Friday 16 November
Happy Birthday James xx
Well off we go. After a last walk down The Boulder (Highway) and doing a bit of shopping in Walmart we finally left Las Vegas. Drove along the I-15 into California crossing miles and miles of desert. Not a particularly good day but it did improve as the day went on. Stopped for lunch at an old 50's diner on the old Route 66 called Peggy Sue's - a big attraction, very authentic in its décor and collectibles. Had simply delicious burgers and curly fries.
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| Peggy Sue's Diner, California |
Travelled a few miles up the road to the ghost town of Calico, an old gold mining town nestled in the mountains. The day turned out bright and sunny and we enjoyed an hour looking at the old town and its buildings.
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| Calico, California |
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| Calico, California |
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| A bottle house, Calico, California |
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| Calico, California |
Did some more miles and ended up in the town of Esperia, I think it must have been a commuter suburb for Los Angeles which is about 50/60 miles away. The traffic was simply appalling so booked into the Econolodge at 60 dollars a night.
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| Econolodge, Esperia, California |
It was neat and tidy, so rested up before walking down the road to a sports bar for a beer. Came back, ordered pizza, watched some TV and bed.
Saturday 17 November
Good night's sleep and woke up looking to find somewhere to stay around Santa Barbara but horrified at prices which seem to jump up at the weekends. Got some breakfast from the little buffet and set off about 10.00 a.m. Weather forecast is awful for today, there's a lot of rain in store. Travelled through more wonderful desert with the Joshua trees dotting the barren landscape and the beautiful mountains ever present. Had a look at Ventura, our first Pacific beach town (coast to coast again this year from Miami to here) but weather not good so decided to drive the 30 miles to Carpinteria. Had a walk on the beautiful but windswept and cloudy beach before carrying on through Santa Barbara and then inland. Weather terrifying, so much spray on the road and rain so heavy we couldn't see a thing. I hope we're doing the right thing here, there's so many people and so many cars, it's always busy - I think small town America is long gone for us. Drove another 50 miles through beautiful wine growing countryside until we pulled off at Los Alamos and pulled into the Los Alamos Motel at 68 dollars a night.
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| Los Alamos Motel, Los Alamos, California |
It was OK, had a crap bathroom but we need to sleep somewhere and Dave was tired from the awful drive. There are a couple of little bars so its good enough for the night. Had a chat to Mia on Skype - it's been ages - and then walked down the road to The Ghostwalk - had a fun night with good drinks, good jukebox and a lively atmosphere. Home for more junk food and bed.
Sunday 18 November
Good night's sleep but this really is a shoddy motel for 68 dollars per night. Left about 10.00 a.m. and the weather is foul again with grey, miserable skies - heavy rain and low cloud, all a bit miserable and depressing. Wish we could turn back the clock and be back at Sam's Town going to Sunday football at The Longhorn. Drove the 81 miles to Morro Bay, a pretty little harbourside town we visited last summer and pulled into the Travelodge at 50 dollars a night.
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| Travelodge, Morro Bay, California |
Thankfully, the rain had stopped and the sun was shining by early afternoon. Walked down the hill to the harbour, around the bay and spent some time simply looking at the awesome Pacific Ocean with its pounding waves - magnificent. Saw some sea otters and delightful little squirrel-type creatures playing on the rocks. We also noted that its nice to be back in the land of the pelicans again. Came back around the harbour and saw a huge group of sealions basking in the sunshine.
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| Morro Bay, California |
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| Morro Bay, California |
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| Sealions basking, Morro Bay, California |
Sat and watched the world go by with a couple of beers before sitting on the harbour with fish and chips watching a wonderful sunset - Lovely afternoon.
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| Morro Bay, California |
Today's been nice, its nice to revisit little Morro Bay, we liked it on our first visit and we like it again now. Back early evening for a quiet night in front of the TV.
Monday 19 November
Woke to a bright sparkling morning and left about 9.30 a.m. Drove out of Morro Bay and picked up Highway 1, the very first trans-Pacific highway. Its a memorable coastal journey, the fierce Pacific, the pounding waves and the bright turquoise/green ocean. Stopped off at San Simeon again (we'd been there last year) and had the privilege of seeing the majestic and huge elephant seals in their hundreds on the beach - a very special sight. From there, we stopped off at a few viewing points whilst driving the 70 mile coastal highway.
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| Elephant seals at San Simeon, California |
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| Elephant seals at San Simeon, California |
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| Rental car on the Pacific Highway, California |
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| Views from the Pacific Highway, California |
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| Pacific Highway, California |
Highway 1 is carved out of bedrock 500 feet above the ocean, the road winds spectacularly around the mountains and the views are dizzying. Thankfully the weather was glorious and there were no signs of the mists and fog that plague the coastline. Stopped off for a sandwich on the beach before driving into Monterey and booking into the Days Inn at 60 dollars a night. The room was big, light and airy and by far the best we've had yet. We went out about 4.00 p.m. and wandered down to Fisherman's Wharf and Cannery Row. The ocean and harbour looked beautiful in the late afternoon sunshine. Went to Sky McFly's for drinks and then had a couple more in the Britannia on the way home before ordering Domino's pizza and cinnamon bread.
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| Cannery Row, Monterey, California |
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| Fisherman's Wharf, Monterey, California |
Monterey was a small Mexican town before the US took over and it became the first capital of California before Sacramento. It was also home to John Steinbeck who wrote his famous novel Cannery Row about the rough and ready workers of the seafood plants and canneries. It re-opened in the 1970's and is now home to bars and restaurants and teems with tourists instead of fish.
Tuesday 20 November
Good night's sleep in a huge bed. Up lateish and had breakfast before ringing James and Mum and then heading off for the 40 miles to Santa Cruz, a quintessential Californian beach town 75 miles south of San Francisco. Its sited at the foot of thickly wooded mountains beside a clean sandy beach and is home to the Santa Cruz Boardwalk, one of the last surviving beachfront amusement parks on the West Coast. The day started off bright and sunny but it didn't last and the clouds came rolling in although the temperatures aren't too cold. Seaside places never look the same with grey skies though particularly on a Tuesday in the middle of winter - in other words it all looked a bit drab and depressing. Pulled into the America's Best Value Inn & Suites at 56.00 dollars per night which was only a couple of blocks back from the Boardwalk and ocean - small but tidy.
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| America's Best Value Inn & Suites, Santa Cruz, California |
I went for a walk along the Boardwalk, then out along the pier watching the dozens of sealions cavorting in the sea - great to watch them however many times you do it, they're so funny.
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| The Boardwalk, Santa Cruz, California |
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| Murals at Santa Cruz, California |
When I got back Dave not well with sickness and the runs so unfortunately couldn't go out to eat which was a bit of a shame as there were some lovely seafood restaurants on the pier and I fancied a munch. We went out for a walk late afternoon, nothing open for me to get a takeaway so got some crisps and chocolate, watched Jack Frost, a very good Christmas film, and bed.
Wednesday 21 November
Left about 10.00 a.m. and drove the 40 miles to Salinas passing acres and acres of agricultural land. This is the artichoke capital of the world as well as one of the world's largest salad crop producers, along with Yuma in Arizona - the crop is grown in California in the summer and Yuma in the winter. We're off to stay with Dean and Laurie for a few days at their home in Salinas, we met Dean on our first trip here when he worked in Yuma for the winter and we were there for several weeks over Christmas and early January - it's one of the warmest spots in the whole country during the cold months and becomes inundated with snowbirds. We arrived early afternoon, sat chatting until Dean got home from work and then had a lovely evening sat around the table drinking and chatting.
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| Dean and Laurie, Salinas, California |
Laurie's son, Nick, arrived from San Francisco about 10.00 p.m. and we all carried on until the early hours of the morning - great night and great company.
Thursday 22 November
Happy Thanksgiving Day to all our American friends.
Beautiful day, sunny and warm, so went for a walk around the block once I got up. We were all up a bit late and think we're all a little fragile this morning so I came back and had a little nap. Nick prepared a feast for Thanksgiving - a huge turkey, cranberry jelly, a wonderful stuffing, green bean casserole, pumpkin pie and more. Laurie's Mum arrived with her beau Harold and his son Eric and we had a had a very happy day altogether.
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| Laurie and Nick, Salinas, California |
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| Dave and Dean, Salinas, California |
We ate at about 6.30 p.m., not a lot of drinking going on today but a few shots of Jack Daniels went down well. Nice day in lovely company and very happy to be here. Bed about 11.00 p.m., did a bit of reading and had a good night's sleep.
Friday 23 November
Stayed in bed and finished reading a book until about 9.30 a.m. A blue-skied warm, sunny day again and we sat around chatting until having a late breakfast. Later we went into town to see Skyfall, the latest James Bond film. The cinema was packed and, unfortunately, we had to sit in the front row so not ideal but manageable. Devoured a massive tub of popcorn and thoroughly enjoyed the film - Daniel Craig is an excellent Bond in my opinion. Straight home for some turkey sandwiches, some TV and a nice quiet night.
Saturday 24 November
Good sleep. Dave and Dean went out for breakfast and I got up about 9.00ish. Had peanut butter on toast with Laurie - so delicious and my first peanut butter for years, I used to eat it by the jarful but try to keep away from it now, it's such a moreish taste. Went for a walk around the rural and very quiet streets - really couldn't live here although they have a lovely house, it's far too quiet for me though. Noticing, for the first time, a hint of autumn with leaves blowing from the trees and crisping up on the ground. We were also quite shocked to hear that Salinas has quite a strong gang culture with a 97% Hispanic population. The main language is Spanish and there are hundreds of violent deaths each year. We went out late afternoon to the Penny Farthing, a Brit pub in downtown Salinas. A nice few hours spent drinking too much, eating rubbish bar food and chatting to the bar staff who were good fun. Astounded to received a 250 dollar bar bill though. Left the car in town and got a taxi back, watched a bit of TV and bed.
Sunday 25 November
We were advised and persuaded to stay for another night, apparently the traffic will be appalling today as everyone heads home after the big holiday weekend. Quite glad too as Dave was quite hungover and probably wouldn't have been wise to drive. Had a lovely quiet day reading and watching TV. Dave and Dean went out and bought massive steaks which were barbecued late afternoon and then we sat watching films - a nice, peaceful day. Ready to move on tomorrow but will be sad to say goodbye. Two weeks today we'll be in New Zealand.
Monday 26 November
Left mid-morning. It's been great but its time to move on. Drove south down the 101 through the endless miles of agricultural land with the ever-present mountains lining the valleys. Skies are blue and the sun is warm, the rich colours of the trees looking golden in the autumn warmth. Drove about 160 miles and pulled into Pismo Beach, another small Californian surfing beachside town which we had visited for the first time in June of last year. There's a small downtown with a few surf/souvenir shops and a handful of bars and restaurants. Pulled into the Blue Seal Inn just two blocks back from the beach for a price of 57 dollars a night. It's OK and will do for its handiness.
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| Blue Seal Inn, Pismo Beach, California |
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| Beach murals, Pismo Beach, California |
Had a lovely long walk along the beach and pier - must be so nice to be able to do this every day, it certainly gives you a real 'feelgood factor' and must enhance your day I'm sure.
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| Dave walking the beach, Pismo Beach, California |
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| Pismo Beach, California |
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| Pismo Beach, California |
Had a couple of beers before picking up fish, shrimp, chicken strips and fries taking them back to the motel for a delicious feast. Lazy night in front of the TV - nice.
Tuesday 27 November
Drove about 180 miles from Pismo Beach to Santa Monica through more endless miles of cultivated fields, past mountains and along the one and only Pacific Coast Highway, one of the most famous roads in the world.
Stopped for a picnic lunch on the beach at Ventura before driving along the coast through Malibu to Santa Monica. Quite an experience, multi-million dollar homes nestle in the mountains and line the coastal highway - oh how the other half live, almost too beautiful for words. The Los Angeles smog was a haze in the distance and the sky never really seems to be blue although the sun is shining. A thoroughly enjoyable drive and when we arrived in Santa Monica, saw the pier and the amazing beach, we decided to stay the night so we pulled into the Ocean Lodge Hotel, a little motel one block back from the beach - 92 dollars a night which is a reasonable price here for a nice room in a great location on Santa Monica Boulevard - a name which has inspired many a song.
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| Ocean Lodge Hotel, Santa Monica, California |
Santa Monica is perched on palm-tree shaded bluffs above the blue Pacific Ocean. It was once a wild beachfront playground but its now a healthy and liberal community with a large British and Irish expatriate community. It is most famous for its long, wide beach and its beautifully restored old pier.
We wrapped up as it was a bit chilly and went across the road to view the ocean - it's everything you expect and we had a great few hours walking the beach, going on the pier, watching the sunset and watching the beautiful keep healthy - rollerblading, speed walking, jogging, you name it they were doing it.
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| Santa Monica, California |
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| Santa Monica, California |
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| Sunset over the Pacific, Santa Monica, California |
Walked from the beach to Ocean Boulevard which is very cosmopolitan full of trendy boutique hotels, shops and restaurants, it's a very attractive area, we just loved it. What makes one place/city feel right and another not - I'm not sure but Santa Monica definitely feels right. Amongst all the trendy expensive hostelries we found the King's Head, an English pub, shop and restaurant and had a great few hours playing darts, buying Maltesers and Bakewell Tarts, being tempted with a Daily Mail (but not actually buying one - no paper for us in six months), drinking Kronenburg and having fun with some of the locals.
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| Santa Monica, California |
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| Playing darts with the locals, Santa Monica, California |
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| Maltesers and me, Santa Monica, California |
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| The British shop, Santa Monica, California |
We were very sensible and didn't have 'just one more drink', bought some food, walked home and watched Christmas Shrek. Perfect, have loved it here.
Wednesday 28 November
Quite sorry to leave this morning and had a walk along the beach before we went - a bright, blue, sparkling morning. Drove through Los Angeles on the frightening multi-laned highway (18 lanes), horrified by the sheer amount of traffic and constant lane hopping - it's too big and too noisy in California, bring back the one-street towns of small town America. Eventually pulled off the highway at Oceanside, about 80 miles away, and looked for a motel. Drove a few more miles along the coast to Carlsbad Village and pulled into the Surf Motel just across the road from the beach and in the middle of the little town. 85 dollars a night but a nice room with a little balcony and a lovely pool although not much sun on it at this time of year.
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| Surf Motel, Carlsbad Village, California |
Went walkabout through 'the Village' . It's more German than surf and it's a little bit twee and pretentious, full of wineries, bistros, chocolate shops and galleries with a couple of out-of-place looking surf shops thrown in. It's pretty though but it just doesn't feel as if the ocean should be there. Met Dave for a walk on the beach, sat on the promenade in the sunshine and watched the world go by. Dave's foot is really bad and it has been for a few days (he says it's not gout) so decided to have a night off from drinking. Picked up a KFC, watched TV and read - nice.
Thursday 29 November
Had a good sleep and nice not to have to get up and move on. The forecast wasn't good and it's not, rain and cloud so we had a lazy morning reading and skyping. Heard that I have a new great-nephew, little Oswald (to be known as Ozzie) so good news. Went out for a long walk along the beach late morning and met an elderly Englishman who lived there for 5 months of the year. We walked the beach together and he told me that his wife had died there this time last year - he was very sad. The day turned greyer and wetter so we went to Oceanside, a little beach town a few miles away, and watched Lincoln at the cinema. Came back, dumped the car and did a bit of a pub crawl ending up in the Ocean House - we had a fun and pretty drunken night. Picked up some awful microwaveable fast food on the way home, watched some TV and bed. Had a nice time.
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| The Ocean House, Carlsbad Village, California |
Friday 30 November
Well the last leg of our journey in the United States starts here as we will probably get to San Diego today. Another grey, warm day but I think it might rain so it seems a bit pointless to stay somewhere on the beach, we might as well get there. Drove the coast road, the surf was amazing and we saw literally hundreds of surfers in the sea. The forecast is not too good for the week ahead which is a bit of a shame as San Diego lends itself to bright skies and sunshine. Pulled into the Pacific Inn and booked a room for a week, not a bad room and its in Little Italy which is very central to downtown and only a block from the harbour and bayside, it also has good access to the buses and train station.
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| Pacific Inn, San Diego, California |
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| Little Italy, San Diego, California |
Had a walk around the area before having a delicious lunch of fresh fish and chips on the bayside. The heavy drizzle started - please bring the blue skies back soon. Had a long chat to Mia before walking into Little Italy for food. There's a nice pub with traditional English food so Dave ordered steak and kidney pudding and I ordered chilli (I know that's not very traditional but it was what I wanted), however it was awful and I refused to pay, had a glass of wine instead. Anyway a quiet night but nice. Looking forward to the next week here.
Saturday 1 December
Had a bit of a disturbed night as Dave was having a bit of a tantrum about somebody upstairs having their air conditioning on - the fact that we have spent the hottest summer on record here and been surrounded by the sound of air con all night/every night in any RV park we've been in, seems to have passed him by. Anyway he really pissed me of so not too happy in the morning. Had a lazy few hours before walking up the road to the Santa Fe train station to check out the Amtrak which will take us to Los Angeles next week. It's such a pretty station with its Spanish style buildings, tiled mosaic walls and rows of palm trees. The tall Moorish archways of the Santa Fe Railroad Depot were built in 1915 and it has a real grandeur to it. Dave had a wander around while I walked down to the Embarcardero which runs a mile alongside the bay. The day was sunny and breezy and the views across the bay are wonderful. Walked past the USS Medway which shows off a collection of naval hardware and weapons and is open to the public - it was visited by us last year. Sat and watched the world go by - kite flyers, musicians, mime artists, street theatre - all busy, busy on a lovely weekend afternoon.
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| The Embarcardero, San Diego, California |
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| Bayside, San Diego, California |
Went back to the motel and then wandered up to Little Italy, saw the Christmas lights go on and then did a bit of a pub crawl before getting back about 9.00 p.m. Had a little chat to Mia before reading and bed. We're off to Point Loma tomorrow if the weather is clear - it's a good viewpoint to watch migrating whales and it's the right time of year so fingers crossed.
Sunday 2 December
Got up lazily and went for a walk around the bayside before driving the few miles to Point Loma. Point Loma and the Cabrillo National Monument marks the spot where Juan Cabrillo and crew became the first Europeans to land in California, albeit briefly, in 1542. There are startling views across San Diego Bay to downtown and down the coast to Mexico, we hadn't visited before so it was a joy to be there. Had a wander around, visited the Visitor's Centre and the Old Lighthouse before watching for migrating whales but, sadly, it wasn't to be.
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| Cabrillo National Monument Park, San Diego, California |
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| 'Views across the Bay', Point Loma, San Diego, California |
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| The old Lighthouse, San Diego, California |
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| Cabrillo Monument, Point Loma, San Diego, California |
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| Point Loma, San Diego, California |
Left there and drove down the coast to re-visit one of our favourite places in San Diego, Ocean Beach. Ruled by the Hell's Angels in the 1960's, it is a bohemian, laid-back little beachside community with quaint old-time streets and shops, it has preserved much of its ramshackle appeal and character and we love it there. Parked up and walked to the beach and out along the pier. It was busy on a beautiful Sunday afternoon and there were many people on the beach watching the few surfers who were able to manage the huge waves, many the size of houses - we watched in awe, felt the power and tasted the spray. Walked along the pier, ate lobster omelettes, watched the awesome waves, felt the pier shake with their strength and felt fortunate, sometimes life is so good.
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| Ocean Beach, San Diego, California |
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| Ocean Beach, San Diego, California |
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| Ocean Beach, San Diego, California |
Got back about 5.30 p.m. and went for a pitcher of beer at The Princess in Little Italy, a lovely balmy evening so sat out in the lovely evening air. Nice end to a nice day. Came home, watched some TV and bed.
Monday 3 December
A warm night again and woke to a grey, muggy day. Went for my walk around the Bayside before taking the car back to the car rental office. About midday we caught the train to Ystridis, a little town at the end of the line on the Mexican/Tijuanan border. It's about a 45 mile trip which we hadn't completed before. Ystridis is a typical little border town as is the area around it - a lot of cheap trailer living and poor shanty houses and like a lot of border towns it has a bit of an edgy feel to it.
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| Ystridis, California |
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| 'To downtown Tijuana', Ystridis, California |
There was a walkway over the border into Tijuana but the border guard told us it would take us 3/4 hours to get back in so decided against that. It is a hugely dangerous border post though because of the amount of drug trafficking which goes on there - Tijuana is an almost lawless city and it was a thrill to be so close.
We then got the train back to the Gaslamp District, the sixteen-block area which was San Diego's original city centre before it became a notorious red-light district. It is now filled with smart streets lined with cafes, antique stores, art galleries and, of course, 'gas lamps' - now powered by electricity. It still retains much of its old charm even though it is a little artificial in places but the old buildings are gracious and the district itself is buzzing. We went on a bit of a pub crawl although we did mean to have a nice meal in The House of Blues but there was no live music on a Monday night so decided to give it a miss. Many beers, margheritas and vodka and red-bull's later we wandered back to The Princess in Little Italy, had another beer whilst waiting for steak and kidney pie and sausage and mash to take home - we needed food. Watched a silly Christmas film before crashing.
Tuesday 4 December
Whilst exploring the old city yesterday there are definite visions of 'the haves and the have-nots' in San Diego. It appears, and I'm sure it is, a city of real wealth, it's home to the Pacific fleet and brings in vast amounts of tourist dollars but the numbers of homeless people begging and sleeping in the streets is staggering. I wonder if its to do with the climate - San Diego has its own microclimate so its neither too hot or too cold and maintains a manageable temperature all year round.
Got up after a warm night and went for a little walk before getting the train to Old Town and then the bus to Pacific Beach - nice weather but a chilly wind. Had a long walk down the High Street looking at all the vintage and thrift shops before reaching the beach. It's yet another lovely little beach community, known to the locals as PB and it reminds me a bit of The Gloucester Road - stayed here for about 3 weeks one winter before we flew home and it was then that we fell in love with San Diego. It's a bit more of a party town than Ocean Beach and is home to masses of students and young people during Spring Break (Easter to us). The ocean-front walk is a boardwalk running the length of the beach. Met up with Dave and enjoyed a pitcher at one of the many beach-front bars, always a good spot for people-watching - the ever-present golden Californian beauty (male or female) can always be seen rollerblading, jogging, power walking or cycling along the front - wonder when we'll be doing this again! Got the bus back to the Gaslamp District and had a great night. Found a great little bar with some good blues on the jukebox - beers, shots and laughs.
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| Gaslamp District, San Diego, California |
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| Dave, Lani at The Little Star Bar, Gaslamp, San Diego, California |
Walked back to Little Italy for designer burgers which were divine. Took them home and sat in front of the TV watching 'Titanic' which made me sad thinking of Mia who cried for days after when we went to see it at the cinema many years ago.
Wednesday 5 December
Had a bit of a lazy, nothing day. Dave went out for a few hours to ride all the trains on their different routes around the city, it turned out at about 120 miles. I went for a walk around the Embracadero - lots of sunshine but a chilly wind. Decided to have a sober day for a change so ordered Domino's pizzas and cinnamon bread and watched a film. Talked to Mia, can't believe we'll be with her next week. SeaWorld tomorrow.
Thursday 6 December
Another warm night but got up to a bit of a misty morning. Caught the trolley to SeaWorld. Had a good day and a good time to go as few people around hence no queues - like a lot of things now though it would have been slightly more enjoyable with a 'little person' in tow. We watched the 'Shamu Show' with orca whales and a dolphin show - they were both very entertaining but it left us with the same feelings of it 'not being quite right' that it had when we took the children to SeaWorld in Florida many years ago. Played with the gorgeous stingrays, saw the sharks swimming around menacingly in 'The Shark Encounter' and was fascinated to see beluga whales, huge walruses (or is the plural walrus) and polar bears in 'The Wild Arctic Exhibition' - totally wonderful to see all these magnificent creatures, many of whom are rescue animals but they should really all be somewhere else. Still we had a good day.
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| 'The Shamu Show', SeaWorld, San Diego, California |
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| SeaWorld, San Diego, California |
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| 'Wild Arctic Exhibition', SeaWorld, San Diego, California |
Left about 5.00 p.m. and caught the bus to The Gaslamp and went back to the Little Star Bar we liked so much. Had a few drinks and a bit of a chat - it would be a great little local if we lived here. Hoped to pick up delicious fish and chips on the harbor but it was closed so ended up with an average burger. Nice day.
Friday 7 December
Had a work day - walked to the laundry with all our washing and then tried to pack our cases - loads of stuff left behind again. Caught the train late afternoon to Washington Street, a nice little area a couple of miles from Little Italy. Had a drink in The Shakespeare, an English pub, before going on to Old Town for a nice meal out - steak for Dave and Mexican for me. Nice, quiet night.
Saturday 10 December
Got up and walked to The Gaslamp and Macy's to get some jeans for Dave. All looking nice and Christmassy with decorated fir trees and an ice rink. Came back, dumped the shopping and caught the trolley to Ocean Beach for a last walk along the sands. Beautiful warm, sunny day and lots of people on the beach, surfing and shopping at the Christmas market.
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| 'Christmas Market', Ocean Beach, San Diego, California |
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| Ocean Beach, San Diego, California |
Had a beer before going back to The Gaslamp for last drinks at The Star Bar with Lani (the barmaid) before last fish and chips from Anthony's on the harbor and home. Bye bye San Diego, we've loved every minute.
Sunday 11 December
More packing anxiety before getting a taxi to take us just up the road to Santa Fe Train Depot. The cases were weighed in for the Amtrak and we were still massively overweight so we had to re-distribute or, in other words, Dave had to get rid of a coat, shoes and some bits and pieces - feel a bit guilty as he has hardly anything left! Anyway we had a nice ride up to Los Angeles - it takes about 2.5 hours and hugs the coast much of the way until you reach the outskirts of the city. Walked over to the Mexican Village across the road when we arrived at Union Street Station - full of life and colour on a Sunday market day and was great to watch the local people dancing in their wonderful costumes.
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| Union Street Station, Los Angeles, California |
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| Mexican Village, Los Angeles, California |
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| 'A little beauty', Mexican Village, Los Angeles, California |
Had a wander around and some liquid refreshment before retrieving our luggage and getting the bus to LAX airport late afternoon. Checked our luggage in but our hand baggage was overweight so after all our hard work we had to check one in at a cost of 70 dollars - so very sick of luggage and packing at the moment. A very small terminal to our surprise so not much there but had a pizza and a beer whilst waiting for our 10.00 p.m. flight to Auckland, New Zealand.
To sum up our American experience - we've travelled thousands of miles through mountains and forests, deserts and valleys, along beautiful coastlines and in small towns and large cities. We've seen scenery staggering beyond belief and we've met people who will live in our hearts for ever. Our livers are *****ed, our funds are depleted and we've developed an unhealthy obsession for a good burger and 'my friend Jack'. From the very bottom of our hearts America, thank you, it's been a real buzz.
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