Third Day In Hollywood

17 October 2014

Weather: Sunny and 23C

We had an early start, as this was the last day of the six weeks in the USA and Canada and we had still a lot to do before flying home in the afternoon.  Okay it wasn't that early I was up at 5:00 am and we checked out of The Charlie at 6:00 am.

Justin drove us to Palmdale where we had a guided tour of the Joe Davies Heritage Airpark.  Our guide was Paul, who had previously worked for NASA and Lockheed.  The forty-five minute tour blew out to two hours as Justin had so many questions which Paul could answer.  Justin says that this tour was a major highlight of our trip.  Thanks Paul!  The tours are free but you can make a donation via their website www.cityofpalmdale.org/Airpark .

Joe Davies Heritage Park, Palmdale.

After the tour, we had a quick look at SkunkWorks planes by walking around the outside perimeter of the grounds.  We managed a couple of photos from the other side of the fence as it was not open at that time of the morning.  We had already gone over time at Joe Davies Heritage Park, meaning we had less time for Six Flags Magic Mountain.

Skunk Works Lockheed Martin

Justin drove us to Valencia for Six Flags Magic Mountain.  Justin is into rides but I am not, so my job was to stand in the queues and once he finished his ride, he would join me in the next queue. This worked well as we had limited time and Justin wanted to go on all the thrill rides before we left.  He got to go on all but one of the rides because there was a mix up on where to meet towards the end and we lost each other for about an hour.  Justin had also talked me into going on a less scary ride.  It might not have been scary for him, but I was still terrified.  Luckily I can not remember which ride it was as it might be embarrassing to admit that I found it scary. 

Six Flags Magic Mountain Sign

Justin pretending to be scared of the ride

BATMAN The Ride, Six Flags Magic
Mountain

Goliath, Six Flags Magic Mountain

At 5:00 pm Justin drove us back to Los Angeles to the Hertz Rental to return the SUV and to get the shuttle bus to the LAX Airport.  We boarded our flight back to Australia where I wrote the last entry into my travel journal.  Due to a busy day and trip in general, the travel notes did not make sense at times.  The flight back to Brisbane was far more enjoyable than the journey over.  I had some unexplained stomach pains which lasted for some hours on the flight over.  Usually a flight home seems to last forever unlike the flight to your destination.  We landed in Brisbane safely and spent some time with family before driving six hours back to where we lived.

Second Day In Hollywod

16 October 2014
Weather: Partly cloudy & 23C

In the morning, we parked at the Hollywood & Highland Centre for two hours while we bought souvenirs from the Hard Rock Café and did a tour of the Dolby Theatre.  The tour of the theatre was interesting and we were stunned at how small the theatre is.  It looks nothing like what we see on tv, the actresses really wouldn’t want to wear full skirts.

Justin trying on the shirt
he bought from the Hard
Rock Cafe

Me acting the starlet on the staircase
to the Dolby Theatre

After the tour Justin drove us to Santa Monica, detouring through parts of Beverley Hills to check out some houses.  On arrival at Santa Monica we parked near the pier and were given free parking.  The previous person parked before us had only used half an hour out of the two hours they paid for.  We walked along the pier, took photos and had a hotdog before walking along the beach.  Justin tried out the equipment at Muscle Beach, no miss leading it looks like the kid’s playground.  We were surprised at how much sand there was before you reach the Pacific Ocean and they have timber walkways to keep you from getting your feet sandy.

Santa Monica Pier

Santa Monica Beach

After our beach adventure, Justin drove us back to Hollywood, this time detouring into Bel Air.  What did we see?  Hedges and only glimpses of houses. 

Back in Hollywood we visited Hollywood’s Rockwalk which is a music shop which has hands and signatures of influential musicians as pavers that you walk on.  To add to the music experience, we visited Amoebas Music (music exchange store) with new and used music, videos and much more, plus live music.

Hollywood's Rockwalk

Is Justin in Aerosmith?  His hand fits
perfectly

We then drove along Hollywood Boulevard to get video footage on the Go-Pro.

For dinner, we went to Marix Tex Mex where Justin had a burrito and I had the scrimp soft shell tacos.  We spent the evening packing our bags and scrubbing the soil and vegetation from our hiking shoes/boots.  

Burrito from Marix Tex Mex

Scrimp Soft Taco

First Day In Hollywood

15 October 2014
Weather: Sunny & 31C

We had a nice sleep in, once we were checked out of Tenaya Lodge, Justin drove us to Hollywood.  We stopped along the way for Carl’s Jr burgers and fuel.  Justin still talks about Carl’s Jr and we only tried it at the end of the trip.  He says if we would have tried them earlier he would have eaten a lot more from them.  On writing this blog I have discovered that he doesn’t need to fly to the USA for one of their burgers but can go to the Brisbane Domestic Airport. 

In Hollywood, we drove up to Lake Canyon Drive to get photographs of the Hollywood sign.  My great, great grandparents had a photo taken with the Hollywood sign.  I read that the sign was erected in 1923 so I am not making this up.

Hollywood sign from
Lake Canyon Drive 

View from Lake Canyon Drive over Los Angeles and the
Pacific Ocean

After getting our Hollywood sign photos, we drove to The Charlie and checked into our quaint self-contained accommodation.  It is called The Charlie as Charlie Chaplin was said to have lived there at one stage.  I loved the French inspired building and the themed accommodation names, we stayed in Steve with the pretty stain glass window and courtyard.  Totally recommend it as a place to stay but it is suited to those who have a car.  http://thecharliehotel.com/ 

Our studio, Steve, at The Charlie

Since our accommodation was not close to the bus, Justin drove us to Hollywood Boulevard where we saw that Lexus was holding a function at the Dolby Theatre.  I bought souvenirs for the nieces and we walked around Hollywood Boulevard looking at the Hollywood Walk of Fame.  That night we had dinner at Sweet Chili Thai.

TCL Chinese Theatres

Dolby Theatre, Hollywood

Hollywood Boulevard

First Day In Fish Camp

14 October 2014

Weather: Sunny & 30C

Waking to sore, stiff legs, barely being able to walk we managed to get some breakfast and checked out of Curry Village.  Justin drove us to Mariposa Grove, stopping for last minute photos of Yosemite National Park’s – El Capitan, Valley View and Tunnel View.

El Capitan, Yosemite National Park

Valley View, Yosemite National Park

Me at Tunnel View, Yosemite National Park

We arrived at Mariposa Grove around midday and since we were very sore we opted to board the “open top tram” to do the tour of Mariposa Grove.  Our driver explained that the USA Government had decided to discontinue the trams when the tourism season closed.  He asked people to let the government know via an app if you wanted the trams to continue.  During the tour, we learnt about John Muir and the Sequoia Trees, seeing most of the main ones from the tram.  There was a section where we walked to some trees and Mariposa Grove Museum.  But this walk from the tram was very short.

Mariposa Grove Tram Tour,
Yosemite National Park

Me standing next to
the California Tree

Mariposa Grove Museum
Yosemite National Park

After the tour finished we got photos next to a fallen Sequoia before Justin drove us to Tenaya Lodge at Fish Camp.  We could check into our room early, this was a rarity on our holiday.  We even found at some places our rooms or cabins were not ready even at the check-in timehaving to wait another hour at least.  We got settled into the room then put the washing on and had a swim in the heated indoor pool.  We got out to change the clothes from the washing machine to the dryer, then returning to the pool.  We thought that the heated pool and spa would help our sore muscles but it appeared to not make any difference.  Once our clothes were done in the dryer we returned them to our room and then went downstairs to make a reservation at the Embers Restaurant.  We looked in the gift shop, played pool in the games room and played an old arcade game before returning to the pool and spa for the last time.  There were more activities we wanted to do while at Tenaya Lodge but due to our sore legs we decided not to use their climbing wall or to do the archery.  It would have been good to have done some walks nearby, go on the Yosemite Mountain Sugar Pine Railroad ride and the gold panning experience.  

Our room at Tenaya Lodge

For dinner at Embers Restaurant I had the salmon and Justin chose lamb.

Salmon dinner at Embers Restaurant,
Tenaya Lodge

Lamb dinner at Embers Restaurant,
Tenaya Lodge

Second Day In Yosemite National Park

13 October 2014
Weather: Sunny & 31C

A 6:10am rise to have breakfast at 7:00am at the Curry Village Pavilion Dining Hall.  8:00am we picked up salad rolls for our lunches and fifteen minutes later we arrived at Yosemite Valley Lodge to meet our hiking guide, Allissa. 

We boarded the 8:30am Glacier Point Bus Tour, the bus driver/guide was very informative and the two-hour drive was pleasant and went quickly.  We saw some great vistas along the trip but the best was Glacier Point where we started out on the hike with Allissa. 

View from Glacier Point

I chose the six miles, five-hour Panorama Trail for us.  I organised a guide as I was scared of the thought of running into a bear and had read that you are less likely to have problems with bears if there is three or more people.  The Panorama Trail starts at spectacular Glacier Point and then takes in Illilouette Falls, Panorama Point, Nevada Fall and Vernal Fall, finishing at Happy Isles.

Justin and I at Panorama Point

Illilouette Falls

Vernal Fall

Nevada Fall

Most of the hike was downhill but we had a 1000 feet slog uphill over one mile which was hard going.  The downhill between Nevada and Vernal Falls included slippery rocks and required concentration as well.

Allissa told us interesting information about the vistas, where we were hiking to and had hiked to as well as the formation of the Yosemite Valley plus the variety of plants.  We saw Steller’s Jays, one of the many highlights on the hike.

Steller's Jay

At 3:00pm we were glad to reach the end of the trail to catch the free shuttle bus back to Yosemite Valley Lodge and Justin drove back to Curry Village, where we chilled in our cabin for the rest of the afternoon and evening, only going out for dinner.  This turned out to be a mistake (not continuing to exercise) as we awoke during the night to sore tightened leg muscles. 

Happy Isles

First Day In Yosemite National Park

12 October 2014
Weather: Sunny and 30C

After breakfast at Da Vinci Villa, Justin drove up Filbert Street and along Hyde Street, then down Lombard Street “Crookest Street in the World”.  

Since the GPS was not working Justin started driving around San Francisco until it loaded up.  Luckily, he was going the right way to get onto the highway to cross the Oakland Bay Bridge.  Then with the drama of not knowing where we were going I added the wrong Yosemite National Park address into the GPS.  This meant we missed the north entrance to Yosemite via Big Oak Flat Road and instead entered by Highway 140 which just reopened that day due to a large wildfire prior.

On entering Yosemite National Park, we stopped to take pictures of El Capitan, Bridalveil Fall and the scenery in general.  

Justin and I at Sentinel Meadow, Yosemite National Park

Merced River, Yosemite National Park

Half Dome, Yosemite

Justin at Bridalveil Fall

El Capitan. Yosemite

After checking in at Curry Village we went to the Ansel Adams Gallery, not worth it unless you are after souvenirs, which I bought a book with his photographs.  We visited the Tour Desk at the Yosemite Lodge to enquire about the Night Prowl which was booked out.  Then drove to Ahwahnee Hotel, apparently, it is now called the Majestic Yosemite Hotel.  

Ahwahnee Hotel/Majestic Yosemite Hotel

We looked at the outside of the hotel and lobby before driving back to Curry Village to get the keys for our cabin.

Entrance to Camp Curry, Yosemite

Justin outside rur cabin at Camp Curry
now Half Dome Village

  

Our cabin without a bath,
Camp Curry/Half Dome Village

Justin bought some drinks and we headed out to take some sunset/evening photos.  To make this happen I had to finish Justin's cocktail/alcopop, not a mean feet for someone who does not drink, but I wanted those photos before the sun went down.

North Dome, Royal Arches, Washington Column and
Half Dome at sunset

Half Dome at sunset

Stoneman Bridge, Yosemite at dusk

We had dinner at the Curry Village Dinning Hall, not that good but we could eat the food for $15.50 each.  I had Trout, macaroni cheese and cauliflower, whereas Justin had the BBQ chicken with rice and carrots.  After dinner, we had an early night as we had no TV.

Third Day In San Francisco

11 October 2014

Weather: Sunny and 24C

We had another sleep in this time to 8:00 am.  We got lost the night before trying to find our way back to Da Vinci Villa and didn’t get back until midnight.  We had breakfast at the hotel like the previous morning then walking to Pier 39 to buy postage stamps and Justin bought a bucket hat.

The main reason we were in San Francisco was for Fleet Week.  We pre-purchased Premium Box Seat tickets back in Australia as soon as they came available.  We boarded three buses to reach the Marina Green, where the Humanitarian Assistance Village was set up, which we had a look through.  This was also where the Fleet Weeks Air Show is viewed from.  The box seating was good as no one could take your spot.  But not good when you have a person in front of you decide they will stand the whole time right were their seat is.  To combat this problem you can find another spot within the box seating area to stand.  Don’t know why the persons in the front row wanted to stand as we all could see really well until that point. 

Justin inside a tank

This air show is more acrobatic than what we had seen in Newcastle and Amberley, Australia.  Aerial displays were by the Navy Blue Angels Sean Tucker and Team Oracle, The Patriots Jet Team, Lucas Oil Air Shows and The Bremont Horsemen WWII display team.  Some of the planes where P-51 Mustangs, the Blue Angels in F-18’s, The Paetriots L-39 Albatros, there was a C-130 Hercules and to finish of the Air Show a United Airlines 747.  Also a rescue demonstration from the MH-65 Dolphin.

Blue Angels F-18

Patriots Jet Team

Mustangs

United Airlines 747 closing Fleet Week
 2014 Airshow, with Alcatrz in the
 background.

We then walked back to the Da Vinci Villa from Marina Green to do what we hoped to be our last lot of clothes washing for the trip.  We had dinner at the restaurant at the hotel, which had only just opened at the time and the name was in Chinese.  If it is still the same people then it is called the Dim Sum Club, hopefully, as the food was fantastic.  We had Spring Rolls, Pork Buns, Lemon Chicken with rice and Chicken with vegetables.  

Dim Sum Club at Da Vinci Villa