Day 1 – Thursday 24th April (Brisbane to Los Angelos) – The Longest Day
If it wasn’t for the ability to check in on line I think we would be still sitting in the airport. QANTAS have three flights scheduled to depart within 30 minutes of each other and when we arrived at 8:30am the queue extended beyond the roped off section. The pre-checkin line however was nice and short and within ten minutes we were making our way through immigration. After a somewhat longer time spent clearing immigration we headed off to the Coffee Club to enjoy a two for one flat white.
After boarding our rather new 747 I was nearly able to watch an entire movie prior to take off. It seemed that the engineers had to fix something that keeps the plane flying. Glad we are flying QANTAS and not Malaysian. In the end the flight was uneventful except for some severe turbulence early in the flight. Three movies and numerous snacks later we touched down in L.A. and my first visit to the United States of America. It is amazing that we arrived in L.A. nearly 5 hours earlier than the time we left Brisbane.
The immigration process was straight forward but was a little slow. It took about 45 minutes to process us which was just long enough for us to miss our LAX shuttle at 7:30am to downtown Hollywood. As a result of the first delay we were delayed even further with a 45 minute wait for the prime time shuttle. Another one hour and fifteen minutes in the shuttle van and we reached our destination at the Trylon Hotel. It was a little after 10:00am and check in was not available until 2:30pm. Surprisingly, for a mere pittance of $25 a room could be made available to us. After what we had been through for the last three hours it was well worth the extra money just to get rid of our bags and have a hot shower.
Our goal today was to stay awake until at least 8:00pm so we could sleep through the night and get over our jet lag. To accomplish this we headed off to Universal Studios for some thrills and entertainment. It was a short $16 taxi ride, tip included to the front gate. To overcome my issue of queuing, which I hate with a passion we purchased some front of line tickets.
We traversed the walk of fame looking for the names of stars that we were familiar with. Some that I remember were Harrison Ford, Jimi Hendrix, Al Jolson and Bob Hope to name just a few. Dinner was at a Mexican restaurant where we had a front row seat to watch the passing parade of locals and tourists. The sad part was watching the homeless searching through rubbish bins for plastic bottles, cans and if they were lucky a half eaten McDonalds hamburger. We more saddened than threatened as we watched these poor individuals moved on by what was a very strong police presence. One could nearly compare Hollywood with the Fortitude Valley. After our meal we sauntered up to our hotel on Franklin Avenue for a well deserved sleep.
Day 2, Friday 25th April – Sightseeing with Joe
At around 8:30 we eventually awoke from our slumber and rolled out of bed ready for dynamic action. Our good friend Joe Forgiarini is going to be our tour guide for the next three days and has graciously allowed us to bunk at his place in Moreno Valley which is about half way between Los Angelos and Palm Springs. I barely had time to snap a shot of the “HOLLYWOOD” sign as Joe was spot on time for our 9:30am pick up.
After brunch we parked on the edge of the Pacific Ocean overlooking Santa Monica pier. The view was great but with the chilly wind blowing there was no one swimming in the choppy water. Just like the movies the expanse of sand between the road and the ocean was well over 100 metres. A highlight was where Santa Monica Boulevard (love the song by Sheryl Crow) meets the sea as it is the end point for the famous Route 66. A great walk along the beachfront and it was back into the car for a drive down Santa Monica and Whiltshire Boulevards. A highlight for Alice was a slow drive up Rodeo Drive where the rich and famous shop till they drop. Fortunately, I had Alice’s credit card safely locked away. (Yeh dream on, David)
After a quick look of downtown LA and with the light fading, along with the occupants of Joe’s Ford Focus, we headed out onto the freeway system to do battle with the Friday rush. There was a lot of stopping and starting as Joe snaked his way from one freeway to another en route to his abode in Moreno Valley which was approximately 100 miles away. After what seemed like a long drive we pulled into his apartment complex where we waited for his son Andrew and Liliana who used to live with us at Kawaku Lodge. After a hearty meal at Sizzlers, they are exactly the same as ours at home we bid Liliana farewell and headed home for a goodnights sleep.
Day 3, 26th April – Operation Desert Storm
“I’ve been through the desert on a horse with no name” which was recorded by the band "America" would be a great song to start today’s adventure.
A slower start to begin the day as we are heading off to the Palm springs area (Coachella Valley) and for a picnic with the Sunline Transit Agency where Joe is employed as the Director of Transit Planning. Along the way we traveled through the Badlands which is a windy mountain pass and into the valley which passes through the towns of Beaumont and Banning. The valley is surrounded by 8000 foot mountains that are snow capped. As we approached the community of a Thousand Palms where Sunline has its headquarters we were engulfed by a sand storm. You could hear the sand hitting the car like a tropical rain storm and it is a wonder that it did not blast the paint off the car.
Sunline had hired the local community hall which was fortuitous otherwise we would have been eating sand burgers. Joe introduced us to his colleagues who made Alice and I feel welcome. Andrew had a great day as he participated in the softball game, sack racing and the more important egg hunt. He did collect a fair bounty and was more than happy to share with Alice and I. For the bus nuts Sunline produce their own CNG and Hydrogen for their five fuel cell buses. They also on sell their fuel to the public. Not bad for a company with a fleet of 69 buses.
After lunch we hit the desert highways to the city of Palm Desert where we travelled up the street of El Paseo which is the desert equivalent of Rodeo Drive. These communities are beautifully laid out and maintained which makes it a haven for retirees. From here we headed to Palm Springs via the cities of Rancho Mirage and Cathedral City. Again this city has a lot going for it with many hotels, restaurants, golf courses and a benevolent acceptance of the gay community. In fact this weekend Palm Springs was hosting the “White Party” which is a festival focused on gay men. In late March the lesbians get the Dinah Shore weekend to party.
After Palm Springs we headed west towards Moreno Valley and stopped at the Cabazon Premium outlet mall. Although Alice thoroughly enjoyed our visit to Sunline I am sure she would have been ecstatic to have spent the day trolling through the numerous outlets that inhabit this site. As it was Joe and I managed to spend a few dollars at the Columbia Sports store outlet where the prices were very competitive. If the discount stores cannot separate you from a few dollars then the casino, which is on Indian reservation land, will. As a footnote Alice did not spend a shekel here.
On arrival at Moreno we went to the Stater Brothers supermarket (IGA equivalent) to pick up a few supplies for dinner. We ended up purchasing a big slab of Atlantic Salmon for about $15 a kilo and some vegetables. The bulk of our expenditure was spent on for bottles of Freixenet Cava (champagne) at $6.99 a bottle and a six pack of Black Butte Porter from Deschutes Brewery in Oregon for $7.99. Alice cooked up a superb meal of marinated Honey Teriyaki Salmon with pan roasted vegetables and green beans which was beautifully plated on Joe’s fine china dinner service. The four of us declared the meal a winner.
Day 4, 27th April – Redemption Day in Carlsbad and San Diego
Alice was disappointed that she did not have ample time at the outlet store in Cabazon to do it justice so she has pleaded with Joe to give her the opportunity to explore the options that the Carlsbad premium outlet stores may have on offer. Joe who is exceedingly kind and helpful has acquiesced to her plea for retail or should I say wholesale therapy. The drive down to Carlsbad was approximately 85 miles.
Like yesterdays drive we are amazed by the rugged beauty of the terrain and the beautiful small towns that blanket the hills and valleys. Joe is a walking encyclopedia and is able to impart a lot of local knowledge that he has gained from living here and working as a transport consultant. We had to be careful not to bore Alice and Andrew with too much bus talk. Prior to hitting the discount stores we drove through the village area which was dotted with small beach cottages. The drive along the esplanade gave us a great view of the beach and the rolling Pacific waves. Unlike LA there were plenty of diehard surfers attempting to master the waves. We then drove through Carlsbad’s version of the Moorooka magic mile of motors before reaching the premium discount stores. The shops were bordered by a pick your own strawberry field and a hill that is aptly named the Flower Fields. It is covered with different flower types and set out in patterns that highlight the different varieties and colours. Enough of this as Alice had some serious shopping to undertake. While the boys were relaxing at the Subway store Alice managed to purchase a pair of shoes from Skechers and a beautiful pair of coral jeans from Ralph Lauren.
With our shopping and eating out of the way, we headed to Andrew’s mothers house in Encinitas. It was good to see Liliana again and just as sad to say goodbye. Back on the freeway again and we motored south to San Diego for some more sightseeing. The airport is located in the downtown area and it was amazing to see all the incoming flights skimming over the tops of the city buildings. It was reminiscent of the old Hong Kong airport. We came into the edge of the city centre at Petco Park which is the home of the Padres baseball team as well as the City’s homeless population.
The downtown area of San Diego has been largely rejuvenated with new upscale apartment buildings that complement the surrounding area. There is also a light rail system that travels through the downtown area and then heads down to the Mexican border a mere ten miles away. Maybe next time we will spend a day in Tiahuana. We did notice a few tattoo parlours which owe their popularity to the nearby naval bases.
On the waterfront you can visit the USS Midway, a retired aircraft carrier that has been converted to a museum or take a ferry across the bay to Coronado Island. We opted to drive across by taking the massive bridge that has a high arch to accommodate the large naval and cruise ships. The guard rails at the top of the bridge were only about 600cm high and I suspect that it is a favourite spot for jumpers. Joe managed to snag a parking space right on the waterfront. This allowed us ample opportunity to watch the sailing boats, ferries and the numerous planes landing at the airport. The real estate on the island is quite valuable as it is all so close to the water. There were many beautiful old bungalows that reminded us of places like Golden Beach. After sipping on a quiet coffee we headed back into the City for a trip up to Balboa Park.
Joe was surprised when we were caught in a traffic snarl at such a late time in the afternoon. It turned out that it was closing time for the world famous San Diego Zoo and some Earth Day festivities at Balboa Park. The traffic was at a standstill and was exacerbated by the inadequate skills of a very large team of traffic controllers on point duty. It could be best explained as organized chaos. Eventually, we made it to the parking lot for Balboa Park. Joe was correct in his assumption that this is a must see attraction.
The Park is home to 15 major museums, performing arts venues, lovely gardens and many other cultural and recreational attractions. Many of the attractions and much of the stunning architecture is the legacy of the 1915-16 Panama –California exposition that marked the opening of the Panama Canal. The El Prado pedestrian walkway features highly ornamented Spanish-Renaissance style buildings which reminded Alice and I of the architecture in Granada and Alicante, Spain.
At 6:30pm we were ready for the 90 minute drive back to the Moreno Valley. Unfortunately, the controllers were still playing and that somewhat delayed our departure. At around 8:00pm and with our bellies rumbling we pulled into the local In and Out Burger shop. Even at this hour on a Sunday night, the cars for the drive through extended out onto the main road. We opted to eat in and I could understand by the simple menu and the price why this diner chain is so popular. I had the double, double which set me back $3.30. Drinks, fries and burgers for the three of us cost under $15. The other reason for their popularity is that everything is cooked fresh, no frozen beef patties here. When we left our table was quickly snapped up by another horde of ravenous diners. The queue for the drive through still extended out onto the road. Unbelievable! It was a nice way to end a great day.
Day 5, 28th April – Moreno Valley to Seattle
Our bags are packed and Joe is ready to take us to the Ontario Airport which is approximately 20 miles away. Joe has been a great host and has driven us 100’s of miles showing us his part of the world as only a local can do. He even gave up his comfortable double bed for Alice and me. It would be easy to spend a couple of weeks in this region of California as there is so much diversity with the things you can see and do. We said our reluctant goodbyes at the airport and by 9:10am our bags were checked in. It was lucky that I had read the small print on our Alaskan Airlines ticket as our checked luggage attracted a tariff of $25 per bag. The security check in for this domestic flight was more thorough than our international flight. If I had to take much more off I would have been naked. Our flight departed on time and we should be in Seattle at around 1:00pm. No meals on this flight but we did get a free packet of pretzels and a couple of cups of coffee. It is a bright sunny day and the view from the window of snow capped mountains, lakes and the surrounding countryside is awesome.
On arrival at Seattle Alice and I will endeavour to master the public transport by taking the light rail system to the downtown area. We will then try and navigate our way on foot with directions courtesy of Google maps to tour hotel the Kings Inn. A very impressive name which I hope it lives up to for the next two nights. Our travelling partners Julie and Tony arrived yesterday and should be over their jet lag by now. The weather report is for a mild day with a 10 percent chance of rain with improvements over the following days. All looks good for a pleasant stay in Frasier-land.
I was amazed by the orderly manner in which the Americans disembarked the plane. There was no rushing as row by row they gathered their luggage from the overhead compartments and made their way to the exit door. Our luggage was waiting by the time we reached the carousel which was about 15 minutes after landing. It was then only a short walk to the light rail system where we were charged the princely sum of $5.50 for the two of us. There are only about 10 stops and it took about 35 minutes to reach downtown Seattle. Our Google map only made one mistake as when we were walking to our hotel we passed another stop on the light rail system. We could have alighted at this stop and reduced the walk to our hotel.
Day 6, 29th April – Seattle by Land and Sea
It is another beautiful day in Seattle and there is not a cloud in the sky. There are clear views of the snow capped peaks and of course the space needle. We must have hit a rich vein of weather as it apparently rains for more than half of the year. It was perfect weather for walking so we took a long stroll along the waterfront prior to catching a Washington State Ferry across to Bainbridge Island. At a cost of $7.85 for the 70 minute round trip it is a cheap and great way to get a good appreciation of the Seattle waterfront and Puget Sound.
Day 7, 30th April – North to Alaska
A good hearty breakfast at McDonalds and then it was off to catch the light rail from Westlake Station to the airport. I thought we had allowed plenty of time but he check in process turned out to be a nightmare. We did the manual check in, paid our $50 for our two bags and then waited in the slow moving line to deposit our bags. It took so long that we missed the 40 minute deadline to deposit our bags. The nice lady informed us that it was highly likely that our bags would not make the flight but would be on the next flight to Juneau. She did give us the option of catching the next flight as well. I declined her gracious offer and remained calm in spite of my inner turmoil. It would have been much faster for them to have checked us in as they had to reissue our baggage receipts again.
As our aircraft approached Juneau our flight path brought us between snowcapped peaks that reminded me of the flight into Kathmandu. Alice remarked that the mountains looked like giant blobs of chocolate sprinkled with icing sugar. When we alighted from the plane, once again in orderly fashion I was mightily relieved to find our luggage on the carousel. We are staying at the Driftwood Lodge which offers a free pickup from the airport but alas there was no pickup when we arrived. We grabbed a taxi which cost about $25 and I was surprised when the driver suggested we ask the hotel to pay. Much to my surprise the hotel came to the party and coughed up the stipend. That means Tony and I can have a few more Alaskan beers. We are really happy with our rooms as they have a great view of the mountains and have cooking facilities.
After settling in we took off for a walk along the waterfront. It is a little surreal as most of the stores are closed or doing touch ups in order to be ready for the start of the cruise season which starts tomorrow. We ended up having a late lunch at the sawdust covered Red Dog Saloon. The weather is still holding up and the sun is so bright that we needed to lather and cover up. Our last task for the afternoon was to pay a visit to the local IGA which is only 100 metres from the hotel to purchase our dinner and breakfast supplies. Tony and I can almost smell the smoky bacon that will on tomorrow morning's menu. Alice has chosen salmon for our dinner tonight. Well it is almost 10:00 in the evening and the sun has finally gone down which means an eventful day has come to an end.
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