The arts district

As an outsider, I find LA an unusual city insofar as the number of districts in the city centre, it's hard to work out where one district ends and the other starts. Wandering around the fashion district, I strolled up and found skid row after on route to arts district - that was a learning experience for me. I didn't really know where the art galleries were, I just wandered around a little lost and viewed a number of painted buildings - quite strange really.

Staying in East LA

Trying to save a few dollars, some accommodation in East LA was sourced, I can't complain as the Greyhound Station required some walking (no buses came by), we then got onto the second bus route and that took us all the way to the hotel. Our hotel looked more like a hotel from a porn movie, a large mirror in front of the bed and the place was just dirty. I was regretting staying here, we should have looked for something a little more expensive downtown. I think the trick is to get out of the place first thing in the morning and not come back until late, there isn't much to interest me in East LA, that will be the last time I ever come to this part of town.

The Las Vegas Flamingo

Another of the famous Las Vegas casinos, the oldest casino still operating on the strip, opened late in 1946, this casino has a fairly colourful history with Bugsy Siegel and associates kicking it off.

There was plenty going on at the Las Vegas Flamingo, even though I was wandering around the gaming floor, I couldn't gamble even if I wanted to, I have no idea how to play. Still, it was pretty good to walk around the strip.

Caesars Palace

Hanging out at Caesars Palace during the day. Strange place to be as neither of us gamble and there is no chance of catching a Celine Dion concert in the evening. Still, is was a pretty good way to spend the day and i might even consider going back some time in the future.

Heading to Las Vegas

This was one of these bus trips you are not looking forward to, start in San Diego and up to the outskirts of LA before off to Las Vegas. Even though you are starting nice and early, it is going to be a long day cramped in a bus.

Time to say goodbye to San Diego and another small adventure awaits in Las Vegas, to be honest, never been a fan of Vegas despite never been there so kind of half excited. Not a gambler, not interested in drinking much and not much money for the famous Vegas shows, is this a mistake?

USS Midway

Absolutely loved stepping aboard the USS Midway museum, spent about 6 hours looking over this floating museum and walked away thinking not a minute was wasted.

On hand, easily identified were plenty of former sailors ready to answer questions and show you around, great stories were told. 

We climbed all over the ship starting at the flight deck laden with aircraft before moving to the main hangar to below decks including multiple galleys, engineering, metal working shops, welding shops, a post office and the anchor retrieval mechanism amongst some of the rooms on display. Worth every dollar after the initial shock of the ticket price of $20 per person.

Hitting the waterfront

Headed out to the waterfront to take a walk around, certainly wasn't disappointed, there is plenty of shipping moored on the wharf within easy walking distance. People were getting ready to go out, it seemed a great vibe, there was all ages out and about, just wish the budget was not so tight.

Hitting San Diego

There is plenty to like about San Diego, arrived in the late afternoon, easy to locate accommodation on the main drag and now off to see the city. With such a tight schedule, you know you will only see a little of what this city has to offer, but you don't feel like you are missing out. This is a nice clean city, you feel pretty safe walking the streets and nobody hassles you - well, that was my impression anyway.

San Diego trams

There isn't a lot of routes, but apparently San Diego doesn't trams  need criss/crossing the city. But what we saw of the public transport system was very positive. The Greyhound station was the shortest of walks from the tram line, it took nothing to get there.

The tram took us downtown to the waterfront where we quickly found our accommodation, it was then time to get out and start exploring the San Diego waterfront.

Back from Frisco

Arriving back in LA from San Francisco, the stay wasn't to last long, already looking for a Greyhound bus to San Diego. For some reason, LA is not a favourite destination for a traveler. Of course, LA has plenty to offer, it's a major world city - it just hasn't been so for me.

An overnight stay in LA before heading to San Diego in the afternoon, we had a walk around the jewelry district in the morning before heading back to the Greyhound station and the trek through the greater LA area and the coast to San Diego.

Peets Coffee

Peets Coffee at the Passenger Terminal is an excellent venue for a coffee, I ordered a triple espresso and wasn't disappointed. Unlike the usual watery rubbish served up as coffee in the States, this was bursting with flavour with no bitterness. Less is best in my opinion, no value in carting around a huge drink watered down to the point of non-descriptiveness. My partner had a small latte, she was more than happy too.

Chocolate Heaven

What a great place, a chocolate shop on Pier 39 of San Francisco's waterfront. What a selection they had on offer, the choices seemed limitless, the only limiting factor seemed to be high prices.

Still, how could anyone not enjoy a chocolate shop?

Wines of California wine bar

The Wines of California wine bar on San Francisco's pier 39 is an excellent place to try some of Napa Valley's offerings whilst gazing over the waterfront. Given both the location and the quality of wines on offer, this wasn't going to be a cheap afternoon. Nevertheless, this is a fine opportunity to experience some fabulous varietal wines, the staff had an extensive and in-depth knowledge product knowledge - so needless to say, the service was exceptional.

Pier 39 Sea Lions

I found the pier excellent, it was very busy and well patronised. Yes, the prices are pretty steep so you have to be fairly prudent with your funds. The sea lions were excellent, I went upstairs to the sea lion and seal research centre and learnt the difference between a sea lion and seal and it was free - good stuff.

#9 Fisherman's Grotto

Wandering around Fisherman's Wharf saw us come across #9 Fisherman's Grotto, a well patronised seafood restaurant. After deciding to grab a seafood combination for $11, when I went to pay the bill I found it did not include tax, why not just advertise the full price? We ordered from the outside take-away servery so as to be able to walk around the wharf whilst eating, they told me they run two different menu. Needless to say, we didn't have to walk far, I was very surprised.

The size of the meal (I use the term meal sparingly) was tiny, the value for money nearly non-existent. We were caught in a tourist trap, so much for American sized portions, it didn't take us long to eat, there was essentially nothing special about this deep fried meal.

Bay Bridge

The Golden Gate Bridge is by far the most photographed bridge in San Francisco; the Bay Bridge connecting Oakland to San Francisco has plenty to offer too.

Heading to San Fran

The drive up from Los Angeles to San Francisco in the afternoon was magnificent; the light on the mountains in the afternoon was perfect. For me, better than hiring a car - I don't have to drive and the bus is reasonably priced. The downside is naturally, you have to stick to their schedule and you have no real freedom to explore.

Ok, sitting on a bus hurtling up a highway isn't everyone's idea of fun, normally for me, it is a cheap way to to get from point to point. This was different, the bus has plenty of glass, easy to see out the windows and view the countryside as you pass by - really enjoyable. The San Joaquin Valley has plenty to offer, this is an interesting location, it can get pretty warm at times and that wind was amazingly strong. 

Arriving in LA

Landing at LAX, we immediately sought to get to Union Station and catch either a bus or train up to San Francisco. After much messing around catching a bus from LAX to Union Station after going through my bag trying to find what was missing - that was annoying, we got there mid afternoon.

A bus left late afternoon and there were two positions still available, great, we had tickets and were off. Having limited time left, every day now counts, an afternoon bus through LA, up past North Hollywood, Sun Valley and Santa Clarita to Bakersfield. The bus was to get into San Fran well after midnight, fortunately, the WiFi allowed me to book accommodation on the bus and we had a place to stay.

The TSA - a farcical organisation

My observations of the TSA began at New York's JFK airport, then later at La Guardia and then back at JFK again. They only seem to appear at check-in, swarming around the entrance to the gates for departure, mostly standing around doing what appears to the naked eye as nothing. What I viewed was inefficiency, disorganisation, arrogance and rudeness - they do not answer to the public, it is if they are dealing with the sworn enemy.

Even fellow TSA officers don't trust each other's propierity, let me explain. I was taking my wallet out of my pocket, my watch off my wrist and belt to walk through the metal detector, I had placed the items in the tray but not yet in my bag. A TSA officer came up behind me and told me to put my watch back on my wrist and wallet in my bag, he looked at me and said "don't leave this in full view" before looking at other TSA staff screening bags.

The way they spoke to the people they were screening was incredible, these are members of the public, they created the pandemonium, it was their lack of organisation that had people confused. There was enough officers standing around, they could have set up with officers directing people, instead, there was 9 officers standing around doing nothing and 1 working the scanner.

What is lacking is leadership, someone needs to take control to get a steady flow of people moving through the scanner having been briefed on what to do and how to prepare. I get the feeling America's best and brightest aren't being recruited into the TSA, they are probably paying minimum wages, providing minimal training and fueling a culture of them versus us.

When I arrived at the baggage collection at LAX airport, I saw the shape of my bag knowing full well it had been tampered with, the shape was all wrong and straps hanging off. The locks had been cut with a TSA note inside, they had rummaged through my bag and messed everything up.

I had purchased a bottle of vintage port in Porto for my nephew's 21st birthday, he is from a Portuguese background and the year matched his date of birth. I had packed the bottle in such a manner to ensure it does not get broken, I view baggage handlers with the same distain as TSA officers, that is, dumb and dumber.

So the bottle of port was unwrapped from its protective layer of clothing, its position in the middle of the bag was shifted to the edge, it is like these fools wanted my fragile goods to be broken. I lock my bags because I have had items previously stolen straight out of my bag. They are actually making air travel less secure as minimum wage baggage handlers now have access to previously secure baggage. Most people are aware of the levels of commitment, levels of training and screening of potential hires, this is particularly disturbing.

Every other airport in the world screens baggage and allows travellers to secure their baggage, after all, x-raying of baggage, is more valid as a search strategy as hidden items are discovered more readily. This is taking us back to the 70s, the physical search is the last option as it is the most inefficient option, the TSA really needs to get its act together, the TSA is just an expensive joke - that's all it is.

Times Square

After wandering down the Avenue of the Americas, we crossed over to 7th Ave and to the hub of the Broadway Theatre District, this time there was no time to catch a show, back in 2001, I was able to catch a sitting of Chicago.

This place is great, the vibe in the afternoon was pretty good, sure it was busy but you would expect that. We didn't want to get there too early as we wanted to watch the place light up, we were not disappointed.

Radio City Music Hall

Wandering down the Avenue of the Americas past the Rockefeller Center when we passed Radio City Music Hall, a famous New York City landmark, I read the interior was designated a city landmark in 1978.

It was a busy afternoon and traffic was heavy, yellow cabs littered the road and horns blazed as vehicles jockeyed for position. I was glad we were on foot, navigating the sidewalk is far easier than traversing the road. So this is mid-town Manhattan; all the movies and television programs showcase these landmarks, great to be here.

Central Park

A trip to New York without heading to Central Park is a missed opportunity. It is of course massive, it is a fantastic place to get away from the super fast paced life that is New York City.

I noticed plenty of people out in the park in the late afternoon playing sports, running around or just enjoying their time. My only regret is the park is so big and my time so limited, I never saw as much of Central Park as I wished.

The Chrysler Building

A beautiful distinctive building in all its art deco architectural beauty, the Chrysler Building was the tallest building in the world for such a short time - less than a year before eclipsed by the Empire State Building. When I think of the architecture of New York, I immediately think of the Chrysler Building, great to view this wonderful building.

The Empire State Building

Surely the Empire State Building is the most famous building in the world still standing, it is no longer the tallest building in the world and hasn't been for quite some time. The Empire State Building was completed in 1931 and held the distinction of the world's tallest building until the World Trade Centre eclipsed the height of the Empire State Building in 1970. This is still a magnificent building to visit, not one to be missed on a visit to New York.

New York Stock Exchange

I find it unusually strange to stand outside a building that is cordoned off to the public to snap photographs, yet alas I do. But oh no, we are not allowed in to view the goings on from the inside. This pretty much sums it up, like minions, we are all affected in our lives by the decisions made inside this building; but we are not made privy to the goings on inside the walls of the New York Stock Exchange.

The fact that this building is located on Wall Street is not lost on me, they have erected a wall around the NYSE to keep the great unwashed at bay. This might be viewed as a monument to insider trading, corporate fraud and white collar corruption. Undoubtedly, we need stock exchanges to provide capital to build an economy, but not exchanges run like this one.

Wall St

Whilst wandering downtown New York, a trip to Wall Street is worth a look if for nothing more than a quick photo opportunity at the heart of America's financial hub. In all honesty, not really all that much to do there with all the security guarding buildings. Forget about trying to get anywhere close to the New York Stock Exchange, let alone inside whilst trading is taking place. Yet strangely, I wouldn't have missed this New York site.

Getting jacked

No, we haven't been jacked at gunpoint, she didn't even say "hand over all your money", after all, she has more subtle ways of getting her hands on the cash that doesn't include the use of firearms.

Needless to say, the magazine was removed and the chamber checked before handing over the 9 mm pistol to this bandito.

Heading to Paradise

Spending time just out of Philadelphia, we headed up to the Amish Paradise for a Sunday run heading out towards Harrisburg, Lancaster and back through Reading. Stopping at Ronks for a bite of lunch, this was a pretty interesting Sunday, we got to see a part of America we never thought we would see.

Parking in Paradise, if you get around town in a horse and buggy, you need somewhere to tie up and park, it makes perfect sense.

Heading out to the range

After a old style cooked breakfast in Wilmington, it was time to head out to the range for a couple of shots. We had a choice of shots, I grabbed Marc's 9 mm and hired a .22 for Noriko, a quick ID check and we were on the range.

Unfortunately for me, a guy pulled up next door with a shotgun and let fly, the percussion really shook me, even with my ear plugs in, my ears were ringing, made a real mess of his target too.

Choice of targets was interesting, since Osama had already been shot by the SEALS, there was no need for me to be taking pot shots from the safety of the range when the real work had already been done in Pakistan.

The Washington Monument

The Washington Monument is a huge obelisk pretty much centrally located in the the National Mall  to commemorate the first American president George Washington. Apparently, construction began in 1848 but was halted from 1854 to 1877 due to both a lack of funds and then the American Civil War, the obelisk was finally completed in 1884.

I have also read that the Washington Monument was the world's tallest structure until it was eclipsed by the Eiffel Tower in 1889. So for just 5 short years, the Washington Monument world's tallest structure, the Eiffel Tower then assumed the title of the tallest structure in the world for 41 years until the Chrysler Building in New York was completed in 1930. 

I found the Washington Monument to be a very impressive structure.

Lincoln Memorial

It was a longer walk down the National Mall than I expected, on a beautiful day, it doesn't matter. Once inside, you are able to view an inscription of the Gettysburg Address and Lincoln's 2nd inaugural address, the view looking down the steps towards the reflecting pool is amazing. This grand and majestic building sits at the end of the National Mall opposing the Capital Building far away down the other end.

The National Mall

What a great place, wandering around the nation's capital, interesting people and my one and only day spent at the National Mall was really really good. Watching American movies based on government, they always show a flyover scene heading past the Washington Monument towards the Lincoln Memorial over the reflecting pool - now I know why.

The White House

So this is where the leader of the free world resides? What does this actually mean? Since the United States is no longer the world's largest economy, does this mean anything? The Chinese transition from communism to free market economics will put this phase at risk. Isn't India the world's largest democracy? It is certainly one of the world's oldest civilizations - still, the United States has more diplomatic power than India.

Walking up to the fence of the White House is great, there is a crowd all jockeying for position, security everywhere but you get the feeling you are under even greater surveillance. All in all, it was well worth the walk from the National Mall.