Travel – Page 5 – Seeing the world through the eyes of a Savage

Day 3: Los Angeles

August 16, 2015August 16, 2015Posted in TravelTagged Fatty Arbuckle, L.A, Los Angeles, road trip, travel2 Comments

You can’t visit LA without doing Hollywood, so we had to go up and see the Hollywood sign, of course: finding a sneaky route up through Griffith Park gives you loads of great views. But for us, Hollywood is most resonant because of Fatty Arbuckle the silent comedian, whose career took a nose-dive after a sex scandal in the 1920s. In 2009 we put on a show called “Sweet FA“, which was all about Fatty and the girl who threw herself off the Hollywood sign, Peg Entwistle. So for us, it wasn’t the Hollywood Walk of Fame that called, but instead Fatty’s house on 649 West Adams Boulevard, a mock-tudor mansion that is now an unassuming college home for Bible students (so Dominic’s going in…).

Dominic outside what was Fatty Arbuckle's front door. — Dominic outside what was Fatty Arbuckle’s front door.

Fatty Arbuckle's once-upon home at 649 West Adams Boulevard. Fatty lived here until he had to let it go after his court case in the early 1920s — Fatty Arbuckle’s once-upon home at 649 West Adams Boulevard. Fatty lived here until he had to let it go after his court case in the early 1920s

We also took a drive out to Venice Beach. Although we were extremely lucky to find some free parking, you could be looking at about 20-35 dollars to park, the beach and the vibe wasn’t really our cup of tea. A bit too much like Skegness at home – although way busier! Some will love the full-on hectic atmosphere, but we were most impressed by this painted house just before you reach the beach.

House near Venice beach — A painted wall near Venice beach.

This is as close as we got to the centre of L.A. Lots of buildings are going up, it’s interesting how they have bunched all the skyscrapers together. Maybe to make the skyline impressive, or something to do with all the hills around L.A (?)

This pic had to go in the blog: great signs in the US!

Finished up our day with dinner, although we had to leave the Bachi Burger restaurant in Old Pasadena because we didn’t have any I.D with us and they thought Karen was underage (having recently just turned 40!). It would have been flattering if the manager had not been so officious in his manner. So we left. Thankfully, that terrible customer service was balanced by the wonderful reception we found at the California Pizza Kitchen on N. Los Robles Ave. Our hostess Sandi was super, and gave us lots of tips for the rest of our trip. Great food here as well, and really pleasant to be able to dine outside just a stone’s throw from our hotel.

US road trip…day 1…

August 15, 2015August 16, 2015Posted in TravelLeave a comment

Day 1: Depart London Gatwick and travel to L.A via Las Vegas.

We’re off on a three-week road trip through California and Nevada. Leaving London Gatwick in mid-August, the heavens open, reminding us why August in California seems a more pleasurable prospect. It really is a storm – more rain falls on the runway in one day than usually falls in the whole of the month. Perhaps we were lucky to be able to take off at all. But we did. We’re on our way!

These icy pics were take over Greenland. Certainly one of the most stunning views we’ve seen from an aeroplane.

And then we have the desert. These were taken over Utah, so not long til Vegas. And look at the weather!

This delicious chowder bread bowl had to make it in the blog. It was served up whilst we waited for our very delayed connecting flights from Las Vegas to L.A. We arrived in Vegas in heavy thunderstorms, and the lightning meant the flights were grounded. Flash flooding, more rain in a day than in the whole of the season… hold on! This sounds familiar! Chowder seemed like a good idea. It was funny to hear the Americans say “wow, this is amazing, it never rains like this in Vegas”. Dominic and I just thought we had brought the weather with us from London.

Finally we board the short hop to LA, get our rental car and negotiate the six-lane LA freeways to find our hotel. It’s been a 24-hour journey door-to-door. So good night!

Day 2: Pasadena L.A California

August 15, 2015August 16, 2015Posted in TravelLeave a comment

Day 2: Waking up in Pasadena August 14th 2015

After the rains of yesterday we were delighted to see this view out of our hotel window on Friday morning. This is Pasadena in uncommonly hot August conditions that even the locals have been amazed by. It’s 38 degrees here, so we’re having a slow day exploring Pasadena’s charming and thriving old town. Here are some views from our hotel, The Westin.

Naturally, we need to prioritise hydration. California is suffering drought conditions and is urging residents to reduce water usage by 28%. We decided to contribute to the savings by substituting our water consumption with 28% more Chardonnay. The Edwin Mills bar in Pasadena has a really relaxed vibe, a great wine list and really friendly staff. (And also some interesting Dali-esque hangings on the wall!). Well worth checking out.