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Trip to the US - Sep/Oct 2023
  • Rasmus Holmen

Trip to the US - Sep/Oct 2023

Visit to Texas, Florida, Utah and California Read more
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  • Trip start
    September 12, 2023
  • Rasmus HolmenTrip to the US - Sep/Oct 2023Traveler

    Dallas

    September 12, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 27 °C

    So I made it to Dallas, Texas! My flight was slightly delayed, but otherwise the long journey was fine. I also got through immigration in the US within minutes. Sometimes it takes hours of waiting in line.

    Downtown Dallas where my hotel is located is noisy and loud, but it's interesting to visit this city for the first time.

    After checking in, I had a nice dinner at a restaurant in Downtown (next to a giant eyeball!)

    Later I walked to Dealey Plaza which, of course, is where John F. Kennedy was assassinated some 60 years ago. Very surreal to be in the exact spot of one of the most significant events in modern history. Tomorrow I'm going on a short guided tour of the area and a visit to the museum inside the building where Lee Harvey Oswald fired those infamous shots.    Read more

  • Rasmus HolmenTrip to the US - Sep/Oct 2023Traveler
    Dealey Plaza
    Oswald homeOswald's bedMovie theater where Oswald was caughtReplica of rifle Oswald usedWhere the shooting happenedView from the 6th floor

    JFK tour

    September 13, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 24 °C

    This morning I did a guided tour of some of the sites around Dallas that have been immortalized because of the JFK assassination. We started at a memorial for Kennedy, and walked around the Dealey Plaza area where the actual hit took place. It was interesting to hear the guide explain what transpired that day, and the many theories about it.

    We also went on the same route that Lee Harvey Oswald followed after he left the book depository, including a stop at his home at the time, which is now a small museum. We also saw the movie theater where he was caught, just 90 minutes after the assassination.

    After the tour itself, we visited the book depository which now has a museum on the 6th floor where Oswald fired at the president. Very fascinating place, and surreal to see the very spot where Oswald was perched with his rifle, back on that infamous November day sixty years ago.    Read more

  • Rasmus HolmenTrip to the US - Sep/Oct 2023Traveler

    Pearl Jam

    September 13, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 27 °C

    Great Pearl Jam show last night! The singer had the flu, and the usual drummer had to be replaced because he has Covid, but despite those obstacles they put on an incredible show. Apparently also the longest of the tour so far. Nice way to end my brief visit to Texas!Read more

  • Rasmus HolmenTrip to the US - Sep/Oct 2023Traveler
    Hulk Hogan shop

    From Texas to Florida

    September 14, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C

    After my brief stay in Texas in Dallas and Fort Worth, I got on a flight this morning bound for Tampa in Florida.

    Once I arrived I made my way to Clearwater Beach which is about 40 minutes outside of Tampa. I had booked a very nice hotel right on the beach, and I was upgraded to a room with a beautiful ocean view.

    It is very hot here (over 30 degrees Celsius) but I can't really complain since it's been less than two weeks that this exact area was hit by the worst hurricane in over 125 years. Luckily everything is fine here now, and it was a beautiful day.

    Over the afternoon I had booked a one hour Dolphin cruise where we sailed around, trying to spot dolphins. We saw a few of them eventually and they were super cute and playful. It was also fun to see the big mansions by the water, including a house that is apparently owned by Tom Cruise. Indeed, Scientology owns a lot of property in this area.

    I finished the evening watching the gorgeous sunset over the beach, and a nice dinner with an ocean view. Not bad!    Read more

  • Rasmus HolmenTrip to the US - Sep/Oct 2023Traveler

    Tampa

    September 15, 2023 in the United States ⋅ 🌙 29 °C

    So after breakfast this morning, I walked to the Clearwater Marine Aquarium, which also serves as an animal rescue facility. The place became world-famous as the home of Winter, the dolphin whose rescue story is told in the wonderful movie Dolphin Tale. The movie was filmed at the Aquarium and is inspired by the true story of a dolphin that was rescued after getting caught in a fishing wire. In the process, its tail was badly damaged, and eventually a custom prosthetic was made, allowing Winter to swim normally again.

    Sadly, Winter passed away a couple of years ago, but it was fun to see the facility where the most famous dolphin in the world lived for over a decade, and where the movie based on it was made. I also did a behind the scenes tour which was really interesting.

    After the Aquarium, it was time to head into Tampa!

    In Tampa, I went to day one of 90s Con - a convention themed on the biggest pop culture events of that decade. My main reason for going was to meet the cast of Beverly Hills 90210! They have most of the main cast at the convention this weekend, and today I had the pleasure of meeting Jason Priestley (Brandon), Tori Spelling (Donna), Ian Ziering (Steve) and Jennie Garth (Kelly). I also saw Brian Austin Green (David) while waiting in line. So much fun to meet these actors that I have watched on my TV screen countless times over the past 30+ years.

    Except for Tori, they all look like they haven't aged over the past 33 years. Tori looks a bit different nowadays, but she was very sweet, and she hugged me when we bonded over Ghostbusters! She also loves Denmark apparently.

    Jason was also super sweet and we talked about Tru Calling, another TV show he did back in the day.

    Aside from the 90210 cast, I met Danica McKellar from The Wonder Years, another one of my all time fav shows. She was also really lovely.

    After the Con, I had dinner at the GenX tavern - a place themed on the 80s and 90s pop culture, so very fitting.    Read more

  • Rasmus HolmenTrip to the US - Sep/Oct 2023Traveler
    Reginald VelJohnson
    Sabrina castMelissa Joan HartCool cosplayFull House castFull House castFull House castIan ZieringDanica McKellar

    90s Con: Day 2

    September 16, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C

    Great day at 90s con!

    I first attended a panel for the show "Family Matters" - the one with Steve Urkel! It's been decades since I last watched that show, but the three cast members at the convention were quite entertaining. One of them, Reginald VelJohnson, famously played Al Powell in Die Hard!

    The next panel was for "Sabrina The Teenage Witch" - another show I haven't watched in many years, but I've seen Melissa Joan Hart (who portrayed Sabrina) in various shows and movies over the years.

    After a cosplay contest, I attended a panel for Full House with Jeff Franklin who created the show and five of its main stars. Dave Coulier, who played Joey, was very funny in particular.

    My primary mission of the day was getting a group photo with the 7 main cast members of Beverly Hills 90210! I grew up watching this show, and I still enjoy watching episodes here and there more than 30 years later. It was surreal to meet all of them in person and it's probably the first convention they have all done together (except for the late Luke Perry of course).

    While waiting in line, and it was almost my turn, there was a snafu with the camera and we had to wait around for it to be fixed. While waiting, Ian Ziering came over to us waiting at the front of the line to say hi!

    Before leaving the Con for the day, I caught the end of a panel with the lovely Danica McKellar talking about her books and career.

    In the evening I had dinner at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, a little outside of Tampa.    Read more

  • Rasmus HolmenTrip to the US - Sep/Oct 2023Traveler
    Saved by the bell cast
    Mark-Paul GosselaarTLCBackstreet BoysCharmed castBeverly Hills 90210 castBeverly Hills 90210 castBuild your own pizza at McDonald's

    90s Con: Day 3

    September 17, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 32 °C

    Third and final day of the 90s convention! I didn't have much on the agenda today, so I spent basically the whole day in the panel/Q&A room - also ensuring I would get a good seat for the 90210 panel later in the day!

    The first panel of the day featured Kimberly J Brown and Daniel Kountz. I have seen Kimberly in a few things, but not super familiar with their work. Still an interesting panel though, as they talked about the craft of acting.

    The next panel was focused on classic 90s show "Saved by the bell" and the panel featured Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Elizabeth Berkley and Mario Lopez. While I haven't watched the show in a long time, it was a fun panel and I've seen the three actors in several projects over the years, especially Mark-Paul.

    Next up a very 90s group of people: TLC (Chilli & T-Boz), AJ McLean and Howie Dorough from Backstreet Boys and Joey Fatone from NSYNC! They were definitely an entertaining group of people!

    The second-to-last panel of the day was focused on two cast members of the show Charmed - Holly Marie Combs and Rose McGowan. A cool show that I watched once in a while. The actors can't talk about specifics due to the ongoing strike, but they still shared fun anecdotes and stories that were somewhat related to working on this and other productions.

    Finally it was time for the last panel of the day, which was the one I had looked forward to the most - 7 cast members from Beverly Hills 90210: Shannen Doherty, Tori Spelling, Jennie Garth, Gabrielle Carteris, Jason Priestley, Ian Ziering and Brian Austin Green.

    While it has been great to meet them and get a photo with them earlier at the convention, I really enjoy these panels where you can hear them talk about their work. Again, due to the strike, they were not able to get into specifics, especially with regards to 90210. This was really a shame, but they are still such a fun group that 45 minutes in their company passed in no time. Such a cool experience and a perfect way to cap a really good convention.

    After leaving the Con, I boarded a train to Kissimmee in the Orlando area. Despite being literally the only train that day from Tampa, the timing worked out pretty well. I also met a fellow 90s con attendee at the station and we had a lovely chat on the whole train ride about our favorite 90s shows!

    When I got to my hotel in Orlando, I walked down the street to visit the biggest McDonalds in the world! Possibly also the only one serving pizza and pasta dishes! Quite unusual for a McDonald's 😁    Read more

  • Rasmus HolmenTrip to the US - Sep/Oct 2023Traveler
    Space Shuttle
    Launch site1

    Kennedy Space Center

    September 18, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C

    Today, I went on a full-day tour of Kennedy Space Center, which is about an hour outside of Orlando.

     The huge NASA complex showcases decades of space exploration history, including an actual space shuttle on display. Not to mention many rockets and vehicles used for actual missions in space.

    They had a lot of interesting exhibits, movies, and interactive experiences that provided a unique window into space exploration.

    There was also some information about future missions - including a plan for man to return to the moon in 2025.

    Of course, it was also fascinating to be close to the primary launch center for human spaceflight, including the Danish astronaut that recently went back to the International Space Station.

    In the evening, after checking into a Disney World hotel called The Swan, I went to Disney Springs for dinner.

    Disney Springs is a large area, part of Walt Disney World, with a number of shops, restaurants, bars, and various entertainment venues.    Read more

  • Rasmus HolmenTrip to the US - Sep/Oct 2023Traveler
    11

    Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party

    September 19, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 25 °C

    For most of this morning and afternoon, I relaxed at the pool. First at the Swan hotel and later at my next hotel, Disney's Polynesian Resort. This is one of the classic deluxe resorts, and widely considered one of the best Disney World hotels. It is also located very close to the main Disney park, Magic Kingdom.

    Speaking of which - after spending time at the hotel, I took the monorail to Magic Kingdom for "Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party"! This is an after-hours event themed on Halloween, with special shows and surprises not part of the usual experience of visiting the park.

    Upon entry, you also get a bag to collect free candy at various spots, in true trick or treat fashion.

    While the capacity for these special events is reduced, compared to a usual evening, it was still very crowded! Some lines were slightly smaller than usual though, so I was able to try 8 different rides.

    They also did a massive fireworks show, including projections on the castle, and a Halloween parade.

    I have been to Disney World a few times now, but there is always something new to experience. The last time I went, everything was Christmas themed, so it was fun to see the Halloween version this time!

    I had dinner at Be Our Guest, a legendary restaurant with a "Beauty and The Beast" theme inside a castle! The beast himself was there to welcome people, and I was lucky to get a picture with him (coincidentally I was wearing a tshirt for the band Beast in Black). Great food and ambiance, and a nice break from the crowds that had seemingly chosen a different dining venue from the many options on site.    Read more

  • Rasmus HolmenTrip to the US - Sep/Oct 2023Traveler

    Walt Disney World

    September 20, 2023 in the United States ⋅ 🌧 26 °C

    Today, I went to Magic Kingdom for a five-hour tour around the park called "Keys to the Kingdom."

    It was a very informative tour where we learned many facts about the park and how everything started.

    Disneyland in California is the original park, where Walt Disney himself was the driving creative force. But he also initiated what would become Disney World in Florida. Sadly, he passed away before they started construction on the first park, Magic Kingdom. His brother Roy continued the project and helped open the park in 1971.

    The tour also included some backstage areas that are not open to the general public. We saw this enormous tunnel system that actually runs under the park, where the employees can easily get to different places around the park. It was fun to get a glimpse behind the scenes and to see what a huge operation it is to run the biggest tourist attraction in the world.

    After the tour, I made my way to a different park, Hollywood Studios, where I tried some of my favorite rides there. One of them is modeled after the Millennium Falcon from Star Wars. In fact, a big portion of the park is a very impressive Star Wars land.

    At this point, after days of sunny and very warm weather, it started to rain. A lot. Nonstop. So this made it a bit difficult to enjoy an outdoor amusement park.

    Eventually, I made it to my third Disney park of the day - the futuristic EPCOT. I tried out a new ride based on Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy, which was cool. Then I had dinner at a very unique restaurant, Space 220, which is meant to look like you are in space! It looks like something out of the aforementioned Star Wars, with a big "window" that shows your view of space as you are dining.

    It is one of the restaurants in Disney World that is hardest to get a reservation for, so I'm glad I was able to try it out.

    I would have liked to spend more time at Epcot, but they were closing soon, and the poor weather made it a lot less enjoyable. Still, it's a nice end to two busy days at the Disney parks.    Read more

  • Rasmus HolmenTrip to the US - Sep/Oct 2023Traveler
    Cobra Kai/Karate Kid cast
    Alexandra DaddarioJohn Rhys DaviesAlexandra DaddarioStar Wars: Clone Wars castMatthew LillardScream cast

    FanX: Day 1

    September 21, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 14 °C

    So, I left Orlando early this morning to catch a flight across the United States to Salt Lake City in Utah. It's my first time in Utah, and the view as we approached the airport was quite something.

    My reason for going to Salt Lake City is the three-day pop culture convention FanX. This is a huge event, attended by as much as 100,000 fans - so one of the biggest comic cons in the US.

    This year, they have around 100 celebrity guests and hundreds of vendors.

    I have attended a lot of conventions, but this is definitely one of the biggest!

    I did 5 panels - the first one with Ralph Macchio and William Zabka from Karate Kid and Cobra Kai, which is one of my favorite shows. Always fun to see these guys, and I also got a photo with them later.

    I also did a photo and panel with the great actress Alexandra Daddario, who is doing her first convention.

    Later, I attended a panel with three popular voice actors from an animated Star Wars series.

    My last panel of the day featured the cast of 90s horror/comedy Scream - Neve Campbell, Skeet Ulrich, Matthew Lillard, and Jamie Kennedy. An entertaining bunch for sure, especially Lillard, who walked around amongst the audience for most of the panel!

    At some point over the evening, I also joined a panel talking about Disney World vs. Disneyland! Very apropos since I was at Disney World yesterday and going to Disneyland in California on Monday.    Read more

  • Rasmus HolmenTrip to the US - Sep/Oct 2023Traveler
    1
    Wayne KnightCarrie Ann MossJames TolkanTom WilsonChristopher LloydTony Danza1Krysten RitterMichael J. Fox

    FanX: Day 2

    September 22, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C

    Great second day at FanX! Quite a busy one, too. I did six panels, the first one featuring Karen Gillan, who plays Nebula in several Marvel movies, Alex Kingston, who I best remember from E.R. and Arthur Darvill, who is probably best known from tv show Dr. Who.

    After that, a smaller panel with Wayne Knight from Jurassic Park and Seinfeld, among other things. A great actor, and it was really interesting to hear about his life and career, and I love his Newman character on Seinfeld.

    Later, I did a panel with the amazing cast of several Marvel shows, primarily Daredevil. The actor who played Daredevil, Charlie Cox, was there as well as the villain on the show, portrayed by Vincent D'Onofrio. The gorgeous Krysten Ritter and Carrie-Ann Moss (best known from The Matrix) also joined the panel.

    My last three panels were all focused on actors from Back to the Future: 92-year-old James Tolkan who played Strictland, Tom Wilson, who played Biff Tannen, and then Doc Brown himself, Christopher Lloyd. I have seen these guys several times before, but it was nice that they each did a half-hour individual panel, even though they couldn't talk about the movies due to the strike.

    Tom Wilson, who is also a comedian, was extremely funny, and I must say he did one of the most entertaining and enjoyable panels I have ever attended.

    Seeing Christopher Lloyd again was bittersweet, as this is apparently the last convention he will ever do, and last ever panel. He was great as always, and I have been lucky to see him at several different conventions over the past few years.

    Speaking of Back To The Future, in between the various panels, I had a photo op with none other than Michael J. Fox. I have met him four times now, which is surreal to think about. He has been my hero for over three decades, so it is a privilege to meet him, and this was most likely his final convention as well.

    I also got a photo with the aforementioned Krysten Ritter who has done a lot of cool stuff - such as Breaking Bad, Daredevil, and Jessica Jones, where she plays the titular role.

    Finally, I got a photo with Hollywood legend Tony Danza! In a career spanning 45 years, he is probably best known from Taxi in the 70s, which also featured Christopher Lloyd.    Read more

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