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Southern California trip
  • Brian Ford
  • Brian Ford

Southern California trip

23-päiväinen seikkaillu — Brian Lue lisää
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    19. helmikuuta 2025
  • Brian FordSouthern California tripMatkaaja

    Arrive LAX

    19. helmikuuta 2025, Yhdysvallat ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C

    It was quite turbulent for a few hours either side of the equator. Storms. Made it very hard to doze with people gasping and oooing. One vomitted, the smell was shared with everyone, but no one joined in. I sat next a friendly couple from Toowoomba who have travelled to the US yearly for 30years. I met them again in the remote hire car lot. Everything official on arrival went quickly, Unlike other trips. I was soon out looking for the hire car shuttle. Even that went well, except I was told I could choose any car in lots 61 to 90. Only Kia Souls were left. Ugly bland things. No one else chose them either and a crowd was growing. A nice lady said I could wait until something I liked came to the lot. Literally as she turned away a silver Nissan Rogue arrived and parked next to me with 2 attendants as the horde eyed it. I asked if it was good to go and they said, "Hey you are Australian, are the spiders really that big?' I said, "yes they are." Next question was, have you fought a kangaroo? I said "yes, and it won". They said the car was available and drove off in awe. Anyhow, got the car and drove straight onto one of the world's busiest roads, the 405 freeway. It was meant to take 2hrs, but took 3 due an accident and congestion. Saw the Goodyear Blimp, an Osprey tilt rotor landed in a car park beside the highway and a sea fog rolled in as I approached San Diego. This is the short version of what happened.Lue lisää

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  • Brian FordSouthern California tripMatkaaja

    First day done

    20. helmikuuta 2025, Yhdysvallat ⋅ 🌙 13 °C

    First day done. A bit ahead of schedule so far, but the hard bit is starting tomorrow. I was shouted a San Diego staple, a California burrito. The boss here is taking me to dinner tomorrow night. He likes bucket style hot rods. I walked out of the workshop to see that very american of a pickup truck and the stars and stripes.Lue lisää

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  • Brian FordSouthern California tripMatkaaja

    Day 2 is over

    21. helmikuuta 2025, Yhdysvallat ⋅ 🌙 12 °C

    Another long day, but productive. Getting great assistance here. Lunch today was fish Tacos, 2 wheat, 2 corn, and various hot sauces. (within my limit).
    The end of the day was a drive in a restored convertible (top down) 1967 427cu Chev Camaro.
    Followed by a very nice dinner with the boss at a nearby Italian Restaurant.    Lue lisää

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  • Brian FordSouthern California tripMatkaaja

    Trip to Torry Pines and the city

    22. helmikuuta 2025, Yhdysvallat ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

    Spent the morning chasing up work stuff and getting my expenses in order and didn't get on the road until 1:30pm. I planned to lunch at a Cafe at Torrey Pines, a historic gliding flight site on a Pacific facing cliff and its currently used as a centre for paragliding. A model glider club also has rights to be there. The place has a massive car parking area and it was full as were all streets leading to it. I jagged a good spot as a car pulled out just as I was thinking of leaving. I didn't have lunch or a drink as the queues for each were massive, even at 2pm. The rc glider club was there flying but they have an area roped off in a zone, the public can not get to. You can see it in one of the photos. There were some very nasty cacti near the walking track.

    It is a picturesque area in an arid way. After I thought I'd go to one of San Diego's beaches for a food. It was now after 230pm and every car park was full. I tried 3. I gave up, turned off the GPS and drove around having a look.

    Eventually I got to do my favourite thing. Drive at high speed on interconnecting unfamiliar freeways, on the wrong side of the road, in an unfamiliar car!    Lue lisää

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  • Brian FordSouthern California tripMatkaaja

    What's it like here? Distopian?

    22. helmikuuta 2025, Yhdysvallat ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C

    Obviously not. I have covered a bit of ground now, met a few people, interacted with many more, passed many hundreds of cars. Almost without exception, they have been courteous and considerate. This is a Democrat state btw. No one seems bothered at all. I have only seen one small Trump bumper sticker. One single ute carrying a big flag and it was the Californian flag.
    Were I am, I won't ask for political opinions. What has been offered is that "the central continental redneck states do things their own way". I was asked what Australians thought of Trump. I said l, "the world thinks he's newsworthy". I knew from the look on his face (smile), that he knew what I meant. We talked about cars after that. There are many, many US flags here. Funnily enough the biggest flags by far I saw today, were at car dealers selling Toyota, Audi, Honda and Volvo!.

    The one negative was a redneck in a giant supercharged diesel ute. I was doing 75mph, he swerved past me on a 10 lane highway at much higher speed, then had to lock up brakes at high speed because two cars changing lanes blocked his path. They must have seen him flying up behind and were trying to get out of his way, inadvertently ending up in his path Because he swerved across me. So close.
    He took off in a cloud of smoke and noise crossing all lanes. Dickheads are a worldwide phenomenon.    Lue lisää

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  • Brian FordSouthern California tripMatkaaja

    San Diego old and new

    23. helmikuuta 2025, Yhdysvallat ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    It was a beautiful day, even by local standards. Today, I did a city hop on/off bus tour. Starting in Old Town, the first settled area, went around the harbour, went around the modern city, went over to ritzy Coronado (a tied island) and went back via the Mexican and Italian quarters.
    Highlights were the 2hrs I spent on the retired Midway carrier and its historic aircraft collection. The Aviation and Aerospace Museum is full of nice stuff. A museum guide who picked me out as someone who knew about such things took me on a personal tour, showing me some of the aircraft he helped restore. I have a LOT of aircraft, naval, military stuff images. At the end of the trip I went to an outdoor Mexican restaurant/bar with dancers, had a proper tasty chicken burrito, not that Gomez crap in Aus, a Cerveca and a Marguerita. It was a big day, I met some nice people, walked about 8km, which is much, much further than I ever thought I could and the most in 10 years?! I'm tired, a bit sore, but not hurt.
    That house (fairy tale look) on Coronado, sold 8 years ago for 19 mill and is being gutted and restored by the owner.
    The photo showing a beach and distant hills? Those hills are in Mexico and buildings on the beach is Tijuana.    Lue lisää

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  • Brian FordSouthern California tripMatkaaja

    A message from our sponsor

    26. helmikuuta 2025, Yhdysvallat ⋅ 🌙 19 °C

    So what is it like really like here?
    Driving on the wrong side is OK now, even navigating complex car parks. Drivers are considerate for the most part, very few push-ins. I now do the freeway each way and its OK. Car parks are about the same width, but have a 12inch band between them. Despite a lot of larger vehicles, they are only the same length. So the big utes just don't fit.
    I really like the "OK to turn right on a red light" rule.

    There are 3 military airfields and an international airport here. LOTS of aircraft noise. No one complains. Very proud of their military here. San Diego is the home for 60 large ships. Navy Seals and TopGun was based here.

    African American girls, let's say under 30s, strongly smell like fruit. Watermelon, Strawberry etc. Perfumes are like strong fruit essence. Hispanic women smell like cinnamon and spice, vanilla. The whiteys are like everywhere else. Men are men. Not noteworthy except for the BO infused ones, can be any race. Lots of Spanish is spoken. There are two latin american women working at the business I'm at, they have really pleasant accents. So easy to listen to.

    The local big grocery store chain here is Ralph's. Way more variety of food. WAY MORE. They have a normal price and cheaper Ralph's card price. I been to the nearest one twice. Been served by the same Mexican lady twice. Both times she pulled out a card from under a folder to give me a better price. 10% off.

    This place is busy. Just busy.

    If an ad for a drug is played on TV, they also read out ALL the possible side effects. 15secs for ad, 45 for why it will maim or kill you.

    Power points have no switches. Just plug it in and go.

    Most people have an idea about metric, but want to hear it in imperial.

    The trees at either end of the hotel car park are Moreton Bay figs.    Lue lisää

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  • Brian FordSouthern California tripMatkaaja

    Some more observations

    28. helmikuuta 2025, Yhdysvallat ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C

    One of the company directors here owns this as his commute car. It's a Fisker Karma EcoChic. Only a handful made. It's a beautiful looking thing. They took me to a silver service steak house last night. Very posh. I had a nice pork cutlet and clam chowder. Had to try it.

    There is an image of outside my window. Pretty quiet. I'm above check-in. It's large complex and backs onto freeway. My room is great.

    An example of a power point. No switches!

    An example on an extension lead, tiny plugs!

    There are no insects. Haven't seen a fly or mosquito or any other bug since I've been here. I have seen a blue belly lizard. Like a rough looking skink with a bright blue belly!

    Birds, not a lot around here. Lots of American crows, hawks and things like sparrows called Towhees. Saw two gulls, but not many here like Aus/UK. A goshawk, a dove and they have feral french pidgeons and starlings.    Lue lisää

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  • Brian FordSouthern California tripMatkaaja
    Folland Gnat, it's tiny.Nieuport 11 - was a flying replicaWright FlyerB17B25 MitchellA26 InvaderGrumman A6 Prowler folding wing mechanismB47 StratojetB52T38 TalonF-104 Srarfighter frontF- 104 Starfighter side1F-104 wing leading edgeKC-97 StratofreighterSR 71 BlackbirdP39 AircobraD21 drone, designed to be launched off an SR71 BlackbirdSabre

    March Field Air Museum

    2. maaliskuuta 2025, Yhdysvallat ⋅ ☁️ 14 °C

    Drove about 70min north to go to another aircraft museum. It is between the freeway and the active airforce base there. I saw a lot of airplanes. Many I have not seen before. Some of them are airworthy. Most are slowly degrading in the elements. There are raising funds to keep them in a good state.

    Mike should take note of the first image, the white and blue Cessna150. Particularly the text on the door.

    There was supposed to be an airworthy P-38 Lightning there, but it was in a closed hangar undergoing maintenance. Drats.

    It is quite possible that I have worked on the KC10 tanker they had. They were handled by us when they came through BNE. At least once a week, sometimes twice for over a decade.

    It was worth the trip for the awroplanes and, .... I saw a police chase while at the museum. Six police cruisers chasing a motorbike all went past, turned around at a nearby overpass, and came back, then bizarrely all came back again 10min later with some more police in tow. It ended shortly after as the sirens began to shut down. Couldn't see what happened. I assume the rider came off. A bit of entertainment. Distracted all the visitors from the nice aeroplanes.

    On a side note, due to my freeway driving, there are an incredible number of Tesla's here. One of the guys at the business I visited said that this part of the world has the highest level of ownership.

    I also had my first road scare. I was doing 70mph with no traffic near me and the Driver assist being turned on.
    Suddenly the car applied brakes heavily. No idea why, it behaved afterwards. Can't trust this auto stuff.

    Got passed by a female biker gang. I looked them up later, and they were close to their base where I saw them. Hurrican Biker Babes. Looked to be in 30 to 50s age group.

    On the way to the museum, I passed the large model plane field I went to last visit. There was a small group flying r/c gliders. I thought I might drop in on the way back, but it had become too windy, and they had gone by then.    Lue lisää

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  • Brian FordSouthern California tripMatkaaja

    Late lunch in Ramona

    2. maaliskuuta 2025, Yhdysvallat ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C

    On the way back from March Aircraft Museum, I decided to get off the freeway and do a "country road" drive to place called Ramona. It's higher, further inland and north of where I started the day. The road wound along a ravine. Much more rural. Ate at the well-regarded Ramona Cafe, the drink was huge. I had a Swiss mushroom burger. It was very tasty. I sat next to an older couple (mid 40s) who must have been on a first date. It was awkward. They eventually found some common ground to talk about.
    The road back to the hotel was quite scenic. Hills are huge piles of giant rocks with a bit of dirt between them for vegetation.    Lue lisää

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  • Brian FordSouthern California tripMatkaaja

    Chillin in chilly Palm Springs

    3. maaliskuuta 2025, Yhdysvallat ⋅ 🌬 20 °C

    Started my holiday with the first rain I've seen since arriving. The trip began with a drive to Palm Springs via the mountains. Got over 4000ft and there was snow about. Also went through three Indian reservations. One had a massive new casino and hotel. Although the locals dwellings in the area are not as fancy. After travelling in the cold high desert, it was time to descend a steep winding road to the low desert. Not far down was a great look out. From there you could see more snow topped mountains, Palm Springs and the Coachella Valley. Once on the desert floor proper, I went to the local aircraft museum. Many of the aircraft are air worthy or are worth restoring in time.
    At the end I had a good chat with a volunteer who oversees their flight simulators. Everyone else was crashing, I was showing off. Helps to know what you are doing. A good day ended on a bad note, I tripped in the car park and have pulled a hammy and left some skin there. I can hobble, hopefully a rest tonight and its better. I don't have any walks planned for a few days. Palm Springs airport has lots of bizjets and fancy houses and cars. It is also very windy and cold right now.    Lue lisää

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  • Brian FordSouthern California tripMatkaaja

    Kingman Arizona gateway to Grand Canyon

    4. maaliskuuta 2025, Yhdysvallat ⋅ ☀️ 15 °C

    Left Palm Springs this morning, did a long drive through suburbia to get to a store to buy a jacket, left town, skirted around Joshua Tree park. Went into Mojave desert proper. Went past a truly massive solar farm. Min 20km squared. Watched another V22 Osprey doing very low flying and manoeuvres beside the road.

    This drive? It is sort of like driving on the Nullabor plain but with mountains surrounding and heaps of arroyos. A lot of trucks and an unbelievable amount of shed tires and rubber on the side of the road. Here they don't put in a box culvert to keep the road flat. I always thought max speed was 55mph in US. Wrong, it's 65 to 75mph depending on the road, and if you aren't doing 10mph more, someone is up your butt. So the roads with lots of arroyos are crazy. I was starting to feel car sick. The scenery is very impressive. I saw one place a long way from anywhere. I guess, 5acre lots with a mobile home on each of them. Off grid living. Eventually I crossed the Colorado River and was in Arizona. Also, as I'm in Kingman, I'm now on Route 66!    Lue lisää

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  • Brian FordSouthern California tripMatkaaja

    Grand Canyon, Hoover Dam and Vegas!

    5. maaliskuuta 2025, Yhdysvallat ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    Long day to day, drove to Grand Canyon, side trip to Lake Mead, Hoover Dam which is other end of Lake Mead, then to Vegas. Goodbye Arizona, hello Nevada. Room is very large, like a 2 bedroom apartment. Heading off to a night tour bus to see the lights and sights.

    I've seen high end wealth and now the low end. Some of that desert country must be very tough to live in. I saw hundreds of acres of cactus like harrisia in Oz. Nasty. Also Joshua Tree forests. There are images of them.

    The Grand Canyon is big, and deep and is much longer than what you see here. Took a few seconds to get my heights in tune. It's a long way down. I did a glass walkway thing. You aren't allowed cameras and have to wear booties. It isn't cheap, but the funds go to the tribes there.

    Hoover Dam was amazing. I've previously read the history of it so it was good to see it in person.

    Vegas? Rich, beggers, pawn shops, hotels and casinos. More on that later.    Lue lisää

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  • Brian FordSouthern California tripMatkaaja

    Vegas at night

    5. maaliskuuta 2025, Yhdysvallat ⋅ ☁️ 11 °C

    Very, very tough night. I walked too much at the Canyon and dam. My pulled hamstring does not like walking very much at all. It is 13degC and it was windy and raining lightly. Not pleasant for an open top bus tour. I ordered an Uber to get me there in time. Unfortunately, I got dropped off in the wrong place. I had to hobble 3 blocks to get there, should have been 2, but google couldn't make its mind up. Just as I thought I wouldn't make it and would forfeit the expensive ticket, I saw the bus. Fuck the pain. I made it with a minute to spare 3rd last to board. They handed out ponchos, there was no room in the dry downstairs. I sat in the cold, windy, upstairs in a wet seat. Anyway, the view was interesting. The physical torture lasted 2 hrs. Luckily the visuals countered that. When the bus stopped I asked where the cab rank was. Can't do street pick ups in the city. I walked in the direction indicated and found it to be further than I was willing to walk. I noticed the huge globe light thing and knew the hotel was next to it. I may as well head to it than the unknown. I decided to walk in small stages. F'n agony. I got there eventually but just couldn't walk another 400m from reception to the building my room was in. It is a big place with 20 separate buildings. My room was at the back. A girl at reception got one of the valets to drive me. Bless her. They do it for the old folk cripples like me. I'm in my room, warming up and waiting for the painkillers to bite. I've skipped dinner, didn't feel like it. Long drive to the base of the Sierra Nevada mountains tomorrow. It's supposed to be one of the best drives in America.Lue lisää

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  • Brian FordSouthern California tripMatkaaja

    Though the Valley of Death to Lone Pine

    6. maaliskuuta 2025, Yhdysvallat ⋅ ☁️ 8 °C

    I woke less sore than last night and started the day with leg stretches. The inclement weather last night had turned into strong cold winds. Today I drove through Death Valley to get to Lone Pine where I overnight. The drive out of LA took some of the gloss off the night time glitz. Definitely not as impressive. That rain last night meant fresh snow on the mountains north of Vegas. The drive today consisted of traversing high ranges around 4500ft with the snow being not much higher than the road, then a winding descent into deep valleys. Death Valley is the deepest being below sea level. At one point, there was very light snow, then sleet, then rain on the descent. Death Valley was very different from what I expected. Incredible scenery. After three high ranges, I got to see the stunning Sierra Nevada mountains. It has Mt Whitney which is 14505 ft. 10000ft higher than my highest drive. The peaks in the picture are much higher than they look. I thought this part of the trip might be a bit dull. Wrong! I'm glad I did it. Tonight is washing of clothes and rest.Lue lisää

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  • Brian FordSouthern California tripMatkaaja

    Wildlife on the trip

    6. maaliskuuta 2025, Yhdysvallat ⋅ ☁️ 7 °C

    Birds, I've mentioned earlier. In the desert, lots of ravens and raptors. I saw some Golden Eagles, some doves and a pair of violet green swallows and other small sparrow sized ones and finches I couldn't identify.

    Animals, nowhere as much road kill as I thought there might be. Have seen a deceased fox, raccoon, and an opossum.
    A coyote popped out of the brush and trotted along the road beside me yesterday on a slow section. I couldn't get a shot before it went back into the brush.
    Insects, where are they? I've heard crickets. There aren't even bugs on the car!    Lue lisää

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  • Brian FordSouthern California tripMatkaaja

    Other side of Sierra Nevadas

    7. maaliskuuta 2025, Yhdysvallat ⋅ 🌙 12 °C

    It was minus 2 degC and very windy when I left this morning. Fresh snow was visible and the snow line was much lower. Beautiful!
    I was planning to go to the Western film museum, but the highway was being closed to allow passage of some very large machine. The hotel staff also said due to the high winds, they might close the highway. I didn't want to wait so left while I could. I travelled down the very scenic 395 that heads back towards Los Angeles. While I planned to go around the mountains, the nav app gave an alt path across the southern end. I checked the road status site and it was clear except for some road work. So I took the 178 to Bakersfield. I am so glad I did, A stunning drive, especially with the snow fall during the night. I didn't drive through snow but it wasn't far away. The drive from Lake Isabella down the Kern gorge to Bakersfield is very nice, but not if you don't like heights and steep windy roads.

    I went through another Joshua Tree forest. Strange trees, very tough sharp spikey leaves and some were flowering. It was had to get a good photo where I could stop safely. The transition from desert to alpine to green forest to lush farming land was striking.

    Bakersfield has a nice part and a not nice part. Crime is high but it's low end theft, car and house breaking. I continued to Visalia. Pronounced Vaysarlia. This area is very much like the flat part of the drive from Toowoomba to Ipswich. Just make it 100 times bigger. Very rural. Large orange, apple, peach and almond orchards and diary farms.

    I arrived too early for my hotel, so I had a late lunch at a well regarded Cafe. Chicken pot pie and a slice of lemon cheese pie. Nice. I still had time to kill, so I went to the home of the largest r/c glider competition on the planet at the Central Valley R/C club. The wind had dropped and it was mid arvo, there was one guy there flying small electric jets. He happened to be a recently retired police sergeant for the area. He said to have a look tomorrow when the glider guys fly. He gave me some good tips on what to look at in the area. The field is very nice. Wish we had it in Oz. I finally found some insects. The orchards have lots of hives out at the moment. Unfortunately I splattered bees.

    My Sequoia tree visit is 95% off. Snow fall has closed the nearest car park and the next one is an uphill walk too far for me, possibly on icy ground as well. OK, I'll go to the museum and visitor centre. Budget cuts now mean very limited opening times. My backup was the 75yr old tree in town but it recently died was cut down three weeks ago! ☹️

    I'll go out to the rc club again anyway.    Lue lisää

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  • Brian FordSouthern California tripMatkaaja

    Visalia, Three Rivers, Fresno

    8. maaliskuuta 2025, Yhdysvallat ⋅ 🌙 14 °C

    Went back out to r/c model field. Very quiet for a Saturday according to the attendees. Had a chat with some of them for a couple of hours, then headed to Three Rivers which is right next to the Sequoia National Park. I ended up not attempting to go. As I would have to pay for Park entry and wheel chain hire (Total $100+) to find I would not be able to get to see it due to the extra walk involved, and probably hurt myself more slipping on ice.
    So I went to a nice bar and grill on the river near the park entrance, had a Sequoia burger and pondered, "so close, but so far". The drive there and back was nice, then it was on the highway to Fresno. Almost at my destination, I passed a bad accident minutes after it happened. Someone hit a big eucalypt sideways at speed. The car was torn apart and ended up quite a distance from the tree. Pretty sure from body language of the bystanders the ejected driver was not going to walk away from that.
    On that sombre note, I arrived at the hotel to discover I selected the wrong one on the nav. At least I worked that out before walking in. Doh! If I put the right one in, I wouldn't have seen that horrible crash. Anyhow, 20min later I was at the right place. Fresno is like holidaying in Ipswich. Coulda researched that a bit better! Even the desk clerk said, "Sir, if you are not here for business, why did you come? So funny.    Lue lisää

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  • Brian FordSouthern California tripMatkaaja
    My room view of the Golden State Highway. Route 99Downtown Fresno!Farms, farms and more farmsHarmonyHarmonyThe beachside town of CayucosMorro Bay Volanic plug and bird sanctuarySea otterSunset through a sea fogSunriseSea Lion colony in the harbour

    Morro Bay, Otters and Sea Lions

    9. maaliskuuta 2025, Yhdysvallat ⋅ 🌙 9 °C

    I always had a spare day at the end of the trip in case I needed it. So, with a night to use up and a tip from guys at the model club. I decided to go to Morro Bay via back roads. It was a nice drive. I did a couple of passes through downtown Fresno first. It is VERY quiet on a Sunday morning. The next part of the journey was driving past a LOT of mega farms. Huge areas set up for stone fruit, nuts, citrus, grapes, diary, cattle feed, eggs, etc. Also, extensive irrigation canals to water it all. So out of this massive farming valley, over another range into another valley that seemed to be diary and vineyards and winerys.

    I went to a locality called Harmony. It was a diary farm settlement abandoned in the 50s and is slowly renewing as an artisan icecream provider and art centre with food and coffee. It was a nice stop. Good to see these places being revamped.

    Not long into the next drive, I saw the Pacific Ocean again, soon after I was at Morro Bay. It has a 700ft high volcanic plug next to its harbour. It is now a bird sanctuary. I was a bit early to check in, so I had a late lunch at a sea food grill on the dock. While sitting there, I watched a thing moving in the water. It was a sea otter swimming on its back. I was a bit too slow getting an image. When I got to the hotel, I could hear bellowing. It was the local colony of sea lions. I could see them in the harbour. My room has an ocean view and a balcony. This was a nice spot to watch the sun set. I could have been perfect but a sea fog started brewing on the horizon. Still a very nice view.

    Went to the wharf for an early lunch. Got closer to the sea lions. No otters near this area as the sea lions predate them. In Oz, lots of gulls every where. Here, there are lots of pidgeons.    Lue lisää

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  • Brian FordSouthern California tripMatkaaja

    Time to leave

    10. maaliskuuta 2025, Yhdysvallat ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C

    As I needed to fill in the day before my 1020pm departure, I ran out the departure clock on the room. BTW brekky has been included with every hotel stay here. Once I left the hotel, it was a nice morning, so I went down to the wharf to a different spot so I could see the sea lions better. Also did a drive closer to the rock. I bought some tacky souvenirs and ended up having an early lunch. I was going to lunch in Santa Barbara. However, I had a feeling parking might be difficult. I saw otters again but not close enough to get good images. I left and selected a road that turned out to be very remote, windy, narrow, long and steep. It was too dangerous to take my eyes off the road. This was a mistake due to it taking 1h40mins, and I hadn't filled the fuel tank. I ended up in another valley with a very large but empty dam. I could see old bridges, roads and fences in it. Not far from there, I went past some mega mansions. The type with full-time gardeners. Huge stone entries with massive wrought iron gates and guest houses. They weren't resorts. Eventually, I got to Santa Barbara without running out. I did a few passes through the town. I did go to where I was going to have lunch. Absolutely no parking. So I went down the beach road, found a public park, and had a look at the ocean, jugglers, dogs, Catalina Islands, joggers and the off shore oil rigs. Yep, didn't expect them.

    By now, I was thinking I had better get to the airport. In case the traffic is bad. Good call because it took an extra 2hrs due to accidents and breakdowns. Anyhow, I handed back an undamaged car with nearly 3500km extra on the clock. Just on 3.5hrs to departure. I took the shuttle to the terminals, but unfortunately, there is no stop outside the Tom Bradley terminal. More damn walking. My torn hammy is still hurting. I checked into the flight, it all looked good for departure, but it left about 1 hr late. The flight was rough at times I think I managed 4hrs sleep. Apart from leaving late, we arrived late due ATC. This is common if a flight misses it's planned arrival time. I missed my connecting flight to Brisbane. I got transferred to another and I finish writing this mid flight. I'll get there about 2.5hrs later than planned. I'll write a wrap up tonight from home.    Lue lisää

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