Rediscovery
California Road Trip, Day 7:
Rediscovering Knott’s and Myself
Hello again, fellow nomads! Day 7 of my winter road trip was nothing short of exhilarating as I woke up on the shores of Malibu and set my sights on Knott's Berry Farm in Buena Park. With a day full of adventure ahead, let me take you through the highlights of this fun-filled day!
Sunrise in Malibu looking across the Pacific to Santa Monica. (Brian Gailey)
Malibu Sunrise
Knowing I needed to travel across the busiest sections of Los Angeles on my way to Buena Park, I woke up before sunrise to get an early start. Before I could even wipe the crust from my eyes and sip my coffee, I was greeted by one of the best sunrises I have ever experienced in my life. The sky lit up bright red as the sun rose above the San Gabriel Mountains, illuminating Santa Monica Bay with a magical glow. This breathtaking experience opened my eyes and my heart to the amazing day ahead!
Traversing LA
After leaving the ocean, I hopped on the Santa Monica Freeway inland to the Golden State Freeway south toward Buena Park. To my surprise, there was virtually zero traffic on the freeway system that Friday morning! I was shocked. We rolled right past downtown and through the East Los Angeles Interchange with no issues at all. I had planned for the trip to potentially take several hours, but we breezed through the downtown region in what seemed like minutes. A few moments later, I found myself in Buena Park, way ahead of schedule and hours before the park's opening!
Downtown Los Angeles as seen from the Santa Monica Freeway. (Brian Gailey)
With extra time to kill, I decided to freshen up with a hot shower at Planet Fitness. Fortunately, there was a gym just a few blocks away from Knott’s, and I could see the rides from the parking lot! I took a long, hot, much-needed shower. For a week, I had been using water warmed on the stove and shower wipes to clean up. I had no idea how much I took a hot shower for granted until that moment. It felt incredible!
Engine 340 the Rio Grand at Knott’s Berry Farm. (Brian Gailey)
A day of fun
All fresh and ready to go, I hopped back into the van and headed to the Knott’s parking lot. Expecting much traffic, I was pleasantly surprised to find none again. Safely parked in the lot, I secured all my belongings and closed the curtain to avoid drawing suspicion. I packed light with just my cell phone, charger, and sunglasses—knowing I could always return to the van if I needed anything.
Welcome to Knott’s - Merry Christmas. (Brian Gailey)
Getting into the park was a breeze! The security lines moved quickly, especially since I didn’t have a bag to check. I went straight to the entrance lanes, where they scanned the pre-purchased ticket on my phone, and just like that, I was in!
It had been over 30 years since my last visit to Knott’s Berry Farm, which was likely when I was under the age of 10. With such a long gap, I didn’t remember much, so this trip felt all new—like a first-time visit to the park! I started by wandering around, taking a lap, and soaking it all in.
While the lines moved quickly, the park felt quite busy. With a few major attractions closed, guests who would typically be waiting in those queues were instead exploring the park, leading to longer lines at the minor attractions.
Nonetheless, it felt amazing to be in a place that was both new and familiar. I follow many YouTubers—some nomadic travelers, others are theme park junkies (Park Pass, Fresh Baked, Theme Park Obsession), and a few are just random creators like Justin Scarred (Randomland, Adam the Woo). From those channels, I recognized many areas of Knott’s, but it felt like my first time there. I thoroughly enjoy their videos, but you don’t get the sense of controlled chaos, the sites, smells, sounds, and nostalgia in those videos like you do in person. It was overwhelming but in a good way!
As the morning went on, I enjoyed a few rides and counted a lot of steps. By this time, I was getting hungry. Rather than buying food in the park for lunch, I went back to the van to eat. After filling my belly, I felt sleepy, so a nap was in order. A couple of hours later, I was ready to hit the park again. This is one of the fantastic bonuses of traveling by van—your home is always with you! It’s like a rolling studio apartment, complete with a bed, kitchen, bathroom, office, and entertainment—all the essentials!
Feeling refreshed and looking forward to what I most wanted to experience—the park at night—I packed a bag of goodies, including my Nikon camera. I wanted to capture the epic lights of Knott’s. The Boardwalk neon, the vibrancy of Fiesta Village, and the mystery of Ghost Town all excited me. However, it was still a bit too bright for nighttime photography, so I took another walk around the park, taking in Camp Snoopy, Timber Mountain, and more before having dinner with some friends.
Catching up
One of the great benefits of traveling nomadically is the ability to catch up with old friends. One of those friends, Tim, moved from my hometown to Orange County after living in Hawaii and the Eastern U.S. first. I hadn’t seen Tim in ages! We met for dinner at the Coasters Diner. With my dietary restrictions, eating out can be tough, so I kept things simple with chicken strips and fries. Maybe one day I’ll do a post on those restrictions, but for today, we were just enjoying each other’s company and the park.
Now that Tim is a SoCal local, he shared some fantastic advice on where to park, what to see, and what to do while I’m in the area. With a couple more days of reservations ahead, Tim helped me plan my itinerary accordingly. It was also wonderful to catch up and discuss what had been happening in our lives, allowing me to gain some unbiased perspective on life.
You see, in the months leading up to this trip, I had been navigating a divorce. It wasn’t nasty or bitter, but it was certainly unexpected and caught me off guard. After nearly 23 years of marriage, the news was a shock to my system. Following the delivery of those papers, I found myself grappling with questions about my purpose, my identity, and what my next steps should be.
During our conversation, Tim helped me realize that this moment in my life wasn’t an ending but rather the closing of one chapter and the beginning of another. It felt more like we were wrapping up Volume 1 and starting Volume 2 of my life story.
Thank you, Tim! You are an incredible friend, and your support has meant the world to me. I can’t wait to hang out again!
An evening stroll through Ghost Town at Knott’s Berry Farm. (Brian Gailey)
A story through photos
By the time dinner was done, it was early evening—the perfect time to start capturing some amazing photos. Rather than bore you with the details, of how they were captured and the route through the park, I’m just going to share the photos for your enjoyment!
Retiring for the night
Home for the night. So close to the magic. (Brian Gailey)
I had an amazing day at Knott’s. This park is older than Disneyland, which we have reservations for tomorrow, but remains amazing. I found a great place to park for the night, which is ridiculously close to the magic.
Stay tuned for more updates as I continue this incredible adventure along the California coast! Happy travels!
“Get ready, screamers!”
