We spent two weeks on our US road trip. We started in San Francisco. After a couple of days exploring the city, we picked up a hire car and drove south along Route 1 towards Los Angeles. At Bakersfield, we headed inland to Death Valley, Las Vegas and the Grand Canyon. From here, we continued our drive to Los Angeles for last few days of our trip. Total mileage covered: 2040 miles.
USA 2 Week Road Trip Itinerary
| Day 1 | London to San Francisco Accommodation – Lombard Plaza Motel |
| Day 2 | San Francisco Crissy Field Palace of Fine Arts Golden Gate Bridge Golden Gate Park |
| Day 3 | San Francisco Alcatraz Pier 39 Hyde Powell Cable Car Chinatown |
| Day 4 | San Francisco to Monterey Santa Cruz 17 Mile Scenic Drive Monterey Accommodation – Days Inn by Wyndham Monterey Downtown |
| Day 5 | Monterey to Ridgecrest Monterey Coastal Trail Red Rock Canyon State Park Ridgecrest |
| Day 6 | Ridgecrest to Beatty via Death Valley Death Valley National Park Rhyolite Goldwell Outdoor Museum Beatty Accommodation – Exchange Club Motel Dinner at VFW Beatty |
| Day 7 | Beatty to Las Vegas Area 51 Las Vegas Brunch at Planet Hollywood Las Vegas Strip Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas Sign Accommodation – Ellis Island Hotel Casino and Brewery |
| Day 8 | Las Vegas The Strat Circus Circus Las Vegas Strip Bellagio Dinner at Ellis Island Hotel Casino and Brewery |
| Day 9 | Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon Hoover Dam Kingman Lunch at Mr D’z Route 66 Diner Route 66 Grand Canyon National Park Accommodation – Maswik Lodge |
| Day 10 | Grand Canyon National Park Yavapai Point and Geology Museum Rim Trail Hermit Road |
| Day 11 | Grand Canyon to Phoenix Desert View Drive Desert View Watchtower Sedona Montezuma Castle Phoenix Grand Canyon University |
| Day 12 | Phoenix to Los Angeles |
| Day 13 | Los Angeles Grand Park Disney Concert Hall Our Lady of The Angels Cathedral City Hall Little Tokyo Griffith Park Hollywood Sign |
| Day 14 | Los Angeles Getty Museum Santa Monica Beach Santa Monica Pier |
Day 1 – London to San Francisco
A dream start to our trip. The taxi is early and traffic is light. Similarly with the airport bus and there’s no queue at check in. What is going on? 17 minutes after we were due at Heathrow, we’re sitting in the departure lounge. The only hitch so far has been breaking a nail getting my case onto the luggage belt.
I knew it was too good to last. Once on board, the cabin manager announces that there are three nut allergy sufferers, so can passengers please refrain from eating nuts. So imagine my surprise when tea is served and consists of a Nutty Nougat Bar! I complain to the cabin manager. He explains that when Virgin say they are nut free, they are referring specifically to peanuts, and I would know this if I had checked the small print of my booking. I explain that the route operates as a code share. When I booked (with Singapore Airlines) I didn’t even know it was a Virgin flight, let alone that the airline had rewritten the English dictionary. There is a full and frank exchange of views (mainly mine). The upshot is being moved to first class for the rest of the trip.
From my fancy first class seat I get a great view of the Golden Gate Bridge. And even more exciting, we are through immigration in 20 minutes. A US record by well over an hour. 19 hours door to door – not bad for a 6000 mile journey involving a taxi, a coach, a plane, a train and a bus.
Accommodation – Lombard Plaza Motel
Our accommodation for the next three nights is the Lombard Plaza Motel. It’s a typical American style motel. We chose it because of the location, which is midway between three of the city’s top attractions; Fisherman’s Wharf; Golden Gate Bridge and Golden Gate Park. The large rooms are clean and comfortable with a fridge and microwave. The price includes wifi and parking. There is bus stop right in front of the motel and a nice supermarket (Safeway) a 10 minute walk away.
Day 2 – San Francisco
Crissy Field
First on today’s agenda; Crissy Field parkrun. It’s a lovely scenic route on a bayside trail. The parkrun may now be defunct, but I would still recommend a walk through Crissy Field. This former airfield is now a public recreation area with trails and spectacular views of both Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz. At the far eastern end is the Wave Organ, an acoustic sculpture which utilises the sounds of the bay.
Palace of Fine Arts
Adjoining Crissy Field is the Palace of Fine Arts. This neo classical structure was built in 1915 to house art work for an exposition. The central rotunda is surrounded by colonnades and overlooks a lake.
Next on today’s agenda; scrapping said agenda as the old man has hurt his leg running, so can’t walk too much.
Golden Gate Bridge
From here, you can catch a bus or walk through the park to the main attraction the Golden Gate Bridge. After a wander round the Welcome Center to learn more about the history and construction of the bridge, we walk across to the midway point.
It’s the sort of iconic view that you can’t help repeatedly photographing even though you know that you’ll get home and realise you have dozens of virtually identical photos.
Golden Gate Park
On to Golden Gate Park. Two things to note about Golden Gate Park. Firstly, It’s huge. The rectangular park runs for 3 miles through the city’s suburbs to the Pacific coast. You could easily spend days exploring here. Secondly, it’s not as close to Golden Gate Bridge as the similar names might imply. In fact, they’re 3 miles apart. Bus No 28 will take you from the Golden Gate Bridge Parking Lot to Park Presidio Blvd & Fulton St on the edge of the park.
Japanese Tea Garden
We pick some highlights to limit walking and head for the Japanese Tea Garden. This beautifully landscaped garden has a tea house, pagoda, bridges and all the features you’d expect in a traditional Japanese style garden.
The Japanese Tea Garden is open daily from 9 am until 5 pm. There is an entrance fee ($12 for adults) and quite a long queue to get in, but it’s worth it!
De Young
Next, time to sit and rest a little in the De Young garden. De Young is a Fine Arts Museum surrounded by an interesting sculpture garden.
The museum is open daily except Monday from 9.30 am until 5.15 pm. You have to pay to enter the museum ($20 for adults) but the sculpture garden is free.
Back to the hotel for the old man to recover from today’s walk, while I go to the supermarket for supplies. I discover 6 Layer Dip; a tub containing layers of refried beans, guacamole, green salsa, red salsa, sour cream and cheese. Wow. But can I count it as my 5 a day?
Day 3 – San Francisco
Today is a mixture of highs and lows. Highs – visiting Alcatraz and a roller coaster of a tram ride. Lows – drinking Bud with clam and tomato juice and being called a fat arsed bitch by a tramp.
Alcatraz
An early start as we are booked on the first boat to Alcatraz. We take a ferry to the island, with spectacular views of the city and bay in the process. Then take our head sets for a self guided tour of the island.
The old man can’t understand why prisoners would want to escape from a prison where the canteen has an all-you-can-eat policy.
Pier 39
Then it’s on to Pier 39 to see the sea lions and eat clam chowder for lunch.
Hyde Powell Cable Car
Finally, a ride to Chinatown on the Hyde Powell Cable Car. A ride up and down the city streets in a historic cable car is a San Francisco must-do. The smell of burning from the brakes on the downhill section is most disconcerting.
Chinatown
We walk through Chinatown, admiring the shop fronts and murals, then catch the bus back to the hotel. And that is essential San Francisco covered.
Dinner tonight is from the supermarket deli; spicy chicken, which smells amazing. I buy Bud with clamato to go with dinner. Then it’s back to the hotel to eat the chicken and Google clamato. Turns out it means clam and tomato. What on earth induced someone to think adding clam and tomato juice to beer was acceptable behaviour?
Day 4 – San Francisco to Monterey
Distance: 137 miles
Today, up at 7 am. It’s earlier than the people in the room downstairs would like us to get up, which they deal with by banging on the ceiling while we try to pack. It is time to hit the road, heading south along the coastal Route 1 to Monterey. The old man goes to pick up the hire car (twice because he forgets his passport first time). So we’re running late and by the time he returns, check-out time has passed and I’m sitting in the street surrounded by bags keeping my distance from the abusive tramp. The hire car is enormous, a Nissan Rogue. I feel like a proper American.
We start our drive down Route 1, which varies between a multi lane highway and a single lane road meandering through the forest along the Pacific coast.
Santa Cruz
We stop for lunch at Santa Cruz, sitting on a rock surrounded by Mesembryanthemum, with the waves crashing in below us and eager gulls circling overhead.
17 Mile Scenic Drive
Then we continue to Carmel and take the 17 Mile Scenic Drive. It is indeed very scenic. If you cut out the golf courses, there are a dozen stops in a 17 mile loop around a woody peninsula overlooking the Pacific.
Each stop has stunning scenery and we work our way round taking lots of photos of the ocean, rocks, forest, ghost trees, harbour seals, deer and bird life. The wind is insane. It’s hard to stand up straight and I look like I’ve been trying to master the Donald Trump combover, but it’s been a great afternoon.
Monterey
After checking into our hotel in Monterey, we go for a walk along the oceanfront.
Fisherman’s Wharf is a pier lined with touristy shops and restaurants.
Cannery Row is famous because Steinbeck wrote a book about this old sardine canning factory. But the sardines were fished to extinction, so now it’s fancy shops and restaurants.
Back to the hotel via Trader Joe’s for less fancy supplies. Two firsts for me today; my first Pacific sunset and my first Californian beer.
Accommodation – Days Inn by Wyndham Monterey Downtown
Tonight’s accommodation is at another typical motel; Days Inn by Wyndham Monterey Downtown, which we chose because it offers free parking and is conveniently located, less than a mile from the touristy around the harbour. The rooms are clean and comfortable.
Day 5 – Monterey to Ridgecrest
Distance: 335 miles
Monterey Coastal Trail
Up early for a run along the Monterey coastal trail. A surreal experience, as it’s one of the virtual routes on the treadmill at my gym. So I’ve run it before on a rainy day in Boscombe, looking out over the A338. In reality, it is next to an even busier road. It’s also way colder than I’d anticipated so I pull the sleeves of my fleece over my hands. Passing runners feel the need to high 5, which means pulling my hands out of my nice warm sleeves.
I watch the sun rising over the Pacific Ocean as I run. Not a bad way to start a day.
After what passes for breakfast at a Days Inn, we set off. Today, neither the route nor the destination are of great interest, but will bring us close to Death Valley ready for tomorrow. It is a 335 mile drive through mile after mile of vineyards and orchards, up and up through ever more desolate landscape peppered with solar and wind farms.
Red Rock Canyon State Park
Then, just as we reach 3000 feet, the land opens up and we’re in Red Rock Canyon State Park with its layers of rock in hues of red and pink. There is a car park by the Visitor Center, which is just off route 14.
Ridgecrest
We end our journey at the Econo Lodge, Ridgecrest. The hotel and the town have seen better days and plenty of them. In fact, the hotel has closed down since our visit. The old man goes to explore Ridgecrest. I can’t imagine it can possibly have anything to discover, so stay at the hotel. Some considerable time later he reappears, a jibbering wreck. He has trodden on a live power cable sticking out of a hole in the road. I say we should call a doctor but he is convinced beer is the answer.
Day 6 – Ridgecrest to Beatty via Death Valley
Distance: 213 miles
Death Valley National Park
I wake up and check the old man has survived the night, despite his encounter with a power cable. He is feeling better so we set off for Death Valley National Park.
The road climbs and climbs until we reach the top of Towne pass. We’re at 4956 feet and it’s zero degrees. Then we descend into the valley on a road that it is more like a roller coaster. By the time we reach the bottom, we’re below sea level and the temperature has risen by 18 degrees.
Mesquite Flat
The variation in the landscape is astounding. First, stop, the sand dunes of Mesquite Flat.
Golden Canyon
Next, we take a hike through the yellow rocks of Golden Canyon to Red Rock Cathedral.
Harmony Borax Works
We stop at the old Harmony Borax Works, which operated between 1883 and 1888. You can follow an interpretive trail and see an old locomotive.
Furnace Creek Visitor Center
We take a break at Furnace Creek Visitor Center. Here, you can purchase refreshments, take a bathroom break, learn more about the park and pay your park fees ($30 per vehicle).
Badwater Basin
On to salt flats of Badwater Basin. At 86 metres below sea level, this is the lowest point in North America. The vast expanse of salt flats here cover an area of almost 200 square miles.
Artists Palette
Next, the stunning Artists Palette with layers of rock in every imaginable colour. From the main (Badwater) road, you take a 5 mile, one way scenic loop through this spectacular scenery. There are places along the route where you can park up to explore in more detail.
Zabriskie Point
We make our way out of the park via the folding yellow and black rocks of Zabriskie Point.
Rhyolite
The other side of Death Valley, we make stop at the ghost town of Rhyolite, an abandoned gold mining town.
Goldwell Outdoor Museum
Nearby are a house made of bottles and the quirky Goldwell Outdoor Museum with sculptures made of bandages soaked in plaster.
Beatty
Lonely Planet describes Beatty as ‘broken-down’, so expectations are set to low. This small town, which consists of a few blocks either side of the interstate, has a population of just 600.
Accommodation – Exchange Club Motel
Home for the night is the Exchange Club Motel. It’s pretty basic, but the rooms are clean and comfortable. And the price is significantly lower than staying in the National Park itself.
Dinner at VFW Beatty
The receptionist suggests we have dinner at VFW Beatty. We’re through the door, into a room with camouflage covered windows and tables inset with medals and bullets, before we realise that VFW stands for Veterans of Foreign Wars. Not surprisingly, most of the patrons are vets (think British Legion with a sprinkling of Hell’s Angel). But they’re a friendly bunch and we’re made to feel very welcome. The food is good too, although we skip the deep fried Oreos.
Day 7 – Beatty to Las Vegas
Distance: 117 miles
From the insane natural beauty of Death Valley, today we visit the man made craziness of Las Vegas. It’s a chilly minus 6 degrees when we set off on the 120 mile journey with 90 miles of fuel, assuming there will be somewhere to fill up en route. 30 miles in and nothing but desert in sight.
Area 51
We are considering turning round, when we spot an Alien Center, which also sells fuel, We are on the edge of Area 51; a highly classified US Air Force base. The intense secrecy surrounding the base has helped fuel conspiracy theories, many involving aliens and UFOs.
Las Vegas
We reach Las Vegas by 11 am, park up and set about exploring the unique but crazy city.
Brunch at Planet Hollywood
We start by going for a buffet brunch at Planet Hollywood. The old man moans that it costs $20, then polishes off 5 platefuls. Note: Planet Hollywood has several restaurants, but no longer offers a buffet.
Las Vegas Strip
We walk south along the Las Vegas Strip, past the various themed hotels; Paris Las Vegas with its Eiffel Tower, New York New York with its Statue of Liberty and roller coaster, castle-like Excalibur and Egyptian styled Luxor with its pyramid and sphinxes. Along the way, we are serenaded by a drunk Elvis on a mobility scooter and bump into Superman on an escalator.
We are aiming for the Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas Sign. It’s a lot further than we’d expected (almost 3 miles) and old man tries to convince me to make do with a sign pointing the way to the sign. You don’t have to walk; there are regular buses up and down the strip and there is also a monorail a block further east. But if you walk, you see much more of what Las Vegas has to offer.
Accommodation – Ellis Island Hotel Casino and Brewery
Sign located and photographed, we walk back up the strip to check in to the Ellis Island Hotel Casino and Brewery. Situated two blocks from the strip, this hotel with its own microbrewery is cheaper than staying on the strip itself. It also offers free parking. Once we have dropped our stuff in our very pleasant room, we head to the bar to claim our free litre of beer. It comes in a glass flagon with the hotel logo on. There is a difference of opinion on whether this is a cool souvenir or a heavy item to carry with us for the next 30,000 miles.
Then, it’s back out to see Las Vegas lit up after dark and to watch the now defunct exploding volcano at Mirage. I hadn’t realised the sheer scale of the strip. In one afternoon we’ve walked 13 miles and only covered the bottom half.
Day 8 – Las Vegas
Las Vegas day 2 and to be honest, my tolerance level for this place was probably one day. We go down for breakfast at 8 am. The restaurant is in the corner of the casino which is already full of gamblers and a surprising number of people drinking beer. Even in my hardcore student days, I don’t recall having beer for breakfast. The hotel breakfast consists of a basket of pastries. I don’t think I’ve seen a fruit or vegetable since we entered Nevada.
The Strat
Junk food consumed, we take the Monorail to the top of the strip to The Strat. This 350 metre high tower attached to a hotel, has observation decks at 250 metres for a bird’s eye view of Las Vegas and beyond.
There are a whole range of other entertainment options available, such as a roller coaster, skyjumping. In true Vegas style, there’s even a high rise chapel. We make do with a quick trip to the observation deck.
Circus Circus
Next up, Circus Circus. This hotel designed to look like a circus big top also has a range of entertainment. This is more geared towards families than thrill seekers. Entertainment includes a programme of free clown shows and circus acts. We watch a man free ladder. People around us are excited – they recognise him from America’s Got Talent.
Las Vegas Strip
We walk back to our hotel via the northern end of the Strip, passing Treasure Island with its pirate ship and The Venetian with its canal full of gondolas. Oh, and Mickey and Minnie Mouse fighting over a bottle of wine…
Bellagio
Final stop is Bellagio to watch the fountains which perform a display set to light and music each evening. Timings can be found here.
Dinner at Ellis Island Hotel Casino and Brewery
It’s been fun, but we’ve had our fill of Las Vegas. We return to our hotel for dinner and to pack for tomorrow’s very different experience, the Grand Canyon.
Day 9 – Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon
Distance: 299 miles
Today is serious bucket list stuff as we head for the Grand Canyon. I’m excited but a bit nervous. The weather report is for snow and temperatures well below freezing (minus 14 degrees to be precise). We haven’t even packed coats.
Hoover Dam
After breakfast in a smoke filled casino, we depart Las Vegas, grateful for some fresh air. First, an obligatory stop at the Hoover Dam spanning the Colorado River. On one side it’s Nevada and 9 am, whilst on the other it’s Arizona and 10 am. It’s obviously a very clever piece of engineering but it’s also beautifully Art Deco with surprisingly ornate gold doored toilets.
We climb the ramp to the O’Callaghan Tillman bridge; a 2000 foot long vertigo inducing concrete structure with a great view back across the dam.
Kingman
Next, a detour off the Interstate to follow a chunk of the Historic Route 66. We stop at Kingman to visit the quirky Route 66 Museum.
There’s also a Locomotive Park with its own steam train; Santa Fe 3759.
Lunch at Mr D’z Route 66 Diner
Then lunch at Mr D’z Route 66 Diner, a wonderful 50s themed diner with great food. The portions are huge and the old man orders a shake so large it comes in 3 glasses.
Route 66
Completely stuffed, we continue on down Route 66. Lonely Planet has led us to believe that this will be fun. In reality, apart from our stop at Kingman, it’s a rather desolate 83 mile detour.
Grand Canyon National Park
We return to the Interstate at Seligman and get stuck behind a gang of bikers for 50 miles, finally reaching Grand Canyon National Park just before sunset. Upon entering the park, you must pay a $35 entrance fee per vehicle. This fee includes use of shuttle buses within the park during your stay.
Time for a quick first visit to the rim. It’s certainly a spectacular view. Mainly hues of red, with a layer of snow around the top.
Accommodation – Maswik Lodge
We check into our motel, Maswik Lodge. Our room is cosy despite the freezing temperature outside. We are at the far end of the complex. The bar is quite a trek, so we put on every piece of warm clothing we packed and set off through the snow for a beer.
Day 10 – Grand Canyon National Park
Last night we slept well – it’s quiet like you only get miles from the city. It may be minus 14 outside but the central heating means our room is like a sauna. I take a shower and count the towels. There are 15! We leave our room to discover a herd of deer in the car park trying to work out why their food is covered with weird white stuff.
Yavapai Point and Geology Museum
After a tantalising glimpse last night, today we have a full day to explore the Canyon (from the top – it’s way too icy to consider going down unequipped). We take a blue shuttle bus, which runs around the various accommodations to the Visitor Center. Then the orange shuttle bus, which runs along the rim, to its furthest destination, Yavapai Point. Here, there is also a Geology Museum, where you can learn more about the formation of the canyon.
Rim Trail
Then we walk back along the Rim Trail. There seems to be two sorts of tourist here; the lazy who just want to jump out of a bus, take photos and jump back in the bus and the adventurous who want to hike down into the Canyon. A leisurely stroll along the rim doesn’t seem to appeal to either, so we have trail almost to ourselves and wander along enjoying the views and taking multiple photos.
Hermit Road
We return to the village, purchase supplies and drive along Hermit Road. This 7 mile long scenic drive has a shuttle bus for most of the year, but during the winter, driving is the only option. The road starts at Bright Angel.
We stop half way along at The Abyss to find a picnic table, where we have lunch with the most awesome view.
On the way back, we stop at Mohave Point to watch the sun set over the canyon.
Back in the village, we buy some Grand Canyon Amber Ale, which apparently is inspired by the sunset, but it’s in a brown bottle so who knows?
Day 11 – Grand Canyon to Phoenix
We don’t sleep well, the room is unbearably hot which is ironic as it’s minus 13 outside. We give up when the fuel truck arrives at 7 am to refill the gas tank opposite our room. Today’s destination is Phoenix, with a couple of stops en route.
Desert View Drive
We head out of the Canyon along Desert View Drive for our last view scenic views. This is the route out of the Park heading east. There are no shuttle buses along this route, so we will drive to the end of the park, then head south towards Phoenix. We stop for breakfast with a view. It’s a scenic place for our breakfast picnic, but it’s still just nudging zero degrees and difficult to eat a bagel wearing gloves.
Desert View Watchtower
The drive culminates at the Desert View Watchtower, where you can climb 90 stairs (quite an effort at 7000 feet) for an elevated view of the Canyon and the Colorado River.
Sedona
We exit the park and after a brief flirtation with the interstate, divert towards Sedona, at my mum’s suggestion. I’m not convinced. Surely after the Grand Canyon, another red rock canyon will pale into insignificance? But it is red rock awesomeness. Much lower than the Canyon so everything is red, no snow here.
The road entering Sedona drops 2000 feet through half a dozen hairpin bends. We stop at a series of viewpoints as we make our way through the canyon, including Oak Creek Bridge.
Montezuma Castle
Next Montezuma Castle, a 1000 year old 5 storey dwelling made out of caves in the cliff tops.
Tourists have not been allowed into the caves since 1951 but there is a diorama, which looks like a child’s school project, to show what it might have looked like inside.
Phoenix
We arrive in Phoenix after a long drive and 6000 feet descent with the landscape turning from pine to giant cactus. Several layers of clothing need to be discarded along the way. Phoenix is a proper city with proper traffic. We haven’t seen traffic since we left San Francisco a week ago, so a 5 lane freeway with cars zigzagging all over the place is quite stressful. We did have plans to explore Phoenix further, but arrive quite late in the day.
Grand Canyon University
We check into our hotel – Grand Canyon University. I’m not sure what I was expecting, but it is right in the middle of the university campus. It’s very nice and very purple. And it has a laundrette which is a bonus after 10 days of travel. It also has a pool, and it’s 21 degrees. So having spent the morning freezing my arse off, I am lazing by the pool waiting for my laundry before dinner. Note: It was a weird experience staying in a hotel on a university campus, able to use the gym and the pool and the dining hall. Which is probably why the hotel no longer operates…
Day 12 – Phoenix to Los Angeles
Distance: 380 miles
Today, we have a long drive. 380 miles to Los Angeles, 366 of it on Route 10, so my awesome navigational skills will not be in great demand. As most of the day will be spent in the car, I get up at 6 am and head for the gym. GCU’s colour is purple and they’ve not skimped on the colour scheme. I run 5 km in a haze of purple motivational quotes before we set off for LA.
Soon, we are back in California and off the map in Lonely Planet Southwest USA. I’m not sure how California is not in southwest USA and there has been correspondence with LP on the matter. I pointed out that it’s as south and west as the USA gets, but Lonely Planet stood firm.
Two unexpected things happen when we reach the California border; 1) we get stopped by some sort of border police and 2) it starts raining. I’ve seen LA loads of times on TV and it’s never raining.
We stop for petrol and snacks in Indio, a town on a plateau circled by mountains. It’s very Spanish. I buy Tapatio flavour Doritos. I’ve no idea what Tapatio is, but I do (now) know that it’s so spicy it burns my lips so badly they blister.
After 6.5 hours on the road, we reach Los Angeles. We’re staying in the Coral Sands Motel, just off Hollywood Boulevard. It’s a bit tired, in fact it’s bordering on the exhausted. The surrounding area in lined with rough sleepers and junkies. I’ve never seen so many people incapable of walking in a straight line. I go to the supermarket next door and the security guard is beating a customer with a metre long truncheon. Dinner in our room and staying put till daylight seems like the best option. Note: Not surprisingly, the motel has since closed down.
Day 13 – Los Angeles
A day to explore Los Angeles. After breakfast, we take the metro downtown. We have to stand, as the seats have homeless people sleeping on them. The level of homelessness is shocking; every bench, every piece of grass, every staircase has a rough sleeper on it. I googled LA homelessness, the total is a staggering 58,000. And this in a town where so many incredibly wealthy people live.
Grand Park
We start with a wander through Grand Park with its fountains.
Disney Concert Hall
The it’s on to the wonderfully bonkers architecture of Frank Gehry – the Disney Concert Hall, all silver and weird shapes and angles.
And then on to the ultra modern Our Lady of The Angels Cathedral, which was build when its predecessor was destroyed by an earthquake in the 1990s.
City Hall
Then, the imposing City Hall. the 27 storey Art Deco Building dates back to 1928.
Little Tokyo
We continue our walk through Little Tokyo, which appears to have a photo of George Takei on every lamppost.
Griffith Park
Then we take a bus up the hill to Griffith Park to visit the Observatory. The observatory is fascinating, even if a lot of it goes right over my head, and the range of exhibits is broad from high tech to a piece of the moon to a representation of the Big Bang in jewellery. The Big Picture, mapping our place in the universe, is mind blowing stuff.
Hollywood Sign
No visit to Griffith Park would be complete without the obligatory selfie with the Hollywood Sign. It’s a long way off, so a little underwhelming.
Day 14 – Los Angeles
Our last day in the USA. I get up and buy breakfast; everything bagels and strawberry cream cheese. It’s a weird combination. I hadn’t realised everything includes onion and garlic. Strawberries and garlic are not a pairing I’d recommend, although Heston Blumenthal probably has an ice cream that flavour.
Getty Museum
We start the day at the brilliant Getty Museum – an example of what you can create when money really is no object. If J P Getty had been born a century later and not struck oil, he would probably have ended up on one of those TV programmes about hoarders. But instead, he became the world’s richest man and amassed a formidable collection of art. Michelangelo, Rembrandt, Turner, Monet, Manet, Degas. It’s all here.
One of the highlight of the collection is Van Gough’s Irises.
There’s also sculpture, furniture, stained glass, it goes on and on. From the funicular railway which transports you from you car to the museum, so you don’t have bother with troublesome walking, to spectacular gardens endowed with sculptures to JPG’s huge art collection, it really is a spectacle.
Santa Monica Beach
A last jaunt to the ocean before a long night on a plane. To Santa Monica Beach for a picnic on the beach and a wander along the boulevard.
We pass Muscle Beach with a disappointing lack of muscle on display.
Santa Monica Pier
Finally, a stroll along the iconic Santa Monica Pier, before departing for the airport.
Our two week US jaunt is over. From San Francisco to Los Angeles, via Las Vegas and the Grand Canyon, it’s been a blast.We check in for our flight. It’s packed and we appear to be the only ones without surfboards. I feel like I’ve gate crashed a surf party. No surfing for us, next stop, Fiji and a sun lounger by the pool.
I hope you found the above information useful. For guides to more destinations in the 50+ countries we have visited, check out my full list of Independent Travel Itineraries here.
- Trip taken: February 2018
- Updated: December 2024
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