Dylan has a work conference in Long Beach so we decided to go out early and enjoy ourselves for a few days. Dylan has never really been to the West Coast so we figured we would do some site seeing while enjoying the weather and all that California has to offer.
We arrived Thursday afternoon and after getting settled, we had dinner at 555. Oh my goodness, did we enjoy a great meal. Everything was unbelievably delicious! From the bread and salad to the steaks and mac and cheese, and how could I NOT mention the chocolate souffle?!?!? Needless to say we were STUFFED!
Sun coming up.
View from the room on the Long Beach Port. The big ship is the Queen Mary, which is a tourist attraction for the area. We didn't get to tour it but we had a good view of it.
Friday we rented a car and decided to drive up the Pacific Coast Highway. First we stopped at Venice Beach...
Art on the beach
Skate Park on the beach. We had to take this one for Tross.
Pretty Palms on the Beach
Loved the mountains in the background
Walking down Venice Beach, checking out all the shops.
We stopped for a little snack at one of the sidewalk cafe's so we could relax and enjoy the ocean view for a bit.
After hanging out on Venice for a few hours, we got in the car, put the top down, and got back on the PCH, we drove up through Santa Monica, to Malibu. On the way, we passed Pepperdine University. I have no idea how anyone can actually go to class if they attended that school, or any school on the west coast. The campus was beautiful!
We stopped for some lunch at Paradise Cove.
We stopped for some lunch at Paradise Cove.
Sun starting to set over Paradise Cove
Dylan relaxing on the beach. While we were relaxing, there were two dolphins just jumping around in the ocean.
Leaving Paradise
Dylan liked this chinese looking house at the top of the picture. It was right off PCH.
After enjoying our afternoon in Malibu, were were headed to Hollywood. We took Sunset Blvd all the way from PCH. It was a long but scenic route. Driving through Beverly Hills, we passed Kelsey Grammar, as well as the Google Maps car but that's about it as far as star spotting for the day. Dylan missed both, not that either are anything to really even mention. We made it to West Hollywood, and headed towards the Hollywood sign. We drove up Mullholland Drive so we could get a good view of the sign as well as the LA area overlook. It was beautiful.
Hollywood sign...A little history for you...It used to say Hollywoodland but a mudslide took out the LAND. The next 2 pics were all taken from the same spot as this one. Just 3 different directions. This was the East view.
View of the ocean as the sun is setting. West view.
LA Basin, South view. The view really was beautiful from where we were. I just googled good places to see the Hollywood sign and then picked one. I think I chose a great spot!
My good camera died after the last pic of the LA area so the rest are either from our point and shoot or our phones. It didn't even cross my mind to bring the camera charger...Bummer!
After the overlook view, we were headed back to Santa Monica to check out the Santa Monica Pier. I have been to LA 3 or 4 times prior to this trip and have never been to the Pier so this was at my request. A little more history for you...Santa Monica Blvd is part of Route 66, it ends on the Pier, which I didn't know.
Remember what movie this was from???
The famous ferris wheel
On the Pier with the ferris wheel in the background.
When we woke up Saturday it was so foggy. We had planned to take the ferry to Catalina Island and hang out there for the day then maybe catch a movie since that is foreign to us these days, but with the weather that didn't make sense. I decided to call some spas because that just seemed like the logical thing to do. ;o)
After I successfully made our last minute massage appointments...I checked out Craigslist for Lakers Game tickets...*Small Side Note* The night before there was a commercial for the Lakers/Celtics game, which was Sunday afternoon in LA. The Clippers played Saturday night so I just assumed the Lakers (Dylans favorite team) were playing away. You know what assuming does. Watching a Lakers game at The Staples Center is on Dylan's list of lifetime goals. With them playing the Celtics, how could we NOT go???
I emailed a few people about some tickets and decided to wait, if something came out of it, great, if not, then oh well.
The weather was beautiful once we left the spa, not a cloud in the sky and the sun was shining nice and bright so we decided to start walking back to the hotel, we made it about 2 miles and spotted a city bus. We decided to walk on the wild side and hopped on. We gave the driver his $2 (vs the $25 we would have paid for a cab) and were on our way. Not the safest experience but we made it to the hotel alive.
Now, back to the Laker's tickets...We offered less than what the girl was asking so she accepted as long as we came to pick them up. You never know if Craigslist stuff is legit or a scam but so far I had a good feeling. We decided to rent another car to drive to Valencia, which was over an hour away. On our way we stopped for dinner at In N Out Burger, which was good but I don't see what all the fuss is about.
The girl gave us her home address, pretty trusting girl. It was a nice area but we still decided it would be better to meet in a more public place so we found a Starbucks near by and made the trade there. Dylan was acting like a little school boy from that point on. Giggly and so excited!
Sunday was the big. After a great breakfast at The Omelet Inn, we went to the airport, dropped off my bag and then headed to the Staples Center. The tickets we had were in the Premier Section so we got to go through the VIP entrance, which had no line. The game was a blast. Lakers fans are so into the game and excited. It was very different than the Mavs games we have been to. Apart from the basketball players, Shaq, Kobe, Pierce, Rondo, etc., we saw good 'ol Jack and one of the Shannon twins that Hugh Hefner dated. She was there with her boyfriend Sam Jones III, who I had no idea who he was, but apparently he was in Smallville and some other things. I only recognized them because paparazzi were taking pictures like it was Michael Jackson back from the dead or something.
After I successfully made our last minute massage appointments...I checked out Craigslist for Lakers Game tickets...*Small Side Note* The night before there was a commercial for the Lakers/Celtics game, which was Sunday afternoon in LA. The Clippers played Saturday night so I just assumed the Lakers (Dylans favorite team) were playing away. You know what assuming does. Watching a Lakers game at The Staples Center is on Dylan's list of lifetime goals. With them playing the Celtics, how could we NOT go???
I emailed a few people about some tickets and decided to wait, if something came out of it, great, if not, then oh well.
The weather was beautiful once we left the spa, not a cloud in the sky and the sun was shining nice and bright so we decided to start walking back to the hotel, we made it about 2 miles and spotted a city bus. We decided to walk on the wild side and hopped on. We gave the driver his $2 (vs the $25 we would have paid for a cab) and were on our way. Not the safest experience but we made it to the hotel alive.
Now, back to the Laker's tickets...We offered less than what the girl was asking so she accepted as long as we came to pick them up. You never know if Craigslist stuff is legit or a scam but so far I had a good feeling. We decided to rent another car to drive to Valencia, which was over an hour away. On our way we stopped for dinner at In N Out Burger, which was good but I don't see what all the fuss is about.
The girl gave us her home address, pretty trusting girl. It was a nice area but we still decided it would be better to meet in a more public place so we found a Starbucks near by and made the trade there. Dylan was acting like a little school boy from that point on. Giggly and so excited!
Sunday was the big. After a great breakfast at The Omelet Inn, we went to the airport, dropped off my bag and then headed to the Staples Center. The tickets we had were in the Premier Section so we got to go through the VIP entrance, which had no line. The game was a blast. Lakers fans are so into the game and excited. It was very different than the Mavs games we have been to. Apart from the basketball players, Shaq, Kobe, Pierce, Rondo, etc., we saw good 'ol Jack and one of the Shannon twins that Hugh Hefner dated. She was there with her boyfriend Sam Jones III, who I had no idea who he was, but apparently he was in Smallville and some other things. I only recognized them because paparazzi were taking pictures like it was Michael Jackson back from the dead or something.
This was just a chair in the lobby of the hotel that I liked. ;o)
Walking up to the Staples Center
Magic Johnson Statue
Same statue, just wanted to prove that I was actually there.
Heading to our seats
Tip-Off
I left the game about 30 minutes early and caught a cab to head to the airport. Dylan stayed to the very end and then went back to the hotel for the business part of his trip.
California didn't disappoint. Dylan said he enjoyed his time and for all the last minute plans we made, everything worked out perfectly!!!
3 comments:
wow..way warmer there than here! Love the pics and looks like a blast! Enjoy the rest of your trip.
I'm sure California is an exciting place for you young people. We've been there three or four times, spending two weeks there once. I was glad we could raise our kids in the "naive" midwest. It was fine for a place to visit, but wouldn't want to live there.
Paradise Cove!
Nice pics. I need some sunshine on my face. I forget what it feels like.
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