When I was 19 I saved up all my money to go backpacking around Europe. I wanted to experience new cultures and explore the world. I did my 6 week tour, then returned home to get stuck straight into University, then a job, always intending to travel again soon.
20 years later and I hadn’t really gone much further. Most of my mates had been to the USA, particularly Vegas, and I really wanted to go. With no hen do’s or other big celebrations pending, I decided to make it happen for myself.
Natalie and I went on a 2 week trip which included Vegas, LA and San Fransisco. There are so many cool pictures of our experiences you will need to look on Facebook, but below is a snapshot of our itinerary:
Mon 6/3/17: Flew to Vegas and arrived at the Palazzo, our hotel. Although our flight was 10 hours we arrived at 1pm due to the time difference. Fighting to stay awake we wandered around the immediate vicinity; looking at the Venetian, Treasure Island, and the Wynn. I especially loved the fake streets and canal at the Venetian.
Tue 7/3/17: Up at 5am to go to the Grand Canyon – luckily we were still on UK time! We stopped by the Hoover Dam on the way to the West Ridge of the Canyon – and went on the Skywalk, which is this glass walkway that juts over the Canyon. As someone who is terrified of heights, I felt pretty brave up there, until I looked down and had a little meltdown! As part of our tickets we also got a free “CSI” experience at the MGM so we went to do that – big mistake as we were so tired. We had been recommended a buffet at Caesar’s Palace but it was closed – ended up with Fish & Chips of all things at Gordon Ramsay’s chippy. At least we got to see the famous musical fountains at the Belaggio though.
Wed 8/3/17: We took a bus tour up the strip, taking in the famous Welcome to Las Vegas sign, then we popped into loads of hotels for a nosey – MGM, New York New York, Aria, Belaggio, Caesar’s Palace. We had the best buffet at Belaggio – we were so excited to see vegetables! We then went to see a Cirque du Soleil show – Ka – which was absolutely amazing. We finished the night by gambling at MGM’s slot machines and taking the monorail home.
Thu 9/3/17: We visited Circus Circus and saw some acts – a clown and an acrobatics act. Nat was particularly happy to see the balancing/strength act, she’s wanted to see that “T” move in the picture for ages! We then got the tour bus again and looked at all the wedding chapels, then visited the Mob Museum. We spent the evening in Fremont Street which is really freaky! We had dinner at a lovely restaurant called Therapy, checked out a rooftop club, then went to get our pics taken with $1,000,000. We finished the night by having cocktails at the top of Stratosphere, overlooking all of Vegas with the occasional person plummeting past the windows (on a wire, you’ll be pleased to hear)! On the way home we popped in to Flamingo’s to see Nat’s favourite birds, before sloping off to bed.
Fri 10/3/17: We picked up our faithful chariot, Chad the Chrysler. We fell in love with him immediately. We drove to Victorville via the Mojave National Preserve. We saw a Joshua Tree preserve, sand dunes, and a place called “hole in the wall” (where there were literally holes in the rock wall…) but we didn’t have much time to explore. We did a little detour via Route 66 but the road so so terrible we had to come off it. We watched the sunset over the desert – beautiful.
Sat 11/3/17: Drove to LA and tried to go to the Griffiths Observatory – but it was so busy we didn’t get up to the top to see the Hollywood sign. We drove via Rodeo Drive & Santa Monica Blvd to our accommodation, then on to Venice Beach. It was busy despite a bit of fog – what an eclectic mix of people! My favourites were the bongo-playing rollerblader, and the guy with a Scooby-Doo scooter. We found our way into the funky area and had Black Cod and cocktails for dinner. We finished off by finding the stars and hand prints on Hollywood Blvd. Our hands touched the same bit of concrete that the celebs touched! Finally we found a place where the Hollywood sign can be viewed, but as it was dark we saw nothing.
Sun 12/3/17: Went back to finally see the HOLLYWOOD sign. We then went on to Universal Studios, where we did an epic tour of the studios, met loads of characters, did a Walking Dead experience (v scary) and I won a unicorn for Nat in the Despicable Me bit! We met loads of Simpsons, had lunch at Krusty Burger, and then the best bit – Harry Potter! The rides were amazing and Hogsmeade & Hogwarts were fantastic. We even took part in the Triwizard opening ceremony! Did a night-time drive to the next stop; Santa Barbara.
Mon 13/3/17: Found a great little café in Santa Barbara for breakfast (The Daily Bread), then went to see the Old Mission Church where Franciscan monks had first established themselves – real history! Then on to the Court House for some amazing views and mosaics, before starting our journey along the Coast Road (Highway 1). Arrived at Ragged Point Inn to discover that Highway 1 was closed as it was hit by a weatherbomb in Jan/Feb and the Big Sur bridge was down. We were really disappointed but the location was beautiful and we spent the evening watching the sunset and stargazing.
Tue 14/3/17: Woke up early to watch the sunrise, then off to find elephant seals. It was really foggy but we were able to get quite close, pretty amazing to see. Went to Hearst Castle, which was totally amazing – took the Grand Rooms tour. Click here for more information – this thing was epic! The chap built a castle in the middle of California and filled it with antiques and works of art from all over Europe. It famously became the hangout of loads of film stars of the 20’s and 30’s. When we had seen all we could, we headed for Carmel – tried to watch the sunset but it was so foggy we couldn’t see more than 50 metres so we headed back to the hotel for dinner and jacuzzi.
Wed 15/3/17: Went to a tiny town called Moss Landing to see the sea otters. It was a quaint village with wooden houses and everything. It even had a little “Otter Crossing” – cute! We then drove into San Francisco, and looked at the bridge but it was hidden by the fog. We went out for dinner in Valencia, before going to Mission City Swing for some genuine West Coast Swing dancing. The teacher there was amazing and I felt that I learned a lot from just one class – fantastic!
Thu 16/3/17: Got the tram into town, we intended to do a bus tour but it took ages to arrive so we stuck with trams and went to Fisherman’s Wharf. We saw where Alcatraz and the famous bridge would have been if not shrouded in fog, then on to Pier 39 (My age! Yay!) to see the Sea Lions. Finally it was time to say goodbye to Chad and get on the plane home.
All in all, it was a fantastic trip and whilst expensive, definitely the trip of a lifetime. I am so thankful for Natalie who planned it all and kept me to task, not to mention put up with me for 2 whole weeks!
Each place could have done with a few days to do them justice, but I am happy that I can truly tick this one off the list.
40 things... 