A CALIFORNIAN ODYSSEY 2010.....A live trip report from the Golden State
Jun 13th, 2010, 11:03 PM
#24
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I enjoy reading your adventures with the family. I get excited when I read your post as I will be travelling with the family to CA in August (my 5 year old son's first time in the US). Can't wait for August to come.....
Jun 14th, 2010, 06:33 AM
#25
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What a fabulous day! We had planned to keep it low key to try and shake off the jet-lag, but everything we did was memorable and has really given me the desire to come back to LA sometime soon.
I awoke at 8, which is about a 4 year record for me. I am generally up before 6 and even on holidays rarely wake after 7am. By the time we made it down to breakfast, it was close to 10, just a quick coffee and bagel to get the engine running and then off the Original Farmers Market. Just a quick note to anyone considering microwaving a cold boiled egg. 30 seconds is a bit too much as Caleb proved to us all this morning. I’m glad no-one got hurt!
The Farmers Market is all about the food, with a few other assorted vendors providing the supporting cast. It is vibrant and bustling and certainly a must do if visiting LA. We spent some time wandering through the super trendy Grove outdoor shopping mall, which is connected to the market and then grabbed a seat and watched the passing parade of paper plates laden with tasty offerings being escorted back to neighboring tables.
Whilst waiting for my choice of feta cheese and spinach ,cooked in a Turkish style carbohydrate to be constructed, I wandered over to a centrally located bar, drawn by a lively crowd gathered there. As, I got close, the atmosphere rose to fever pitch and I got caught up in a cheer of “USA…USA…USA.” As luck would have it, this was the precise moment that the team from The States had drawn level with the English in the round ball version of Football. As an Aussie is bred to “stick it up” any team from the “motherland”, I was as excited as anyone else in the crowd. I have grown up hating that USA chant as it is usually used against us, but at that moment I was hanging on every letter.
Our next stop was the “Walk of Fame”, Kodak and Chinese Theatre’s of Hollywood Boulevard. What a strange stretch of road this is. The opulence of the Kodak and it’s adjacent shopping mall in direct contrast to the Bong shops and dark smoke filled bars that co-inhabit this area. The kids enjoyed trying to find some “stars” that they knew and were pleased to see the Aussie contingent of Russell Crowe and Nicole Kidman placed in a prime position in front of the Kodak but what really sparked their interest was seeing Harry Potter’s handprints and wand imprinted in stone at the Chinese Theatre.
Caleb was starting to get the grumps up so we headed to Mc Donalds and shared a 20 pack of nuggets for $4.99. I found it amusing to see a large sign that clearly set out their “SAUCE POLICY” (1 for 6, 2 for 12 and 3 for 20) and Kerry and the kids were really impressed with the free refills on the giant sized drinks. Re-fuelled, we headed back to the hotel which was only a few miles away and gave the boys some swim time while I caught up with the Footy scores from home.
We had decided to drive to Dodger stadium, against the advice of some locals that we spoke to and departed at about 6pm for a 7.15 game. We hit really heavy traffic on the last stretch of Freeway, but everything kept moving and we were parked and in our “cheap seats” for the opening Innings. I had booked for the game months in advance and even though we were in the nose bleed area our seats were in the very front row so the view was excellent. We haven’t been brought up on baseball but watch it occasionally on pay TV and were here for the experience as much as the game. 5 minutes and I was hooked. The Music, the Cheers, the Chants, the Singing, it was really intoxicating and the local fans were all good natured with heaps of amusing banter.
The game finished at 4 to 2. The Angels won and the Dodger fans left unfulfilled. There was a few exciting moments late with bases loaded and only 1 out at the bottom of the 7th and local legend “Manny” coming in to Pinch Hit in the final Innings but unfortunately the end was anti-climatic for all but Joel who decided early to get on the Angels.
The drive back was quicker that the drive in and I was impressed with how easily we managed to escape the car-park. There were plenty of attendants ushering everyone out and the traffic, unlike my experiences getting out of the MCG car park, were orderly. We were home and in bed by 11.30. Unfortunately sleep didn’t come quite as easily as our room faced the nearby “House of Blues”. I would advice anyone wishing to stay here to request a Pool facing room.
I awoke at 8, which is about a 4 year record for me. I am generally up before 6 and even on holidays rarely wake after 7am. By the time we made it down to breakfast, it was close to 10, just a quick coffee and bagel to get the engine running and then off the Original Farmers Market. Just a quick note to anyone considering microwaving a cold boiled egg. 30 seconds is a bit too much as Caleb proved to us all this morning. I’m glad no-one got hurt!
The Farmers Market is all about the food, with a few other assorted vendors providing the supporting cast. It is vibrant and bustling and certainly a must do if visiting LA. We spent some time wandering through the super trendy Grove outdoor shopping mall, which is connected to the market and then grabbed a seat and watched the passing parade of paper plates laden with tasty offerings being escorted back to neighboring tables.
Whilst waiting for my choice of feta cheese and spinach ,cooked in a Turkish style carbohydrate to be constructed, I wandered over to a centrally located bar, drawn by a lively crowd gathered there. As, I got close, the atmosphere rose to fever pitch and I got caught up in a cheer of “USA…USA…USA.” As luck would have it, this was the precise moment that the team from The States had drawn level with the English in the round ball version of Football. As an Aussie is bred to “stick it up” any team from the “motherland”, I was as excited as anyone else in the crowd. I have grown up hating that USA chant as it is usually used against us, but at that moment I was hanging on every letter.
Our next stop was the “Walk of Fame”, Kodak and Chinese Theatre’s of Hollywood Boulevard. What a strange stretch of road this is. The opulence of the Kodak and it’s adjacent shopping mall in direct contrast to the Bong shops and dark smoke filled bars that co-inhabit this area. The kids enjoyed trying to find some “stars” that they knew and were pleased to see the Aussie contingent of Russell Crowe and Nicole Kidman placed in a prime position in front of the Kodak but what really sparked their interest was seeing Harry Potter’s handprints and wand imprinted in stone at the Chinese Theatre.
Caleb was starting to get the grumps up so we headed to Mc Donalds and shared a 20 pack of nuggets for $4.99. I found it amusing to see a large sign that clearly set out their “SAUCE POLICY” (1 for 6, 2 for 12 and 3 for 20) and Kerry and the kids were really impressed with the free refills on the giant sized drinks. Re-fuelled, we headed back to the hotel which was only a few miles away and gave the boys some swim time while I caught up with the Footy scores from home.
We had decided to drive to Dodger stadium, against the advice of some locals that we spoke to and departed at about 6pm for a 7.15 game. We hit really heavy traffic on the last stretch of Freeway, but everything kept moving and we were parked and in our “cheap seats” for the opening Innings. I had booked for the game months in advance and even though we were in the nose bleed area our seats were in the very front row so the view was excellent. We haven’t been brought up on baseball but watch it occasionally on pay TV and were here for the experience as much as the game. 5 minutes and I was hooked. The Music, the Cheers, the Chants, the Singing, it was really intoxicating and the local fans were all good natured with heaps of amusing banter.
The game finished at 4 to 2. The Angels won and the Dodger fans left unfulfilled. There was a few exciting moments late with bases loaded and only 1 out at the bottom of the 7th and local legend “Manny” coming in to Pinch Hit in the final Innings but unfortunately the end was anti-climatic for all but Joel who decided early to get on the Angels.
The drive back was quicker that the drive in and I was impressed with how easily we managed to escape the car-park. There were plenty of attendants ushering everyone out and the traffic, unlike my experiences getting out of the MCG car park, were orderly. We were home and in bed by 11.30. Unfortunately sleep didn’t come quite as easily as our room faced the nearby “House of Blues”. I would advice anyone wishing to stay here to request a Pool facing room.
Jun 14th, 2010, 07:14 AM
#26
What a nice day! So happy (as a local) to hear you didn't go tearing around the city, trying to see everything in a few hours. Hollywood is usually not what any visitor expects, and most of us who live here avoid the area unless a houseguest really wants to see it, but believe me when I say it's much nicer now than it was 10-20 years ago. And an evening at a baseball game was a great choice despite the so-so food and watery beer. I just wish the correct team had won.
On to the next adventure!
On to the next adventure!
Baseball games are the best and Im glad you decided to drive rather than use public transport for the game.
Jun 14th, 2010, 10:03 PM
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Thanks guys. Your encouragement and kind words more than justifies the time spent composing this report. It is nice to be able to repay all the great advice that I received in putting our trip together.
I've just got back to the Candy Cane after a 14+ hour day at Disneyland and I am way too tired to write any more tonight, but we have a later start planned for tomorrow so I will add some then. And yes, I was too busy to watch the 4 nil drubbing we received at the hands of those %#@*?# Germans.
I've just got back to the Candy Cane after a 14+ hour day at Disneyland and I am way too tired to write any more tonight, but we have a later start planned for tomorrow so I will add some then. And yes, I was too busy to watch the 4 nil drubbing we received at the hands of those %#@*?# Germans.
Jun 16th, 2010, 05:33 AM
#37
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I decided to skip the mundane hotel breakfast and after checking out of the Best Western, we head to Canters Deli. This proves to be an inspired choice and I must thank elnap29 on Fodor’s for suggesting this to me. The food was nice, not great, but the atmosphere in this LA institution was just fantastic. I must also mention that I managed to find it without any assistance from Homer, my sense of direction must be starting to shake off the Jetlag.
Canters have their own parking lot that at just after 10am on a Sunday morning is full apart from one last space that we pull into and walk around the corner and through the bakery entrance. The smallish, inconspicuous entrance opens up to a cavernous space that is full of mostly locals. Families in booths, couples on tables, groups of LA’s elite sitting next to men in full leather outfits including studded hats. It would seem that all are welcome at Canter’s Deli.
We are attended to by a lovely older lady who wears a badge that say’s “Fran”. Fran takes our order with great patience as she recites all the side options several times. She says to the boys “We ask a lot of questions in the States” as they are deciding if they want their eggs with potato, cottage cheese, tomato or several other elements that I cant recall. I choose the “famous” corned beef hash with scrambled eggs and potato. All this for a very reasonable $8.95. The coffee I wash this down with was very good and all up, I would recommend that anyone visiting LA, puts Canter’s on their itinerary.
We jump back into the car at about 11.30 and ask Homer to get us to the La Brea Tar pits. The kids are quite excited about this stop as they are both very inquisitive and love anything involving old bones. We spend a few hours there learning about how the pits trapped millions of Ice Age creatures and that this relatively small area has uncovered one of the highest concentrations of fossilized remains in the world. They charge only $7 for adults and 2 bucks for kids, provide a very informative tour of the dig sites and surrounding grounds as well as a museum tour that we didn’t stay around for. A really interesting and worthwhile stop.
The next stop was` Venice beach but we decide to do a quick trip down Rodeo drive. What a sight this is. We just cruised down the shopping strip as we didn’t think that the available combined balances on our credit cards would provide us with sufficient funds to stop there. Even paying for parking would have been a stretch. It amazed me how many people I spotted wearing inappropriate footwear. How they managed to walk around on these huge chunky heels was beyond me. And the girls heels were even worse. It was akin to watching a circus performance. We also did a quick tour of the residential part of Rodeo. Plenty of wealth on show here too.
Now Venice Beach was something else. I went there just expecting to see a stretch of sand and that famous open air gym. Wow. How I underestimated the people watching potential of this place. There were scores of people playing basketball, a skate park, and a multitude of handball and mini tennis courts. Then it started to get bizarre, like the area for break dancing on roller skates and the graffiti park. What really sets this place apart from any other place that I have ever seen is the sidewalk market. Shops selling your regular beachside fare like t-shirts and sunglasses, share this space with vendors offering “medicinal marijuana” and “beach botox”. I liked the pitch of the of the shop-front hawkers spruiking their weed “ The Doctor is in the House”. What is going on down there? There was also some great live street entertainment, from bands and comedians to the guy that was all painted up like a statue and would come alive with some crazy shrieking whenever someone dropped a dollar in his hat. The hat was labeled “TURN ME ON”.
Through all this craziness, the atmosphere was still non-threatening though I would feel a lot less comfortable there later in the day under the cover of darkness. I would also avoid the guys trying to give you a “free” CD that they say is a recording of their music. They approach you with a set of huge head-phones and try and get you to listen to what was on their Discman. I saw a few over polite people that seem stuck trying to pry themselves loose from a conversation that they wanted to escape from. I am not sure what the scam was but I wasn’t hanging around to find out.
Our next stop was the Candy Cane Inn in Anaheim, our base for the next 4 nights and our assault on Disneyland. The drive took about an hour, with a multitude of expressway exits and entries. Through all of Homers imperfections, I would not have liked to attempt this journey with an old school map. Check-in was efficient and we were suitably impressed with our new home. There was a mini-mart right next door and a row of take-away places across the road. We strolled up to the Disneyland gates in about 15 minutes, to pick up our passes and then bunkered down for an early night.
Canters have their own parking lot that at just after 10am on a Sunday morning is full apart from one last space that we pull into and walk around the corner and through the bakery entrance. The smallish, inconspicuous entrance opens up to a cavernous space that is full of mostly locals. Families in booths, couples on tables, groups of LA’s elite sitting next to men in full leather outfits including studded hats. It would seem that all are welcome at Canter’s Deli.
We are attended to by a lovely older lady who wears a badge that say’s “Fran”. Fran takes our order with great patience as she recites all the side options several times. She says to the boys “We ask a lot of questions in the States” as they are deciding if they want their eggs with potato, cottage cheese, tomato or several other elements that I cant recall. I choose the “famous” corned beef hash with scrambled eggs and potato. All this for a very reasonable $8.95. The coffee I wash this down with was very good and all up, I would recommend that anyone visiting LA, puts Canter’s on their itinerary.
We jump back into the car at about 11.30 and ask Homer to get us to the La Brea Tar pits. The kids are quite excited about this stop as they are both very inquisitive and love anything involving old bones. We spend a few hours there learning about how the pits trapped millions of Ice Age creatures and that this relatively small area has uncovered one of the highest concentrations of fossilized remains in the world. They charge only $7 for adults and 2 bucks for kids, provide a very informative tour of the dig sites and surrounding grounds as well as a museum tour that we didn’t stay around for. A really interesting and worthwhile stop.
The next stop was` Venice beach but we decide to do a quick trip down Rodeo drive. What a sight this is. We just cruised down the shopping strip as we didn’t think that the available combined balances on our credit cards would provide us with sufficient funds to stop there. Even paying for parking would have been a stretch. It amazed me how many people I spotted wearing inappropriate footwear. How they managed to walk around on these huge chunky heels was beyond me. And the girls heels were even worse. It was akin to watching a circus performance. We also did a quick tour of the residential part of Rodeo. Plenty of wealth on show here too.
Now Venice Beach was something else. I went there just expecting to see a stretch of sand and that famous open air gym. Wow. How I underestimated the people watching potential of this place. There were scores of people playing basketball, a skate park, and a multitude of handball and mini tennis courts. Then it started to get bizarre, like the area for break dancing on roller skates and the graffiti park. What really sets this place apart from any other place that I have ever seen is the sidewalk market. Shops selling your regular beachside fare like t-shirts and sunglasses, share this space with vendors offering “medicinal marijuana” and “beach botox”. I liked the pitch of the of the shop-front hawkers spruiking their weed “ The Doctor is in the House”. What is going on down there? There was also some great live street entertainment, from bands and comedians to the guy that was all painted up like a statue and would come alive with some crazy shrieking whenever someone dropped a dollar in his hat. The hat was labeled “TURN ME ON”.
Through all this craziness, the atmosphere was still non-threatening though I would feel a lot less comfortable there later in the day under the cover of darkness. I would also avoid the guys trying to give you a “free” CD that they say is a recording of their music. They approach you with a set of huge head-phones and try and get you to listen to what was on their Discman. I saw a few over polite people that seem stuck trying to pry themselves loose from a conversation that they wanted to escape from. I am not sure what the scam was but I wasn’t hanging around to find out.
Our next stop was the Candy Cane Inn in Anaheim, our base for the next 4 nights and our assault on Disneyland. The drive took about an hour, with a multitude of expressway exits and entries. Through all of Homers imperfections, I would not have liked to attempt this journey with an old school map. Check-in was efficient and we were suitably impressed with our new home. There was a mini-mart right next door and a row of take-away places across the road. We strolled up to the Disneyland gates in about 15 minutes, to pick up our passes and then bunkered down for an early night.
Jun 16th, 2010, 07:47 AM
#38
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"It amazed me how many people I spotted wearing inappropriate footwear. How they managed to walk around on these huge chunky heels was beyond me. And the girls heels were even worse."
LOL!
Wonderful!
LOL!
Wonderful!
Jun 16th, 2010, 08:44 AM
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Now Venice Beach was something else. I went there just expecting to see a stretch of sand and that famous open air gym. Wow. How I underestimated the people watching potential of this place.
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LOL! Love it. Can't wait for the next chapter. Enjoy!
__________________________________________________ _____________
LOL! Love it. Can't wait for the next chapter. Enjoy!
