The honeymoon story part 2

So we had just spent 4 days in San Fransisco, which was lovely. Then we set off down the coastal road, California No.1 which is the Pacific Coastal Highway. This is such a beautiful route, it winds down the coast and there is the most amazing scenery. You just drive and drive and drive.

The first day we went past San Jose (like in the song, dooo you know the waaay to san jose, la la la la la la lala laaaaaaaa) and Santa Cruz and stopped off for lunch at Carmel. Carmel is a really stunning little posh tourist town that feels a bit like the South of France. The beaches are white, the shops are expensive and the flowers and palm trees are all pruned to perfection. We could have happily stayed there a few days if he had had a lot more money and time on our hands. It is near to Monterey which we didn't visit. We stayed that night in San Luis Obispo just because it had got dark and we were tired of driving. There wasn't much to see there but we found a cheap motel. That day I also fed spotty squirrels out of my hands, and saw dolphins, pelicans and elephant seals. Yay!!

The next day we stopped at Pismo Beach and both bought really attractive sun hats. There was lots of pelicans and surfers. Then it was on past Guadalupe, Santa Barbera and Malibu (very full of blonde, tanned people) and into LA. As we had made pretty good time and because I was whining in Nick's ear we carried on past the city down to the OC which I was really excited about. We walked along Newport beach with me squeaking with excitement at very step (am a bit fan of the OC) but decided it was a bit expensive there, plus I got into a nasty barney with three big black locals who were being shits with me. Just cos I is white! No, but they threatened to beat up Nick because I shouted at them a lot and we had to drive on. That was the only bad bit of the entire holiday to be honest. And quite funny in retrospect! It was all about a parking space.

So that night we drove to Huntington Beach, which is just down from Long Beach just outside South LA. It is supposed to be the home of California surfing and the first place to introduce surfing to America. We found a brilliant hotel right on the beach that gave us a great honeymoon rate! We found a really cool cafe called Tsunami Sushi which was full of loud, hilarious Americans and each had a gorgeous steak. Then we found a liquor store and bought loads of booze which we had to wrap in brown paper bags (its the law out there, you can't have open bottles of booze on the streets, unless they're wrapped in brown paper bags!) and went and sat on the beach. There was some spectacular thunder out at sea and we climbed a lifeguards tower. It was so Baywatch.

The next day we drove into LA and checked into our hotel, the Beverley Garland, just outside Hollywood. We spent 4 days in LA in total, a day and a half of which in Universal Studios. Which was very fun. In LA you have to have a car cos its such a huge city, and its all very loud and proud. We went to Rodeo Drive and had a wee in the Pretty Woman hotel. We also did the star map drive around Beverley Hills, and Nick set off the dogs at the Osbourne house! That was a highlight. I saw the gates of the Playboy mansion. We drove up as far as we could to the Hollywood sign, which is a bit os a bastard to drive to, surprisingly. We also went to the Hollywood walk of stars and did all that touristy stuff, which you have to really. Manns Chinese Theatre and all that. We also laughed at the silly men down at muscle beach, where Arnold Schwarzenegger used to strut his stuff.

All in all I preferred San Fran to LA, it is much prettier and easier to walk around. LA is just a bit too big. I think I forgot to say that in San Fran we went to see the new Superman film in 3D at an Imax, which ROCKED me beyond my wildest dreams. Americans are so funny in cinemas cos they shout and cheer in the good bits.

So that was America. The next stop, Tokyo...