Visiting LA

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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Zurich (2017)

When I visited my friend Daniel, I also had a view onto his home town Zurich. As Switzerland as a whole was very much expensive for me, I focused on everything I could actally afford, which was mainly the free stuff to be found throughout the city. As a small public transport geek and funicular enthusiast, I also had to take a ride on the cogwheel train Dolderbahn and the two funiculars Polybahn and Seilbahn Rigiblick. 

I was very much impressed by the city and its location at the Lake Zurich. When I had a long walk at one of the banks of the lake, a strong shower started which is why I had a view onto the Sukkulenten Sammlung. In my opinion, this collection of succulents is a hidden gem of the city. The nice garden and the sometimes very strange plants are quite exciting and you can easily spend some time over here.

After a meal at McDonalds, I headed towards the grounds of the university to have a view into the Zoologial Museum. It is a great place to learn all sorts about animals of past and present, but somehow could not keep my interest for long. As my time was running out, I focused onto the affordmentioned modes of public transportation before heading back.

 


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Stuttgart (2016)

Stuttgart might not be the most interesting city in Germany; especially not on a weekend when everything is closed, but there are some really cool places around the city, which I really enjoyed. As I lived in a shared flat in Stuttgart-Stammheim during my internship at Daimler in Sindelfingen, I had plenty of time to take the tram towards the city and explore it bit by bit. Speaking of trams, the Straßenbahnwelt Motor Museum is absolutely worthwhile! It is a very nice and informative museum featuring a large exhibition with countless trams.

Of course, I also had a look at the newly reopened Stuttgarter Fernsehturm to see the city from above, as well as given the funicular Seilbahn and the cogwheel railway Zacke a try. I just love this kind of stuff, as I love a good Musical. Back in the days, the Musical company Stella and countless other investors built a kind of entertainment resort at the outskirts of the city called SI-Centrum, where you can find two Musical Theatres. Back in the days, they were called Musical Hall 1 and 2, nowadays it is the Apollo Theater and the Palladium Theater. Here I watched Disney’s Tarzan, which I can absolutely recommend.

 


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