First TR: SQ SIN-LAX via NRT RT (J) with California / Nevada / Arizona Road Trip
Jul 23, 2016, 7:28 pm
#47
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 654
Awesome TR!! Nice to see a different point of view and your writing style is great.
However, In n Out is the most overrated thing in the world. We've gotten them out here in TX (and I've had it in Cali) and I just don't understand the appeal. It tastes like a fast food hamburger. Slightly better than a quarter pounder from McDonald's if you get it animal style. And the fries are disgusting. I get that everyone has to try it though so not faulting you at all.
Just my opinion. Thanks again for taking the time to write this!
Edit: Also, sometimes it's easy for us who live in the states to forget what we have here in terms of sights and we get so engulfed in going to exotic places abroad (I'm guilty of this). I've lived here my whole life yet have never seen the Grand Canyon or San Diego but I have checked off places like Beirut, Lisbon, Dubai, etc off my list. Kind of sad but nice to be grounded by TR's like this. I'll be planning a trip west soon.
However, In n Out is the most overrated thing in the world. We've gotten them out here in TX (and I've had it in Cali) and I just don't understand the appeal. It tastes like a fast food hamburger. Slightly better than a quarter pounder from McDonald's if you get it animal style. And the fries are disgusting. I get that everyone has to try it though so not faulting you at all.
Just my opinion. Thanks again for taking the time to write this!
Edit: Also, sometimes it's easy for us who live in the states to forget what we have here in terms of sights and we get so engulfed in going to exotic places abroad (I'm guilty of this). I've lived here my whole life yet have never seen the Grand Canyon or San Diego but I have checked off places like Beirut, Lisbon, Dubai, etc off my list. Kind of sad but nice to be grounded by TR's like this. I'll be planning a trip west soon.
I know how you feel when you forget what you have locally, in the UK I had never gone to places such as Stonehenge or Windsor Castle until I reached either almost 30 years old or slightly older. By that point I had been to various countries in Asia and gone to US numerous times. Never too late to make most of what's around us.
I thought In-N-Out Burger is a fast food chain? To me it was great and totally lived up to the hype. FWIW the hype is caused by those around me who have limited options in fast food joints. For the price of the food it's totally much better and tasted far greater than anything else we can get in the UK.
Jul 23, 2016, 9:02 pm
#48
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 654
Day 9 - Grand Canyon South Rim
On all my previous visits to Las Vegas, I always visited the Grand Canyon West Rim. This is because it's only 2 hours away compared to the long 5 hour drive to the South Rim. Another reason is because I have never woken early enough to make it worthwhile to drive there for the day as our decisions to go to GC in the past were always last minute. This time I would be better prepared.
The South Rim is part of Grand Canyon National Park while the West Rim is privately owned by the Hualapai Tribe. The price difference to enter both is huge. For the West Rim park entrance and skywalk ticket (a small bridge that takes you over the edge so you stand over the huge drop) cost per individual was around $70 which I purchased each time. The South Rim cost was $20 per vehicle for a 7 day pass and permits all passengers to enter.
My alarm goes off at 6am and I feel my almost 6 hours sleep will be enough to get me through the days drive. We collect our vehicle around 7am and enter Flagstaff into the GPS navigation system. This would be about 250 miles with a driving time of roughly 4 hours. We top up the fuel tank and make our way towards the I-40 and pitstop destination Flagstaff.
With this being a Sunday morning, the roads were extra quiet so we wasn't expecting to hit any traffic. We drive past Lake Mead (which we would visit another day) and drive over the Hoover Dam bridge. The US-93 as expected was traffic free. We see signs for viewing points and decide to take a quick gander at one of them.
I have no idea what part of the road this was on but what a wonderful view for a Sunday morning....
Back to driving and within minutes, the others one by one each fall asleep. Fantastic! Let's try and reach Flagstaff without having to stop. Doh! 60 minutes later we are required to make a pit stop so I pull over at the next available place which appears to be a small family restaurant. As I also head round the back to use the restroom, what I see next startled me. I am surprised to see a Rodeo Ranch. Sadly no photos as I had left my camera and phone in the car but nevertheless the place turned out to be a lot bigger than just a small family restaurant.
The drive continues with the road taking us past Kingsman along the way, we are now on the 140 mile plus stretch on I-40. We reach around 11am and decide to refuel now as well as on the way back if needed. As part of our party have never tried Taco Bell or KFC (US version) before, we vote to eat lunch here as both were part of the same restaurant. Other choices around us would be Pizza Hut or McDonalds. No photos warranted as the food from Taco Bell didn't look great and KFC well is.....KFC. With the food over it's back on the road we go. As we get back into the car I see the gas stations opposite filling up with what can only be tourists also visiting the South Rim. Not far to go now, only another 80 odd miles or so.
This last part of the drive took much quicker than expected. By 12:45pm, we had arrived at our destination and were looking forward to seeing some fantastic views. With the car parks close to the visitor centre quite full, we had to park a bit further out but with regular shuttle buses taking you around the park, this didn't matter.
We make our way to what is recommended for a 4 hour visit to the park, the red route. I only have one word to describe this. Wow!
Walkways with safety railings.
Highly recommend anyone who is undecided to take the long drive here or to the West Rim to make the most out of it and choose South Rim!
We spot what I believe to be a Gazelle.
This was definitely worth the early wake up, the 5 hour drive here and what will inevitably be a 5 hour drive back.
We spent a little over 4 hours at the park. Definitely not enough! Maybe next time we will consider staying overnight at a nearby hotel or on the park itself.
The journey back to Vegas was uneventful. We stopped off in Kingsman for food and fuel reload and got back to Sin City around 10:30pm. Exhausted!
The South Rim is part of Grand Canyon National Park while the West Rim is privately owned by the Hualapai Tribe. The price difference to enter both is huge. For the West Rim park entrance and skywalk ticket (a small bridge that takes you over the edge so you stand over the huge drop) cost per individual was around $70 which I purchased each time. The South Rim cost was $20 per vehicle for a 7 day pass and permits all passengers to enter.
My alarm goes off at 6am and I feel my almost 6 hours sleep will be enough to get me through the days drive. We collect our vehicle around 7am and enter Flagstaff into the GPS navigation system. This would be about 250 miles with a driving time of roughly 4 hours. We top up the fuel tank and make our way towards the I-40 and pitstop destination Flagstaff.
With this being a Sunday morning, the roads were extra quiet so we wasn't expecting to hit any traffic. We drive past Lake Mead (which we would visit another day) and drive over the Hoover Dam bridge. The US-93 as expected was traffic free. We see signs for viewing points and decide to take a quick gander at one of them.
I have no idea what part of the road this was on but what a wonderful view for a Sunday morning....
Back to driving and within minutes, the others one by one each fall asleep. Fantastic! Let's try and reach Flagstaff without having to stop. Doh! 60 minutes later we are required to make a pit stop so I pull over at the next available place which appears to be a small family restaurant. As I also head round the back to use the restroom, what I see next startled me. I am surprised to see a Rodeo Ranch. Sadly no photos as I had left my camera and phone in the car but nevertheless the place turned out to be a lot bigger than just a small family restaurant.
The drive continues with the road taking us past Kingsman along the way, we are now on the 140 mile plus stretch on I-40. We reach around 11am and decide to refuel now as well as on the way back if needed. As part of our party have never tried Taco Bell or KFC (US version) before, we vote to eat lunch here as both were part of the same restaurant. Other choices around us would be Pizza Hut or McDonalds. No photos warranted as the food from Taco Bell didn't look great and KFC well is.....KFC. With the food over it's back on the road we go. As we get back into the car I see the gas stations opposite filling up with what can only be tourists also visiting the South Rim. Not far to go now, only another 80 odd miles or so.
This last part of the drive took much quicker than expected. By 12:45pm, we had arrived at our destination and were looking forward to seeing some fantastic views. With the car parks close to the visitor centre quite full, we had to park a bit further out but with regular shuttle buses taking you around the park, this didn't matter.
We make our way to what is recommended for a 4 hour visit to the park, the red route. I only have one word to describe this. Wow!
Walkways with safety railings.
Highly recommend anyone who is undecided to take the long drive here or to the West Rim to make the most out of it and choose South Rim!
We spot what I believe to be a Gazelle.
This was definitely worth the early wake up, the 5 hour drive here and what will inevitably be a 5 hour drive back.
We spent a little over 4 hours at the park. Definitely not enough! Maybe next time we will consider staying overnight at a nearby hotel or on the park itself.
The journey back to Vegas was uneventful. We stopped off in Kingsman for food and fuel reload and got back to Sin City around 10:30pm. Exhausted!
Jul 23, 2016, 9:38 pm
#49
Join Date: May 2014
Location: DFW
Programs: AA EXP (probably nothing w/ AA next year :)), Delta Platinum, Marriott Titanium, Hilton Gold
Posts: 405
Thanks!
I know how you feel when you forget what you have locally, in the UK I had never gone to places such as Stonehenge or Windsor Castle until I reached either almost 30 years old or slightly older. By that point I had been to various countries in Asia and gone to US numerous times. Never too late to make most of what's around us.
I thought In-N-Out Burger is a fast food chain? To me it was great and totally lived up to the hype. FWIW the hype is caused by those around me who have limited options in fast food joints. For the price of the food it's totally much better and tasted far greater than anything else we can get in the UK.
I know how you feel when you forget what you have locally, in the UK I had never gone to places such as Stonehenge or Windsor Castle until I reached either almost 30 years old or slightly older. By that point I had been to various countries in Asia and gone to US numerous times. Never too late to make most of what's around us.
I thought In-N-Out Burger is a fast food chain? To me it was great and totally lived up to the hype. FWIW the hype is caused by those around me who have limited options in fast food joints. For the price of the food it's totally much better and tasted far greater than anything else we can get in the UK.
Jul 23, 2016, 11:21 pm
#50
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 654
You're right, it's fast food. It's just glorified by so many people. People from California wouldn't stop talking about it for so long and when it finally opened here it literally stopped up traffic on main roads because lines were so long to get it. When I tried it, I thought nothing of it. It's not like it's the worst thing ever, I just don't see it better than any other fast food place and wouldn't eat it in the event I had to pick between fast food only. I guess that clarifies my point a bit better, but you're definitely not out of line liking it...plenty of people love it, I just don't see it
Carls Jr we have in Singapore so we knew what we were getting there but it seems to cost a lot more than IO.
I think I'm one of those that's added to the hype. Told my colleagues and friends here to make sure they try it if they're ever in California ha!
Jul 24, 2016, 5:07 pm
#52
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: St. Paul, MN
Programs: Delta Platinum Medallion, IHG Gold, HH Silver
Posts: 448
Wow. Great report so far! I've been really enjoying following along your travels throughout California, Las Vegas, and Arizona.
Your flights with SQ also look great too. I'd love to fly them sometime ... that Lobster Thermidor looks amazing!
Thanks for sharing.
Your flights with SQ also look great too. I'd love to fly them sometime ... that Lobster Thermidor looks amazing!
Thanks for sharing.
Jul 24, 2016, 8:01 pm
#53
Join Date: May 2014
Location: DFW
Programs: AA EXP (probably nothing w/ AA next year :)), Delta Platinum, Marriott Titanium, Hilton Gold
Posts: 405
During this trip I tried Carls Jr, KFC and Taco Bell that would fit in the fast food category. I was surprised how not great KFC and Taco Bell were.
Carls Jr we have in Singapore so we knew what we were getting there but it seems to cost a lot more than IO.
I think I'm one of those that's added to the hype. Told my colleagues and friends here to make sure they try it if they're ever in California ha!
Carls Jr we have in Singapore so we knew what we were getting there but it seems to cost a lot more than IO.
I think I'm one of those that's added to the hype. Told my colleagues and friends here to make sure they try it if they're ever in California ha!
:For chicken, chic fil a and Popeyes are go to. Never kfc. Otherwise, Whataburger is king. It's a hangover/drunk food wonder. If you ever head to Texas, try Whataburger!
Jul 25, 2016, 10:06 am
#54
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: DCA
Posts: 7,769
Jul 28, 2016, 6:32 am
#55
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 654
I'm still kicking myself.
I will get round to posting the return trip eventually. Not long to go before I reach this stage. The return trip involves excellent service by SQ so I can't wait to tell FT all about it.
I don't Eat a ton of fast food, I actually avoid it unless totally necessary or on a road trip like you all were...but I was once a college student so I have some recs :
For chicken, chic fil a and Popeyes are go to. Never kfc. Otherwise, Whataburger is king. It's a hangover/drunk food wonder. If you ever head to Texas, try Whataburger!
:For chicken, chic fil a and Popeyes are go to. Never kfc. Otherwise, Whataburger is king. It's a hangover/drunk food wonder. If you ever head to Texas, try Whataburger!
Second time was in Memphis 2012. Loved it. Hope to go to Texas one day, sadly my family members in US moved from Houston to SD so chances of me visiting there unless it would be for work is pretty slim.
Price of the buffet....bargain!
Jul 28, 2016, 6:42 am
#56
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 654
Day 10 - Las Vegas Part 3
After an exhausting trip to Grand Canyon South Rim, it was time for a more relaxing day that began around midday. After a quick stop at the Fashion Mall for a bite to eat, we make our way to Fremont Street. With this being the older part of Vegas, it has never appealed to me to stay at any of the hotels here, however saying that I do enjoy coming for a a walk and spending an hour or two there.
I remember from my last visit there is now a zipline here. Seeing this brings back memories of mine from 2012 where I spent a whole day doing ziplines at Red Rock Canyon near Boulder City, about 15 miles outside of Vegas towards Hoover Dam.
It looked fun but nowhere near as good as Red Rock Canyon.
A shot of Fremont Street with 2 of what would have been at one point the most popular hotels in Vegas.
After an hour, we head back to Las Vegas Premium North Outlet for some more shopping. The great thing about outlets in US is that outlet shopping outside of the US is extremely expensive. For a quick comparison I once purchased a Tommy Hilfiger shirt for around $50 USD and the same shirt in Asia would cost $120 USD.
2 friends of mine from the UK arrived in Vegas this day so we met up with them at the outlet for a catch up. As it was approaching 9pm, we decided to eat at the outlet. My friends and I used to meet up in Vegas quite regularly (even going on vacations there together) and each visit always included a meal at The Cheesecake Factory. Luckily there was one at the outlet so off we went for some Steak Diane. We continued this mini tradition.
And each time I always ordered a chocolate milkshake.....
After dinner we head back to the strip together for some group shots at the Bellagio Fountain. I won't embarrass the group so here's a few shots of the Bellagio. I will never get bored of visiting this place.
Billie Jean by MJ starts to play and the fountain begins its magic.
The Cosmopolitan looked wonderful in the background.
Time for a midnight stroll along the strip heading past New York New York along the way.
The mini Statue of Liberty...
The Excalibur always looks better at night.
Inside Luxor they have a Titanic Exhibition and a small version of the Sphinx.
Outside Luxor is a bigger version of the Sphinx and a Pyramid which is actually the hotel itself. Apparently the light you can see from space.
We also saw the light from some distance when we drove back from Grand Canyon the previous night.
Before we head back to our hotel, here's a shot of New York New York with the rollercoaster and Statue of Liberty.
The walk started about 11pm and ended about 1:30am. I recommend if you ever go to Vegas do spend some time walking up and down both parts of the strip. A wonderful experience.
A chilled out day, but again extremely exhausting. Time for a good nights sleep.
I remember from my last visit there is now a zipline here. Seeing this brings back memories of mine from 2012 where I spent a whole day doing ziplines at Red Rock Canyon near Boulder City, about 15 miles outside of Vegas towards Hoover Dam.
It looked fun but nowhere near as good as Red Rock Canyon.
A shot of Fremont Street with 2 of what would have been at one point the most popular hotels in Vegas.
After an hour, we head back to Las Vegas Premium North Outlet for some more shopping. The great thing about outlets in US is that outlet shopping outside of the US is extremely expensive. For a quick comparison I once purchased a Tommy Hilfiger shirt for around $50 USD and the same shirt in Asia would cost $120 USD.
2 friends of mine from the UK arrived in Vegas this day so we met up with them at the outlet for a catch up. As it was approaching 9pm, we decided to eat at the outlet. My friends and I used to meet up in Vegas quite regularly (even going on vacations there together) and each visit always included a meal at The Cheesecake Factory. Luckily there was one at the outlet so off we went for some Steak Diane. We continued this mini tradition.
And each time I always ordered a chocolate milkshake.....
After dinner we head back to the strip together for some group shots at the Bellagio Fountain. I won't embarrass the group so here's a few shots of the Bellagio. I will never get bored of visiting this place.
Billie Jean by MJ starts to play and the fountain begins its magic.
The Cosmopolitan looked wonderful in the background.
Time for a midnight stroll along the strip heading past New York New York along the way.
The mini Statue of Liberty...
The Excalibur always looks better at night.
Inside Luxor they have a Titanic Exhibition and a small version of the Sphinx.
Outside Luxor is a bigger version of the Sphinx and a Pyramid which is actually the hotel itself. Apparently the light you can see from space.
We also saw the light from some distance when we drove back from Grand Canyon the previous night.
Before we head back to our hotel, here's a shot of New York New York with the rollercoaster and Statue of Liberty.
The walk started about 11pm and ended about 1:30am. I recommend if you ever go to Vegas do spend some time walking up and down both parts of the strip. A wonderful experience.
A chilled out day, but again extremely exhausting. Time for a good nights sleep.
Last edited by Mlee888; Jul 30, 2016 at 2:04 am
Jul 28, 2016, 8:05 am
#57
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 654
Day 11 - Las Vegas Part 4 (Plus Hoover Dam)
Time does fly when you're having fun. We begin day 11 with a drive to Hoover Dam leaving our hotel around midday arriving at Hoover Dam just before 1pm. For all first time drivers to Hoover Dam don't be fooled by the car parks that cost so and so to park your car. If you carry on driving across to the other side of the dam, there is parking further up that's free to park. Yes it's a tad further to walk but it will save you $15.
I have been to Hoover Dam quite a few times now and it never ceases to amaze me how wonderful this piece of engineering truly is.
A photo of how the water levels here have dropped over the years.
Fine engineering.
As Hoover Dam lies on the state line, one side shows Arizona time...
Whenever I used to visit during November, due to daylight saving time one side of the Dam would be an hour ahead of the other. At time of this trip both timezones were the same.
The bridge designed to stop traffic jams that used to hit Hoover Dam. Gone are the days of drive through traffic.
Wonder how long it will take for the water to all disappear....
If you ever come here, do stop off at the viewing point for Lake Mead.
Those water levels that used to be....
No rest for the wicked....it's time to head back to Vegas to grab some late lunch. We head to Boiling Crab for a lunchtime feast.
Catfish and Fries basket.
The Boiling Crab half naked crawfish with corn, potatoes, sausage, and mushroom. Bargain at less than $20++.
Wife had some Snow Crab Legs but it was all in this big bag with some crazy combination sauce. It tasted great but the pictures of the bag didn't come out well so no photos sadly.
After lunch we head back to the hotel and freshen ourselves up for a night of entertainment at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace with........
Celine Dion!
The security took away my camera (along with everyone elses) to prevent photos from being taken inside the concert hall.
Out came the mobile phones to take sneaky pictures of the auditorium.
Celine belted out some fantastic tunes. I have to admit she really does have a great voice and sings with so much passion.
Full house....
Coming towards the end of her show...some folks got stopped taking photos but being sat where we were sat, we could clearly see many folks on the ground level taking photos freely without being asked to put their cameras away. Perks of having expensive seats.
The encore being My Heart Will Go On from Titanic.
I was really surprised how much I enjoyed this concert. I can see why she's such a huge role model to many of those out there.
After the concert had finished, we grabbed something to eat at the food court inside Caesars Palace and then headed back to Marriott Grand Chateau to pack our suitcases. Next morning we would be leaving for Los Angeles.
I have been to Hoover Dam quite a few times now and it never ceases to amaze me how wonderful this piece of engineering truly is.
A photo of how the water levels here have dropped over the years.
Fine engineering.
As Hoover Dam lies on the state line, one side shows Arizona time...
Whenever I used to visit during November, due to daylight saving time one side of the Dam would be an hour ahead of the other. At time of this trip both timezones were the same.
The bridge designed to stop traffic jams that used to hit Hoover Dam. Gone are the days of drive through traffic.
Wonder how long it will take for the water to all disappear....
If you ever come here, do stop off at the viewing point for Lake Mead.
Those water levels that used to be....
No rest for the wicked....it's time to head back to Vegas to grab some late lunch. We head to Boiling Crab for a lunchtime feast.
Catfish and Fries basket.
The Boiling Crab half naked crawfish with corn, potatoes, sausage, and mushroom. Bargain at less than $20++.
Wife had some Snow Crab Legs but it was all in this big bag with some crazy combination sauce. It tasted great but the pictures of the bag didn't come out well so no photos sadly.
After lunch we head back to the hotel and freshen ourselves up for a night of entertainment at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace with........
Celine Dion!
The security took away my camera (along with everyone elses) to prevent photos from being taken inside the concert hall.
Out came the mobile phones to take sneaky pictures of the auditorium.
Celine belted out some fantastic tunes. I have to admit she really does have a great voice and sings with so much passion.
Full house....
Coming towards the end of her show...some folks got stopped taking photos but being sat where we were sat, we could clearly see many folks on the ground level taking photos freely without being asked to put their cameras away. Perks of having expensive seats.
The encore being My Heart Will Go On from Titanic.
I was really surprised how much I enjoyed this concert. I can see why she's such a huge role model to many of those out there.
After the concert had finished, we grabbed something to eat at the food court inside Caesars Palace and then headed back to Marriott Grand Chateau to pack our suitcases. Next morning we would be leaving for Los Angeles.
Jul 28, 2016, 10:49 am
#58
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Bargara Australia
Programs: VA, SQ, IHG, HH,ALL, Europcar
Posts: 1,530
[QUOTE=Mlee888;26959039]Thanks!
I know how you feel when you forget what you have locally, in the UK I had never gone to places such as Stonehenge or Windsor Castle until I reached either almost 30 years old or slightly older. By that point I had been to various countries in Asia and gone to US numerous times. Never too late to make most of what's around us.
I thought In-N-Out Burger is a fast food chain? To me it was great and totally lived up to the hype. FWIW the hype is caused by those around me who have limited options in fast food joints. For the price of the food it's totally much better and tasted far greater than anything else we can get in the UK.
I disagree, My Mum always said that you take your opportunities when you can, and that when you are elderly you can travel in your own country. Its hard to get travel insurance once you are 70 (for most people) so you can travel locally then, also the food and medical is the same - as what you are used to, and if you get sick not so far to get home.
I know how you feel when you forget what you have locally, in the UK I had never gone to places such as Stonehenge or Windsor Castle until I reached either almost 30 years old or slightly older. By that point I had been to various countries in Asia and gone to US numerous times. Never too late to make most of what's around us.
I thought In-N-Out Burger is a fast food chain? To me it was great and totally lived up to the hype. FWIW the hype is caused by those around me who have limited options in fast food joints. For the price of the food it's totally much better and tasted far greater than anything else we can get in the UK.
I disagree, My Mum always said that you take your opportunities when you can, and that when you are elderly you can travel in your own country. Its hard to get travel insurance once you are 70 (for most people) so you can travel locally then, also the food and medical is the same - as what you are used to, and if you get sick not so far to get home.
Jul 29, 2016, 1:02 pm
#60
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 654
USA California / Nevada / Arizona Road Trip May 2016 Day 12 – Los Angeles
Day 12 began with what probably was the most depressing part of the trip. Leaving Las Vegas to drive to Los Angeles. We set off at 10am and give one last wave goodbye towards the Las Vegas sign before we hit the road to LA. We stop off about 90 mins later at the infamous world's largest thermometer located in Baker and grab a bite to eat at Arby's. More fast food! No photos though as it literally was just a quick bite and then back on the road.
We arrive in LA about 4:30pm and instead of checking into a hotel, we decided to give Airbnb a shot. For privacy reasons I won't be sharing any inside photos of the apartment. The Airbnb apartment was located a stones throw away from the Chinese Theatre. Literally 2 minutes walk away. It was a 2 bed apartment with 2 queen beds in one room, and 1 queen bed in another. Perfect for our group. The apartment also came with 2 parking spaces! We had one vehicle only but we were still more than happy with this.
Internet connection was strong and the apartment was extremely spacious and felt very cosy. Lovely view from the balcony.
After settling down, we make our way towards Canyon Lake Drive which has some of the best views of the Hollywood sign. To me coming to LA is always a bit of a downer after Vegas but it does help ease me back into the pattern of going home. One member of our group had never seen the sign in person before so this was another reason to come here to get the mandatory tourist shots.
Nice view of part of the city from here.
Action.......all of a sudden these helicopters come out of nowhere.
More helicopters join, shouldn't they be reporting the traffic around LA?
A police helicopter arrives....
Turns out that there's a man that climbed up to the top of the "D". There was a camera crew next to us who were really excited. The one guy kept shouting "my best friend is photobombing all your photos right now!".........
This was the story.
http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/lo...380901481.html
After this we head back towards the Chinese Theatre parking back at the apartment.
We spot the Dolby Theatre....
The shopping mall next door...
Lame Hollywood Walk of Fame...
Back to the mall...
Chocolate anyone?
California Pizza Kitchen with Hollywood sign in the background.
Hollywood again....
After dinner a quick visit to the Chinese Theatre itself...
A nearby souvenir shop had this awesome display of Terminator.
After a depressing long day where we left the biggest fairground in the world, it was time to head back and grab some sleep. Only one full day of our vacation remained after this before I begin my trip back to Singapore.
We arrive in LA about 4:30pm and instead of checking into a hotel, we decided to give Airbnb a shot. For privacy reasons I won't be sharing any inside photos of the apartment. The Airbnb apartment was located a stones throw away from the Chinese Theatre. Literally 2 minutes walk away. It was a 2 bed apartment with 2 queen beds in one room, and 1 queen bed in another. Perfect for our group. The apartment also came with 2 parking spaces! We had one vehicle only but we were still more than happy with this.
Internet connection was strong and the apartment was extremely spacious and felt very cosy. Lovely view from the balcony.
After settling down, we make our way towards Canyon Lake Drive which has some of the best views of the Hollywood sign. To me coming to LA is always a bit of a downer after Vegas but it does help ease me back into the pattern of going home. One member of our group had never seen the sign in person before so this was another reason to come here to get the mandatory tourist shots.
Nice view of part of the city from here.
Action.......all of a sudden these helicopters come out of nowhere.
More helicopters join, shouldn't they be reporting the traffic around LA?
A police helicopter arrives....
Turns out that there's a man that climbed up to the top of the "D". There was a camera crew next to us who were really excited. The one guy kept shouting "my best friend is photobombing all your photos right now!".........
This was the story.
http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/lo...380901481.html
After this we head back towards the Chinese Theatre parking back at the apartment.
We spot the Dolby Theatre....
The shopping mall next door...
Lame Hollywood Walk of Fame...
Back to the mall...
Chocolate anyone?
California Pizza Kitchen with Hollywood sign in the background.
Hollywood again....
After dinner a quick visit to the Chinese Theatre itself...
A nearby souvenir shop had this awesome display of Terminator.
After a depressing long day where we left the biggest fairground in the world, it was time to head back and grab some sleep. Only one full day of our vacation remained after this before I begin my trip back to Singapore.
Last edited by Mlee888; Jul 30, 2016 at 6:57 am