Bama pulled out the big win!

Friday was our last day in California and we went on a tour of the celebrity homes and other big sites around Hollywood. We saw Michael Jackson's house, the Spelling Mansion, the intersection where Lindsay Lohan got her DUI and many more landmarks. Our tour also took us down a road where the stars do most of there shopping and guess what? We saw a celebrity! We saw the paparazzi huddled outside of a store and a few minutes later out walked Melanie Griffith. Friday night we went to dinner with the Denson family- Lura's future in-laws. CD is the youngest Denson boy and is Lura's fiance. His oldest brother married one of my sorority sisters, Julia Kelley, who is expecting her first child this summer!! It was so great to see her and to catch up on all that God is doing in her life. I am so excited for her and Joe as they prepare for baby Denson. The trip was wonderful and I want to thank my mom and dad for giving me the chance to go on such a great trip. Also, thanks to my sweet husband for letting me go for a few days. I know it must have been hard for him to stay at home and work while I went to the biggest football game of the year. He is so good to me!