Los Angeles

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Trip Start Sep 03, 2007 Previous
Entry Trip End Jun 17, 2009 Next
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  Los Angeles, California, United States
Thursday, November 15, 2007

An early start. We ate at 'Denny's', a chain like the Little Chef. I ordered grits, which I have wondered about ever since I saw Granny Clampett cooking them. The were like a rough, literally gritty oatmeal and were quite tasty, especially with the thick cream that they came with.

We refueled and set off down I15 towards the end of the Mojave Desert. Petrol - we were paying around 3.3 dollars a GALLON, which is about 35 pence per litre. Now that I can handle !!

The desert valley widend and the mountains gave way to rolling hills. We were stopped at an "Agricultural Security Check' and asked if we were carrying any fruit or vegetables. A polite 'no' and we were on our way again. We tended to share the driving, with Norah taking the morning shift and then me taking over in the afternoon. This also gave Norah the chance to sus out the proposed evening's lodging.

We passed 'Barstow' and turned south west rolling towards the greater Los Angeles area. We wear polarising spectacles and also both have permanently tinted glasses for driving, as the polarisers do not work behind the car's glass. We changed places so that I could pilot the final attack run in and my trusty navigator prepared herself with the maps. She changed her glasses so that she could read the maps better inside the car.

We had thankfully seen nothing of the fires that had ravaged the area a few weeks ago but as we approached there was a light brown mist enveloping the city under the blue sky. We could not decide if this was due to the fires or was the famous LA smog.

OK - Who`'s got the map?

Los Angeles is made up of six cities that have fused together into one enormous urban sprawl. It is criss-crossed with interstates and freeways, some up to five lanes wide in each direction. There are junctions every few hundred yards and this results in trucks, pickups and cars all travelling at 60 mph (plus) and weaving about in a great wacky races.

My nav had selected her best route and I read out the street names and road junctions as she gave me instructions for the route and turn offs. The names I was seeing did not quite match the instructions I was being given but we raced on and eventually reached the target. We had chosen a trusted Best Western at 'Redondo Beach', which is roughly in the centre of LA's coastline. Once parked I came to change my glasses but both cases had Norah's glasses in. YES - she had navigated all through the maelstrom wearing my glasses. No wonder the street names were different!! At least the gods still loved us.

I had had a dental problem for a few days, no - it wasn't the grits. A search and then visit to a dentist solved the problem and left us a few hundred dollars lighter.
We did a quick shop at a local store and I found my favourite Spanish rioja, which you can hardly find in England and which cost 5 pounds a bottle. Petrol and wine - makes you start to think doesn't it?

We decided to have a laundry and internet night, which is why I'm getting a bit closer to date and then a late supper at the harbour. Madame wanted a Coors light and I asked for a dark beer.

Mojave Drsert

They had Guinness and.......... So I sat in Los Angeles and drank draught Newcastle Brown !! Am I cosmopolitan or what??

Distance driven 196 miles

Friday 16th
We were having a car free day and had booked on a 1030 tour of the city. We were woken at 0700 to be told that the 1030 was cancelled and did we want the 0830 or the 1230 ? As we were already awake we opted for the 0830.

We were collected from the hotel by a grumpy old man who had definitely not had his happy pill. He tutted away as we bumped and swayed round the other hotels collecting more unfortunate punters. Thankfully he was only picking up in our area and we transferred to another coach and set off to see the sights.

We visited 'Marina Del Rey', which is the largest man made marina in America and where some of the 'Baywatch' scenes were filmed. There were seals playing in the harbour and cormorants, egrets and pelicans flying around and perching on the pontoons. 'Venice Beach' where the bohemian types hang out - of course we fitted right in here! 'Sunset Strip' - yes it does exist, 'Santa Monica' beach and boulevard - that was a pretty area, 'Beverley Hills' - smart but expensive, 'Rodeo Drive' shopping street - mega expensive, 'Farmers Market' - which was a busy market stall area with lots of eateries. Everyone was getting ready for Christmas. 'Hollywood Boulevard' and the 'Walk of Fame' - where there are 2000 brass stars with names set in the sidewalk and 'Grauman's Chinese Theatre' where the mega stars have left their foot and hand prints in cement.

Santa Monica Beach

The latest were the 'Harry Potter' cast done this last September. I was intrigued by how dainty 'Susan's' hand and footprints were - but nuff said, that's my fantasy !!! Madame squared this by having her photo taken with Steven Seagal's prints - oh well, each to their own ! And of course the big 'Hollywood' letters on the hillside. This was originally done as 'Hollywood Land', back in the 30's (?) by a real estate agent who wanted to sell off some land. A storm took out the 'Land' and the rest is history.

Saturday 17th
We wanted to look at 'Long Beach' in the south and drove down through the'Palos Verdes' area, this was a really pretty area right on the coast. 'San Pedro' was a unattractive urban area and then 'Long Beach'. There may have been a beach there once but now it is a gigantic port and shipping area with thousands of shipping containers stacked in an enormous maze of roads and creeks. We were looking for "The Queen Mary' and saw her three funnels once before getting lost in the maze. After over an hour driving round, without any signs, we gave up and eventually found our way out ! On the road back to the city we passed a cordoned off liquor store surrounded by over a dozen cop cars. The cops all had guns or rifles drawn and there wasn't a movie camera in sight - this was for real !! Who needs LAPD on TV ??

We spent the afternoon relaxing in the hotel pool and hot tub, then a leisurely walk round 'Redondo Beach' and marina. A great fish supper in the harbour key area watching the California surf roll in before a good night's sleep.

Sunday 17th
We took the car back to the rental at the airport. Total distance driven in the 20 days was 3146 miles - a very interesting trip to some fascinating places.

We (eventually) caught a bus to the Amtrak 'Union Station', which was across town and well away from the city and airport frantic madness. At LA airport there are great systems for buses and travel connections - we ( and many other lost souls) just couldn't find anyone who knew what they were !!

Tonight we catch the train for New Orleans. I ask all our dear readers to pray to the great god, Amtrak to give us a good loco, straight rails and no bloody cobbles !!!

Post your own travel photos for friends and family More Pictures

Couldn't find no. 77	Guess Where ?	Redondo Beach Pier	Up Close ?
For the Trekkies.	For Harry's fans.	Union Pacific Station	Spanish Gardens

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