Holiday 2011 Day 22/23: Back to LA and flying home

So this is the last day.  Priority one is getting to LA and the airport.  However,  I'm going to drive round the some of the hige natural harbour that San Diego is built round then hope to get to one of the Missions on the way. I go to a sandwich shop (Grab & Go Subs) directly over the road which seems to be a great place and get a dry salami sub and large coffee. Drink my coffee in the room. 

I'm ready to leave at 12. It takes quite a while to retrieve my car from the valet and I get going at 12:30 after chatting to a local guy who's wife has just become a native. They had to come into town for a sort of graduation ceremony where she took the oath.  

The valet tells me where a gas station is which is good then I head off over the big bridge to Coronado.  My selected Tom Tom destination doesn't have parking so I plan a route round the harbour. I  find a small venue by the beach. It's parking meters but they are very cheap. I get a cheesecake ice-cream in a chocolate wafer. The ice cram is nice though like vanilla. I don't eat much of the wafer which is far too sweet. Anyway, sit by the beach and take a few photos.

Mmmm, sugar rush

The Beach at Coronado

San Diego from Coronado

The USS Midway from Coronado

The other one - the USS Carl Vinson (no.70)

Then off. The road has a few nice vistas of the coast but there are no stopping points. As I'm going to be on the freeway, I have the roof up so I can isten to music.  I'd been planning to stop at the Santa Barbara mission but  I realise that this is actually north of LA. The one 20 ml east of the freeway might be a bit far so I select another one at San Luis Reyes. When I get to the town the are no signs for or of it.  So onwards - no more time to stop.  I'm off colour today - probably a mixture of too much to drink last night and pre journey nerves.  Also I'm not too keen on the LA freeways.  Its been quite a nice drive up to now but then the clouds come in and stay like this until I get to LA.

As I didn't stop at a Mission I have loads of time but as I get to Long Beach area I hit a traffic jam.  This lasts for several miles and I lose about 45 mins so I'm no longer early.  It turns out to be a car on its side in the cars-share lane.  As usual, as soon as I'm past this things speed up. Unfortunately, as I get to LA central the traffic jams come again.  Its not stationary, a mixture of stopped and 30mph but is eating into my time again.  When this eases, a few miles from the airport I put my foot down.  The next challenge is petrol.  Close to the airport I see a gas station and pull in.  As usual, I have to pre-pay and have to quote an amount.  $30 doesn't fill it so try with another $10. This  takes up valuable time.  I get to car drop off.  A guy checks it and gives me my receipt ($2470).  I have a bit of a chat with him as I unload.  He's impressed with my journey.  I then can't find my Tom Tom screen dock and end up unpacking loads of stuff.  I'd put it on the car while chatting.

Some journey stats from the car

The shuttle bus goes immediately and I'm soon at the terminal.  I ask and am told to go to check in to try to upgrade.  The helpful lady finds me an extra legroom window seat (which I suspect is over the wing - it is).  So that's basically all the stress done :)  I need to repack my travelling stuff in the case so do this then pay my upgrade, leave my case and proceed past security.  I get a full pat down (their scanner is broken) but the guy is polite and friendly.

Once inside I eat the rest of my nice sub from this morning and find the one and only bar, LA Roadhouse Route 66.  I sit at the bar and have a 'pint' of Blue Moon Belgian White which is OK,  I have about 1:30h to wait.  Why is there no wireless available at LAX?  Then I have a Bud Light just to be different - this is completely tasteless.  Like fizzy water, which at $9 for a 16oz pint is a bit rich really.  Anyway, at 8:30pm, my check in time, I pay my $20 bill and head across to the gate.  Nothing much is happening and boarding doesn't start until nearly 9.  I've decided to invoke the bad legs card so join the old crumblies and kids queue and get in early.  My seat is indeed over the wing so there won't be much view.  I take down the seat numbers of the 'purple seats' for future reference: they are rows 33-36 right side only.  I have 35K.  These are more forward than on the way up (when I had 54K) so I guess you can't predict where the good seats are going to be.  Its an Airbus A340-600.

LAX.  Waiting to leave.

I end up with someone beside me unfortunately but this is not a big surprise as the plane is full.  We take off as soon as everyone has boarded but this is maybe 21:40 (scheduled was 21:15).  I'm really tired now (stressy day, not much to eat, 2 pints) and I could do with a sleep.  Watch a couple of episodes of Family Guy and am just closing my eyes when they bring the drinks and food round.  I have a white wine and beef with potatoes and veg which, like the meal on the way up, tastes artificial.  Then coffee.  I'm keen for them to take the stuff away so I can have a sleep.  They eventually collect the stuff and  they turn the cabin lights off (its midnight) so I attempt to sleep...

Day 23.  Still flying

...I was by now getting badly restless legs and I take paracetamol (I was very careful to make sure this was in every bag and pocket) plus take my shoes off which is a great help to comfort - note to self - do this always.  Surprisingly and pleasingly I get real sleep interspersed with dozing between now and when they turn the lights back on at 6am.  I'd peered out the window once or twice but it was far too bright, my contacts were blurry and the wing was in the way. On one wake up we'd recently passed labrador which would have been good to see.  The bloke next to me swaps with his young son who is a bit fidgety but not a problem.  They bring round a breakfast - a salty hot ham and cheese roll and juice which don't go down that well.  Anyway, watch a bit more comedy.  We are due to land at 3:55pm local (7:55am LA).  We picked up a bit of time due to slightly bumpy jet stream so may have made this or nearly this.

Nearly home

There are hundreds of people at border control, though they are moving well, and its probably 45 mins here feeling exhausted, hot and generally crap.  The good news is that at least my case is already there (I'd started to worry about the bus) so straight off to the bus station.  There is a Bristol bus there and I ask but it doesn't stop at Swindon so to Cafe Nero and get a tea and sit at a table outside in the bas station hall and watch all the excited tourists waiting for people or to start their UK adventure.  Its raining outside.  The first rain I've seen since I left. The tea really perks me up so all is good.  

My bus is there about 5:30 (5:45 scheduled leaving) so board.  They haven't reserved my seat but actually a regular one is better than the front one.  As we wait for a connecting bus I notice a girl who'd I'd seen at the terminal at LAX.  Funny to think last time I saw her was 6000ml and 12hrs away.  This time/distance stuff always weirds me out.

Green and cloudy England

The coach journey is fine with Scott Mills podcasts and finally more Traffic (ie the band). 

I get to Swindon about on time - 7:10 and there is a taxi at the bus station which is handy.  Home shortly after.  Serena has kindly picked up Lucy who is incredibly pleased to see me.  I have a sit down with her and she moults all over me.  I go for a brief snooze - she comes up on the bed then have a shower and start unpacking.  Lucy seems a bit podgy and picking her up and standing on the scales (the only way to keep her still) puts us together at 81Kg.  Well someone has put on weight haven't they!  When I put her down and the scales only drop by 4Kg I'm forced to mumble my apologies.  OK, I'm a post holiday far arse,

Cheese and wine seems appealing but I'm keen to see people so text Tony who's about to head to the Savoy.  I get there about 9:45.  Atti is also there.  I get a chicken bhoona and a quite nice pint.  The curry is pretty crap.  Have 2 pints and a G&T and we leave about 11:20.  I was intending to have some wine but I'm tired and thirsty and feeling quite drunk so have a tea.  I want to download my geolog to see if its worked, which it has, but this is all I can manage and bed 12:45.

I woke up in San Diego, I went to bed in Swindon .  How weird is that.  Glad to be home though.

Coming soon, the final chapter: So was it all worth it then?

We took a more direct looking route across the Atlantic this time, though the geologger puts it about the same distance

Holiday 2011 Day 21: USS Midway

I got a longer sleep tonight - up at 9:30.  Have juice and coffee and check out today's fun - USS Midland - an aircraft carrier.  Its about 0.7ml away on the waterfront so I walk getting there before 12.  Its self guided with an extremely good audio tour. $18 all in.

Starting on the hanger deck which is actually the least good bit.  It has a number of historical aircraft and also flight simulators, a shop, the cafe etc.  It would have been better had they left it 'original' but I guess they need to make their money.  There is a diversion to the crewmen's quarters - what a hell hole - how can people live so confined! - and airwing area which are interesting.  I leave going down to the lower floors and get a turkey croissant (they don't just put jam on croissants in the US) and a coffee - nice actually.

Just a coissant

The carrier in the background is the one they bought Bin Laden's body back on.

Then down to the engine room.  You can't see that much but there is an interesting 'docent' there ( a veteran who's volunteering in the museum) who tells me some good stuff.

This is where it is really steered

Then to the flight deck.  Not surprisingly this is where it all happens.  There are loads of planes there - more contemporary than below - plus helicopters. Each has an audio description and some have comments from people who served at the time.  Towards the bow there is a veteran of the catapults talking about this - its fascinating.  The thing is held there on full power buy a metal pin around 1cm thick.  Take off occurs when the combined force of the catapult and jet engines are strong enough to break the pin and off it goes.  Each plane type has its own pin.  Brilliant talk.

This is not a city freeway, its an aircraft carrier!

I see the rest of the displays at the front then queue up for the tour of the bridge.  Not many in front luckily.  Lots of very steep steps but this is an interesting guided tour.

Then the rest of the flight deck displays including the Admirals area and mission command.

Being an Admiral rules

The machine that goes Ping

Mmmm, knobs

Flight deck persons are colour coded by function

Bless their multiculturalism :)

There is another guy talking about landing.  He was a pilot with 80 landings who served on exchange with the Royal Navy, mainly in Scotland.  As they land, the pilots go to full thrust so if they miss the catapault they have a fighting chance of taking off again.  I ask at what point they power down - its when they come to a complete stop: the catching line stops and holds fighter jets at full power!  He said that sometimes the pilots are so fired up that they ground crew have to harrass them to power down - thet are sitting there stationary at full power.  Landing in the day on good seas is generally successful but at night or heavy seas apparently misses are quite common. They have pilots in observation bays watching each landing and warning th epilot of they're not quite right.  Apparently sometimes pilots spend a whole tour doing thsi.  That must suck.  Another brilliant insight.

The grabby bit of the catapult

Then down to the lower floors.  The messes (officers and crew), sick bay, Petty Officers mess (they have their own mess, better even than the officers mess, own pay scales and are considered to be the bedrock of the navy).  Its getting towards 5 now (closing) and its quiet down here and peaceful at last (noisy children everywhere) though I'm sure the ship would never have been quiet.  But at least I can chill.  I finally finish the tour pretty much dead on 5.  Brilliant.  I feel quite privileged getting an insight as to how a city at sea like this works.

The Petty Officer's mess.  The food here is better than any other mess and even the captain has to ask permission to come in. 

I've sort of walked through the pain now but hobble back, finding a 7Eleven to get tonight's wine.  

Lie down for a bit with a coffee, then off about 7 to Basics Pizza on 10th.

Its a bit of a long way and is a sort of warehouse type place very well regarded on TripAdvisor.  You design your own pizzas. I get an IPA of some sort (shame I couldn't remember what it was as it was really nice) and the rather gorgeous waitress took my order.  I get a 'red pie' (sort of traditional tomato based) with pepperoni and olives plus (at waitresses suggestion) roasted eggplant.  I got the small but it was huge - about 12-15" and really nice.  Especially the eggplant.

$37 000 to you.  Flux capacitor extra.

I walk back somewhat bloated and tired (I left two slices which I have with me) and very pleased when I finally get home. Once I finally catch by breath my $14 Piniot Grigio goes down really well.  Get a plan for tomorrow (like last year, a late flight is always going to make doing stuff difficult as I'll be stressing about getting there: but I have a plan).

This was one of the stand out days of the holiday.  Excellent :)  I think I took more photos today than on any other day.  You can see the rest here: https://picasaweb.google.com/109601532802723861644/Holiday2011_06_21SanDiegoUSSMidway?authuser=0&feat=directlink