So there we are: 23 days, 13 towns, 13 hotels, about 14,500ml (2500ml on land), three states and 2088 pictures. This was my most ambitious solo holiday (second only to the Bangkok/NZ/Sydney one with Serena in 2009) and almost certainly my most expensive ever (mainly due to the car). But was it any good I hear you say?
Well read the bloody blog I might answer. But no, I'll condense and summarise it here for you, the One Blog, the blog to rule them all, if you will.
The holiday, in my normal style was the result of a huge amount of planning. I deliberately didn't book every hotel in case I wanted to change plans mid way. Actually, because it was such a long, one way, road trip, I didn't have much flexibility and didn't change very much. However, before I went I had at least one and usually more than one hotel researched so as to save the interminable time I spent every evening last year in planning. It didn't actually work - I still spent hours, though I guess it would have been much worse had I not planned. And this is what an Andy's holiday plan looks like, seeing as you asked (the mindmap was made on the wonderful Mindnode):
This planning paid off. As far as I can remember, everything I planned or booked beforehand was about as good as it could be and the only thing I neglected to bring was my Tom Tom charger, and that was on the plan. Cost about £15 to replace. So, to horse...
Off to LA. The unexpected seat upgrade to extra legroom plus no one next to me was excellent and the flight went well.
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| Over Greenland |
Hollywood Blvd was much as I expected - a bit of a dump really - but no more so than say Leicester Square. I spent most of the first visit on tour busses. It was great to see the Hollywood sign up close(ish), interesting to see the hideous mansions of the rich and famous, had a good trip to Santa Monica beach, and an odd one to Venice beach. However, what I really remember from first visit was chatting to the tour guide and finding out out what its like to be a young, skint Latino trying to make your way in big time LA (they all seem to love it there). If I had more time I would have liked to spend time and eat around Melrose Av, which looked quirky, bohemian and not trashy. I'd also visit the museums/galleries in that area - the LA County Art Gallery, maybe the Tar Pits And maybe even the Universal studios tour which is meant to be brilliant but at $77 you need to send the day there (or $79 for an annual pass!). My hotel was really good if expensive. I don't regret going to Hollywood at all. It needed to be seen once, but its done now.
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| LA. It had to be done |
Seattle was next via my very exciting 1st class flight. Maybe all flights will one day be like 1st class where the trip is physically comfortable and the staff really are happy to server you. The weather was lovely when I got there and it seemed a chilled and fun place. I had thought that it always rained in Seattle but this is apparently a common misconception:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seattle . Wikipedia also tells us that its a city of 600,000 built on 7 hills. Sounds like Sheffield :) I was only there for 2 full days and two half days and I spent a day searching for a car. However, the place really attracted me. I had a wonderful, if expensive, hotel in a lovely neighbourhood close to the brilliant space needle and EMP museum. I had some really excellent meals there too. The part of the city I visited isn't particularly attractive but then I never went further than walking distance. I would loved to have stayed longer and got on some ferries around the many islands and even gone as far as Vancouver (another lovely place). So would I live there? Heck yes. Avoiding the sometimes unfriendliness and congestion of the bigger cities like Chicago, having good climate, a wonderful setting, brilliant culture (see the Wiki link) and being in the fabulous Washington State, this might just be my new favourite place in the US (OK apart from San Francisco).
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| Seattle's Space Needle |
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| Fish in the fish market |
Off then to Port Angeles on the North Washington Coast, via pretty little Port Townsend. Port Angeles only has 20 000 people according to Wikipedia.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Port_Angeles It felt a lot bigger than that (though I didn't see much of it). I had a very nice hotel which, although basically on a main road, had an excellent view of Hurricane Ridge from my room (I paid extra for this). I had an excellent meal in Cafe Gardens restaurant but Port Angeles is all about the views. The next day, with my brilliant drive up Hurricane Ridge (I was lucky it was open as this is the beginning of the season and the snow has only recently receded) made the place a must stop destination. I can smell the snow and the mountains as I write this. I was then very pleased with the town itself with its harbour, partly circled by a huge (c 3ml) spit of land stretching out in a curve to protect the town. The day (now about 4pm) then continued with a drive along the northern coastal area, past Lake Crescent. Today was one of THE drives of the holiday, the area recalling the Fjordlands of New Zealand. When I hit the West coast area the mist came down. This Pacific bounded area is actually rainforest which doesn't make for the best views. The North Coast of Washington Stare in the Olympic National park, though, is a wonder.
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| From Hurricane Ridge above Port Angeles WA |
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| Crescent Lake WA |
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| The Camero at Crescent Lake |
The day ended in Ocean Shores.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ocean_Shores,_Washington This peculiar, down at heal, apparently planned, resort didn't appear to offer very much. Its true that my hotel was friendly and pretty good value, with a view of the sea, but this sleepy (OK its out of season) place provided me with a very poor meal and no entertainment. It wasn't until the next day, preparing to leave that I found out that I could drive on the beach and a pleasurable hour was spent poodleing up and down on the sand in my Camero. This, coupled with the fact that it was a such an odd out of the way place meant that I actually think about it quite a bit. Its half a World away.
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| Camero on the beach |
The next day I headed into Oregon and the little town of Garibaldi. It was a great drive here, past the beautiful and interesting Cape Disappointment and over the first of the metal framed bridges that seem to be a signature of Oregon. I was disappointed to miss Cannon Beach and its weird rock outcrops but I did at least get a view from a parking spot.
Garibaldi is a great little place of under 1000 people (
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garibaldi,_Oregon). It provided me with a swanky hotel which was easily the best value of the holiday, a nice meal and drinks in the Garibaldi Pub & Eatery, new Facebook friend Janet and a very pleasant short stay in a beautiful setting. I was very pleased at my late change from Tillamook to Garibaldi.
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| Garibaldi's harbour |
The next day I visited the Tillamook Air Museum which was great fun. I really needed more of these excursions on this trip but time was against me. Lincoln City provided photo stop at its attractive beach but for the rest of the drive it was overcast and the attractive coast was not seen at its best. However, the final section, through Dune Country was great and a return was planned.
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| Tillamook Air Museum |
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| More of Oregon's coastline. This near Florence. |
So to Coos Bay
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coos_Bay,_Oregon and the first disappointing hotel of the holiday, the quite expensive Best Western. It was a big room but dark and badly laid out but I wasn't there long. This logging town of 16,000 people (I'm surprised how small all these places are) provided me with a very nice German meal and actually looked nice enough. However, the main attraction was the Dune country. I spent a brief but enjoyable time there in the sun and would happily have spent longer. Much of the dune area does seem to be given over to dune buggy tracks though so it probably isn't very peaceful.
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| One of Oregon's many bridges. Just outside Coos Bay. |
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| Dune Country |
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| More coastline. Near Gold Beach OR |
Then on to Eureka. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eureka,_California The first part of the drive is through lovely woods then at Port Orford I am back to beautiful coastline and lots of stops for views. And then I'm in California. This was another fabulous drive (except for the bit where I nearly ran out of petrol). Eureka was another change from my original plan (Acarta) and another win. My quirky, super bargain hotel (cheapest of the holiday) was a joy, as was its attentive owner and this is a very pretty historic town that provided me with a very nice meal and a bit of a wander around.
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| At the Leggett Drive-thru tree. Aren't I tiny! |
Fort Bragg is a little place of about 8000 people. My Super 8 motel on the main road was good value and close to the little harbour at Noyo Bay which provided me with an enjoyable meal at Carine's. I didn't see much else of the town but it seemed nice.
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| Part of the little harbour at Fort Bragg |
The next day was the drive to Petaluma, my only stop away from the coast on the whole holiday. I only chose this place because I had lots to do in the San Francisco area and needed an overnight. I didn't want to stop in SF itself as I've done this loads of times. The drive itself was lovely again and my two stop offs were Drakes Bay and Point Reyes lighthouse which I'd been to with Sarah in 1999. The peninsula was shrouded in mist giving it an otherworldly look but the rest of the time the weather was lovely. Apart from the car door incident this was a great trip.
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| Point Reyes lighthouse |
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| Scary red stuff on the rocks |
Petaluma and especially my hotel, the Metro, were the unexpected delights of the holiday. The hotel has to be seen to be believed: boutique style with a huge Parisian theme. Utterly brilliant. Petaluma was also a lovely place. Bigger at 57000 people but with an attractive town centre where I had a great Mexican meal and some fine Langunitas beer (brewed in the town). Its certainly a place that would be nice to go back to if I was even vaguely in the area. Probably too sleepy to live in though, I'm guessing.
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| Now that's a proper basin. In the Metro Hotel. |
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| ...And from Horseshoe Bay |
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| Back 'Home' |
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| The Pacific prepares for bed... |
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| Journey's end (nearly) |
I feel happy looking at this day's photos this evening, but also sad. I am so very familiar with so much of what I could see from Mt Tam and my trip through the city. I miss it very much and want to be there. I don't think there is anywhere else I can say that about.
The main job the next day was to revisit Scotts Creek beach, where we went in 2003, and very nice it was too. As I did in Drakes Bay, I re-took a photo from my prior visit. Drakes bay hadn't changed but Scotts Creek was much more lush than it was at the height of a hot dry summer in 2003. Then to look at Santa Cruz pop 60 000
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Cruz,_California. Its a nice place with a buzz. Its promenade and fun fair are a tourist draw and a good example of such things. I was very pleased to find the bar that we visited in 2003, mainly by accident as I didn't know where it was (though had a reasonable stab at it). Quite a nice meal and back to my hotel. The hotel was a bit of a disappointment after the wonderful Petaluma. It was clean but a little down at heel and not a great place to chill. Still, I had fun in Santa Cruz and it was nice to have a 'day off', though it turned out to be busier than I had expected. As last time it was fiercely hot and the sun fearsomely bright.
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| Scott Creek Beach |
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| The fair at Santa Cruz Boardwalk |
The next day, the drive through the Big Sur to San Luis Obispo was to be the drive of the holiday. It turned out to be the disappointment of the holiday. The scenery was OK in the overcast skies and light mist but nothing more. To rub salt into the wound, Hearst castle looked fascinating but, because I'd given myself plenty of time for the drive, I didn't have time to visit that.
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| Along the Big Sur |
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| Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park |
Things don't really improve when I get to San Luis Obispo as I had thought I'd got a reasonably swanky hotel but it turned out if anything to be worse than in Santa Cruz. Another Motel style one, all the rooms were on the ground floor overlooking the car park so there was no privacy without the curtains closed (which I hate). The popular farmers market was OK as was the Chinese buffet meal but I wasn't to be cheered up. It was not until I got back, sat on the hotel porch in a rocking chair with my laptop and a vodka, enjoying the cool evening, that things improved and the day ended, finally, contented. I never got to see any more of San Luis. Its bigger than I had expected at 45 000. It was really just somewhere to stay and seems nice enough. It certainly has a nice setting.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Luis_Obispo,_California . Jon Anderson from Yes used to live here apparently!
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| Car and Room at the Peach Tree Hotel |
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| This turns out to be Molino Creek. Scott Creek is about 50m up the beach |
The next day was the trip to LA but I had a couple of stops planed, the first of which turned out to be a holiday highlight. I was on the wrong road and nearly missed the Mission la Purisma http://www.lapurisimamission.org/. A detour through some lovely hilly farmland took me to this state park with its beautiful restored Mission which was all open and available to view. I spent a pleasant hour or so here and even get shown up the bell tower and rang the bell. Then a great drive through beautiful hills to Santa Barbara. Its cloudy here but I get good views from the Courthouse building. I can't find its Mission though which is meant to be beautiful.
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| Inside Mission la Purisma |
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| Santa Barbara Courthouse |
My hotel in downtown LA is Jerry's and is the most downmarket of the holiday though with a very accommodating owner. Its another downstairs one so dark. It has some quirkiness though (and a very noisy fridge) but I'm not really happy there. There was little at affordable prices in Downtown LA so this was probably was my best bet. Anyway, a quite nice meal then back to finish off a great day with my normal holiday admin. The next day I have lots planned. I try and fail to find Zappa's house but see a bit of Laurel Canyon. Then to the Griffiths Observatory which is a beautiful building in a beautiful setting though the exhibits are not for me. Finally to the Getty Centre on a hill out of town. Getting there involves the unpleasant LA Freeways and I have a couple of nearish misses from people who just change lanes at a whim and without looking. Anyway, the Getty Centre is a fabulous oasis of opulence. It also has some great art. This is the one place in LA I would really like to come back to.
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| Griffith's Observatory |
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| At the Getty Centre |
The next day was to my final stop, San Diego. After a shaky start to the day I find the Mission in San Juan Capistrano which is another delight. More touristy than Mission la Purisma but still fascinating and beautiful.
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| In Mission San Juan Capistrano |
Then to the Bristol Hotel. I was determined to stay in somewhere nice for my final city and I turned out to have done a brilliant job in choosing this hotel which was easily the best of the holiday. Including parking it was also the most expensive but easily worth it. A huge, modern super swanky room in a good location. I get my first great steak of the holiday in a little Italian restaurant and this day turns out extremely well in the end.
The entertainment for the next day was the Zoo, said to be one of the worlds best. I hadn't properly been to a zoo in many years and I did find it somewhat sad in places though it was in a beautiful setting. I was there 5 hours and got round most of it. The giraffes were the best bit, followed by the cheetah with its husky dog companion. A great Afghan meal ended the days entertainment
My last full days sightseeing was to the other top San Diego attraction (according to Trip Advisor which had been my constant companion and with which I had selected all my hotels and most of my restaurants). This was absolutely brilliant. Another 5h sightseeing trip during which I got round pretty much the whole ship. Being a sailor (indeed any serviceman) is such an alien life to me and I felt privileged to have got at least a flavour of what it is they do. I liked san Diego a lot. Almost as much as Seattle.
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| USS Midway |
So my last day - well two really. I nice if brief drive to Coronado on the other side of the bay then I hit the Freeways for the trip back to LA. I couldn't find the Mission I was looking for but my main priority was to secure good seats on the plane and this I did. The flight went reasonably well and I even slept. I didn't feel too bad on the bus and the whole journey was reasonably successful. It also left me with that 'wow, I got up 6000ml away' feeling. Lucy was beside herself with delight at my return (she doesn't sulk luckily) and I was as pleased to see her.
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| Coming Home |
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| Cloudy England |
So there we go then. The highlights: Washington State, The Petaluma/Mt Tamalpais/San Francisco day, The Missions and the USS Midway. The lowlight - the Big Sur unfortunately. The best hotels: The Bristol in San Diego for its swankiness and the Metro in Petaluma for its madness.
So was it all worth it. Well yes. There was rather too much 'on the move' and not enough 'staying put' but I knew that would be the case. I never found driving a chore or hard work as I love it but you need to stop and see stuff and that can be difficult when you have a schedule to meet. But the point of it was to do the whole West Coast and that's what I did.
It was all about the contrast really. From the stunning grandeur of Washington State's Olympic National Park, to the misty beauty of Oregon's coastline, a state that seems so very far away. From the stunning redwoods and beautiful light of Northern California, to San Francisco, my favourite City, to the madness that is LA and the gorgeous Missions and Spanishness of Southern California. Finally, San Diego a large and thriving city that seems to have a more local scale and does have a great climate. It wouldn't have been worth
not experiencing all that contrast. So yes. Hard work but it was worth it.
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| 2413 miles through three States |
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| This great little book was quite literally my tour guide, and my constant companion on the trip |
So to next year. More of the same? Driving: yes probably as that works well for a solo visitor, but I think a circular tour works better (and cheaper). Last year I stopped at most places for more than one night and that should be my aim as 'being places' is generally better than 'passing places'. This year I was originally intending to do Nova Scotia and may well pick that up again for next year. There is also still the Northern Lights trip to go on this winter. Probably a cruise. Or maybe not. I still haven't decided.
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