Best Western Big Country Inn Coalinga

... goodbye to some friends at the hostel, programmed the sat nav and South I went. I was booked into a Hostel in San Francisco the following day so had all of today and tonight to drive up. Newport beach was the place I wanted to go, I followed the directions spouted by the sat nav and there I was... Newport at least. Followed the signs for the beach and not for love or money could I find the fecker ...

We found a great couple to stay with in Hanford, a good stopping point between LA and San Francisco.

We enjoyed a nice evening with them and they mentally prepared us for the cold we were about to experience camping & were kind enough to send us on out way with an additional quilt in hand!

BUH! JA da isser wieder! so naja war ja eine Woche in Phoenix rumgurken.. dann hab ich mal nach Reisemoeglichkeiten Richtung Westen umgeschaut und tataaa alles viel zu teuer ein flug richtung San Francisco um die 170-200$, Greyhoundbus 120$ und 18 Stunden fahren pfuideife!!! aber ich hab erstmal ned aufgegeben dass ganze internet durchzu forsten.. siehe da eine sogenannte "share your ride" seite gefunden, wo leute mitfahrer fuer laengere Strecken suchen um Sprit und ...

... invention and thinking outside the box. An above ground aqueduct or man made river has been constructed to connect resevoirs and natural stream beds that travel over 600 miles from the mountains to the cities on the coast. Everyone benefits. My pix show one of these resevoirs. You can see the "river aqueduct" every once in a while in the upcoming photos as we travel through the mountains and valleys. Ahhh...finally out of the valley of ...

... I am also discarding an old pair of "flip-flops, a big cotton towel, (I have two smaller ones), and a big green 10 year-old lower sheet, which has served me well as the lower sheet in both of my VW buses. It has served me well, and I used it on the trip up to protect the rear set from my bicycle. It has served me well, it is almost see through, has men mended a couple of times and has a couple more tears from the sprocket on the ride up. I am up early, as usual. The travelpod ...

Now this is when we realised we should have actually bought a proper road map instead of the using the free one we got (but did we, no of course not, we are men and know instintively where everything is, it is a gift!!!). Eventually found the hostel we were looking for in Monteray which was pretty sweet. I loved Monteray but it thing ...

... Vader is walking around, so i grab his picture, he doesnt look happy, still reeling from the loss of both legs obviously! Next we head to Beverley Hills and Rodeo Drive where the stars all shop and live. This is followed by a visit to Santa Monica Beach and Venice Beach where Arnie Schwarznegger used to hang out, its nice don't want to leave but 'I'l be back'!...maybe Back at the Hotel now writing this, killing time before my flight tonight to Fiji, cant wait ...

Day 18 We woke and rose early this morning in order to be out of the Chaminade gym before 6:30 (they hosted sports camps at that time). So, we migrated to the parking lot to watch their football practice, use their track, and play Frisbee, while waiting for the moderators to come back with food stuffs for breakfast. After breakfast, we traveled to Reagan Library, the only event planned for the day. We made it there in time for our ...

Lifeguard training was fun. A bunch of aussies and one kiwi. Was quickly introduced to American breakfasts of danishes, pastries and other sweet breads... really healthy stuff! I'd done my Bronze Medallion at school and have pretty much always been close to the water growing up, but I'd never done much lifesaving stuff. It was great! Like a little subculture - strict on both physical and mental ...

... much frisbee in the car park you can take before it gets boring so we gave up and resided, slumped, in the very uncomfortable chairs in the station. After many apologetic announcements the Coastal Starlight arrived, we boarded, and once again slumped into our, much more comfortable, seats for the relatively short journey to Santa Barbara. It was bizarre seeing all the same scenery as before but in reverse. At 8 pm we arrived at the college town of Santa ...