Schoolies day 39 - and we are done

Here I sit at home, it’s Sunday night and it’s been 36 hours since we touched down in Brisbane.  It’s been an amazing 6 weeks of travel, and while I’ve revisited some places I’ve already been, there is nothing quite like introducing new people to places you love.

We flew out of LA at 11.25pm on Thursday 10th January, with a flight time of a little over 13 hours. By the time we collected luggage and cleared customs, it was 8.05am on Saturday 12th January.  Probably got about 5 hours of broken, fugue-state sleep on the plane, so my plan was to stay awake until bed time and then slip back into my normal sleep patterns to fight jet lag.

So how to keep busy to stay awake.  Step 1 - unpack the suitcases and sort the clothes for laundering, sort gifts and souvenirs.  Step 2 - do said laundry.  How great is Queensland - it was so hot and windy that clothes dried in an hour, so with four loads to do, the better part of 4 hours was spent doing laundry!  Step 3 - stay well-hydrated throughout the day.  Step 4 - catch up on other housework, catch up with family, get into the bed time routine.

So far, this has worked - slept from 9pm til 5am - with only one restless hour at 3am.  Snuck out of the house so I didn’t wake my sleeping beauty boys, and had a beautiful, warm ride for 90 minutes along the Esplanade out to Birkdale.  I never really valued the beauty of a warm ride until I rode in Vegas in Winter.  Here’s the comparison - today I rode in bib Knicks, bra and jersey - it was was 23 degrees Celsius.  Last week I rode in bra, thermal top, jersey, thermal jacket, arm warmers, wind jacket, head buff, bib Knicks, thermal pants, woollen socks and thermal gloves - and I was still chilled to the bone - it was minus 3 degrees Celsius with a wind chill factor of minus 10 as we rode through the (ironically) Valley of Fire.

Spent today pruning the garden, mowing the back yard, watering the dust down to revive the grass, meal planning for the week, grocery shopping, decorating our back deck and making dinner for a catch up with our girl and her boy - who have just bought their first home together.  Again, the plan seems to be working - it’s now almost 9pm and I’m just now feeling drowsy, with no nausea or other symptoms.

It already seems like a lifetime ago that we were on our adventure.  I miss a lot of things about the US, but admit it is nice to be home.  I missed Vegemite while away (sweet jam at breakfast grows old fast for me), so I have indulged in Vegemite toast on a number of occasions now.

While America is so similar to Australia, the differences are many and varied.  An expat Aussie who has lived in LA for over a decade now explained to us “Aussies are more open.  They are the easiest tourists to spot. Americans are reserved and wary,  Aussies are just so open and friendly”.  But more on that when I’ve had time to reflect on things more.

For now, I just know I want to see more.  I want to explore all of the States - and get into some of the smaller towns - not just focusing on the big cities.  I want to see what it’s like in the suburbs, in the towns along the interstates, the highways.  I want to travel Route 66 and explore the stops along the way.  My first 3 tastes have been amazing, but like my friend Phoebe, I want to tick off all 50 of the States and see what they have to offer.

And so the planning begins...

Schoolies Days 34-39 - wiling away our last days in LA

After a sad farewell to San Francisco, a delayed flight to the land known as La La, we are at our final international destination of this most spectacular schoolies trip.

Prior to this visit, I haven’t been a fan of Los Angeles - it’s sprawling nature, dirty streets, and fake lifestyles, so generally it’s an overnight stop before we head to wherever we are going.  This time, Hayden had requested multiple days, as his interest in the film and television industry was based around the area.

The first afternoon was a write-off due to our delayed flight which saw us take off half an hour after we were due to land in LA, so we checked into our modest Beverly Laurel Motor Hotel on Beverly Boulevard had a delicious meal at Swingers Cafe (which was part of our hotel - I can recommend the turkey meatloaf) and walked the 5 minutes to the Farmer’s Markets to show the boys what was nearby and familiarise ourselves with the neighbourhood.

Monday morning and we were back at the Markets to buy our public transport tickets - something I’d never done in LA - use their Metro System.  This turned out to be the best thing we could have done as it opened up so many opportunities for us to see more of the city.  We became very familiar with the 217, 22 and 14 buses and the LA Metro trains.

First stop, Hollywood Walk of Fame.  Took a good block of time to walk the multiple blocks to “star spot” and while doing so was lucky enough to see Sam Elliott honoured with his handprints at the Graumann Chinese Theatre and a live performance being recorded outside of the Jimmy Kimmel studios on Hollywood Blvd. Found most of the stars we were looking for, and then completed our trifecta of US Tussaud museums by visiting the LA venue.

Back onto the bus and over the Hollywood Hills to Burbank to find a makeup shop that stocked the lipsticks that Jordan had ordered for Christmas.  Found the shop but out of stock of the colours she wanted so after a quick phone call found some alternatives before grabbing a bite at Portos Bakery, which we figured must be good due to the two long lines to get in.

I couldn’t resist ordering a “meat pie” as I was keen to see the American interpretation and while not disappointed with the flavour, the aesthetics were a little off.  Their take on a pie was two pieces of puff pastry with a thin stuffing of minced meat in between.  No delicious gravy to bind it and no harder pastry on the bottom.  Worth trying and the boys’ meals were also delicious, so we were glad we stopped there.

Our next adventure was the LA train system, including a shuttle bus to the Metro Station followed by train and transfers to Santa Monica for dinner by the ocean as the sun set over the Pacific Ocean.  The train station at North Hollywood was decorated in true Hollywood fashion with old film reels and cameras in the foyer.

Now for a parent, one of the big fears you can have is of your child being left on public transport as the doors close and you are separated as the train pulls away from the platform.  At least that has always been a big one for me.  And it was realised in LA.

Hayden jumped on the Metro as Brendon and I quickly checked that it was the right train.  We were only a step behind him, but the doors closed and we watched helplessly as the train pulled away with him on it.  Not so bad when he’s 17, but still enough to bring on a dull sense of panic that is is now not under our protection in a group.  Luckily our phone coverage worked and we stayed in contact until he got off at the next stop, then doubled back to find us.  Hardest moment was when he got off on the opposite platform - we could see him but he couldn’t see us, there were two trains between us so we couldn’t call out, and I think he may have had a moment or two of anxiety when he couldn’t spot us.

On the pier at Santa Monica we got the obligatory Route 66 sign pics, explored the fun park, and enjoyed a delicious meal at Bubba Gump’s.  Then a Metro and a bus and home ready for Tuesday’s adventure - the VIP experience at Universal Studios Hollywood.

What an experience it was - starting the day in the VIP lounge, with danishes and croissants and coffee, followed by a personal tour guide who took us around the backlot tour and an inside look at a working studi,, and then VIP access onto all of the rides for the day.  Delicious buffet lunch and just the best day ever.  Only disappointment was that they were filming at Courthouse Square (Back to the Future clock tower) and couldn’t get on to see it, but being able walk around the Good Place was pretty cool!  And we bought a LardLad donut in Springfield for dessert when we got home.

We caught up with the Creati family again at the park and had dinner at Universal Citywalk’s Hard Rock Cafe.  The trio of fajitas was delicious and only slightly surpassed by the Bahama Mama cocktail - easily the best one of the entire trip.  Our waiter was so hyper and excitable, I swear he should have been medicated, but so worth it when he surprised Julianne with a birthday sundae and an announcement to the whole restaurant to wish her a happy Australian birthday.

Rendezvoused with the Creati’s again on Wednesday for a hike to the back of the Hollywood sign.  Originally thwarted as the access path has been locked down by the property owner, so we had to walk just over a mile up and down through the Hollywood Hills to access from the opposite end and take the slightly steeper trail up - but totally worth it once at the top and looking down over the sprawl that is LA.  Not many people do this one in LA - so if you’re ever there and you have a couple of hours to spare, uber to the end of Mulholland drive and make your way up - you’ll need plenty of water if doing it in the warmer months and sunscreen and a hat are a must.

Shake Shack for lunch followed by a visit to check out the footprints and hand prints at Graumann’s Chinese Theatre before bussing down to the La Brea tar pits to learn a little more about pre-historic life in LA. Back to the hotel for a quick rest (sometimes there is nothing better than just taking your shoes off) and then a bus up Beverly Blvd to Taco Bell for dinner.  The walk home (it was only 10 minutes) once again highlighted the homeless plight in the city, but was enjoyable none-the-less.

Final day in the city and we took the hop on, hop off Starlines bus tour to learn a bit more about LA.  Hayden loved the Guitar Centre, where the handprints of many musicians are set in the sidewalk outside, as well as hundreds of guitars for sale!  Lunch at the Cheesecake Factory in Beverly Hills (this is a bit of a tradition for me as we have eaten here every time we’ve visited LA), before a quick trip out to Santa Monica and walk to Venice Beach and then back to our hotel to make our way to the airport and the long flight home.

We saw some interesting things in LA - our street was shut down one block down from our hotel due to a shooting, and remained closed for hours, there was a high speed chase through the streets around our hotel one morning, and sadly we witnessed a mugging/fight from the top of our bus while passing through Santa Monica.  Lots of homelessness, and sadly healthcare concerns - a local told us there’s isn’t a psychiatric facility in LA, so police only have the power to lock up MH patients and then release them into the population again. Without healthcare insurance, they can’t get the help they need and the spiral continues.

But I loved our time in LA and I’m looking forward to heading back in October for a work conference.

And so our schoolies trip is drawing to an end.  It’s been a long 38 days.  It has been a cold, rainy, sunny, snowy memorable trip.  And I wouldn’t change a thing about it.  Final wrap up coming soon.

Schoolies Day 33 - the trouble with San Francisco

Ok San Francisco, I have to break up with you.  It’s not you, it’s me.  

Your history is so interesting. Knowing that a major earthquake decimated the city in 1906 (only 26 buildings remained standing in the main area of the city) and another in 1985 influenced changes in building codes is pretty awesome.  

The fact that there is seafood everywhere is another definitely pro on the loving you list.  Your eclectic cultures, your diversity, your inclusion are all positives.  

Your crooked streets, your hills, your roads that run the length and width, the fact that you are a 7 mile by 7 mile city.  Your arts scene, your tourist industry - you have so much going for you.

But I need a summer and today on the bus tour they talked about your two seasons - rain from October to April and maximum temps in summer up to 23 degrees.  You’re just too cool for me. I can’t do this to myself and it’s just not fair to string you along.  I really hope we can be friends - there’s definitely a connection, but it’s just not a permanent thing.

I had a great time today.  We used the hop on hop off bus to familiarise ourselves with the city and squeezed in a cruise on the bay to get as close to Alcatraz as possible, given we couldn’t secure a day ticket at short notice.  Learned a lot about the history of the bay city, drive over the Golden Gate Bridge, through the park of the same name and up and down the many hilly streets of the city.

Did the obligatory Madame Tussaud’s and got some photos with the celebs, bought some Ghirardelli‘s chocolate (chocolate coated bacon - seriously!) and took the night tour over the Bay Bridge (brrrr) to view the city from across the bay.  Finished off with dinner at the Blue Mermaid (coolest name!) - the restaurant that won the best chowder in SF in 2018.  Chowder was good (still preferred Boudin’s version as it was creamier and had more of a seafood flavour) and then the cable car ride home.  Only a short morning to go and only one more short flight as our holiday winds toward its final days. Tomorrow we are off to LA.

Schoolies Day 32 - The Streets of San Francisco

This is my first visit to SF and it’s pretty safe to say it won’t be my last.

I haven’t been well most of this trip and I think that’s due to troubled sleep.  Today is the day that had been troubling me the entire trip.  I booked a flight from Vegas to LA then another flight from LA to SF.  When I booked we had a three hour window.  As happens, the airlines changed their schedules and we were left with 1 1/2 hours to collect our luggage, clear the terminal, bag drop for the next airline, clear security and board our flight. Piece of cake at an Australian airport, but we were talking LAX here - which is a beast in itself!  

So I’ve spent many sleepless early mornings missing that flight over and over, planning the change to within an inch of its life.  The day comes and we are buoyed to hear that our flight would be about 45 minutes - bonus we had 30 minutes up our sleeves.  Then when we arrive in LA it takes 10 minutes to taxi to the gate and another 15 minutes to get an air Marshall to secure an air ridge and get us off the plane. 

Race down to baggage claim (yay ours is some of the first off) and make the dash down to Terminal 7.  Freak out that our bags will be too heavy and we will have to repackage but they get cleared and then a quick flow through security and suddenly we are good to go with 30 minutes to spare!  Needless to say, last night was my best night’s sleep in over a month - 7 hours uninterrupted and no dreams!

I bought us a three day Muni pass which gives us unlimited transport access so after leaving Bren at the Hilton to nurse a migraine, Hayden and I jumped a cable car down to Fisherman’s Wharf for a spot of dinner.  Boudin’s Bakery is a well-known institution at the wharf, serving up the most delicious clam chowder in a fresh sourdough Cobb bun, so who am I to pass that up.  Chowder is easily one of my all time favourite meals, and the more I walk around SF and it’s amazing seafood restaurants, the more I realise that this is where I am meant to be!  Too bad that this is one of the most expensive cities to live in the US!

We strolled along the wharf until we caught our first glimpse of the Golden Gate Bridge by night, and checked out the fun that is Pier 39.  Cable car back to the hotel where Brendon was sleeping off the end of his headache and woke up long enough to demolish the gyro I picked up for him at the little takeaway across the road.

Cable cars are my new number one form of travel. By no means fast, but a novelty and extremely effective on the hills of SF.  Oh and by the way, if you ever meet a cyclist from San Fran, you can rest assured that they will be a better hill climber than you - this city is all ups and downs and anyone who rides here has my absolute respect.

Disappointed to find out that our Behind the Scenes Alcatraz Tour has been cancelled due to the partial government shut down. Day tours are continuing but with our cancelled tour, the day tours are booked out for the next four days so we will have to content ourselves with a cruise around the island and a bucket list item to bring us back to this gorgeous city - in the sunny season next time!  I can’t complain too much - this is the only thing that hasn’t really gone tonplan or at least been manageable.  And let’s face it, it’s a first world problem compared to the thousands of government workers who are going unpaid over these days and weeks, affected by an action beyond their control, but that also affects their very livelihoods - their homes, their families.  So while I’m disappointed I’m also ok with missing out this time.

Schoolies Days 29-31 - Viva Las Vegas

Vegas should be on everybody’s bucket list.  It is like no other city on earth and while it is plastic and fake, it knows it and owns it!

 

Day one and we check into the Venetian, our very (in Hayden’s words) “fancy hotel” and then hit the Strip to check it out by day and to let the boys get to know what was where!  Back to the room for a quick refresh before a brisk 30 minute walk to the Hard Rock Hotel for our first Vegas show - Raiding the Rock Vault.  

What a great show! Lots of former members of 70s and 80s bands, performing classic rock hits from across 4 decades and some absolutely amazing voices.  Could easily go and watch it over and over as the energy was just phenomenal and the artists so talented.

Next day we left Hayden to his own devices (translation he slept all day), while Brendon and I cycled through the Valley of Fire - about 1 hour’s drive out of Vegas in what is touted as Nevada’s first State Park. Thankfully it is not affected by the partial government shutdown and we could ride our roadies to our heart’s content - or at least until our legs gave out - this is some seriously hilly country but for every muscle-screaming hill was the reward of picturesque and breath-taking vistas over every ride.   If you’ve ever watched Transformers the movie, some scenes were filmed here and they were also the inspiration for Radiatir Springs in the Cars movie.

Brendon has been pretty crook the last few days so we took it easy in the park and didn’t get to see anywhere near as much as we wanted but again, it means we have something to aim for when we come back this way - with a bit more hiking involved.  

Afternoon spent recovering before venturing to Downtown Vegas - the old strip where the original casinos all stood - Fremont Street.  The Fremont Street Experience has rejuvenated downtown and offers 4 stages of live entertainment, Ziplines, casinos, and people-watching like nowhere else in the world.

Showed the boys the Heart Attack Grill, where they got the chance to watch a customer being paddled for not eating all of his dinner (I don’t think they really believed me until they saw it for themselves), played a bit of corn hole in a free fun park (more to come on corn hole when we introduce it to Oz) and rocked it in the street to a cool local band - Alter Ego, before our second show, Friends the Musical Parody.  

Now I have sat through my fair share of shows, some good, some not so much.  So when I tell you that after two songs and some really overacting, I was wondering how I would make it through the first act to interval.  Thankfully after some really painful dialog, more overacting, really poor character acting and more singing, I turned to the boys and said “let’s go watch Alter Ego” and they didn’t even bat an eyelid.  In fact they may well have breathed a sigh of relief as we left.  My only comment is a Chandler Bing quote when Joey asked him what he thought of his show - “Awful, just awful, man”.

Day 3 in Vegas and we left the city to explore the West Rim of the Grand Canyon, including Eagle Rest, Guano Point and the Hualapai Ranch via the Hoover Dam and a Native American outpost store.

Another bucket list item ticked off.  The Grand Canyon was originally called the Big Canyon but was renamed- as it should be - the grandeur of this place is indescribable.  Photos cannot do justice to this place.  The sheer size, the colours, the history, the indigenous peoples - it all just melds together to capture the imagination and draw you in.

Following that long day, Hayden and I left Brendon at the hotel for a rest and returned to Fremont Street for some more music and to take on the Slotzilla Zoomline - where we ziplined from 11 storeys high the length of the Fremont Street Experience - about 60 seconds of lining - superhero style.  Pretty proud of Hayden who conquered his fear of heights to ride - a huge adrenaline rush that resulted in stupid grins on our faces for the rest of the night - final vegas night was a success.

Tomorrow it’s a new city for me as we discover San Francisco.  Can’t wait - as long as we survive the two flights to get there - but more on that tomorrow!

Schoolies Day 28 - End of (New York) Days

Final day in New York and the boys started the day with a visit to the 9-11 Memorial and Museum. My last visit to New York I visited and was so overwhelmed by the experience that this time I opted not to go with the them.  

So after safely delivering them to the site, I walked a few blocks to grab what turned out to be not only the best coffee in New York, but the best coffee I have had ever.  The cafe, Laughing Man coffee, is owned by High Jackman and supports free trade and supports small coffee farmers. Of course I dropped by hoping Hugh would be in (he lives just up the road), but it was a Monday, and he generally does weekends).  Coffee was amazing - I’ll be looking at options to bring some back and may have to invest in a coffee machine - that’s how good it is!

Another short walk and I hired a Citi-bike - another rideshare scheme and ride along the Hudson River from Chambers Street all the way up to 89th street - about 100 blocks along the riverside.  The bikeway is a wonderful separated path that runs from Battery Park all the way up to the Washington Bridge.  After my little haunt north, I turned and headed back to 23rd street where I racked my trusty steed and walked the avenues to meet the boys at Eisenberg’s Sandwich Shop, which is directly across from the Flatiron building.  

I had wanted to eat at Katz’, but hadn’t made the trek there so this was my next option - on recommendation from Ron Howard’s Instagram post earlier in the week.  Couldn’t go past the Corned Beef and Swiss sandwich and while it was delicious, it didn’t live up to the one I had at the Borough Markets in London!

Next stop, the High Line in Chelsea.  This repurposed train line sits high above the crowded streets and is a gorgeous green space for everyone to enjoy.  We then jumped on the subway to Washington Square where we scoped out the location for one of the scenes in the Avengers: Infinity War and then to 177a Bleeker St to find the Sanctum Santorum - Dr Strange’s New York Institute base.  As the rain started to fall we continued out location scouting, swinging by the Ghostbuster’s Firehouse before a further walk up and over the Brooklyn Bridge.

Home after that, with an early flight out in the morning, we watched the New Year’s (wet) celebrations from across the river on TV, glad we hadn’t decided to stand in the cold and wet to brave the crowds.

Sad to leave NYC but happy to be moving into our next city - the over-the-top culture of Las Vegas.

Schoolies Days 26 & 27 - road trip to Niagara

The best part about having an apartment in New York is that there are some great overnight trips you can do without having to take everything with you. So with that in mind we packed a backpack and jumped a tour bus for an overnighter to Niagara Falls.

The bus trip is relatively uneventful - an 8 and a half hour drive up over the Pokonos mountains, cutting through Pennsylvania, back into upstate New York over the Appalachia’s and over the border into Niagara Falls Ontario.

The trip is broken up with stops for breakfast, lunch and another waterfall in Chequaga as a taster for the big one at the end of the day.  Lunch stop was Wegmans - similar to Whole Foods store where we could choose from a whole range of foods in their cafeteria - huge slices of pizza, sushi of all types, subs, sandwiches, buffet and desserts.  These ones are self funded but all very affordable.

For those who have not been to Niagara, they may not be aware that there are actually two Falls - the American Falls accessible from the US side of the border, and the Horseshoe Falls which are in Canada.  The first afternoon we get there with about an hour to spare of daylight to capture some memories of the American Falls from an observation deck suspended out over Niagara River.  I actually like the American Falls a little better as it photographs so well and doesn’t create the same mist as the Canadian falls - again resulting in better photographs.  We also have a bit of time to roam around and over the top of the falls for a completely different eye’s view of the falls.

Then it’s back into the bus and the wait to cross over the Canadian border.  Not long to wait and our passports are stamped and Stefanos our guide is giving us a quick tour of town before we checkin to our Ramada Hotel for the night.

The three of us made the 15 minute walk into the Main Street tossing up our options for dinner, while checking out the sites of “little Vegas” - there’s a lot of neon on the main drag - it’s very much a theme park kind of vibe - a little more family friendly than the real thing!

We settled on Montana’s - where I had the most delicious buttermilk chicken with fresh vegetables (oh how I’ve missed fresh vegetables) and cornbread.  Oh and home style gravy - a delicious white sauce like nothing I’ve ever had in Australia.  Hayden indulged in a chicken waffle sandwich (yep - a fried chicken breadt between two waffles, and Brendon did justice to a 7 oz sirloin.  We had a fab waitress named Paulette and I may have had a Sommersby Long Island Iced Tea - same as a regular one but replace the soft drink with cider to make it a little more potent!

We roamed the Main Street checking out souvenir stores, avoiding the haunted house and Ripley’s attractions before Hayden took himself back to the hotel to watch the Islanders v Maple Leaf ice hockey game (yes I’ve created a monster introducing him to a new sport), while Brendon and I hung around for the illuminated falls and the final fireworks display of the season. Treated ourselves to a hot chocolate and a gingerbread latte on the way home and retired in our toasty warm hotel room for the night.

Not too early wake up at 6.30am - to the sight of a winter wonderland - it was snowing!  Brendon and I got ready in record time and dragged Hayden downstairs to play in the snow before a quick breakfast and onto the bus to explore the Canadian Falls all the whole with snow still swirling down and around us.

The tour includes a trip behind the falls at this time of year (up until November you can do the Maid of the Mist tour where the boat takes you right up to the falls), but at this time of the year it isn’t an option.  It’s still pretty awesome to go behind the falls - it’s a real chance to experience the power and force behind the million litres per minute of water flowing over the side of the cliffs.  The history of the falls is interesting too - not least that it has eroded so much that it used to be 11km further upstream.

The bus trip home involves a stop at the Crossings Premium Outlet mall in Pennsylvania - an hour and a half of shopping nirvana for those who like that kinda thing.  Unfortunately Brendon lost his phone at the mall, but fortunately it was found and handed in so we just have to work out how to get it back now as we fly out Tuesday morning and the tour company will bring the phone back Tuesday afternoon - will keep you updated on the progress of getting it back!

So now with a final day in NYC we will cram in a bit of last minute sightseeing.  Still a few things on the bucket list even after that so I guess we will need to come back sometime (please let it be in Spring - I’m sick of winter New York and would love to see it in its green glory, especially in Central Park).