A dream. Even when we landed at Lax I think I'm in a dream. We never really imagined doing this trip. Our dream.
Los Angeles is a place created for a bit 'by chance if I'm being sincere. We explored many other possibilities before this choice then one afternoon, a little 'for fun, My boyfriend and I went to see some offers on the Internet for the United States: Miami, Los Angeles, etc ... With Expedia
we found very advantageous prices and we decided to explore a bit 'speech to see if we could actually do this trip.
At this point I have a premise to do. Our journey is not usually that touches all the major cities, all major parks, all the main attractions of California. No, ours is a journey that touches mainly Los Angeles, the city of angels, with a side trip to Las Vegas.
We booked in March, just with Expedia. Here is our book, maybe it's useful to someone:
FLIGHT (U.S. AIRWAYS both the outward and return)
-> Departure from Milan MPX on 16/08/2009 at 10:00 arriving in Philadelphia at 13:10.
-> Departure from Philadelphia at 16:05 arriving at LAX at 18:48.
-> RETURN: Departure from LAX at 06:30. Arrive in Philadelphia at 14:39.
Departure at 15:50 with arrival at London Heathrow at 06:00 the next day
-> Hotel ( www.customhotel.com ) for 11 nights
-> Car rental with Hertz for 12 days (Ford Focus)
Everything, by booking with Expedia, to 1,240 Euros per head.
August 16, 2009 - FIRST DAY
Finally the much awaited departure has come. We arrived 3 hours prior to the check-in and I must say that we have guessed right just past the opening of the bench.
checked-in luggage on board and we see that the ticket is the Philadelphia-Los Angeles are far apart. Patience, we'll do the appropriate time. The flight
spends quiet, the plane is on time, your bags arrive at the airport that is your destination. And thank goodness I would add, we were a bit 'worried about this actually.
Approximately 19 to land in Lax and emotion is now indescribable. We pick up your bags and let's wait for the shuttle to take us to the Hertz counter. Once we follow
the whole process to get the car, the guy who tried another model of delivering, obviously more expensive. But we did not duped, we did not want to spend more than the un'euro our reservation!
The only thing is that we took the car with a full, because it was delay in bringing enough ...
At first we were a bit 'put off by the use of the automatic transmission, but slowly we managed to get used to.
I beg you, forget all of the left foot, you just have to accelerate and brake with your right foot to avoid nail carelessly into the street.
The hotel we booked was just 3km from the airport, so we can mount the navigator and go!
hurry here dies by the usual reservation and go to your room.
pure wonder. We were very pleased with our choice. The hotel is very modern, huge room and the bed as well! We booked it all with a continental breakfast which proved more apt choice!
I recommend for those who were to stay at the Custom Hotel. Never leave the car parked in front of Ralph's. We were told that the very first morning or even during the night leading off with the tow all the cars are there in virtually no parking. You can stop only and only for those few (little) STTE hours at the supermarket. Or if you really, if you need support or take something from the room.
We paid for all day parking at the Hotel. A bit 'expensive (20 dollars per day) but worth it. Do you have your car under cover and I carry it whenever you want for how many times a day you want. In short, a commodity!
the evening we take a packet of crisps from Ralph's and straight to bed, we were destroyed by the journey! Los Angeles will have to wait until the next day for a nice visit!
August 17, 2009 - MONDAY
In the morning we woke up to very good time (we were awake at 5), we call home with Skype, we have breakfast and then head for the start of our new adventure!
The initial impact was very strong. Vast roads, cars everywhere you surpass both right and left, in short, a hell highway. Viewed
so we were a bit 'demoralized but we soon discovered that, well, we were not in Italy. The traffic, though intense at any time of day or night, there has never been stopped or parked in a queue, rather, everything was pretty smooth (even if you had to have type 24 eyes in my head!).
Our first stop is Los Angeles Downtown!
parked the car at Union Station (very beautiful compared to our train stations) and we head to foot to the heart of Los Angeles through El Pueblo, Angel's Flight, and so on down to the Fashion District.
Horrible In our opinion, but to see why this whole feature area. If I were to ever go back to downtown LA in not going back ever again, but once in a lifetime is to see: decaying, smelly and full of ugly people on street corners ... A real godsend!
finished our stroll in Downtown we decide to take the car and take a ride to the coveted Santa Monica!
a fairy tale. I have adored since the first moment I saw it. 'S full of homeless people, especially on the road along the beach, but nobody bothers you.
We toured on the pier, we took a ride on the Ferris wheel and it was wonderful.
Assoporare this vitality we did really well, we were elated and very, very want to go and do!
After the pier we headed to the famous Third Street Promenade, a street full of shops, overflowing with famous people doing shopping!
We shot a bit ', did a little' of tasks (Victoria's Secret could not miss) and satisfied we decide to visit the Griffith Observatory, which is actually in the itinerary, was planned for the next day ...
The Griffith Observatory is fantastic. Unfortunately Monday is closed so we could not visit inside, but only the exterior is worth a visit. You can see the whole, breathtaking landscape and freschino truly remarkable!
Take a tour and a few pictures and finally we go to the popular spot to watch the best the Hollywood sign.
I can not help but say spectacular, an indescribable feeling!
when we arrived there were two girls who did nothing but say "i love Hollywooooood" like two drunk! Long live the Americans! Photos of ceremony (like a hundred just to center the text between the fingers) and then off to the hotel, but destroyed the beautiful happy day!
August 18, 2009 - TUESDAY
still wake up early, the time unfortunately does not abandon us! This morning it's time to Getty Museum! But before we do a tour in UCLA, the famous University Los Angelina! We arrived an hour before the opening at the Getty, so a friendly guy at the entrance was a great little place where we should make a good breakfast and eat muffins. In practice tells us to go back on the road we had just path and stop at 7 Eleven (petrol pumps). Once there, we find a Starbucks kiosk type. We took a mega mega tea and a coffee with two muffins were not that good, but more! Excellent! If you can let us a trip!
Getty to return and join us. Admission is free, you pay only $ 15 per car parking. We remain
just spellbound. The place is beautiful, the paintings and the works are to be seen innumerable. We enter a room where there are "only" Monet, Cezanne, Van Gogh, Manet, etc ... leave from his eyes with the rest of the body!
addition to modern building, even the outdoor gardens are really beautiful and inspiring. A lot of roses, flowers of every kind and a lawn kept him from side dish!
Oh I forgot, at the Getty to get there only with their train shuttle, so you can park your car on "downstream", and climb up to the hill with the shuttle, which runs every 10 minutes type mmmm!
We went early in the morning, just opened, and proved to be the best time to visit all the best. Very few people around and so many emotions!
finished our ride at the Getty decide to move towards Hollywood! The road is busy, but in a really amazing way! We get a bit 'to get there and I must say that it's really a frenzy of people, clothes, colors, sounds and smells!
A lot of people pour along Hollywood Boulevard, thousands of avid fans to take pictures with them and in front of the Chinese Theatre. Here too, an indescribable feeling, these things we have always seen only in movies or on the Internet!
We are shooting a lot 'and do a lot photo of stars and stars on the floor! We were expecting more crowds on that of Michael Jackson, but it was also possible to take a picture!
We ate at one of the most beautiful of Los Angeles in my opinion: Johnny Rockets. You should definitely go there, very 60s, very cordial staff and excellent burgers! A must try! It seems to be in Happy Days! O Back to the Future! I wanted to take a picture of the bar but the waiter stopped me and said "Hey, you HAVE to be in the picture." so we made the picture with him, fantastic!
After the stroll in Hollywood we thought (correctly) to do the Vipsssss and heading for Beverly Hills, Rodeo Drive more precisely. I had never done. What depression. All those beautiful shops without the possibility of buying anything. Also because I was ashamed by the way a bit '.
I peeked in a few stores and was full of Where's My Car drawn at all points, I felt like a bag lady in jeans and t-shirt!
But we came from Louis Vuitton because we felt that we were entering dogs and pigs. I just wanted to hang out with the sachet and bon then I asked the prices of the key ring. At the beginning I misunderstood, but when I Cristian screwed up eyes because I had a stroke. 350 USD a simple and tiny keys. Crazy stuff.
We decided that maybe we should go back to reality, so we take the car and take a ride to 25. Century City, a shopping center on Santa Monica Boulevard. Really beautiful and huge, we went because we wanted to go to Hollister and the only marked them.
I allowed to enter Tiffany's here, just to hear some price. That's right, only to hear!
After the ride we head towards the hotel, not before we stopped at Denny's to eat something!
And this second day is gone, full of indescribable emotions. At night in bed we tell all we have done and our feelings and we shine your eyes! To sleep soon, tomorrow is waiting for us up early to go to Las Vegas!
Via Rodeo
On the way to 25. Century City
August 19, 2009 - WEDNESDAY
Wake up early this morning, without breakfast or anything. Call a taxi that takes us straight to the waiting bus to Chinatown, where the organized tour to Las Vegas. When we booked for Los Angeles, our idea was to form at least one day in Las Vegas so we began to look around to see if there was already some organized tours that might also affect the Grand Canyon. Said than done.
Tours 4 fun is exactly what he did for us. Departure by bus from LA to Las Vegas on Wednesday morning. Two nights at the Stratosphere, Grand Canyon, Hoover Dam (the dam of the Transformers!) More riorno to LA with a stop at the Chocolate Factory and Cactus Garden and Barstow Outlet the modest sum of 133 USD (exchange rate 97 Euro! !)!!!!! .
come a lot of different coaches in Chinatown, for many different destinations. And most of the participants are Chinese.
finally comes our buses that go up and the guide (Chinese of course) wakes us up immediately with a joke "And now we are going to San Francisco." Cold shower before he would begin to laugh and say he was joking! Well could go from worst!
The trip was really long but believe me, the guide did not stop a second, continued to speak. Before we explain in English, then in Mandarin Chinese then I think. He talked all the way, the microphone, I had my head pounded.
For lunch we stopped right next to Las Vegas in an oriental buffet, $ 10 and you could eat and drink as much as you wanted. After the stop street on their way to our hotel. Spectacular! The Stratosphere is so beautiful! Handle all bureaucracy we go in the room for a shower after a couple of hours because there was a meeting place for the night in Tuor Las Vegas!
Recall the bus, the guide explains that we will touch all the main attractions of the various Casino. We start from the Venetian, Palazzo, going to the show at the Bellagio fountains, and Treasure Island and concluded in Downtown, where there is the oldest Casino in Las Vegas for the show on the ceiling.
exhausted but completely satisfied return to the hotel, the other up early tomorrow morning for the Grand Canyon!
August 20, 2009 - THURSDAY
The spectacle of dawn on the desert is an indescribable feeling. The torrid heat that characterizes Las Vegas Nevada and never lets you down, it's night or early morning. To go to the Grand Canyon we pass over the Hoover Dam, stopping for the usual photos. Imposing and beautiful building, beautiful above all the clocks that mark the times of the Nevada and Arizona!
After a day trip here we are finally at the entrance to Grand Canyon West, the Indian reserve Hualapi. Here we
tickets and expect a new coach that brings us on to the various "points".
At the first point (Eagle Point) is left speechless. Imposing and beautiful landscape. We do a lot of photos, we sweat as the desperate and we are happy like children. Here we also find the Skywalk, but decided not to try because you can not take pictures and you have to go very fast on this suspension bridge in a vacuum.
Let the other two points, always with camera in hand. See Colorado from up there was an indescribable feeling, like a stream, we did not really words.
After a quick lunch (hot dog and drink) we decided to return to base, too hot.
When the group has reformed now we start to return to the hotel. By bus we watched a movie-themed Las Vegas, really nice!
the evening me and my boy are dedicated to a personal tour of the Las Vegas Strip.
We leave the Stratosphere at 19.30 pm, unbearably hot surrounds us. We decide to take a taxi to Bellagio, it seemed impossible that walking under the scorching sun. The Bellagio
leave it to the evening, we begin to turn and get involved in almost every hotel / casino that we encounter, without neglecting the Coca Cola Store M'Ms Store! You arrive at New York New York and we decided to retrace the contrary, on the other side of the road.
every corner, but its in everyone, is full of people you biblietti lengthens the stripper or the nightlife of the area. Squalor.
still arrive at the Bellagio, where we enjoy the spectacle of the fountains in the center. The best surprise is no doubt see the show with our song, Your Song by Elton John. Unforgettable and exciting.
You return to the Stratosphere, on foot. Far away, not ever truly arrive!
Tired but happy to go to bed, tomorrow back to Los Angeles!
August 21, 2009 - FRIDAY
the day of departure. After a breakfast at Starbucks (directly into the Stratosphere) climb on the bus for one last ride on the strip. Then lunch at the old East Buffet, full course of the East.
On the way back stop at Ethel's Chocolate Factory and Cactus Garden. Obviously not want to take the chocolate, providing you with a comfortable bag with lots of ice for transport (I arrived at the hotel then placed in the refrigerator and when I returned to Italy was still intact, even a bit 'loose!).
After hours by bus we stop at the Barstow Outlet mega. The prices are very affordable, nothing compared to here. The biggest brands at great prices!
In any case, we highly recommend you go to Camarillo (route to Santa Barbara) for your purchases, you spend even better!
Tired and full of bags back to the hotel, time for a shower then go out for a quick dinner at Denny's, right next to Custom. The food is good and you spend the right, the place is just a typical American! Really cute!
22 August 2009 - Saturday
take the car early in the morning, the weather is not great, there are big gray clouds across the sky Los Angelino!
Today is expected to tour the coast to Santa Barbara, Malibu and then go through, half day, in Camarillo Outlet.
Malibu is really nice, the houses on the beach are really striking and film. We stopped in a small beach where two dogs chasing each other and we try really a wonderful feeling.
skirt the ocean in the car, really wonderful, open up before us the spectacular scenery. We see a lot of cars along a road so we decide to stop. There was full of surfers in search right wave, so we are a bit 'to watch, enraptured.
stopping to enjoy the view of a typical California has Sting got to find a better car police fines forest Santana (!!!!) for no parking (note, there were millions of cars parked there ). We just pissed off a post office to pay for it, so we find him and throw away $ 68. That anger.
We head to Camarillo, immense Outlet on the way to Santa Barbara. We had to stop only half a day but want the rush to buy so much cheap, want to want to turn all the shops, in the end we stayed there till evening, so no Santa Barbara (and there had well said!).
Return to the hotel with a shower and dinner at a restaurant buffet, a few kilometers from Custom. Cute and cheap!
August 23, 2009 - Sunday
Sunday we decided to do a ride along the path to the beach of Santa Monica. We rent a tandem (a blast absurd) and we leave happy for this mini adventure!
With us there are people biking, walking, rollerblading, gardens and people who read or who has a small picnic.
come down to Venice Beach where we see the mythical places where Baywatch was filmed. Obviously can not miss the photos close to yellow cabs from the beach and a ride on the Venice pier.
After the tour we move to the beach center of Venice: the delicious rivers divide the country into banks, many small little house are the horns, really lovely! We decide to get into the "walk" in Venice, including shops and street games.
The area is really interesting and strange, a lot of "freak" are the masters and the strangest shops can be found right here! This pedestrian street is so off the bike (or rather Cristian goes down, I remain seated and he pulls it) and walk along with a thousand other people.
Let's go back to the same path and then stop in the Santa Monica Pier where there is a small cemetery memorial for the fallen in Iraq. A tour is a must and some images are just heartbreaking. We read that if they put a cross for every American killed in Iraq would not be enough of the beach. Chilling.
We end our tour even more about where the landscape becomes less and less "national". We remain
strolled through the afternoon, then back to the hotel, quick shower and go to the streets always seratina in Santa Monica, for a quick dinner and a little 'shopping.
Again, I loved Santa Monica since the first time I saw it. But on this day I just lived and worshiped in particular. Really wonderful.
August 24, 2009 - MONDAY
Finally the fateful day: UNIVERSAL STUDIOS!
I have no words for what has majestic and beautiful. Other than Big Ben! Most are 4 to show the 3D and now I love this place!
The tour is a must-do in the studios, there are many surprises along the way, but I do not say anything to not spoil the surprise.
We managed to do all the attractions, some several times!
Jurassic Park is memorable, The Mummy is creepy!
Again, I'm not going to tell you that much to not spoil the surprises, is to be discovered!
All performances are very special and beautiful, can not miss on Special-Effect!
It 'full of small restaurants or fast food place to eat, we have chosen the kiosk of the Flinstones!
All this is absolutely the ticket of entry (approximately 60 USD found some reduction in hotel usually), the file does not exist, you can do all the attractions multiple times without problems.
When you leave you can take a stroll and see the shows at City Walk. We have stopped for a quick dinner and then off to the hotel to rest from the beautiful but exhausting day.
Absolutely recommended, do not miss it, will not disappoint!
August 25, 2009 - TUESDAY
In theory, today was the day for a quick visit to San Diego but we were too tired to drive up to the first so we stopped.
We had a nice tour of the coast, passing through Long Beach to photograph the Queen Mary, and then going to Huntington Beach Newport Beach, made famous by the TV show OC!
decide to stop just for a ride on the Newport Pier, a ride inside the city, the port and to eat something.
Newport is really nice, the sea waves is really impressive in this stretch of coast. No coincidence that the sport is the most popular is just the surf.
Almost all bathing with the suit or shirt and shorts, the temperature is very high!
lot of people fishing right on the pier and it's nice to see these happy families are trying to bring up something!
There is a small Ferris wheel near the harbor, pretty but a bit 'sad so we decided to move on.
The day passed much too quickly, to resume our legendary car and back to base. Tomorrow is the last day unfortunately!
August 26, 2009 - TUESDAY
Last day unfortunately, so we start early in the morning to pack and as the last point we decide to go to the Huntington Library and Gardens! A perfect choice!
This huge park is characterized by an infinite number of different gardens to explore, as the Chinese garden, Japanese, Australian, the typical flora of the desert, the jungle, the garden of camellias, roses, etc ...
really charming and beautiful for people who love flora, flowers and being outdoors.
After the visit to the gardens that we turn to the Library, where he also kept the famous Gutenberg Bible, dated 1455, a real treat.
When we decide to go back to photograph the house of Doc Brown in Back to the Future, really impressive!
Unfortunately it's time to get everything ready for our departure. We have a flight late at night, which we pay for parking, we deliver the car to Hertz (no problem) and we sit in front of the check-in, unfortunately for our flight back to Italy.
The flight is on time and pleasant, no problem of turbulence.
Our journey is over but the California and Nevada are left in the heart, America is truly a beautiful country and I'm sure we will visit it far and wide to taste the different places! A hug
Monica & Cristian
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