PACIFIC COAST HIGHWAY - Los Angeles to San Francisco

November 3rd. Today we are driving out of Los Angeles and making our way up to San Francisco via the beautiful Pacific Coast Highway. This is one of those roads, like Route 66, that I feel I just have to drive along.

It was around 9 am when we left our hotel in Los Angeles to start the journey hoping to get to San Francisco not too late in the day with the stops we would like to make on the way. The first thing though is to get out of the busy LA city and to the beach. I wanted to see Santa Monica and the Pacific Ocean. I live in England and have only been to places around the Atlantic Ocean. I knew it would look exactly the same but it would give me a feeling. The realisation of where I am in the world. Somewhere I never thought, only hoped, I would get to.

Once we got to the beach we headed north along the coast. We had the windows down, music up, the sun was shining. It was like a dream.

Going through Malibu I just had to hear Miley Cyrus' Malibu song. I am absolutely in love with that song and I don't think there was a better place to hear it. Like I said, it felt like I was in a dream.

The Big Sur was definitely the number 1 stop I wanted to make because for one Bixby Bridge is a gorgeous piece of architecture and also I promised a friend I would take a picture there for him on his birthday and I don't break my promises.

 

 

 

The entire way up to San Francisco the views were incredible. This was something I definitely wouldn't forget. It took my breath away constantly and I'm glad I got to drive an awesome car in the process.

Driving the Pacific Coast Highway was a dream. I don't remember anything else so beautiful. The beach and the ocean is my happy place. If I wasn't certain before, I definitely was now.

Next stop is San Francisco.

Toodles for now.

Trip Day 8

I can't believe I have survived a whole week! It was a habitat day today. We walked all the way down to transect 1 to a 20 by 20 metre plot to do some touch poles and measure trees. Once we did that we walked back via the old transect 3 and up the road. You could say I was a little sweaty! I needed a shower by this point since I didn't have one yesterday and as I did I rinsed a couple of my tops at the same time. A sit on the sofas in the museum with my book before lunch, which was delicious. Spicy minced meat and carrots with rice and hibiscus water.

I had a free afternoon and at first I laid in a hammock which Mira lent to me then I ventured to the science room because it was quiet, played some cards, did some puzzles and chatted with Jamie the habitat guy and Josh - part of the monkey team. Dinner arrived but we didn't notice. Deep in conversation. We noticed when a large queue began to form out of the kitchen. Vegetable soup and pineapple juice AND finally they brought back some bananas. We had some on the first day which were lush but hadn't seen them since.

Today was Katie and Etienne's birthdays and they had an angry bird piñata full of sweets. Which was a nice 'dessert' since we haven't really had any treats since being here.

We had a late night bat session as well and luckily we managed to get 3 and one of them were pregnant! Considering the last bat night got cancelled. I got a surprise when Veronica released the bat and it flew straight into me! At KM27 (where we were for these bats) the radio signal isn't very good and we couldn't get through to base camp since we finished our research early. The truck was coming to get us at midnight anyway but as we were early we ended up laying in the road for 45 minutes. (As I think back on that now, all the creepy crawlies that could've been on us and we didn't have a clue. Imagine the tarantulas!!) The sky was incredible though. There was a gap in the trees above us and with everything being pitch black the stars lit up so bright. There was a perfect view of the Milky Way! Best thing I've ever seen!

 

 

Toodles for now.

Post Birthday Weekend

I had an amazing time up in London for my birthday. Shout out to my aunt for letting me crash at her house! Thank you! I was surprised with a cake and a candle when I arrived and also a candle in my dessert and happy birthday singing at the restaurant they took me too. It was fabulous.

If you didn't read my last post and have no idea why I went to London, it was for the NFL London Games. I went and saw the Saints vs the Dolphins play at Wembley Stadium and since I am a Seahawks fan usually, I chose to support the Saints. Mainly because their jersey colours are better than the dolphins clashy colours and luckily Saints won so it wasn't at all awkward next to the Dolphins fans which were pretty much the majority of the stadium.

For one weekend out of the four games there was a NFL tailgate thingy at Regent Street in London and as it happened it was on the weekend I was going up. I met Sam Madison. He played for the Dolphins for 9 seasons and also won the Superbowl with the Giants. Those rings look good up close! Twan Russell and Troy Drayton were also there doing some entertainment and explaining the rules to those who weren't sure.

 



 

The game itself wasn't a big scoring game at 20-0 but with the amount of penalties going around it kept it interesting.

This game was the first time I wasn't right in the far back of the seats. I bought myself a ticket for the middle section of seats and for one, the food options were better and more of them, I had a padded seat and a cup holder! Exciting stuff I know. I got chatting to one woman. Her husband happened to be one of the officials for the game. I asked where she was from and when she replied with Birmingham, Alabama in her American accent I said back, ROLL TIDE. She looked at me and said 'No, I support the other Alabama team.' Oops on my part but in my defence I had forgotten about Auburn. She told me she had been to the Superbowl a couples years ago where the Seahawks lost to the Patriots and I'm glad we were both in agreement that Lynch should've run the ball.

 

I had an awesome time. There is always the best atmosphere at an NFL game and I cannot wait for the next one! It's sooner than you think. ;)

 

Toodles for now.

Birthday Weekend!

Tomorrow is my 22nd birthday. I don't feel particularly excited about it but I did treat myself to a weekend away. I am off to London for the weekend to stay with my aunt and to go to the second NFL game to play at London's Wembley Stadium this year.

I am a big lover of the NFL with my team being the Seattle Seahawks. Which FYI I am seeing them on my big trip around North America in November but you'll hear more about that at a later date. The game this weekend is between the New Orleans Saints and the Miami Dolphins. Someone I work with supports the Dolphins so on purpose I got a Saints Jersey to wear but I honestly don't mind who wins since it's not the Seahawks, I am just hoping for a good game. Anyone else an NFL supporter? I'd love to hear from you.

Luckily for me London is only a couple hours away on the train so it won't be a long journey, I'll probably just listen to music or read a book to pass the time. Maybe I'll have a nap!

Just a quick one but I hope you have a good weekend yourself.

Toodles.

It's been a while again

Again, I'm sorry. Life get's ahead of you sometimes and it takes a while for you (or me) to catch up. A lot has gone on in my life since our last encounter. My 21st Birthday for one. I know! 21! I don't feel like I'm that age. It doesn't seem right. Am I that grown up already?

I spent my 21st in Florida. Orlando to be specific. Yes of course I went to Disneyworld! How can you not?! That's not all though. I was there for two weeks and along with the Disney parks we did all the SeaWorld ones as well. I had a great time there and to say I didn't want to leave is an understatement. I really didn't want to leave.

Not only was the place great but also the people. I met some of the nicest people in America and some in particular were incredibly nice. When I say some I mean a single dad and his little boy. Yes this is going to turn into a sob story but when I met these people, they made me feel so so happy. I've never met someone else who instantly made me feel that way ever before. People have obviously made me feel happy before but not like this. This was something else. The sad part about this story though is that I left. Well, I know I had to it was the end of my holiday but I left. I spent the last couple of hours sat in the hotel lobby waiting for them to make an appearance but they never did. All I know is the man's first name. I think anyway. The more I think about it, the more I question myself about whether I even know that. Maybe I don't know a thing, I'm just trying to convince myself that I at least know something.

I cannot find him. All I have now is hope. Hope that he's looking for me too. Hope that he'll actually be able to find me.