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My research for this trip had been painstaking. You cant leave too much too chance when taking a family of 4 on their first trip to the USA, especially as we were going for just over a month.
Where to go? What to see? How to get there? Where to stay? How to pay for it? All meticulously and tediously planned, re-worked, booked and confirmed. But still, one necessary question was left unanswered. What to pack?
When all the essential travel items for a family of 4 are squeezed into several large suitcases, how then do you transport this the required 550km's from Mildura to Melbourne in a compact family hatchback? This was the final piece of the pre-trip puzzle that we faced only 15 minutes before our scheduled departure. With my travel spirits slightly jaded by the early morning rush to get away on time, I pushed, shoved, crammed and cursed until I managed to close the hatch without the rear window popping out and shattering into several million pieces on our garage floor . At this stage, I was hoping that I ticked the roof-rack option on the on-line hire car booking form.
Finally we departed Mildura for the 6 hour drive to Melbourne. We were overnight-ing with my in-laws before catching the morning Red-eye from Melbourne to LA via Brisbane. The drive was made more bearable with my newly downloaded collection of the complete cast recording of Glee. A delectable ensemble of soft-rock, classic standards and soaring show-tunes, all accompanied by my own dulcet tones.
I hate being late and with the panicked thoughts of sleeping in and missing the flight, I set several alarms. My phone for 2.45, my watch for 2.55 and the bedside alarm-clock in Kerry's parents spare bedroom for 3.00am on Friday morning the 11th of June. Our flight left at 7am. That gave us until 3.45 to freshen up and wake the kids. The airport was about a 35minute drive, 10 minutes to get a trolley and pry all that luggage out of the car and we would have an almost perfect 2 and a half hours to check-in and complete the departure formalities before spending some leisurely time browsing through Duty-free. This was meticulously planned itinerary "fo-pare number one". Our flight from Melbourne to Brisbane was purely a domestic "red-eye" and at 4.30am in the morning, it took all of 13 minutes to do all that needed to be done. Tullamarine is not the most vibrant place to kill 2 hours at that time of the day, but gracefully, our plane was on time and off we soared to meet up with our international connection. Our Californian Odyssey had commenced.
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A CALIFORNIAN ODYSSEY 2010.....A live trip report from the Golden State
My research for this trip had been painstaking. You cant leave too much too chance when taking a family of 4 on their first trip to the USA, especially as we were going for just over a month.
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Keep us tuned in to your adventures! Good wishes that everything goes as planned!
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"I set several alarms. My phone for 2.45, my watch for 2.55 and the bedside alarm-clock in Kerry's parents spare bedroom for 3.00am..."
What a great start! This is going to be a wonderful read! You have an inimitable writing style!
Looking forward to more!
Thank you for sharing!
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while they're in the air winging to this side of the Pacific . . . we should kvetch about how they could have done it all w/ just carry-ons
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I look forward to reading your report as you travel throughout our state. Have a great time.
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Welcome to California!
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Maitai may have trip report writing competition here!
Welcome to California!
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Everything at LA Airport works like clockwork. Australian airports, particularly the circus that is Brisbane International, can learn a lot from the efficiency and courtesy that seems to happen with ease at LAX. Within minutes of disembarking, we were smoothly processed and ushered into a transit bus to the National Car Rental centre.
As previously mentioned, our attempts to pack light had failed miserably and after telling the attendant at the National counter that we had booked a Pontiac G5, I was met by a stare of astonishment. "That ain't fittin' in no G5" she said glancing over to the two trolleys piled high with cases and bags, looking slightly worse for wear from the "treatment" handed out by the V Australia's baggage handlers. This however, posed no problem as we were shown to a parking lot filled with a multitude of different makes and models that we could choose from. Once again, we were impressed by how user friendly the system was.
Kerry and Caleb were drawn to the size and practicality of a Mazda 5 mini people mover. But we were in the USA. I didn't want to drive no Mazda! I drive a Mazda at home. Both myself and Joel walked straight over to a shiny new "Candy-apple" Red Chevrolet HHR. Sure it was more cramped and with all the cases piled up we would not be able to see out the back. But it was a Chevy. As I wanted to keep the peace, I offered to decide this dilemma in the fairest and most mature way possible….Rock-Paper-Scissors. "Best 2 out of 3?", Caleb, my 8 year, enquired. Luckily, my Rock, in the decider, blunted Caleb's Scissor's, and off we went.
It was only 8.30am and far too early to book into the Best Western Sunset Plaza, our home for the next 2 nights, so we decided to head straight to Santa Monica to check out the famous Pier. One of the greatest moves that I had made was to purchase the Homer Simpson voice for my Tom Tom as this provided the kids with much amusement, as did my initial attempts to make a left hand turn from the "wrong" side of the road. After a few detours caused by Homer telling me to "Keep to the Left" and "Make a right hand turn" virtually simultaneously, we arrived at the beachside car park. There were plenty of street park's, but we only had the fresh $20 notes dispensed from teller machine at the airport, so we paid the $8 all day parking fee even though we were only planning to be there for a few hours.
We had a great time wandering around the Pier, sipping on Snow-cones, listening to various buskers and watching the area start to gear itself up for the lunchtime rush. We walked over to "Muscle" beach and did some "people-watching" as the kids played on all the various pieces of equipment on the sand. We grabbed a quick and tasty meal at a "hole in the wall" kebab joint on Broadway St and found a few great bargains on 3rd Street Promenade.
Santa Monica is fabulous. If we had a bit more "lazy-time" in LA, this would have been the place to stay. However, I am happy with our Hollywood location. Close to the hills and reasonably handy to Dodger Park for our Saturday night game. The Best Western is well positioned, in what seems to be a "nice" neighborhood. Plenty of entertainment options on it's doorstep, like the House of Blues, a Comedy venue, and a short stroll from the "Tram-Car Diner" made famous in some long forgotten Gwyneth Palthrow movie. The Hotel itself is lovely. Great sized rooms, comfortable beds and a very homely atmosphere. They provide breakfast, have all day snacks and a cardio room to work off the breakfast and all day snacks. The pool area was as good as I'd seen at a mid priced city motel.
We only spent a few hours resting and checking emails etc, before it was back into the traffic to find Griffith Park and the Observatory. This is when Homer Simpson let us down badly. I entered Griffith Park, then Griffith Observatory and then Observatory Road into the GPS and nothing came up. I knew that the Hollywood sign was in the general vicinity, so I set Homer the task of finding this and "Bingo" off we went. The plan was to head in the direction of "the" sign and look for a signpost to our actual destination. How naïve could we be? Homer led us through a rabbit warren of windy narrow domestic laneways, barely adequate for 2 pushbike to pass each other, until we got to the point that we could almost touch the sign, but still no clue on how to get to the Observatory. Eventually, we managed to do a 7 point turn and reversed our direction and I came up with the brainstorm of asking Homer to get us to Griffiths Park road. This had us heading closer, but it still took several more detours before we eventually ended up at our desired location about 2 hours after we had left the Hotel. Any thought I had of entering a team into the next Amazing Race was shattered.
By this stage, poor Caleb had collapsed into a Jet-lag induced coma. After searching so hard we decided to test fate and wake him. The first 30 minute was a huge ordeal. The complaining was prolific and we looked like horrible parents, dragging a poor 8 year old around a place that he obviously had no interest in. To his credit and with the help of Joel's excitement with all the exhibits, he eventually he got his second wind and we all thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Admission is free, but it is well worth the few bucks to watch the Planetarium show which we all found to be highly entertaining and educational.
We departed Griffith Park at around 9.30, bought a few microwave snacks, peanut butter M and M's and a $10 bottle of Napa Valley wine and settled in for an early night.
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Shanek is here!
Your experience at LAX was a true miracle because that is one of the worst airports ever!lol
Let the kid get some sleep will ya? And enjoy your first full day in California!
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After a several month visit to Australia and NZ some years ago, I was occasionally disappointed by local people's understanding of just what the US is like. Some of them had even been here, but the typical visit seemed limited to LA, Las Vegas, and the Grand Canyon. Hence, not too surprisingly I guess, the consensus seemed to be that the US is hot, dry, and very crowded. ;->
So when I first returned home, as I traveled about my state, California, I used to entertain myself trying to imagine the itineraries I WISHED visitors would see to get more an idea of the variety of even just this one [large] state.
Sounds like you are just the family to do it! I am enjoying the initial chapter of your adventure and looking forward to the rest.
When you get to San Francisco, give me a wave.
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I also was agog at your first sentence. He is really talking about LAX?
I hope you have better luck with Homer in the coming days.
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Sounds like you are off to a great start! (And if you get hungry late at night - or anytime - you could head to Canter's Deli for an interesting slice of LA life).
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What a blast it is traveling through your eyes Shanek! My belly hurts. It was wonderful to hear how opposite the LAX experience was for you. I avoid it at all costs, if possible. And too much fun hearing all the similarities of adventure into the unknown. Can't wait to read more. Welcome to California!
Definitely try beignets at Ralph Brennan's casual cafe in downtown Disneyland, for a touch of New Orleans and a sugar high. Enjoy the new water show! I haven't seen it yet, but have heard it's spectacular.
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What I liked about LAX is that they kept everything moving, there were no unecessary delays, it was well signed and the trolleys were plentiful and easy to drive.
When we passed through passport control, we were quickly ushered through the US citizens line when they saw we were travelling with kids and we didn't have to face a physical check of all our baggage as we often do when we arrive back at home. Both custom's officials that we had contact with told us to "enjoy our trip" and didn't make us feel like we were doing something wrong. Thing's may be much worse on the way back out, but it was a much more pleasant experience than arriving in Melbourne ever seems to be.
I will have to give Canters a go, it looks really kitsch.
Off to the farmers market this morning if the boys ever wake up.
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Enjoying your report. Yes, give a wave when you are in N. Cal.
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Loving your report! SoCal is a huge piece of Americana in many ways
I am surprised, and curious why you got at HHR. Not that there's anything wrong with them, but they're often driven by - well - that doesn't matter LOL
We have various American mini vans and SUVs as you seemed to want, that allow a much more comfortable ride.
And no, I'm not in the auto industry, nor is anyone else I know.
Carry on Looking forward to it.
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GREAT reports! I'm already sore from coughing and all this laughing isn't helping! Have a great day today.
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While waiting for the family to wake, I came across Caleb's journal that he wrote when we got home last night.
I thought you may find it interesting to hear about our day from the viewpoint of an eight year old. I will present it verbatim.
"Today we had to wake up at 3am. We left for the airport at about 4am. I took a couple of photo's when we got there at about 4.30. When we finally got on the plane it was 7am!!!
I took alot of photo's on the plane but I deleted most of them.
Our second flight went for 13 whole hours. I think I took more photo's and watched movies for about 7 hours, played games for around 1 hour and slept for about 5 hours.
When the flight ended we went to the car rental place and got a really shiny red car.
Dad put Homer as the voice of our Tom Tom and he said "you are a Genius" whenever we reached our destination.
We wern't able to get into our hotel until 2pm so we hung out at the beach until 1.30 and then we took 30 minutes to get to our hotel.
At about 7 we went to an observatoty where we watched an awesome show about the galaxy.
We got home at about 9.40 and went to bed the momment we got to the hotel and I wrote my journal in bed.
That was the end of day 1"
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That's a great journal, something he should keep and re-read when he's about 30.
Great report, I'll be checking in.
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Pretty great writing for an 8 year old. I have a journal I kept on a family cross-country road trip when I was 10, and it is a treasure...make sure he keeps it!
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You're off to a fantastic start - looking forward to the rest of your report!
Lee Ann
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This is great following you family along the way.
It's another beautiful day in LaLa Land!
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Great start to your report , shanek. Sounds like you're off on a real adventure, can't wait for more.
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I enjoy reading your adventures with the family. I get excited when I read your post as I will be travelling with the family to CA in August (my 5 year old son's first time in the US). Can't wait for August to come.....
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What a fabulous day! We had planned to keep it low key to try and shake off the jet-lag, but everything we did was memorable and has really given me the desire to come back to LA sometime soon.
I awoke at 8, which is about a 4 year record for me. I am generally up before 6 and even on holidays rarely wake after 7am. By the time we made it down to breakfast, it was close to 10, just a quick coffee and bagel to get the engine running and then off the Original Farmers Market. Just a quick note to anyone considering microwaving a cold boiled egg. 30 seconds is a bit too much as Caleb proved to us all this morning. I'm glad no-one got hurt!
The Farmers Market is all about the food, with a few other assorted vendors providing the supporting cast. It is vibrant and bustling and certainly a must do if visiting LA. We spent some time wandering through the super trendy Grove outdoor shopping mall, which is connected to the market and then grabbed a seat and watched the passing parade of paper plates laden with tasty offerings being escorted back to neighboring tables.
Whilst waiting for my choice of feta cheese and spinach ,cooked in a Turkish style carbohydrate to be constructed, I wandered over to a centrally located bar, drawn by a lively crowd gathered there. As, I got close, the atmosphere rose to fever pitch and I got caught up in a cheer of "USA…USA…USA." As luck would have it, this was the precise moment that the team from The States had drawn level with the English in the round ball version of Football. As an Aussie is bred to "stick it up" any team from the "motherland", I was as excited as anyone else in the crowd. I have grown up hating that USA chant as it is usually used against us, but at that moment I was hanging on every letter.
Our next stop was the "Walk of Fame", Kodak and Chinese Theatre's of Hollywood Boulevard. What a strange stretch of road this is. The opulence of the Kodak and it's adjacent shopping mall in direct contrast to the Bong shops and dark smoke filled bars that co-inhabit this area. The kids enjoyed trying to find some "stars" that they knew and were pleased to see the Aussie contingent of Russell Crowe and Nicole Kidman placed in a prime position in front of the Kodak but what really sparked their interest was seeing Harry Potter's handprints and wand imprinted in stone at the Chinese Theatre.
Caleb was starting to get the grumps up so we headed to Mc Donalds and shared a 20 pack of nuggets for $4.99. I found it amusing to see a large sign that clearly set out their "SAUCE POLICY" (1 for 6, 2 for 12 and 3 for 20) and Kerry and the kids were really impressed with the free refills on the giant sized drinks. Re-fuelled, we headed back to the hotel which was only a few miles away and gave the boys some swim time while I caught up with the Footy scores from home.
We had decided to drive to Dodger stadium, against the advice of some locals that we spoke to and departed at about 6pm for a 7.15 game. We hit really heavy traffic on the last stretch of Freeway, but everything kept moving and we were parked and in our "cheap seats" for the opening Innings. I had booked for the game months in advance and even though we were in the nose bleed area our seats were in the very front row so the view was excellent. We haven't been brought up on baseball but watch it occasionally on pay TV and were here for the experience as much as the game. 5 minutes and I was hooked. The Music, the Cheers, the Chants, the Singing, it was really intoxicating and the local fans were all good natured with heaps of amusing banter.
The game finished at 4 to 2. The Angels won and the Dodger fans left unfulfilled. There was a few exciting moments late with bases loaded and only 1 out at the bottom of the 7th and local legend "Manny" coming in to Pinch Hit in the final Innings but unfortunately the end was anti-climatic for all but Joel who decided early to get on the Angels.
The drive back was quicker that the drive in and I was impressed with how easily we managed to escape the car-park. There were plenty of attendants ushering everyone out and the traffic, unlike my experiences getting out of the MCG car park, were orderly. We were home and in bed by 11.30. Unfortunately sleep didn't come quite as easily as our room faced the nearby "House of Blues". I would advice anyone wishing to stay here to request a Pool facing room.
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What a nice day! So happy (as a local) to hear you didn't go tearing around the city, trying to see everything in a few hours. Hollywood is usually not what any visitor expects, and most of us who live here avoid the area unless a houseguest really wants to see it, but believe me when I say it's much nicer now than it was 10-20 years ago. And an evening at a baseball game was a great choice despite the so-so food and watery beer. I just wish the correct team had won.
On to the next adventure!
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You're as entertaining as author Peter Mayle's journeys are in France. Cheers to great times ahead!
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I'm also enjoying your report so far. I hope you were too busy enjoying your California adventure on Sunday to catch a certain World Cup match.
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This is such a fun read! Thanks so much for sharing!
Please keep it coming!
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Well done - great detail and fun to read.
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This is terrific - it is going to end up one of the classic TRs . . .
"I just wish the correct team had won" -- Oh -- it DID!
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No it didn't! Besides, it's always more fun to root for the home team.
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Glad you're having fun! Baseball games are the best and Im glad you decided to drive rather than use public transport for the game.
Sleep well...cant wait to hear what youre up to next!
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I'm enjoying your posts SO much! Thanks, and keep them coming.
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Thanks guys. Your encouragement and kind words more than justifies the time spent composing this report. It is nice to be able to repay all the great advice that I received in putting our trip together.
I've just got back to the Candy Cane after a 14+ hour day at Disneyland and I am way too tired to write any more tonight, but we have a later start planned for tomorrow so I will add some then. And yes, I was too busy to watch the 4 nil drubbing we received at the hands of those %#@*?# Germans.
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So, did you feel the 5.7 aftershock?
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I decided to skip the mundane hotel breakfast and after checking out of the Best Western, we head to Canters Deli. This proves to be an inspired choice and I must thank elnap29 on Fodor's for suggesting this to me. The food was nice, not great, but the atmosphere in this LA institution was just fantastic. I must also mention that I managed to find it without any assistance from Homer, my sense of direction must be starting to shake off the Jetlag.
Canters have their own parking lot that at just after 10am on a Sunday morning is full apart from one last space that we pull into and walk around the corner and through the bakery entrance. The smallish, inconspicuous entrance opens up to a cavernous space that is full of mostly locals. Families in booths, couples on tables, groups of LA's elite sitting next to men in full leather outfits including studded hats. It would seem that all are welcome at Canter's Deli.
We are attended to by a lovely older lady who wears a badge that say's "Fran". Fran takes our order with great patience as she recites all the side options several times. She says to the boys "We ask a lot of questions in the States" as they are deciding if they want their eggs with potato, cottage cheese, tomato or several other elements that I cant recall. I choose the "famous" corned beef hash with scrambled eggs and potato. All this for a very reasonable $8.95. The coffee I wash this down with was very good and all up, I would recommend that anyone visiting LA, puts Canter's on their itinerary.
We jump back into the car at about 11.30 and ask Homer to get us to the La Brea Tar pits. The kids are quite excited about this stop as they are both very inquisitive and love anything involving old bones. We spend a few hours there learning about how the pits trapped millions of Ice Age creatures and that this relatively small area has uncovered one of the highest concentrations of fossilized remains in the world. They charge only $7 for adults and 2 bucks for kids, provide a very informative tour of the dig sites and surrounding grounds as well as a museum tour that we didn't stay around for. A really interesting and worthwhile stop.
The next stop was` Venice beach but we decide to do a quick trip down Rodeo drive. What a sight this is. We just cruised down the shopping strip as we didn't think that the available combined balances on our credit cards would provide us with sufficient funds to stop there. Even paying for parking would have been a stretch. It amazed me how many people I spotted wearing inappropriate footwear. How they managed to walk around on these huge chunky heels was beyond me. And the girls heels were even worse. It was akin to watching a circus performance. We also did a quick tour of the residential part of Rodeo. Plenty of wealth on show here too.
Now Venice Beach was something else. I went there just expecting to see a stretch of sand and that famous open air gym. Wow. How I underestimated the people watching potential of this place. There were scores of people playing basketball, a skate park, and a multitude of handball and mini tennis courts. Then it started to get bizarre, like the area for break dancing on roller skates and the graffiti park. What really sets this place apart from any other place that I have ever seen is the sidewalk market. Shops selling your regular beachside fare like t-shirts and sunglasses, share this space with vendors offering "medicinal marijuana" and "beach botox". I liked the pitch of the of the shop-front hawkers spruiking their weed " The Doctor is in the House". What is going on down there? There was also some great live street entertainment, from bands and comedians to the guy that was all painted up like a statue and would come alive with some crazy shrieking whenever someone dropped a dollar in his hat. The hat was labeled "TURN ME ON".
Through all this craziness, the atmosphere was still non-threatening though I would feel a lot less comfortable there later in the day under the cover of darkness. I would also avoid the guys trying to give you a "free" CD that they say is a recording of their music. They approach you with a set of huge head-phones and try and get you to listen to what was on their Discman. I saw a few over polite people that seem stuck trying to pry themselves loose from a conversation that they wanted to escape from. I am not sure what the scam was but I wasn't hanging around to find out.
Our next stop was the Candy Cane Inn in Anaheim, our base for the next 4 nights and our assault on Disneyland. The drive took about an hour, with a multitude of expressway exits and entries. Through all of Homers imperfections, I would not have liked to attempt this journey with an old school map. Check-in was efficient and we were suitably impressed with our new home. There was a mini-mart right next door and a row of take-away places across the road. We strolled up to the Disneyland gates in about 15 minutes, to pick up our passes and then bunkered down for an early night.
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"It amazed me how many people I spotted wearing inappropriate footwear. How they managed to walk around on these huge chunky heels was beyond me. And the girls heels were even worse."
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Thoroughly enjoying your report! Thanks for sharing your wonderful journey with us.
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Now Venice Beach was something else. I went there just expecting to see a stretch of sand and that famous open air gym. Wow. How I underestimated the people watching potential of this place.
LOL! Love it. Can't wait for the next chapter. Enjoy!
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et and SOCALOC picked out my favorites from your latest post! Great stuff, keep it coming...please!
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welcome to California!
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Shanek! You survived the Disney Death March!!!
It has been so fun to see California through the eyes of a visitor.....keep up the reports!
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Shanek, I am loving your report. Can't wait for more.
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This is such a fun read, so glad you're giving us your trip and memories of ours.
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I'm really having fun reading this. Venice Beach is wonderful people watching for sure. Looking forward to Disneyland.
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I have just discovered something amazing today. It must be one of America's best kept secret's. An absolute national treasure. I should be starting of this segment of my trip report by telling you what a great experience I had at Disney but I just can't get my mind off one thing. IHOP. How can feed a family of 4 with unlimited soft drinks for 35 bucks? You get table service and it even tastes good! Now that's something worth talking about. The USA gives the world Mc Donald's, KFC, Burger King and Domino's but you keep IHOP all to yourselves? This place is incredible value. Good meals for under $15, drinks with unlimited refills for $3 and free kids meals inclusive of the refills. Wow! Why cook at home? They even give you a separate nutrition chart when they hand you the menu. I was a little scared to look at this too closely, just in case this stuff is not good for me. I don't want to burst this bubble.
As for Disneyland? Loved it, loved it, loved it. Was it a perfect experience that lived up to all my expectations? No, but nothing ever is, or will. I have decided not to go over this as a day by day, blow by blow account, but rather, break it down into segments.
It is there the moment you walk into the car park. Music plays at the perfect volume, loud enough to create an atmosphere but not too loud to be annoying. The staff are all smiles and the greetings are warm and generous. The wonderful smells of fresh pop-corn and cotton candy are complimented by fresh odors of citrus and pine that must be piped through the indoor areas. The place is incredibly clean and everything looks so shiny and new. When you consider that the main park opened over 50 years ago, that is an amazing accomplishment. I can only presume that work continues all night to ready the place for the next day. During our stay, Disneyland closed at midnight and opened at 8am. Some parts were opened at 7am for Magic Morning pass holders. At a guess, there must have been close to 100,000 people through the gates each day and yet each morning everything looked pristine. It also remains current. Some of the original attractions have survived and people still queue to experience them but they have obviously been very conscious of providing entertainment for all ages, including the hard to please generation Yer's. You would have to have a very cold heart to walk away from here without some level of enjoyment.
However, some cracks do occasionally appear. On our second and third days you start to notice a few "attitude's" from the odd cast member that due to the euphoria of our first day, we may not have picked up on. Some of the rides are inexplicably closed at various parts of the day with very little, if any excuse offered. If you have been queuing when this happens, you are sent away with only an apology. This happened to us on the Haunted Mansion after a 30 minute wait, I though they could have issued a fast pass for a later return, but we were just told that we would have to take our chances and come back later.
Also the queues at the busier times of the day were just a little tedious. The fast pass system will provide some relief, but you can only use these a limited number of times and only on certain rides and attractions. So, if you want to do everything, prepare yourself for at least 4 or 5 periods of 45-70 minutes in duration of shuffling like sheep. Get there early and do as many rides as possible before 11am and be strategic with your fast pass use for the balance of the day. There are also a few attractions that are well past their used by date, like Star Tours and parts of Inoventions. But these are only minor criticisms, on the whole, Disney is alive and well and will continue to entertain scores of future generations.
I am certainly a big kid at heart and enjoy a good thrill and there were more than enough excitement here for my liking. Most of the rides are not only about screams, they are designed with entertainment in mind and there is certainly something to please everyone.. We must have gone on over 20 different rides, some of them on multiple occasions, so I wont even begin to try and describe all of them. What I will do is give you a bit of a run down of my top 5, rides that I would consider as an absolute "Must" do. I wont include Space Mountain even though it is hugely popular, as it is one that I probably enjoyed most when it was finished. It is probably a little too fast and furious for the faint hearted.
Here are my Top 5 in no particular order.
*Pirates of the Caribbean…. No thrills and spills here just pure entertainment. You board small vessels in groups of about a dozen and cruise through a series of scenes from the movie. The animatronics are absolutely spectacular, there was a few moments that I could have sworn that Johnny Depp had joined us on our journey. As you enter each scene, you leave the sounds of the previous section behind. This all works so seamlessly and gives you the feeling of entering a completely different environment. Watch out for misguided canon balls and enjoy this all ages ride.
*Jungle Cruise…. Again not a thrill ride, just good clean fun. The Elephants look incredibly realistic but the real star here are the very corny, but well delivered lines recited by your jungle guide. Don't miss this iconic attraction.
*Toy Story Midway Mania…. Hopefully this ride will soon have fast passes available as it was certainly one of the longer queue's that we had to endure. I would have loved to have done this a few times but couldn't put up with another 1 hour wait. You play in pairs, in small vehicles, that stop at several stations and shoot at various targets. It uses 3D technology to give the appearance of darts, rings etc leaving your hand piece. An absolute riot.
*The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror…. Don't let a fear of heights get in the way of great fun. You enter an elevator that becomes possessed and that's when the fun starts. Unlike other rides that involve a falling sensation, this one is done in small stages and is far from terrifying but the story line and setting makes it a great experience.
* I really couldn't contain my favorites to a TOP 5, so instead will give honorable mentions to the Maliboomer, Soaring over California, Grizzly River Run and the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. If you were only there for one day, make these rides your priority.
These are my favorite, non ride, attractions. If you have the time, make sure that you don't miss any of these.
* Magical…. This is what they call the fireworks display and it is pure magic. The prime viewing area is in front of the Fantasyland Castle but you need to plan early to get a good spot and it is really crowded. We watched it from a much less populated area in front of "It's a Small World" and were completely blown away.
*World of Color…. This has only just commenced at California Adventure Park and is a very high demand presentation. You will only be admitted to the better viewing spots by obtaining a ticket. You can presently only get one by queuing for a "fast pass" at Grizzly River Run which had lines that took almost 90 minutes at times, or by buying a meal package or picnic pack from the Golden Vine Winery. The packs can be pre booked on line but currently you will need to do this a fortnight in advance. If it maintains it's popularity, this is the option that I would recommend. The Show itself is stunning, you will not be disappointed. They create a wall of water with powerful jets placed in the lake at Paradise Pier and then project colorful images of iconic Disney characters, amongst other things on, this watery screen. It makes the Bellagio fountain look like a sprinkler system lit with fairy lights.
*It's Tough to be a Bug 3D…. Pitched at the younger kiddies, but fun for all the family. Plenty of surprises and laughs in this 3D movie presentation. Prepare yourself to have a great time and don't leave before the end as they have an extra little surprise after the film finishes.
*Disney's Aladdin, A Musical Spectacular…. They have built a huge Theatre in the Hollywood Pictures Backlot at California Adventure for this 45 minute show and it certainly pulls the crowds. Get there for one of the early shows if you don't wont to queue for a prime seat. The sets, music, effects and acting are all first class and the Genie is without doubt, the star of the show.
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There are plenty of options available to those who don't have the time or inclination to either take some food with them or leave the park to eat off site. We fall into this category and were pleasantly surprised with the variety and prices of food and drinks in the park. We had breakfast at River Belle Terrace one morning and paid about 8 bucks for Eggs, Pancakes and Sausages served on a terrace with a great view of the Rivers of America area. You can graze on huge Turkey Legs for $5 or sample gourmet sausages at Award Wieners, chow down on Kebabs' at Bengal BBQ or sip on Chili Chowder served in bread bowls at Harbor Galley. There are plenty of more up market options if you are that way inclined and if you contain yourselves to one meal a day it wont put too much of a dent on the finances.
We choose the Candy Cane after much research and found the choice to suit us. It is one of the few places on the same side of the street to the Disneyland entrance and would be a 10 minute stroll to the front gate. They do run their own shuttle service but if you have a mobility issue, you need to be aware that unlike the Disney shuttles, they drop you at the entrance at the front car park which would still be a few hundred yards to the main gate. The pool at the Candy Cane looked great, even though we never used it, they have free wifi, a laundry and they provide a more than adequate continental breakfast. At around $120 a night for a room that slept 4, I thought this place was a bargain, but do note that it is a busy and relatively noisy place so don't expect to lie in if you are a light sleeper
If you want to stay as close as possible on a budget, look at the Vue Inn as one of the better options or even the 2 Best Westerns that are almost right across the road. There is a Disney shuttle that runs to most of the hotel on the block for a minimum fee, so if you are prepared to wait to catch this, then any of these nearby hotels would be fine.
As far as the Disney Properties are concerned, if you can afford it, go for the Grand Californian as the location with an entry directly into the Californian Adventure Park that puts you out near the Grizzly River Run, is absolutely superb. Unfortunately, for this trip, it was out of our budget. I could not see any major benefit in the other 2 Disney properties unless they were offering an exceptional deal as they are no closer than some of the other places I have mentioned.
I found no end of amusement in the many family groups that choose to wear a coordinated "team" uniform for their time at Disney. Be it Tie-Dye, Mickey T-shirt's and Goofy Hats, assorted floral patterns, contrasting colors, or my favorite, the personalized screen printed T-shirts, a 5 minute period would never go past without seeing these groups wanting to announce their united front to all Disney dwellers. I, for one, could think of nothing worse. When the kids throw a tantrum or start wrestling in a queue, how are you supposed to distance yourselves from them when you share the same "Johnson Family Disney Discovery Tour 2010" logo emblazoned in large red letters on a pale teal polo shirt. I would propose that Disney should act now in the interest of these poor children who will be too afraid to bring out the family photo album for fear of ridicule from their peers, and ban this practice. They should have a ready stock of random shirts at the gate that can be offered as a substitute garment rather than disallowing entry, but something needs to be put in place to halt this disturbing trend.
I fear that my next observation may open myself up to some criticism, but I need to get it off my chest. Do you think that everyone riding those motorized mobility scooters really need them? I saw many people of similar age and in some cases younger than myself riding these little 3 wheelers through the park. Before I start any outrage, I am not talking about wheelchairs, that is a completely different matter, these are the little battery operated vehicles favored by people bordering on obesity, the ones with the large cup holders that have room for the super sized peanut butter fudge thick shakes that Cold Stone sell. It reminds me of that scene from the futuristic Pixar movie Wall-E. I think you know the one. What really gave me the willies' was that on several occassions, these vehicles of sloth were used as a licence to queue jump. I fell victim to this tactic several times but the one that fuelled my rage was after a lengthy wait to ride on Autotopia, I was forced to spend a further 5 minutes in queue because one gentleman in his late 30's on a scooter, was led to the front of the line with his whole group of 12. He then proceeded to park his vehicle and WALK down the stairs to the ride. Due to the Disney policy of keeping the families together, not just the poor fellow but his entire extended family were put in front of me. You may have guessed that they all wore matching 2XL Hawaiian shirts!!!
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I am loving your report. It is sooooo great to get an Australian's point of view. I was in Disneyland back in 1996 (ages ago) and I did not see any battery operated vehicles. So I suppose it really is an indication of where people have headed, and Australia is no exception with us fast approaching scary obesity levels. Someone has mentioned to me that the same thing happens in Vegas.
Also in Australia, no refills. It is all so different. Keep up the reports, I check daily just to see what you have written.
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Having never been to Disneyland I found it quite interesting to read your experience.
IHOP - Yes there are many places in America where you can eat very cheaply that include unlimited soft drinks. This I think has contributed in part to so many over weight adults and children. "they all wore matching 2XL Hawaiian shirts"
Great details - keep them coming.
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On our second and third days you start to notice a few "attitude's" from the odd cast member that due to the euphoria of our first day, we may not have picked up on.
You are spot on Shanek. Each year the 'attitude' becomes more apparent. It is disheartening when Disneyland is 'suppose' to be the happiest place on earth. I'm not sure why this is happening but it does need to be corrected.
And who would have guessed IHOP would have been such a success. LOL
I'm somewhat oblivious how obese American's are until we travel abroad. With fresh eyes, it can't be ignored.
Thanks so much for sharing your wonderful journey with us.
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Sshh! You are not allowed to tell anyone overseas about IHOP.
I started to feel the Disney magic just reading your words! Must go soon.
I'm glad you're enjoying yourselves so much.
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I love your trip report! Those matching T-shirts come in handy when you're trying to keep track of your kids.
Lee Ann
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shanek, I can understand your frustration at people in mobility vehicles getting preferential treatment at D-land, but I'm sure you know not all disabilities are visible. That person you saw who "bordered on obesity" could be my friend who gained more than 50 pounds from taking steroids to treat her autoimmune disease. She probably wouldn't have asked to go to the head of the line because she's already mortified by the stares and her energy levels haven't been affected. Others are not so lucky.
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Loving your report!! The last time I was at IHOP, the new nutrition counts were included. This can really put a damper on your appetite I know it did mine!!
Actually, the movie "Pirates of the Caribbean" is based on the ride, which debut'd in the 1960's!! Still one of my favorites too!! Growing up in California, the fireflies at the Pirates ride were the only one's I had ever seen until about 3 years ago in Costa Rica.
Love it, love it!!
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The "Whosis Family Vacation 2010" T-shirts must be a new trend. I saw families similarly attired in Washington DC recently...I've never noticed that before. I would have been overcome by embarrassment if my folks had ever tried to clothe us kids that way when on vacation.
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Hi Jean, I certainly mean no offense to anyone with mobility issues that are genuine. My references are mostly "tongue in cheek" but I do believe that there are many people that find these scooters an easy way out and once they begin to rely on them, the battle with their problem becomes even more difficult. I can assure you that the person in question was not your friend as they were actually male.
Interesting to hear that the Pirates movie was based on the ride. I presume that it has been recently updated as the characters look identical to the ones in the movie.
Thanks all for reading along.
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shanek, I'm sensitive to this issue because I have a couple of friends battling serious medical conditions that are not apparent to strangers. Most recently, one friend was nearly ejected from a flight before take-off because the crew thought she was drunk. She has ALS. I'm sure there are people who take advantage, but I've learned not to judge because I really don't know a stranger's situation.
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We departed Anaheim before 6am so to avoid traffic getting out of the LA area for the trip to Vegas. The car was packed the night before after I had spent a few hours in the communal laundry, sipping on beers and chewing the fat with several other travelers whilst washing and drying . Even though breakfast at the Candy Cane only officially started at 7, the friendly lady on the reception counter offered to let me grab a few things whilst she was printing our receipts. Once again, the local hospitality shone through.
I was faced with a strange paradox that morning. Here we were, on the road to Sin City, and almost every radio station that I could pick up was either playing Gospel music or were conducting talk back on "Acts of Faith". I actually found an unending source of entertainment in the radio on this trip. It wasn't the talkback, or the music. It was the advertisements that provided me with great mirth.
I would love to be in the advertising game in the US. To be able to rub shoulders with the genius' that come up with jingles like (cue cheesy music) "AT VEGAS TOYOTA…WE'LL DO ANYTHING TO SELL YOU A CAR" would certainly get my creative juices flowing. Another thing I noticed was the amount of litigators and debt reduction professionals offering their services on the radio. It must be an extremely competitive game. The level of litigation in the US was also reflected by the disclaimers that were run at the end of some of these radio ads. There was one that I heard that literally had more space devoted to the disclaimer than the product they were selling. Strangely enough, I cant recall what that product was.
The actual drive through the Navajo desert is not very inspiring and we were pleased when we caught sight of our first Casino and Outlet Mall centre, albeit still 50 miles from Vegas. There are several of these complexes along the way, all with large rolling electronic billboards offering 99cents this and 2 for 1 that. Some even advertise rooms for under 50 bucks. If you weren't coming to gamble you could have a very cheap time on the outskirts of Vegas.
We finally got to the main strip just before 10am and as it was too early to check in, we thought we should engage in a little retail therapy. We set Homer the task of finding the Premium Outlet Mall, and he did so with very little trouble. We were parked and shopping at around 10.30.
This Mall is great. Premium brands at very good prices and if you scoured through the clearance racks and tables there were some excellent bargains to be had. I think we spent about an hour in the Nike clearance outlet alone and we all walked away with some new purchases. Even though the back of our Chevy was bursting at the seems with luggage, the cases themselves, fortunately, still had plenty of room.
The Mandalay Bay Resort is situated at the south end of the strip and is connected to the Luxor and Excalibur by a free monorail service. Our room looked straight over the Pyramid and Sphinx of the Luxor and the view also took in the MGM grand and sections of New York New York. We could clearly make out the Statue of Liberty from our 23rd floor window. The room was one of their second tier offerings, of generous proportions and at $135 a night including tax and resort fees, it was an absolute bargain.
We chose the Mandalay for 2 main reasons. We had heard the pool was outstanding and we wanted to take the kids to The Lion King which was actually in the Mandalay complex. The pool was impressive with a wave generator in one part and a "Lazy River" in another, but it was insanely busy. At 2.30pm, it was virtually impossible to find 4 spare chairs together and there was nothing available in the shade. We had received a coupon upon check-in that offered a $100 credit on Cabana rental, but the ones that were available were $350 for the day so forking out $250 for a couple of hours was not an option. I took the kids over to the Lazy River to hire some tubes, only to be told that the tubes were for purchase only and were 22 buck each! It would be wise for anyone staying there with kids to bring a few cheap tubes with them as many families seemed to be doing. We eventually saw someone vacate 2 chairs in a quiet area at one of the smaller pools that were in one of the few shaded areas, so we jumped on them and managed to get a few hours of relaxation in, a first for this trip.
After that, we didn't leave the complex. We didn't have to. We had more coupons offering 2 for 1 Margarita's at a Mexican restaurant so we stayed there for dinner, which was exceptional, then went to the show.
We had seen the Lion King before and were pleased to see that the kids really enjoyed it. It is visually spectacular but it is a few "show stopping tunes" away from being a real classic. Some of the acting was only so-so which was mildly disappointing, but the singing was fabulous and we all went away happy.
I was originally keen to spend a few hours in the Casino but found myself so tired that I passed on it for this night and we all went up to the room and marveled at the view of the strip at night. I would love to come back for an extended stay one day, probably without the kids. It really does seem like a Disney for open minded adults.
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Yes, Shanuck. After the movie, the ride was updated to include Johnny Depp and crew. They also toned down the sexiness of the women and any inferrence to the possible assault of the village women by the carousing pirates. They used to have the men chasing the women, too. They still have the chubby woman chasing the pirate(I think).
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Please tell me more about The Lion King.. I have been contemplating going over for a weekend to do that very thing!My boys are 6, 8 and 10. Thanks for the info about the charges at Mandalay Bay extra charges.
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I actually went on the 'Pirates of the Carribean' ride back in 1996 and it was my favourite. Even the "smell" of the ride was terrific and added to the experience. I went before they changed it, so I saw the pirates chase the "wenches".
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What a pity that I missed all that wench chasing. I
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Onemoneygirl. The show is great and if your kids are familar with the storyline, they will definately enjoy it.
The opening sequence when the ensemble' cast dressed as African animals enter the stage via the main ailses of the theatre is visually stunning. Just make sure that you dont turn up late as you wont be admitted until after this opening number. I feel that it is a few "show-stopping" songs away from approaching the hights of a Le Mis, Phantom or Miss Saigon but it is still well worth seeing.
If you book the Mandalay bay on smartvegas.com, you will be given 30% off the ticket prices. We booked our tix this way and were reaaly happy with our central position in the back row of the lower section.
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why are you already doing laundry if you just got here?
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shanek-Love your report so far. Glad you enjoyed LA so much. Seems like sometimes it gets a bad repuation but there is so much to do and sounds like your family picked the right sights to see. Also I never heard you complain about the traffic and that's coming from someone who is also dealing with driving on the opposite of the road.
Love all your comments-especially the one about doing laundry and drinking beer!
Mandalay Bay is a nice hotel-you got a good price. I'm looking forward to the next leg of your trip.
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We thought that we would be better off doing laundry at a buck and a qtr a load rather than wait for Vegas hotel laundry prices! I dont know if you have travelled with pre-teen boys before, but after 6 days, things are starting to get pretty smelly!
Thanks for your comments Paula. I dont think I could handle doing laundry without a beer!
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FRIDAY JUNE 18th.
We got to sample a great little slice of "Middle America" today. Something that very few tourists would ever get to see. The fact that it all came about by accident made the experience even more special. But more of that later.
Kerry and I were up at about 6.30 and we decided to get down to the Gym. Joel was awake and happy to sit with Caleb in the room, so we took a rare chance to get down there together. We sweated off last nights dinner and went back to room to prepare for our departure.
We were in no hurry this morning, just wanting to get to Hoover Dam by midday, so we took the boys down to Starbucks for a Hot Chocolate whilst I got a caffeine fix. I must say that American Hotel room coffee is the pits. They provide you with one of those dripper jugs and packets of filter coffee. Why they cant just go with a kettle and those little sachets of instant is a mystery.
We were impressed with the check out procedure which consisted off hitting a few buttons on the TV remote and agreeing to the bill. We were in the car before 11, and did a quick cruise down the strip and then set the GPS for Hoover Dam. I had decided that it was time to cut Homer loose as he was starting to wear a bit thin and selected a suitable replacement, Karen from the UK. Karen was far more practical and reserved, as the English tend to be, and only gave us clear and concise directions. I did, however, miss the "Woo-Hoo" when we had successfully negotiated our entry to the motorway.
Hoover Dam was finally reached after a 45 minute wait in a queue of vehicles, to cover the last 5 miles. The main reason for this delay was a security checkpoint that was stopping all traffic about ½ a mile from the dam. It was frustrating that after all that waiting, they seemed to be just looking vaguely at the cars occupants and then waiving each vehicle through. I can understand that they need to be careful of who gets access to such an important piece of infrastructure, but all that they are achieving with such an ad-hoc security policy is the creation of a lengthy traffic jam.
The Dam was magnificent but the highlight of this stop was the young lady who was in charge of the elevator that transported down all the punters on the Power Plant tour. Her opening line was "Welcome to my elevator. It is my responsibility to get you down to the bottom of the Dam to join your tour. Some may say that my job has it's ups and downs". From there, her jokes got worse. The rest of the tour was interesting enough and took about 45 minutes to complete and after another half hour or so wandering around the visitor centre, we were off to Tusayan, gateway to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon.
The plan was to get to the Best Western at Tusayan at around 5pm and then freshen up before taking in the sunset at the Canyon. This plan was thrown into disarray, only 30 miles into this leg of our journey. I was driving along, minding my own business when the car in front of me swerved around some unknown object lying on the middle of the road. When I finally saw it, it appeared to be fairly innocuous, so rather than risk a sudden turn of the wheel, I decided to go straight over it. This proved to be a bad decision as the next thing I knew, I had completely shredded my right rear tyre..
Normally, this would not have been a huge inconvenience, but unfortunately, Chevrolet only provide one of those "temporary" tyre's as a spare with this model. Again I was reminded of my flippant choice of vehicle. The "spare" was engaged within a reasonable time frame but our next challenge was jamming the full sized wheel, and now useless tyre, into the spot that the "space saver" had resided. Due to our already overloaded back hatch, this resulted in a large proportion of our luggage and the deck of the hatch, ending up in the back seat of the car with the boys.
I was nervous about driving the next 3 hours or so on an inadequate right rear wheel, so we set about trying to find a place to purchase a new tyre. Thanks to Karen, our new best friend trapped inside our GPS unit, we were directed to the small town of Golden Valley, population, not very many. We were directed to a small tyre retailer there and I had visions of the assistant staring at me blankly and saying "Yes, we can help you with that. We should have you on the way by next Tuesday." Thankfully, that was not the case and the service that we got here was well beyond the call of duty. Firstly, they called National, the car rental company, to report the damaged tyre and the missing side skirt that must have been dislodged at the same time. Then they called another shop in Kingman, the largest town nearby, to have the correct tyre delivered as they didn't have it in stock.
I was told that this should only take an hour, and we were directed to a little restaurant, just down the road, so we could have an early dinner while we waited. This establishment was what I would consider to be your typical small town diner, family run, homely and familiar. The waitress enquired about what had brought us to Golden Valley and where we were from. You could sense that the other patrons in the diner were just as interested in our story. Not only was the service warm, the food here was excellent and before long, we were back on the road, a little late, but well fed and better for the experience.
We arrive in Tusayan at about 8.30, well behind schedule, and far too tired to do anything apart from grab a few supplies and bunker down for the night.
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Wonderful report, Shanek !
One little correction-you weren't crossing the "Navajo desert"
between Barstow and Vegas-you were in the Mohave desert.
The Navajo Reservation is in the Great Basin Desert region on the Colorado Plateau and occupies most of the northeastern portion of Arizona, extends into northwest New Mexico and a southern strip of Utah.
Looking forward to more of your adventure !
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"I must say that American Hotel room coffee is the pits." It is hellish.
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But krgystn, wouldn't instant be even worse?
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yes, sadly we have to make the early morning trek to find some coffee that is palatable.
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Just seeing the title of your thread brings a smile.
Thanks for giving us so many smiles and for such a unique view of things familiar.
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What? You didn't fall in love with your drive to Vegas? That's a first.
And I thought it was just me who meets great folks in laundromats. LOL
Bummer, with the flat tire. That will be a memory for sure. You'll probably laugh very hard over it down the road.
Thanks for the great read. Cheers!
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Razzledazzle, you're almost right - yes, it is not the Navajo desert, and yet not the "Mohave" desert, but the MOJAVE desert. Splitting hairs I know... sorry, just had to. I'm one of those people that bristles visibly at typos.
Anyway, Shanek I'm joining the rest of the forum ranks (especially the other California locals) by saying that I, too, am enthralled by your trip report! I check back every day to see if there is a new post. Love it - keep it coming.
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It does seem to be those of us in California who are primarily commenting, but this thread is just so much fun!!
How wonderful to see the country through the eyes of someone with such a fantastic sense of humor!
It makes me want to visit Australia!
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I always wonder what to do when you get a flat tire, and changed it to the temporary emergency tire, with a rental after you get to your destination!
Does the rental company pay you back after you buy a tire for the car?
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It makes me want to visit Australia!
I am having the same experience.
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Both "Mohave" and "Mojave" are acceptable spellings for the original Indians who lived in this area:
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Along with SOCALOC, I'm shocked that you found the drive to Las Vegas less than fascinating! I just hope you managed to stay awake!
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Another Californian who is loving your report, more please.
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Thanks et, yes both spellings are correct.
Interesting criticism from a such a new to Fodor's person.
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Ahhhh, I stand corrected. Thanks for the clarification, easytraveler! My apologies to razzledazzle.
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Hi Guys. I did think twice when I wrote Mohave but I was in such a rush to write that piece, and under the influence of a Margarita or 2, that I didn't check it before posting.
I am actually in Yosemite at the momment and trying to get my last few days committed to print after a big day of hiking.
As for the tyre, the guy that helped out and rang the hire company seems to think that they will reimburse me. He deals with other hire companies and bills them direct. Anyway, if I am out of pocket it wont dampen the fantastic time I am having.
Anyhow, on with the story....
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Just before I go on, I think the reason that the drive to Vegas was less than inspiring is that it is similar than the long haul from Mildura, where we live, to Melbourne. We do this trip often and the scenery has got quite tiresome. I must preferred the trip to the Canyon from Vegas as the changes in altitude provided a bit more variety in landscape.
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SATURDAY JUNE 19th.
The two things that I had wanted to do on our trip to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon was to see this natural wonder at sunset and sunrise. So far, I had missed the chance to do both, as due to our unscheduled stop, we had arrived after sunset and were just too pooped to try to get up in time for sunrise.
We had booked 2 nights at the Best Western Squire in Tusayan which is only a few miles from the park entrance. The town seems to have only one purpose, to service travelers to the South Rim who like myself, were unable to secure accommodation inside the park or were looking for a better style of lodging than the on site cabins offer. Apart from a handful of large chain hotels, Tusayan offers a few restaurants, a gas station, an Imax theatre and general store. The Best Western was a good choice for us with really good facilities for the kids including a 6 lane bowling alley and a large amusement parlor. The rooms were large and comfortable and the entire complex had that friendly, "lived-in" feeling. Some would find it a little "tired", but we were more than satisfied.
We decided to take advantage of the complimentary breakfast at the Best Western Squire Hotel, and for what was billed as a continental buffet, we were pleasantly surprised with both the quality and variety of what they offered. Plenty of hot items such as eggs, potatoes, sausages' and French toast, shared space with an array of muffins, bagels and fruits. We were refueled and ready to tackle our first hike of the day.
The drive from the hotel to the park entrance was only a few minutes. At the main gate, there was a small line of cars at each of the 5 entry booths and after a short wait, we paid our $25 per car entry and drove a further few miles to the actual Rim itself.
Our first glimpse of the Canyon was indeed breathtaking. It filled me with a dizzy sense of anticipation of what lied ahead and certainly left me in awe. We had parked at Yavapai viewpoint and spent about an hour taking photo's from different angles and looking at the exhibits in the observation station where they supply binoculars which allowed you to view the Colorado river and the bridge a long way below.
Next stop was about a mile or so west where most of the lodges sit along or close to the rim. If we come back we will get in early and book one of these, virtually steps away from one of the most inspiring views imaginable. I had decided that we would tackle the Bright Angel trail that runs all the way to the river, but has a few stopover points along the way with restrooms and fresh water. The trail was well maintained and very safe but with the kids with us and some sheer drops, we had to proceed with caution. It took us about an hour to descend the mile and a half to the first rest point with plenty of stops for photos and water breaks along the way. As it was so hot at this time of the day, this point was where we turned and faced to challenging climb back up to the Rim. You do need a reasonable level of fitness to attempt this trail but it is well worth the effort with some amazing vistas of the Canyon below and the Rim above. It gives you a completely different aspect to just peering over the edge and the kids particularly enjoyed waiting for the "Mule-Trains" to pass. It would take a full day to try to climb down to the river and back but there are signs up warning of the perils of attempting this feat in a single day.
The boys were exhausted at this point so we drove into Tusayan for an ice-cream and to watch the movie at the Imax theatre. The film was impressive visually but it disappointed all of us in that it failed to really provide much insight into how this natural wonder was formed preferring to document the story of human discovery of the Canyon. We then returned to the Hotel for a rest whilst the boys went bowling and planned to return to the Rim in time for sunset.
The sun was due to disappear below the Rim at 7.45pm, so we got back to the park just after 6, planning to explore the visitor centre for a while first. Strangely, I thought, the visitor centre closed at 6 so we had to make do with a stroll along the Rim trail which certainly didn't disappoint. The different colors and textures produced by the failing light provided an amazing show and by the time the sun dropped below the horizon, I had taken almost 200 photo's.
We were back in the hotel at 8, had dinner at a small bar area on the ground floor near the amusement parlor and I managed to down a few Margarita's as we discussed the magical sight we had just witnessed.
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The sun rises very early during mid June in Arizona. This realization came over me as my alarm went off at 4.25am to arrest my Tequila fueled slumber. My natural reaction was to smash the source of that incessant buzzing and return myself to the land of nod. But my heart was set on taking in a South Rim sunrise so I pealed my head from the pillow, splashed some cool water on my face, tied on my hiking shoes and set off alone and disorientated.
I drove back into the park and turned eastwards on Desert View Drive, towards Yaki point, where the Kaibab trail begins. The turnoff was signposted "NO ACCESS. SHUTTLE BUS ONLY" and there was "NO PARKING" signs on both sides of the road near the entrance. I returned to a viewing area about ¼ of a mile back up the road, parked there and found a trail that seemed to be going in the right direction. Even though it was still about 40 minutes before the official sunrise time of 5.27, there was sufficient light to see reasonably clearly, which was a good thing as this track joined onto the Rim Trail which hugged the edge of the Canyon quite closely and may well be hazardous in the dark.
After about 10 minutes, I reached Yaki point and was surprised to find a small car park there that was partially full. I would suggest to anyone who was thinking of doing this hike early in the morning, to ignore the signs as they seem to be there just to discourage large amounts of cars from entering as only a few dozen parking spaces are provided. I found the trail-head quite easily and looked down to an almost sublime sight of light beginning to appear from the eastern horizon, filling the Canyon with an eerie glow of earthy red, brown and yellow tones. This alone, made it worthwhile being so abruptly jogged out of my deep sleep, but what was to follow would prove to be priceless.
Only a small handful of other hikers were on the trail at this time and at most stages of my descent, it felt like I had it to myself. The drop into the Canyon was far more rapid than the Bright Angel track with switchbacks' and deep steps, constructed of wood and rock, much more frequent. The beauty of this sight unfolding in front of me kept my mind from thinking how difficult the return journey would be. My intention was to watch the sunrise at a point called Cedar Ridge, a large plateau that narrows to, as it's name suggests, a small wedge of rock that overhangs the lower part of the Canyon. I fell just short of this goal, but found a small rocky outcrop not far from the ridge to watch the sun break over the rim, and then continued down. I spent the best part of an hour just absorbing the morning splendor and shooting another 100 or so photos.
The climb back to the top was a constant challenge to both my legs and my lungs and as I needed to get back and pack for our onward journey, I had to ascend at a reasonable pace with no time for rest stops. The euphoria that I felt when I reached the top was indescribable. I felt that I had pushed a personal boundary and had been duly rewarded for the effort. The walk back to the car should have been an anticlimax, but just as I was about to reach the main road, I heard a rustle in the scrub and what I think was a wolf appeared on the track in front of me. A slight panic and instinct of self preservation stood me in my tracks and stopped me from retrieving my camera from my pack before it calmly dissolved into the bushes on the other side of the track. My legs moved a bit quicker and my heartbeat rose again from its only recently recovered state.
Before long we were back in the car and traveling back to Vegas. We were so impressed by the Mandalay Bay, that we booked into there again rather than stay further along the strip. We departed Tusayan at a few minutes after 9am so to reach Vegas with plenty of time to explore a bit of the main drag.
The return journey was far less eventful, thankfully, and my legs enjoyed being able to sit for 4 hours after the work out they had received. I absorbed more along the drive this time and I was surprised that I was unable to find what I perceive as the traditional "fork-style" cactus tree's. Isn't that what the desert in Arizona is famous for. The only ones that I spotted were painted on a billboard for Mexican restaurant in some "two-dog" town that we passed. All the Cacti were either of the small succulent variety with rounded leaves or taller types with "weedy" tufts protruding from the top. What has happened to real cactus? Have they been reclaimed by the Mexican's or purely just over farmed? I found this to be a major disappointment.
Another thing that stood out was the queue, once again, of cars lining up to cross or visit Hoover Dam. This time, fortunately it was from the opposite direction from which we were traveling. It was lined up all the way to Boulder City! I know that the bridge will ease this problem for the passing traffic, but there really should be multiple checkpoint lanes rather than the current practice of stopping each car, looking through the window to make sure that you don't look like a terrorist, and then waving you through.
We checked into the Mandalay Bay in moments, now familiar with the procedure, dropped our bags in our 29th floor room with a million dollar view, and then went down to catch the tram that runs to the Excalibur. Our first port of call was the MGM Grand which was accessed by two bridges from the Excalibur. We wanted to see the Lion Habitat on the casino floor there and were met by a fairly active lioness who was jumping over the glass tube walkway that joined 2 sections of the enclosure. The actual gaming area at the MGM was incredibly dark and nowhere near as inviting as the Mandalay. I forgot to mention that on our previous visit to Vegas a few days prior, I had snuck over from Starbucks whilst the kids were finishing their Hot Chocolate and inserted a crisp $5 note into the nearest machine that quickly multiplied to $35. I was looking forward to expanding on this fortune later in the day.
Kerry has two main loves in her life, apart from friends and family, and that is for M&M's and Coke, of the diet variety. It so happens that both of these iconic brands have multi-story shops dedicated to them and they are both right next door to the MGM. Needless to say, they became our next stop and various purchases were made. Another fabulous thing that the good folk of the worlds most powerful country have decided not to share with their distant relatives down under are Peanut Butter M&M's. Something needs to be done. You cant keep all the best stuff for yourselves!!
We walked along a bit further and explored Caesar's Palace ( I enquired but he wasn't currently in), the Bellagio fountain, marveled at the streetscape of New York New York and then caught the shuttle back to Mandalay. Everything that I saw further justified my choice of lodging based on our budget and circumstances.
Just a few further observations about the Strip. What is it with all those Mexican guys handing out cards for local Call girls? They hand them out to men walking with women, the women themselves, even the kids were offered them. If one was to use this service, are you asked which guys recommended them so they could get a cut or are they just paid hourly? They all have exactly the same "technique" where they slap the card on the palm of their hand to make a clicking sound before they try and insert it in your hand or pocket. The other thing that you notice are people who are dressed up as celebrities, presumably to get a tip for having photo's with passing fans. We saw Paul Stanley and Ace Frehley from Kiss, Freddy Kruger, Mario and Luigi of Nintendo fame amongst others. The most bizarre of all was Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz, complete with red shoes and Toto. The thing is, she must have been 75 with the weathered looks of the Wicked Witch of the West. I know that she must be someone's grandmother and after being duly chastised for my criticism of people on ride-ons, I don't want to appear overly critical, but it stuck me that she could only be trying to portray the way that Judy Garland looks now, may God bless her soul.
Our new deal at the Mandalay included a 25% discount off all meals and beverages so we decided to splurge and have a meal at their "All you can eat" buffet. We wandered down at about 7pm, after I managed to turn my recently made very small fortune into dust, and were promptly seated. Wow, what a spread. Succulent Turkey breast, juicy beef fillet, crab legs, fresh cooked pasta to order, lot's of seafood, pizza, it would take less time to list what they didn't offer. With our discount and inclusive of unlimited soft drinks, this meal fit for a King, Queen and 2 Prince's, came to all of 80 bucks. We waddled off to bed feeling quite ill and set the alarm for 5.30 in preparation for the long drive to Yosemite.
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I believe the cactus you hoped to see is the Saguaro Cactus, which grows in the southern part of Arizona. see:
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That's the stuff. Thank's for the heads up dbdurand. Does any of that grow in Southern California?
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Yum to those PB M&M's!! I never knew they existed until I was in LV a couple of years ago. And I live here!!
The elevation at the GC is probably too high for the Saguaro Cactus. We saw them more around the Phoenix area.
Loving your report!!
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a small area of the Sonoran Desert,where the Saguaro grows, is way down in southeastern CA-look here-
If you don't see the Saguaro this trip, do try to plan a return trip when AZ is a tad cooler-a day spent at
The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, near Tucson, will put you nicely in the midst of Saguaro habitat-
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You probably saw a coyote at the Grand Canyon; I'm fairly sure there are no wolves in that area. Here's a short article and picture:
Lee Ann
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"I managed to down a few Margarita's" LOL! It's a dirty job, and all that! You get five big gold tourist stars for getting yourself out of bed at 4:25am after all that though!
Sorry about the rapid loss of your budding fortune.
I can't wait for the next installment.
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I'm almost speechless and that's hard to do. Thanks for sharing some of those incredible unexpected 'moments' that happen while traveling.
I toast my Wild Duck Creek Estate Shiraz in honor of the Shanek family-
Here's to an unforgettable journey!
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I am loving your trip report. Keep it up.
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I can't wait to see the pictures!
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Your attitude even in the mids of disappointment (the change of tires, delay, etc) is remarkable. Its so true--those little "hassles" shouldn't dampen the amazing trip you are having with your family. I will always keep that in mind. Thanks for being so positive. Its rubbing on your readers!
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Fabulous trip - report - Now I want to go back to California and follow in your foot steps!!!
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Monday June 21st.
The day began early once more. This was to be our longest drive of the trip. Las Vegas to Yosemite National Park. I was "fortunate" enough to be able to secure a "tented" cabin at Curry Village in Yosemite Valley. I was looking forward to this leg of the journey , but with some trepidation. I am NOT a camper. The last trip that I went on that involved me sleeping under a canvas roof was in the early 1980's. Back when music was trapped on vinyl, video games consisted of 2 paddles and a bouncing ball and Reagan was president. Camping to me is a 3 star hotel. I like to have my bed, toilet and shower under one roof. I do love to hike and I am not at all adverse to the great outdoors, I just prefer not to live in it. But if this is what it would take to experience this natural wonder, so be it.
The trip consisted of 7 and ½ hours on the road and I had allowed for about 1 ½ in stops. I wanted to arrive in the valley at approx 3pm which would give us plenty of time to orientate ourselves and settle in. With limited time and plenty to see, we really had to hit the ground running which made another 6am departure necessary. I promised Kerry and the boys that the pace would slacken a little after this and I think they were looking forward to that prospect.
Even though it was by far our longest drive, up to this point, it proved to be my favorite by far. I had managed to find a "classic rock" FM station amongst a sea of modern "pop" R&B and Christian ballads.. We cruised along to some tunes from an era when I had last camped. Hit after Hit from bands like Chicago, Heart, Fleetwood Mac, Journey and even a bit of AC/DC, I was in a groove and the first few hours flew past like minutes.
We passed some interesting landmarks along the way, like the massive Cold Creek Correctional Facility. This was like a city in itself, and from our view, looked to offer the very best in incaseration amenities. Just a bit further along was the even bigger Creech Air force Base. Most of the traffic in front of us turned right into the main gates as to illustrate just how active this base still is. I believe it was built just after the attack on Pearl Harbor, as the US ramped up their involvement in WW2. I had expectations of seeing mock dog-fights in the sky above me, but sadly, I saw plenty of ground vehicles, but not one aircraft as we went by.
The road we were traveling on cuts a path through immense mountain ranges on each side, some still capped with a dusting of snow, and as the elevation starts to increase, the temperature declines. We passed through an idyllic little town called Goldfield which is packed full of historic buildings. One could just imagine what this would have been like during the height of the gold rush, but it appears now to have a population that you could count without removing your shoes. I had visions of a Honky-Tonk piano playing, punctuated by the sounds of breaking whisky glasses and gunfire.
A little further along, a large billboard proclaims that we are approaching the "Shady Lady Ranch" which offers "Big Rig Parking". The mind boggles! When we pass the "Ranch" the several caravans parked around a small building paints the picture of what may go on inside.
Our first stop is Tonopah, another old mining town but with a lot more sign of life than Goldfield. I need to put my jacket on here while we refuel and stretch our legs. The staff in the gas station serve us in the extremly friendly manner that we are beginning to get accustomed to, and then we are on our way again. We pass a multi-colored building called the Clown Motel. Paintings of its patron adorn the roof of the building, along with a large sign claiming "Biker's Welcome". The mix of bikers and clowns brings back visions of the Shad y Lady for some obscure reason.
The miles fly by and we are beginning to get hungry as it approaches noon. The main turn-off towards the Tioga road and entry to the park is marked by another small town called Lee Vining. It is set on a picturesque lake and here we find a great little roadside eatery that I think was called Mike's. As we got out of the car, Caleb started taking out all our drinks and snacks and headed for the trash can. When we questioned him on his motives, he replied that he was concerned about Bears breaking in whilst we ate. The fact that we were parked right out the front of the restaurant, it was the middle of the day and we weren't even in the park yet was no issue to him. He would rather be safe then sorry! For lunch, I ordered Beef Ribs, Joel and Kerry end up with Sandwiches and Caleb settles with the Chicken Nugget kids meal, his signature dish. The food was great, the view was better, I would have loved to order a beer or 2 and stop here for a few hours, but I need to negotiate the Tioga Pass so after a quick look through a few local shops, we were back on the road.
Within a few miles we entered the park and we were astounded by how much snow was still around, not just on the peaks, but right on the side of the road. Caleb's last experience with snow was before he could crawl, so we stopped and had the obligatory photo's and an impromptu snow ball fight. All the scenery around us was stunning. Lakes that were still half iced over, rolling streams and the most amazing mountains. We all knew that we had entered a special place. The road was busy but flowed at a steady enough pace. There were plenty of warnings about the danger posed to the local wildlife, in particular the Bears, and most of the traffic seemed to heed these warnings.
I can't really recall the time it took to reach the Valley from the park entrance as I was concentrating on trying to be safe whilst still enjoying the drive, but it would have been somewhere between 90 minutes and 2 hours. Even the beauty of the Tioga road could not dilute the awesome sight that awaited us as we descended into Yosemite Valley. It reminded me of a scene from Jurassic Park, minus the dinosaurs, as the towering scared granite rock faces and thundering waterfalls had a prehistoric quality to it.
We found Curry Village and booked in with ease. We were given cabin 529 and managed to get a park within a short distance, which was an absolute blessing, rather than have to lug all our luggage across the car park. The tented cabins are what they are, basic accommodation with just enough room for the 4 of us. In actual fact, the room had 3 singles and a double but one of the beds was really the only available space to pile up our cases.
We decided to scope out the common areas of Curry Village and found them to be plentiful. A nice pool, 4 separate eating choices, a lounge area and bar with TV's and another large room with a dozen or so tables, a few couches and wi-fi. We also came across an amphitheatre of sorts and there was what we thought to be a Ranger talk beginning. This ended up being a comedy show that really appealed to the younger set with a bit of a conservation message and some Yosemite history thrown in. Kerry was keen to escape this but Caleb, and to a lesser extent Joel, were glued to their seats, so we sat through the whole 45 minutes of the presentation.
There is a shuttle bus that runs through the park which we caught at about 5pm and did some shopping and checked out the visitor centre. The rangers there are very helpful with maps and suggestions on what hikes to take and we returned to Curry armed with some drinks, snacks and a plan for the next few days. We went straight from the shuttle to the restaurant area of Curry and found each of the 4 options very busy with long lines to order and find a table. I lined up for Pizza whilst the boys scouted around for a table and they found a place to sit before I had moved through a quarter of the queue. The staff were very apologetic and were bringing slices of pizza down the line as samples and taking drink orders. When we eventually got our meals, we found it to be more than satisfactory, but we vowed to order dinner much earlier on subsequent nights as the waiting was quite painful. We were ready for bed by the time we had finished, made up our beds and all slept solidly.
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Was hoping to see a post from you this morning. Love your treck through Nevada. I live in Reno, and Goldfield is not MY cuppa, but believe it or not, the people who live there, live there because they CHOOSE to. They like the quiet life. You're right, that town has a lot of history.
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Wow, shanek, I can't believe you have the energy to post your daily report after such exhausting days. Glad to hear you were suitably awed by the majesty of Yosemite - it's a real national treasure, isn't it? And isn't it cool to be able to go from the desert to the deep snow on Tioga Pass in the same day? Wishing you continued happy travels.
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The diversity of California is amazing.....it's wonderful to see it through the eyes of a visitor! Thank you, shanek, for refreshing my appreciation for my home state.....
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Thanks again for your encouragement. We are currently in Sanfrancisco. What an amazing city!! The internet is more accessible to me here so I will post the rest of my Yosemite sction soon. To all you Californian's, we have fallen in love with your beutiful state and we are so glad that you talked us into spending all our time here rather than my initial plan of splitting our time with a trip to Mexico.
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We're glad you came!
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Loving your report as usual. Tioga Pass is a beautiful drive but Yosemite is breathtaking. Can't wait to read the next installment.
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Meant Yosemite Valley. So cute that your son was concerned about the bears in the restaurant parking lot. I have a visual in my mind of him cleaning out your car and the rest of you trying to figure out why!
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Tuesday June 22nd
The day began a little differently than what had come before. The first thing I had to do was find my shoes and pants. This was necessary, as to make my obligatory morning toilet stop. I would need to exit the tent, find my way across a dusty pathway lined with several tents just like mine and enter the communal restroom. After the first few steps I would also deem it necessary to re-enter our tent and look for jacket, as at 6am, it was still too cold to make my journey adorned only in my t-shirt. Had we been here a few months ago, a woolly hat, gloves and possibly a raincoat would also have been needed ,so I suppose I was fortunate. After the first morning ritual had been completed, it was time to feed my caffeine addiction. This would involve going to the communal area where the coffee shop was open at 6am, and joining the queue of many other early-risers. I had brought my computer with me to give it a charge and update my journal, and I sat in an area where several other campers had gathered around a TV to watch the Mexico vs. Uruguay World Cup football match. The atmosphere here was building and the majority of viewers were of Central and South American appearance, some wearing team colors, and I contemplated watching the match as I didn't expect any further movement at tent 529 for some. I thought that I should return and check on Kerry and the kids however, and to my great surprise, they were all up and ready for the day.
We caught the early shuttle bus to the main Village as Caleb and Joel had read about a Junior Ranger program that the National Parks Service were running and they wanted to get their workbooks and find out details of this mornings Ranger walk. The Visitor Centre wasn't open until 9AM, so we decided to do the short hike to Yosemite Falls first as it was only just after 8. The sky was almost impossibly blue, in fact, it had been a week since we had seen anything that looked like a cloud, we had certainly been blessed with the weather so far. The walk was an easy one through a beautiful tree-lined pathway and when we got to the viewing point for the Falls, we were met by the incredible sight of a huge amount of water, cascading over the sheer granite cliffs above, and thundering down into a pool below We were surrounded by a mist of fine spray that gave you the feeling of walking through a light fog. Yosemite Falls is not the biggest, or the tallest or the widest falls that I have seen but it is certainly the most spectacular. It can be seen from many vantage points from the Valley but the short walk to it's base is certainly a must do.
We went back to the Visitor Centre, got the kids signed up for the Junior Ranger program and then caught the shuttle to the Happy Isles Nature Centre to join their walk. Kerry and I thought this would be an opportune time to sneak off and do one of the more difficult hikes but our plans were stymied by Ranger Sharon who told us that we would need to accompany them on their walk. The boys loved it as they combine a lot of fun with a bit of education and at the end, they are sworn in as a Ranger. I don't think that Caleb has taken his badge off ever since.
We had a quick bite at the Mexican grill back at Curry Village and then decided to do the Mirror Lake hike. You can catch the shuttle to the trail head but we decide to walk the half mile or so to get there. All told, this ended up taking us about 2 and a half hours to do including plenty of time exploring the meadow at the end of the trail. This is normally a loop route but a recent landslide has closed the trail half way so it became an out and back walk. It is not difficult, but you do need to be very mindful of avoiding the "mine field" left behind from the multitude of horses that share the trail.
It was now late afternoon and we settled into the common room for a few drinks, a game of cards with the kids, and as none of us were very hungry, we shared some light snacks from the Deli for dinner. By 8.30 we were ready to call it a night but as I walked past the amphitheatre, a short presentation had commenced on the famed Sequoia tree's at Mariposa Grove, our first stop tomorrow morning. I watched this very informative video and then joined the rest of the family in bed.
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Our weather here in the Sacramento Valley is heating up for the weekend. That means SF weather will be clearing up and warming up.
Hope you have a great time!!
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The boys loved it as they combine a lot of fun with a bit of education and at the end, they are sworn in as a Ranger. I don't think that Caleb has taken his badge off ever since.
I love this. I too, want to be a Ranger or a Royal Canadian Mountie in Stanley Park when I grow up.
It is going to be a special treat hearing about San Francisco through your eyes. Isn't she grand?
Thanks for another wonderful read and reminding me how abundant CA. is.
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As a former Californian, frequent visits to Yosemite are the thing I miss the most. Enjoy your visit.
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"For lunch, I ordered Beef Ribs, Joel and Kerry end up with Sandwiches and Caleb settles with the Chicken Nugget kids meal, his signature dish. The food was great, the view was better, I would have loved to order a beer or 2 and stop here for a few hours, but I need to negotiate the Tioga Pass so after a quick look through a few local shops, we were back on the road."
Not that it matters, and sorry if this has been covered, but for my mental visual are you, the writer, the mom of the family? Or Joel's partner? Again, it doesn't matter! I just like a mental picture as I read
Carry on This is a great read.
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Hi travelinjo. I, the writer, am the father, Kerry is my wife. Joel is our 11 year old and Caleb 8. Sorry if I had not made this clear and thanks for reading.
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Glad you're enjoying all things Californian, and I'm sure you'll have a great time in our favorite city, San Francisco.
Especially have enjoyed Caleb's bear prevention story and the wearing of the Junior Ranger badge.
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Yosemite is one of my favorite places in the world and I'm loving seeing it through your eyes. I want to be a junior ranger too! Well, I'd like to be a "junior" anything these days! I hope you went to Glacier Point.....
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Thanks shanek. Its fun traveling with you and your family
We too love Yosemite but fear for its future, that it is, as many parks are, being loved to death. Some seem to think YNP has become more of a CA State Park since it sees more day use than other parks of similar stature.
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Wednesday June 23rd.
A few days ago, the word "Sequoia" would have meant very little to me, in fact, I would have not been able to spell or pronounce it, but today was all about the Giant Sequoias of Mariposa Grove. My enthusiasm was fuelled by the presentation that I saw last night, explaining to me the significance of this grove.
The whole crew were up and at it early again this morning. I had gone for my coffee and some internet time at 6.30, but shortly after, Kerry came to find me as they were all eager to get going. After all, it's not every day that you get to see the "Oldest living thing on the face of the planet".
There was already plenty of traffic at 8am heading towards Wawona at the southern entry to the park, and due to some work being done on the road itself, the trip was a slow one. It took around an hour and a half to get there, with a few stops of 5 to 10 minutes waiting for the oncoming traffic, led by a pilot vehicle, to pass us before we could take our turn on some of the single lane sections due to the construction. I would recommend to anyone going to the park this summer, not to leave the Village any later unless they are content to spend 2 and a half hours on this trip.
We got a spot in the main car park and were immediately faced with a few of these magnificent giants of the forest, but these proved to be only a taste of what was to come. There are opened top buses that take you all the way to the top of the grove, but our adventurous streak took hold and we decided to hike the 4.5 mile return trip so that we could take it all in at our own pace. This proved to be as arduous as it was rewarding with some very steep sections along the way. On the return leg, Ranger Caleb, was so exhausted that I needed to carry him on my back for half of the trip and Joel bravely took over the duty of lugging my back pack down the steep twisting trail.
The lower section is the easiest part of the walk and this will get you to 2 of the absolute stars of the show. The almost impossibly wide "Grizzly Giant" is said to be over 1800 years old, but is not the tallest due to lightening strikes reducing its height over time. Just as impressive as its girth, is the enormous size of one of its lower limbs that is said to be wider than any other tree in the forest, except the Sequoias themselves. Not far from here is the "Californian Tunnel Tree" that has had a tunnel cut through it's base that horse drawn carriages, and later, cars were driven through. Surprisingly, this tree is still alive and growing. Walking through this is a phenomenal experience.
Further up the slope we encounter the "Faithful Couple", two tree's that grew so closely together that eventually their trunks fused into one. You can only see that they are separate tree's by looking up about 100 feet where the division becomes obvious. Then there is the "Telescope Tree" which has been completely hollowed out by fire. You can stand inside it, look up, and see the sky. Again, testament to the incredible survival ability of a Sequoia, it is still alive and well. One that has not stood the test of time is the "Fallen Tunnel Tree". This was the original tree that had a pathway carved through it that fell down in the first half of last century. Even though it would seem that it is a pointless abuse of these trees to cut a tunnel through them, the publicity that was generated due to this led to the National Park status and protection of the grove.
I have tried to search for adjectives that would do justice to the Mariposa Grove, but it is not impossible to use words to describe just how impressive these incredible tree's really are. They left me in a state of epiphany and I cannot stress enough how important it is to include them on any itinerary to Yosemite. Very much a bit player was the wildlife that we also saw on our walk including deer, plenty of birds including a wood pecker and a coyote that got our pulses racing.
We had planned to stop at Glacier Point for a hike on the return trip, but the boys were almost exhausted from the climb to the upper grove so we diverted to Bridal Vail Falls instead. From the car park to the falls is only about 5 minutes walk and from about half way we started to feel the spray landing on our heads. We could only spend a short time on the landing near the base of the falls as there was so much water coming down on us that it was almost like having a shower. Due to the late snowfalls and the present warm weather, there was so much snow melt feeding this waterfall that what was usually just a mist had become a torrent.
It was back to camp next and we realized how hungry we were as we had only had a few snacks and it was already 4.30pm. We had learnt from the long queues for food anytime after 6pm, that if we were going to eat with minimum fuss, it would be best to do so early. Curry has a very reasonably price buffet which was to only cost us $40 all up for the 4 of us inclusive of unlimited soft drinks but we were a little skeptical as normally at home, in such a location, you would expect to be fleeced and served up slops. We thought we would take a chance as the food listed included some interesting choices like Creole Catfish and Salisbury Steak. We thought we would get in the line at about 5.20, 10 minutes ahead of the opening time and this decision paid off. By 5.30 the queue was out the door and by the time we were eating our second course, all of the 50 or so tables were full and line continued to build. The meal itself was more than satisfactory, with even the deserts being surprisingly good, if a little limited in choice, and we again waddled away from another meal.
The day was completed with another game of cards and a presentation on Digital photography in the amphitheatre that I found quite useful. It was off to bed by 9.30 to prepare for another full day.
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Great reporting. I do hope you got to Glacier Point. You can quite easily hike down to the valley from there, and the walk takes you past Nevada and Vernal Falls. (Access Glacier Point from the Valley via shuttle.)
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In a strange way, I will miss waking up in a tent and having to go outside to pee. The whole camping thing was starting to grow on me. But alas, it was time to pack our stuff, empty our Bear proof box and depart one of the most beautiful places on earth. We had done some fantastic walks, seen plenty of wildlife, (I have forgot to mention that we did see a Bear. A young one, walking in tall grass in the middle of the Valley) and experienced some amazing things. You may have guessed that I have become a big fan of Yosemite. I have read some comments that it may be starting to be overrun. "Loved to death" is one thing I've heard. Yes it is busy but you cant stop people from wanting to see it and as it is relatively accessible, there will always be times where you will find yourself competing for space with a mass of other Yosemite fans. The thing is, that love leads to a respect that keeps this place in such a pristine condition. There is no litter, no loutish behavior, no excessive reveling. It is treated like a temple where like minded people come together to worship.
We left Curry Village at 9am but decided to delay our drive to San Francisco long enough to do one more hike. We had to select something relatively short but spectacular and I think that the right decision was made. The walk to Sentinel Dome is only a 2 mile return trip and most of the trail is fairly gentle apart from a very steep climb to the top of the Dome. There were also patches of snow still along the trail so we had another opportunity to have a snowball fight. Once again, I lost. The top of the Dome gives you a 360 degree vista of the valley and surrounds. It was the absolutely perfect way to say goodbye.
The drive out of the park took us through the West entrance and over ground that we had not previously covered. Most of this road hugs the Merced river which was mostly a torrent of raging white water. I did take note with some interest, the Yosemite View Lodge, that had river frontage only minutes outside the park exit. This would be 20 minutes from the Valley at most and would be a really good option if you couldn't secure any accommodation in the park. The rest of the drive can be broken up into 3 distinct sections. The first was a mountainous and pleasant single lane section through Merced and the next was a flat, aging, multi-lane Highway that ran through Modesto. This section was anything but pleasant with the views consisting mostly of towering signs for shopping malls and fast food restaurants. In the last hour, things turned for the better. The road conditions improve and so does the scenery. One point of interest is the Altomont Pass Wind Farm. There are almost 5000 turbines here of various sizes and it is engrossing to watch them towering over the Diablo range.
Before long we are transported within sight of San Francisco, and without warning, we are enveloped in a think fog. We suddenly realize that we are about to drive onto a bridge that we momentarily mistake for the most famous landmark of this City. It is Caleb who first registers that the color scheme is wrong. We are on the Bay bridge which we will later agree seems almost as majestic as its more famous sister. The traffic is not that bad for 4pm on a Thursday afternoon. Our GPS, aka Karen, guides us down along the Embarcadero and up Bay st. My concentration suffers a momentary lapse and I make a turn left into Columbus, as I would at home, and end up facing on coming traffic. I manage to quickly address this without damage to life, limb or automobile and find the free car park for the Columbus Motor Inn, where we will stop for the next 5 nights.
Noah on the front desk is very pleasant and I seek from him directions of where I can purchase my City Passes. As I want the Alcatraz option with these rather then the regular cruise that this includes, he directs me to Pier 33. I set off alone whilst the rest of the family freshen up, and a quick 10 minute walk finds me at my desired location. The Alcatraz tours are very popular and against some good advice, I have not pre booked, but I am lucky that they do have spaces left for Monday. Many others in front of me who wanted weekend spaces are turned away empty handed. On the walk back, I notice many of the cities homeless with cap or cup in hand looking for some spare change. One man has a sign that states " I could just lie, but I just really need a beer." I know exactly how he feels.
We stay close to the Hotel tonight and find a nice little Italian eatery on Bay st named Caesar's. Ian, our waiter gives us incredible, if even a little too familiar, service and the kids are quite chuffed that he keeps referring to them as "Young Sir". Both the Calamari entrée and my Pasta with Meatballs are excellent and everyone seems to enjoy their meals. A quick walk around the "tacky" but entertaining Fisherman's Wharf district and we are ready for bed.
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The Merced River is amazing when it's a torrent of melted snow. I think I could have watched it for hours.
I don't remember how long your stay in California is, but I hope at least until the end of August!
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You took the words out of my mouth! Shanek is giving Bill Bryson a run for his money!
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I, too, am enjoying your journey. I have traveled in Australia and love it so it is great getting your impressions of America.
Happy travels!
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Alas Barbara, We are half way through our trip alraedy. We go back home on the 14th of July. At the momment, I feel like applying for a green card!!
Just left the Giants game. I cant seem to support a winning side. I am currently sipping on a Samuel Adams whilst I watch my laundry go round. I will work on somemore of my post as I wait.
Thanks for following Lezdar and welsh. It is good to have you aboard.
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You have many silent followers, shanek. How much longer will you be in SF?
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We depart for Tahoe on Tuesday morning. I wish we had more time here. The weather today has been stunning and it would seem that the next week brings more of the same.
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You're fortunate! We had some really crummy weather earlier in the week but it was gorgeous today!
Give the kids a taste of something different and head over to Berekely and Oakland. The new Bakesale Betty in downtown Oakland http://www.bakesalebetty.com/locations.php is open on Monday and owned by a lovely Australian woman who makes a dynamite fried chicken sandwich- well known around here.
Tell her Abby's mom sent you!
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I am loving your trip reports. We go to as many national parks as we can. Yellowstone and Yosemite are probably my favorites. We were just in Yosemite about three weeks agao and stayed at Curry. Have some cioppino while in San Fran.
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What a fun report and useful advice on how to manage Curry Village. I can picture myself waiting in line with the early moring caffeine crowd. Glad you made it up to Sentinel Dome, my favorite.
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Friday June 25th
We wake up in San Francisco for the first time. It was extremely chilly walking the streets last night and this morning greats us with a fine mist. We have just completed our second week in the US and this is the closest we have come to any form of precipitation. Most of our plans for today will be based on indoor activities, so the weather will not foil our plans regardless of which way it turns.
The San Francisco City Pass includes entry to the Exploratorium and this will be the first stop on today's agenda. The ticket mentions free parking, so rather than trying to work out the nuances of the transport system this early in the morning, we decide that we will drive. Unfortunately, the sign for our destination coincides with a brief lapse of focus and before I have a chance to turn, I am locked in a lane approaching the Golden Gate Bridge. What better time to drive on this monument than during peak hour traffic? I am not sure of the toll situation and as I slow near a booth I am met with plenty of toots from behind, so I carry on, trying to keep to my particularly narrow lane. We don't really see much apart from the immediate structure as the fog has enveloped us once again but it still had a real surreal effect on us. This is a legendary landmark in an iconic city, I don't want to sound overly melodramatic but the experience bordered on being spiritual.
We found a place to turn, and negotiated our way back onto the bridge. There were no toll booths on this side of the bridge and I was advised by Karen, our trusty English damsel trapped inside our GPS, whom I had entrusted with returning us to our original plan, to stay to the left. I obeyed and saw the sign a little too late that the cash toll lanes on the south bound exit of the bridge were to the right, so I briefly stopped, smiled as my photo was taken, and continued on. I will have to work out how to right this wrong at a later time.
We eventually got to the Exploratorium about 10 minutes before its opening time and managed to get close to the front of the queue. We wanted to give the boys plenty of time to experience this hands on science museum, but we had lots more to do and didn't want to get stuck there all day. It is an extremely fun place for an inquisitive mind and 3 and a half hours was barely enough time to get through half of the exhibits, but we managed to pry the kids free and got on our way.
We parked the car back at Columbus and walked a block to the Cable car stop. Our next destination was Union Square for some retail exploration. I had only studied the map briefly, and when I saw that we had stopped at Union street, I thought that we must be in the right place and instructed the troops that we were at our stop. We looked up and down the street for a clue of which route to take, but luckily, before we went any further, my uncertainty forced me to ask directions from a local Green Grocer. I felt a little sense of disappointment when I was told of my error as my directional "Mojo" had already been downgraded earlier today, but I sucked it in, returned to the Cable Car stop, and continued our journey.
Cable Cars are more than just transport, they are a form of entertainment. The driver shared a few laughs with us and encouraged Joel and I to step out onto the side step and hang on as we flew down the hill. The views down to the bay that we get along the way add further to our adventure and it is almost a sad moment when we get to our stop at Union Square.
It is time for some lunch and as we had skipped breakfast, we are on the lookout for something substantial. Caleb is drawn to a sign announcing "Sears Fine Foods…World Famous for Little Pancakes". The whole World Famous issue has become a standing joke. First we found a little hole in the wall burger place in LA that announced "World Famous Chili Burgers" and then there was "World Famous Breakfasts" and "World Famous Ribs" etc, etc, etc. Every time we spot one, I turn to Caleb and ask him "Have you heard about them?" and he always turns to me and replies "No, so they cant be World Famous Dad!". The lure of World Famous Pancakes was too much for the usually skeptical Caleb though and we entered to put this claim to the test. He ordered the pancakes, I had a Crab sandwich and I cant recall what the others had but it was all very nice and reasonably priced. Caleb did find it strange that a place famous for "little" pancakes would serve him a stack of two that almost covered his whole plate. He couldn't finish them but I was happy to help. I couldn't go past an opportunity to sample this "World Famous" dish.
We shopped around the square for a few hours and made several purchases at "Nike town", a 5 story store dedicated to all things from this iconic brand, and the similarly large Levi's store. We stopped for a rest in the square and wandered around viewing the art for sale from various local artists. I noticed a booth that were offering half price show tickets and went over to enquire if we could secure some for the "World Famous" production of Wicked. They had no bargains there, but they did have some excellent value on great seats for Peter Pan on Saturday night, so I secured 4 these and we continued to shop.
We had the Cable Car drop us off at Lombard Street on the return journey, a few blocks away from the Columbus Inn, as we wanted to walk down the "crookedest" street in the world. We enjoyed strolling down this very picturesque section of this street that was bordered with many colorful flower beds and consists of several hairpin turns. We stopped at the bottom for several photo's and walked back to the hotel for a rest.
We had a pretty low key evening, just a stroll through Ghirardelli Square and the Cannery and a quick bite to eat at IHOP and then back to the room for a movie and to catch up on news from home on the internet. To my great surprise I learn that our Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, has resigned from his post and his deputy, Julia Gillard has taken over as our first ever female leader. I wander when the USA will be ready for a female President?
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I have just discovered something amazing today. It must be one of America's best kept secret's. An absolute national treasure. I should be starting of this segment of my trip report by telling you what a great experience I had at Disney but I just can't get my mind off one thing. IHOP. How can feed a family of 4 with unlimited soft drinks for 35 bucks?
We had more coupons offering 2 for 1 Margarita's
Our new deal at the Mandalay included a 25% discount off all meals and beverages so we decided to splurge and have a meal at their "All you can eat" buffet. We wandered down at about 7pm, after I managed to turn my recently made very small fortune into dust, and were promptly seated. Wow, what a spread. Succulent Turkey breast, juicy beef fillet, crab legs, fresh cooked pasta to order, lot's of seafood, pizza, it would take less time to list what they didn't offer. With our discount and inclusive of unlimited soft drinks, this meal fit for a King, Queen and 2 Prince's, came to all of 80 bucks. We waddled off to bed feeling quite ill and set the alarm for 5.30 in preparation for the long drive to Yosemite.
and we again waddled away from another meal.
quick bite to eat at IHOP
LOL! Welcome to America Shanek. You are living the journey of why we have weight issues here. Temptation is everywhere. Buffet's, 2-1, inexpensive, free refills IHOP etc. This is hilarious to follow considering where you began.
And please get a green card-we'd love to have you!
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Such a terrific read, Shanek !
Yes, the Yosemite View lodge is all you say it is.
When we have stayed there in the past, we always reserve a River View Room. On the backside of these rooms are
little balconies and it is a wonderful spot to enjoy the
rushing Merced river. They also have hot tubs dotted around the grounds along the river-oerfect after a day of hiking in
Yosemite. Here are some photos for you-
Looking forward to you next entry !
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Sears! I haven't eaten there in more than 30 years! I'm glad to hear it's still there, even if it hasn't reached world famous status... yet.
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ShaneK - Kevin Rudd did not resign, but was brutally ousted by the Labour Party. He went in one crying mess. Julia Gillard challenged his leadership and won in a landslide. No one wanted Kevin07 anymore!!
On a more important note - I love reading your report. Please keep up the good work.
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There is a $25 fine for using a Fastrak lane without a pass, in addition to the toll. The violation notice will probably be sent to your rental car company, who will bill you.
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Kevin Rudd a crying mess! I would love to see that.
Thanks SAB, $25 is a bargain for the experience. I will be more organised on my next crossing.
SOCALOC, I am too fearful to jump on scales at the moment, but hey, I'll deal with that when I get home.
Thanks for the pics razzledazzle. It looks great from the road as well.
Try to get back to Sears Jean. Places like that deserve to survive.
On with the story....
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SATURDAY JULY 26th,
We are all a little fractious this morning. I think 2 weeks on the road and living in each others pockets have started to expose a few raw nerves. We may need to slacken the pace a little. The plan today is to ride over the Golden Gate Bridge. Kerry and I are a little worried about Caleb riding a bike by himself. He is fiercely independent, and headstrong, and tends not to take instruction all that well. It concerns us that he will have to ride on the road during certain parts of the journey. A tandem bike would be the perfect solution, but he has a phobia about these since he got his foot caught in the chain of one that Kerry and he were riding a few years back. We will have to try and convince him over breakfast.
We wander down to Pier 39 to go to the Aquarium. This is one of the attractions that you gain entry to with your City pass, and while it is nice, it doesn't compare to the Sydney and Melbourne Aquariums for "Wow" factor and we pretty much see it all in under an hour.
The morning is showing signs of a change of weather, for the better. There is quite a crowd out and about already, plenty of them enjoying breakfast at the numerous restaurants by the waterfront in the sunshine. I am torn between having an early lunch outside and watching the start of the USA v Ghana World Cup game. The sports fan in me wins out when I notice that there is a Players Sports Bar down here and that they have Chowder on the Menu.
We are seated at a table near a flat screen TV and Kerry and I order the Clam Chowder in a Sour Dough Bowl, apparently a San Francisco favorite. The place is full of soccer fans, many draped in the red, white and blue, and there is not a spare table in the place by the time we get our food. I divide my focus between watching the pre-game show, devouring my excellent Chowder in its super tasty bun and convincing Caleb that a tandem bike is not an evil contraption only designed to inflict pain. Caleb gets frustrated by my persistence to break his single-minded attitude and I come close to wearing his cup of Diet Coke. Almost simultaneously, Ghana score the opening goal of the game and the whole atmosphere drops by a considerable amount of notches. Kerry plays the peacemaker by suggesting that she stays back with Caleb, and Joel and I do the bridge ride by ourselves. Unfortunately, her self-sacrifice doesn't provide any assistance to the US soccer team.
Joel and I get fitted for bikes at Blazing Saddles, right next door to the Columbus Motor Inn. There are vouchers for discounts in the City Pass booklet, which brings the day rate cost down to $42 for the two of us. We set of, fully armed with directions and maps, but of course we still get lost on the way to the bike trail. A couple of quick detours eventually gets us on the path that we want, and off we go in search of the bridge. Now don't believe what they tell you about the trial being flat, nothing in San Francisco is flat for long. It is mostly quite cruisy, but do prepare yourselves for several climbs during the 5 or so miles that you travel to get to the bridge. The other tip that I will offer is that no matter what the weather is like in town, prepare yourselves for sub-artic conditions when you are on the bridge. It was almost as if a thick fog and gale force wind was somehow attached to the bridge itself, as the moment we turned onto it, we couldn't see anything and could no longer feel our nose, ears and cheeks. This is not to say we didn't enjoy it, the experience was exhilarating, it was just difficult to believe the contrasting conditions.
The path on the bridge is completely separated from the traffic and you are segregated from foot travelers as they can only use the opposite side. I am led to believe that for some reason the biking and walking sides alternate on some basis, but we were clearly informed by the very nice staff at Blazing Saddles of which side we were would be using, on this occasion, it was the western or ocean side. What I wasn't told about was the confusion that would reign on the other side of the bridge when we tried to find the correct way to Sausalito, our pre-determined turn around point. There is a sign pointing us in one direction, a detour sign that is not clear in which way it wants you to go and the bikers were splitting in about 6 different directions, some even dismounting and walking down a long flight of steps.
We decide to follow the original sign and we are met by several other riders standing in front of a notice board announcing that the road is closed to bikes due to gravel. Gravel? We are equipped with Mountain bikes that have front suspension. Gravel certainly wont be stopping us. So we peddle off into the great unknown, and, in a chain reaction of rebellion, another half a dozen sets of wheels follow our trail. Eventually, after a few bumps and the odd moment of self doubt and indecision, we rejoin the main road and defiantly cruise down the hill to the almost insanely pretty bayside hamlet of Sausalito.
We locate the ferry terminal, as the decision has been made to use this mode of transport for our return rather the face a 3 mile climb back to the bridge, and find a place to park our bike amongst a few hundred other 2 wheelers. There is about ¾ of an hour before the next ferry, so we grab a root beer float and rest our weary legs on a bench facing the bay. Our bench is co-occupied by a small dog who is soon joined by his fairly scruffy looking owner and we immediately strike up a conversation. I am asked by the dog owner if I went to Berkeley College as my newly purchased sweater may suggested. I reply that I am indeed an imposter and that we are actually just tourists from the Land Down Under. This is when it all became a little bizarre as our new found friend tells us that he is celebrating his 61st birthday, as he takes a sip from his bottle encased an a brown paper bag and then starts to play us a tune on his very old and very out of tune guitar. I am wary, but something tells me this guy is pretty harmless, and as we are in daylight, with plenty of other people around, I play along with his banter and start to build a repoire with my partly drunk, possibly stoned and probably insane new friend. It all ends in a big hug as we say goodbye in time to catch our ferry.
The trip back to the San Francisco side of the bay is madness. Not the trip itself, but the boarding and disembarking of the ferry amongst hundreds of other peddlers is absolute, but somehow organized chaos. How we ever manage to locate our bike, and then, negotiate a flight of stairs, and cross the ramp back to dry land without injury I will ever know, but somehow this happens. We casually peddle down the Embarcadero to AT&T park and then back to the Columbus Ave depot to drop of the bikes. This has proved to be a really fun adventure and I would suggest that everyone should give this it a go. It was a shame that I couldn't share this experience with Kerry and Caleb as well.
Back to the room, we meet up with the other half of our party, who have been having a lazy afternoon in front of the TV. We have a quick freshen up and catch the bus to the Ferry Building, where across the road in a park, a purpose built theatre in a tent has been constructed for the performance of Peter Pan. This show is fabulous. It is presented in "the round" so there are no bad seats, but our position is spectacular, 2 rows back and close to the centre point of the stage. The players enter from all sides, including from above, and the roof of the tent like theatre is also part of the show as it forms a projection screen that gives a 360 degree depth to the production. Tinker Bell, Captain Hook and the Crocodile are the stand out performers but everything pieces together magnificently in this all ages show.
On the crowded street car on the way home, Kerry's brand new purchase from Nike Town attracts the attention of a young African American. "Those shows are tight", he comments to her, with a look of respect on his face. His girlfriend notices Kerry's confusion, as she reaches for her laces to check that her circulation is not being constricted, and she adds "That means that he likes them". We all smile and laugh and soon reach our stop, and then turn in for another night.
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I am so enjoying your report, shanek, and thank you for sharing your adventures so eloquently! I have met a handful of Aussies and every one of them has been delightful. You are no exception. May you and your family continue to have a wonderful trip.
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You and your family are an inspiration for taking advantage of every opportunity that is presented! I never thought about biking the bridge. I suppose it goes to the old adage of not seeing what is in your own backyard. I have lived in California all of my life and have seen most of it....now, I will have to add one more thing to do
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I'm exhausted just from reading your report. No "sub-arctic conditions" here in San Diego! We are working on the weather now to try to ensure perfect temperatures for your stay here.
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I asked a question about biking the Golden Gate Bridge and was referred to your thread. Thank goodness, what a treat it is.
I hope you continue to enjoy your stay in the USA and next time, please add North Carolina!
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The trip back to the San Francisco side of the bay is madness. Not the trip itself, but the boarding and disembarking of the ferry amongst hundreds of other peddlers is absolute, but somehow organized chaos. How we ever manage to locate our bike, and then, negotiate a flight of stairs, and cross the ramp back to dry land without injury I will ever know, but somehow this happens.
I can relate, just not the same location. You are such a fun read; I am virtually traveling.
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The relatively late night last evening has resulted in a bit of a sleep in today. Not that it matters too much as today is pretty much all about baseball. We have tickets to the Giants V Red Sox game, starting at 1.10pm, and if the number of Boston fans that we have seen out and about over the last 2 days is any indication, I think it will be close to a sell out.
Kerry has bought me a baseball cap, embroided with the capital B, that I had intended to wear to the game tonight. But, I have since been informed that this is actually a Brooklyn Dodgers cap, and that if I am thought to be showing support for the Dodgers, I am likely to become a target for stray peanuts. The San Francisco people seem too nice to resort to this type of thuggery, but I play safe and decide to support to home side.
Kerry and I enjoyed our Chowder so much yesterday that we decide to repeat the dose, but we want to give the famous Boudin's Bakery a go. They claim to have been the first to start serving Chowder in Sour Dough, and the kids are fascinated in the rolls displayed in the window shaped like crabs and various other creatures. Sadly the Chowder here did not live up to the hype and tasted as it may have come out of a can. Even the bread wasn't as fresh and tasty as what Players had served up the day before. It would seem that the original may not always be the best.
We jumped on a tram to head down to AT&T park, home of the Giants. It was still early but we thought we would spend some time exploring the surrounding area. The kids also didn't want to miss out on the Panda masks that were being handed out to the first 20,000 fans through the gate. It would seem that Pablo Sandoval, the slightly rotund first baseman for the Giants, is affectionately known as the Panda, and the masks were being distributed in his honor. If it had only been 2 weeks later, we could have scored Tim Lincecum bobble heads instead.
The tram is not going all the way to the ball park and we are dispatched near the Ferry building. This ends up being a blessing in disguise as I had forgotten about the Gay Pride march, and our drop off point happens to be only a block away from one of the points that the parade is passing. This color and energy of the various groups that pass us are infectious and before you know it, we are waving little flags that have been handed out and enjoying the atmosphere. The only thing that I found a little off putting were a couple of older men that were walking on the sidewalk completely butt naked. These guys did not appear to be part of the parade and didn't have bodies that anyone would benefit from seeing unclad, but they just strolled past us and nobody else really even reacted to their presence. Is this normal?
We continued our journey on foot to the stadium and were at the gates about 45 minutes before the opening pitch. This gave us plenty of time to orientate ourselves, find our seats and to be standing, Panda masks in hand, for the playing of the Star Spangled Banner. I almost felt a strange feeling of "National" pride at this point. My own nations citizens could learn from the respect shown to the anthem and flag by both Red Sox and Giants fans alike. The other thing that stood out was the array of food and drink available. The choice was amazing. Taco's, Crab sandwiches, Hot Dogs with about 7 different types of sausage, Pizza, Burgers, even Chowder. This was on top of the Corn Dogs, Popcorn, Sno-Cones and Peanuts that the vendors walk up and down the seating area with. On top of that, they served about 10 different types of beer including several in those fantastic, pint sized , aluminum bottles. I was in heaven.
The game was a good one with plenty of runs scored early, including a "Splash Hit" home run, that is categorized by the ball actually clearing the stands and ending up in the bay. They show the ball hitting the water on the big screen and then instantly being converged on by several people in canoes and kayak's that sit there waiting for this moment. That's a different way to spend a Sunday afternoon.. Our seats are in the "Bleachers" and the crowd here are far more like an Australian Football crowd, with abuse being thrown at the Red Sox outfielders. Joel and I get involved in a chant "What's the matter with Mcdonald?…. He's a Bum ", and after the Red Sox take a handy lead into the 9th Innings, we are taught all about the famous "Rally Hat" where supporters wanting to assist their team to turn the result around, turn their caps inside out. Caleb did notice that we were about the only ones in our area who were practicing this ritual. I wander if the Giants fans thought the game was past it, or were we being had?
After the game, there was a huge line up of fans trying to get on the tram that would take us directly to our Hotel, so I came up with a ingenious plan, armed with my trusty map, to catch it the opposite way and then intersect with 2 buses, that should actually see us dropped off directly at our front door. Kerry was extremely skeptical, but as she is directionally challenged, had no choice but to put herself and kids in my hands. Luckily my gamble paid off and my Mojo was returned after previous indiscretions'.
Whilst traveling down Columbus Avenue, we noticed some great looking Italian restaurants around the area known as North Beach. We make a note of their positions and plan on returning after a freshen up and rest. We take off, on foot, at about 7pm and our plan of having Italian for dinner fails when we spot the "Tuk Tuk 2 Cafe", a tiny little Thai eatery on Union st. This place is a Gem. Just a handful of tables and not very glamorous, but the Crab Fried Rice and Yellow Curry was as good as any we have ever had.
We stroll home through the streets of North Beach and turn the lights out on another thoroughly enjoyable day in San Francisco, a City which is fast becoming a favorite for all of us.
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shanek, sounds like you are having a great trip!
I am curious: are you seeing a lot of homeless people in San Francisco?
"they served about 10 different types of beer" -- did you find these very expensive compared to home?
"The only thing that I found a little off putting were a couple of older men that were walking on the sidewalk completely butt naked. These guys did not appear to be part of the parade and didn't have bodies that anyone would benefit from seeing unclad, but they just strolled past us and nobody else really even reacted to their presence. Is this normal?" -- no, this is in appropriate
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Thoroughly enjoying your adventures.
Yes, it is "normal" to see naked men wandering around on Pride weekend. And to see naked people running in the Bay to Breakers race in May. And to see a naked guy lecturing the students in Sproul Plaza at the university in Berkeley (just across the Bay, east of SF). I don't know what it is with some of us Californians and the desire to ditch our clothes at every possible opportunity.
Ah well, it doesn't hurt anybody (well maybe the eyeballs recoil a little bit with some of them). But hey, even not-so-beautiful people are people too, right? So I guess we just chalk it up to the insanity, I mean diversity, of life in the Bay Area.
I think it sounded like the city view was all fogged in when you rode across GG Bridge? Tell me it isn't so. That's my favorite thing to take visitors to do - when it is clear and sunny and the city seems to float on the sparkling Bay. And every time I drive across the bridge I get such enjoyment out of watching the people walking/riding by, who seem amazed at the view. So if you didn't see it at its best, you'll just have to come back!
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That's funny - I see that krgystn and I have opposite takes on the naked thing. I don't know where you're from krgystn, but if it's the Bay Area, I guess it just illustrates more of the diversity of opinion here!
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Yes krgystn, There are many people that appear to be Homeless in San Francisco. What I did notice also, were some young people, early 20's, with a cup placed in front of them and a sign saying "We are very hungry...Anything will help". And there was the amn that I commented on earlier with a sign that said something like "I could lie, but I really just need a beer". Is this type of "homelessness" becoming an occupation for some?
The Beer at the baseball was expensive at $8.25 for a pint, but in the shops it is incredibly cheap. I saw boxes of 24 Millers for $12.99. We call this a "slab" at home and the cheapest full strenghth slab would be $30-$35.
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NorCalif, I am bay area also. I agree that the scene is normal for the parade and the race, but I meant it is not a normal everyday occurrence.
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krgystn - ok, I understand what you mean. Although the naked Berkeley guy was an everyday occurrence for a while. ;-> Not sure if he's still around.
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Yep, booze is expensive in the US (or at least in California). At many events it is at least 10 USD per pint.
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Yes, I remember that Berkeley guy...
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Our last full day in San Francisco is set to be another busy one. I have had to readjust my sights somewhat as I am starting to burn out Kerry and the boys, so we will downgrade the schedule a little to include only two major sights and then if we manage to accomplish anything else, I will treat it as a bonus. I know that I am a hard task master, but my zest for travel and desire to see as much as I can, is sometimes hard to control.
First stop is the California Academy of Sciences. This is included in our City Pass tickets and if you consider the $25 entry here, combined with the Alcatraz tour and all your public transport alone, you will get value out of the pass. The Academy building is in the Golden Gate Park, which, by the way, is not near the bridge. We drive there and are again surprised by how easy it is to manage the traffic at 9.30am on a working day. The park is about 15 minutes drive from the hotel and we encounter no traffic jams and very few, if any delays at all. The Park is huge. You could spend a few days just exploring all the attractions here and the gardens are serene and beautiful. Parking along a street near the Academy is easy to find and we are entering shortly before 10am.
It will be impossible to see all that this magnificent museum offers in our time frame so we will have to prioritize. There is a new exhibit called "Extreme Mammals" which is popular and you need to book a session time during peak periods, so we head there first. We are granted immediate entry and we all marvel at this incredible collection of fossils and displays of the most bizarre creatures, past and present. Even Kerry, who would normally rather have her toe nails pulled than visit a museum, is wowed by some of the exhibits. Next is the living rainforest ,contained in a glass dome that has 3 separate levels. We see Piranha, Anaconda and poisoness Frogs, as well as rainforest plants, whilst the most beautiful collection of tropical butterfly gracefully flap around you, some landing on hats and arms.
There is a Planetarium here as well, but this becomes a causality of our tight time frame and we next take the stairs down to the Aquarium. This is twice as interesting as the one at Pier 39, with lots of different marine animals that I have never seen before, and some stunning displays of corals in beautifully laid out tanks. Next it is the African section. This contains an exhibition of cutting edge taxidermist skills in stunningly presented display cases, but the star of the show and possibly the entire Museum, are the African Penguins. We are lucky enough to catch the Keeper presentation and then spend another 15 minutes just watching these entertaining animals interact with each other. They play games and fight and swim, virtually inches from your face due to the huge glass enclosure that contains them. There are many other rooms and sections that we pass through briefly and momentarily visit the Living Roof, before exiting at about 1pm. We need to be at the wharf by 3pm to catch our Alcatraz ferry and I need to get some sustenance into the boys or face a mutiny .
I have been wanting to drive down the crooked section of Lombard street and this presents me with the opportunity, as it is on the way back to Columbus. The boys find this to be a treat and wave to other travelers who line the street, video taping and taking photos of our descent. We park in North Beach and are once again foiled in our attempt to sample some Italian food here as Joel drags us in to a little place called 'Bugermeister'. We are attended to here by an absolutely delightful young man named Sebastian who has several facial piercing and is wearing more eye shadow than the entire cast of "Next Top Model" in a photo shoot. I am struck by his genuine politeness and we build some rapport with him as his girlfriend is Australian. The burgers here are special. I would go as far to say that if you were to have one burger whilst you are in San Francisco, this is the place. I have the Kobe Philly Cheese Steak, Kerry has the Chicken version of the same, Joel chooses the Californian burger and Caleb goes with Chicken Strips. I don't know what they do with their fries in this place but after 2 weeks of trying to avoid them, I am so glad that they accompanied my meal as they must be the best I have ever tasted.
We drop the car off and walk down Bay street which lands us right at the Alcatraz ferry landing. The queue to board is already long. What are these people doing standing in line 20 minutes early? They all have tickets, right? It must just be another American tradition. They are taking group photos of everyone as they pass a point in the queue. This is taken against a backdrop of Alcatraz. They sell these for $22 for a pair of 7" x 5"s which strikes me as a bit expensive for a photo of a photo, but many others are happy to pay this and are again prepare to line up for the privilege.
The boat trip takes under 15 minutes and as we disembark, we are briefed on some do's and don't' s by one of the Rangers. Caleb also signs up for the Junior Ranger program, again, and is given his work book. We explore the grounds and then enter the main Cell Block. Here you are each issued with headphones and a MP3 player that contains an audio tour that is commentated by various residents of "The Rock", on both sides of the law. This gives you a fascinating insight into the history of the prison as it guides you to different cells and give details of it's occupants, as well as narrations of various breakout attempts.
The tour finishes about 30 minutes before our ferry departs, giving us seemingly plenty of time to explore the gift shop and stroll back to the dock. This is until Caleb informs us that he has several unanswered questions in his workbook that he will need to complete before he receives his Ranger badge. We run around to various locations on the Island to get the appropriate clues required to fill in his blanks, and get to the Ranger station with still about 5 minutes to spare. We assume this will be just a short formality, a signature then a ceremonial handing over of the badge. But this particular Ranger was taking his duty very seriously and he marked off every question, even though we were receiving a final boarding call. Fortunately, we had dotted all the I's and crossed all the T's and he received his badge and was sworn in, for a second time, just as they started to lift the gantry to signal the boats departure. We were the last to board, only seconds before it would have been too late and we would have been forced to wait an additional 40 minutes.
I suggested that we just take it easy tonight and go and watch Toy Story 3, but by the time that I had found out the session times, eyes were starting to close. I decided to order some take away from an Indian Restaurant right across the street, but when I returned, all movement had ceased and I had a solitary dinner whilst sipping on Californian Merlot, recounting the fabulous time that we have had in this Grand City by the Bay.
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you are the man, Shanek. great reports and thanks for taking us for your journey. i hope my wife and kids will be good sports like your clan when I take them on similar type of trip in a few years (hopefully to Australia
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We awake to another absolutely stunning morning. I have not given enough credit to the beautiful sunny days that we have had since Sunday. Sure at times it had been cold, and the trip over to Alcatraz was bordering on frigid, but in the sun it has been very pleasant and it was even warm at the baseball 2 days ago. Don't come to San Francisco in June without a warm coat, but be sure to pack some shorts and t-shirts as well.
Kerry and Caleb had missed out on riding over the Bridge on Saturday, and Joel and I had been trapped in a fog, so we all decided that we couldn't leave without walking over this National Monument on such a clear sunny morning. We packed the car and departed at about 10am, drove to the North side of the Bridge and parked at Vista Point. It was great looking back at the City from here and we put on those warm coats and hats and had a really pleasant stroll on the walkway. The cycle traffic was sharing the same, bay side of the bridge on this occasion. It seems that they are only sent over to the Ocean side on weekends to cope with the additional traffic. There was a gateway that closed the other side to any type of entry.
We faced about a 3 ½ hour drive to Kings Beach at North Tahoe today, so whilst we were already on the North side, I suggested that we head down to Sausalito for Brunch. There were only a handful of people around, at 11am on a Tuesday, so parking and getting a nice table on the footpath facing the bay was easy to secure. This, along with our walk on the Bridge, was an ideal way to say goodbye and we all felt a sense of calm and fulfillment, which lead to a really pleasant drive to our next destination.
The drive to Sacramento, is not very scenic, but once you hit the mountains, the views open up and you pass by some very cute and quaint little towns. We manage the trip with only one quick pit stop and reach North Tahoe at about 3.30pm. Our first views of the lake are magical and breathtaking as we are again reminded of the diversity that exists in this stunning part of our planet.
The rest of the day consists pretty much of just checking in and acquainting ourselves with our new surroundings. We had totally nailed the location with our choice of lodging. I had picked Ferrari's Crown Hotel as it appeared to be the only affordable option that offered absolute lakefront accommodation. The beach at the front is very pleasant and even the balcony in front of our room has stunning glimpses of the lake and the snow capped peaks that border the South bank. The rooms are old but very roomy, ours has 3 double beds, a separate bedroom, 2 tube TV's and a small kitchenette.
Kerry and I go for a walk to pick up supplies whilst the boys make friends with 2 girls of a similar age and enter into a table tennis tournament with them. This is where we will commence the "vacation" part of our journey, no plans, just see what unfolds. We return with some snacks for dinner and have a quick and easy meal whilst watching the Dodgers play the Giants at AT&T, all pointing to the TV at the various sights that we had seen first hand only days before.
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On the baseball theme, I nominate shanek as Fodor's MVP..Most Valuable Poster.
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Oh, shanek, I don't want you to leave. Maybe you can extend your trip so all of your fans can continue following you and your family. You are Fodor's MVP !! Will we see any photos?
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YAY! I'm so glad you re-did the bridge so you could all see the view. You now have my permission to leave SF - if you have to. I know you already have left, but just want you to rest assured that you are no longer in violation of the rules due to having missed one of my must-sees. ;->
Enjoy Tahoe.
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This is great. Now you're close to my neck of the woods. I'm so glad you decided to stay on the north shore rather than the south shore of the lake. It is just so much prettier where you are. Looking forward to the rest.
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Oh, shanek, I don't want you to leave.
me neither. I can't say I have ever become attached to a family via the internet. I want to squeeze Caleb. Joel must have the manners of a Saint. And Kerry sounds like the perfect match for Shanek. Who knew a visit to California from the Aussie family would be such a gift. No doubt, you have made everyone who reads your report want to visit Australia.
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Shanek-I'm with everyone else. Don't want you to go back to Australia. Can't wait to read the next installment.
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I dont want to leave either guys. Luckily we still have a fortnight to go.
Thanks for the award. I think my head is starting to swell. If it gets any bigger I will start having trouble reaching the keyboard.
Loving North Tahoe, but more of that later.
Dont be fooled about the kids. They are on a time out and a table tennis ban at the momment for fighting, and not listening to Kerry.
If any of you guys do starting planning a trip to Oz, I will have to swing over to the Australia Forum to assist with your itinerary.
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I am really enjoying your trip report! I grew up in California and now live in Wisconsin, so I feel like you are taking me home. Enjoy the rest of you holiday, I look forward to the reports.
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Hi Guys, we are now following your trip and enjoying your blog. Sounds like you are having a great time. It is cold and wet here in Melbourne, the coldest winter in 10 years, so lucky you. We will keep reading, love to all. Hi to all your American fans.
Kev, Jo, Toby, Noah and baby Jude.
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Love it, what a great vacation and inspiration to other traveling families.
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LOVE mind-traveling with you all, especially since you are visiting all the places we know and love! I do hope you are enjoying Kings Beach. That is the beach my children loved all the way through their teenaged years (and their choice beach despite having plenty of access to private ones).
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WEDNESDAY 30th JUNE
Today was a Seinfeld Day. A day about nothing. Not really nothing, just not very much. It was a day that we all needed. No schedule. No scripting. Nothing to accomplish. Nowhere to be. We took the watches off and just did whatever, whenever.
Joel and I were up at about 7, caught up with a bit of action from Wimbledon and then took a stroll down to the breakfast room. The sky was perfectly blue, not a smear or puff of cloud anywhere. The air was fresh, but not a breath of wind. It was cool, not cold. We could see the lake as we crossed the car park. It too was still and a shade of cobalt blue, as if it was competing with the sky in a battle of perfection.
Breakfast was just a quick coffee and bagel, just what was necessary to start a day that would require very little effort or energy. We grabbed some spreads and muffins to take back to the room for Kerry and Caleb as well as a hot chocolate and lemon tea. They gratefully consumed this snack and then we all walked down to the lake to sit back and gaze out to the idyllic scene before us.
The hours passed as we read and wrote, whilst the kids found their new friends from the day before and did what kids do. It was finally decided at around midday, to take a drive around the lake and discover more of this paradise. We drove first to Crystal Bay, over the Nevada state line and past the casino. I will have to explore this part of the lake in depth at a later time. We turn right, into Incline Village and drive through a residential area that left us breathless. It was as if the homes of Rodeo Drive had been dressed up with a mountain cabin feel, and transplanted here. Each had their own character, but blended in with each other, and the environment. Not a single crooked roof tile, not a board in need of paint or a hedge or tree that called out for trimming or pruning. If you looked up "Utopia" in the dictionary, a picture of this streetscape would not be out of place. Most houses were draped with flags or banners in preparation for the weekends celebration of Independence. We were tempted to stop and enter one of these houses that had a real estate sign out front, announcing an "Open for Inspection", but feared it may be too intimidating.
We rejoined the main road that circumnavigates the lake and soon pulled into a viewing area perched upon a rocky outcrop towering above the lake. Once again, we were astounded with the beauty surrounding us. We parked the car and walked down along the rocks to the crystal clear waters below. Caleb and Joel chose this magical moment to start an argument over who was wearing which cap and due to Caleb's stubbornness and Joel's desire to taunt him, this soon escalated into a fight. I take Joel and Caleb goes along with Kerry, in separate directions, to try and defuse the situation. What started as a pleasant family walk turns into a peace keeping mission and they are both placed on good behavior bonds.
We drive a bit further along and pull into the car park at Sand Harbor. This area must certainly be the jewel in the crown. I have never encounted anything so picturesque. To be able to say this after being in Yosemite Valley and the Grand Canyon is a big statement, but it was like I had just dissolved into the most stunning oil painting imaginable. Enough said, if you have the chance, go and see it.
Kerry requests that we head into Tahoe City for a browse through the shops and a bit of souvenir hunting and the boys simultaneously voice their displeasure. Their mood towards each other is still fairly icy and they are told that if they behave themselves for the next hour, they can spend the rest of the day doing whatever they want. They start to read their books, but a few little niggles turn their paperbacks into missiles and a sentence of no table tennis for the rest of the day is handed out. Joel decides to appeal against the alleged injustice and he is also slapped with a food and drink ban until dinner time. A gloom descends on our shopping trip and we decide to cut it short and head back to base.
I get a bite to eat at the Char Pit, in Kings Beach, and my burger is a huge let down after the bar was set so high by Burgermeister. Luckily, I decline the offer of fries as nothing will live up to their lofty standards. Caleb's fish and chips appear to be very ordinary and he doesn't even touch his fries, further justifying my decision. The boys have a swim in the pool and plead with me that their punishment not be carried over to the foosball table. I cave in far too easily.
A wind has leapt up, and by 4pm, it is no longer comfortable to sit by the beach, so Kerry and I take the soft option of retiring to the room. After much flicking, we decide it is a case of 80 channels on TV but nothing to watch, and I delve into my hard-drive and find a chick flick that Kerry hasn't seen. We leave the kids to their own devices and watch "She's out of my League" on my 10.1" screen. The kids drift in and out but we ignore them sufficiently, and they keep finding something else to do.
By 6pm, Joel's food ban is lifted and he devours what is left of last nights bread and chicken. We are still not very hungry after a very late lunch and decide to end the day as it started. Doing Nothing.
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Oh - I'm soooooo glad you made it to Sand harbor!! I'm pretty sure it was recommended on one of your planning threads but I was going to post a reminder just in case. Isn't it Amazing?
You described Lakeshore drive in Incline just perfectly. Pretty much jaw dropping. I'm lucky in that I have access to acondo in Incline for 3-4 weeks a year. God's country -- but w/ slot machines
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shanek: I may take you up on your offer for Oz. My DH wants me to plan a trip for Feb. or so. He is a wine grape grower and wants to check out the grapes just befor harvest. He wants me to come along for fun afterwards. So many choices and places to see. I may need your expert opinion on where to go.
Excuse any typos. I am in San Diego on a week of college visits with my daught4r. We have jus t had dinner and I have been drinking since I only have to walk 2 blocks to our h0otel.
Glad you love Tahoe. Sand Harbor is always a must on or annual trek to Tahoe. We end uyp spending from 11 am to 5 or 6 p.m. Love it, love it. Buy a cheap beach umbrella, bring a lunch and kick back.
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Shanek- I'm glad you & your family are enjoying a little down time and Lake Tahoe is the perfect place. You've definitely been pounding the pavement. I don't believe you, that Joel & Caleb are misbehaving. LOL Wishing you & yours a fantastic 4th of July! I think you'll be in Santa Cruz?
Hi KevJoTobyNoahJude- Curious do you know Shanek and his family? Lucky you, if you do. Welcome!
MichelleY- we're heading to San Diego soon today for the holiday weekend. Say it isn't as foggy and drizzle as South OC Coast. Seriously, weather won't stop us from having a great time.
Cheers all!
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Shanek - I happened upon your thread and have been glued to the computer reading all of it. What a wonderful writer/traveler you are! Though I live in Atlanta now, LA area is where I was born and lived my first 27 years - and San Francisco is one of my favorite places. I have truly enjoyed reading and seeing this through your Aussie family's eyes. I especially like how the minor disappointments or annoyances all appear to translate into part of the adventure. And your comments about IHOP are too funny. I think I've become pretty snobby about my eating out these days now that my kids are in their 20's - it's fun to remember how much I liked IHOP even when I was little! I'll second the motion of you making your next trip to the U.S. "down south" - some great beaches, history and ballparks here. Happy to help you with suggestions...
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I've been going up to Tahoe since 1955 and honestly, I hate to see what's happened to Incline Village, all the Mc Mansions blocking the lake view. Most of that happened in the 80's and 90's. The property values soared, especially for lakefront property and most people bought the older homes as a tear down. I remember when the first houses were going up along Lakeshore drive and the were hidiously expensive, about 35,000 ot 40,000 dollars, including the boat dock. LOL
I'm looking in for your next installment Shanek.
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Shanek, how long did it take for you to plan this trip?
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I'm now reading from Mexico- on vacation myself but I don't want to miss a minute!
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"Good behavior bonds". LOL! Caleb and Joel have been soooo well-behaved.
Can't wait for more.
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Hi SOCALOC, You hit the nail on the head. Kev is my younger brother and Jo is Kerry's older sister. We were married in the same year about 9 months apart. Toby and Noah are of similar age to our 2 boys and they may have accompanied us on this trip, but for the arrival of Jude this year.
crefloors, I can imagine your disdain, it is very exclusive down there and hard to find a bit of beach that isn't "private".
Lezdar, my preparation began in late March. We were originally going to spend most of our time in Carmen Del Playa with a quick stop at Disney and San Diego, but I received so much advice about making the most of my opportunities in California that it just evolved from there. I have spend countless hours on this site, planning and reviewing my itinerary. I think in the end that I may have nailed it with the help of all the good folks on Fodors.
Enjoy Mexico Welch, where are you staying?
Barbara, The boys are angels..... some of the time.
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Wow shanek you are a celebrity. I hope that I can meet you one day down in the land of Oz. Going by your writing you sound like a Tiger as well. Your wife, Kerry is it? sounds like a lovely lady who would come from a lovely family. I hope you enjoyed the baseball and I hope someone in the family was barracking for the Sawx. (I am hoping Joel was!)Enjoy the rest of your trip.
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Yes SOLCALOC Kev is Shanes brother and I'm Toby, Kev's 12 year old son.Jo my mum happens to be sisters with Kerry!
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Hey shane the tiges are off the bottom!!!! http://www.richmondfc.com.au/
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Hi TigerMatt,
Yes indeed, I am also a Tiger and I very much enjoyed the game last night. You seem to have some insight into my background. You will have to reveal your sources.
The only thing that you are off the money on is Kerry's family. Unfortunately, Kerry comes from a long line of charlatans, rouges and gypsys, 26 siblings all told, at last count. It was only by a chance, that I met her youngest brother, the biggest rouge of them all, at a racetrack and he gave Kerry to me to pay off a bet. He was about to sell her into a life of prostituation, to a gang of Russian white slave traders if I hadn't offered to take her off his hands.
You may also be dissapointed to know that Joel now claims to be a Giants fan.
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"Joel now claims to be a Giants fan."
Only because he hasn't seen the Padres yet!
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THURDAY JULY 1st
Did you know that if every person in the entire USA was to drink 1 gallon of water per day from Lake Tahoe, It would take 350 years for the lake to run dry? This little piece of trivia astounded me. 308,000,000 x 365 x 350 !!! That is a hell of alot of water. Today we would get up close and personal with that massive body of water. It was a little too cold to swim it, so we thought we would rent some kayaks and paddle over it.
It was another glorious day. The wind from last afternoon had subsided and there was barely a ripple on the water. I was eager to get up and go early, but I had promised that I would set a more leisurely pace so I had to control myself. By the time that we had all got ready and consumed a light breakfast, it was on the north side of 10.30.
The beachside hire shop was right next door to the hotel, literally 30 steps from our room. We arranged 2 double kayaks at $30 per hour with our third hour being free. I had wanted to try and paddle across to Sand Harbor, only to be met by that "stupid tourist" look when I enquired if this was possible. It would seem that I may have underestimated the size of the lake and overestimated my paddling ability. The guy who assisted us was actually very nice, but a little disorganized, and by the time we had signed the necessary disclaimers and been shown the basics it was about 11am. He asked if we would be requiring life jackets for the kids, we accepted, but instead of fitting them on the boys, he placed them under a strap at the front and rear of our vessel. We are all strong swimmers, and, as the conditions were so benign, we set off without a second thought about how useful these jackets would prove to be in case of an unexpected capsizing. At least the kayak wouldn't drown.
As Joel was, arguably, going to be a slightly more capable paddling partner than Caleb, Kerry recruited him for her boat, and by default, I ended up with Caleb. My first mate was a willing student, but was finding the mechanics of kayaking a little difficult to grasp. His paddles spent more time propelling us through air than water, and when he did manage to submerge his blades, it generally resulted in his captain being soaked . To his credit, it must have been all of 7 minutes before he decided to simply sit back and enjoy the beautiful scenes around him. Kerry was doing considerably better in getting some teamwork implemented, but they seemed to be having problems with direction as they were covering a lot of ground but still falling behind.
The wake from a passing speed boat forced us into a temporary change of tack and as I headed towards the centre of the lake, I could here I female voice behind me. I assumed it was Kerry asking me to wait, so I chose to ignore it, but to my surprise, it was getting louder. I turned to find that the voice belonged to a Coast Guard on the boat that had just gone passed me and she was motioning towards us. " By law, children are required to wear a life vest" she was saying. I really should have assumed this from the start, but the lackadaisical approach by the young man that we had hired our craft from, had obscured this thought. I gave her the most charming, apologetic smile that I could muster, put down my paddle and shimmied closer to the middle of the kayak, to assist Caleb with strapping on his essential piece of safety equipment. As this was happening, Kerry and Joel paddled past us, grinning and waving, and I noticed that Joel was now also wearing a bright yellow life vest. The Coast Guard also smiled, as if she was in on the joke, waved good bye, and before long we were on our way.
We paddled around to the next beach passing over enormous rocks submerged below us. The clarity of the water revealed some wonderful views of the sandy bottom of the lake, and these smooth boulders, even though the depth must have been in excess of 20 feet. We were about to stop off at the shore for a rest but as we got close to the bank we spotted several signs stating that this beach was private, that it was under video surveillance, and that fines would apply for trespassers. This was a shame as there was hardly anyone on this stretch of sand and it would have been a beautiful place to have a quick stop over. We turned our Kayaks away from the shore and headed further east and around a large rocky headland. Perched high above us were huge houses that would have had the most stunning views of the entire lake and surrounds and as we cornered the cliff, more and more of these stunning mansions became visible. It would seem that we were passing the same area of Incline Village that we had driven through yesterday, but from the other side.
Many of the houses that we passed had their own piers and boat docks with large cabin cruisers tied up along side them. Most also had their own private beach areas with more warning signs and video cameras that challenged you not to get too close. It was the ultimate display of wealth, and also, a great pity to see that such a beautiful shoreline could be bought rather than shared with all. Every inch of this coast that would have been possible to pull up our Kayaks, and sit on a stretch of sand, was private property.
Rather than give up completely on finding a place to stop, we went back to the headland and managed to find a tiny inlet between all the rocks that we could wedge our boats into. Caleb and Joel jumped out and climbed along the rocks for a while, but, as there was nowhere that we could find to tie up, or lift our kayaks up onto, Kerry and I just lay back in our respective vessels and drifted along for moment. It was a really peaceful, just looking up to the impossibly blue sky , surrounded by crystal clear water, and snow dusted mountains. I really could have stayed there for hours but I was jolted out of my vegetative state by the sound of the boys yelling out that it was time for us to come back and get them.
As we paddled back around the headland in the direction of Kings Beach, the wind suddenly came up and started to create a current that was running quite strongly in the opposite direction to which we were paddling. This continued to get stronger, and with Caleb doing his best impersonation of Sally Robbins,
( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sally_Robbins ) the going was getting increasingly more difficult. This was such a contrast to the conditions that we set off in and if we had known that this would have been the case, we probably would not have gone so far. By the time we returned to our departure point, every muscle in my arms and back were screaming out in pain. I understand know why the third hour was free, no one in their right mind would have paid for that torture.
The time was now around 2pm and after a shower and rest, we needed to refuel and decided to go a few doors down to the very pleasant looking Jason's Saloon and Grill. This appeared to be one of the few eateries in our area that had absolute lake frontage and we had a wonderful, very reasonably priced lunch and a few beers whilst absorbing more incredible views. They have a deck area that is glassed in, so we could sit outside without being effected by the cool winds that had set in, and with the sun still shining brightly, it was another magical experience.
After 3 hours of paddling and a couple of very large beers, Kerry decided that a late afternoon nap would be in order, and with the kids absorbed in another battle on the table tennis arena, I took the opportunity to sneak out to the Crystal Bay Casino, just over the Nevada State line, perhaps a mile and a half from the Hotel. This proved to be a lot of fun as even though I only walked out even, I managed to get my $40 to go around for about 2 hours. This was aided by me getting my first ever hand of 4 Aces, but unfortunately, at this stage my funds were so depleted that I had resorted to 1 credit bets instead of the customary 5.
By the time I returned, everyone had settled in for the evening, so I went to the Rite Mart across the road and grabbed some drinks, picked up an excellent Pizza from the place next door to us, and joined the rest of the family for a movie.
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Barabra, It is a real shane that the Padres wont be playing at home for the entire time that we are in SD. I will have to schedule our next trip a bit better.
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I share your frustration with the private beaches at Tahoe. All the beaches should allow public access. This is also a sore point in Southern California where there were years of politcal arguments, and concessions of public beach access were made. One of the things I appreciated in Australia last Fall (my rellies live in North Queensland) was the abundant public access to the beaches. It was so easy and lovely!
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Oh no! Major League Baseball should have consulted you before making the schedule! If they'd known about the fantastic job you'd do with the Odyssey Report, they might have considered it!
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When I first started going to the lake about 50 years ago...well, even longer than that, but I'm scaring myself LOL, you could see straight down over 100 feet. Now it's a little over 60 feet. Some of those new McMansions helped with that loss of clarity.
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Glad that our four darlings are having such a wonderful holiday. We are all looking forward to see all the photos. Hope the the rest of the trip will also be fantastic. Love you all heaps. Mum, Dad & Roger.
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It was enthralling reading about all your incredible journeys across the USA. Mum & I were very proud & thrilled to follow your tracts along the way.It sounds that you all have had a terrific time to date & may you continue towards a fabulous next weeks ahead. We love you all so dearly & we know this holiday was richly deserved after all the hard work. Love to Kerry, Joel & Caleb.
Mum, Dad & Roger.
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Shanek, are you still in Tahoe? We stay at the Hyatt in Incline Village at our timeshare for the July 4th week. Did you see the Fireworks in Kings Beach on July 3rd?
So sorry you rented your kayaks at Kings Beach and didn't make it to Sand Harbor. You probably only got as far as the CalNeva point. The homes you saw might have been at the exclusive Brockway community. By the way, the golf course there is the home of the first Bing Crosby Golf Tournament in 1934, it's that old. And the CalNeva Casino was once owned by Frank Sinatra.
Action Watersports rents Kayaks, pedal boats, etc. in front of the Hyatt in Incline Village. From there you can paddle to Sand Harbor, the most beautiful spot in Tahoe. It's less than two miles and you paddle along coves and boulders as the mansions don't go all the way to SH. About a half mile north of SH is the uncrowded Hidden Beach, which is a public beach where you can stop your kayak and sunbathe. My adult sons and 6 year old granddaughter went kayaking a few days ago from the Hyatt. (she wore her life vest) They started out in the morning, because the wind can come up, as you found out in the afternoon.
We had dinner at Jason's last Wednesday . It's a great spot, and they have live entertainment on the grassy area of the outdoor area in the evenings, and we had our meal on the glassed in deck.
Sure am enjoying your reports. Hope to hear more about Tahoe. I also have been going over 50 years to vacation at the Lake.
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Hi MBnancy,
We are in Santa Cruz now. Could have spent the entire month in Tahoe but we have a lot to see. I think that we will return and if so, I will kayak to Sand Harbor one way or another. I realise now why people keep going back to Tahoe. 50 years!!! Its about time they named a street after you.
Thanks Mum and Dad for the kind works.I will try and post more when I get some breathing space.
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oooh! Santa Cruz! If you have time you might seek out the train that goes throught the redwoods... your boys will love it! It only takes a few hours and it is magical. Susnset Beach is a favorite there as is New Brighton State beach. Have a wonderful time! I am trying to remember the name of the train...I will post back.
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Roaring Camp Railroad!
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shanek: There was a piece on the local Sacramento news tonight regarding the "private" beaches just east of King's Beach. A battle has been going on with the property owners and people wanting access. Most of those interviewed say they ignore the postings and enjoy the beaches.
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FRIDAY JULY 2nd
Today was another moving day. We were leaving Tahoe and driving the 4 hours to Santa Cruz, but we were not in a hurry. A flaw in my otherwise impeccably planned itinerary had us departing a day earlier than we had originally planned. I had booked us in from Monday to Thursday, rather than from Tuesday to Friday, and when I went to alter our dates, it was too late as they were completely booked out for Friday night. As I didn't want to lose time from our San Francisco leg, we cut back a night in Kings Beach and added one to Santa Cruz. I was frustrated to see a "Vacancy" sign up at the front of our hotel this morning, I guess they had a cancellation, but I felt we should stick with our current plan regardless.
We followed on with the now well ingrained ritual of Joel and I going down to the Crown Hotel's breakfast room for some cereal, coffee and toast, whilst Kerry and Caleb had a further lay in. We found a seat by the window again and I caught some final glimpses of the picture-postcard scene that had been such a bit part of our last 3 days. We checked out at 11, but the kids begged me for some extra time on the table tennis table, so I went for a drive to fill up with gas and it was close to midday by the time we eventually departed.
Due to the only other blemish in my near foolproof scheduling, we were backtracking on our journey today and a vast majority of this drive was a reverse of the route that had brought us to Tahoe from San Francisco. This, coupled with the nagging feeling that we had left too early, made this drive less fulfilling than all that had come before it. It was not until the last hour, when we traversed through the Santa Clara range and descended through the Redwood forests of Scotts Valley that things started to get interesting. I was now a hardened right hand side driver and had more than acclimatized to the US road conditions, but I still found the narrow, winding, 2 lane road to be a challenge. Threading my way between fast moving trucks and even swifter moving sports cars, through the seemingly endless array of chicanes and banking turns, in a fully loaded Chevrolet HRR, was demanding, even for someone with my advanced automotive skills.
Eventually, we approached the Santa Cruz city limits, and caught our first glimpses of the Monterey Bay region. The immediate feeling was of being transported back in time. Very few of the structures appeared to have been built post 1950, there is not a sign of a "high-rise" and you can almost sense that they are proud of who, and where they are, and don't feel the need to go anywhere else. Karen, our trusty English GPS damsel, is calling out directions like an auctioneer who is closing on her reserve price. I feel like a rally driver as she constantly redirects me through a maze of bends and curves. No streets in Santa Cruz seem to go straight. I have a vision of the original town planning meeting of this city held over a session involving some mind altering substances. Nothing else seems to logically explain the labyrinth that has been created here.
The initial thought as we turn into the Coast view Inn, our base for the next 3 nights, is "what have I done?". It is conveniently located, across the road from the beach and a short walk from the famous boardwalk, but has the external appearance of a seedy, short stay Motel. The initial contact that I have from the reception staff does nothing to alleviate my fears. The two men that I encounter at check in seem to "process" me rather than welcome me. They swipe my credit card, hand me a list of instructions and keys, then move on to the next arriving patron. When we open the door to the room, we are met by 2 double beds in a space so compact that they almost seem joined, but it seems freshly painted and it is all very clean. What is mildly disturbing is that we can clearly hear all the traffic noise and hoopla from the main strip running along the beach. I predict that sleep will not come too easily in the upcoming nights.
After a quick freshen up, we decide to jump back in the car to search for some shops. Caleb's beloved Nintendo DS has unfortunately gone to God and we have promised him that we will search for a replacement. We set the GPS for Downtown Santa Cruz, and Karen's voice barks out instructions like an Army drill sergeant….LEFT, RIGHT, LEFT, RIGHT…… We stumble upon a Radio Shack and strike gold, for Caleb at least. The next stop is a Safeway store to stock up on supplies for the next few days. Kerry is astounded with some of the 4th of July weekend specials, in particular a deal that they are doing on cans of Diet Coke and other assorted varieties. You buy 2 x 12 packs of Coke or Sprite for $6.99 each and you receive 4 packs FREE. That's 72 cans for under 14 bucks!! We don't need that many cans of drink, but this deal is too good to let go, so we fill up a trolley ,throw in some beer and snacks, and head for the checkout. This is where we find out the catch. I knew this was too good to be true. Apparently, we are informed by the polite check out assistant, you need to be a Safeway Club member to take advantage of these deals. Amazingly, this is not the problem that it initially appears . The clerk hands us a membership card, processes the sale and off we go. Somehow, we find space in the car for all of our shopping and we return to the hotel.
We haven't eaten since our light breakfast, so we head out again to find somewhere for dinner. The boys are starving and don't want to go too far from home so they drag us into the first place that we pass. We walk into the Ideal Bar and Grill, which initially seems like a bit of a tourist trap, and this is confirmed by the prices, but the food is quite good and it offers stunning views of the bay and boardwalk. We end the day with a stroll through the boardwalk shops and then return to our room.
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Thats interesting Michelle. We saw people on these beaches but just presumed they were the owners or tenants. I was tempted to just go ahead and do some "squatting", but I was aware about sending the wrong message to the boys.
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Keep up the very interesting post. I'm enjoying your trip, and I'm sure the boys will have stories for years.
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SATURDAY JULY 3rd.
I wake early this morning to the sound of a drum going off inside my head. Was this caused by the Margarita's last night? Or is this a residual echo left behind from the feral buskers that were performing on the sidewalk into the wee hours? As the haze of disorientation, caused by waking up in 9 different beds in 3 weeks, begins to lift, I realize that this banging is an actual noise and not just a trick that my mind is playing on me. I turn my head to try to isolate the direction from which this incessant noise is originating. Maybe a tap in the bathroom has been left on? I venture into the toilet and find that all the plumbing is shut tight but the thumping here is noticeably louder. I must be getting close to the source. Finally it dawns on me. The beating sound is coming from the small fridge inside our room. The puzzle starts to piece together. Last night, I had gone to the fridge to take out one of our many cans of Diet Coke, to find that our drinks were now warmer than when they had gone in. My investigation of this strange phenomena revealed that the fridge was in fact unplugged. Now it all made sense.
Kerry decides to go for a run and comes back gushing about how beautiful it is on the road that runs along the ocean to the north of the boardwalk. She tells to me how she had observed seals playing in the shallows and surfers paddling out to the depths and about all the magnificent coastal houses that line the cliffs along this thoroughfare. I had originally planned to stay at one of the hotels along that part of the coast, but as we had only planned this as a 2 night stop for the boys to experience the boardwalk amusement park, I went for the most central location that I could afford. Maybe this time I had made the wrong call.
For one of the first times on our trip, we all go down for breakfast together this morning, even Caleb has got up on his own accord. The sign in the reception area points us in the direction of what they proudly claim is their "New Breakfast Room". It is new, but the spread that they supply can only barely pass for breakfast. Reasonable coffee, an array of herbal tea bags a plate of doughnut holes and danishes, and a bowl of bananas and apples. No cereal, no bagels no toast or muffins. It just seemed like an attempt to raise their star rating rather than supply a service for their guests. We grab some fruit, I have a coffee and we sit at one of the 2 tables provided. Just as we consider sampling one of the danishes, a door opens partially at the side of the room, an arm extends from this opening, grabs the platter of pastries and retracts back, closing the door once again. This seemed a little bizarre but the next scene really topped it off. The owner of the hand, who was the larger and possibly older of the 2 young men that checked us in last night, walks through the doorway, carrying the plate which appears to have been topped up, wearing a loose ragged t-shirt, sweatpants and bare feet. Kerry and I just look at each other and smile. Subsequent discussions between us have concluded that this man is the son of the owners of this family hotel who has very recently be put in charge, without being shown what to do. He is not offensive in any way, and I don't want to appear too harsh, but he and what might possibly be his younger brother are a little strange and quite clearly out of their depth. I could only describe him as cross between Basil Fawlty and Norman Bates.
I take the boys over to the Amusement park and Kerry go's back to the room, promising to meet up with later. This is where we find out what the boardwalk is all about. At 10.30 on a Saturday morning, this place is already well and truly alive with children and adults alike, all having a great time. You can buy an all day wrist band that gives you unlimited rides for $30, but the boys decide to play the electronic machines today and I go off in search of a token machine. $50 buys us 260 tokens and they come rushing out of the machine like an avalanche. I feel like I have just hit the jackpot that had evaded me in Vegas as I fill every pocket of my pants and shirt with these coins. This place has the most diverse array of games and amusements that I have ever seen. Everything that you can drive, shoot, punch or hit is here as well as a great line up of classic pinball machines. Where I find my utopia is in the "retro" section. They have all the classics from my days as a misguided youth, Space Invaders, Asteroids, Donkey Kong, Pac Man, Galaga and the very best of the best, Frogger. I quickly show the boys that my skills have not left me and set the days top scores on several of these machines. The best thing about it, is while I am reliving my glory days, and the kids are learning how to play some classics, these machines only require 1 token per game. That's less than 20 cents!!
Time go's far too quickly when one is in a state of euphoria, and before long, Kerry arrives to tell us it is almost midday. We have tickets for the 2 o'clock steam train at Roaring Camp Railroads in the nearby hills at Felton and even though this is only about a 15 minute drive, we want to leave plenty of time for lunch and a look around the grounds before the train trip. The boys convince Kerry to join in on one amusement with us, and we have a good laugh on the 4 player Mario Kart game.
Several wrong turns later, on the maze of streets and highway ramps, we find ourselves in Felton at the Roaring Camp. This was the original site of a logging camp, that later turned into a tourist attraction when the Redwood forest became protected in the 1870's. Trains operated to take patrons from the beach areas to the forests from 1875 and then 40 years ago, the area was turned into a re-creation of a late 19th century township. This place is great wholesome family fun. We arrive at about 12.30 and find an area where they are serving a BBQ lunch. Next to this section there is a paved courtyard where there are games and competitions going on. We get involved in a water balloon throwing contest and Kerry shows off her hula hooping skills to the sounds of some 1950's classics tunes like "Splish Splash". The train trip is also thoroughly absorbing with commentary from our kindly conductor and a mock train robbery sequence, complete with a noisy gun battle, when we reach our turning point at Bear Mountain. All up this proves to be another memorable experience.
We get back to the Hotel at about 5pm, after the last mile or so takes around half an hour, in the stream of traffic arriving at the beach. We cant find a park in the underground car park at the Hotel but they have an overflow lot on the roof and we get the second to last available space. I take the boys back to spend some more of our tokens and then we all walk the length of the wharf and settle on the Miramar Fish Grotto for dinner. We are seated by a window that offers expansive views of the bay and lighthouse to the north of the boardwalk. Kerry and Joel have an excellent Clam Chowder and I end up with the dish of the trip so far. A medley of seafood including crayfish, scallops and prawns, cooked in a mango, avocado and champagne sauce on a bed of perfectly cooked linguini. My taste buds are stimulated just writing about it.
We stroll back to the hotel, along the vibrant wharf that gives us some beautiful glimpses of the boardwalk rides at night. We are all starting to enjoy Santa Cruz. Joel and I are keen to listen to an internet broadcast of our beloved Tigers take on the Sydney Swans in the AFL. I am getting an excellent wi-fi connection at the Coast view Inn and the coverage is streaming seamlessly, but my attention is drawn to the television screen on which Kerry has been channel surfing. I cant believe my luck. ESPN is doing a live broadcast of the game. I can watch my team playing at the MCG, as it happens, from my hotel room in Santa Cruz. To top it all off, we win a gritty, hard fought game by less than a goal. At the time that we had left Australia, the Tigers were 1 from 11 but they have now won 3 straight, a rare occurrence over the past decade. To put the icing on an already very rich cake, fireworks start to go off from a nearby rooftop, minutes after the game finishes, to announce that the calendar has just turned over to the 4th of July. Everything is starting to look perfect now, even our once dubious location.
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Probably too late for this, but you may wish to check for bedbugs in your belongings. See:
Bedbugs are no respecters of hotel star ratings. Even 5 star hotels can have them.
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Yup, you sort of got skunked on your hotel choice. It happens, but it happens less frequently to me because of TripAdvisor: a great resource.
I know the highway you took down to Santa Cruz and it is initimidating, even for an LA freeway veteran like me.
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Intimidating. Aargh.
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Why do I now feel a bit itchy?
The coastview is not as bad as they will have you believe. I pretty much got what I expected. The rooms were actually very clean and the beds comfortable. Sure we could have done much better, but not for under $200 a night in Santa Cruz over a holiday weekend in summer. I have certainly stayed in worse.
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Thanks for excellent posting, Shanek. We're off to California from England in mid-Sept. We have 4 nights in SF so it has been most helpful to read about your experiences there and we are also staying 3 nights in Yosemite at Yosemite View Lodge so great to see that recommendation too. Thanks again
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Shanek - really enjoying your trip report. We just got back from a week at Newport Beach; rented a beach house right between the piers. When you're ready for a quieter life, I highly recommend it.
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Very fascinating reading Shane,this could be a best seller. Cant wait to see you all soon & view all your photographs. I am back at work & quite busy at the moment.Keep enjoying yourselves , take good care & our love &kisses to Kerry, Joel & Caleb
Mum,Dad& Roger.
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bellini - be aware that Yosemite View Lodge is NOT in Yosemite Park - it's located a few miles outside the park entrance, so it's probably a 30 min. drive into the Valley.
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So enjoying your Trip Report which is written with so much elan and enthusiasm!!!
Thanks so much for sharing!
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Yes SOLCALOC Kev is Shanes brother and I'm Toby, Kev's 12 year old son.Jo my mum happens to be sisters with Kerry!
Hi Toby! Thanks for giving me a clear picture of who's who. And Mum and Kerry are sisters? Lucky you!
Welcome Mum, Dad and Roger. We sure are enjoying your family!
I could here I female voice behind me. I assumed it was Kerry asking me to wait, so I chose to ignore it, but to my surprise, it was getting louder. I turned to find that the voice belonged to a Coast Guard on the boat that had just gone passed me and she was motioning towards us. "
By the time we returned to our departure point, every muscle in my arms and back were screaming out in pain. I understand know why the third hour was free, no one in their right mind would have paid for that torture.
Shanek, You are killing me through this leg of your trip.
As I didn't want to lose time from our San Francisco leg, we cut back a night in Kings Beach and added one to Santa Cruz. I was frustrated to see a "Vacancy" sign up at the front of our hotel this morning, I guess they had a cancellation, but I felt we should stick with our current plan regardless.
WHO can't relate to this? There are places that speak to us and we want more!
Kerry decides to go for a run and comes back gushing about how beautiful it is on the road that runs along the ocean to the north of the boardwalk. She tells to me how she had observed seals playing in the shallows and surfers paddling out to the depths and about all the magnificent coastal houses that line the cliffs along this thoroughfare.
Mum and HER morning. Love it!
I could copy & paste a lot more- I'll spare all. Enjoyed the family time with you reliving your youth on antiquated games.
Thanks for all the smiles.
Looking forward to more.
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If I had only taken Kerry's advice and unplugged that damn fridge. Why did I think that I could rectify the problem by adjusting the thermostat? Was it that unfortunate male chromosome that makes one believe that he is capable of repairing almost anything? Dam genes. And why, in the early hours of the morning, when it had become perfectly clear that my modifications had made not one bit of difference to the never ending tapping sound being emitted from our icebox, did I not admit defeat and pull the plug? That is something that I have no answer for. The end result was another night of broken sleep.
Today was a special day on the US calendar. A celebration of the birthdate of the United States of America. A commemoration of the signing of the Declaration of Independence that formalized separation from the Kingdom of Great Britain. Australia had a chance to do something similar but failed to vote for becoming a Republic over 10 years ago. We just continue to prove our independence from the British by beating up on their sporting teams.
We decided to start this day by visiting 2 very unique and definitive symbols of modern American society. An American University and a Costco store. We hoped that this would give us a better understanding of what makes the USA the most powerful country in the "free" world. My opinion has always been that Education and Consumerism are the cornerstone of any successful Capitalist country and I hoped that this morning would solidify this theory.
We set off a little later than planned, our enthusiasm jaded by the late night and restless sleep, but at 10am, it was still very quiet on the streets. There were many families starting to set up their positions on the main beach, but away from the coastal strip, there was not much happening that seemed to announce that this day would be any different to a normal Sunday. I found this a little disappointing. I don't really know what I was expecting to see, more decorations, people walking around draped in flags perhaps, marching bands. Maybe all this, and more, would happen later in the day.
The University of California, Santa Cruz, was very different to what I was expecting. I knew that the scholastic year had finished and that there would be very little activity on campus presently, but I was not prepared for how vast and open the University grounds are. It lies on over 2000 acres of rolling hills with some very large, barren segments combined with several dense, heavily forested areas. The buildings have almost an alpine feel to their architecture and many would not look out of place at Lake Tahoe. We saw many deer grazing at the side of the road and the area is extremely popular with bicycle riders with the variance in gradient and winding roads, combined lack of traffic, the ideal training grounds. All the areas around the Campus were accessible, but, as none of the buildings appeared to be open there was no need to exit the car and we just drove slowly around taking in the scenes. Their did not appear to be an American Football stadium or Baseball diamond on campus but I did witness a very fine Aquatic centre, Basketball gym and several Soccer grounds. The official athletic mascot is the Banana Slug. You would have to be a very brave sporting team to carry that burden into battle.
On the way to locating the local Costco store, we passed a surf wear store having a 4th of July sale that had signs up offering "up to" a remarkable 70% off. Never being able to resist a bargain, we had to stop and check this out. We came away with a few amazing deals, kids Ripcurl coats for $10, some shorts for me and a buy one, get one free deal on a couple of jackets for Kerry. We found Costco with the ease, but the huge car park was completely empty. Coming from a retail environment where most shops now only close on Christmas day and Good Friday, I was amazed to find that it was not open. Not that I think that this is necessarily a bad thing, it was just unexpected.
We decided that we would explore the Downtown area and found that the majority of shops here were trading and most were having sales. I was craving a good cup of coffee and we happened across the Santa Cruz Coffee Roasting Company. The brew here was excellent and the atmosphere matched their beverages. There were reading rooms and an area for playing chess and other board games as well as some very cosy booths. The whole place was well set out and really enhanced the whole sipping experience. I am very glad that we chose this place over the Starbucks across the road.
I enjoyed the whole "vibe" that surrounded the Downtown area. There was a very eclectic blend of stores that seemed to gel well with the people shopping there. A few buskers, of varying skill levels, were stationed around the mall and a 12 piece brass band was performing in an open area. We wandered around for an hour or so and then, at around 2pm decided to return to the Boardwalk.
The beachfront had transformed dramatically in the last few hours. It took forever to negotiate the final ¼ mile to get back to the Coast view inn car park. Again, the main parking area was full, so I had to go around to the one on top. The very enterprising younger brother of "Basil Bates" had set up a sign announcing "All Day Parking for $10" and the $10 had been crossed out and changed to a $20. I don't begrudge anyone trying to make a buck, but as the demand was so high, this made things very difficult for their guests, some of which, like myself, who had made a decision to stay there based on the allure of free parking. I was fortunate that another guest was leaving, just as I had pulled up or I would have been faced with a very inconvenient situation. There were already many other cars double parked in the lot, and they were shuffling a few others to try in fit more in.
I had once again offered to buy the boys an all day ride pass, but they preferred to go back to the Amusement parlor and have a few games of laser tag. The place was very busy, but they have so many machines here that there was never a problem finding something to play. Again, the kids and I had an absolute blast. We walked through the boardwalk, once our tokens had run out, and found the situation here similar to the gaming area. There were some queues at the rollercoasters, but nothing of Disneyland proportions and there were many rides that you could just walk straight on to.There was food and beer available everywhere, most with very short lines. The only exception was a van offering a delicacy that I have never seen before. From memory, these were called "Funnel Cakes" and appeared to be layers of pastry, topped with lashings of jam and cream, and was literally hanging off the edges of the large paper plates that they were presented on. The queue for these reminded me of the line for fast passes to "The World of Color". They must be good!
We continued our walk onto the beach. Wow. Was this an experience. Large groups of family and friends were all gathered together, around some of the most elaborate temporary infrastructure imaginable. There were tents and marques and recliner folding chairs and portable grills. There were groups playing Volleyball and Soccer or just tossing a football or baseball around. The overriding theme here was that everyone was having a great time and amongst this huge melting pot of different races and backgrounds there was a sense of togetherness. There was not a hint of tension or agression or boisterousness. Everyone was there to have fun and to celebrate their National Day.
We met up with Kerry just after 5pm. She had chosen to go her separate way and spend some time walking around, exploring, as she is not much of a "gamer" and even less of a "rider". We had decided to head back Downtown for dinner and then catch the 7.15 session of Toy Story 3. We did a little more shopping , then had a great meal at the Pacific Thai Restaurant. We watched the movie in 3D at a very nice but older cinema and then returned back to the beach.
The traffic had subsided somewhat, at around 9pm, but the number of people around on the streets and beachfront certainly had not. As we turned onto the main drag, we saw a few fireworks go off and there seemed to be several policeman moving towards to source of this pyrotechnic display. There were signs up everywhere announcing $1000 fines for letting off fireworks and we presumed that the long arm of the law were about to descend on the offenders to commence handind out tickets. To our amazement, they stopped on the sidewalk closest to the beach and stood there looking up to the ever increasing display of color in the air.
We parked the car, once again, in the almost overflowing rooftop park, and joined the crowds on the beach watching random shows of light and sound coming from every direction. It was almost better than an organized fireworks show as the complete arbitrary nature of the event, and the vast area that they were being set of across, really kept us on edge. This lasted for a few hours and due to the adrenline flow that it activated in both of the boys, even though it was late, I decided that we would spend the balance of our last night in Santa Cruz, walking the boardwalk and dropping a few more tokens into the multitute of pinball machines. The impromptu fireworks show was just starting to faze out when we went back to the room, minutes before midnight. It was a great way to end this leg of our trip.
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UC Santa Cruz is not a typical American university. It was not established until 1965 and was founded as a progressive, undergrad school with "innovative " teaching methods, and pass/no pass instead of grade. So it was founded at the height of US counterculturism and had the reputation of being very progressive and so it attracted more liberal, left leaning students. Students who were not interested in "typical" student activities like football games and why the students voted to have their mascot be the banana slug. The impact of UCSC was to change the electorate of Santa Cruz itself from fairly conservative, predominantly Republican to a much more left leaning group.
The student body is less radical these days, but the reputation is still there.
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Shanek - what is the last leg of your trip and any recommendations needed for the next few days as you guys are looking forward?
you've been a fun read...not sure i would have recommended UC Santa Cruz as the representative model of a typical US college campus (especially with UCLA, Berkeley and Stanford relatively near some of your locations) but sounds like a fun visit nonetheless.
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It is refreshing to read a trip report by someone who is so easy going and open minded....those qualities guarantee a wonderful time, no matter what the circumstances may be! Keep up the good work!
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ShaneK - funny your take an UC Santa Cruz. We have been visiting college campuses this last spring and summer with our daughter. We have visited about a dozen or so, but there was only one she absolutely hated: UC Santa Cruz!! If you get to San Luis Obispo, check out Cal Poly, or UC Santa Barbara or where ever the rest of your trip takes you.
Enjoying your report very much.
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I'm actually in San Diego at the momment and drove past the campus there today. Do you think this is worth a visit?
Hi vova. We will be doing the typical tourist things in SD over the next week, Zoo, Sea World, Balboa Park, Midway. If you have any recommendations for anything that might be more representative of the area, I would be more than happy to take it on board. We are staying in La Jolla until Tuesday and then back to LA for our last night.
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I looked into going to the races at the Del Mar race track but it looks like the next meeting is not until after we leave. Is there another track in the area that might be worth a visit this weekend?
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San Diego already! I don't want this to end. You have some catching up to do on your trip report. I kid.
No, to other racetracks.
I'm sure it's on your list- see Coronado Island and tour the Del. I hope an FA-18 aircraft lands or takes off while you are there.
If you would like to have a nice value meal with another spectacular skyline view of San Diego, try C Level Island Prime on Harbor Island. Avg. plate around $16 with those enormous American portion sizes. Do outside dining at the C Level area. From 3-5 they have happy hour, some main menu items are $5.00. But the view at night is breath taking.
I know you have it covered, so that's all I will say.
Have fun! And WELCOME!
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We visited campuses in SD last week. Enjoyed SD State more than UC.
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I have loved reading this! Most remarkable trip report!
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My daughter graduated from UCLA, so I may be a bit biased, but I think that it is the most beautiful campus in California. Like an oasis amidst the crowds and traffic jams and high rises.
It is worth a visit. If you do go, make sure you visit the library.
Great trip report..
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Still enjoying the report. There will be many of us that will be very sad when you board that plane for your return trip.
Did you feel yesterday's earthquake?
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I'm not a san diego native but have spent some time in La Jolla...my favorite place in San Diego County.
Others on this board will be more helpful but I think you have most of it covered. Another popular spot is the wild animal park but that might be a little much for you guys to add another all-day spot. And if you have an itch to watch another baseball game, Petco Park is a great stadium.
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Just wanted to chime in that I have both enjoyed your report and found it useful. My wife and I are set to embark next Friday on a 12 day trip to San Francisco, Yosemite, Monterey, and Big Sur area. Your comments have already proved valuable, and I look forward to your next post as we conclude the planning phase. I feel as I know your wonderful family, and have thoroughly enjoyed your style of writing. Have a great time in San Diego (a wonderful city) and a safe trip home.
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Here are a couple of other suggestions for San Diego:
http://www.oceanbeach.com the website says it all - be sure and walk out on the pier. Carry on down the road for wonderful coast views from Sunset Cliffs.
We also enjoyed Cabrillo Monument out on Point Loma - wonderful views, light house etc. http://ww.nps.gov/cabr/
Where are you staying in La Jolla?
Be sure and try a fish taco - very nice.
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Cabrillo Monument http://www.nps.gov/cab/
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Sorry that link is not working - if interested information available locally or on google
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I second Sandy's motion on the Cabrillo National Monument. This is an important site in the history of San Diego and the ultimate settlement and colonization of California by Spain. And the view is much admired. And you can get another Junior Ranger patch there! The link above just lacked one letter.
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MONDAY JULY 5th
I was particularly excited about to today. Not that we had that much planned, and we faced about 6 hours of driving time. This scenario would be a living hell for most, but today, the drive itself was the major attraction. I would be traveling on Highway 1, possibly the most scenic coastal road in the world. I have often driven the amazing Great Ocean Road, that runs along the southern coast of Victoria, my home state in OZ, and I was eager to see how it compares. On the map, it would appear that the actual section of the road that hugs the coast, from Monterey in the north to Morro Bay in the south, would run for about 150 miles, and if so, this would dwarf the most dramatic section of the Great Ocean Road. But, contrary to popular opinion, size isn't all that matters. It would have to also offer incredible vista's, have sheer drop offs and dramatic changes in elevation, to exceed or even just rival the driving pleasure of one of South Eastern Australia's great attractions.
We are in no rush today. I decided that we will just do a quick overnight stop near Santa Barbara and therefore just took a Hotwire mystery deal that landed us at the Holiday Inn at Goleta for $120. I toyed with staying in the heart of Santa Barbara, but what I could find would be 3 times this price, which just wasn't practical for a 15 hour turn around. We left Santa Cruz at just before 9am, we were all a little bleary eyed, but nowhere near as much as Norman Fawlty appeared to be when I went to check out. I enquired if he had slept well and he replied that he had finally gone to bed at 5am. I commented that he would be looking forward to the end of this holiday weekend and he said "I wont be happy again until December". That statement pretty well confirmed my impressions of him.
I had decided to stop at Nepenthe restaurant, in Big Sur, for lunch, as I had heard that it offered classic views of the coast as well as serving great food. Karen, our GPS entrapped tour guide, informed me that we would reach there at about 10.30, so it would seem that brunch would be more apt. I was conscious of how busy things would be on this public holiday, so I called to enquire about booking a table. I was told that Nepenthe, itself, did not open until 11.30, but they had a café that served breakfast that had outdoor seating only. The weather looked a little dubious, a thick, moist, fog was hanging in the air, but we thought that we would chance it and go with this option.
The first part of this drive was through rolling hills on a multi lane freeway that takes you to Monterey. There were lots of produce farms selling their wares from roadside stalls, and we stopped and got 2 pounds of Cherries and 3 punets of Strawberries for under $10. The fruit was fresh, ripe and tasty, and would be a great alternative to all the junk "road" food that we had been snacking on. The cloud was lifting a little and although vision was partly obscured, we still got some stunning glimpses of the rugged coastline, as we commenced our first major ascent of the day.
This is where things got really interesting. Kerry and I had already started to plan our next trip to the States, post children, and together we commenced to outline a scheme that would have us spending at least a week doing this part of the coast, cruising in a bright yellow Mustang. Well, maybe the Mustang was my idea, but we both thought it would be fabulous to stop over at some of the beautiful little bed and breakfast places that we saw, all commanding the most fabulous views of stunning redwood forests on one side, and the awe inspiring ocean, on the other. We drive passed Pebble Beach, and I almost decide to make a quick detour to walk the hallowed fairways of the famous golf course there. I resist this temptation as I know that it will only torture me, as I badly want to play there, but I add this to the "next trip list".
We pass through Carmel, and then the highway almost become a part of the cliffs, following every contour, and providing continual jaw dropping scenes. It takes a huge effort to focus my attention on the road itself and not what lies below it. I make several short stops, whenever I find a small parking area, so I can take in these scenes without endangering life and limb. This adds time to the journey, but our itinerary is fluid today, there is nowhere that we have to be.
We pull into the Nepenthe restaurant at about 11pm. The fog is yet to lift, and as we are at one of the highest points of the road, if anything, it seems thicker. Our hopes of a stunning view from our brunch table have started to fade. Café Kevah, is below the level of the main restaurant, on a terrace that sits above a very interesting little gift shop. We have a beautiful Brunch, and some exceptional coffee and chai, but the view throughout the next hour continues to be one of big, white, puffy clouds. Several Blue Jays join us, but they are our only companions. There are many other cars and bikes pulling into the car park, but they either stop for a quick look, or wait for the warm restaurant to open its doors. We leave, a little disappointed that we didn't get the full experience, but still grateful for the opportunity to have been there.
The road continues to cling tightly to the coast, and a slight drop in altitude helps the views to open up considerably. It will take almost 2 hours to cover the 60 miles to our next stop with the heavy traffic today, but the slow pace really suited the ambience of the drive. We had chosen to stop at Hearst Castle, a hill top mansion that was built over a few decades from the early 1920's. We knew very little about the Castle and it was not on our priority list for this trip, but as it seemed so popular, and as we were passing near it, we felt obliged to stop for a look.
Not far from the coastal town of San Simeon, near where Hearst Castle is situated, we see a large group of onlookers, stopped by a section of beach. It was not until we had passed by that I noticed a sign mentioning something about Elephant Seals and I could make out some movement in a large mound in the sand that I had first thought was a group of rocks along the shoreline. I took the first opportunity to turn around, amongst some protest from the other members of our touring party, and found a lone vacant spot in the crowded car park. What we had come about, by total chance, was the site of the Piedras Blancas Elephant Seal Rookery, the resting place of a heard of up to 8000 of these huge, grotesque but strangely appealing sea creatures. The breeding season had long past, so there were currently only a hundred or so of the larger bulls and younger males, worn out from their previous activities, left wallowing in the shallows and basking in the beach. It was still an incredible sight to see these beasts moving around the sand like gigantic slugs and jockeying for the prime positions. There was the occasional sparring session that would break out, as the older bulls would remind the young wipper snappers of their rightful place, and we spent a good hour, just absorbed by this unexpected pleasure. There are several volunteer members of the "Friends of the Elephant Seals" present who take any opportunity to talk to you about these animals and show you their photo's of the breeding season. I found out, from one very enthusiastic gentlemen, that there can be up to 2000 pups born in one season and that most are born between January and February. It would be a great time to be there and watch these 300-600 pound youngsters get their first swimming lessons.
We get to Hearst at around 3pm and are confronted with a car park, close to the size of the one at Dodger Stadium, full of vehicles coming and going. Kerry is under whelmed by the large building that we first enter until she finds out that this is merely the visitor centre that services the castle. Having done very little research, I am surprised to find out that we can only enter the grounds of the castle, via one of the tours, and it would appear that all the guided tours have been completely sold out. We are offered a spot on a self guided tour that will get you into the gardens but not the buildings, but these only start at 4.30 and we chose to bypass it. I naively ask if there is any other way to see the castle and we are directed to an observation area at the end the building. We exit through the sliding doors to be confronted with the sight an incredible looking building, visually, about the size of a matchbox. It would seem that the castle itself is approximately 5 miles from the visitor centre and this is as close as you get without boarding one of the buses that take you up for the tours. We spend a dollar on 2 mounted binoculars, to give us a better feel for what we are missing.
It is a further 2 and a half hours to each our resting place for the night ,and even though it is a less dramatic drive, it is still interesting , particularly as you pass the incredible rock formations around San Luis Obispo. This will be another place that we will stay on our "Bight Yellow Mustang" trip, to take advantage of some very spectacular hiking. We pull into the Holiday Inn at Goleta at well after 6pm. I do a few loads of laundry while I surf the web and consume a particularly fine French red that I found for under $10 at the nearby Trader Joe's. No dinner is required as we are all stuffed full of cherries and strawberries. Sleep comes easily tonight as there is no refrigerator in our very comfortable room.
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Loving your report still. I personally don't think you missed anything at Hearst, to me it is a dreary depressing mansion on a hill. I'm so glad you all were able to watch the seals. How did you like Santa Barbara?
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Don't fret at having missed the castle.....the drive you took was much prettier!!
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I'd pick the elephant seals over Hearst Castle any day!!
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Are you in San Diego now? If so, I recommend the Birch Aquarium at the Scripps Institute right there in La Jolla. This is a real aquarium. No sea animal shows, but very well done and educational.
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Speaking of yellow mustangs, check out this video of someone driving a Shelby version down the coast highway.
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We leave, a little disappointed that we didn't get the full experience, but still grateful for the opportunity to have been there.
Shanek, when you come back for the convertible trip, try to come in September, early October; that is usually the best time of the year along the coast. I figured it might be that way, since it's still gloomy along So.Cal.coast. Missing Hearst Castle- no biggie.
Wishing you and yours the best in San Diego!
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shanek: On top of all your other CA discoveries - you met Trader Joe!! Many (most) of us would count that a better find than IHop BTW.
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Was looking for a new report this morning. Where are you? LOL My fear is it will never be finished because you'll be back home and back to work and very busy after being away for so long. I'll check back later today.
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He calls it a "live' trip report but is currently 3 days behind ! Geez! What is up with these Aussies? If they cannot write a decent trip report maybe they should JUST STAY HOME! And stop eating all our strawberries and cherries and pancakes!
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surely you jest divineMissM? Or are you trying to fulfill the role of a rude American? Either one- not divine.
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Still loving your trip report. Sorry you had fog in Big Sur but that is common this time of year. The weather has also been a little cooler than usual. Glad you got to see the Elephant Seals. They are incredible.
Hope you are enjoying your time in San Diego which is my neck of the woods. Too bad you all don't have time for a GTG. You and your family will have to come back to California just so we can meet you. You are all quite the celebrities here on Fodors!!
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Shanek, I must admit that over the past several days your trip report has become one of the highlights of my evenings! Keep it up... LOVE IT.
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Sorry guys. I have fallen behind because of all the big days out we have had this week. Seaworld, the Zoo, Midway, Balboa Park, by the time we get back to our humble adobe in La Jolla, I am too exhusted to even turn the computer on. I have a few quieter days planned now, so I promise I will catch up. I had a sleep in this morning as I was listening to my beloved Tigers win their 4th game in a row against Freemantle last night. I finally got to sleep at 5am!!
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Sleeping in while on vacation!?!!
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There are several things you can do in the next couple of days that are relatively low key but interesting. the Cabrillo National Monument and the Birch Aquarium in La Jolla have already been mentioned in recent previous posts.
Another one is the San Diego Mission. It's the FIRST of the 21 missions established in California while it was a Spanish/Mexican colony, which was the case until 1848. It has been well restored and features a taped self-guiding tour, or at least it did when I was there several years ago. You can get the tape at the gift shop on the way in. All California fourth graders study the Missions as part of their standard curriculum, and visit one if at all possible. This is the San Diego Mission web site.
You will find it instructive to read part of this reference.
Hey, I'm on vacation, you say. That's OK. You're smarter than a fourth grader and will soak this stuff up.
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It may be a bit of a drive (about 30 mi) but I always enjoy the Wild Animal Park, the kids do too.
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Good time to go to the Wild Animal Park. In the heat of summer, it can often be over 100 degrees in Escondido. But this mild, cooler weather we've been having would make for a nice trip. Traffic shouldn't be too bad as you'd mostly be going against the flow of commuters.
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I think the Wild Animal Park is great. But I would suggest that it be done on the way back to LA, since it's in Escondido. It's a good idea to get there when it opens and take the first tram around the periphery of the reserve, then come back and walk to the various points of interest.
Also, the park locale was chosen to approximate conditions around Nairobi, Kenya. The animals that are exhibited at the WAP are mostly those that are characteristic of that region. Not entirely. And lions and tigers, oh my, are not abundant. The giraffes eat 'em, I think.
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Yes, the weather is perfect for the Wild Animal Park and visiting on the way to LA is a great idea. The first trip of the day does sound the best, I have never been able to make it.
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Shanek - I am enjoying your trip report so much. Its the first thing I check each morning when I get into work. The weather in Sydney is so gloomy and your trip report brightens up my day. I am also embarking on a trip state side just next week and will spend 3 weeks in Califorian doing a very similar route to yourself. I have been taking note of your restaurant tips- and cant wait to try out all these "world famous" places. I have one question- what are the gas prices like? I am just doing a rough budget at the moment and have no idea what to allow for gas! Cant wait to here more about San Diego as thats where we head after LA and a couple of days in OC.
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rtw0910, you can get a general idea of current prices of different grades of gas and diesel here:
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Another morning, another hotel, another city. I am starting to feel like I need to plant myself somewhere for more than a few nights. This inclination is well timed, as today we drive to San Diego, La Jolla to be exact, and we have booked a 7 night stay at the La Jolla Travelodge. This Hotel is highly regarded by Trip Advisor and we have secured a suite for around $150 a night. The extra space will be pleasant ,as will the knowledge that we can finally unpack our bags without the thought of moving on anywhere for a whole week. The only down side is that this is effectively our last hurrah, the final leg of almost 5 weeks on the road, with only a single night, in a yet to be determined Los Angeles location, separating us from a return to Australia.
We set a course for the main street in Santa Barbara, to find somewhere to have breakfast whilst we check out the local scene. A strangers voice gives me the direction to turn right in 50 meters. It has a vaguely familiar accent, with strangely elongated vowels and syllables that run together. It is certainly not the trustworthy Kate, with her motherly intonations, as apart from the change of accent, it is also the voice of a male. As it turns out, Kerry and Joel, without consulting the driver, have decided to select a new GPS travel assistant, the voice of Ken from Australia. To show that I am not the dictator that they would have you believe, I resist my natural impulse to revert back to the voice that has successfully guided us half way around California. I will give this Ken guy a chance and we will see if he can prove as efficient as his predecessor. Silently, I wait for his first wrong move so that I can put him back into his digital box.
There is a word for Santa Barbara, but I am not sure if it falls within the limits of my vocabulary. It is more that beautiful, but perfect is just a little too strong. It is far too graceful to be described as pretty and handsome would not really do it justice. Even though a light drizzle falls, it has no effect on the majestic splendor that presents itself to us as we turn onto Cabrillo Boulevard, that runs along the pristine main beach.
We find a beach side car park that has a sign signaling a charge of $3 for 2 hours parking. I look for a booth or a meter to make a payment or to take a ticket from, but there doesn't appear to be anything of that sought round, and there is no gate for collections upon departure. We give up and walk towards a sign announcing the East Beach Grill, which appears like the perfect location for our one meal in Santa Barbara, when I see a large upright metal container with dozens a small slots cut into it, each of which has a number above it. It would appear that this is some bizarre honesty box for the collection of parking fees. Not wanting to fall foul of our temporary hosts, we fold up a couple of dollar notes and insert them into the numbered slot that corresponds to a small number on our chosen parking spot. I don't really understand how this is policed, if in fact it is at all, but the large amount of cars parked here, in comparison to the street side meters, may reveal some clues.
The first thing that we notice, as we take a front row seat at the East Beach Grill, is several hundred little munchkins running around on the beach, all adorned in identical yellow and red attire. We have, by chance, selected the location of a lifesaver holiday camp for school children as the site of our brunch. This provides us all with plenty of entertainment as we consume excellent "Santa Barbara Omelets", that are cooked with a homemade salsa and cheese, washed down by adequate but uninspiring coffee.
I could sit here all day, but I have promised Kerry some time for shopping today, on route to San Diego. She has located, with the assistance of Google, a factory outlet mall in the town of Camarillo, a mere 45 minutes away. I had allocated about 2 hours to this retail pit stop, but as I pulled into the car park, I immediately realized that I was not going to get away from this place in under 4. This is a city in itself. 160 premium outlet stores broken up into 3 separate zones. A movie cinema complex with its own Imax screen. A multitude of restaurants, cafes and several hotels catering directly to the malls patrons. I would be lucky to see San Diego before nightfall.
If the truth is to be totally known, I was as happy spending time here as Kerry was, and as the clock ticked on past 3pm, we entered our final store for the day, a factory outlet clearance centre for Samsonite luggage, so that we would have something to carry all our purchases home in. This now presented us with a new set of challenges. Our current suitcases were old and battle weary, so we were happy to do some culling before we went home. But, do we go through the process of repacking everything now, in a crowded bust car park, or can we find a way to cram 2 extra, very large Samsonite cases into an already overloaded Chevrolet HHR? In the midst of decided which child would catch the bus to San Diego, I had a brainstorm. How about trying to place our already packed suitcases, inside of our newly acquired ones? Somehow, with the dexterity of a Cuban cigar roller, I managed to pull this complex scenario off and we once again hit the road.
The trip through the Los Angeles city limits was painstaking. The delay in our schedule had placed us in the middle of peak hour traffic and it was stop, stop, start, stop for almost half of our 3 and ¼ hour trip. Ken, our freshly acquired Aussie mate, imprisoned inside of our Tom Tom, gave me the occasional late instruction that had me close to taking the wrong exit, unlike the ever succinct Kate, but my crew suggested that I was partly to blame so I was forced to persist with "Cobber Ken" all the way to La Jolla. I eventually pulled into the impressive looking Travelodge, was very efficiently booked in, and we loaded all of our luggage, new and old, into our generously proportioned suite.
As soon as we were unpacked, we took a stroll down to the beach, a few hundred meters away, and were met by an impressive rocky shoreline combined with the view of a few dozen surfers bobbing in the mid size swell. Unfortunately the overcast conditions had followed us down south, so there would be no sunset tonight, but that was no more than a mild imperfection in an otherwise flawless scene.
We strolled back up the hill to the Su Casa Mexican restaurant, immediately opposite our new home base and dined on fine Fajitas washed down with a pitcher of blended Margaritas. This was an excellent way to introduce ourselves to La Jolla, apparently pronounced La Hoy-Yah I discovered, and we ended the day with a walk up to the nearby 7/11 for some ice cream.
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Hi rtw0910,
It is nice to know that there someone from Australia that is following my reports, who I am not related to.
Gas, commonly known as petrol at home, has been suprisingly cheap. I have paid as little as $2.95 a gallon to as much as $4 in Yosemite. The average has been about the $3.20 mark for what we recognise as standard fuel, well under $1 a litre.
Food has also been cheaper than at home, even after a tip and tax has been included. What I have generally found to be expensive is accomodation but what needs to be considered is that we are travelling in a peak season.
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It never ceases to amaze me when my overseas friends visit me in California and always comment on how cheap our gas/petrol is. Us Californians beg to differ! I guess we're spoiled after doing my own overseas traveling in Europe and seeing the prices there. Not only two to three times more expensive than in California, but for LITERS as well!
In any case, want to point out that California has some of the most expensive gas prices in the U.S. Check out this website for the lowdown: http://gasbuddy.com/gb_gastemperaturemap.aspx
Happy travels, Shanek. I'm a Californian through and through and I've enjoyed seeing my home state through your wonderfully fresh and eloquent eyes - lived in Los Angeles for almost 16 years, will be moving to San Francisco in about one month, and now... you're finally writing about the beloved city where I grew up: San Diego. Enjoy her as she is always in my heart.
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Still loving your report!! What fabulous memories you have made for your family!!
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Glad we found our daughter and her boys in good company.Enjoyed your travel blog.Love to joel and Caleb plus Kerry and your good self. See you in OZ.
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The trip through the Los Angeles city limits was painstaking. The delay in our schedule had placed us in the middle of peak hour traffic and it was stop, stop, start, stop for almost half of our 3 and ¼ hour trip.
You have no idea what painstaking is. LOL That was a warm up.
PCH would have saved you some grief. Then again, from Camarillo it's easy to get lost on the back roads en route. Glad you guys enjoyed the Outlet. Have spent many of $$$ there myself. So, have you hit Carlsbad outlets yet? Thanks for the update Shanek. Cheers!
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shanek, did you know that with four people in the car you can drive in the (usually) less congested lane at the far left side of many freeways? Look for the posted signs and pavement markings indicating the Car Pool or HOV (high occupancy vehicle) lane. You can only enter and exit the lane at the noted openings, but you are given a reasonable distance to cross all the lanes before major exits.
Look for the diamond symbol:
You may find signals on some freeway on-ramps regulating the flow of traffic entering the freeway. If you see a second lane marked with the diamond, you can take that lane and bypass the signal.
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WEDNESDAY 7th JULY.
We start slowly today. Most of the last 2 days have been consumed in travel, so we are keen for a lazy morning. There is a basic breakfast supplied at the Travelodge, but no room is provided to consume it in, so we fill our plates with bagels and muffins, and our bowls with cereal and take it back to our suite which is directly above the reception area. Our large sitting room has a round table with 4 comfortable chairs and our kitchenette includes a toaster, so this proves to be a convenient way to enjoy our morning meal.
The one thing that I do want to do today is to visit the Midway museum. This long serving aircraft carrier, that was involved in several campaigns, most recently the Gulf conflict early last decade, has been retired in San Diego harbor and been converted into a tourist attraction. Ken, our aussie electronic guide, doesn't recognize the Midway as a point of interest in his memory banks, so I plot the address that I find on the brochure provided to me at reception, and off we go at about 10am.
The freeway system in San Diego is extremely efficient. Even though it is past the morning peak we expect it to be slow going, but our 20 minute trip is swift and effortless, and before we know it we have been dispatched off the motorway and into the city. San Diego streets are laid out mostly in grids. It is the complete antithesis of Santa Cruz in that it is extremely easy to navigate oneself through. Or so you would expect, until I receive a command from Ken to turn left into a one way street. Fortunately, I chose to ignore this command as the rest of the traffic was traveling in the opposite direction to which Ken was requesting me to journey. Once again, Kerry and Joel are quick to jump to Ken's defense, apportioning some of the blame back onto me, suggesting, quite incorrectly, that I had misconstrued the timing of his suggested route. This is doubtlessly a plot conceived by them so that I have no reason to re-employ the services of impeccably practical Kate.
Ken fumbles his way through a series of prompts that eventually finds us along the San Diego waterfront. There are several large ships, including some naval vessels here, but when we spot the one that we have come to see I are left in no doubt that we are in right place as the Midway dwarfs all others around her. Instead of trying to find a street park, we pull into the lot designated for Midway visitors and pay the requested $7 flat rate. The car park is nearing capacity and there is about 25 people queued at the 4 window, ticket booth, underlining the popularity of this exhibit.
They have done a fantastic job of converting this decommissioned legend of the sea into an informative and entertaining portal into the life of all its occupants during its 50 years of active service. There is a self guided audio tour that can be tailored to a much or as little as you wish to see and also includes commentary specifically designed for younger children at many of the 60, numbered points along the way. We follow along numerically, firstly delving deep into the bowels of the ship to explore the incredibly cramped quarters of the enlisted men and the massive engine rooms that lie deep below the ships waterline. To compliment the audio tour, there are several stations set up with video presentations, as well as information plaques along the way. The greatest part of the museum is when you come across one of the many ex-servicemen that volunteer their time to talk about this floating city that they once called home. Over a quarter of a million men and women served on the Midway with 4000-5000 being housed on her at anyone time, and to hear from some of them first hand is priceless. Charlie, one of the head cooks over a 10 year period, provides us with fascinating insight on how you feed 5000 active sailors, 3 meals a day, from a kitchen smaller than you find at the average McDonalds'.
After a few hours below the surface, we re- emerge into the hanger deck and then up onto the flight deck. We hear from the pilots, LSO's (Landing signal officers) and other retired flight deck crew, how they launched and landed many different types of aircraft on this very deck. By now, we are using the audio tour sparingly as it has become apparent that to do every station, as well as listen to all the live guides would take us all day and the smallest member of our touring party is getting restless. Caleb can become more dangerous than landing a FA-18 on a stormy night when his blood sugar is low, so to avoid adding to the list of conflicts that the Midway has been involved in, we quickly look over the Captains and Admirals quarters but skip the 30 minute tour of the control tower.
We decide to head back to La Jolla for a very late lunch and after a long search for a parking spot in the main Village area, we find a quaint and quirky little café called the Living Room. The décor here directly reflects its name, it is designed to have a homely feel and it draws its clientele from the trendy young professionals and more financially secure students of this very affluent area. We are served well presented and prepared, Mediterranean influenced dishes, excellent coffee and chai, and as we are about to pay the bill, become hypnotized by the colorful treats on display in cake cabinet. We order two generous servings, one of a succulent lemon tart and the other a rich torte, to share, get refills on our beverages and settle in for another 15 minutes of decadent consumption.
We walk the streets of La Jolla Village. It is far more upscale than we expected with high-end boutiques and several galleries offering contemporary art. I am astounded to see separate showrooms for Lamborghini, Ferrari and Maserati, as well as a dealer that offers Rollers, Bentley's and Bugatti's all on one suburban corner. There are more prestige super cars on display here than your average auto show. As if to punctuate the wealth in this area, I see several being driven along the streets as well.
Caleb is now refueled, but fatigue is starting to set in as it is now close to 6pm. We find the car and search through the GPS index for a supermarket as there doesn't seem to one that we can find in the La Jolla Village area. I ask Ken to locate a Safeway, as we are now club members and he comes up with several locations, the closest being 400 km away. How can this be so? We then note that we cant recall seeing one in SoCal. Maybe they are a NoCal institution? I next select my favored Trader Joe's. I have been impressed by the selection of wines available in 2 of his stores that I have patronized but something about Joe's stores left Kerry under whelmed. We find one about 6 km's away and set our course.
We arrive at a large mall that has many large variety stores and locate Joe's. Right next door is a very glitzy store called Ralph's that Kerry convinces me to enter. Something about this layout reminds me of a more up market version of Safeway and I swipe my loyalty card through the self serve check out to find to my delight that it is accepted. I am visually welcomed as a returning loyal customer and a further $10 is deducted from my bill made up of treats and assorted alcoholic products. I am quite chuffed about a bottle of premixed Margarita that I have found that comes with a bonus plastic shot glass screwed onto the bottle top.
We return back to the Travelodge with a plan to just watch some TV and enjoy an early night in. It is now about 7pm, but lunch only finished under 3 hours ago, so our evening meal will be a light snack for Kerry and the kids and predominately a liquid one for me. I detour briefly to have a quick look at the famous Torrey Pines Golf club, a public course but the scene of a few US Opens, as well as regular Tour events. It is extremely picturesque and I make a note to include my golf clubs on our upcoming Yellow Mustang trip.
After settling back into the room, I get some ice to have with my Margarita mix. I twist the bonus shot glass, but it doesn't seem to want to release itself from the top of my bottle. I grab a towel to assist my grip, push down, pull up, do everything that normally works with the child proof contraptions that have become so popular, but to no avail. Closer inspection reveals that my "bonus" is not a shot glass at all. It would appear to be some strange security seal to deter unlawful removal of this bottle from the premises that I had purchased it from. As we had used the self serve check out, no one had alerted me to the fact this this had to be removed by the store before the bottle could be opened. I will be returning, quite sheepishly to Ralph's tomorrow and drinking Californian Merlot tonight.
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shanek-If you made it from Camarillo to La Jolla in 3 and 1/4 hours during rush hour you made great time. It usually takes me 3 hours to go from Santa Monica to the north part of San Diego (which is still about 40 minutes from downtown La Jolla).
Love your description of fitting all the suitcases in your crowded car.
Safeway stores are located across the US but there are none in Southern California. Here is SoCal you will find Von's Grocery which is owned by Safeway. Surprised the Safeway card worked in Ralph's. Never tried it but glad it worked for you.
Looking forward to the next report.
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shanek, there is a Safeway not too far from the Midway.
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krgystn-Where is there a Safeway in San Diego? Safeway owns the Vons Stores and if you go to Safeway's website to locate a store, the only ones that come up in San Diego are Vons. Just curious.
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Paula, Four years ago I stayed at the Marriott next to the convention center and it was walking distance, a few blocks away. But I may have been mistaken, maybe it was a Vons? or maybe they changed it out.
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p.s. The market was really nice, with underground parking and a wide selection of goods as well as a sandwich bar.
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I think the store you are talking about is a Ralph's.
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I've just got caught up. I was with my daughter for the last week in UCSD's Thornton Hospital in La Jolla. She was having extended tests and is not ill. We didn't take a computer, though the hospital does have WiFi. And room service, which was rather nice.
The whole time I was thinking how I promised you lovely, perfect weather in San Diego and it's NOT! Sorry.It's been chilly and damp close to the coast, and even inland on a couple of days.
Paula, I think you're right that the supermarket downtown is Ralph's. I'm going to try my Vons' card there now!
Shanek, I'm still enjoying your posts so much. One day when you have more time, a LOT more time, try a search here for Trader Joe's! We all have our favorite items, well, several favorite items! Sorry you missed Costco, you need a membership there too and it's not free.
I also loved your suitcase adventure, especially this part, " In the midst of decided which child would catch the bus to San Diego,". LOL!
Looking forward to more installments. I can't believe this will end soon.
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Oh my god, you went to The Living Room! Growing up in SD my high school friends and I would find ourselves during many a "ditch day" (sneaking out of school) heading over to The Living Room for coffee and pastries after a morning of shenanigans.
There used to be two: One located in Hillcrest (a great neighborhood that is best known as the hub of SD's gay community) and the other is the one in La Jolla. They've since closed down the one in Hillcrest (SOB) but so glad to hear that the one in La Jolla is still around.
Interesting that Kerry would be underwhelmed by Trader Joe's. Most people I know live and breathe by "TJ's" as we call it. Perhaps it's partly the uniqueness of it after decades of supermarkets (like Safeway, and Vons, and Ralph's...), perhaps also the great deals on lovely and tasty things both local and imported... and yes, I'm sure part of it is their infamous "2 Buck Chuck" i.e. Charles Shaw wine, a brand owned and limited only to Trader Joe's. Most of my friends would choose TJ's over Ralph's any day (or just buy their staples at Ralph's and everything else at TJ's.)
Torrey Pines ... I don't play golf, but I hike, so my attraction is the Torrey Pines State Park that the golf course is connected to. Five great walking/hiking trails with beautiful ocean views. http://www.torreypine.org/activities/hiking-trails.html
The Midway museum is fantastic - I'm glad you made it there. Just down the road from the Midway is the Maritime Museum - a collection of 8 historic ships - including the Star of India - and 2 submarines - one a Soviet-era B-39 electric sub. Maybe when you come back on your "Yellow Mustang" trip, check it out! http://www.sdmaritime.org/
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I take it back - there were 3 Living Rooms in my day. The other one was near San Diego State University. Now I find out there are FIVE!
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THURSDAY & FRIDAY, 8th & 9th JULY
In an attempt to keep my report moving along, I have decided to provide a brief update from these 2 days and I will return with a more comprehensive report when time permits.
Both of these consisted of full day trips at San Diego attractions, Thursday was the world renown Zoo and Friday was at Sea World. Both were incredible experiences, living up to all the hype surrounding them, but I must say, the one that completely blew the entire family away was Sea World. Even Caleb and Kerry, who tend to have lower tolerance to long days at a single attraction, found it hard to finally go home. They both decided that they enjoyed it even more than Disneyland.
As mentioned, I will come back and give you my detailed impressions of both of these "must see" attractions, but for now, I will simply state the obvious. If you are traveling to this part of the world, don't miss either of these 2 places. Dedicate a full day to each and make sure to get there early.
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See you Friday.
Lots of love.
Eff & Pete.
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SATURDAY 10th JULY
Even I needed some extra assistance to get up and going today. Multiple cups of coffee were consumed,
when I finally got out of bed at 9.30, and the shower temperature was set a little colder than the average morning. It was about 5.30am when I finally got to sleep, after listening to all of the proud Richmond supporters calling into the after game talk back show after the Tigers won their 4th game in a row. It may sound like extreme fanaticism, and it probably is, but after supporting this team through multiple decades of hardship, one needs to absorb every opportunity of glory that presents itself. We have been rebuilding our team, since mismanagement put an end to prolonged area of success from the late 1960's through to the early 80's, and have been through several "false dawns" previously, but this seems like the start of an new era. We're back. We currently sit in 15th place, out of 16 teams, but we have a very young team capable of greatness.
I apologize for the ramble, this is meant to be a trip report, but I am a long way from home and I need to share this moment of triumph with someone.
I have promised the crew a day off today. I have run them ragged, and today I will not complain if they decide to sit and watch TV or lie by the pool all day. But there is so much out there to experience in San Diego that I refuse to let a day go by without getting my fix. I charge up my phone in case Kerry needs to contact me, and I head off to Balboa Park.
Balboa Park is the largest urban cultural park in the United States. It is a beautiful space, full of gardens, performing arts venues and interesting architecture, but the star of the show is the 15 museums that are housed there. They can all be accessed individually, or by purchasing one of two packages. A day pass will allow entry to any 5 for $35, or you can buy a passport that will get you in to all of them over a period of 7 days for $45. My needs really sit in between. I want to return tomorrow, with the boys as there are several that they would be really interested in, but I don't necessarily feel the need to see every one, but it is a much better deal to purchase the passport, rather than any other option that I can come up with.
Parking is free and easy to find, and after a brief stop over at the enormous pipe organ that forms a centerpiece connecting the 2 main museum areas, I enter the San Diego Museum of Art. They have 2 traveling exhibitions that have just recently opened. The first is a fascinating display of original artwork dating back over 2000 years that depict the stories of 4 heroes of Ancient Greece, Achilles, Herakles, Odysseus and Helen. I linger here for quite some time and absorb all the fascinating tales and brilliant works on show from an era pre-dating Christ. The second, less interesting to me but still popular with the other patrons, is the works of Henri De Toulouse-Lautrec, someone of whom I had previously had no knowledge of. It was a collection of paintings, drawings and posters, many of which depict scenes promoting shows of the famous Moulin Rouge, as far as I could tell. I then peruse the permanent displays of classical European masterpieces and more modern American pieces. I find it all totally absorbing but am conscious of time restraints and skim through most of it.
My next stop is in the Museum of Man. This is housed in a building that forms the base of the iconic 200ft Californian Tower. This ornate structure can be seen from many parts of the park and is a building that has me wanting to stand and stare for hours. This museum is dedicated to anthropology and the first thing that you notice, as you enter the building, are several stone Mayan towers that have the most intricate carvings and hieroglyphics all over their surface. I am a little disappointed to find that they are actually casts, the moulds of which were made on site in Guatemala, but the thought that the originals are, hopefully, still where they were found, helps me get over this. There are many exhibits that portray the differences between man and primate that provide much interesting information, but the room that totally captures my attention is one that displays numerous mummified remains and original crypts and coffins from ancient Egyptian and Central American cultures. The boy still inside me thrives on this kind of thing and I spend way too long, reading everything and examining every detail.
By now, time is moving way too quickly and I receive a message from Kerry that contains a photo of the kids playing on the beach, with the text "Having fun…What are you doing?". I quickly take a shot with my phone that depicts a 12 foot, long extinct primate, that is suggested to have links with modern orangutans. I send this photo to Kerry, with the message "Just hanging out with all of my mates?"
I am conscious of time, as well as the rumblings in my stomach, and prematurely exit the Museum of man and head for the Museum of Photographic Arts. The centerpiece here is a collection of photos of Rock artists, titled "Taking Aim". There are many great candid performance shots as well as some stunning portraits, mostly in black and white. One that intrigues me, as much as I find it disturbing, is a portrait of a stark naked John Lennon, straddling a fully clothed and extremely bored looking Yoko Ono. This was apparently taken only hours before John was gunned down in front of his apartment. The display covers many decades of rock. From Bill Haley to Kurt Cobain. Buddy Holly to Nick Cave. I am fascinated by the tortured expressions of Janis Joplin and the angst of Johnny Cash's single finger salute. I would like to linger, but I want to try and fit in one more museum and still return home before 4pm.
I pass a cart offering "Tamales". I am familiar with the name, I know that it is a Mexican cuisine, but that is where my knowledge of these end. This discovery is timely as I am well overdue for lunch, but don't want anything substantial. I am offered either pork or cheese with jalapeños. These fillings are encased in a steamed, flour tortilla. Luckily I am informed that I need to remove the corn husk that they cook them in before I consume these as I would have otherwise had no idea. They have a delicate flavor for Mexican and prove to be a fantastic snack.
I chose the Automotive Museum as my last for today. I just walk through briefly but still enjoy my time there. It has a fabulous collection of cars and motorbikes spanning all eras of motoring. As a appreciator, rather than enthusiast of motor vehicles, it is one that I would skip if I was totally rushed for time, but I could see it being a must for auto aficionados.
I hit my first traffic snarl since landing in San Diego on the way back to La Jolla. The sun has come out for the first time this week and hundreds of cars are heading towards the beach. The bottle neck starts as I exit the motorway and it takes about 15 minutes to travel a few miles. It clears as I pass the turn off for La Jolla Cove and I reach the hotel just before 4.
The kids have had a restful afternoon, but are keen to stay in tonight. I am a little disappointed in this as I had noticed that a local Italian restaurant was advertising an "all ages" comedy show tonight and I was keen to have a family night out there. It is a very casual little place, more a pizzeria than a restaurant and is only a very short stroll away from the Travelodge. Kerry offers to stay in with the kids and I head out there alone, just after 7, for a quick bite to eat and to see what the comical offerings were like. As I had finally managed to get my bottle of pre-mixed margaritas opened, and had consumed a few before leaving, it only took a few more beers, with the very average Calzone that I had ordered for dinner, before I was ready to find humor in anything. I was still not that impressed with the warm up act, but things got progressively better as the night went on. I was happy in the end that the kids didn't go as I think the promoters have a slightly different interpretation of all ages comedy than I have.
I returned home at about 9.30 and it was lights out by 11, for all but Caleb, our little night owl, who took advantage of both Kerry and my own exhaustion, and stayed up playing on the computer until some ungodly hour.
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Loving your report, but sad you are leaving our beautiful state soon
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Yes something is cooking down at Tigerland. You know I don't get overly excited usually, preferring the old adage 'no expectations, no disappointments' but I am actually looking forward to going to the footy for the first time in a long time! Any chance you are hanging around for the match on Sunday?
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Yes MichelleY, the time has come to depart. I am sitting in our hotel at Santa Monica, and the sun will soon rise on our final day in California. We leave tonight, shortly after 10pm. It is hard to hold back to sadness, but I want to make the most of today instead of dwelling on what I cant control.
TigerMatt, If only we played on Saturday this week. I need to be home on Sunday so I can have some time to recover before I go back to work.
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The things we take for granted- like how to eat a tamale.
Mate- I can't thank you enough for your generosity.
Seeing CA. through the eyes of your family and you, has truly been inspirational and uplifting. It's as if CA. is brand new.
Hopefully, you'll be around to be the 'go to guy for Australia' in the future. I know I'd be able to trust your advice after this.
Thanks for coming! Have a safe trip home.
Would you be interested in doing a Bravo TV reality show?
Best always.
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SUNDAY 11th JULY
4 Margarita's, 3 bottles of Samuel Adams and a very heavy meal, late at night, is not the ideal preparation for a 5 kilometer run at 8am on a Sunday morning. But that is exactly what I had committed myself to toady. To make things worse, it was not your average 5km stroll. I had decided to enter the 9th Annual San Diego Blood Bank 5km Fun Run, on a whim last night. I came across it whilst web surfing for unique events and thought it would be a great way to rub shoulders with the San Diegans. The initial plan was to involve the whole family but Kerry couldn't see the "fun" part in waking Caleb at 6.30 and trying to make him walk a great distance. Unlike myself, Caleb is certainly not a morning person. Kerry suggested that I take Joel, but he pulled out for reasons unknown, and it was left up to me to fly the family flag, solo. If I was going alone, I may as well enter the run rather than the walk. I was getting back into reasonable fitness before we came away, I couldn't have lost that much condition in 30 days. Could I?
The starting point for the run was the Embarcadero Marina Park, just behind a little shopping area known as Seaport Village. I was proud that, up until now, I had not played the "petrol game" whilst in the US, but last afternoon whilst returning back from Balboa Park, I had driven the last part of the journey with a "low fuel" message flashing on my dashboard. That wont be a problem, I had left at 6.40am to give myself plenty of time to refuel and still get to the starting line and register for the run. The first gas station that I past was on the opposite side of the road so I decided to go to the next one. Unfortunately, the next one didn't actually exist, well not before the on ramp to the freeway appeared anyway, so I was forced to gently nurse my accelerator pedal all the way to Downtown.
I made it off the freeway without incident but before I could find a place to refuel, Ken, my little friend from down under who had been miniaturized and encased in our GPS, directed me into the parking lot of Seaport Village, as I had instructed him to do. For the first time, he had directed me somewhere without several detours and wrong turns, and he had chosen to do it when I would have preferred to happen across a gas station prior to reaching my destination. This relationship is just not working out. Hopefully, my last few vapors of fuel will be adequate to restart the car and limp, every so gingerly, to the nearest station, after the race.
The park was a hive of activity. I walked along with 100's of very talkative Americans, sipping Latte's from paper cups, all wearing their race numbers on their souvenir race t-shirts. I was in the right place. Most entrants must have pre-registered before the event, as the table for last minute entries had no queue, and I just walked up, filled out a single sided sheet, and handed over the $30 fee. In return, I was given a voucher for my very own commemorative race t-shirt, a raffle ticket, and the number 13 to pin to the front of my running singlet. 13? All these other runners had 3 and 4 digit numbers, and this upstart, out of shape, last minute entrant from the other side of the world, who will require some luck to just to finish the race, is given the Devils number. Go figure.
There are marquees set up everywhere around the marshalling area. Some have young girls giving away samples of sponsors products, some are offering pre race massages and others are extolling the benefits of chiropractic adjustments on your running style. There is a pre race buzz in the air. Talk is flying at me from every angle. Groups of serious runners discussing race strategy, others just talking about last nights movie, their new cat, what College that their kids are attending. A thin cloud of bravado hangs around the starting line as well just a little hint of dread from the under prepared. I am keen for the race to commence, but the formalities have to be addressed first. A quick word from sponsors and a touching story from a man, younger than me, wearing an orange "Team Angelique" t-shirt. It would appear that he, along with a hundred other orange-clad team members are running in the memory of his daughter, that passed away, many years ago, from an illness that required the constant services of the Blood Bank. They are running for the 6th consecutive year. His talk is humbling, and I almost start to well up when they sing the Star Spangled Banner.
My race tactic is to sit back, not worry about a time, and just enjoy myself. If I can finish, uninjured, in under 30 minutes, I will be satisfied. Unfortunately, my ego, and the adrenaline takes over when I hear the gun, and I force myself into a pack of front runners. My pace is way too fast and I keep telling myself that I will slow, once I just get past that person ahead of me. If I keep this speed up I will get a medal, but only if the have a mid 40's, overweight, male from the other side of the world category.
My lungs start to burn and my head spins from the combined effect of last nights Tequila and all the American sized servings that I have consumed in this last month. I cant keep this up. I see a distance marker up ahead. Surely that must be the 4km mark. If I maintain this pace for another kilometer, I will beat 25 minutes. Not bad in my present condition. I get close enough to read the sign and I see the number 2. My heart sinks and my legs stop. It is pointless going on. I cant make another 3 kilometers. I have burnt myself out by going too hard, too early. I will try and keep up a swift walk/jog and I may still make it to the end with some dignity intact. As I get to the distance marker, my malaise turns to amusement when I find out how stupid I've been. This sign announces the 2 MILE mark. Why would a race that is measured in kilometers to fit International standards, be signposted in miles? I pick up the pace slightly but the damage is done. I am passed more and more frequently, even once by someone pushing a stroller. I settle in to a jog and enjoy the sights of naval vessels and yachts tied up beside the route.
I get to the finish line and my spirit is lifted by all the kind words of encouragement being yelled from the side of the track. "Keep Going" "Finish Strong" "You're Looking Great". I cross under the gantry and record a time in the high 27's. A little disappointing, but the experience was amazing. I am handed a bottle of water and then a bag full of vouchers and samples. I then pass a table set up by Subway, one of the race sponsors, and am offered a turkey sandwich and a breakfast burrito. Next to that there is a table offering 3 different kinds of muffins. People are walking around everywhere with bags of chips and plastic bottles of chocolate milk. This is getting really bizarre for the end of such a healthy event. What sends me into internal hysterics though, is what I pass next. A large marquee handing out literally hundreds of 6 packs of donuts. People are taking 4 packs at a time. I fill my bag and hands with these samples, more to show Kerry and the kids what they were handing out than anything. If I had simply told them, they probably wouldn't have believed me.
I grab a Chai Latte at Seaport Village, so that I can have my parking validated, and manage to crawl to a fuel station before it is too late. I get back to La Jolla at about 9.30am, full of stories for Kerry and the kids and with my hands full of goodies for breakfast. The Turkey subs are consumed but the donuts get refrigerated, and we are off again, back to the city, this time to Balboa Park as a family.
I talk to the kids about which museums that I think may hold their interest and we select the Air and Space, Natural History and Model Railway Museums as our goal for today. They enjoy all the interactive exhibits at the Air and Space Museum, especially the Aliens section. They have just opened a 4D theatre there and we see 2 very entertaining short films there. Next is a quick stop at the San Diego Hall of Champions where there is a large group gathered around the World Cup Final. I would normally stop and watch, but I really don't care who wins and we have so much to cover. The kids find the Model Railway Museum a lot of fun. They have several huge tracks, all faithfully reproduced as exact scale replicas of the real life sections of railways that they portray, complete with tunnels, bridges, rolling hills and rivers. They are obviously a labor of love to the men who maintain them and there are 2 new exhibits in the process of being built that you can view construction of. I would recommend this place to anyone with young boys or boys at heart, like myself.
The Natural History Museum provides the highlight of the day. The Dinosaur display is simply awesome and their 3D theatre is fabulous as well. They also have displays of precious gems, and other sections but after all the time that we spend with our extinct friends, it is time to move on to have some lunch.
I return to Seaport Village because I know that Kerry will enjoy all the little shops and ambience of the place. We have a lovely time, strolling along the waterfront, watching all the street performers. There is one guy there who we all find to be mesmerizing. He make a living out of balancing rocks. He collects large and small boulders from the retaining wall and balances 5 or 6 of these on top of each other in such a precarious way that would seem to defy all the laws of gravity and physics combined. There is a large crowd gathered round, gasping for breath as if his show is in some way death defying. Just when you think you've seen it all! He seems to do well with tips, we certainly contribute to his cup, as we thoroughly feel entertained by his amazing ability.
We return back to La Jolla and park near the Village. The kids are keen to introduce me to a self serve Yoghurt store that they came across yesterday. It is called Yogi Topi and you select from a dozen different flavors of Yoghurt, then choose from a baffling amount of different toppings and fruits and pay by the weight of your now overflowing container. The kids find great pleasure in telling me that the price paid today for the 4 of us is almost double what they paid for 3 servings, in my absence yesterday. I cant believe how bad the effect of inflation is in La Jolla!
We spend the balance of the day at the beach, playing around the rocks and getting wet from unexpected waves. Even though it was sunny all day in San Diego, there is unfortunately still a cloud cover over La Jolla and we miss seeing the sunset again. We head back at around 8.30 and watch some TV whilst I try and update my journal. Time is moving way too fast.
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Hi SOCALOC,
Our trip would have never turned out this way if I didn't have all you generous folks to guide me through the planning stage.
I am so glad that all your encouragement has kept me writting my reports, as I will now have a fantastic record of events to reflect on, long after the memmory has faded. All that it has cost me is a little sleep, which is overrated, and the John Grisham novels, kindly lent to me by the Gypsy King TigerMatt, that I had planned to read.
As for reality TV, I might be better off writing the scripts! I have been told that my head looks better on radio.
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Your last day in California. Through these fantastic trip reports (and you haven't finished them yet!) you and your family have become our dear friends. I hope your day is wondeful and that your trip home is safely unexciting. I'm lookig forward to hearing more from you, perhaps from LAX, perhaps once you're home in Oz. Thank you so much for sharing with us.
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Thanks for your wonderful reports. I have enjoyed them so much. Have a good flight home.
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I am so sad your trip is coming to an end. I've enjoyed your reports so much and feel like I know your family. You are right about maybe writing scripts, you have a great style. I look forward to your last posting from LA and hopefully more when you get home.
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Shanek and family are going to be so surprised tonight when you all show up at LAX to see them off in grand style! Don't forget to bring the pre mixed margaritas, and an In n Out burger for Caleb.
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I wish I'd thought of the send-off earlier. Today I'm down in San Diego. That would be a great way for them to remember So. Cal-margaritas and In n Out!
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You know that would have been fun, a real California style send off. Too bad we didn't think of it sooner! Shanek I will miss you, come back soon.
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I would have flown down from Oakland for this!
Oh if only...
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A quick word from sponsors and a touching story from a man, younger than me, wearing an orange "Team Angelique" t-shirt. It would appear that he, along with a hundred other orange-clad team members are running in the memory of his daughter, that passed away, many years ago, from an illness that required the constant services of the Blood Bank. They are running for the 6th consecutive year. His talk is humbling, and I almost start to well up when they sing the Star Spangled Banner.
POWERFUL Shanek. What a privilege it has been to have you here. Thank you.
I can't take any credit for your grand itinerary. I just happened to pop in about the time it was completed. And I've been a grateful fan ever since.
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Too-Roo! Have a great trip home with wonderful stories to share with friends and family! And thanks for sharing your trip with all of us on Fodors.
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Please don't wait too long to complete the story!
With luck, you're getting no sleep on your flight and are blogging as you fly!
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Shane, please don't board that plane. Our Tigers have won every game since you left. Have a safe journey home, see you soon.
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IT has been a pleasure to follow you and your family on this trip. Have a easy and safe flight and I hope you will find time to complete the report of your last couple of days.
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Safe journey home....
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I have followed along with this trip report and read every installment -- one of the best things in my days in the past month. Shanek, you are one of the best trip-report writers, or writers, that I've read lately. I hope you and your family had a safe flight home and I can't wait to read about the last few days. Thank you for sharing your trip with all of us.
Come back soon!
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MONDAY 11th JUNE.
The original plan for today was to drop Kerry off at the Outlet Mall in Carlsbad, about 30 minutes away from us, and then take the kids to Legoland. As we were due to leave the San Diego area early tomorrow, this would have left us with no time to explore Coronado and we had spent very little time in the Downtown area. We decided that something had to give. A quick family vote came out in favor of exploring more of San Diego today and doing the Outlet Mall, Legoland thing on the way back to LA, tomorrow. This would mean that, unfortunately, my planned trip to Universal Studio's would now have to be shelved until a future visit. I couldn't convince anyone, including myself, that it would be a good idea to go there on our final day, the same day that we would be boarding a plane that would take us back to the other side of the world.
We were all intent on making the most of this day, so we got away reasonably early, just shortly after 9, and plotted a course for Coronado. Our destination was reached with ease, as I had finally made the decision to send Ken back to the land down under, and re-instate Kate as our Chief Navigation Officer. What I discovered, to my great dismay, was that the Kate, that had been our guiding light for a great part of our journey, prior to her being replaced by Ken, was in fact not Kate at all. It was Kathryn from New Zealand, disguising herself as Kate. If all this sounds confusing, imagine how I felt. Anyhow, the real Kate was on the job now, and her succinct and direct instructions, were a God send after the past week with the whimsical Ken.
We had asked Kate to get us to the Hotel Del Coronado, commonly known as the "Del", Coronado's most famous 5 star resort, the playground of Southern California's rich and famous. We accessed street parking, across the road from this national treasure, with ease, and spent an hour just touring around the hotel grounds and main building. Most areas are set up for open access, the only places that you cant get into are the pool and fitness areas ,and of course, the guest rooms, but when you are paying up to $1000 a night, one would expect a little privacy. The Hotel is the epitome of grandeur. The stunning Victorian architecture has a timeless elegance and it has been maintained impeccably, belying the fact that it is 120 years old. There seems to be many other groups that are there for the same reason we are, to simply absorb the nostalgia and aura of this structural masterpiece. We visit the beachfront, which is popular but far from overrun, and walk the pathway that borders the Del's exquisite beachfront units. We try to ascertain if these condos are divided into separate lodgings or if they are let out as entire, oceanfront mansions. Either way, I could only imagine that the rate would be a little beyond our humble means.
We continue our leisurely walk down Orange Avenue and peruse all the small shops along the main strip. To encourage the boys to behave whilst we enjoy a spot of window shopping, I hand them the local tourist guide and give them the job of selecting a venue for lunch from the myriad of menus contained in the booklet. They decide unanimously on the bistro at the Coronado Golf Course, an unusual selection, but based on the fact that they serve burgers and chicken strips, an obvious one for them.
The walk through the Golf Club Pro Shop makes us feel a little out of place, but when we are seated on a terrace with a view of not only the 1st Tee, but also the bridge and the marina, we are very happy with the boy's choice. The people watching here is excellent. We view the opening shots of several groups of golfers, of varying skill levels and egos, and I critique all their golf swings to the amusement of Kerry and the kids. The food here is more than adequate and the service is friendly.
I decide to see if we can get up close to the naval base. We have seen a few planes flying overhead and I am hopeful of watching an FA-18 taking off from close quarters. We pass a training ground where new recruits are being put through their paces on an obstacle course, and see groups parading in dress uniform. I see a sign that announces this as the Amphibious Base, so I turn around and eventually find what I am looking for but I only get as far as the sentry point. We may have been able to carry on further but I felt a little intimidated by the armed guards at the gate. I may have been able to raise enough bravado to try and talk myself in, if I had come alone, but I didn't want to appear like a complete idiot in front of the family, if my attempts fell flat.
Kerry wanted to have a look at the Horton Plaza shopping complex, and, as it was conveniently located nearby Petco Park, I decided to swing pass the home of the Padres for a quick look. I was pleased to find, after parking in an adjacent street, that we could get into the complex and even get a good look at the outfield over a low fence. We sat in a seating area that had a view of the ground but seemed like it was not actually part of the stadium. We chatted with a very friendly security man who told us that this seating was actually sold for $10 on game day and you could purchase a $5 ticket for an embankment nearby. There was a large sandpit here complete with plastic tools and buckets, as well as a mini baseball diamond. This would be a fantastic place to get the game experience whilst the kids run amuck. It's a pity that the Padres won't be back in town until after we have left for home. We find out that they do a full tour of the stadium, including access to the dugouts, but the 2.30 session has just left and is the last of the day. Had I realized earlier, I would have made this a part of today's schedule. I am extremely impressed by this complex. It appears to be welcoming, accessible and is very centrally located. Even though it is empty, apart from a handful of casual observers and ground staff, it exudes an atmosphere that would suggest that it is a superb sporting venue.
Horton Plaza is a 5 level, open air shopping mall in the downtown area. It is colorful, bright and airy and it delivers a pleasant retail experience. We happen across a "Rock Star" car park on the street at the very front of the centre, but there is a multi level parking garage connected to the plaza for those less fortunate. This ends as just a brief stopover as the boys are a little restless and eager to get to our next location, Pelly's Mini Golf centre in Del Mar.
The drive to Del Mar, takes us north, about 10 minutes past the turn off for La Jolla. Pelly's is situated within a large golf centre consisting of a 36 hole course and an extensive practice facility. Across the road I see the famous Del Mar racetrack. The racing season commences in earnest next week and again I am left lamenting my poor timing. One week later and I would have been able to integrate a game at Petco Park and a day at the races into our trip. My list for the Yellow Mustang trip continues to grow. The game is close with Joel edging Caleb by a single stroke after an extensive audit of the score card.
We return to the Travelodge and repack all of our clothes and purchases into our new suitcases. We will have to leave some of our older luggage behind, hopefully we can pass them on to someone who may find them useful. The new cases have much more room which will present us with the challenge of filling this empty space over the next 2 days.
Our large lunch has left us less than interested in a heavy evening meal, but we are all keen to have another trip to Yogi Topi, for some more of their delectable self serve Yoghurt. I am conscious of the ridicule that my super sized serving had resulted in yesterday so I summon my self control from where it was left behind in LA airport almost 5 weeks ago. The boys and Kerry take their cups over to the Yoghurt dispensing stations and I discover that there is a slightly larger sized cup available, something that had gone unnoticed on previous visits. I am hoping that the difference in size will be subtle enough to enable me to feast on a similar quantity of this divine, soft serve treat as yesterday without subjecting myself to the same barrage of disparagement. Unfortunately, both Caleb and Joel are far more astute than I give them credit for and they burst into an onslaught of mockery as my gluttony is revealed. I plead total ignorance and successfully polish off my serving of pineapple and mango yoghurt topped with granola and sliced fruit. We discuss the option of dedicating a small corner of our shop at home for a Yogi Topi franchise, and then head back to our room in La Jolla for the final time.
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TUESDAY 13th JULY.
Today we move on to LA for the final night of our trip. I spent some time last night, looking for the perfect location to conclude our journey and we decide to return to Santa Monica. We hadn't stayed here before, but it was our initial stopping point on the morning that we arrived in LA in order to kill time before we could get into our in hotel in Hollywood. The 4 or so hours that we had spent exploring this area provided us with only a small taste, and we were keen to further discover it. In a strange way, I also liked the sense of symmetry that this would provide. Finding accommodation near the boardwalk and 3rd street promenade, that would allow all 4 of us in the one room, proved to be a challenge and we eventually decided on the Holiday Inn, even though the rate of around $250 for the night and an additional $25 for parking seemed exorbitant.
Whilst surfing the net for lodgings, I decided to check on some Trip advisor reviews on Legoland, to see if I could pick up any tips that would help us make the most of our limited time there. The first 2 pages of reports were littered with a multitude of negatives. Overpriced, overrated, unfriendly and lazy staff, dirty. One reviewer even provided a damning story of how their visit had crushed their childhood dreams. I asked the boys if they were really intent on going there and they both replied that they had their hearts set on it, so with some newly founded trepidation, we stayed with this plan.
Our check out was attended to by Olga, who warmly thanked us for our stay. She offered to try and find a new home for our superseded luggage which was a relief as I didn't want to just dump it. We really found all the reception staff at the Travelodge to be excellent and efficient, particularly Danny, the manager. It was a great choice, in an exceptional area and for around $150 a night for a good sized suite, probably the best value of our trip.
We set off for Carlsbad, to first drop Kerry at the premium outlet mall and then on to Legoland for myself the boys, my expectations set at a new low based on what I had read last night. We said goodbye to Kerry at just before 10am and set a rendezvous time of 2.30pm. This should leave us with plenty of time to reach Santa Monica at a reasonable hour, so that we could have a nice leisurely dinner and enjoy the sunset. The weather today was almost perfect, totally clear blue skies, a very gentle breeze and radiant warmth. I was determined that we would enjoy ourselves, even if Legoland proved to be the letdown that others had suggested it would be.
Parking at Legoland was $12. This seemed to confirm the money grabbing mentality that some reviewers had accused them of and did little to ally my fears that today would be a disappointment. We purchased our tickets from a very pleasant attendant, using the coupon that I received from the tourist information booth in La Jolla. I did notice that the people in front of us had a "free child with full price adult" coupon that had a Burger King logo on it. This was a significantly better deal than our $7 off per ticket offer as the child admission price is $57, only $10 less than an adult. If I had known that was available I would have made an attempt to source this coupon. We reneged on the option of paying an extra $10 or $12 to access the aquarium or water park as our time was limited.
Once again, we were met at the front gate by several photographers who try to corral you into posing for a photo, that is then superimposed onto an appropriate scene, and offered to you for $15-$20. This practice is extremely widespread and had started to get a little annoying, so we politely declined.
I had decided to try and get to the Volvo Driving School ride first as the reports I had read warned me of long queues at this attraction. As the park had just opened, we were met by a very short wait and the boys enjoyed this so much that they decided to go around twice and only had to wait one turn in between. The "ride" entails driving a miniature car through several streets complete with working traffic signals at the numerous intersections. The kids are totally in control of the vehicle as it is not confined to a rail like "Autotopia" at Disneyland, but the speed is restricted to a safe pace. It seemed to be a winner with all the kids as there were plenty of smiles on show, but was unfortunately restricted to an upper age limit of 13, so I was left on the sidelines. There is also a smaller track for children aged 3-5.
The positive start to the day continued through our entire stay at Legoland. There were manageable queues on all but a few of the rides and they had a system where they set up a play area close to the lines so that the kids could do some Lego building whilst the adults queued. We enjoyed everything that we went on with the exception of the "Lost Kingdom Adventure" which was a very poor attempt to replicate the "Buzz Lightyear" ride at Disney where you shoot at several targets with laser guns. Unfortunately, this was the only ride that we were forced to queue for, for any great length of time, which further exacerbated the letdown of this attraction. This one setback aside, out time flew so quickly that I was forced to call Kerry to negotiate some extra time. There were still 2 complete areas of the park that we hadn't even entered yet, we had seen none of the shows and I wanted to spend some time in one of the Lego stores to purchase some souvenirs of our visit. Much to my surprise, Kerry was very much finished with her shopping trip and I could only manage to extend our meeting time out by a further half an hour, barely enough time for another 2 rides and a very quick stop in only one of the stores.
We found Kerry, at exactly 3pm, at our designated meeting place and loaded her astonishingly small amount of purchases into the car. The trip to Santa Monica was a reasonably quick one, with only a few minor traffic jams, and we pulled into the Holiday Inn car park before 5. We were extremely happy with the location, literally across the road from the boardwalk, and we were given a room on the 6th floor with ocean views, but without a balcony. I requested a late check out and was told to enquire again in the morning. We dropped a single suitcase, in which we had combined 2 days worth of clothing for each of us, into the room and set off for a walk along the beach and in search of a venue for our final Californian dinner.
After a quick stroll, we decided to have a look at the menu at Bubba Gump Shrimp Co which is a restaurant themed on one of both Kerry and my favorite movies, Forrest Gump. This was the very first film that we had seen together, on one of our very early dates, so I couldn't resist the nostalgic notion of dining there. The kids were satisfied that they could find something on the menu to suit them, so I requested a table near one of the windows and were seated on their covered patio with excellent views of the beach. The service here and atmosphere was exceptional and, surprisingly for a chain restaurant, their food almost matched. I had an excellent rib rack that offered extraordinarily tender meat that fell off the bone the moment it was touched by my fork and Kerry was happy with the flavor and texture of her fish. I ordered a pomegranate margarita, that initially seemed a little expensive at $11, but when I received my drink in a large shaker that filled my glass 3 times, I was impressed by both the taste and value. We resisted the temptation of desert, even though a separate menu offered some fascinating sweet dishes, preferring to walk off our meal first.
We wandered along the boardwalk for a while and then strolled inland and shopped along the 3rd street promenade for a few hours. I was extremely paranoid, with good reason, that my work trousers would fail to fit me, until I got back into a routine again, so I went in search for some "fat pants". We walked into the nearby Sears store, that were having a huge sale, and I happened across some black strides that were reduced to $10 a pair. I was tempted to buy several, but didn't want to give myself an excuse not to lose my newly acquired extra tyre promptly, so I settled for just one.
We got back to the room shortly after 9 and fell asleep almost immediately, so we could wake up early and make the most of our very last day.
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Glad to hear you enjoyed Legoland. I haven't been there in years but am surprised to hear the negative reports. About 10 years ago, my DD worked there as an entertainer so I went often to see her show and wander around. I always thought the place was clean, well kept and the kids all seemed to be having a good time.
Also glad you found a place to stay in Santa Monica at the last minute. That's not really a bad rate considering it's summer and you're by the beach.
Looking forward to hearing about your flight home.
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woohoo! the Aussie rock star came back!
Boy- it's a good thing Rangers Joel and Caleb saved their parents. Imagine if THEY weren't along how much "shopping" and "fat pants" damage there would have been. Whew!
You guys are a kick!
Rock Star Shanek - when you have time, do you think you could give your loyal fans a conclusion on your trip? LOVE to hear you wrap up the WEST from your eyes and words.
Thanks for the 1000 smiles and laughs!
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Hi Guys,
Yes, I am back in Oz, at work, sitting in my office, weeding my way through 700 emails. I have almost completed my report from our last day and will post that tonight, and will then start to write a summary of our observations. I will also go back and do a detailed report on our days at Seaworld and the Zoo. Unfortunately, this may take until the end of the week as I am doing 12 hour days at work as well as extensive time in the gym so that I can kiss those fat pants goodbye.
The good news is that there may be a sequel. I have convinced Kerry that it would be a good idea to start planning our next trip, all I need to do now is to get her to agree to returning back to the states. I think it may have to be the East coast this time but I am sure that we could squeeze in a few days in LA at the start and end.
I have downloaded a program called Book Smart, and my project for the next couple of weeks is to sort all my photo's out so that I can create a pictorial record of our trip that will also include all my daily reports. I will post a link when it is finished.
Thanks for all the support, to everyone that has followed our journey. I have loved every minute of it.
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shanek, I do hope there is a sequel. Would love to read a trip report about the East Coast as well a a few days in LA. Thanks for the great report. Hope you can come back. Glad you are all home safe and sound.
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I'm so excited about the idea of pictures!
I think there are many of us who are sorry your vacation has ended.
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Best trip report I've read! you should be doing this as a job! Looking forward to the rest of your report!
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Sitting in my office, weeding my way thru 700 e-mails. I am going to ask you a personal question which may be considered rude so I'll understand if you choose not to answer. What is it you do for a living?
Glad you and your family had a safe journey home. How is the jet lag? Looking forward to your pictures.
Carry on please.
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Take your time 'fat pants' -you've earned a break and have given plenty. We will be waiting with anticipation. This is going be a wonderful resource for years to come.
Interesting, that Sandy was thinking of your profession also. I've read a lot of your journey to DH and he thought your profession was probably teaching, due to your eloquent writing style. 700 e-mails and an office doesn't sound like it. An editor? Regardless of what it is- you are one talented guy! And I like the mystery of not knowing.
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I awake to the sound of traffic. It is far too early, well before sunrise. It would appear that the prime position that I had selected for our last night had come with a down side. The noise from garbage trucks on Colorado Street, 6 floors below, easily penetrated through our windows. I really did not mind. It gave me some time to reflect on this past month and work on my journal.
When the sun came up, it did so with absolutely no competition from clouds or haze. It was to be a perfect morning in Southern California. An ordinary morning for most, but one that I will long remember. Our very last, of a road trip that covered 34 days, in which we had traveled almost 5000 miles. A trip of a lifetime, but hopefully something that we will repeat before too long.
Kerry was up just after 6am, and decided to go for a run. She enjoyed an hour or so of solitude, her escape from the 24 hour commitment of motherhood. When she returned, we discussed the idyllic views of the magnificent coastline that her run had offered her. Living four and a half hours from the ocean, it is a view that we will never take for granted. I wanted to run as well, but my efforts on Sunday had left me with a few small little niggles. It would not be a good idea to carry a strain into the 14-hour flight that we faced tonight. I decided to walk instead.
I embarked on my stroll, along the path that towers above the beach, heading north from the boardwalk. Many people were out and commencing their morning routine. I had a moment of forlornness. How could this be ending so soon? This experience was about to cease, replaced only be memories. As I continued to feel sorry for myself, dreading the ordeal of leaving this journey and returning to my beautiful house with my loving family, something that I saw put my position back into perspective.
A man, of a similar age to me, was standing on a corner. He was tying up small plastic bags, which contained his belongings, onto a box trolley. Everything he owned could be pushed along by a two-wheeled vehicle about four feet high. Strangely, he still seemed to maintain an air of dignity. His clothes were old and worn, but not putrid. He's hair was long and unkempt, but not wild. He was making the best that he could out of his means. I felt the need, in some little way, to have an effect on this mans life. It is difficult to place the emotion that I felt towards him. Was it pity? No, it was far complex than that. I was almost envious of his ability to rise above his current adversity. I doubt very much that I could have survived whatever misfortune that had led him to this.
I peered into my wallet and almost baulked when I discovered that the smallest note that I had was $10. Then I remembered spending more than this on a single margarita shaker last night. I folded the bill up tightly, walked over, and said to him "Hey Buddy, here's something for you" as I pressed the note into his hand. He looked down at it, and said " No Man. That's too much". I was lost for words at that moment, and all that I could come up with was "Just buy yourself a nice breakfast" and to this, he replied "Thanks. Have a nice day". I certainly would.
I called in at reception, on the way back to the room, to enquire into my request for a late check out. It would be nice to have the flexibility of having a nice brunch and some time to explore, prior to having to pack. It was suggested that I take advantage of a free membership to their "priority club". For the price of filling out a form, I would be offered a 2pm checkout. I considered this for about three tenths of a second. 2pm would be perfect. Kerry had the kids already up, and after a quick freshen up, we set off to the 3rd street promenade in search of brunch.
We were looking for something that screamed Americana for our final sit down meal of our trip. We quickly came across the perfect place. Johnny Rockets. It was far too beautiful a morning to eat inside, so we selected a table for four outside and enjoyed a very pleasant meal in a perfect position to do some people watching.
I commented to Kerry that there did not seem to be a middle working class in Santa Monica. Everyone that past us, apart from the obvious tourists, seemed either extremely well healed, or homeless. I watched a large scruffy man, setting up his busking location for the morning, immediately in front of the restaurant. He had a large sign that was placed in front of him. "I HAVE LIVED IN MY VAN, BY THE BEACH, AND PERFORMED HERE FOR 14 YEARS. I HAVE JUST WRITTEN A BOOK ABOUT IT. I AM LOOKING FOR PUBLISHERS" I would like to read that book.
We shopped a little longer and stumbled across the Farmers Market, set up on what would normally be the busy Arizona Street. The color, shapes and fresh smell of the produce mixed with the all the sound of buyers and sellers interacting was like a symphony of life. I really enjoyed exploring all the stalls and experiencing the passion showed on both sides of the market transactions. Producers, proud of their products and consumers, expecting the very best for their precious dollar.
Eventually, 2pm drew close, and we returned to then room and prepared ourselves for departure. Even taking an extremely conservative approach, we would not have to drop our car back before 6pm. If the process of getting reimbursed for the tyre that we replaced, and explaining the missing trim from the car took far longer than it should, this would still get us to the airport by 7.30, which was 3 hours before our scheduled departure.
We decided to drive Highway 1 to Malibu, have a quick look around, and then stop in at UCLA on the way back to the airport. We set a course for the main beach at Malibu, not really knowing what we wanted to find, it was really more about the drive. We past many a stunning stretch of sand and water along the way and by the time that we reached Malibu, we were less impressed by what we saw. We were forced to park at the Malibu Country Mart, across the road, as cars lined the highway and there were "Full" signs up on the beach side car park. It really was not worth the effort, there were plenty of better, less crowded options closer to Santa Monica.
I dropped in to the Malibu Kitchen, at the Country Mart, to buy some drinks, and came out with a chocolate chip cookie about the size of a medium pizza. We were not hungry, but I couldn't let the novelty factor of sharing the biggest cookie that any of us had ever seen pass. We noticed many signs that were proclaiming that the parking was not for beach users and that they would tow way any offenders. No one appeared to be heeding this warning as the lot was completely full and only a handful of people seemed to be wandering around the shops.
If Malibu was disappointing, our brief time at UCLA exceeded all expectations. The difficulty was getting there. It was around 3.30pm as we breezed our way back through Santa Monica, but after that, the freeway seemed to standstill. We inched our way along, wishing that we had selected an alternate route. I finally got to experience that famed LA traffic.
We got to UCLA just after 4.30, so we only had an hour to wander around and absorb this famed and iconic centre of learning. The buildings and tree-lined avenues of this huge complex are nothing short of majestic. I parked and we found the sporting precinct of the college. Even though it was holiday time, there were scores of athletes in training for several different sports. We made our way into Pauley Stadium, home of the UCLA Bruins basketball team and the Volleyball and Gymnastic competitions. I was struck with the atmosphere and history of this coliseum. The many pennants that hung from the walls told stories of battles won and lost. I will have to return one day and experience some action here first hand.
On the walk back to the car, we passed by a training session for the Football team and saw the huge tennis facility. I was conscious of the many champions that would have been produced by the system here and had no doubt that I had laid eyes on future stars. I would have loved to spend more time here but I was happy that I had the opportunity to see as much as I had.
The drive to National Car Rentals return office was much easier and we arrived with plenty of time to spare. More out of respect for the vehicle that had accompanied us on our journey, rather than necessity, we decided to give her a quick wash and vacuum before taking her back. I found a self-serve car wash and as we were putting the finishing touches on our mini detail, the song that we had heard many times and had become a bit of a theme song of our trip, Katy Perry's "California Girls" came on the radio. We turned the dial up full to compete with the "Duff-Duff" being emitted from the Pontiac next to us.
Everything from here went like clockwork. National were very efficient and had no qualms about subsidizing the tyre that I had replaced and made no mention of any charges for the missing piece of body trim. Their courtesy bus dropped us right outside the door to the V Australia terminal building and we had our bags checked in within minutes. Once again, we were directed to a shorter queue for our passport checks and we found a Burger King restaurant to sit and wait for our boarding call .Just like that, our Californian Odyssey was over.
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Now I feel like crying!
Thank you, shanek, for sharing your adventures with your Fodor's family. I look forward to your final reports.
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Hi SandyBrit and SOCALOC,
My present occupation is far more mundane than a Teacher or Editor.
Kerry and I own and run a franchised store that sells Electrical Homewares. Similar to a Circuit City. TV's, Washing Machines, Computers, Coffee Machines. Not all that glamorous, but we are blessed with having an excellent management team which makes it possible to get away quite often.
However, if Fodors are looking for a new travel writer, I would give it all up at a heart beat.
Hi sluggo,
It was difficult to write that last piece without having the tissue box close by. Sad that it has to end but I am enriched by the experience.
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Thank you, thank you for your wonderful report. I loved your excitement about everything you saw and did. Come back again soon.
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Clap, clap, clap. Standing ovation!
No matter where you travel next, we want to read the reports.
Please come back and visit us in California, too.
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Wonderful. I'm looking forward to your pictures, and your observations and comments.
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(I felt the need, in some little way, to have an effect on this mans life. It is difficult to place the emotion that I felt towards him. Was it pity? No, it was far complex than that.)
divine moment.
(I finally got to experience that famed LA traffic.)
Hey- we wanted to send you off first class. LOL
Not to be redundant but you sure know how to make people feel through your words...
I would have NEVER guessed your profession.
And MBnancy said it all!
Thanks a million Aussie Rock Star!
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Glad you enjoyed our state, Shanek!
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Another fodorite who enjoyed your trials and tribulations...hope you make it to the East coast next year, we have a lot to offer and it would be a whole different experience, culture and scenery wise! You are a wonderful writer!
I hope to one day visit your country too, just haven't made it that far, yet!
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A fantastic finish!
If you do spend a few days in Los Angeles next year, we'd better plan a GTG!
Thanks again, very much. This has been almost as wonderful a trip for your readers as it was for you and your family.
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The greatest trip report ever! I just happened upon this today and have read it all at one sitting--though I confess I skipped many comments from fellow readers.
One of the things that made it fun to read was your positive and accepting attitude.
I hope that some day you will be able to visit our beautiful Pacific Northwest.
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Sniff sniff. My vicarious vacation is over.
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This has been my daily read for the past weeks and I've been telling my husband about all your adventures
I hope you don't mind me asking, as our family will be travelling to SOCAL too this September, What kind of insurance did you get when you rented your car? If I'm not mistaken there are at least 3 kinds? What is the most necessary to get? I don't want to get all because its just way too expensive? What do you think is the most practical to get based on your experience?
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Thanks for a great report, I've enjoyed revisiting so many places, through your eyes.
Looking for the photos.
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Bravo! Terrific reporting. The time that goes into writing a report like this is substantial and very much appreciated.
Great journey... thanks for sharing it with so many.
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What a wonderful way to spend a lazy Friday afternoon traveling around with your incredible family. Thanks for the best trip report ever.
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Fantastic report! I stumbled across it as I was researching my own 'Aussie in America' adventure, what a brilliant resource you've become!
I'm traveling in October with my wife and three kids and doing the LA/San Francisco/San Diego/Yosemite thing. Your report was an exciting preview for me, wonderfully written and it was utterly refreshing to read such an account by an Aussie (complete with a reference to the mighty 'G!).
One thing shanek, how did you find the driving in LA? It's the only thing about the trip that I'm more anxious than excited about. It's not the traffic so much, more the left side/right side thing. From your account it seems like you took it in your stride.
Should I be nervous? Or should I just man up a little!
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Hi Kevlar35,
I loved the driving. It all makes sense when you are sitting on the opposite side of the car. I had more problems deciding which door to enter the car from than the actual driving part. I just made out that I was being the perfect gentlemen!!
When you are in traffic, you have something to follow but it requires a little more concentration when you are alone on the road.
Going to the "G" today to see the Tigers take on Carlton and have just finished showing off my California photos to the in-laws. I have almost finished collating them, with my re-written journal,into a book on blurb.com. I will provide a link when it is complete.
Thank you for reading my report. I would be more than happy to provide you with any further assistance to your planning.
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This is the California trip report to end all trip reports. From here on out, anyone with questions about California should be directed to Shanek and Stu Dudley. Just excellent and so moving. As someone else said, if you do come back to CA, please alert us so that we can all try to meet you and your family.
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Can't wait to get the link for your jourmal and pictures. Keep us posted.
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You wondered where the big cacti were..To see the saguaros, you would have traveled south in Arizona to Tucson where the Saguaro National Parks are located. YOu would have seen a few in thePhoenix area but needed to go farther south to see more.
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Shanek: Your writing style is amazing, entertaining and filled with info. I fell in love with it after the Beijing TR. I live in CA now and this one almost tops Beijing. Are you going to China this year?
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Thanks for sharing shanek. I loved this trip report. I might be taking a niece and nephew to Northern California next summer and I'll certainly be referencing your travelogue. I look forward to your book.
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Glad to see the Aussie Rock Star popped back in. Sure could use another uplifting trip report.
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Hi SOCALOC, Possibly no more trips to report on until next year, though I am working on a "business conference" aka junket to Bali that may happen in late November. Next year is looking like being a big one for travel with a family trip to either Sri-Lanka or Western Europe on the cards and a Conference in Fiji that has been confirmed for September.
Shanghainese, I was invited to Shanghai for a week by the media company that took us to Beijing last year but I just couldn't committ at the time due to a few staffing issues that I am dealing with. Have you read my TALES OF THAILAND report? I never got to quite finish that one.
I will go back to the USA, but it will most likely not be before 2013. Maybe we can all get together at some stage?
Sharona, Paula etc....right at this very moment, the first draft edition of my California Odyssey book is being uploaded to blurb. I will start a new thread with a link as soon as it is ready. My plan is to order a soft cover copy of this version and then make some alterations to the format before submitting and purchasing a hard cover "Coffee-Table" version. Who knows, I may even sell a few copies!!!
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Pictures! We want them!
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Bugger....I had just got half way through the upload and my modem dropped out. I have had to start the process again. I promise to have it available at some stage today.
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For anyone who hasn't seen this-
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Hi shanek,
Thanks for the reply. I've been drilling people I know who've been to the states about the driving thing, but only in an oblique 'I'm not really nervous' kind of way.
I'm more relaxed about it now and have booked a car for the entire LA/San Diego/San Fran section of my own holiday. I guess it's a little self-correcting if you're most likely to make a mistake when the road is empty!
I had a look at your book too, wow, really inspirational. It's a great thing now, but in thirty years it will no doubt be a family treasure.
Actually I'd better keep my wife away from that link or I'll end up banished to the hotel room for the entire trip, feverishly penning a pale imitation.
Maybe I'll just paste my pics over yours and she'll be non-the-wiser!
Thanks again for all your insights and the generous way you've responded to so many of us.
It's especially noteworthy because I'm a Collingwood supporter. Mate, that's some serious Karma points you've racked up right there!
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Hi Kevlar,
I am extremely envious of the position that you are now in. Not only are you about to embark on a trip of a lifetime, you also have another 4 weeks of football to look forward to before you go. Your "Pies" look like the real deal, but even if the dreaded "Colliwobbles" strike again, on that last Saturday in September, you will be able to shake it off the momment you board that plane.
Cherish every momment, seize every opportunity and hang on every experience!!!! Have a great trip and dont forget that your indicator and wiper controls will be on the opposite sides.
Go the Carringbush!!!
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I know it has been over a month since your last post. But somewhere in there, you promised a final post with a summation of sorts.
How does your US trip compare to others you've taken? Did your wife and kids' experiences match your own? Do they consider it time well spent?
What were your biggest surprises in regard to American culture? What do you think is the best thing about America, in general, now that you've been here?
Do you think we are arrogant, as some have claimed?
What was your most disappointing experience?
Just hoping to read your final thoughts. I've spent my entire Sunday reading your trip report from top to bottom, as I just somehow accidentally found it.
Thanks and "G'day!"
(PS I hope at some point, you and your family will discover my birthplace in the US and a very popular Fodorville destination... Chicago.)
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G'Day sarge56,
I was resigned to the fact that my now "historic" trip report had been sunk to the bowels of Fodors and I got a real buzz when I found that there was a new comment.
To think that my writings have caused you to spend a whole day absorbing my journey has just provided me with further justification for the time that I spent documenting my thoughts and experiences.
I did promise a summation but then got so caught up in producing my book, that this just got put on the back burner. I do, however, feel oblidged to briefly answer your questions and this may then inspire me to provide a more detailed epilogue at some stage.
*"How does your US trip compare to others you've taken? Did your wife and kids' experiences match your own? Do they consider it time well spent?"
This was certainly a very different style of trip to the many vacations that we have had since having children. We usually spend 3 weeks in Asia split by a week in a city and then 2 near a beach. This was more of a "journey" than a "holiday".
To be perfectly honest, Kerry was a bit apprehensive about taking this trip. As the itinerary kept expanding with additional stop-over points and fewer days set aside for relaxation, I started to be a bit selective about how much information about our trip that I would give her.
Most of her dread was ill founded, but she still got a little burnt out at times, particularly the "back-to-back" Theme park days. I can recall her making the comment "Here we go again" as we pulled into the car park at Seaworld, however, after her lethargy wore off, this became one of her favorite days of the entire trip.
There has been very few days, since we returned, that one of us hasn't mentioned some aspect of our trip and if you asked Kerry and the Boys now, there is very little of the entire 5 weeks that they would change.
*"What were your biggest surprises in regard to American culture? What do you think is the best thing about America, in general, now that you've been here?"
We were all very surprised just how family orientated many people seemed to be. Admittedly, this was magnified as we were travelling in school holidays, but it wasn't just about immediate family, there were so many groups that seem to travel with extended family, particularly in Yosemite and Tahoe. At the Crown Resort at Kings Beach, several groups had booked out mutiple rooms with the talk around the breakfast table centred around when Uncle Bob had turned up last night or when Cousin Phil and his clan were due.
We were also surprised about how safe and welcome we felt,everywhere we went. We really didn't experience any agressive behaviour or see anything that appeared dubious. I suppose I had my "Rose Colored Glasses" firmly adhered to my head, but everywhere that we went, we felt comfortable.
I cant really pinpoint what the "best" thing was about our time in America. We had so many great experiences that possibly the best thing was how few "bad" things we actually came across.
*" Do you think we are arrogant, as some have claimed?"
I have had times in our travels through Asia where I have found some American tourists to be obnoxious and arrogant. I must also say that some Australians can come across the same way. We arrived in America, half expecting to be driven crazy by what we perceived to be the American "superiority complex". In General, we found that they were not like that at all.
Yes they are a little loud and they do exude confidence. But certainly not arrogance.
We joked alot about how "precise" Americans are with communicating their intentions. For example, when ordering in a restaraunt, it is not seen as being sufficient to just ask for a Philly Cheese Steak Sandwich, the order generally will be along these lines " I TELL YOU WHAT, I THINK I'M GOING TO HAVE A PHILLY CHEESE STEAK SANDWICH, BUT COULD YOU HOLD THE PICKLE, SERVE THE SAUCE ON THE SIDE AND LIGHTLY TOAST THE BOTTOM OF THE BUN"
On other occasions, when listening to a conversation between a couple in the supermarket, instead of just saying to their spouse to meet them outside, it would go a bit like this..." YOU KNOW WHAT? YOU GO ON AHEAD. AND I'LL TELL YOU WHAT I'M GOING TO DO. I'M GOING TO WALK OVER TO THE LIQUOR SECTION AND PICK OUT A NICE BOTTLE OF WINE, PAY FOR IT AND THEN MEET YOU JUST RIGHT OUT THERE" Does any of this sound familiar?
I was also so impressed with how patient and curtious most people were, particularly whilst lined up for anything. You dont see many queues in Australia that dont contain at least some angst and agression. Americans seem so content with waiting in line. I had so many long conversations with wonderful people whilst waiting. And if someone wants to skip a little bit of the queue so to join up with a family member or friend, no-one seems to batter an eyelid. This sought of behaviour normally ends up in blows in Australia.
Americans are very proud of their country and culture, for good reason. I feel that I now "get" what they are about. You will not find more gracious hosts anywhere in the world, in my humble opinion.
*"What was your most disappointing experience?"
I was not dissapointed with anything we did, only that we didn't have time to do more.
I would probably adjust my timing a bit a travel in september rather than June/July next time, when crowds are starting to thin out a little.
I will certainly go back. I dont think that I have completely ticked all the West Coast boxes yet, but our next journey will be along the east and Chicago will undoubtably be part of our itinerary and I will make sure I get to a Bears game.
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Thank you SO much for replying! I hope that by topping this, some other wandering Fodorites might get to read your fabulous trip report! I so enjoyed reading it. Better than any book I've picked up recently.
You have a wonderful writing style and you really make the reader feel like they are there with you.
I am so very happy that you liked what you saw. I'm sure if you look at a map, you realize you might be 80 before you could manage to see all 50 of our beautiful states.
I have traveled America extensively, especially when I was younger. And I find many Americans, themselves, have not taken the time you did to see more than their own backyards. It really is a shame, because there is SO much to see that is amazing and beautiful and yes, even fun.
I look forward to your next "American" trip report!
Thanks again. And, was there a link to pictures? Or is that included in the "book" link above?
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The "Book" is still a work in progress. I have had a copy printed but there are many things that I still want to change before I have my "final" edition.
Here is a link to the current version....http://www.blurb.com/books/1544336
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Americans are very proud of their country and culture, for good reason. I feel that I now "get" what they are about. You will not find more gracious hosts anywhere in the world, in my humble opinion.
That's because you were BUZZED most of the time. LOL
Seriously, thanks for the kind words Shanek.
On the ferry from Victoria to Seattle, we chatted the entire trip with a 'mate', who had been traveling all through Europe, Canada, Africa and the US. He said the reason he liked American's was because you could pretty much say anything without people becoming easily offended. That was a nice surprise to hear, since my perception is quite different. It's fascinating to hear others' viewpoints.
Thanks again for making The West 'brand new' through your eyes!
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The pics were awesome, Shanek.
I have to say, I'm really happy you did this trip before heading to the US' east coast. You will find a whole other country on the east coast! hahaha
I'd shoot for the Pacific Northwest and the Rockies next trip. Then maybe Chicago to New York and New England/DC on a subsequent trip.
Then of course, to the Gulf coast (I live in Texas, but was born and raised in Chicago). Can't finish us up with a visit to Texas!
Thanks again!
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I just finished my own American adventure and loved every damn minute of it. Absolutely the trip of a lifetime and I'm already nostalgic for all the wonderful things we experienced and the warm welcome we received from the natives.
Quite a country you have there folks!
Shanek I just wanted to thank you again for the tips and tricks in your guide. We covered some of the same ground so it was very helpful and a great read to boot.
However, there was one key omission...In-N-Out Burger!
The US should build one of those in Afghanistan and Iraq.
They couldn't stay angry at you guys then.
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I was pleasantly surprised to see a new post on this thread.
I've been back for over 4 months now and still have fond memmories that flood back every day. I well up just a little, everytime that I hear Katy Perry's "California Gurls". Cheesy song, but it became a bit of an "Anthem" on our road trip.
I wish that we had tried In-N-Out Burger. It just sounded so cheap and nasty and we were a little bit worried about which orifice that the "out" was referring to. I have heard other positive comments about their food since our return. Doh!!!!
Thanks for the kind words kevlar. You are MOST welcome. Any chance of a little trip report? It would be nice to re-live the experience through another Aussies eyes. How did the driving go?
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They're cheap but definitely not nasty. The beef is fresh never frozen, there are no microwave ovens in their restaurants and the fries/veggies are sliced to order. Doesn't get any better from a fast food chain.
They hide Biblical passage numbers under their paper cups but I don't know if the food is kosher.
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Shanek, In n Out is good, for fast food. IMHO, their french fries actually taste like cardboard. Point is, you missed "an institution", but you didn't miss anything as far as the food goes. I'm told Five Guys' hamburgers are much better.
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Ditto sf's post. I never understand the hoopla about In-and-Out. Yes, it's better than BurgerKing or MacDonalds but that's not a very high bar. I certainly would not consider missing it an omission in a visit to the US.
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Maybe you're right, but don't forget the Aussie perspective!
We share many of the common fast food franchises (though there are some variations) however In-n-Out was a new one to me, recommended by a co-worker, and thoroughly enjoyed.
Given the long lines I'm thinking of lot of Americans don't mind the odd serve of 'Animal fries' either!
On that issue, while ordering, I was both happy and amazed to see one of the workers cutting up potatoes for the fries. Yep, the actual, grown-in-the-ground, non-frozen vegetable. I haven't seen that in a takeaway for at least...
Actually I'm not sure I've ever seen that.
The whole experience from the name to the long list of options at the order counter, to the uniforms and booths was just so fundamentally, well, American.
That's what I enjoyed most.
Was it the best burger on the planet? Probably not, but my experience there wasn't a foodie one, it was cultural!
Mind you I don't want to defend what is effectively a junk food outlet too much. After all, my original comment was only meant to be a throwaway line, not an actual suggestion for a diplomatic strategy.
Shanek I certainly found your report a wonderful read, and very inspiring. Maybe I'll get my act together one day and write a trip report. The trouble is I'll have to post it on some obscure website so that I don't suffer the obvious comparisons to your extraordinary effort!
As for the driving, well I just jumped in the deep end on day one and didn't look back. By day two I was cruising the freeways from Anaheim to LA without a second thought. In the end I LOVED the driving. One of many, many highlights for me.
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Our family is about to embark on it's own Californian Odyssey, unfortunately for only the half the time of yours shanek, but I thought it would be remiss of me not to thank you for your wonderful account of your own family's adventure!
With three children, 12, 10 & 8, it didn't seem plausible to me to undertake such a journey, but your recount convinced us otherwise.
Thanks to you we will partially be following a similar route to yourselves and have used a lot of your tips, hints and advice as inspiration to springboard off for our own adventure.
Just sorry to have missed seeing the final published product!
Thanks again!
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There are few trip reports that are as memorable as this one 5 years later! (edevee's adventures in NY come to mind)
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This report is a GO TO for anyone planning a trip to California, LV, etc. great info and plan.
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Hi MrsRogo,
How did your trip go? I have only just seen this post as I have not logged on to Fodors for some time. Hopefully you will post your report on here soon.
We have had to put our adventures on hold due to a few issues, but will start planning a new trip soon.
I still cant believe it was over 5 years ago, but it was great to see that my trip report lives on. I still read it from time to time when I need a little cheering up!
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ShaneK, long time, no-see on fodors! Good to see you checking in here, even if your travels are put on hold for a while!
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Hi Carol,
I miss my Fodors obsession but I find it hard to read and contribute to travel discussions when I don't have a date for our next trip. It's likely that we will do something small next year but my East Coast trip will have to wait until 2017 at the earliest.
You may be interested to know that Caleb's Kindle Fire is still getting a good work out . Thanks so much for your help with that.
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I was just going to ask about that! Haha.... Glad to know it's still giving Caleb good service.
Possible trip to Oz next year (very short one, from BKK) to meet the newest member of my Sydney family friends (since 1988).
Had a very close call with a life-threatening situation, but I am doing fine now. I'm living each and every day to the fullest after that very serious scare!
Hope you can travel again soon. I truly think that having my numerous trips planned ahead is partly what keeps me (kept me) going at a very tough time.
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Sorry to hear about your health. That puts my situation into perspective. I am very glad that you have fought your way through it. Travel experiences are certainly a powerful incentive to focus on!
Have a great time in Sydney. It's a fabulous city. We live about 600 miles west of there so we don't get to travel there often but certainly appreciate it when we do. We are moving a bit closer to Melbourne so if you do find time for a southern leg of your trip, please let me know and we can try for a mini GTG.
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Hi Shanek,
How are you? I really wanted to let you know that I loved your report on a Californian odyssey!! I randomly found this over two years ago when doing research for our very own USA road trip!! I used lots of your ideas and I appreciate all of your tips! I am obsessed with the USA and am always planning our next adventure. We went on our holiday two years ago now and not a day goes by where I don't think of this magical trip!!
I just loved reading your hints and what happened on your journey!!
Anyway, I've been meaning to tell you that for a long time now! Thank you!!
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Hi Kmcstath,
I only just came across your post as it has been a long time since I logged into Fodors.
Thank you for your nice comments about my trip report. I'm very glad that you found it useful. It has been a great way to preserve the memmories of our amazing 5 weeks. I've actually incorporated my photos and turned it into a "coffee table" book that I thumb through frequently. It's hard to believe that it was almost 7 years ago.
We too are planning another trip but have hit a few hurdles over the last 5 years so keep putting it off. We have been limited to shorter breaks and if we do the East Coast we don't want to rush it. Perhaps next year.
Enjoy your future travels.
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