US WEST COAST PART I

Good day fellow bloggers and thank you for taking the time to read and follow this. This is basically a blog about my travels on the West Coast of the US and all the cool things I did. Another cool blog to check out is Chris's travel Blog if you need more Ideas for your road trip!

LOS ANGELES

Our first port of call was LA, Hollywood, home to the rich and famous and according to the Los Angeles Tourism Office welcomed 48.3 million people in 2017. Arriving to perfect weather of 30 Degrees Celsius and for our American friends who use Fahrenheit I have no idea what the equates to but let's just say hot! 

The iconic Hollywood sign

VENICE BEACH & SANTA MONICA PIER

Our first stop was Venice beach and the world famous Santa Monica Pier. Now being raised on the Gold Coast my whole life I have a high expectation of what good beaches are. For all those wanting to hear Venice Beach was awesome, I have to tell you I was kind of let down. It was sandy yes, But not white sandy. It was crowded and it was a marathon to run to the water from the beach, I kid you not about 100m. But if your 20 something and want a tan you couldn't get a better spot! However the Pier brings it all back and is a super fun place to visit. Enjoy some rides, buy ice cream for the wife and generally just people watch as families come and go.

Santa Monica Pier
          

Universal Studios

The Next must see thing is Universal Studios. Great place to visit for the day, has rides, shows and plenty of other fun things to see and do. You can also stop in at Moes for a beer like me!

Moes bar Universal Studio

Overview

Look overall we did the main attractions at LA and too be honest it was probably the least favourite place to visit in the road trip. It's not as near as glamorous as you think, traffic is a pain and everything is hours away. I want to hear your feedback in the comments below as to whether you thought the same? I don't think the hype of LA matched what it actually is like.

US WEST COAST ROAD TRIP PART III

LAS VEGAS

Well well well it's SIN CITY time! After doing a lot of scenic adventures and tourist things the wife and I wanted to sit back and let loose like the young adults we were. Vegas, what a ride. Casinos, clubs, malls and concerts. To say we barely made it out alive would be very close! We drank, we danced, we shot and we partied until the sun rose each day for 4 days. We stayed at the Aria hotel and It was luxurious! We did a pool party and saw Lil John (who ever that guy is!) live at the hotels own club. I truly loved this place, the buffet food, high 30's weather and the endless fun you can have. I hope you all go and bring lots of $$$.

Yosemite National Park

Our last destination on the trip was a good one and was the high Sierra mountains Yosemite National Park. My male instincts kicked in and all I wanted to see was a bear, but I'll say it now there was no sightings 😧 But what was found was inner peace, the sheer size of this place including the huge famous mountain Half Dome which was carved by glaciers over the millions of years was truly epic to see. This place had the tallest trees I've ever seen! Lots of great short hikes and natural beauty all around it was the perfect way to cap the trip off before heading back to LA.

TRIP OVERVIEW

Well it was truly awesome to come to the US and we only Visited 4 states! The wife and I saw things that will stay with us for life. I'm a nature guy, love getting out and seeing things with my own eyes instead of tv and the internet. Overall the People are great but there was so much more to do and see and it's simple not enough time to do in 2 weeks. I recommend people stay longer, driver further, see more as I can't wait to come back. Thanks for reading these short and hopefully insight blogs of the US WEST COAST. bye bye for now.  If your keen on our route a link is available for you to see in google docs! Roadtrip map

US WEST COAST PART II

SAN DIEGO

Next stop after LA was San Diego, and in particular the world renowned San Diego Sea World.

This was an incredible place to visit. about a 2 hr drive south along the freeway heading towards mexico which afforded great views and I even think we drove past the estate where the OC was filmed. One we arrived to the Zoo it was time to splip slop slap some sunscreen on and go watch the Killer Whales! Check out the official video below!

FLAGSTAFF ARIZONA

Next stop was Flagstaff Arizona, a ski resort town in the winter with mild weather in summer due to its elevation above sea level. We used this as base to launch into two of the biggest named national parks in the USA the Grand Canyon and Monument Valley in Utah. The town itself is a cosy place with nice bars and restaurants to dine at. We went to Monument valley a 4 hr drive north to Utah and to a famous movie scene in Forest Gump where he stops running in the middle of the desert. Check it out below!

The next big ticket item was the most famous canyon in the world.. The Grand Canyon. As we departed Flagstaff for the 3 hr drive north what became abundantly clear was the change in landscape was dramatic. 1 second is desert, then slight grass, then scrubs and then into pine trees as the road signs indicated only 10 mile. I couldn't help but think shouldn't this be all desert but that'sa  myth it's quite green actually. Anyways the Grand Canyon is truly spectacular and is a must see for awe inspiring images!

Overview

I'm going to say this, The two national parks were by far my favourite destinations of the trip. They are just jaw dropping and I rate them highly amongst other parks in Canada and NZ I've been to. Curious to debate whether people think the Grand Canyon is bigger then the Blue Mountains gorge in NSW?