World Tour - Californication leg...
In and around United States
So, we mopped and scrubbed our house, packed our backpacks and hit the road, landing in LAX airport on October 10, feeling slightly dazed and confused. Have we really managed to run away till August next year? Even as we sat on the plane the idea was still not really real.
Our homing instincts were to head straight for the coast, so Santa Monica seemed a good candidate. Little did Duncan know that this seaside beauty with its broad beaches, relaxed easy attitude and Sydney beach-side feel was not really a budget option (and unfortunately for the purse-watcher would have me yammering to come back - those moths have never known such freedom). As we walked the beach after a big nights much needed rest on our first day here i spied a beautiful hotel on the beach, which - I'm pleased to report - we residing in now on our next-to-last night in the USA, having now spent three weeks zooming up the highways and interstates of California, with a sneaky side trip to Nevada for Vegas and Arizona to see the Grand Canyon.
Here's a little flavour of what we saw. Watch out Guatemala and Central America - Ruge and Watkins are on their way!
Route taken and entries by Real Traveler Heids & Dunc
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1
Santa Monica to Santa Barbara and up the Pacific Coast highway
The Highway 1 or Pacific Coast highway was a drive we were looking forward to. Stopping en route in Malibu just after Santa Monica for a seafront h... Continue reading »
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2
Gold and ghosts...
Our circuit of California continued down the state line with Nevada, where we holed up in the kind of spit ´n´sawdust towns you´d never see on the... Continue reading »
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3
We left our hearts... (well, we liked San Francisco, anyway!)
San Francisco is a place of two halves. Up by the bridge its very tourist-orientated, but that said a bike ride along the bay and over the bridge,... Continue reading »
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4
Desert rats
The town of Beatty where we stayed after visiting Yosemite Park had Death Valley on its doorstep. We set off early to make the most of the park bef... Continue reading »
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5
Autumn views in Yosemite
Our detour to the ghost town of Bodie was well worth it, but I hadn´t quite anticipated how far the heart of Yosemite park was from the east entr... Continue reading »
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6
A long way down...
When we set off to spend a day at the Grand Canyon, we didn't expect to descend into it. But as well as a lot of peering over the edge of the great... Continue reading »
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7
San Diego
In Vegas, we got chatting with two San Diego residents in the hotel hot tub. The men were from Pacific Beach - or 'PB' as they called it - and were... Continue reading »
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8
Vegas, baby!
It´s hard to comprehend the size of the super-casinos on the Las Vegas strip until you find yourself desperately trying to get out of one. All arou... Continue reading »
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9
Steamy scenes in Lassen Volcanic Park
Many Californians seemingly never make the trip to this amazing park in the north but - despite the long journey - we were so glad that we did.
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First stop - Santa Monica
Santa Monica was our first stop - and after a very hard month getting it all together was I pleased to see the beach and the sun! Continue reading » -
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Wine tasting in Sonoma
We really enjoyed our brief stop at a ´Sideways´ winery just north of Santa Barbara, but as we were passing through more wine regions as we travell... Continue reading »
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