...and whatever comes our way!
We both had a good laugh at the first words we heard as we entered Los Angeles airport:
"Attention all airport users. You are not required to give money to solicitors. This airport does not sponsor their activities".
We knew we had landed in the States!
We enjoyed a smooth flight from Santiago to LA and both managed to get some good shut-eye. Maybe the red wine and steak indulgences of the previous few days in Mendoza had taken its toll (I have always maintained that gluttony is my favourite sin!). We landed at around 6am and, having passed through US customs relatively quickly (much more quickly than on our previous trip to the States (NYC)), we immediately headed to pick up our hired car.
"Would you be interested in upgrading your choice of car to a sports convertible"?, was the first question the Avis representative had for us. We (or rather, I) could not resist. For an additional $25 a day we could upgrade from the run-of-the-mill hatchback we had previously reserved online to a Ford Mustang which, to be perfectly honest, looked stunning. I have never been a huge fan of US sports cars but the Mustang looked awesome in a sort of indiscreet beefed-up in-your-face way. Although it had an automatic gearbox it was great fun to drive but I did get a bit of a slap on the wrist when I put my foot down (literally, from Sarah and metaphorically, from the fuel gauge - it was staggering just how uneconomical the Mustang was!).
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| Trying to work out where the next petrol station is... |
We opted to hire a Sat-Nav for the 4 days we had allocated to drive from LA to San Jose. This turned out to be extremely useful, especially for getting out of the early morning LA traffic (which was atrocious, even at 7am). We headed for route 101 via Beverly Hills and Hollywood (the other side of "town"), to get the all-important photo of the famous sign. Fortunately the sea fog which covered the Beverly Hills area in the early part of the morning cleared just before we stopped to take the photo. The Beverly Hills/Hollywood area did not disappoint and was just as we imagined it to be from all the US sitcoms, films we have grown up with.
You do feel slightly in awe of the magnificent properties and and perfectly dressed people - it does feel a bit like another world. It made me think of the famous Monty Python line about Hollywood being a place where "all the kids are on drugs and all the adults are on roller skates"!
Route 101 was recommended to us by an American guy called Chris whom we met in the jungle in Bolivia and who lived for a few years in LA. It is a coastal road which runs from LA up-through the states of California, Oregon, and Washington. It is also known as El Camino Real (The Royal Road) where its route along the southern and central California coast approximates the old trail which linked the Spanish missions, pueblos, and presidios. It ended up being a stunning drive which, for the most part, hugged the beautiful Californian coast. We made regular stops along the way to view the wildlife on offer, which included a very menacing looking coyote - I wouldn't want to cross the path of one of those on a bad day!
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| What you lookin at? |
Chris had kindly given us a detailed explanation of things to see and do on the drive to San Jose and, absent a Lonely Planet for California, we stuck to most of his suggestions.
Our first stop was Santa Barbara, which is some 2 hours north of LA. It was a lovely city with beautiful Spanish architecture, incredibly well-dressed and good-looking people - I have to admit that I did feel a little bit out of place with the unshaved face, creased shirt, hiking trousers and red hiking shoes!
We quickly indulged in some retail therapy at El Paseo shopping mall - California's first shopping centre. I'm always amazed by just how cheap clothes are in the States compared to the UK. We meandered slowly through the market and headed towards Stearns Wharf, a pier in the harbour where we had excellent clam chowder in a restaurant on the pier and enjoyed a fabulous sunset.
The next day we headed inland on the scenic 154 to the Los Padres National Forest, passing the wonderful Lake Cachuma.
As we noticed over the next few days, the weather on the coast would often be foggy but as soon as you head inland the cloud disappears suddenly to be replaced by bright sun and warm temperatures. We stopped at a small town called Los Olivos in the Santa Ynez valley for lunch and some obligatory wine tasting (we would learn over the next week just how good Californian wine is) and the temperature was easily in the early 30's. The soft top had proved to be a good choice!
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| Hummingbirds in Los Olivos |
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Couldn't agree more! |
We didn't know it at the time, but Michael Jackson's Neverland Ranch is located 5 miles north of Los Olivos. We missed the ranch by virtue of taking a road which passes by many of the Californian vineyards in the area.
It was tempting to stop and do more wine-tasting but, well, one of us had to drive!
That night we ate at the fantastic Far Western Tavern in Guadalupe which was highly recommended by Chris. The steak was to die for - on a par with the Bife de Chorizo we had eaten in Mendoza. It was definitely not a vegetarian friendly place. I had forgotten just how generous food servings are in the States!
We found time the next day to stop at a place called Big Sur where we got excellent views of elephant seals, Pelicans and cormorants. Space was definitely at a premium!
In the afternoon we explored another delightful town called San Luis Obispo.
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| Sarah has a blond moment |
SLO is a really quaint town famous, amongst other things, for its evening market (which we were fortunate enough to experience) and being one of the most cyclist-friendly cities in the USA.
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| SLO evening market |
The Bill Roalman (Morro Street) Bicycle Boulevard gives priority to bicycle traffic while a special bicycle traffic signal (one of only a handful in the United States) allows cyclists their own phase in traffic flow. A great idea and Boris Johnson, I know its a long-shot but if you happen to be reading this, take note!
Whilst the 101 had been a scenic route, it could also be described as quite serene with most drivers seemingly happy to stick rigidly to the 60mph speed limit and enjoy the spectacular scenery on offer. Having adhered to this for a few days, we (I) decided it was time to have a bit of "fun" in the car and we headed off late-afternoon towards the quiet Edna Valley area (officially to take some photos of the sunset, unofficially to put the Mustang through its paces). Having taken a quite a few photos of the sunset and with the light fading, we headed back to SLO on a minor road, which was at times more like the dirt tracks we had experienced in Bolivia. Now, Sarah maintains that I was getting my comeuppance for, as she puts it, "showing off" behind the wheel (I maintain it was bad light and could have happened to anyone!) but, well, we (I) somehow managed to hit a huge mud puddle with the hood down and cover more than just the outside of the car. Needless to say, I quickly learnt the perils of driving off road with the hood down after dark!
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| Edna Valley sunset |
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| Sarah doing her best Daisy Duke impression... |
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| Before... |
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| After... |
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| Oops! |
The following morning, tail firmly between my legs, we set off for Hearst Castle which would prove to be one of the highlights our Californian trip. Hearst Castle beggars belief - an immense, extraordinary mansion set in the hills overlooking the Californian coast. It was built between 1919 and 1947 for newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst. Hearst created a chain that numbered nearly 30 papers in major American cities at its peak. He later expanded to magazines, creating the largest newspaper and magazine business in the world. His life story was a source of inspiration for the development of the lead character in Orson Welles' classic film Citizen Kane.
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| Hearst Castle, rising through the fog... |
It is the sheer size of Hearst Castle that really impresses - it features 56 bedrooms, 61 bathrooms, 19 sitting rooms, 127 acres of gardens, indoor and outdoor swimming pools, tennis courts, a movie theatre, an airfield, and the grounds once contained the world's largest private zoo. Zebras and other exotic animals still roam the grounds. As a child Hearst embarked on a tour of Europe with his mother of Spain, Italy, France and England and it is said that this influenced his visions for Hearst Castle - it is an amazing mix of architectural designs (Hearst was said to be particularly inspired by examples of Renaissance and Baroque architecture from southern Spain) and artwork from all over the world.
Personally, I think it is difficult to imagine a more awesome property in a more amazing location (which was undeveloped, atop a steep hill whose ascent was a dirt path accessible only by foot or on horseback over five miles of cutbacks). The surrounding countryside visible from the mansion remains largely undeveloped.
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| The Neptune Pool - I think even Julius Caesar would have approved! |
Invitations to Hearst Castle were highly coveted during its heyday in the 1920s and '30s. The Hollywood and political elite often visited, usually flying into the estate's airfield or taking a private Hearst-owned train car from Los Angeles. Charlie Chaplin, Cary Grant, the Marx Brothers, Franklin Roosevelt and even a certain Winston Churchill were among Hearst's A-list guests. There must have been some amazing parties!
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| The dining room table - the flags above the table are from the Palio di Siena horse race |
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| Anyone for tennis? |
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| The indoor pool |
Having spent a good few hours taking in Hearst Castle, we pressed on for San Jose where we would spend three nights. A friend of Sarah's mother whose partner (Cathleen) lives in San Jose kindly put us up. It was a very kind offer and Cathleen was a great host - we even had a selection of goodies waiting for us in San Jose, which we had not had for nearly two months (including earl grey tea, shortbread and cheese and biscuits - no prizes for guessing who ate what!). We managed to squeeze a great deal in over the three days in San Jose.
Having (somewhat begrudgingly) returned the Mustang to Avis at San Jose airport on Saturday morning (cleaned inside and out, I might add!) we went with Cathleen's neighbours for a short walk from a town near to San Jose called Los Gatos - a very upmarket place.
On the way back we stopped off at Testarossa winery to sample yet more delicious Californian wines.
Cathleen had very kindly reserved tickets for an ice hockey game in the evening - San Jose Sharks vs. the Atlanta Thrashers and mid-afternoon we headed into the centre of San Jose, dressed in the San Jose Sharks t-shirts that Cathleen gave us, for a bite to eat and a few drinks to get in the mood for the game.
Now, Sarah and I have to confess to knowing absolutely nothing about ice-hockey other than it being a sport that is particularly popular in Canada. Neither of us have ever watched a game - not even in the recent winter Olympics! It ended up being an awesome evening though and, as a spectacle, from the pre-game build up soaking up the atmosphere outside the arena to the game itself, it was a completely unforgettable experience. It has to be said that the Americans really do know how to put on a live sports event and even though we didn't really understand what was going on (or were able to see the puck most of the time) we really got into it and found ourselves cheering away with the other 20,000 or so Sharks fans in the arena. The Sharks may have ended up losing 4-2 but it was definitely a night to remember.
Sunday 17 October was our San Francisco day which we had been looking forward to for some time. The city has always held a certain fascincation for me, ever since I saw Hitchcock's Vertigo which was set in the city. The foul weather did nothing to dampen our spirits as we took in most of the city's famous sights. What an incredible place - the famous steep roads seem even steeper in real life and the architecture is wonderful and timeless. I imagine it's a great place to live. We lunched in Chinatown before walking round to Pier 39 (fortunately the seals have now returned following their recent sudden mass exodus). With the miserable weather (the first rain we had in a long long time), the Golden Gate Bridge seemed more grey than red. The one disappointment was not being able to visit Alcatraz - we paid the price for not having booked our tickets in advance.
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| In the States, like in the UK, you are never too far from being told what to do/not to do |
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| Lombard Street |
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| Best avoided during icy periods... |
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| The famous San Francisco cable car - to be avoided if you are in a hurry! |
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| Alcatraz |
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| A distinctly un "Golden" Gate Bridge |
On our last day we were lucky enough to borrow two bicycles from Cathleen and we set off for brunch in Los Gatos to a place recommended by Cathleen. It was a lovely ride along the river but we took our time getting used to the bikes neither of which had the conventional handlebar brakes but instead you had to pedal in reverse! Thank goodness no emergency stops were necessary!
That evening Cathleen kindly dropped us off at San Francisco airport, where we picked up our flight to LA from where we would fly to Hong Kong.
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| A "light" snack at LA airport |
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| Sarah's a lucky lady... |
