So, we have squeezed the California Juice out of this place!
Here are the highlights of what we have been up to:
We picked up our Nissan hire car and head off on the road trip! In total of 2 weeks on the road we have done 1380 miles.
We are getting used to living out of a bag but pants and socks run out really quickly!
Yosemite:
The wildlife is really close here. The lady who owned the B&B we stayed at warned us about the deer who walk right into the kitchen to join us for breakfast. Bears and coyote were close by too, so no food to be left outside of houses! The location was something like a dream, 4000 ft up in the mountains and in a exclusive gated area where most San Franciscans have their second home. It was about half hour drive into the center of Yosemite National Park.
We visited the Yosemite Falls (the highest in the US), we were enjoying the view and 3 people in some sort of a love triangle made us feel uncomfortable so we left! Attempted to do a trail to a place called Mirror Lake but gave up half way through - amateurs. Took a dip in Calon River, lovely freshwater created from molten snow from the mountains above - freezing.
We did do one proper trek to Wapama Falls (north of Yosemite) - 5 miles in total.
Yosemite to San Jose:
We stayed in a motel here in a town called Fremont (the motel was nicer here than the one in Vallejo aka The Ghetto), the locks were much better! However the sign did say that they "dont take responsibility for Cancer, birth defects and death!" Went off to see the big Sequoia trees in the Big Red Basin, sat nav decided to get lost on the way - funny that it is called 'NeverLost'.
In all, San Jose was pretty rubbish. A drive through town so we were glad to head to Monterey:
Here are the highlights of what we have been up to:
We picked up our Nissan hire car and head off on the road trip! In total of 2 weeks on the road we have done 1380 miles.
We are getting used to living out of a bag but pants and socks run out really quickly!
Yosemite:
The wildlife is really close here. The lady who owned the B&B we stayed at warned us about the deer who walk right into the kitchen to join us for breakfast. Bears and coyote were close by too, so no food to be left outside of houses! The location was something like a dream, 4000 ft up in the mountains and in a exclusive gated area where most San Franciscans have their second home. It was about half hour drive into the center of Yosemite National Park.We visited the Yosemite Falls (the highest in the US), we were enjoying the view and 3 people in some sort of a love triangle made us feel uncomfortable so we left! Attempted to do a trail to a place called Mirror Lake but gave up half way through - amateurs. Took a dip in Calon River, lovely freshwater created from molten snow from the mountains above - freezing.
We did do one proper trek to Wapama Falls (north of Yosemite) - 5 miles in total.
Yosemite to San Jose:
We stayed in a motel here in a town called Fremont (the motel was nicer here than the one in Vallejo aka The Ghetto), the locks were much better! However the sign did say that they "dont take responsibility for Cancer, birth defects and death!" Went off to see the big Sequoia trees in the Big Red Basin, sat nav decided to get lost on the way - funny that it is called 'NeverLost'.In all, San Jose was pretty rubbish. A drive through town so we were glad to head to Monterey:
Monterey: 
Independence Day! Ok, so, this was supposed to be one of the most impressive days but this town was broke and so no fireworks for us!!
I thought we would have needed to spend 2 days here at the seaside/harbour town but we managed to see the whole place in 3 hours. The town put on a day time celebration instead with music, games, bbq - kind of like a mini festival. Was super hot and had fun. We asked at the tourist info place if there was any other towns doing fireworks, they pointed us in the direction of Seaside Town. Idyllic named town I hear you think - god no, the ghetto again and kids setting their own fireworks in the street from their hands - we called it a night.
Next stop LA!:
We were gonna stop at several places on the way down the Pacific Coast (scenic highway 1) but looked at the tourist guide and the middle section of California is almost empty! So we drove on down to LA. Set off at 10.30am and arrived at 7.30pm!! A long haul. Arrived into West Hollywood and this is where we stayed, stayed in a hostel that had about 5 staff working and living there, wierd setup but good fun.
We WELL underestimated the size of LA, it is bloody well huge!! We didnt really get to touch the surfice of what is on offer here, some things we did do:
Santa Monica Bay - best beach by far.
Natural History Museum - we happened to go on the first Tuesday of the month and so it was free! Bonus!
Venice Beach - weird, full of hobos and hippies, run down but had great ice cream!
Drove through Beverley Hills.
Hollywood - errmm disaster, tried to find the Hollywood walk of fame and sign for 2 days and missed it both times!!
Universal Studios - this place was incredible, the best that LA has to offer.
LA is also not like what you see in the movies or mags, it has no centre (being the 2nd largest city in the whole of the US), San Diego and San Fran much better.
San Diego:
Just the one night here, set off from LA at half 6 that morning to get to Diego as the the LA rush hour is from 7am-7pm so all day every day.
We have not had much luck with the weather at all on the coast - cold cloudy and San Diego is only 20 miles from Mexico!!
Went to see Balboa Park here, a main sight, great gardens, tram tour, cactus garden. I (Charlie) managed to get a cactus needle stuck in my foot so had to head back to hostel. Checked out the local boozer and pitcher of beer only $7 - magic. We met a guy called Chris who came on a tour with us on the second day to Old Town and Sunset Cliffs. 
Also met an old lady from Arizona who I had to share a girls dorm with - just me and her. She was nuts. She snored, meditated, got up several times to check the window, lay like a vampire, talked in her sleep. Pretty restless night. I tried to shake the the bunks to stop her snoring - no joy.
Independence Day! Ok, so, this was supposed to be one of the most impressive days but this town was broke and so no fireworks for us!!I thought we would have needed to spend 2 days here at the seaside/harbour town but we managed to see the whole place in 3 hours. The town put on a day time celebration instead with music, games, bbq - kind of like a mini festival. Was super hot and had fun. We asked at the tourist info place if there was any other towns doing fireworks, they pointed us in the direction of Seaside Town. Idyllic named town I hear you think - god no, the ghetto again and kids setting their own fireworks in the street from their hands - we called it a night.
Next stop LA!:
We were gonna stop at several places on the way down the Pacific Coast (scenic highway 1) but looked at the tourist guide and the middle section of California is almost empty! So we drove on down to LA. Set off at 10.30am and arrived at 7.30pm!! A long haul. Arrived into West Hollywood and this is where we stayed, stayed in a hostel that had about 5 staff working and living there, wierd setup but good fun.
We WELL underestimated the size of LA, it is bloody well huge!! We didnt really get to touch the surfice of what is on offer here, some things we did do:
Santa Monica Bay - best beach by far.
Natural History Museum - we happened to go on the first Tuesday of the month and so it was free! Bonus!
Venice Beach - weird, full of hobos and hippies, run down but had great ice cream!Drove through Beverley Hills.
Hollywood - errmm disaster, tried to find the Hollywood walk of fame and sign for 2 days and missed it both times!!
Universal Studios - this place was incredible, the best that LA has to offer.
LA is also not like what you see in the movies or mags, it has no centre (being the 2nd largest city in the whole of the US), San Diego and San Fran much better.
San Diego:
Just the one night here, set off from LA at half 6 that morning to get to Diego as the the LA rush hour is from 7am-7pm so all day every day.
We have not had much luck with the weather at all on the coast - cold cloudy and San Diego is only 20 miles from Mexico!!
Went to see Balboa Park here, a main sight, great gardens, tram tour, cactus garden. I (Charlie) managed to get a cactus needle stuck in my foot so had to head back to hostel. Checked out the local boozer and pitcher of beer only $7 - magic. We met a guy called Chris who came on a tour with us on the second day to Old Town and Sunset Cliffs. 
Also met an old lady from Arizona who I had to share a girls dorm with - just me and her. She was nuts. She snored, meditated, got up several times to check the window, lay like a vampire, talked in her sleep. Pretty restless night. I tried to shake the the bunks to stop her snoring - no joy.
Big Bear City (09/07 til now):
It took us 3 hours to get from San Diego to here. It is 7000 ft above sea level!! Stuff exploded because of the altitude. We are staying with Jon's uncle George and aunty Marty. They have a great place here in the mountains, it is beautiful. The town (not a city) is surrounded by a lake. We are gonna do mountain biking, kyaking, trails and relaxing whilst we're here. They have a beach cinema that is free!
That is pretty much it for California. We head to Fiji on the 15/07 :-).
Things that are well different in the US!:
Wine is only $2.50 per bottle - oh yea!
It is cheaper to eat out than to shop at a supermarket.
They do not do multipack crisps?!
They use concrete on the roads instead of tarmac.
The serve Newcastle Brown Ale in every place!
More fast food places than bars.
He knows not where he is going
For the ocean will decide -
It's not the DESTINATION...
... It's the glory of THE RIDE.
xx
It took us 3 hours to get from San Diego to here. It is 7000 ft above sea level!! Stuff exploded because of the altitude. We are staying with Jon's uncle George and aunty Marty. They have a great place here in the mountains, it is beautiful. The town (not a city) is surrounded by a lake. We are gonna do mountain biking, kyaking, trails and relaxing whilst we're here. They have a beach cinema that is free!That is pretty much it for California. We head to Fiji on the 15/07 :-).
Things that are well different in the US!:
Wine is only $2.50 per bottle - oh yea!
It is cheaper to eat out than to shop at a supermarket.
They do not do multipack crisps?!
They use concrete on the roads instead of tarmac.
The serve Newcastle Brown Ale in every place!
More fast food places than bars.
He knows not where he is going
For the ocean will decide -
It's not the DESTINATION...
... It's the glory of THE RIDE.
xx
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