Author: alohawild

Today is our last full day together. We slept in until 8ish and ate cereal, stuff I brought to avoid the time and cost of breakfast out. We then got into Air VW, the Gray, and headed to Huntington Beach via the Pacific Highway, which runs along the coast for most of the way. We enjoyed the drive through all the beaches and the homes near them. I missed that there was no exit, and we ended up looping on a lovely peninsula. I have to admit, with all the wonderful things to look at, I might have missed a stop sign, and one light was not yellow, but it was a low speed, and nothing bad happened.

We reached Huntington Beach, paid $20 for parking, walked along the beach to the pier, and found a group of local folks selling goods. Jeanne was able to find gifts for most of her family. I found some cards to mail to folks near the pier.

We walked the pier and did not see anything in the water, and, as always, the sign “No Fishing for White Sharks” on the pier was fun to see just above the surfers. There were dozens of surfers, with waves five or more feet tall roaring towards the beach. Often carry, sometimes only for a moment, a surfer forward. Many nice, large waves, to us, were ignored by the surfers to our confusion, but we noticed that those that broke early and turned the sea into foam, which is unlikely to be a positive experience for a surfer. Later, we would see a lifeguard clearing the area of swimmers after an announcement of a dangerous rip current near the piers. Surfers were left alone on the other side of the pier. We could see the foam of the waves flowing backward. Yikes!

Jeanne and I had a deep-fried festival for an early lunch (Jeanne had fish and chips, and I had a pile of industrial clam strips), and Deborah had a moderate-to-poor New England-style clam chowder. This was at Broad Street Oyster Company at the end of the pier.

While on the pier, a salesperson from Herzog-Meijer Volkswagen called to ask about my intentions for Air VW the Gray. I had been, maybe surprised was too kind a word to describe their option of having me get a new car via email, “Turn in your current Volkswagen ID.4 and upgrade to a safer and more reliable vehicle.” I learned that, from the basic valuation, the EV is worth $16,000, plus/minus. I suspect that a low-ball bid.

I also checked their website for a replacement car, and they are offering to let me pay $8,000 in cash and a $ 500+ per month lease for a new ID.4, which is twice what I paid and twice my lease. I have six more months to decide. But I am leaning towards buying it or buying another used EV at a slightly lower price point. Double my costs and outlay, indeed!

But I was nice and told the sales agent that I was unprepared to have the discussion while enjoying the beach in California. He agreed I should focus on the beach, and I recorded his phone number, as we will talk again. No regrets with Evie.

We shopped some more, and I got coffee while more shopping, as my feet were getting sore and my legs were tired. We walked back to the car, which seemed further than our walk towards the beach. I always remember how long it seemed to take to get to the beach at Cape Cod and back to the car when I was small, with Mom and Dad Wild, plus my little sister Linda.

Somewhere in the morning, I slammed my arm into the bathroom door handles, which, while blunt, did tear my skin, and I am sporting a Band-Aid now. Deborah and Jeanne would also tell you that I am sunburned on my head. It has been a glorious week in the sun!

We left the beach and found a used bookstore in the area, Once Read Books, and soon we acquired more used books. The owner, an older man, slightly grumpy, seemed to be the usual fixture of a disheveled used-book store (with boxes of books and yellowing magazines stacked here and there, generally fitting the area or not. Often there is a cat, but not this one. I found a National Archives supplement listing all the logbooks available for Naval ships 1801-1947 for a few bucks. Jeanne and Deborah found some treasured books, too.

Next, we passed Planet Books, and I turned around, and we went there too. Deborah was impressed with their light fixtures and furniture in their fine books section. I found a mystery book for a few bucks, Deborah found a children’s book, which, after promising not to “cut it up,” she purchased from yet-another-old-guy book seller. Jeanne found some more books. There was a sidewalk sale of crafters, but we passed; the folks at the tables, I heard, were surprised by the light turnout (we were not with the town full of World Cup traffic) and seemed desperate to sell us something.

We parked the car at the nearby boardwalk, after some searching for a parking spot (instead of walking for 20 minutes from the hotel in 80+ temperatures). There, we searched for the lock we had left behind. We had engraved our initials in the lock and put it on their railing last March. It has been buried under other locks, and we never found it, but we were happy to return to the spot and believe it was there somewhere.

Our dinner, running about 5:30, was at Parkers’ Lighthouse. We got a table with a view of the Queen Mary and an excellent waiter, Gib, who knew the food, wine, and menu and gave us good advice. It was an expensive meal, but I have paid as much for food that was not as good. The sea bass that Deborah ordered, the daily catch, was fresh and the best we have ever tasted (we shared our fish). Jeanne had the garlic bread burger (we had that on our previous visit, when they were running happy hour) and loved it. We saw a sea lion playing in the water.

After a little more shopping, Jeanne found her last item, and we took the EV on the couple-minute trip to the hotel. There, we returned to our room, found the TV still not connected, and watched the movie Hail Mary in Jeanne’s room. I did some church paperwork while the movie played (I had seen it twice). The hotel gave Deborah $80 credit for our inconvenience, which changed our plans to have breakfast at the hotel instead of cerial (which also meant we could pack everything tonight — which we did).

Tired and now cold from the AC (we figured out how to adjust it on our last night), I went to bed without finishing this blog. I slept until 5:15, thinking it was 6:15, and got going. I slept with dreams about work and having to get some unspecified task done. My usual dreams on a travel (or hotel change) day.

Thanks for reading. It was a marvelous day!

We had two plans for the day. Both had some minor issues. First, we had whale watching at noon. Second, we had drinks and jazz music on the Queen Mary at 7. But before this, we went to Creme De La Crepe for a late breakfast, brunch, if you like.

Creme De La Crepe is a French-style restaurant I found last time I was in Long Beach, but it is a long walk. We took the Air VW the Gray. I have a huge bag of coins for laundry and meters on this trip. I put quarters in the meter after parking in sight of the crepe place. Deborah and Jeanne had a table outside (it was hot inside) and comfortable outside. I had coffee with an egg Benedict and a side of cheese and sliced potatoes in a square. Deborah and Jeanne tried crepe items, and we shared a sweet crepe with chocolate, strawberries, and bananas. While not inexpensive, it was excellent food (though service can be slow).

After this, I dropped off Jeanne with Deborah to get the whale-watching tickets (they had already been purchased online, but they were physical tickets). I parked the car back at the hotel and walked there. While there and not seeing Deborah or Jeanne, I heard twice on the broadcast that boarding for whale watching was at 11:30. They had gone shopping, and it is a long walk there and back. Sadly, I was wrong, and they rushed back for no reason. I meant them halfway. At least we got good seats on the front (bow) of the boat.

One whale and lots of dolphins were our find in a lovely ride in the Pacific with gentle rolling seas. Before we had lots of whales and even orcas. Still, it was a great trip.

Next, Deborah had done some work, I finished my American Civil War book, and Jeanne rested. Deborah and I got some food from the hotel, and Jeanne reheated the leftovers from our last dinner. We ate that together in our room. We have an Executive Suite. It was a nice, quiet dinner together.

We next got back into the EV and parked at the Queen Mary. We headed to the Observation Bar, grabbed a table, and got some overpriced drinks while we listened to live music of 30-40-50 songs. I skipped up to the bridge, while it was still open, and took some photographs. Deborah joined Jeanne at the shop, but found nothing to take home.

With the first set over and our charcuterie board finished, we walked the decks from one end to the other, then went inside and walked the stateroom areas, which always feel haunted and out of time and space. Like a Steven King book or movie. With that done and having learned that the Engine Room space was closed for the night (I missed it again), we headed back, soon found the car, and let Evie take us home. We did have to pay $15 for parking, as our validation only covered part of it.

We returned to the hotel, and I parked the car. And then showered, put on my PJs, while Deborah read. I wrote the blog in the dark while Deborah slept.

Saturday is our last full day together and our last night in this hotel. We are headed to the beaches in the morning. Maybe Huntington.

Thanks for reading!

I managed to sleep until before 6, and after we spent some time together, we got focused on travel. LA traffic was a time-killer on today’s trip, eating up over an hour in the morning and two hours back. As my friend Scott W reminded me, traffic is a thing in LA. Today is the pre-match traffic as the World Cup starts with the opening game in Mexico. Everywhere there are warnings not to use the roads tomorrow, as the USA is playing here on Friday. We have whale watching and a short trip to the Queen Mary for Jazz and drinks on Friday Night instead of traveling. Breakfast will be out at Creme De La Crepe, about a 15-minute walk away.

Jeanne, Deborah, and I boarded Air VW the Gray, aka Evie, and soon I was driving messy, traffic-filled roads. Nav was out of its mind and had to get off and back on the same highway, somehow calculating this was a good idea. I remember seeing a similar problem for Zeriada in Texas a few years ago. When the roads are close together, the Mav cannot determine your location or the road’s position. Hmmm. I switched to Apple Maps, and the issue was gone.

Now that the driving was stable, we spent about thirty minutes in slow-moving traffic. We were suddenly on the Pacific Highway (Route 1) as the traffic broke up, and we hit roads with traffic lights. The route had the beaches on one side and a park with high bluffs (palisades) on the other. We were in Palisades, California!

We turned into the Getty Villa and were on concrete laid in large cobblestone patterns, then parked the EV in a modern parking garage. and found our way through security and up and down elevators to reach the cafe, where Deborah and I got some coffee. The view was astonishingly beautiful, with modern and Roman Villa-style Pompeii home architecture intermixed. All pointed at the sea filled with trees that withstand the summer’s heat in Southern California and various, mostly sustainable, plantings.

We spent the cool left in the morning in the gardens and marveling over the recreation of a Roman Villa populated with copies of Roman bronzes and marbles (with a note that since the orginal roman ones were copies of Greek originals, that having modern copies was not really a change — they were and are all copies). I hopped back to the car, got Deborah a protein bar and water (it was getting hot), and joined a tour group for the ongoing Book of the Dead show. Our docent explained that some of the collection was borrowed from the British Museum, and then walked us in to see some of the loaned items. They are, he explained, from the 26th dynasty (the last of native control) and pointed out the various gods and the cultural framework of honesty and order. You did what the Pharaoh said.

The docent took the group upstairs, and I was surprised to find another whole museum of sculpture up there (the good stuff was on the first floor) and a section on the Book of the Dead, which is part, he shared, of the Getty collection. Here were parts of the book from the times of Ramses and King Tut, the two kingdoms of Israel, and the Ptolemaic Egypt. There was also the wrapping of a mummy in Ptolemaic Egypt, with spells and drawings illustrating its religious significance. Fascinating; I had read about it, but had not seen it before.

Next, he moved us to another part of the Gerry collection, a Roman-style mummy. The docent took off his hat, as did we, as he pointed out that these were human remains and should be treated with respect. These burial items included a lifelike painting of the embalmed person’s head as they were in life.

We returned upstairs and went to the cafe for lunch. It was not cheap, but the food was good. It was heating up. We visited many rooms with pottery, fresco remains, and floors. Sculpture was everywhere. It was relaxing in the pleasant environment. Lastly, we went to the bookstore, where I got some trinkets and a book with an image of another version of the Book of the Dead, with word-for-word translation.
We then left and stopped at a beach just a moment away. There was a sign that warned about bacteria in the water, so we just looked. I thought I spotted a whale or maybe a seal out in the sea. I also saw a large dark figure in the water that did not look like a whale. No reason to swim too deeply here!

After that, I took Evie in heavy traffic for a long ride. We finally arrived in Long Beach.

We decided on the Mexican place across the street, as Beborah has a 15% discount there. We enjoyed some drinks and food, and soon headed back. We had planned to watch a movie together, but the hotel’s Internet is out.

There is a planned power outage while they test the hotel’s safety systems. I selected to write the blog tonight.

Thanks for reading!

 

We woke early, spent some time together, and then rallied around 7 for our 8:30 pick-up for a tour of LA. Breakfast was cereal wtih some fruit added. Deborah and Jeanne get $10 to spend at the hotel for each room. That supplied the fruit. Dressed and all of that, we headed down early to meet our guide for the day, Gabriel, and we got the three forward seats. We picked up another couple, and we were off.

Our guide was a bit loose with facts and his understanding of many things. He was friendly and seemed to know the area. It was sort of like your uncle, who might have done too many drugs, is clean now, and is now giving you a tour while you are in the area. The driver from the cold TV show Taxi, Jim, played by Christopher Lloyd, comes to mind, kind of mixed with Keanu Reeves as Ted.

We first stopped at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and took pictures. He reminded us that we have two years to save up for the next Olympics in LA. Part of the World Cup will be played next door in the newer BMO Stadium.

Next, Gab had a plan and took us to the observatory, which, sadly, was closed, but it was still on the list of things to see on this trip (“check”). It was a lovely view–the grounds were open, and I was thinking of La La Land (here). You can see the Hollywood sign from the Griffith Observatory, and we took all the required shots.

I have some money for some books from the Hari Krishnas, a gentleman dressed in robes and shaven hair and other women with a slight accent in a bucket hat, and a comfortable shirt and dress, and they were thrilled to get a customer. We exchanged cards, and they invited me to see them at their restaurant in Culvert. Gab and Deboriah made fun of me, and I suggested reading the chants. I did get a book on chanting, a book of food recipes, and more chants and other philosophies. Cab would point out all the strange churches to me for the rest of the trip. Deborah, somewhere, could not roll her eyes anymore.

Hollywood was next, and Gab’s unique take on what we need to know, including hot dog location and fast food. He did point out where various movies were filmed and the ramp where La La Land starts. It seems that the local area has appeared in many movies, redressed as needed.

We found a few stars and then enjoyed the Chinese Theater footprints. It was getting hot, and the cement was radiating heat. We started overheating ourselves. We rushed to the Ghirardelli Soda Fountain & Chocolate Shop and cooled down with a mini-sundie for Jeanne and me; Deborah got iced coffee (and had some of my ice cream). We used this place last time we were here. We rushed them and even walked and ate as we got to the bus a few minutes early.

With more interesting dialogue (and disorganized) from Gab and him, pointing out some places without providing any time to photograph them from the bus, we reached Mel’s Drive-in, which was used in the movie American Graffiti. Pictures from the movie’s filming and of other famous actors (the Kardashians’ shop is next door) now cover the walls in places. I had a wonderful meatloaf sandwich. I ate it open-faced as it was too huge to bite. Jeanne had the grilled cheese and short rib sandwich. Deborah, finding it on a special menu, had the protein breakfast, and 10% of its price was given to charity. It was on the special Arnold Schnitzer menu (the former governor). Deborah said it was fresh tasting and the best food on the trip so far. Might have to come back to Mel’s Dine-in.

We drove through Beverly Hills with its insane homes and platnum colored fore plugs, really. We saw all the stores for the rich and famous. We did not stop, and that was fine with us. Gab joked that we would have to extend our credit limits to stop. Nobody was insulted.

The beaches were our finish. Gab drove us through the nice area of Santa Monica State Beach and then explained that Venice has always been run-down, and that it was cheap for artists to live and be inspired by the beach or the folks there. Bars on windows, smell of pot, and a ‘last of the hippy places’ vibe. I liked it. We walked to the water over lots of hot sand. Jeanne enjoyed the water while I just got some on my shoes, and Deborah got a bit more.  Not drenched. We then found the Small Bookshop, and there I found some postcards, cards, and a book.

We did stop at a marina and saw a seal. But after that, Gab took on traffic and got us back intact. We gave him a reasonable tip; he needs it, we think (to get more cheap hot dogs), as he rambles a lot. Still, it was a pleasant day.

At the hotel, we take a short break, and then head across the street to the Irish Pub (at LA prices) and have drinks and too much food (we learned that the fridges have been replaced and food stays cold in them now. We can bring back food!

Deborah and Jeanne hit the beds as the tour, food, and drinks were enough. I wrote this blog while they sleep.

Thanks for reading.

 

 

We rose early to be ready for Universal, as we had a 9:15 tour, and I had to drive across LA to get there. Apple Maps estimated an hour and 15 minutes, which was about our actual travel time. We had cereal with milk and Deborah, and I had coffee. We boarded Air VW the Gray and then crawled across most of LA to near Hollywood for Universal Studios and Park. I had decided our best plan was a VIP tour as it covered everything we wanted to do, plus a nice lunch, and valet parking for Evie.

We arrived, walked for quite some time, missed the VIP sign at first, found it with help, and then signed in. We met our fabulous tour guide, Laura, who would be with us until almost 4. While they waited for the other guest to arrive, a lovely breakfast was served, our second one, and it was wonderful. Filled with baked goods, yogurt, and even shopped salmon, we were ready to start. Laura introduced herself, and we headed across the park to the backlot tour.

The tour had us visit a sound stage, walk the backlot with Laura explaining things (with here collegue Sara; Laura had another group and us, while Sara had a larger group). Laura, who had been a tour guide for ten years, answered our questions and added even more to them. She was friendly and enthusiastic. We cannot imagine a better guide.

We walked through the prop warehouse on the first floor; it was amazing (items are rented for 15% of the value a month, Laura shared). We saw items from various movies, some of which have since been repainted or revised for other shots and usage. Laura explained and pointed out these items as we walked (look but no touch).

This tour was great and the best thing we did. Laura then walked us to the Harry Potter section, and we rode two rides, Jeanne passing on them, but Deborah and I were both happy to do the Hogwarts Castle and Hippogriff rides.

We went to Muilon Rouge for the VIP buffet. The food was wonderful and fresh. We spent an hour there. We met Dracula on the way in, who suggested we were going there to die, but Laura rather playfully corrected the vampire’s usage to dine. He asked us to eat well, as we would meet again!

We would meet Dracula again, and I later realized he was in a reproduction of Bela Lugosi’s costume with matching makeup, a white vest, a white shirt, and a white bowtie. He asked me, as I was wearing a St Louis Arc T-shirt, what I thought of the experience of the small containers used to lift people. I told him how small they were and that the trip might be too short for him to finish his work. He assured me it would be enough time for that,  but he usually flies up to the top in bat form. He showed a lot of fang while we chatted, and his tough crossed his teeth when we discussed his work in the lifts in St Louis.

Laura appeared, and we were soon back on track to see the rides, but the other folks had other plans, and soon it was just Laura, the three of us. Laura took us to the base of the park via a set of escalators.  Laurea walked us through the rides and explained their themes. No spoilers. It was great! Mario Land was excellent. All recommended (though some rides are short, one only 27 seconds).

Laura walked us to the Hogwarts part of the park, and after that, we said goodbye. A most excellent guide. We got Butterbeers and the 10th-anniversary glasses. I had mine poured into the new glass. I remember it being way too sweet for me, but today it was refreshing.

Shopping followed (I resisted anything more), and then at 5, we headed out (the park closed at 6). Traffic would not be good at 5, and we decided that dinner now was better than hours later (and it would not likely be cheaper in Long Beach). The Vivo Italian Kitchen fit the bill (the chairs looked more comfortable than at another place), and the manager checked in with Deborah to ensure her dinner was prepared within her parameters. I had a steak, Deborah had salmon, and Jeanne had pasta. No booze for me as I had lots of driving to enjoy (iced tea).

We thought Universal had excellent service, and while we were VIPs, it seemed that everyone was looking out for us and wanted our visit to be special, VIP or not. Laura walked us through everything and the park, explaining as we went what she liked about this show, this ride, or that cafe. She was greeted by the other staff, and we were greeted as VIPs. While expensive (don’t ask, hundreds, here), the VIP includes valet parking, breakfast, lunch, a fast pass, and being escorted onto every ride by your guide (Laura for us). It was just wonderful.

Aside: I checked, and it is too expensive (thousands of dollars) to do this for Disneyland.

We got the car back from the valet, which was included in the cost, and then took 90 minutes to get back to Long Beach, with Nav taking us through parts of LA on the local streets to avoid some highway traffic. It was fun to see more of LA.

We reached the hotel, and soon folks from the East Coast were resting (Deborah and Jeanne). A favorite board game, Concordia, is coming out in a second edition, and I pledge to it. I then wrote this blog.

Thanks for reading. Tomorrow is a bus tour of LA and Hollywood.