Conquering California

This Year marks the 10th anniversary of my Big Spring Band Trip to LA, for me at the time, it was like a dream come true for me to visit the wonders of Hollywood (because that’s where all the famous people live, right), however, had I (Present Day Ethan Stranger) went back in time to tell my Past Self about how this trip would be the blueprints for the crazed traveling that I’ve been doing recently with my parents since 2015 (though I did stay in TX for 2 years before climbing back on the traveling saddle), but soon, I hope to settle down and start really building my own life (my way), but for now, allow me to relive the past with you as I (Ethan Stranger) alone celebrates the 10th anniversary of “The Big Spring Band LA Trip” (so now then, on with the show): 

(This Song was very popular amongst my HS Band and our lovely Celeb Dance Team)

So there am I (Picture: Bottom Right Corner), I was a completely different person 10 years ago, it was the middle of my Sophmore year of HS (I really had it all back then), made good grades (so I was eligible to go to band competitions) enjoy the company of my Band Teacher, Mr. C (read more about our time together in my “Just a Band Director and his Student Post”), met a girl (read more about that experience in my “High School Crushes: Preparing for Love”), our HS won the Football state champion, enjoy my English teacher (read about that in my “The Legacy of Desi LeRoy”) and had good friends by my side. Anywho, allow me to introduce you to my travel companion, Harley Quinn Skylar (Picture: Bottom left Corner), I’ve known her since my 8th Grade year (for she was in 7th grade at the time and she was a french-horn player and I was a trumpet player), even in High School, we ended in the same band class, some might say that during the trip, we were a bit like Waldo and Wenda (Picture: Bottom Center), however, we did have some moments where she would drive me crazy, even before the trip, I remember her and little friend (Cassandra Carmen Sandiego) used to pull tricks on me, even I remember they would tie hard my shoelaces and I would trip or that Cassandra Carmen Sandiego would often be feisty like catwoman (the last time I saw her, she was at a local HEB), as for Harley Quinn Skylar, well she’s another story, which we’ll be further explained for another post, as we would take different paths duing High School before never hearing from each other again….       

So after arriving in LA (which was a long way as our flight was delayed, airlines don’t care much for famous HS marching bands, which sucks), setting into our hotel, and hitting the hay, the next day was all about exploring and that’s where Harley Quinn Skylar would tag along for the ride, as Cassandra Carmen Sandiego wasn’t able to go on the trip, so Harley Quinn Skylar sought out companionship within me for a reason.

The 1st thing we did was walk down the streets of LA, looking at the walk of fame stars, walking into one gift shop after another, and being forced to put up with annoying homeless people donning various costumes and performing out on the streets, it was almost like walking through a party city costume shop, but with no walls. 

(Now I know how Adrain Monk Feels, for I would later deal with so many homeless throughout my travels)

But the most exciting thing was touring “Ripley’s Believe it or Not museum (Picture: Bottom Center)”, I was impressed with the place and amazed at how something like this even existed, for I remember reading many of those “Ripley’s Believe or Not books”, but my parents didn’t believe so much in that mumbo jumbo, but I didn’t care, I was having the best time over there.   

After that, it was more about walking the streets of LA (in style, while Staying Alive)

For there were crazy bums in costume, begging for money, thus I consider LA to be more a concrete jungle than NYC and I’ve been there before, and ain’t no way I’m going back there.

During the walk of LA, check out my Pic Collection of the Walk of Fame: 

Man-O-Man, I’m pretty sure by now there are new stars on the walk of fame, I don’t even know if my Dad and his Sister walked on the walk of fame whenever they were in LA.

Anywho, forgive me if I went bonkers with so many pics of so many stars, but at the time, it was a new travel experience for me, and seeing so many stars makes me wanna wish I had my name on the walk of fame, but in order to do so, you obviously had to be famous, I mean (at the time), I was part of a famed HS band and our Football won state championship around that time, but we didn’t get the walk of fame-like treatment:

(I can hardly imagine a friend of mine from my old HS football team reenacting this)

So after all of the walking the streets of LA, we all rondeau at a local Hardrock Cafe, where we grabbed a bit and high-tailed off to the California ScienCenter, even got a chance to view the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and get spotted the Hollywood High School (shame we didn’t go in and take a tour, makes me wonder on how many famous people went through and the many we could’ve met or just their children, I wonder how those Hollywood High School students would’ve reacted to seeing a bunch of High Schoolers from TX on their turf, as we were a long way from home), as LA wasn’t anything like walking on a yellow brick road, it more a jungle out there, peoples and (as a born Alaskan Man raised in Texas) you ask yourself, how did this happen?

During the ScienCenter, I briefly got separated from Harley Quinn Skylar and almost got stuck in sticking around with the band directors throughout the rest of the trip, I wouldn’t mind hanging with Mr. C, but with the main band director, that would've been a nightmare, luckily, I was finally able to catch up to Harley Quinn Skylar, as well as allow my roommate, Keith Birmingham (Picture: Bottom Center) to join up with the 2 of us and that’s how it was for the remainder of the day and throughout the trip or so we thought…

After the ScienCenter, we all traveled to the “Walt Disney Concert Hall”, where we listen to various musical scores, sadly my favorite composter, James Newton Howard (Picture: Bottom Center) wasn’t there, which is why kids, it’s always important to know whenever your heroes will be around, so you can meet-up get some autographs/pictures and hopefully, they’ll grant you some inspiring words that’ll you’ll use to guide yourself to succeed in your future.  

The Next Day was the big Day, it was like a dream come true for I remember watching various Sing-Along Disney songs as a kid, and even my Dad and his sister went to the happiest place on earth when they were kids…and now it was my turn to experience the wonders of Disneyland: 

Shame though the band didn’t have the proper authority to let us band students enjoy the happiest place on earth for ourselves, I’ll never forget how I and the rest of my 5th-grade class went to Seaworld and we were the only ones there, but all the rides and gift shops were closed to us, as the main point of the trip was to study marine biology. Though in the case of this Disneyland, I’m sure the citizens of LA would be pissed out had our band found a way to open the park just for us only, I mean, Eric Cartman was able to get away with such an idea before losing it all. 

(Remember when Eric Cartman bought his own theme park) 

Though I’m pretty sure when my Dad and his sister went to Disneyland, things back then were different than compared to when I went to Disneyland back in 2013, even now, Disneyland has completely changed in the last 10 years (for now Splash mountain’s gone and there’s an Avengers Campus, wish that was there when I was at Disneyland). Anywho, once again, I was partnered with Harley Quinn Skylar (Keith Birmingham would join up later), I remember turning down this kiddish Roller Coaster (I get motion sickness on Roller Coasters), but I do remember going the Indiana Jones ride 3 times (that quickly became my favorite), sadly, my band never did a John Willaims show:  

After that, we did the jungle cruise, stayed for some tiki bird show, and then made our way to Toontown (I’ll never forget always repeating how just being in Toontown was like being trapped in a painting, with the fake mountain and not a single cloud in the sky…), plus, I’ll never forget witnessing Goofy coming out of Toontown City Hall, I tried to get a picture and all he did was just walked out (mark my words Goofy, one of these days your luck is just gonna run out and does Goofy know what happens when his luck runs out), into the eternal pit of fire he goes: 

After Keith Birmingham finally caught up to us, we witness many of our favorite Disney characters coming walking down the street, after all, it was a show that couldn’t be beaten):   

(Wish our March-A-Thons were more like Disney Parades)   

Then we had some lunch (I think or was that before the parade), I think we did the Jungle Cruise again, witness the same parade performing again (but with colorful lights), and right before we headed out, we were just in time to witness Disneyland’s World of Color:   

(to be fair, I regret not recording the event, instead, I took too many pics, which runs in the family)

And that was pretty much Day 1 at Disneyland, look at us (Pictures: Bottom Center), we were quite the trio, a couple of oddballs (just like the name of that Netflix Series), like I said before I’ve known both Harley Quinn Skylar and Keith Birmingham since my 8th Grade year in Band and even though we were in the same band class, I felt like this trip (in general) kinda brought our friendship, even more, closer together (especially when I almost, by accident, spill a soft drink on Keith Birmingham’s band uniform and I can’t imagine what would’ve happened had Cassandra Carmen Sandiego tagged along on the trip. Keith Birmingham (you sly dog), you really know how to calm a lady down.   

Now, onward to Day 2 of Disneyland excitement, though it was more of a half-day, where we would be all morning at Disneyland before we would head back to the hotel (to get all freshen up for lunch at this Italian restaurant) and then go see Wicked: The Musical 

Day 2 of Disneyland featured us exploring more of Disney's California Adventure, something that wasn’t around when both my Dad and his Sister to Disneyland, I’ll never forget seeing this promo:  

(Kinda wish our band reenacted this promo, imagine all the princesses I could’ve interacted with) 

 

We continue walking through Disneyland before making our way to the Gift Shop, where I tried on a new pair of Ears (Picture: Bottom Center), but it was too much, I ended up buying a perry the platypus plush for myself. 

Keith Birmingham and I fell for the same Lego Girl at Disney’s Lego-Land, she ain’t no Wyldstyle

After our half-day excitement at Disneyland we went back to the Hotel (to brush up), as we were getting ready for Lunch at this Italian restaurant, however, Harley Quinn Skylar, was a bit upset that I reluctantly agree to allow someone to cut in front of me and I went to the back of the line, even when I finally made it into the restaurant, she remained pissed at me throughout the entire lunch and Keith Birmingham couldn’t do anything about it, besides Harley Quinn Skylar was such a feisty character, I felt like (even far away) Cassandra Carmen Sandiego was controlling her (just kidding), but she was super til after Wicked: The Musical. 

Speaking of  Wicked: The Musical, I thought it was a “Wonderful” musical, trust me, had my band done a remake of Wicked: The Musical, I could see Harley Quinn Skylar as Glinda, Cassandra Carmen Sandiego as Elphaba, Ethan Stranger as the Wizard and I’ll let Keith Birmingham figure out the rest of the cast  

(My favorite Song from Wicked: The Musical)

The next day was our last day (Pictures: Bottom Center), I brought with me my stuffed snoopy for company, and these were my other roommates (Zac Garfied and Gare-Bear Garrett) and Harley Quinn Skylar adopted Simba 

I’ll forget how dizzy I was upon arriving back in TX and having lasagna for Lunch when back at home. 

Overall, I’d say I had a pretty good time in LA, I was able to explore more of the US (especially the western side), kinda wish we went had more time to explore LA (maybe even go to a movie, explore the San Diego Zoo, visit the planetarium or it would have been nice to have run into a famous Hollywood person), though I didn’t mind seeing portraits of Marylin Monroe (there should be more portraits of other golden age Hollywood actresses like Audrey Hepburn or Zsa Zsa Gabor), plus I was luckily enough to buy me a Hollywood spoon for my Grandma, as she kept a spoon collection and had lost a spoon, so as an act of kindness, I bought her a new spoon for her collection. To be honest, I was almost thinking of ripping a page from “Madagascar” during the zoosters breakout scene, as there was so much more I wish we did during our time in LA and I thought a trip like would've been one of those "once ina lifetime expericnes", well...wasn't for me (but that's another story):   

But then again, I was doing so well in my sophomore year, I didn’t wanna ruin it.

But It wouldn’t be til years later I would have actual Hollywood filmmaking magic where I was an Extra for 2016s Dr. Strange (I’m the extra in the striped shirt, fedora hat, sunglasses, and backup), so far Keith Birmingham, and a few other band friends of mine knew about me being in the movie, though I’m not sure if Harley Quinn Skylar ever did. Plus, I would later have encounters with famous people like Cobie Smulders and Nicole Maines (she was Dreamer on CW’s Supergirl).

Plus Now that I’m a traveler, I felt like this LA trip I took with the band would later set the blueprint for whenever I would tag along with the parents around the world, where I would face situations far worse than just simple homeless people in LA (in fact, Why don’t I let Allan Parrish explain better on how I would describe my traveling situation, for I’ve seen things that nobody from my band years has seen)

To be fair, throughout this trip, I could’ve paired up with my friend Johnny Boy (Picture: Bottom Center) and I don’t wanna talk about Sarah so much anymore (Read more about our rocky relationship in my “Ethan Stranger’s Brass Bottom and Trumpets & Recreation: Legacy) posts.  

However, I felt like this trip gave me the chance to interact with someone different, who had partnered up with someone else who would pull tricks on me, to see an entirely different side. 

A side that is rarely seen by others and only by a handful, so to that I said…yeah, I and Harley Quinn Skylar were kinda like “Waldo and Wenda”, though because of that stripe on her hair, I’d say she’s also a bit like Odlulu (due to the wild mayhem she put me through…in a fun way), I know I took too many pics of her, as she really wanted me to remember her by. Plus I got along with my roommates (Keith Birmingham, Zach Garifeld, and Gare-Bear Garrett) I’ll never forget how someone locked our bathroom twice and I caught up in their pillow fights (a Sophomore defeated by 3 freshmen in pillow fights), also I was watching so much Robot Chicken on my iPod, it drove Keith Birmingham insane whenever I laughed so loud.

Now before I wrap up (which my opinion) has to be the longest post I’ve ever done due to so many pictures (again, taking pics runs in the family), who allow Mikey to sneak in this snapshot of mine?  

(oh Yeah, I remember a while back I try to do a Youtube slide show of this trip, but it’s no good in my opinion)

Plus, I remember what a certain duck would say, “when you’re out of luck, always go duck” 

Oh wait, Wrong Duck, but you get the idea, Donald Duck is my favorite Disney character, so forget about worrying about turning into donkeys (like in Pinocchio), it’s ducks you should worry about when at Disneyland: 

(I’m like Donald Duck, that’ll be me if I ever go on another crazed adventure with my former band mates) 

And now to sign off on this post (with music) is Mr. Scott:

“Thank you, sir, and call me Scotty”

(unless in the future, Ethan Stranger karaokes this song for a reunion) 

P.S. I only used real names for rare occasions on my blogs, so in case any of my band friends are confused about “what’s up with the nicknames”, think of it as a way of me respecting y’all privacy, though I did mix real names with random words, still I only wish peoples (I’m saying gravely) that I thought of those names myself if the boot fits.

P.P.S. Zach Garifeld was my Secret Santa, I still have his letter, he can read it on my “Trumpets and Recreation: Legacy” post

P.P.S.S. I wonder if Harley Quinn Skylar and Keith Birmingham will ever remember that it’s the 10th anniversary of the Big Spring Band Trip to LA, wonder how they’ll gonna tell their kids, wonder where (in their version, which is outside of mine), I’ll fit in their story, only time will tell or not…