Hollywood, San Diego and the Mohave Desert

Hollywood
Took a quick drive to downtown Hollywood, drove up the hill close to the BIG sign and had to pay the Bat Lady and her friend to have my picture taken with them(memories of Thailand). Drove around Rodeo Drive but didn't buy anything.

San Diego and Hotel del Coronado
Saturday, Nov 28
I'm in Oceanside, Southern California. Winter has arrived in this area. It was a cool, windy and wet day, 15 celcius. My host, Mike, took me to San Diego. I hadn't planned on going there but I'm glad I did. SD is a beautiful city with a lot of spanish influence. There is also a large naval base here and a ship rebuilding facility.
It's a pretty city with beautiful architecture and a revitalized downtown.
It was time to leave the Pacific part of my trip and that left me a bit sad. I really enjoyed the drive along the coast and all the incredible scenery. But then, I was heading for the deserts of eastern California and and all that had to offer; you'll see from my pics and stories that I was not going to be disappointed

Indio and Joshua Tree National Park
Ok, I arrived in the Mohave Desert area and new hosts, Andres and Patricia and their family. I spent two nights with this family and was directed by Andres to a number of sights to see in the area. I first went to Pioneertown where there is a reconstructed old west town. That was a lot of fun and brought back memories of my favorite cowboy movies.
I then went to the Joshua Tree Park which is a photographer's delight. I never took so many pictures of rocks, mountains and trees. If I ever return here, I'll stay a week because there is so much to see and some great hiking and camping sites.
Now, on to Arizona and hopefully kayak on the Colorado!

Sunny California

I'm in the Los Angeles area right now, Anaheim to be precise. It's going up to 80 degrees today so eat your heart out(you northerners). The drive down the California coast was well, totally spectacular. I was stopping very 10 or 20 miles to view the magnificent coast lines and to take pictures. I had to keep telling myself to stop as I would never reach my destinations. I love the ocean.

Am I tired of driving? Well, like I said, not having someone to share the sights with is kinda tough, but I'm used to that. The only problem is with my GPS lady. I often tell her to shut up when I make a wrong turn or if I'm speeding(she often says:"turn back, turn back," repeatedly if I miss a turn, or "slow down, you're over the speed limit"...a real nag at times). I guess I should appreciate the live "voice" and be more pleasant with her. But sometimes she scares me as I'm not expecting it. I'm chuckling as I write this..another entry for my blog.

Ok, in order: Nov. 16-17, Santa Cruz. Stayed with Jonna and Rich, an absolutely delightful couple who have a gorgeous house near the beach. I could hear the surf(the sound of the waves ) from my room. It was a real pleasure to stay here. I went kayaking with Jonna along the bay in Santa Cruz. We went near this big pier where 100s of seals and sea lions were resting or squatting. You could hear their grunts from 1/4 mile away. Very special to be so close to these creatures. Rich is a drummer in a band and my last night, I listened to them as they were getting ready for a gig. A nice group of musicians.

Nov. 18-19-20 Monterey: a very pretty town, with a lot of touristy things to do. The first two nights I stayed with Nancy, a member of the armed forces who is learning the Arab language. I cooked some salmon for dinner and we chatted over a bottle of wine. A very pleasant young woman and we had a good conversation about current issues ie war in Iraq, and politics.
I also stayed with Candace and I was her first couchsurfer. She had her boyfriend stay over I suspect for extra security...hahaha. After dinner, we went for a very nice walk downtown by the marina.

Then I drove down the coast and went hiking up a mountain at Big Sur. The view was not as spectacular as I would have liked but it got me out of the car and doing something physical. I think I've put on a few pounds since I've left as I'm not doing much activity and eating a lot.

I'm now staying with Ron in Ahaheim. A real nice easy going guy. He was bit by a poisonous spider a while back and it caused a lot of physical damage to his legs and his eyes. He's had to have surgery and has trouble seeing. He lives close to Disneyworld and last night we watched the fireworks from his living room window. Ok, gotta go and cruise LA. Another note: there are a lot of Mexican-Americans here, a lot more than I thought. I went to do laundry this morning and most of the clients there were mexicans. A lot of the signage is in spanish. I attendede a Ducks and Calgary Flames game tonight. Ducks won 3-2 in a shootout.
I want to add that Ron made my day when he took me to a Korean BBQ restaurant. One of the best meals I've had on the trip. Thanks a lot for that Ron.

Then, it was off to Long Beach and a new hostess, Debbie. We had a lot of fun: going to a movie about a 60's & 70's civil rights lawyer, playing tennis in the hot sun, preparing salads and an apple galette for Thanksgiving dinner. I got to go kayaking again at Seal Beach. It was another wonderful day on the ocean; I called my brother Roger while on the big waters to find out when he'd come to ride with me.

I had a special time when Debbie invited me to attend Thanksgiving dinner with her family. She has a wonderful family who welcomed me and it reminded me very much of my own family and the fun that we have. We ate turkey, roast beef, mashed potatoes etc...and a yummy apple galette prepared by Debbie andd a pumpkin chesse cake made by her mom and that was great too.

Coos Bay, Oregon

Coos Bay, Oregon
What a nice, pleasant and laid-back place: reminds me of Manitoulin Island. I finally got to put my kayak in the Pacific Ocean. It was a warm and SUNNY!!!!! day and I was very happy. There were sea lions swimming close to me which was a bit scary and at one point, one dove and I was wondering if he could come over and tip me, so I got out of there...fact is they probably swim faster than I can paddle.

Coos Bay had a huge lumber operation years ago that has since closed down. Now, it's mostly fishing (a large oyster farming area), tourism and a casino. My hosts, Tony and Crystal, are very gentle and easy going people. Like most couchsurfing hosts, they are trusting and generous. Both left this morning and I was alone in their home. When they leave, they hardly ever lock the doors. Tony says there is little crime in the area. Tony is a very interesting guy...an original hyppie(his own words). He even had a VW van during the 60's and travelled all over with it. He's a surfer, musician(plays 9 instruments), and jack of many trades. Thanks alot for hosting me.

Some trip facts:
odometer reading for trip so far: 8,657km
Cost of gas: close to $1,000.00
Cost of motels: over $1,000.00
Couchs surfed: 4

Leaving Canada

Well, I'm leaving Canada from Victoria. I went to Butchart Gardens today. Very nice gardens indeed...pics to follow. I'm sure the gardens are much prettier in spring and summer. It was just amazing to see the work put in by a few individuals. The gardens remind me of Paradise Island in Korea. Both were just beautiful.

I went to an old growth forest with cousin Clem yesterday. I'm glad I went and now, I'm a true tree hugger. These forests are amazing and to think logging companies want to chop them down. I can understand why environmentalists would fight and even go to jail to protect these icons. Some are over 8oo years old...centuries before Cartier came here.

Victoria itself is a beautiful city. It's very clean and has many old buildings. I didn't get to see much as Butchart Gardens is out in the boonnies and I had to be at the ferry terminal by 2pm.

I'm on the ferry now, enjoying the view and a pretty sunset. There are mountains everywhere. Today was sunny but still a bit cool. I was told there are three women to every man here. Maybe I'll have to come back. Many people come here for the weather. It is mild, that's for sure but the sun sometimes doesn't shine for weeks at a time. That has to be depressing.

I still haven't put my kayak in the water. But I hear there are wonderful places to put in along the Washington and Oregon coasts. I have a couple of Couchsurfing hosts waiting for me, one in Coos Bay and one in San Francisco. The one in Coos Bay is a "real" surfer and says there's good kayaking on the ocean near his place.

I'm having trouble finding CS's along my route. If I have to stay in motels all the time, I may have to come home sooner than expected, unless I win the Lotto Max.

So, tonight Port Angeles, tomorrow: Washington State

Nov 9. I've had a long day...driving in the pouring rain for hours and at the end, in the dark. I'm in Kelso, Oregon tonight. What are you doing there, you ask? Hell if I know!!!! Took a wrong turn. Thought I was going south. Well, actually, I couldn't find a motel and a gas bar guy told me to just go up the road. All motels were full so I kept going....and going...and going. So, Kelso.

I think I missed some beautiful country so I may have to go back....not.
I have to say Americans are really nice. They are helpful and sometimes go out of their way to give advice or directions.