Tag: Best Western

Visiting LA

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Los Angeles and Huntington Beach

After the compulsory programme at Pacific Park, I took a stroll along the Santa Monica Pier, stopping off at Pier Burger for a delicious burger and a local IPA.

Refreshed, I made my way back to the rental car. As I still had plenty of time, I decided to take another dip in the Pacific Ocean, which fortunately wasn’t quite as cold here in Los Angeles as it was in San Francisco.

As I had two days in Los Angeles before heading on to Orange County, I had a bit of the usual tourist programme on the agenda. From Santa Monica I drove straight to Hollywood, whose heyday has probably long since passed. Not only do the stars of the stars decorate the Walk of Fame, but there are also an extremely large number of empty bars and restaurants on both sides of Hollywood Boulevard, which gives a run-down impression. Every now and then you come across one of the old theatres, but that’s about it. Interestingly, the image that Disney and Universal give of Hollywood in their theme parks is much more appealing.

After a stop at the local Hard Rock Café, I drove on to Lake Hollywood Park to take a picture of the Hollywood sign. The drive to the park was a highlight as the roads are very narrow in places and hug the hillside beautifully. After taking some photos of the Hollywood Sign and Downtown LA, I was drawn to the nearby Griffith Observatory. I had hoped to take some pictures of the illuminated Hollywood sign, but the city is saving a bit of electricity at the moment, so I was left with the illuminated Griffith Observatory, from where you also have a great view of Downtown LA.

During my stay in LA I stayed very cheaply at the LA Crystal Hotel near Long Beach. Although I later found out that the location wasn’t quite so favourable, I didn’t see this as a problem due to the closed underground car park. The room itself was quite modern by American standards and had by far the most comfortable beds of the whole tour. With that in mind, I can definitely recommend staying here.

The next day I took the train to Los Angeles. Here I first had a look at Little Tokyo and the local China Town before going to the actual city centre. I particularly liked Grand Central Market near the Angels Flight funicular up to the Financial District, where I had lunch at Maple Block Barbecue. Architecturally, the Los Angeles City Hall and the elegant Union Station are well worth a visit.

In the afternoon I drove on to Anaheim, where I spent the next four nights at the Best Western Plus Anaheim Orange County, which was really nice.  On the way I stopped in Huntington Beach for a short walk along the pier.

Pictures Los Angeles and Huntington Beach

 

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California / California Adventure Day 9 and 10

Exploring the Hoover Dam

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Hoover Dam

The drive from Bishop to Las Vegas is straightforward for most of the way, with a challenging climb at the start. Once you reach the outskirts of Nevada’s largest city, the drive becomes increasingly exciting. Suddenly you are on a four-lane motorway through a surprisingly tidy city. As I had some time before checking into my room at the Best Western Plus Henderson Hotel, I first drove to the Hoover Dam.

After the obligatory gun check at the Hoover Dam gate, I drove to the Boulder Dam Bridge parking lot, from where you can reach the Mike O’Callaghan-Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge over the Colorado River. Not only is it a short walk to Arizona, but you also get a great view of the Hoover Dam.

I parked the rental car in the car park next to the visitor centre. A flight of stairs took me down to the Visitor Centre where, on the advice of a good friend, I booked the Guided Dam Tour, which took me not only to the massive Nevada Powerhouse inside the dam, but also down one of the inspection tunnels. All in all, a visit to this concrete giant was more than worthwhile. The museum in the upper part of the visitor centre is also very informative and well worth a visit.

Back in Las Vegas, I immediately checked into the hotel where I was to spend the next two nights. The hotel was very decent and, for me as a single traveller, had a big advantage over the big resorts on the Strip, at least in terms of price. After a short drive I reached the Las Vegas Strip where I started the evening at the New York, New York Resort and Casino.

Pictures Hoover Dam

 

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California Adventure Day 5 and 6 / Nevada

Getting wet in Washington

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After two days in Pennsylvania, it was time to head back to Washington D.C. On the way, I stayed at the Best Western Braddock Inn in La Vale, MD – a nice little hotel that unfortunately had some bedbugs and a very dirty pool, which is why I left America with an itchy rash. I didn’t really notice it until I was on the plane back home.

With a late evening flight, I had a full day to explore the nation’s capital and visit the last amusement park of the trip. Due to a bad weather forecast, I had a great time at a very empty Six Flags America, which I personally consider to be one of the top parks in the group. Of course, the day could have been very different with slow operations and long queues. In the afternoon I went to Washington. I wanted to see all the sights, but due to the bad weather I was soaked in no time. After a while I gave up and made my way to the airport.

After a quiet flight and a quick visit to the Heathrow Wetherspoons, I set off for the final leg of my journey to Hamburg. I arrived at home on the last afternoon. The next day I was back at work, catching up on all sorts of work and giving extra training to some of the employees. Everything was now in place for my new life in Switzerland, which would begin a week after my great American road trip.

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The Stumbled Runner Day 11