Saturday, June 20, 2015
A park dedicated to The Art of the Brick
When I showed Bunny a video on making Lego gummy candy a few weeks ago, she said that was all the excuse we needed to go visit Legoland!
And lo! We arrived! To the sound of the Lego Theme!
![[The Promised Land for Geeks]](/2015/06/20/Legoland-Welcome.jpg "The Promised Land for Geeks")
Unfortunately grim reality asserts itself in the outrageous parking fee and ticket prices (really, you'd think at those prices you would at least get a small Lego kit, but then again, Lego was getting $36/lb for raw Lego bricks—wait a minute … that isn't that bad a price actually—it's about 500 2×2 bricks … wait! Where was I?).
Yeah, the high price tends to dampen the entire experience, making what could be wonderful (and I'm sure for the kids, it is) into something that's just a tad underwhelming.
Although the Lego sculptures are wonderful.
![[It looks just like you would expect a hotel made out of Lego to look.]](/2015/06/20/img_3066.jpg "It looks just like you would expect a hotel made out of Lego to look.")
![[Because using a firetruck to put out fires is just too normal.]](/2015/06/20/img_3071.jpg "Because using a firetruck to put out fires is just too normal.")
![[I wonder if these are what the new Stormtroopers are going to look like in the new Star Wars film.]](/2015/06/20/img_3077.jpg "I wonder if these are what the new Stormtroopers are going to look like in the new Star Wars film.")
![[It just kept going up and up and up and ...]](/2015/06/20/img_3083.jpg "It just kept going up and up and up and ...")
![[If I didn't know any better, I might mistake this as a UFO.]](/2015/06/20/img_3086.jpg "If I didn't know any better, I might mistake this as a UFO.")
![[She was waiting for it to get dark to continue her painting.]](/2015/06/20/img_3094.jpg "She was waiting for it to get dark to continue her painting.")
![[All the fauna at Legoland was made out of bricks.]](/2015/06/20/img_3100.jpg "All the fauna at Legoland was made out of bricks.")
![[The alligators were quite docile—I guess they're well fed.]](/2015/06/20/img_3101.jpg "The alligators were quite docile—I guess they're well fed.")
![[Viva Lego Vegas!]](/2015/06/20/img_3110.jpg "Via Lego Vegas!")
![[Even the lava was made out of Lego bricks! Unfortunately, I missed getting a shot of that.]](/2015/06/20/img_3122.jpg "Even the lava was made out of Lego bricks! Unfortunately, I missed getting a shot of that.")
![[If you can make it here, you can make it anywhere. But only if you have enough bricks.]](/2015/06/20/img_3129.jpg "If you can make it here, you can make it anywhere. But only if you have enough bricks.")
![[No King Kong! I was severely disappointed.]](/2015/06/20/img_3133.jpg "No King Kong! I was severely disappointed.")
![[Truly this is the Mall of America!]](/2015/06/20/img_3139.jpg "Truly this is the Mall of America!")
![[Isengard!]](/2015/06/20/img_3154.jpg "Isengard!")
![[Just in time for a shuttle launch.]](/2015/06/20/img_3166.jpg "Just in time for a shuttle launch.")
The pirate-themed water skiing show at the park was unfortunately cut short due to threatening weather.
![[The skis were not generic Lego bricks but those specialized pieces us old-timers always bitch about.]](/2015/06/20/waterskiing-minifigs.jpg "The skis were not generic Lego bricks but those specialized pieces us old-timers always bitch about.")
Sadly, this meant that the kid behind us who really got into the show did not get closure, leaving open the question if Brickbeard escaped justice along with his bounty.
The weather then stopped threatening and made the decision to rain heavily, cutting our stay at Legoland a bit short and drenching us on the way back to the car.
Overall, I'm glad we went. Even though there wasn't anything special about the rides >per se, they were all Lego themed or made to look like they were built out of Lego bricks. We didn't eat at any of the restaurants, so I can't comment about them. The stores all sold Lego or Lego themed items (obviously—and Bunny did get the silicone molds for the jelly candies) so there isn't much to say about them either (other than the scores and scores of Lego kits all beckoning to be bought).
I just wish the park didn't cost so much.
A tigerwood cutting board
We met with Jim and Cis for dinner, two of Bunny's friends who live in the area. Seeing how she hasn't seen them in some time, Bunny thought it might be nice to give them a small present. So over the week, she made another cutting board, this time from tigerwood.
![[It's hard to see when it's in its native jungle habitat]](/2015/06/20/tigerwood-cuttingboard.jpg "It's hard to see when it's in its native jungle habitat")
While it is a hardwood, Bunny found it somewhat difficult to plane smooth as it was prone to tearout and gouges. But she got the results she wanted.
The perils of hotelling
Sigh.
Nothing like a hotel (not the Legoland hotel) right next to a bar with the karaoke cranked up to 11.
Closing time can't come soon enough.
