This morning we had breakfast at the hotel and headed to LA. It was about a 2 hour drive to LA and then we got the option of doing a walking tour of LA (we were trying it out and if it was good Contiki might add it to the list of optionals). It was was, good info. I had been to LA and the Hollywood Walk of Fame area before, but I did learn a bunch of new stuff. We saw the theaters and the Hollywood Sign then it was back on the bus and off to Venice Beach.
At Venice Beach we saw a glass walker and I got to help with his show. Let me tell you, the plastic lobster freaked me out for some reason, almost as bad as the guy walking on the glass. Venice was interesting, muscle beach and rollerblading guy with the guitar. But we had a nice lunch.
After Venice Beach we dropped a couple people off at LAX since this was the end of the tour. The rest of us headed down to our hotel in Anaheim. We all settled in to our rooms and went to dinner then the hotel bar for drinks. We had a lot of fun together for our last night, it was sad saying our last goodbyes and reminiscing about the trip.
The next morning I was up early and off to the airport to fly home...
Showing posts with label California Highlights. Show all posts
Showing posts with label California Highlights. Show all posts
Friday, August 14, 2009
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
California Highlights Part 6 San Fran to Santa Barbara
This morning we boarded the bus and headed down to Santa Barbara. We arrived in Santa Barbara in the early afternoon and walked around Sterns Warf and some of the stores on State Street. I wasn't overly impressed with Santa Barbara, not much there and kinda expensive.
After Sterns Warf we went to the hotel, which was very nice and a bunch of us went in the hot tub to chill out for a bit. We had dinner at the hotel and then we headed out to some bar in Santa Barbara where we played pool, danced and generally had a good time. The bar closed at 2am so at 1:30 they had last call and at 1:45 told everyone to get the fuck out, it was great! We call cabs to get back to the hotel and hung out in someone's room for a while talking. We had found out earlier that 2 people on our tour were actually Tour Managers in Europe with Contiki so I got a couple tips from them for future trips.
After Sterns Warf we went to the hotel, which was very nice and a bunch of us went in the hot tub to chill out for a bit. We had dinner at the hotel and then we headed out to some bar in Santa Barbara where we played pool, danced and generally had a good time. The bar closed at 2am so at 1:30 they had last call and at 1:45 told everyone to get the fuck out, it was great! We call cabs to get back to the hotel and hung out in someone's room for a while talking. We had found out earlier that 2 people on our tour were actually Tour Managers in Europe with Contiki so I got a couple tips from them for future trips.
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
California Highlights Part 3 - Yosemite
After breakfast we were off to beautiful Yosemite National Park for some hiking. Hiking? I thought this was a vacation? A couple of us decided to do the Upper Yosemite Fall Trail hike to Columbia Rock, but ended up going almost to the top of Upper Yosemite Fall...
As we got close to the top A.J. (my roommate) and I decided to head back down as it was getting late and we were getting tired. We ran into Bon (our very cool driver) on the way down and finished hiking down with her. By the time we got down we only had time for a quick snack, which sucked since we were hungry. We we got back to the Chalets a couple people did laundry and a couple of us headed to the hot tub, it was the only water sports we could do since it was winter, but it was nice to relax.
Tonight we had to make our own dinners, which meant going to the grocery store to get something to make in the kitchen, unless you wanted to spend a lot of money at the restaurant in the chalet village. We bought some microwave type stuff and ate in the Chalet.
After dinner we went to a room party at one of the Chalets.
As we got close to the top A.J. (my roommate) and I decided to head back down as it was getting late and we were getting tired. We ran into Bon (our very cool driver) on the way down and finished hiking down with her. By the time we got down we only had time for a quick snack, which sucked since we were hungry. We we got back to the Chalets a couple people did laundry and a couple of us headed to the hot tub, it was the only water sports we could do since it was winter, but it was nice to relax.
Tonight we had to make our own dinners, which meant going to the grocery store to get something to make in the kitchen, unless you wanted to spend a lot of money at the restaurant in the chalet village. We bought some microwave type stuff and ate in the Chalet.
After dinner we went to a room party at one of the Chalets.
Monday, August 3, 2009
California Highlights part 2
I was up around 6am to get ready and get to the Hotel where the tour would leave. When I arrived I found out I was early. I had to wait a bit to meet the Tour Manager, Dan, who sent me with coupons to get some breakfast. After breakfast I got on the bus and met Ty, who was still drunk from the night before and a couple other people. Apparently a bunch of people had stayed out all night, so I knew this was going to be a good tour!
Las Vegas was the end of the tour for those doing Western Highlights, and the beginning for those of us doing the California Highlights. In honor of us everyone had to do introductions then Dan played the day song - Around the World by Red Hot Chili Peppers. While we were on our way to Yosemite I got to see the worlds largest thermometer and windmills designed to generate electricity, which I think look kinda cool. After 2 or so hours of driving we had our first stop at an outlet center, I did some shopping (bought some sandals) and had lunch at In N Out Burger, a good opportunity to get to know people on the tour.
After that we were back on the bus and on the way to Yosemite. Our hotel for the next two nights would be Chalets on Bass Lake. The Chalets were cool, each had a kitchen and living room on the main floor, an upstairs loft and downstairs was a bedroom with two beds and a bathroom. The only drawback was that there was 4 to a Chalet so you had to juggle 4 people into the bathroom in the morning to get ready.
When we got in we had dinner at the hotel, another opportunity to get to know people. After dinner we hit the bar for drinks.
Las Vegas was the end of the tour for those doing Western Highlights, and the beginning for those of us doing the California Highlights. In honor of us everyone had to do introductions then Dan played the day song - Around the World by Red Hot Chili Peppers. While we were on our way to Yosemite I got to see the worlds largest thermometer and windmills designed to generate electricity, which I think look kinda cool. After 2 or so hours of driving we had our first stop at an outlet center, I did some shopping (bought some sandals) and had lunch at In N Out Burger, a good opportunity to get to know people on the tour.
After that we were back on the bus and on the way to Yosemite. Our hotel for the next two nights would be Chalets on Bass Lake. The Chalets were cool, each had a kitchen and living room on the main floor, an upstairs loft and downstairs was a bedroom with two beds and a bathroom. The only drawback was that there was 4 to a Chalet so you had to juggle 4 people into the bathroom in the morning to get ready.
When we got in we had dinner at the hotel, another opportunity to get to know people. After dinner we hit the bar for drinks.
Friday, July 31, 2009
Going back in time - California Highlights
I currently have a website that I had posted travelblogs about my past contiki trips. This winter I have to renew the domain name and extend my service for the webspace. For a variety or reasons I don't think I'm going to do that. However, there is tons of information that I spent a LOT of time on in the past writing up. I've decided that I'm going to add those blogs here as a place to store them for posterity and enjoyment. I'm going to start with my California Highlights trip - Las Vegas, Yosemite, San Fran, Santa Barbara and LA. This is the shortest travelogue with the least depth, but my notes from the trip were lacking so it was the best I could do when I was writing it 3 years later.
So here will be my first post from the that trip....
Prior to my tour I had a day in Vegas, this was pretty cool since it was my first time in Vegas. Too bad I was alone. I flew in around 10am and quickly made my way to the MGM Grand. I had decided to stay at a big Vegas casino since it was my first time there. The MGM Grand was very nice and HUGE. After checking in I explored the MGM Grand, figured out that the hotel where the tour left from was too far to walk, and headed to see Mandalay Bay, Luxor, Excalibur, and New York New York. Mandalay Bay was nice, but I ended up walking forever to NOT see the beach or go in the shark reef, then had to walk back. I thought Luxor and New York New York were great themes. I took the roller coaster at New York New York, it was around $15 and only worth it since I wouldn't have to do it again, ever. I've been on much better roller coasters. I had trouble getting out of Excalibur, which was annoying.
After that I took a nap since I had a cold and I had been up early in the morning. When I got up I trekked up the other end of the strip. I stopped in Bellagio, very nice! I stopped to watch the water show, which was neat. Then I took the tram between Mirage and TI (Treasure Island). Then I had dinner at TI and watched the pirate show which was entertaining. After that I headed back to the MGM Grand, finally getting to see the Volcano at Mirage. My last stop was a slot machine at the MGM Grand where I made $20! I was in bed around midnight.
So here will be my first post from the that trip....
Prior to my tour I had a day in Vegas, this was pretty cool since it was my first time in Vegas. Too bad I was alone. I flew in around 10am and quickly made my way to the MGM Grand. I had decided to stay at a big Vegas casino since it was my first time there. The MGM Grand was very nice and HUGE. After checking in I explored the MGM Grand, figured out that the hotel where the tour left from was too far to walk, and headed to see Mandalay Bay, Luxor, Excalibur, and New York New York. Mandalay Bay was nice, but I ended up walking forever to NOT see the beach or go in the shark reef, then had to walk back. I thought Luxor and New York New York were great themes. I took the roller coaster at New York New York, it was around $15 and only worth it since I wouldn't have to do it again, ever. I've been on much better roller coasters. I had trouble getting out of Excalibur, which was annoying.
After that I took a nap since I had a cold and I had been up early in the morning. When I got up I trekked up the other end of the strip. I stopped in Bellagio, very nice! I stopped to watch the water show, which was neat. Then I took the tram between Mirage and TI (Treasure Island). Then I had dinner at TI and watched the pirate show which was entertaining. After that I headed back to the MGM Grand, finally getting to see the Volcano at Mirage. My last stop was a slot machine at the MGM Grand where I made $20! I was in bed around midnight.
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